Chapter 282: Black Moon.
Chapter 282: Black Moon.
After the battle ended.
Even as the martial artists of the Jijon-hoe scrambled to tend to their unconscious leader, Han A-bin remained awake, though she was in a daze.
However, her eyelids were trembling violently, her limbs were half-seized by tremors, and her upper body swayed incessantly. It was clear she had reached her absolute limit.
One could certainly praise her for refining a technique—one so taxing it had knocked her out instantly before—to the point where she could execute it and remain standing. But it wasn't just her refined skill keeping her upright.
It was something deeper, in the fundamental realm of the spirit.
I’m not talking about the kind of people who preach "mental toughness" in a fight. If you handed a rifle to those bastards and sent them to a battlefield, their minds would shatter the moment they saw the person next to them die. Their so-called "spirit" wouldn't leave behind so much as a speck of dust.
That said, I don't deny the existence of willpower.
Like the crew of the US Navy's CVN-65 Enterprise during the Nautilus incident, who did their duty until the very end to open a path even as they faced annihilation.
The presence or absence of willpower is an element revealed at the final moment—when everything one is is put to the test.
It might be premature to link the resolve A-bin was showing now to that level of greatness. At the very least, however, one could see the beginnings of it in her refusal to let go of what she had to do in this moment.
If she collapsed here too, there was no telling what people would say about the result.
…Thinking about it that way, I kind of want to test Si-hyun too, but that kid has never really been backed into a corner. Well, if the plan goes well, I’ll get to see it this time.
Regardless.
I waited for a moment to see if anyone would object to the use of magic. Having done this sort of thing more than once or twice, I knew the unspoken rules among martial artists well enough.
But then again, I’m supposed to be unable to use magic, aren't I?
The thought that it might be an issue only just occurred to me, but neither the members of the Jijon-hoe nor the onlookers raised any objections to the outcome of the duel.
Perhaps they treated it as a kind of Form.
In that case, it was our victory.
In situations like this, some sects would decide that a loss is a loss, but then the rest of the members would charge in to wash away the shame, turning it into a delightful festival of a brawl. These guys, however, didn't seem quite that unhinged—or perhaps they just lacked the guts.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes! Master.”
“…Yes.”
As soon as things were settled, we left the dojo. It was a bit of a shame I couldn't strip the gold foil off that guy’s clothes or shave his head, but I decided to let it slide since he showed off some impressive footwork at the end.
To be honest, he seemed like a thoroughly materialistic Martial Artist, so I thought he was just someone who happened to have talent and grew strong on power alone. But looking at his footwork and posture, he was someone who had genuinely devoted himself to the path.
Maybe he was just a bit materialistic, with a slight problem in his fashion sense and naming conventions.
Therefore.
“I suppose I’ll let him off with this.”
I stood before the sign hanging outside the building. Standing in front of the characters for Jijon-hoe (至尊會), I used my hammer to cleanly scrape away the gold-leafed character for ‘Supreme’ (尊).
“There.”
I carved the character for ‘Lowest’ (低) in its place and finished it off by using my boosters to char it black.
Jijeo-hoe (至低會)—The Society of The Lowest.
“What did you write?”
Baek Si-hyun, who didn't know Hanja, asked curiously as she peered at my handiwork.
“I don't know either. I just picked it based on the vibe.”
I didn't know if it made sense as a proper Hanja compound, but it sounded right when read aloud, didn't it?
With that, the Dojo Breaking was over. Unless they attacked me in retaliation, I wouldn't hold any more ill will toward this sect.
Isn't that what Dojo Breaking is all about? Blowing away all bad blood with a single strike.
Of course, it usually doesn't work out that way for either the victim or the perpetrator, which is why fights keep breaking out, but at least for me, it was settled.
Anyway, as soon as everything was finished.
“Ah… then… it’s… over…. I’ll… rest a bit… now….”
With those final words, A-bin closed her eyes. She couldn't even control her own fall.
Startled, I immediately lunged toward her.
“Safe.”
Fortunately, I caught her before she hit the ground. I looked around for a place to lay her down, but seeing nowhere suitable, I had no choice but to hoist her onto my back.
Our bodies were pressed together in several places, but it shouldn't matter. She was unconscious, and my body was technically female at the moment anyway. I’d carried the Thunder God, Oxymoron, and various others on my back in the past, so it was fine.
However, wandering around like this looked a bit odd.
“Si-hyun.”
“Yes!”
“Take A-bin back to the lodging. Once you’ve laid her down in the room, feel free to go sightseeing or do whatever you want.”
As I spoke, I transferred A-bin to Baek Si-hyun’s back. Si-hyun accepted her calmly, seemingly without a second thought.
“Understood! But what about you, Master?”
Instead of a complaint, she returned the question with a beaming smile.
In response, I looked down the long stretch of the main street. I could see countless dojos there. And among them were those with names just as annoying as the former Jijon-hoe.
What the hell is "No-Sword Style"?
I can tear that one down, right?
“I have a bit of work to do.”
“Got it! See you later then!”
With that, Baek Si-hyun vanished like the wind.
“Let’s see, how many can I smash today?”
Was my personal best six? It would be hard to hit that number now. Maybe I’ll take it easy and break five.
Since the Jijeo-hoe is already done, that leaves four.
With that thought, I sprinted toward the No-Sword Style dojo.
* * *
In the middle of the night.
Perhaps it was because the Martial Alliance was situated high on a mountain, but the moon visible through the window looked strangely large. It was likely just an illusion since there shouldn't be that much of a difference, but regardless, I sat there staring at the moon with nothing else to do.
That was because I was currently in a holding cell.
Having been in one once before in the Magic Kingdom, I reflected that it had been a while since I’d been locked up in such quick succession. However, I didn't feel like grabbing the bars and proclaiming my innocence this time.
For starters, there were no bars, as if it were obvious that mere iron couldn't restrain a Martial Artist.
In their place was a transparent wall made of some unknown material. When I tapped on it, it felt strangely elastic; it didn't seem to be glass, but with my shallow knowledge, I couldn't tell what it was.
However, since they used it for a holding cell, it likely had a significant shock-absorption effect. I tapped on the non-transparent floor, ceiling, and walls as well. They gave a similar reaction, so they were likely the same material, just a different color.
Not that it was too tough for me to break.
I had been so bored after being shoved in here that I’d poked The Wall a few times with my finger to see how strong it was, and I’d ended up making a hole. Fortunately, it wasn't a large hole and there were no cracks, so I plugged it with a steel marble generated from my hammer.
In any case, I could leave by force if I wanted to, but I chose not to.
First of all, I was about 15% at fault for being here. Secondly, the Martial Artist in charge of public order had told me I’d be released tomorrow morning.
If that was the case, it was only right for me to be a law-abiding citizen. Even if I didn't quite understand the rules.
To summarize what crime I was being held for:
Dojo Breaking itself wasn't an issue, but apparently, you aren't allowed to storm into more than a certain number of dojos without a specific reason. Once a day is fine, but if you smash five like I did, they start looking at you as a lawless thug just trying to cause a riot.
The only reason I wasn't expelled from the Martial Alliance and was only being held for one night was because my precise control meant very few people were seriously injured, and because they saw my generation and assumed I had misunderstood the old rules.
I asked exactly how many were allowed per day, but the answer I got was a typical rule-of-thumb: "It depends on a subjective judgment of whether you are causing chaos without cause."
It was very much like a Martial Artist, so I could understand it. When I was first caught, I had feared the worst—that Dojo Breaking itself might have been banned. After hearing the explanation, I accepted that while they had some common sense now, martial artists were still martial artists.
And so, here I was, stuck in a holding cell, watching the moon.
The one disappointing thing about this spree, however, was that I had expected that fool Kong Jianping or someone from the Martial Alliance Headquarters to show up. But there had been no harvest on that front.
Probably because smashing up these minor dojos wasn't considered a major disturbance.
I’d seen it earlier while passing through the market—some idiots had drawn live blades in the middle of the street, claiming they were having a duel to the death, and were throwing Forms at each other. At that time, a clearly higher-ranked Martial Artist had stepped in and beaten them both senseless.
Following that method would likely draw out the martial artists I was targeting, but I felt that would be too much of a nuisance to the people around me. So, I decided to just beat up one annoying dojo tomorrow as usual.
Calling those people out wasn't my main goal anyway; it was just a secondary "it would be nice if it happened" objective.
Ultimately, my main goal was to vent some energy in the duel-heavy Martial Alliance, and one more thing: to find the martial artists who had crossed the line.
Not people like the Jijeo-hoe leader, whom I could still call a Martial Artist, but the truly rotten ones.
The ones who used the name of a dojo to exploit ignorant civilians. The merchants who sold Forms that didn't even make sense as something "precious." In other words, those who deserved punishment.
However, I couldn't act immediately. All the conditions for me to move hadn't been met yet.
Just as I thought that.
Swoosh.
The moon was suddenly eclipsed by darkness. The moment all light sources except for a small night light were extinguished.
Bubble. Bubble. Bubble.
The sound of bubbling rose from somewhere.
Crunch. Crunch. Crunch.
The sound of flesh and bone being chewed by teeth followed.
Pop.
With the final sound of a bubble bursting.
“Now it’s a holding cell, I see.”
The woman in black appeared before my eyes.
“You arrived earlier than I expected.”
“Didn't you know? We were on the same plane.”
Is that so? I didn't know that.
“It was quite amusing to see the Heavenly Sword steal your spotlight.”
I don't really care. It’s not like I’m the type who wants attention. As long as the job gets done without any damage, that’s enough. I didn't bother to voice that rebuttal, though.
“What about Chong So-rim?”
“She’ll be a bit later because of the firearm inspections. But she’ll be ready by tomorrow morning.”
I see. Then everything up to this point is fine.
“Any complaints about the plan?”
“It seems decent enough. Not exactly my taste, though.”
Right.
“Oh, and this isn't my opinion, but The Society’s. They said if the plan to strengthen civilians succeeds, The Society plans to time it right and sell training tools through Arejes Security Service. Quilp did the martial arts inspection, and Al’shel and Seini did the magic inspection, so there shouldn't be any major issues.”
“That’s unexpected.”
I thought The Society would be sensitive about all of humanity becoming stronger. So they’re going to cooperate on this too?
I didn't know if they were going along with my plan to strengthen all of humanity just for the money, but at least the means to impact society as a whole seemed to be in place.
“Well, The Society members were quite cheerful during the meeting, saying it would be fine if the world is protected because of it.”
…Come to think of it, those guys were a bunch of idealistic fools too. No matter how much they grow, their essence doesn't change.
“Good. Then we’ll move according to plan….”
Next.
“Can you stay here for a bit and act as my double?”
“I don't mind. What are you planning to do?”
I had her permission. Upon hearing that, I immediately stood up and destroyed the lock on the door by poking it with my finger.
“…How are you going to explain that?”
“Tell them it was a bathroom emergency. Oh, and you asked what I was going to do.”
As I answered, I immediately draped myself in shadows, staining my body black.
The Black Marauder form, for the first time in a while.
“I saw some people who need to be judged.”
With those final words to Yumil, I sprinted into the darkness.