Drawing the Flame Sword
Once all my classes were done, I headed back to Hana's place.
Her parents, apparently, still had business to attend to in the Demon Realm and had left ahead of us.
Before going, though, they'd left behind a USB containing material on succubi.
In other words: on top of practical training with Hana, I was supposed to study the theory too. Somehow it felt even more brutal than actual schoolwork.
"So this is the elixir that raises soul resonance? It's this deep blue color... looks like paint that's gone bad."
"Hey, hey, don't just go grabbing it. My family manages the quantity of this stuff pretty strictly. One bottle costs about ten million won. Sending this much over was a serious expense for them, you know."
"Ten million? But five bottles came at once. Ten million... twenty million... fifty million won!"
Each one of those tiny yogurt-sized bottles was worth ten million won... I set it down immediately, both hands, with the utmost respect.
"An era where a single drink costs ten million won—truly the end times. So? Do I just drink it?"
"Hold on... the instructions say to split one bottle between the contractor and me. There's a warning that drinking a full bottle each gives you no effect at all."
"This tiny thing, and now we have to split it in half too? What a fussy elixir."
"Quit complaining~ Let's test it out right away. First, you need to be able to draw my sword. Come out to the yard with me~"
I tossed my bag aside and stepped out into the yard. A cool breeze was blowing—perfect weather for practice.
Hana followed me out carrying the elixir, stretched once, and then, without warning, started unbuttoning her shirt.
"Aren't you being way too blatant about the fan service here?"
"What's that supposed to mean...? You saw my mother draw her flame weapon from her chest, remember. The heat of the flames can damage the fabric, you know~"
"Such a surprisingly practical reason. Kind of killed the mood, honestly."
"And here you are openly sulking about it. If you want it later, I'll throw some in for free. How about it, hmm~?"
She lifted and dropped the hem of her shirt on purpose, smirking all the while.
I mean, yes, please... but I'll pass for now.
"Let's save that for after I beat Jeong Harin. Time to focus on other things."
"Tch... can't even handle what you're given. Fine."
Hana made a disappointed face, then pulled out the elixir bottle and drank.
Drinking with her shirt unbuttoned, her throat exposed—there was something oddly alluring about the sight.
"Here you go, Seha. The rest of it. You need to down it all in one go, okay?"
I took the bottle she offered and held it up. A pale blue aurora swirled inside the elixir...
Wait. If I drink from this bottle, doesn't that count as an indirect kiss?
It's not like Hana and I have never shared a straw before, but for some reason, being conscious of it made my heart flutter.
Ah, whatever. Just drink it.
I tipped back my head and swallowed what was left. The cool liquid slid down my throat.
"Huh? This taste is... blueberry smoothie! It's delicious, Hana. Can I have another glass? Ugh..."
Suddenly, a brain freeze hit me like I'd devoured a whole pint of ice cream in one sitting.
The pain left my head numb, incapable of a single thought.
'Hey, Yoon Seha, get a grip. It's your first time synchronizing, that's all. Breathe out slowly. It'll settle down soon.'
Hana's voice rang through my head.
So our souls really did synchronize. A telepathy function, no less.
For now, do as she says and stay calm. Steady my breathing, let it out, find my center...
When I opened my eyes again, I felt much better than before. If anything, it felt like every stray thought had been wiped clean.
Looking at Hana's face, she smiled softly and started speaking into my head again. Hearing her voice without her lips even moving was fascinating.
'How does it feel, our souls bound more tightly together~? They say if we drink another bottle in this state, we can peek into each other's memories and thoughts.'
'If our memories actually ended up mixed together, wouldn't some kind of monster be born?'
'You've watched way too many cartoons, Seha. That has never once happened~ Or... are you just afraid I'd catch the folder full of brown-headed bulbuls in your brain?'
'What are you even talking about? I am the proud owner of perfectly normal tastes. Probably.'
'That "probably" is doing a lot of worrying work... Anyway, let's get straight to practice. This is the toned-down version, so the effect won't last long.'
'What do I do? Do I look into your eyes like your father did and reach toward your chest?'
'That's the right stance. But the most important thing is the image. Seha, paint a picture in your head. Picture the flames.'
'Flames... flames...'
'Yes, that's it. Then, with the certainty that you can swing my sword, draw it out. The more you and I trust each other, the stronger the blade's bond will become.'
'So that's why your father kept stressing trust?'
"Hehe~ Who's to say~ Now, support me gently, and I'll give myself to you in return ♡"
Hana wrapped both her arms around my neck and whispered into my ear, sweet and seductive all at once.
Heart pounding, I gently braced one hand against her shoulder. Her body leaned softly into mine, and for a moment it felt like we were connected—me and Hana, one.
Then her gaze seized me and would not let go.
Flames smoldered in her eyes.
I didn't flinch from that fire, that heat. I met it head-on.
Yes. This fire, exactly this.
I stared into the flames blooming in her eyes. Not mere fire, but a living power—the very essence of who Hana was.
To wield her sword, I would have to learn to handle that flame. Simply receiving her blessing wasn't enough.
I had already spent ten years at Hana's side, and now the time had come to take that heat into my own hand.
"Seha..."
Her trembling voice brushed past my ear. She wound her arms around me tighter, pressing her body closer still.
Then a crack appeared in Hana's chest.
It looked just like the fracture I'd seen when she drew her blade in that frozen Antarctic cold.
And now, I was ready to cross that threshold.
Without hesitation, I slid my hand into the fissure.
"Ah... ahh... Seha..."
Hana gripped my hand, her breathing quickening rapidly. That voice only made me burn hotter, and I pushed my hand deeper into the crack.
My hand began to scorch, as if it were catching fire.
Even with the blessing protecting me, the heat felt like it could burn me raw.
But I've had my whole body set alight before, after all. Heat like this was almost cute.
I closed my hand around it. The sensation was strange—smooth as polished stone, and yet solid and unyielding all at once.
The fact that I was gripping a sword's hilt made my heart pound.
Now, I was ready to draw it.
Little by little, the blade began to slide free of the crack. Flames roared up stronger alongside it, washing us both in orange light.
In that moment, I saw tears gathering at the corners of Hana's eyes, her jaw clenched as she endured the pain.
"Hold on, Hana..."
I called out to her and forced strength into my trembling hand.
At last, the tip of the blade came into view. Hana, wringing out the last of her strength, threw her whole body into it.
"Come out... raaahhh!"
I seized the sword one final time and liberated it.
"Hah... hah... You drew it... beautifully... my Seha. Hehe. That's my man, all right."
Leaning against my arm, Hana caught her breath in small gasps as she looked up at me. Pain still lingered on her face, but within it there was warmth, too—a tender affection for me.
The Balrog flame sword breathed fire along its blade, fully revealed in my left hand at last.
Its blade was black as obsidian. An ordinary sword has a guard between blade and hilt, but this one had none—only a ring of fire coiling around the blade, its trail shimmering in the air.
"Seha, help me lean against the veranda door. I can't feel a single ounce of strength in my body..."
"Yeah, I've got you. Sorry—I pulled it out too roughly, didn't I?"
"My mother told me that the first time someone draws your weapon, you can't do anything else all day.... It's basically my soul they're pulling out, so the recoil is supposed to be enormous, apparently?"
Hana panted heavily. I could've been a little more gentle about it...
"It's okay, Seha. Honestly, I thought she was exaggerating, but now that I've lived through it... my body's burning and my head's all fuzzy. I just gave you my first time, didn't I..?"
"Please stop saying things people could horribly misunderstand. And stop dropping the subject of your sentences."
I guided Hana over and propped her against the veranda door. Sweat and tears had left her an absolute wreck.
I should go grab a wet towel and wipe her down.
Her mother never had trouble after her father drew her weapon, did she? Like Hana said, being the first time must be why she's this out of it.
Maybe after a few more draws, she'll get used to it...
"Seha, give the sword a swing. I've got a barrier up around the yard, so swing away without worrying."
"Got it. Maybe I'll try cleaving the fence?"
"No, you dummy... Papa set things up before he left, remember. You're supposed to cut the training logs."
Where Hana pointed, sure enough, stood a wooden practice dummy straight out of a training montage. I'd nearly demolished the fence for nothing.
Good thing I didn't end up on the wrong side of her father's axe.
I spun the sword once to reseat my grip and flexed my fingers, testing the feel of it. It wasn't scalding like before—if anything, it was like touching a pleasantly warm heated floor.
Truth be told, I have no idea how to swing a sword. I've never taken a kendo lesson in my life.
I'd just have to wing it, imitating what I'd seen. If I looked too ridiculous, Hana would coach me.
Gripping the sword two-handed, I faced the wooden dummy. My goal: cut it clean through on the diagonal.
"Haah!"
With a short shout, I brought the blade down on the dummy.
"Ah—oops, that landed on the shoulder instead of the ribs."
A clean cut was clearly out of reach.
And yet, the severed dummy burst alight with a crackle, and within moments its whole body was burning. The flames devoured the wooden dummy relentlessly until nothing remained but ash—and then, their duty done, the fire flowed back to the flame sword and coiled around the blade once more.
"Wait, I thought I'd botched the cut entirely, and it just threw in a burning attack on its own?"
"Hehe~ It's the Balrog flame sword, after all. Practically my soul in weapon form. I can imbue a faint sliver of my will into it, even if only weakly."
"So you can even talk to it?"
"Right? Whenever you swing it at an enemy you want to defeat, the blade's flames will respond and burn them down for you, Seha."
"Isn't that a completely game-breaking item? When's the nerf patch dropping?"
"The devs use this weapon themselves, so it actually comes with a growth bonus, thank you very much~ So? How is it? Does the sword handle all right?"
"Honestly, it's amazing—it's not heavy at all, it's light as anything. This kind of ease of use and performance, even in the hands of someone like me who's never touched a sword..."
"Wouldn't that just be proof of how firmly our souls are bonded~? Good! Now, Seha, let's do some basic drills and then you can sheath it again."
"What counts as basic drills?"
"Like striking the head in kendo—hold the sword with both hands, facing forward. Yes, just like that. Now keep swinging, steady and rhythmic. Keep going until I open my eyes again. Remember what I said about my will being in the flames? No slacking, got it? Yaaawn..."
"Lee Hana, what is that supposed to... Ugh, calm down, flames. Fine. I get it—I just swing, right?"
And so I ended up swinging the sword, without pause, until Hana finally deigned to open her eyes again.