He Who Dislikes Swords
He did not like swords. A cold, sharp edge. A weapon of cold steel designed solely to pierce and slash an opponent. It wasn't just swords he avoided, either. He disliked weapons in general—anything meant to harm another living being. Whenever he gripped a weapon, an unprecedented wave of terror seized his heart. A sickening sensation, as if the very blade he held was pointed at his own throat. Yujin despised that feeling.
Yet, he had never let go of the sword for a single day. A blade was always gripped tightly in his hand. Whether it rained or snowed. Whether the sky was clear or choked with clouds. Whether he felt at his best or utterly exhausted. Without fail, Yujin swung his sword. From the very day crimson flames first erupted from his body, he had not missed a single day.
Every supernatural ability user was the same. From the moment they awakened their powers, they were burdened with the grave duty of protecting humanity. But if anyone asked if he swung his sword solely out of a sense of duty, Yujin could only falter.
Five years ago. The day monsters poured from the sky like rain. An unprecedented catastrophe, a great disaster that must never be forgotten. Even now, years later, the tragedy of that day remained vividly etched in people's minds. Yujin had been right in the middle of that living hell. A young boy of only twelve at the time. Long before he had awakened his supernatural ability. The only reason the utterly ordinary Yujin of back then had survived...
"Oppa! Run, don't look back! You can't stop!"
It was because the boy's younger sister was a supernatural ability user. Yui, his sister who was two years younger than him, was a natural-born ability user. A pyrokinesist who freely manipulated orange flames. Despite her tender age, she was a highly promising talent whose gifts were widely recognized.
"Run! Oppa, don't look them in the eye! It's okay... It's okay, it's okay! I'm here! I'll protect you, Oppa!"
Even as the mental pollution of the monsters choked the breath from his lungs, Yujin ran. Instead of protecting his little sister, he had to run while being protected by her.
Yui was strong. She quickly brought down those massive monsters. But in the end, she was still just a ten-year-old girl. Moreover, she was merely a child who had never received any professional training. Her limit arrived quickly. Yui panted heavily, drenched in sweat from overusing her ability. Yujin, his shoulders shaking as tears and snot streamed down his face, shivered in sheer terror.
He couldn't speak. His tongue was paralyzed, and his thoughts were fractured. The Yujin of back then didn't know that these were the early symptoms of mental pollution. But he knew instinctively. If they kept going like this, they would die. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to die like this. He didn't want to be eaten. He didn't want to be crushed between monstrous teeth. In that place filled with nothing but corpses, Yujin clung to Yui with pathetic desperation. Even though she must have been terrified herself, Yui comforted her older brother.
"It's okay, Oppa. See? I'm reeeally strong!"
Though she was trembling, she forced a smile. She patted the back of her brother, who was much taller than her, trying to cheer him up.
"You won't die, Oppa. Because I'm here. Come on, let's go. Just a little further."
Just as his sister said, Yujin did not die. Because Yui was there, he survived.
"Op... pa..."
Only Yujin survived. He still remembered the exact moment the monster's blade-like fangs pierced Yui's chest. Yui reached out. Her face was pale with pain and terror. Having finally reached her psychological limit, she had reverted to a normal girl of her age. Yujin reached back. His vision blurred. He ran with all his might on legs that threatened to collapse, desperate to grasp Yui's hand.
Splat.
He didn't remember what happened after that. When Yujin woke up, the only thing left of Yui's body was the right hand he had reached out to hold. In that place where black ash drifted through the air, only Yujin remained. An orange flame flickered quietly. It was not Yui's fire, but Yujin's.
How long did it take him to realize he had awakened his supernatural ability? He had tried to convince himself that Yui was still alive, that this fire was being conjured by her. He lied to himself, pleaded, struggled, and turned his eyes away from reality. But eventually, he had to accept it. No matter how much he looked away, the truth did not change.
If only he had awakened his supernatural ability a little sooner. Could he have saved Yui?
If only he had been a little braver. Would Yui still be alive today?
There were no "ifs" in this world. What had already happened could not be undone, and the past could not be rewound. Yet, he couldn't help but think about it. It never left his mind.
What if. Just a little sooner. If only I had been brave. If only I had been strong.
The boy picked up the sword. As if running from his past, as if trying to convince himself. This flame must be the final gift Yui left for her pathetic older brother. Even if it wasn't, Yujin swore to make it so.
With Yui's flame. With this orange fire, he would protect people. He would ensure no one else suffered at the hands of monsters. He would become a hero greater than any other and protect everyone. Amidst bitter pain and his final tears, Yujin made a vow. A vow that would never break.
"Now, students. This is your field training. What should you do if there is a monster right in front of you?"
And then, Yujin learned.
There was nothing that could not be broken. No matter how firmly one resolved, even if it was a sincerity more precious than life itself. Reality utterly overwhelmed sincerity.
"What are you doing? I asked what you should do if a monster is right in front of you. Aren't you going to answer?"
His five senses froze. Yujin couldn't even make a sound as he breathed.
The girl in the Red Fox Mask. A monster who had effortlessly suppressed the instructors and was now smiling as if nothing had happened.
His instincts screamed. The survival instinct deep within him, begging to live, shrieked.
Run.
He placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, but he did not dare draw it. If the masked girl so much as poked him with her parasol, he would die. His head would explode, and his body would be torn to shreds.
Terror. An overwhelming terror shackled his legs. It bound his heart tight, reverting Yujin back to the helpless child of that day.
"Oh? You're not going to answer? Really? When I'm asking so nicely?"
With a trembling hand, he gripped the hilt. He had to draw it. Otherwise, everyone would die. He had to fight. He had to stand against her.
But his hand refused to listen.
I'm going to die. I don't want to die. No.
The masked girl's atmosphere was shifting. She was growing bored. She was preparing to attack.
Draw it. Draw the sword. Fight. You can't run away. What have you been working so hard for until now? Yui's flame exists for a moment like this.
Clack.
Though he exerted all his strength, the sword would not leave its scabbard. No, that wasn't it. He wasn't actually trying to draw it.
Yujin stared at the masked girl with bloodshot eyes. The girl tilted her head and raised her parasol. Realizing what that action meant, Yujin bit his lip so hard it nearly bled.
Please. Please. Draw it! Draw it! Fight! I have to protect everyone in Class A! I... I have to protect them... with Yui's power...
"..."
The sword slipped from his sweat-slicked palm. Barely swallowing the scream rising to his throat, Yujin watched blankly as the parasol pointed toward someone. That was all he could do.
Soon, blood would spill. Everyone would die. Even knowing that, Yujin...
"...I will fight."
Right then, someone spoke up. Rising from her seat, she stood before the masked girl.
"A hero protects people from monsters. So... I have to fight."
A girl with shining blonde hair. Her voice trembled, but she did not hesitate. Even facing the masked girl, she squared her shoulders proudly.
A terrible pain, one he hadn't felt in a long time. His heart caught fire. Yujin immediately understood that this fire was self-loathing. A deep disgust directed at himself.
Her head was severed. Yet, as if she had anticipated even this, she seized the opening when the masked girl let her guard down and pushed her out of the bus.
Screaming internally, she had lunged at the masked girl. Though she was blown away in a single strike, the pain inside Yujin was far greater than any external agony. They weren't even comparable.
What on earth have I been doing all this time? Acting like the tragic protagonist, carrying all this self-importance... only to tuck my tail and run when it actually mattered.
Cold hatred and hot contempt burned in his chest simultaneously.
Fortunately, the girl didn't die. She—Lucia—was a regeneration ability user. He felt a profound sense of relief when she reattached her head. He wanted to tell her how glad he was that she survived, but he couldn't. While his attention was briefly drawn to the aftermath of the clash between the masked girl and Angelica, Lucia had vanished.
By the time he spotted her back, already growing distant in the distance, and realized where she was heading...
Yujin was already running. He didn't even know why. His body simply moved on its own.
The image flashing in his mind. A severed head. Rolling on the floor...
He ran and ran. Following the faint traces Lucia left behind, chasing the scars of battle, he searched frantically for her. He had a vague idea of why she had headed toward such a dangerous place. It was undoubtedly to help Angelica. Even knowing she couldn't do much, even knowing how dangerous it was, she simply couldn't sit still. Just like she had on the bus.
At some point, the thunderous sounds of battle fell silent. An ominous anxiety crept up his spine. Why did the noise stop? Was the fight over? What about the teacher? What about Lucia? Were they safe? Were both of them safe?
"Ugh, *cough*, ha, haah, aaagh... Aaaaaaaaargh!"
A scream echoed. It was Lucia's voice. A horrific shriek filled with agonizing pain. Just hearing it sent goosebumps crawling up his arms.
Yujin's legs stopped reflexively. But he immediately slapped his own thigh and bit his lip.
Move. Don't be afraid. Fight. You can't run away.
There was no time to hesitate. The screams did not stop. Thanks to that, Yujin was able to locate them. And what Yujin saw was...
"Your regeneration is certainly impressive. I'll give you that. Usually, whether it's a human or a monster, they die instantly when I punch a hole through their brain like this. Hmm, you might actually be useful. Your combat power is lacking, but... well, that's nothing a little fusion with a suitable subject can't fix..."
"...Stop. Please, stop."
"Huh? Is that any way to ask for a favor?"
"I beg of you... please... stop this... Do it to me instead..."
A blood-soaked tracksuit jacket. Angelica, collapsed on the ground, was pleading in a way that was entirely unlike her. Seeing her vulnerable for the first time, Yujin was momentarily struck speechless. For the past month, she had always been a fierce, powerful figure they could look up to and rely on...
Screams. Agonizing shrieks. Lucia writhed in pure agony, her body twisting violently. It was as if all the tragedies of the world were being poured into that small frame.
The mask. Was it because of that mask?
The masked girl laughed. She was smiling. As if this entire situation was hilarious, as if she was having the time of her life. Come to think of it, she had been smiling ever since they first met on the bus.
What is so funny? I feel like I'm going insane... everyone is suffering... so why are you laughing?
Grit.
The sound of his teeth grinding echoed distantly in his ears. Rage swallowed his fear. But he suppressed the fury. Now was not the time to lose himself to emotion.
"That's enough."
He shattered the mask. Controlling his strength had been difficult; not only the mask, but Lucia's face also seemed slightly singed. Lucia's screaming stopped.
"What's so funny? Why are you laughing? Do you find this amusing? People are not your toys. They aren't things you can just trample and toy with as you please. What is so damn enjoyable to you? Is pain, is hearing someone else's screams... really that entertaining?"
He was genuinely curious. What did she even want? To torment people and enjoy watching them suffer—was that really all? Why possess such immense power only to use it for this?
Angelica, Lucia... they were both good people. Why did they have to suffer?
"R... Run..."
The moment she regained her freedom, the first thing Lucia said wasn't a plea for help, but a warning to run. Grabbing the hem of his pants with a hand that trembled violently, refusing to obey her will, she managed to squeeze out, "Take... the tea... cher... and go... quickly..."
Even in this state. Even after being subjected to such horrific torture just moments ago, she still put others before herself.
Right, she had done the same on the bus. In that terrifying situation, she was the only one who moved.
How... how can you be so strong?
Until just a moment ago, he had believed he was strong. Only now did he realize that was nothing but a delusion, a product of his own arrogance.
"...No, I'm not running."
Yujin raised his sword. A crimson heat began to coat the blade. He unfurled his broken resolve once more.
"Running away once was enough."
If he turned his back here again, he would never be able to forgive himself for the rest of his life.
So, he would fight. Just as she had said.
He finally understood that a vow only held meaning when it was kept.
He would run no longer.