Chapter 5: The First Letter (5)
Chapter 5: The First Letter (5)
Against the backdrop of murmuring voices, the man and the woman stood with swords in hand. Professor Derek had accepted the sudden request for a duel with a hearty laugh.
The condition was that they would not use real swords, but even with wooden ones, it was more than enough to demonstrate the sheer gap in their skills. After all, a true master never blames his tools.
Of course, the preparations weren't without interference. A beautiful girl, her black hair tied neatly behind her back, had come rushing in.
She immediately slapped Ian’s back with a loud smack. Then, looking visibly flustered, she began to stammer whatever words came to mind.
“Hey, hey, hey! Are—are you crazy?! Miss Yurdina? I think Ian Senior has temporarily lost his mind, so…”
“Celine, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”
“No, it is not fine!”
The black-haired girl cried out with a look of distress, but not a single ripple of emotion crossed the man’s face. Seria felt a small pang of envy at the sight.
To have someone who sincerely worried for you was surely a blessing. If only he had taken the advice of someone so precious to him.
Unfortunately, Ian seemed to have no intention of listening to his friend. That was why he and Seria were now standing alone, facing each other at the edge of their blades.
He was arrogant. Seria had sacrificed everything else in her life for the sword. This level of mastery was a height she had barely reached through that sacrifice.
The depth of her desperation was on a different level compared to someone who spent his days drinking. It had to be. For her, the sword was a matter of survival.
Thus, Seria did not doubt her victory. However, there was one thing weighing on her mind.
That bizarre sword path she had witnessed this morning.
As the memory resurfaced, Seria’s grip on her wooden sword tightened instinctively. A flicker of tension crossed her normally calm eyes.
Had it really been an illusion? In that moment, Seria had been momentarily overwhelmed by his technique. No matter how much Ian looked like a pathetic senior who did nothing but drink, this was the Academy.
Everyone kept at least one trump card hidden. You couldn't survive at the Academy otherwise.
Seria’s sapphire-like eyes sank into a look of deep caution. Her gaze swept over every inch of Ian’s form.
His posture was relaxed. He hadn't even drawn his sword from its sheath; he looked completely at ease. He looked as if he might yawn at any moment.
Seria felt a surge of anger and had to swallow it down once more.
Regardless of the circumstances, this was a duel between two swordsmen. There was a minimum level of etiquette one should show. Though she sometimes spoke rudely without meaning to, she had no memory of ever showing such a dismissive attitude toward an opponent in a duel.
Her eyes turned cold. She gripped the hilt, settling into a stance as if she were ready to spring forward at any second.
If the opponent had a hidden move, there was only one best course of action.
Crush them before they even had the chance to show it. Fortunately, Seria possessed leg power enhanced by mana.
Overwhelm him with explosive speed the moment the duel begins. Her long experience in battling demonic beasts provided that answer. Her muscles pulled taut like a bowstring.
Professor Derek glanced at Ian, who hadn't even drawn his sword, and let out a deep sigh. His expression said the outcome was already obvious.
It seemed he believed Ian was merely putting on a front to save face as a senior. However, the professor was not kind enough to offer advice to a student who couldn't distinguish between courage and recklessness.
Everything must be learned through experience. Following that philosophy, he immediately signaled the start of the duel.
“Then, begin!”
And before the heavy resonance of his voice could even fade from the training hall—
With a sharp whoosh, the space seemed to compress. The scenery, streaked with linear motion like a woodcut print, rushed past like a torrent.
The sound of wind tearing—but the sword was faster than sound.
The moment her coiled muscles propelled Seria’s body forward like an arrow, she was already within Ian’s reach. The blunt tip of her wooden sword was a hair’s breadth away from plunging into the man’s solar plexus.
Even if the blade wasn't sharp, a direct hit to a vital point could lead to serious injury. Thus, Seria intended to shift the trajectory toward his abdomen at the last possible second.
Until a sickening clack of wood meeting wood grazed her ears.
It was a lightning-fast draw. The dark length of his wooden sword split the instant and struck the tip of Seria’s blade.
It happened while her center of gravity was shaken and she faltered.
Whoosh. Her body was suddenly pulled forward.
The man had grabbed her blade with his unarmed hand. It was a movement without a shred of hesitation.
His palm could have been torn open if he were careless. However, he was riding the flow of power with uncanny precision.
The girl’s body was sent tumbling across the ground as if she had been discarded. Even though she had seen it happen before her eyes, she couldn't comprehend it at all.
Seria lay on her back, blinking blankly up at the sky.
A total defeat.
She was superior in physical strength and mana. She had even taken the initiative. Yet, in the end, she was the one rolling on the ground.
As the result defied all common sense, murmurs began to rise from the surroundings.
Surprise, amusement, and even the sound of people mocking her.
Everyone seemed to think she had simply let her guard down. And soon, Seria began to believe that as well.
This couldn't be right. How could it happen so easily?
She had devoted her entire life to the way of the sword. There was no way she could lose to a layabout who did nothing but drink. She was a genius, and she had to work harder.
Only then could she cast away the shadow looming over her life—the brightest sun of the Yurdina family, the legitimate successor of the Golden Lion who protected the North, and her own half-sister.
“Do you want to continue?”
The indifferent voice struck Seria’s ears like thunder. Startled back to her senses, she stood up, grinding her teeth.
She staggered slightly from the impact of hitting the ground, but she was still in good enough shape. She hadn't let go of her sword yet.
Her burning blue eyes turned toward Ian once more. He had already walked back to his starting position opposite her.
“...Please. Again.”
The heated voice escaped through her bitten lips. It was clear to anyone watching that Seria was going to get serious.
But Ian merely gave a slight nod as if it didn't matter.
His attitude said come at me whenever you're ready. Seria didn't hold back any longer.
Another leap; that was enough to close the distance. However, Seria was not foolish enough to repeat a failed strategy.
The first time, she had focused too much on speed, resulting in a trajectory that was too linear. Her opponent was not a dull bear, but a cunning fox—a dangerous adversary who knew how to use her own strength against her.
Therefore, she needed to be more cautious. Her leap stopped a short distance from the man. Then, she followed up with a strike while lunging.
She hid the sword path until the final moment. Perhaps he couldn't read that far ahead, for when she swung upward from below, the man responded with a downward strike.
It was a proper response made at the proper time. If only his opponent hadn't been Seria Yurdina.
Boom! A shockwave like an explosion rang out. A strike reinforced with high-density mana possessed terrifying power even without the addition of an Aura.
The man’s wooden sword was knocked upward, naturally exposing his shoulder. It was proof that Seria was far superior in terms of mana capacity.
Unfortunately, she didn't manage to knock the sword from his hand, but the opponent was now defenseless. Seria sensed victory.
Yes, this was how it should be. She was someone who had dedicated her life to swordsmanship. That desperate effort had made her a genius. It couldn't be denied now.
But when Seria swung her wooden sword down again in a fluid, natural follow-up—
Whoosh. Her sword cut through empty air.
Thwack! The man’s wooden sword slammed into her solar plexus. A fragmented breath escaped Seria’s lips along with a fierce surge of pain.
Having been struck in a vital point out of nowhere, she was sent tumbling across the ground again, bouncing several times. It was a strike reinforced with mana. In terms of pure power, she was superior, but her opponent was still a third-year at the Academy.
He possessed enough strength to send a girl’s lean body flying like a bouncy ball. A groan escaped Seria’s lips as she reeled from the blow.
Her breath was caught in her throat.
She couldn't even remember the last time she had felt such pain. It hurt so much she wanted to cry. She couldn't breathe properly, and a sharp ache dug into every nerve cell of her spinal cord.
The stinging pain spread throughout her body. She realized she had inadvertently let go of her wooden sword. That, she could not endure.
Even amidst that terrible pain, Seria fumbled to grip her sword again. The murmuring voices tickled her ears once more.
If the previous murmurs had been reactions of "serves her right," the current ones were laced with bewilderment.
An unexpected result that no one had foreseen.
Their confusion was inevitable. They were starting to realize that something was going very wrong.
It didn't matter. Seria had already decided to live her life without caring about the gaze of others.
Right now, her mind was focused entirely on replaying the previous exchange with all her might.
How did he dodge that?
She hadn't even seen it. His posture had been broken. Yet, his body had grazed past her strike by a hair’s breadth as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and then he had driven his blade into her abdomen, avoiding the direction her sword was falling.
She couldn't understand it at all. And the unknown is terrifying. Along with that intense pain she hadn't felt in a long time, Seria’s eyes turned toward Ian, filled with a faint sense of fear.
He was silently walking back to his position opposite her. Standing there, he looked down at her once more.
A look that asked what are you going to do? Seria bit her lip and staggered to her feet.
Her gasping breath was ragged. Still, Seria leveled her sword once more.
“...Again, please.”
But no matter how many times they repeated it, the result never changed.
Seria was certain she had seized the advantage several times, but in the next moment, it was always she who was rolling on the ground. It would have been a mercy if she had only rolled on the ground.
She was struck in the temple with the side of the sword, kicked in the stomach, and her arms and legs were lashed dozens of times until she lost all sensation in them.
After several exchanges, blood burst from Seria’s mouth. The inside of her cheek had been torn by the accumulating impact.
After a few more exchanges, Seria vomited yellow bile.
And when the final exchange ended, Seria couldn't even get up. Her entire body was a wreck.
At the very least, she seemed to have several fractures. The horrific pain numbed the sensations in her limbs. Her vision was blurry, and she couldn't even breathe properly. Her lungs might have been injured.
The murmuring had died down long ago, after the first few repetitions.
The crowd was overwhelmed by the merciless violence. Countless blows were being rained down on the fragile body of a girl who couldn't even steady herself, let alone fight back.
Bones broke, skin tore, and blood splattered. Despite this, Ian swung his wooden sword mechanically.
Each time, flesh and blood flew along with a scream. Seria’s body, collapsed after the final blow, was twitching faintly.
Even Professor Derek, who should have stopped the situation, was pale and couldn't easily find his voice. For even he, a legendary demonic beast hunter, had rarely seen a human inflict such vicious violence upon another.
Only Ian remained composed. He walked over with steady thuds and stood before Seria, who was now coughing up blood and could barely even wheeze. That alone made Seria’s instincts shriek.
Run. Please, get away. Having experienced violence she couldn't even resist, Seria’s body trembled uncontrollably, independent of her will.
Looking down at the trembling Seria, Ian spoke in a low voice.
“Get up, Seria Yurdina.”
Hearing those words, Seria froze.
Is it still not enough? she wondered. She had done her best. Yet, he was an opponent she couldn't beat.
Every part of her body was screaming. Please stop. That man is a monster you can't handle. You'll only die if you keep going.
Seria’s trembling gaze turned toward Ian. He was expressionless, just as he had been from the start.
“This is pain you will have to endure countless times in the future. Surely you don't intend to break over something like this?”
She didn't even dare to meet the man’s eyes and looked away. Her gaze trembled piteously along with her body. She was on the verge of tears.
She was afraid to stand up. Even stubbornness had its limits. Even if she stood up, she would only experience pain again. No matter how haughty and proud a swordsman she was, she was still just a girl who had barely turned twenty.
In the end, it was Professor Derek who stepped in for her. Having watched the duel with a stunned expression, he suddenly snapped out of it and shouted.
“Stop! The duel is over! Seria is already seriously injured. The duel ends now!”
Professor Derek began to walk toward Ian and Seria. It was a late intervention, but it was still acceptable. The Academy had high-ranking priests from the Holy Kingdom who could fully heal even serious injuries within a week.
Even if they left it to the Saintess, who was a third-year student, Seria’s wounds were at a level that could be healed within a few days. However, the mental scars would be a different matter.
As Professor Derek approached, Ian, who had been looking at him for a moment, turned his gaze back down to Seria.
He asked once more.
“That’s what he says. What do you want to do?”
Hearing those words, Seria felt a surge of emotion. What did she want to do? Obviously, obviously...
Obviously, she should give up.
She was so scared that her trembling body wouldn't listen. Her muscles were screaming. Her body was barely moving through mana. Her bones weren't intact either.
Time and again, she collapsed, unable to steady herself.
She hadn't been able to win even when her body was perfectly fine. There was no way she could win now. Even though she knew all this, Seria used her wooden sword as a cane to push herself up.
The arm holding the sword shook violently. Even now, every time she met the man’s gaze, she felt as if her blood were freezing. And yet, she couldn't give up.
Because the sword was her life. If she broke here and gave up...
Another shadow would loom over her life, one she could never cast away. That, she could not stand.
Gasping for air, Seria raised her sword once more. Her body tilted momentarily as she swayed.
At that display of will, Professor Derek, who had been walking over to mediate, paused. Anyone would have.
If they had seen the cold blue fire burning in Seria’s eyes, anyone would have stopped.
“Again... huff... Again, please.”
Even at such resolve, only the man did not look surprised or impressed. He merely nodded a couple of times as if he had expected it.
“...Right. As a Yurdina, that’s exactly what you should do.”
And his sword mercilessly struck Seria’s body once again.
Her body flew through the air and rolled across the ground. It was something that had happened many times during the duel. But what was different about this strike was that it had accumulated damage to the exact point where she could no longer endure.
Her fading consciousness felt dangerously close to snapping. Seria gasped through her narrowed vision and fumbled with her hand. She tried to grab her sword somehow.
But the sword was too far away, and sleep was far too close.
Just before she lost consciousness, she heard the man’s voice.
“Since you only fight demonic beasts, your muscles are too honest.”
Before she could even ask what that meant...
Her consciousness was swallowed by darkness.
This was the full story of the 'Yurdina Near-Death Incident' that had rocked the Academy for the past week.
After hearing everything Celine had to say, I had no choice but to remain silent.
The gist of the story was that I had dodged all of Seria’s strikes, counterattacked, and beaten her within an inch of her life. And all because she had said one rude thing.
I had even told her to get up again after she had vomited bile and collapsed in a wreck?
“...You’re joking, right?”
“I wish I were joking. You were a total psycho back then, Ian.”
At Celine’s gloomy reply, I jumped up from my seat. It was a violent reaction that made me forget everyone was watching me.
“No, that’s not just being like a psycho, that’s being a psycho itself! I’m the piece of trash who beat a kid who couldn't even move?!”
“Yep. That’s why guys like Teahn want to hang out with you.”
Celine looked at me with a pitying gaze, her arms crossed. It was the kind of look one might give a dying cat on the street with its guts spilling out.
She shook her head quietly.
“I tried to stop you, okay? Anyway, it’s a sin you committed, so you’d better accept the punishment. Now that I think about it, getting hit a few times won't be enough.”
“No, I’m telling you, I wasn't myself back then!”
I tried to defend myself with a desperate heart, but both Celine and I knew it was a useless argument. And it certainly wouldn't work on Seria.
The situation was more serious than I thought. At this rate, I wouldn't be able to complain even if Seria beat me to death.
I groaned, trying to think if there was anything useful in what I had just heard.
Then, something I had supposedly said at the end flashed through my mind.
“...Hey, what did you say I said?”
“About what?”
Celine, who had been clasping her hands together as if praying for my soul, tilted her head at my sudden question. But in my urgency, I grabbed Celine’s shoulders and pulled her toward me.
It was to show her my strong resolve. Celine’s face turned bright red, and she looked flustered, unable to meet my eyes.
“W-w-what are you doing all of a sudden...?”
“At the end. You said I said something to Seria as she was collapsing.”
“T-that?”
Celine was clearly flustered, but she didn't play hard to get and immediately went into thought. After a moment, she found the answer I wanted from her extraordinary memory.
“What was it again? ‘Since you only fight demonic beasts, your muscles are too honest’...”
“Yes, that’s it!”
I exclaimed in admiration and finally let go of Celine’s shoulders. Celine, who had been blushing and hesitating, glared at me with a slightly dissatisfied look when I practically brushed her off.
She let out a hollow laugh, looking dumbfounded.
“And do you even know what that means?”
“...No, I’m screwed.”
Celine shook her head as if she had expected as much. But contrary to what she thought, I was serious.
“But I have to find out, somehow...”
Because if I didn't, I was going to be beaten to death.
It was almost certain that a request for a duel would be made during today’s lecture. It was an opportunity for her to blow away both her shattered pride and the trauma of her crushing defeat.
So, I had no time left. No time to prepare for the fight with her.
I racked my brain desperately to take responsibility for something I didn't even remember doing.
Until this morning, I thought it was just another ordinary day. How did it come to this?
I let out a sigh inwardly, but there was nothing I could do.
Seria’s aquamarine eyes were still fixed on me, as if they were nailed there.