Chapter 75: Yang Energy (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 75: Yang Energy (5)
It wasn't difficult to predict the winner and loser before the duel began.
‘The winner will be Yu Hana.’
This wasn't a simple hunch, but a rational judgment.
I had personally taught her the Butterfly Sword Dance, and she had even obtained her own unique weapon, the Dongbaek Sword.
And above all, she had come face to face with death during her battle with the Apostle.
She had melted that experience down during her seclusion training and even attained a new level of enlightenment.
The potential given to both of them was immense, but the difference in their current level of mastery was significant.
And the scene unfolding before my eyes didn't stray far from my prediction.
Yoon Chae-ha's combat style was clear.
A frontal assault.
At its core was her mana calculation ability.
She operated numerous magic circles simultaneously, layering their firepower to overwhelm her opponent.
“Alo Sum!”
As the short chant burst from her lips, orange magic circles unfolded around her body in layered, concentric rings.
Seven, to be exact.
A precise arrangement, with not a single angle or position out of place.
A simultaneous deployment of magic so advanced it was hard to believe she was just a student.
Her Authority, A Priori, was what made it possible.
An intuition faster than calculation, the ability to complete magic circles by feel.
And from those magic circles, fireballs began to pour out like a storm.
-KABOOM!
-KRA-KA-KABOOM!
The fireballs exploded in succession, shaking the very air of the training ground.
‘Impressive.’
Even I, watching the spectacle, found the word ‘overwhelming’ coming to mind.
But.
Despite it all, Yu Hana hadn't moved a single step.
Her fingertips moved with quiet grace.
A draw so smooth you couldn't even hear the sound of the sword leaving its sheath.
The tips of her feet shifted minutely. A light step, as if treading on air.
As her body rose and spun, her sky-blue hair, which reached her waist, traced an arc as it scattered in the air.
Along with that curve, the tip of her sword also drew a line.
“First Form: Spring Thunder Bloom.”
The most basic principle of the Butterfly Sword Dance, the first one I had taught her.
In that instant, red petals burst from the tip of her sword as if scattering on the wind.
The movement that cut through the air was like the flight of a butterfly.
The elegant trajectory of the petals flew forth.
The moment a petal touched a fireball, the fireball's surface distorted, as if water had been sprinkled on an ember.
The fireballs, having lost their momentum, veered off course to explode in mid-air or simply slid away into nothingness.
And then, smoothly, came the second step.
“Second Form: Pear Blossom Scattering Rain.”
The petals that had torn the fireballs to shreds in mid-air.
Now rained down upon Yoon Chae-ha.
Just like rain.
“…”
Yoon Chae-ha's eyes widened silently.
With that, the match was already decided.
Yoon Chae-ha's skill was certainly greater than I'd expected.
But Yu Hana's skill had soared far beyond that.
Since it was a duel, I had thought it would be over in a few exchanges.
But I hadn't realized it would be this one-sided.
Yoon Chae-ha didn't give up.
She hastily summoned several more magic circles.
The magic circles, which had been glowing orange, gradually began to turn crimson.
Her eyes, too, began to burn red in response.
Proof that her calculation ability was reaching its peak.
“…!”
With another short chant, the magic circles floating in the air began to rapidly absorb the surrounding heat and mana.
A condensation so powerful I could feel the vibrations.
It was then.
“…What the.”
The energy inside my body stirred quietly, drawn toward her.
The excess Yang Energy overflowing within me was resonating with her magic circles.
It flowed out of my body naturally, leaning toward her.
There was no sense of wrongness. It wasn't being forcefully pulled.
Like a magnet, my Yang Energy flowed into her magic circles with perfect ease.
I didn't feel the amount of Yang inside me decreasing.
Rather, it felt like only the unnecessarily overflowing portion was being quietly skimmed off.
Resonance and amplification.
Yoon Chae-ha's magic circles grew a deeper shade of red, their forms becoming sharper and larger.
In mid-air, Yu Hana's eyes widened.
She looked straight at me, and the next moment, her gaze shifted to Yoon Chae-ha.
Yu Hana had sensed this phenomenon as well.
Her movements changed. Like a gust of wind, she closed the distance in a single breath.
The tip of her sword plunged toward the axis of the magic circles.
-CLANG!
A sharp, shattering sound echoed through the training ground.
The crimson magic circles Yoon Chae-ha was about to complete were smashed to pieces.
At the same time, the flow of heat and Yang Energy ceased completely.
“Ugh…”
Yoon Chae-ha's knees hit the floor with a thud.
Her shoulders were trembling faintly. Her breathing was ragged.
“Hah…”
Yu Hana also let out a short breath.
There had been an unexpected variable, but in the end, the result was as I'd predicted.
However, there was also an unexpected gain.
“You both worked hard.”
“Yeah.”
“…”
I carefully approached Yoon Chae-ha.
Her eyes were completely dyed red.
“Hah… haah…”
“Just hang in there.”
Yoon Chae-ha panted for breath.
I placed a hand on her back. And quietly, I let the energy inside me mesh with the energy inside her.
My internal Yang Energy slowly melted into her flow.
My energy was solid, while hers was hot and soft.
‘This…’
I can afford to share this.
I began to completely transfer a portion of the elixir's energy to her.
It was an excessive amount of energy for me, and I had been planning to get rid of it anyway.
It just so happened that a use for it had appeared.
Beneath my palm, Yoon Chae-ha's breathing gradually evened out.
“Take a deep breath.”
“Hooo…”
As if sensing I was doing something, she followed my instruction without a word.
With her compliant breaths, her energy also began to calm down.
Yoon Chae-ha's inhales and exhales grew steadily more regular.
In tune with that change, the energy inside me also settled down calmly.
‘Looks like I won't need to do anything else.’
It was to the point where no additional tuning was necessary.
And so, while transferring a portion of the elixir's energy to Yoon Chae-ha, I also managed to neatly organize the energy within myself.
“Yoon Chae-ha.”
“…Huh?”
She slowly lifted her head.
I opened my palm toward her and slowly held it out.
She had probably noticed the new energy spreading within her.
Yoon Chae-ha looked at me, drenched in sweat.
-Tap.
Yoon Chae-ha stared blankly at my hand for a moment, then, as if hesitating slightly, raised her own palm to meet it.
“Nice.”
I said with a smile.
Leaving Yoon Chae-ha with her bewildered expression, I stood up.
And walked over to Yu Hana, who was steadying her breath.
“That was perfect.”
I said to her naturally.
“Your understanding of the Butterfly Sword Dance… I don't think I'm at a level to judge it anymore.”
It was the truth.
You could say that sword style was made for Yu Hana in the first place.
Therefore, it was inevitable that her proficiency would surpass mine at some point.
Yu Hana smiled slightly and shook her head.
“Mm, not yet. I still need your help.”
So humble.
Her characteristically gentle tone made me let out a small chuckle.
I gave a short nod, then quietly turned my gaze away.
The energy inside the training ground was still hot.
Yoon Chae-ha had also gotten to her feet at some point. Her eyes were burning red.
This is where it really begins.
“Shall we begin?”
I looked up at the two of them and smiled.
The training had only just begun.
The night still seemed long.
*
Late evening, in a dark dormitory room.
A bed.
-Wriggle.
A figure was squirming under the covers.
The cozy texture, the gentle warmth, the overflowing scent. This moment, right now, was incredibly satisfying.
-Ding.
Just then, a notification chimed from the Watch she had placed by her pillow.
“Aish…”
It was just getting good.
Sion, sticking only an arm out from under the covers, pulled the Watch closer.
This was Jung Hae-in's dormitory room.
All of Sion's plans had gone up in smoke, and the man himself was apparently still at the training ground with Yu Hana until late.
At first, she had been about to freak out and leave, but whether it was fortunate or not…
…she heard that Yoon Chae-ha was with them too.
They were probably going through some hellish training.
Sion narrowed her eyes and looked at her Watch.
[1000_y]: don't talk to me i'm depressed.
That was a message from earlier in the day.
[OnE]: I suppressed all of Hae-in's energy
It was a message from Yu Hana, who was in the middle of training.
[1000_y]: really? already?
[OnE]: It's a little ambiguous but seems like it.
[1000_y]: no way how?
And the message that followed was an annoying one.
[OnE]: Someone gobbled it all up
“Ah…”
Sion understood the situation at once.
She had a rough idea of the properties of Yoon Chae-ha's magic.
She could now picture what had happened, just by intuition.
Looked like a stray cat had eaten the fish.
A flurry of curses filled the chat window.
Sion fell silent, lost in thought.
Yu Hana doesn't touch her Watch during training.
Which means?
[Sion]: Training over?
[OnE]: Yeah we just parted ways
[Sion]: k
“Ugh…”
She stretched out.
Still, she'd had a good rest.
Now she just had to get out before the room's owner came back.
[1000_y]: why do you ask
Her intuition is as sharp as ever.
Sion got up and meticulously straightened the covers on the bed.
She didn't forget to take out the deodorizer she'd prepared and spray it around.
-Humming~
A soft hum spread through the room.
Sion went to the window and even watered the potted plant.
All preparations were complete.
“I'll be on my way~”
With those words, Sion left the dormitory room and walked briskly along the outer hallway to the end of the railing.
And then, without a second thought, she leaped down.