Division (2)
Blood flowed. Screams filled the air. Weapons shattered, and mounds of earth torn open by palm strikes revealed their innards. It was truly avi kkwan—a living hell. Not an exaggeration.
Those who had been comrades, rivals, and friends just yesterday now turned enemies, blades aimed at one another.
The Jeongdo Council had split from the Baekdohoe, and the Baekdohoe eyed the Twelve Peak Stars warily—but in daily life, they traded harmless jokes. On good days, someone with extra coin would buy rounds for everyone, faction be damned. "Someday I'll beat you lot," they'd say, "probably takes three years, though."
And now, those same people were trying to kill each other.
Swinging swords to avoid death, taking deep wounds from unleashed palm strikes.
No one remembered how it started. Why the fight broke out. All they knew was that each had suffered some misfortune, and upon returning, they blamed each other for it.
"Stop this!"
A stern warning laced with inner force boomed out, but they merely flinched without halting.
He hadn't known. That enlightenment meant nothing in the face of mortal peril.
Now he knew. That it had only drawn all eyes to him.
Made every arrow point his way.
"It's Ilgak over there!"
His attempt to intervene had unwittingly shifted the battlefield's center.
The Jeongdo Council members battling the Baekdohoe and Twelve Peak Stars began falling back behind Ilgak.
In the now clearly divided factions, Ilgak shouted in panic.
"No! Geum Jijoo, why come to this side?!"
"Ilgak Monk! If we don't drive them off now, we'll all die."
"No, what is this...! Get back!"
Was it even sane for academy students to fight each other like this? With instructors absent, didn't anyone grasp how dire the situation was?
"The Jeongdo Council has rallied around Ilgak!"
"Gang up and attack!"
"Take out Ilgak first!"
Ilgak's group, who had been watching from the sidelines, suddenly became the focal point. Though he wanted no part of the fight, Ilgak had no choice but to draw up his inner energy.
Subdue them with minimal harm...
Further escalation here would only deepen the chaos. He needed to neutralize as many as possible, calm tempers, then resolve things properly.
Ilgak unleashed his Twin Chain Palms toward the charging academy students, aiming to block their attacks.
But.
"Die, you bald bastard!!!"
The instant he eased his force, some word(?) made him tense up instead.
Splat...
It slammed the student deep into the ground.
Oh no!
"I, uh...!"
"Guhk!"
Ilgak startled at the sight of the student vomiting blood and collapsing, rushing to explain.
"It's a misunderstanding! This is because of that Jin Jijoo who always teases me..."
But those watching ground their teeth, hearing nothing.
"Even if he's Jeongdo Council, a Shaolin monk using such excessive force...!"
"It's proven! This was all the Jeongdo Council's plot to kill us!"
"No more holding back! Charge!"
Waves of assaults crashed in; Ilgak had no time for excuses, his hands a blur.
Despite the skill gap, these were fellow students. Their combined formations weren't easy to dismantle, even for him.
Of course, the Jeongdo Council wouldn't stand idle.
"Aid Ilgak Monk!"
"How dare they scorn the Jeongdo Council!"
Willing or not, Ilgak was now the fight's core, forced to put more strength into his strikes.
This isn't what I wanted!
With Ilgak joining, the brawl intensified, the three-way clash hardening into Jeongdo Council versus the rest.
"Argh! I'll kill you!"
"I'll make sure you die!"
Initial curses turned murderous; the battlefield's thick killing intent now targeted vital points.
In this impasse where no one could advance or retreat.
-What the hell are you doing, baldy!
The voice of the usual culprit—who teased him relentlessly and shattered his composure at key moments—rang out.
"Jin Jijoo?"
That roguish tone, now laced with fury, bellowed.
-You think now's the time for us to fight each other! Is that all you've got, baldy!
Ilgak shook his head vehemently.
"Misunderstanding, Jin Jijoo. I never..."
-Then what the hell is going on? What...?
Was he hearing his voice amid this chaos?
No time for questions. The situation was too urgent for idle thought.
"I tried calming them, but emotions ran too hot..."
-Doesn't look like it from here.
"B-but Jin Jijoo saw it too. No one's listening..."
-Not that you couldn't stop it. Whip was too weak, probably.
"What do you...?"
Suddenly, the transmission cut off.
Instead.
"You fucking bastards!!!!"
A thunderous lion's roar echoed across all of Mukrim.
Gazes followed the voice upward.
A man in black uniform descended from the sky, landing squarely in the battlefield's midst.
Thud.
The academy students didn't falter at Jin Sowoon's sudden appearance. Just one more enemy.
The problem was...
"Jin Sowoon! I'll kill you!"
"Die, you bastard!"
"Jin Sowoon! You won't get away!"
All three factions condemning him as foe.
Ilgak could only click his tongue.
Jin Jijoo got arrogant.
Did he think his arrival would stop the fight? Plenty in the academy still refused to accept him as rep.
Jin Sowoon showing up was a blunder. Better to appear after things settled—smarter use of his wits.
Aware or not, Jin Sowoon growled with feral eyes.
"Who you gonna kill?"
Dodging a head-chopping sword, he swung his own.
Wham!
Blade flat, but the sound was deafening; nearby chargers froze in shock.
A spray of white teeth and blood.
But Jin Sowoon wasn't done.
"Kill me?"
Thud!
Kicking the falling student's gut, he targeted the most painful spots relentlessly.
"Gaaaaah!"
Bones separating, nerves shredding—a pain beyond sword cuts. The student collapsed screaming.
Onlookers charging Jin Sowoon halted, stunned by the brutality.
But he moved first.
"You dare try to kill me!!!"
Eyes wide at the demon-like charge, crimson-glowing sword raised, the student tried to retreat—but too slow.
"Where you running!"
Bam!
The upward gut kick launched him; body floated.
Whoosh.
But instead of flying off like a cannonball, the Flying Dragon Claw from Jin Sowoon's left yanked him back.
"Guhk! N-no!"
His plunging fist sent two more teeth flying, embedding in the dirt.
"You fuckers!!! Now's the time for infighting!!!"
With that bellow, the flat-of-the-blade beatdown began.
"Gaaaaah!"
Far worse than blade wounds—nerves burning agony. The student shrieked.
The fight had died down; eyes turned to Jin Sowoon.
"Th-that's Jin Sowoon. We gotta take him down, right?"
"...You do it."
As they shoved responsibility, Jin Sowoon pounced on victim three for more merciless thrashing.
"Time for us to fight each other!!!"
"Gaaaaah!"
Third victim met his ancestors, screaming.
"We don't even know what's happening in Mukrim, and you're fighting!!! "
"Gaaaaah!"
Fourth foamed and fainted.
"Stop fighting!!! I said stop!!!"
"O-okay!"
"Uwaaaah!"
Fifth dropped his weapon in surrender, but lost two teeth anyway.
"I said stop, you fuckers!!! Not the time for this shit!!!"
"I-I'm stopping! So you stop too, Jin Sowoon..."
"Eyes still fierce—what stop?!"
"N-nooo!!"
"Gaaaaah!"
The screams had long halted the brawl.
Only after eight victims did Jin Sowoon's beatdown end.
His gaze shifted to the sweaty, gleaming bald head.
"If you're stopping a fight, do it right."
"..."
Ilgak watched him vent nearby, thinking.
Na-mu A-mi-ta-bul...
Was that beatdown truly to stop the fight, or just stress relief? Utter confusion.
#
The camp brimmed with mutual killing frenzy.
The first news after (barely) halting them was grim.
"No instructors?"
"We looked right away but didn't see them. Asked those who arrived first—same story."
Ilgak's words deepened the frowns.
No corpses en route, so they figured here. Where?
Dead? No time for that.
Worse news followed: the red light in Mukrim.
"Ambush, huh."
By humans, not beasts. Most who fired the red flares hadn't returned.
"Probably why it escalated."
"Why?"
Ambushed, then infighting? Insane.
"Survivors said attackers' arts resembled Huashan's."
"...Sure?"
I couldn't shake the doubt. Why would Huashan—no, Jeongdo Council—attack Twelve Peak Stars in Mukrim?
"Can't say. Sole survivor muttered 'petals' then passed out—still out."
Cheol Sunjik, leaning on a rock arms crossed, added.
I turned to him.
"Why'd you just watch?"
"Gotta make 'em listen first, Rep Jin."
"You could've stopped it easy."
He shrugged, uncrossing.
"No reason to."
Why so unlucky today?
"Maybe Jeongdo Council wanted to off Twelve Peak Stars this chance. Sloppy finish, though."
"...Jeongdo Council never thought that."
"If I were exec, I'd exclude Ilgak Monk from planning."
"What...?"
"He doesn't listen."
"..."
Why are even these two bickering? Expecting me to mediate again?
I raised a hand.
"Enough. Nothing's certain yet..."
"Strictly, Jeongdo Council sparked it."
"Huh?"
"Heard they hunted spirits. Curse spread—now everything in Mukrim wants us dead."
Jeongdo Council faces darkened at his cold words.
"Hid their fault, offed rivals—perfect for them."
Jeongdo Council members afar cursed in protest.
"Bullshit!"
"What do we lack to...!"
The unknown bred unease; unease swelled to rage. That rage-blade poised to pierce flesh.
Is this what they want?
Inexperienced in crises.
But in martial prowess, far above average.
Terror of the unknown, minds softened by fear—soon conjuring phantom foes.
Hadn't it reached that stage already?
Must escape this fast.
Unless the razor tension eased somehow, chaos would return.
And not end in wounds—deaths next.
Then.
Irreversible.
Won't play their game.
I drew a deep breath.
"ENOOOOOUGH!!!"
The full-force roar made them clutch ears in pain.
"Stop! Wanna get beat too?!"
"..."
Solve before minds fray further.
"Nothing's confirmed. No jumping guns—do your jobs. Scout teams out; rest treat wounded, build stockade around camp."
"You're pinning Jeongdo Council! Think we'll let it slide?!"
Yeah, unfair. I get hating false accusations and glares.
"Wanna end up like those guys?"
"..."
Whoops, inner thoughts slipped. Whatever, move on.
"Think now's time for grievances? Think calm, rational, logical!"
"Calm and rational...?"
Looked unconvinced—ignored.
"Move, quick! Sun's setting!"
As Ilgak and Cheol Sunjik stirred, laggards followed.
Still wary, but better than blades out.
As expected, half-done when night fell. Scouts from Namgwonmun returned empty-handed.
Plans ahead, survivor search, instructor link—head wouldn't turn.
Tired.
No sleep en route; eyes shut briefly.
Sudden shoulder shake jolted me.
"Eldest senior brother!"
"Huh? What? ...What time is it?"
Outside the tent: clashing weapons, screams again.
"These fuckers fighting again?"
I'll smash these damn...
"No... We're under attack."
"What?"
"Ambush."
Behind Eunho's shaken eyes.
"Kaaaaah!!!!!!!"
Screams far more wretched than daytime echoed relentlessly.