Chapter 281: The First Dojo Breaking
Chapter 281: The First Dojo Breaking
I had called out to A-bin quite clearly.
However, she didn't even seem to realize I was talking to her. She just scanned the surroundings with a look that said, Who is Senior calling?
I called out my disciple’s name once more.
“Han A-bin! I’m talking to you, so get over here.”
“Huh? Me? Not Si-hyun?”
Even after being called twice, A-bin asked back as if she still couldn't believe it.
I suppose I have no choice.
“If Si-hyun or I step up, the other side won't have a snowball's chance in hell. So, it has to be you.”
If we were strictly talking about a spar rather than a fight to the death—just as the Thunder God once said she could beat me in a spar—the skills required for a match are quite different from actual combat.
Even taking that into account, there was a vast chasm in skill between that gold-clad Martial Artist and me. Even compared to Baek Si-hyun, the result would be the same.
Unless he possessed some exceptional power, like launching a devastating attack at the cost of his own life, there was virtually zero chance of Baek Si-hyun losing.
That left only Han A-bin.
I suppose I could tie both my hands and feet, put on a blindfold, and give the opponent a one-minute head start.
But that would be even more humiliating, so I doubted he’d agree to it.
Besides, even with all those penalties stacked against me, there was no way I’d lose.
While I was lost in thought, Han A-bin shuffled over to stand beside me, still radiating an aura of confusion as to why she had been summoned.
Well, I guess I should snap her out of it.
I gave her lower back a sharp pat with my open palm.
Smack!
“Eek!”
“Alright, straighten your back. Don't get cold feet already.”
“But… still…”
Perhaps because of the slap, A-bin stopped her anxious glancing around, though she was still whining under her breath.
Good, that’s enough for A-bin.
“So, how about this? My disciple will go instead of me. As I said, in terms of pure combat power, she’s a bit lacking. Though she excels in other areas.”
Well? Are you still going to refuse?
I threw out the proposal one more time.
“A ‘weaker’ disciple?”
The master of this sect had finally reached the limit of his patience. His face turned a deep shade of crimson as he reacted.
Yes. That’s the spirit.
Shall I provoke him a bit more?
“Thinking back, I was in the wrong. Even if this is a Dojo Breaking, if the skill gap between opponents is too large, it’s just bullying.”
Of course, no such rule existed for this traditional event.
If you get crushed, you get crushed. This wasn't some video game with skill-based matchmaking.
“Since the other disciple is also too strong, A-bin here—who is just a bit weaker than you—is the perfect fit.”
“Wait a second. A bit?”
I heard a screaming voice from beside me, but I ignored it.
In truth, it wasn't just a bit; in terms of pure specs, A-bin was severely lacking.
That was exactly why Han A-bin was perfect for provocation.
No matter how jaded by the secular world he might be, a Martial Artist can easily discern an opponent's strength.
Unless he was like Chris, who relied on summons and couldn't gauge the strength of a Main Body, this dojo master would be able to tell at a glance that A-bin was far weaker than him.
The same went for the onlookers crowding around.
In fact, if I listened closely to the murmurs, I could hear people wondering what I was thinking, sending out such a weak disciple.
“…Ho. ‘A bit,’ you say. A bit.”
The gold-plated Martial Artist began to show his rage openly.
As expected, the best way to provoke martial artists is to insult their skills or their sect.
“Just a bit. And to be honest, I still think my disciple has a higher chance of winning.”
“Senior?!”
Once again, a scream… no, a voice bordering on a desperate shriek erupted from beside me, but I didn't answer this time either.
Instead, I just looked at A-bin, whose face had turned pale, and gave her a small nod to reassure her.
Just as A-bin was about to react to that encouragement—
“Fine! I wouldn't be a Martial Artist if I backed down after being insulted like this!”
The gold-clad Martial Artist finally exploded. He stepped forward, his ki erupting.
It was a larger amount of ki than I expected.
“Hmm. Upgrading my assessment. He’s at least B-Rank.”
“Senior?!”
A-bin, you’re saying “Senior” a lot today, aren't you?
And your voice has completely cracked.
I should probably give her one more word of encouragement. At this rate, she won't even be able to show half her potential.
“You’ll win. Just do as you were taught.”
With that, I gave her a light pat on the shoulder to bolster her courage and stepped back.
Now that the match was set, it was no longer the master's place to interfere.
As I retreated all the way back to where Baek Si-hyun was standing, the gold-clad Martial Artist took another step forward and bowed his head.
“I am Kim Hwan, the Sect Leader of Jijon-hoe. I look forward to this match.”
His voice was thick with rage, yet he spoke as if this formality was an absolute necessity.
Oh, so he does greet his opponent.
Seeing even a guy like that maintain etiquette, martial artists really are a stiff-necked bunch.
“Yes… well…”
In contrast, A-bin bowed her head but stammered, seemingly unsure of how to introduce herself.
Ah, right. I never told her.
“A-bin. It’s the One-Sword Style. The secular branch.”
“Then… I am Han A-bin of the One-Sword Style. I look forward to the match.”
Having finally heard the name of the sect she belonged to, A-bin squeezed out her introduction in a small voice.
That voice swallowed all the noise in the bustling dojo.
No, that’s not quite right.
The moment the name 'One-Sword Style' was mentioned, the dojo fell into a dead silence.
Because of that, A-bin, having finished her greeting, looked up and glanced around, wondering if she had done something wrong.
Well, it was only natural.
“Master. Master.”
“What is it, Si-hyun?”
“Um, did our sect actually have a name?”
“For now, yes. But since I’m not a Martial Artist, it’s not recorded in the Hero Database. Just keep it in mind, just in case.”
Though, the secular branch of the One-Sword Style Magical Girls would likely end with them.
I barely gave them any formal education in that regard anyway.
There was no real need for it.
Perhaps because my voice carried through the dojo, whispers began to spread among the crowd.
“Hey, if it’s the One-Sword Style… isn't that the one?”
“Are you sure you didn't mishear? There must be a few sects with similar names…”
“The one related to the Heavenly Sword… right?”
The whispers continued to spread, but no one spoke out loud.
It was only natural.
While it was true that the Heavenly Sword was the head of the Martial Alliance and his sect was the One-Sword Style, every Martial Artist knew what it meant to mention the founder of that style.
I just blurted it out because I didn't care.
The reason I hadn't told them before wasn't because it was a shameful past or something I wanted to hide; I just hadn't seen any reason to mention it.
Thanks to that, the heated atmosphere of the dojo cooled down in an instant.
However, there was one person who was fired up by those words.
“One-Sword Style? I see. So it’s the One-Sword Style?”
The gold-clad guy, Kim-whatever-his-name-was.
Upon hearing the name, he muttered to himself and slowly walked toward The Wall.
“The One-Sword Style is a legendary sect that is whispered about in secret among martial artists.”
Actually, it’s not that legendary.
To be honest, we don't have any complicated forms or secret techniques.
At most, we have Circulation of Energy, mindset, bestowal techniques, basic stances, and basic forms.
If I organized it all on A4 paper, it would probably be a thirty-page manual.
It’s just that the practitioners—including myself—are all complete lunatics.
Still, I had no intention of telling him that.
“I thought I’d stepped in something foul when I heard it was a Dojo Breaking, but to think I’d get an opportunity like this.”
With those words, Kim tossed aside the wooden sword he was holding and grabbed a sword hanging on The Wall.
But really, even if he’s talking to himself, is it okay to ramble like that?
He must be so excited he doesn't even realize what he’s saying.
Regardless, the over-excited Kim drew a sword as flamboyantly decorated as his appearance and continued to speak as he approached A-bin.
“Today, I shall crush the legend with my own hands! And I shall make the name of Jijon-hoe known to the world!”
As Kim grandly declared his ambitions, a thought sprouted within me.
Wow, people really do say things like that.
Even if he was a social climber jaded by the world, his consistency was almost admirable.
And incredibly materialistic.
It’s all well and good to act tough, but shouldn't he say those things after beating A-bin?
In that man’s head, he had probably already envisioned a future where he defeated her.
Anyway, in response to Kim’s sudden surge of motivation—
“Once again… I look forward… to the match.”
A-bin summoned her bow with a shrinking voice.
“A bow? Well… it doesn't matter.”
Kim’s eyebrows twitched slightly at the sight of A-bin’s weapon, but he didn't comment on it.
Both took their stances.
As they began to glare at each other, silence descended upon the dojo where whispers had lingered.
About twenty seconds passed.
Neither side moved.
However, due to the inevitable twitching of muscles that comes with being human, A-bin’s posture as she held the arrow to the string faltered ever so slightly.
Snap.
Sensing this, Kim lunged toward A-bin.
With unexpected speed and velocity.
“Ah.”
Han A-bin reacted with surprise.
It was unavoidable. Even to my eyes, that lunge was tricky.
It was likely a unique Footwork Technique.
A footwork-based form that allowed for maximum acceleration even without a dedicated charging stance.
Even I, with perception far superior to A-bin’s, was a bit slow to react.
What could A-bin do?
Twang.
A-bin fired the arrow on the string to defend against the charge.
However, because of Kim’s lunge—which was far too fast by A-bin’s standards—the arrow was fired without any technique, veering slightly to the right. Kim simply shifted to the left, and the arrow cut through empty air.
A-bin immediately summoned another arrow to prepare for the next attack.
But it was already too late.
In an instant, the distance between Kim and A-bin had closed.
It was a distance difficult to handle with a bow, well within the range of Kim’s sword.
In terms of time, the exchange had lasted less than a second.
The onlookers who hadn't missed the scene were likely disappointed.
They had heard the legendary name of the One-Sword Style, yet the match was ending so easily.
However, there was one twist.
A-bin, your acting has improved.
As I suspected, this situation was one Han A-bin had engineered.
To begin with, even back when she was much weaker than she was now, Han A-bin possessed insane concentration and arm strength, enough to perform long-range snipes with a bow.
Her arm shaking after aiming for a mere twenty seconds?
A normal archer might, but we are Heroes.
Furthermore, Han A-bin was someone who had trained her body’s fine motor control while learning forms from me.
From that perspective, that trembling arm was a very deliberate trap.
It was just that her acting was so good that even I, who knew better, was momentarily fooled.
In addition, when Kim lunged, her missing the shot was also a strike filled with intent.
To an outsider, it would look like an arrow that went wide because she was startled by Kim’s charge.
A-bin was startled by the lunge, but the subsequent arrow wasn't fired haphazardly out of shock.
It was a missed attack designed to make The Enemy lower his guard and draw closer.
From Kim’s perspective, he moved to his left to dodge the arrow flying toward his right by the shortest distance possible.
But that, too, was what Han A-bin intended.
She wanted Kim to move closer to her right hand.
She intended for her right hand, which could generate arrows, to be positioned between herself and Kim.
Unaware of this, Kim swung his sword with a wide grin.
Han A-bin wiped the timid expression from her face and calmly raised her right hand, which had summoned an arrow.
A hint of confusion appeared on Kim’s face.
She wasn't summoning an arrow to block the sword, nor was she stabbing him with it.
The arrow was simply held in front of her face.
Well, normally, one wouldn't be able to predict what came next.
But with this, Han A-bin’s victory was assured.
Flash.
Between Kim and Han A-bin.
The arrow A-bin held aloft glowed with a red light, nearly the color of blood.
Kim’s movements slowed.
Though his swinging sword didn't stop, the movement was a mess compared to before.
“Phew.”
Han A-bin stumbled as if she were about to collapse, but she dodged the sword with ease.
“Hup!”
She stepped forward and struck Kim in the stomach with her right hand.
Magical Girl-style Inch Punch.
I hadn't expected her to master that while I was away.
Regardless, A-bin’s fist, now at a level practical for real combat, slammed accurately into the stomach of Kim, who had lost all his senses.
Kim, still not having regained his senses, collapsed without even knowing why.
And so, Han A-bin’s first Dojo Breaking concluded with her victory.
By the way, that Sensory Control really is a cheat in one-on-one combat.
How is anyone supposed to endure that if they’re hit by it without knowing what it is?