013. Blue Wolf, Willie 2
Willie's white sword wind clashed head-on with Shabest. Chijijijit. A powerful collision.
Frowning, Bin gripped Shabest even tighter.
"Urgh……."
Bin seemed to stagger back a step or two under Willie's sword wind, but suddenly the sound of steel meeting ice rang out.
Tick! Tick!
A transparent ice barrier materialized right before Bin's eyes. The effect of Shabest had activated. Soon, Willie's sword wind faded and dissipated into nothing.
The spectators gaped in disbelief. Their reactions fell into two main camps. First, those fixated on Shabest.
"What the hell is that sword……!"
"How does Young Master Bin have a superior weapon like that……."
It wasn't an overreaction. With the dwarves having vanished from the world, acquiring a superior weapon was no easy feat. The spectators grew entranced by Shabest's crystalline radiance. Only belatedly did they shiver from its chilling aura.
"Even from this distance, it's this cold……."
Rubbing their arms and bodies against the frigid air, the crowd buzzed.
Others focused on the fact that Bin had blocked Willie's attack.
"Young Master Willie's sword wind just… vanished……!"
"How is this possible……!"
Two knights in the stands trailed off, speechless. Then, from somewhere, came the sound of teeth clacking.
Clack! Clack!
It was Codic, hiding in the uniform Bin had left behind. The skull threw its head back in boisterous laughter.
'Behold, you lowly scum! The power of my liege! Hahaha!'
Codic glanced at the slack-jawed crowd, then spat something out with a ptoo! from its mouth. A crystal, one of the many it had stuffed itself with in the harpy cave. It checked its reflection from the front and side, then grimaced. Round, spherical skull. Neat rows of teeth. Anyone else might ask what made it so special compared to any other skull. But to Codic, it was the finest in the world.
Comparing the wide-open mouths of the spectators to his own visage, Codic shook his head.
'Sigh, hopeless fools.'
The siblings were just as flustered as the crowd. Billy and Shirley stammered at the sight of Bin blocking Willie's attack.
"He blocked… blocked Brother Willie's attack, the fastest among us siblings……!"
"And what is that sword……."
Velvet, standing beside them, chimed in.
"How does the little one have a sword like that? Heh, makes him look even sexier. Don't you think, Fathe—"
She turned, but Moden's stern expression stopped her cold. Arms crossed, he watched the duel with intense eyes and a deeply furrowed brow. Velvet, who knew her father well, could tell instantly.
'What's got him so upset…….'
On the marble arena platform, Willie fell into brief contemplation. Unlike his earlier confident swagger, his face was rigid.
'H-how does Bin have a superior weapon…….'
The weapon was shocking enough, but Bin blocking his attack without a scratch was unbelievable.
'The direction was spot-on, too…….'
Willie blinked twice, doubting his own eyes. Just days ago, Bin couldn't even use one arm. Even with a superior weapon, an 8th Class knight blocking his attack? Unthinkable. Even among the entire Bascon family, few could do so unscathed.
"……."
Shaking off his stunned look, Willie smirked down at Bin.
That gaze stirred old memories in Bin.
'That look… I'm sick of it.'
Always looking down at him, as if he were superior. Whenever Willie did, Bin's face would flush, unsure what to do. He'd bow his head like a guilty child, too timid to ask why he was being stared at so intently.
Willie would gaze down at one-armed Bin with that look every time their eyes met. Days later, after a brutal beating from Billy and Shirley, Bin finally understood.
Huddled in a corner, Bin wiped his philtrum with his one good arm.
Swish.
"Hic… hic……."
Tears dampened his eyes and upper lip. His body was covered in bruises, surrounded by half-eaten insect corpses.
Then Willie approached the crying Bin. Frightened by his usual menacing aura, Bin backed away a couple steps. Undeterred, Willie closed in and spoke.
"You okay?"
Bin froze at the unexpected words.
"……?!"
Before he could recover, Willie pressed on.
"Is it okay living like a spineless cripple with no pride?"
Willie tossed a small dagger right into Bin's line of sight.
Thud.
"Better to die than live like this. Don't take it the wrong way—I'm helping you."
"……."
Bin's pride stung, but he tried not to show it. Provoking Willie could bring worse backlash.
Willie glanced again at Bin's missing arm and drove the knife deeper.
"If I were you, I'd have killed myself long ago."
His low, measured voice pierced like thorns into Bin's heart. Tears suddenly poured from Bin's eyes like a waterfall.
Drip. Drip. Drip…….
All the resentment from being one-armed erupted. Why him, out of everyone? He hated himself for being born this way.
"Hic… snif……."
Willie sneered at him.
"Hahaha! Guess even a worthless body like that means something to you."
Bin clenched his fists, watching Willie's long-haired silhouette recede.
"……."
Recalling the past, Bin gritted his teeth.
'No more living like an idiot.'
Willie looked down at Bin and spoke.
"To think you'd dare… block my attack. Hahaha, that's more like it. Wolves have one instinct, you know."
"……."
As Bin stared silently, Willie continued.
"Wolves don't get thrilled hunting weak prey—they crave the strong ones. That's how I feel right now."
His eyes gleamed like a beast's. Bin replied with a blank expression.
"Man, you talk a lot. Got lonely out in the barracks?"
Willie's words died in his throat, stabbed right in the chest.
"……."
Stunned for a moment, he bared his fangs in a grin.
"You little shit…… Let's see if you keep that face after this. Bring it!"
Willie readjusted his claws. White smoke rose from them—mana infused.
The crowd marveled at his mana.
"Such powerful mana……."
"Even restrained to 4th Class mana, it's this strong……!"
Bin eyed the white-glowing claws warily. Miss a beat, and the duel could end.
Willie, meanwhile, smirked leisurely at Bin.
"Looking at you reminds me of my foolish past, underestimating them. Listen up. There's a wall between classes you can't cross. And right now? You're four classes below me."
Bin knew exactly what that gap meant from his past life. Class ranks set the hierarchy.
But he didn't flinch. He raised Shabest and smirked back.
"Jeez, did the wolf pup stretch its tongue out there? Why's it so damn long? Worry about your own weapon first."
"……!"
Bin's retort hit hard. Class mattered for knights, but weapon grade was just as crucial.
Willie's face twisted.
"The one sibling who can't even handle Mana of Agility… how dare you!"
Wind whipped up, flaring Willie's long hair.
Whoosh!
With the wind's howl, Willie closed in. Bin strained his eyes to track him—but it was futile.
'……!!'
Not for nothing was he the fastest sibling. Willie was suddenly in Bin's face, claws slashing. Bin's shirt tore away like falling leaves. Had he not dodged, it might've been his torso.
Billy and Shirley hid their disappointment.
'Perfect opening. Superior sword or not, it doesn't suit you.'
'Aw, so close…….'
Swish—another claw swipe shredded more of Bin's shirt. Willie's lithe moves, amplified by the lightweight claws, maximized speed. He was dominating with sheer velocity.
But Bin wasn't helpless. His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
'Just a bit more…….'
Focused purely on defense, he parried, retreating two or three steps to buy time against the claws.
Ting! Ting!
As the fight dragged on, the crowd's awe grew.
"At just ten years old, parrying Young Master Willie's attacks…?!"
"Winning's unlikely, but I've gotta respect Young Master Bin's tenacity……."
The spectators were hooked, slowly reevaluating Bin.
But Willie's onslaught didn't relent. His freely whipping claws slowed Bin's responses, as expected. Bin, an 8th Class knight wielding a superior weapon nonstop, felt numbing pain in his left hand—sensation fading. Switching to one hand was impossible now. Plus, claw gashes on his chest dripped blood.
Drip. Drip.
Yet Bin refused to yield. Gritting his teeth, he pushed on through sheer grit.
'This is nothing. I only had one arm before!'
Willie spotted Bin's fatigue instantly.
"What? Tired already from a superior weapon? You're getting worse!"
Ting! Ting! Ting!
Bin scowled at the relentless assault. Willie's attacks were far smarter than a yeti’s. Bin read the pattern.
'Left shoulder, left arm. Left waist, left leg. Now right……!'
After dominating the left, predict right… then claws flew from the left again. Just as he adapted, they struck from the right, exploiting gaps. Even mid-clash, Bin had to admire it.
'Moves honed from countless battles…….'
But admiration wouldn't save him. At this rate, he'd fall first. Bin poured all his energy into his Shabest-wielding left hand. White smoke billowed from the blade.
'Come on. One shot to end this.'