The Night Moon Descends
The leader of the Sowol Squadron did not like Bang Seong-yeon.
His sudden appearance claiming to be the successor was one thing, as was his declaration that he wanted to become the Young Sect Leader.
Moreover, the man himself was simply impossible to like.
Those who live by their mouths rather than their swords.
He particularly despised those who used their eloquence to bewilder others. It was even worse when a martial artist did so.
Yet, the young man named Bang Seong-yeon was the exact type the leader of the Sowol Squadron detested.
A martial artist, yet one who lived by his mouth rather than his sword.
The Moonmaster seemed to take a slight liking to Bang Seong-yeon, but the leader of the Sowol Squadron did not.
He is an obstacle.
That existence was a hindrance. He couldn't bring himself to believe that the youth was the successor of the former Moonmaster.
No matter how clear the evidence was, the leader of the Sowol Squadron could not trust him.
He was not the type of person to leave behind such things.
Swords over words. The proof of one's conviction lay solely in strength.
The Sword Saint, Yoo Chun-gil, was the epitome of a martial artist who proved his existence through the sword. The leader of the Sowol Squadron respected and followed him even more than the current Moonmaster, Wolseongeom.
And yet, the one who appeared claiming to be his disciple was the exact opposite?
I cannot accept this.
The leader of the Sowol Squadron could not believe it. Furthermore...
Lady Cheon is far more suited to be the Young Sect Leader.
Talent, strength, and even resourcefulness—in his eyes, Cheon Hye-in was overwhelmingly superior to Bang Seong-yeon.
Her standing was the same. Within Cheongwol Gate, Cheon Hye-in was already treated as the de facto next Young Sect Leader.
Under such circumstances, Bang Seong-yeon suddenly appears, claiming to be the Sword Saint's successor, and aims for the position of Young Sect Leader?
He deemed it impossible. If there was even a single path to success...
It would be if he truly possessed the strength worthy of being called the Sword Saint's successor.
All schemes were futile before him. Brilliant strategies and countless troops were nothing but the trivial fluttering of an insect's wings before the moon he raised. Such was his sword.
As such, if Bang Seong-yeon, the supposed successor, possessed that kind of power, he might be able to turn the tables, but...
Not a chance.
As far as the leader of the Sowol Squadron could see, there was not the slightest possibility of that. As a master, he could tell. Even by the most generous estimate, Bang Seong-yeon was merely a Second-rate martial artist.
Even putting aside the awakening of the Moon Eye... it was hard to believe he possessed real power.
Of course...
The Moon Wave he displayed was certainly impressive.
He gave credit where credit was due. The Moon Wave Bang Seong-yeon had executed to prove his qualifications was beautiful, even in the eyes of the leader of the Sowol Squadron.
Though he loathed to admit it, it was undeniably similar to the swordplay of the Sword Saint. But that was all.
At best, it is only the first form.
Just because one's baby steps looked similar did not mean they could run, let alone fly. The leader of the Sowol Squadron was thinking exactly that when—
"It's the head. Block it."
Watching the sword Bang Seong-yeon swung toward Seom Seong-gyeong, his eyes widened.
Clang!
With a clear, ringing sound, Seom Seong-gyeong fell to his knees.
It was night.
A night pouring down from the heavens. A night so dark that one could not see even an inch ahead.
Thud!
"Ah..."
Seom Seong-gyeong let out a sigh. He raised his head, trying to steady his trembling vision.
Just now...
What was that? His memory was hazy. What had he been doing?
"...!"
Seom Seong-gyeong, who had been questioning himself, snapped back to reality.
The duel.
He was in the middle of a duel. He immediately assessed the situation.
"...Huh?"
Seom Seong-gyeong uttered blankly as he took in his surroundings. He had no choice but to react that way.
"What... What is this..."
He was on his knees. Not only was he kneeling on one knee, but his sword was also rolling on the ground. What had happened? His eyes trembled in confusion.
Throb!
"Ugh!"
A sharp pain shot through his right arm. To be precise, it was his wrist. A throbbing ache radiated from it. What was this?
"Wake up."
"...!"
Seom Seong-gyeong snapped his head up at the sound of the voice.
"I went out of my way to warn you beforehand, yet you are so dull. How can you call yourself a swordsman?"
Bang Seong-yeon stood there.
Looking down at him with an indifferent face, Bang Seong-yeon's gaze made Seom Seong-gyeong swallow hard without realizing it.
What is with those eyes?
The eyes of a youth who had not even reached his twenties were utterly devoid of emotion.
...No.
Staring at Bang Seong-yeon, Seom Seong-gyeong corrected his thought. It wasn't that he felt no emotion at all.
...Rather, a single emotion was far too distinct.
Disappointment. A profound, biting disappointment saturated Bang Seong-yeon's eyes.
"How much of my precious time do I have to waste on you? Or is this the end?"
Tap.
Bang Seong-yeon lightly kicked Seom Seong-gyeong's sword. Clatter! The sword slid and stopped right in front of him.
"I don't have time. If you aren't going to pick it up, then let this be the end."
"..."
At Bang Seong-yeon's words, Seom Seong-gyeong looked elsewhere. Cheon Hye-in was standing there.
Like the others, Cheon Hye-in was staring at Bang Seong-yeon with wide, startled eyes. She didn't spare a single glance for Seom Seong-gyeong.
"Urgh..."
Seeing this, Seom Seong-gyeong gritted his teeth and grabbed his sword.
He forced his body up. Even then, Bang Seong-yeon's gaze remained heavy and oppressive.
"Hmm," Bang Seong-yeon murmured softly, observing Seom Seong-gyeong's reaction.
"To call it grit would be an insult. Can you only swing your sword when you're seeking someone else's approval? Well, I suppose your sword was incredibly light to begin with."
Grit!
Seom Seong-gyeong ground his teeth fiercely at Bang Seong-yeon's words.
"What do you... What do you know to speak to me like..."
"Keep your mouth shut."
His mouth snapped shut at the command. Seom Seong-gyeong's eyes widened. He had shut his mouth completely on instinct.
"Anything you say will only be an excuse, and the longer it gets, the uglier it becomes. Decide whether you will hold the sword or not. That is all."
"..."
Seom Seong-gyeong scowled and raised his sword. His arm was still trembling.
Seeing this, Bang Seong-yeon spoke in a relaxed tone.
"Come."
Hearing the command, Seom Seong-gyeong took a step forward. Even then, he couldn't understand why he was obeying this bastard's words.
But to Seom Seong-gyeong right now, such things did not matter. What mattered was...
Damn it.
It was Cheon Hye-in's blue eyes, which had finally turned to look at him.
Whoosh!
His sword sliced through the air. Though Seom Seong-gyeong was flustered, he was still a skilled martial artist and swordsman who had earned a place in the Sowol Squadron. His sword immediately moved in a straight, disciplined path.
Swish! Swish!
It was a basic sword form, close to the fundamentals. Having polished it for over a decade, it was sharp and precise.
The blade was even infused with the distinct blue energy of the Cheongwol Mind Method.
"Hmph!"
Seom Seong-gyeong focused his breathing and drew lines in the air with his sword. The smooth flow of his sword path demonstrated his high level of skill.
To the onlookers, it was a sword technique that seemed to have been meticulously carved and refined. However...
"It's not touching..."
"How can he evade so perfectly...?"
"Senior brother's sword can't even graze his collar...?"
Their gazes were fixed not on Seom Seong-gyeong, but on Bang Seong-yeon. Although Seom Seong-gyeong's swordplay was indeed impressive enough to draw admiration,
in the end, a sword was meaningless if it could not reach the opponent. The continuous blue lines of light failed to touch Bang Seong-yeon in the slightest.
Damn it!
Seom Seong-gyeong moved his sword with desperate fury. How could he not touch him even once? It was always by a hair's breadth.
Bang Seong-yeon was dodging all of Seom Seong-gyeong's sword paths with the absolute minimum of movement.
"Your sword has been consumed by your emotions. Because of that, unnecessary tension has crept into your lower body." A voice echoed near his ear.
"You are swinging the sword with your right arm, so why are you tensing your left shoulder? Does putting strength there make you feel better?"
"The strength in your leading knee is buckling, which is why your sword path isn't straight. You should have directed the strength from your left side to your knee instead."
He continued to lecture as if thoroughly displeased. The commentary was driving Seom Seong-gyeong mad.
Shut up. Please, just shut up.
He wished that annoying mouth would close. What infuriated him even more was...
Why the hell am I listening to him?
He found himself constantly trying to correct his posture in response to the critique.
And worse...
...He's right.
Bang Seong-yeon's criticisms were pointing out flaws that he himself hadn't even been aware of.
At this rate, this wouldn't be a test...
It's becoming an instructional spar.
And it wasn't him instructing Bang Seong-yeon, but Bang Seong-yeon instructing him.
Seom Seong-gyeong clenched his fist, his pride utterly crushed.
He hadn't stepped forward, risking the displeasure of the leader of the Sowol Squadron, just to endure this humiliation.
If things ended like this, there was no telling what his junior sister would do. She might expose his secret.
I can't let that happen.
That was something Seom Seong-gyeong could never allow.
...No matter what.
He had to win this duel.
With that thought, Seom Seong-gyeong gathered all his strength. He lowered his stance and swung his right arm.
Seeing this, Bang Seong-yeon's brow twitched slightly. Seom Seong-gyeong swung his sword once more.
The blue sword qi of the Cheongwol Gate sliced through the air, aiming for Bang Seong-yeon's shoulder. Just as Bang Seong-yeon was about to react,
Now.
Seom Seong-gyeong twisted his sword path. It was a feint. He intended to catch him off guard, and he believed Bang Seong-yeon had fallen for it. Or so he thought.
"Tsk."
A faint click of the tongue sounded. Seom Seong-gyeong, fully focused on the tip of his sword, did not hear it.
Whoosh!
The energy wrapped around the sword intensified. His slightly twisted waist and the boiling energy made it obvious what Seom Seong-gyeong was trying to do.
"Heh—!"
"Senior brother... No way."
"He's going that far in a spar...?"
Everyone gasped.
A powerful energy surged like a tidal wave. Seom Seong-gyeong, eyes blazing, swung with all his might.
It will connect.
This would definitely hit.
The Blue Moon Sword Dance. First Form: Moon Wave. A brilliant blue crescent moon rose from Seom Seong-gyeong's sword—
"Fool."
Clang!
"...Huh?"
Shards of energy scattered.
The crescent moon that was forming was crushed, dispersing in all directions. Seom Seong-gyeong stared blankly at his sword.
His stance was completely broken. His arm, which had been thrusting forward, was deflected, leaving his chest wide open. It was then.
"Truly pathetic."
For some reason, his voice was laced with anger.
Frowning as he spoke, Bang Seong-yeon moved. His sword swept out. It was just like before.
Whoosh!
Energy infused the sword. Seeing the energy, Seom Seong-gyeong thought,
It's black...
For a moment, it felt as if the entire world he was looking at had been painted black.
It is night.
He realized it the moment he saw it.
Ah, so this was the sight I saw right before I collapsed earlier.
Only now did Seom Seong-gyeong understand.
The sword approached Seom Seong-gyeong. It slashed down in a straight line.
Second Form: Night Moon
Night descended.
It wasn't that the energy itself was black. It was also the energy of the Cheongwol Mind Method. The only difference from his own was...
It is clear and blue.
It was far more brilliant and beautiful.
...Ah.
The reason he thought it was night was because his gaze had been completely stolen by Bang Seong-yeon's approaching sword.
Because that was the only thing he could see, the rest of the world appeared entirely black.
This is...
The sword drew closer and closer. As it did, his vision was charred like the night. And through that darkness, only one thing was visible.
The moon.
It was Bang Seong-yeon's sword, approaching like the moon.
Just before Bang Seong-yeon's sword could touch Seom Seong-gyeong's neck—
Tap.
The sword, which had instantly halted its momentum, touched Seom Seong-gyeong's neck. A thin line of blood trickled from the slightly nicked skin. That was all.
"..."
Even though he hadn't been cut down, Seom Seong-gyeong's legs gave out. Thud! He collapsed onto the ground.
"Pant... Pant... Huff..."
Faced with death, his breathing grew ragged. Cold sweat drenched his entire body.
"How can the moon rise where there is no night?"
At Bang Seong-yeon's words, Seom Seong-gyeong looked up at him.
"Your sword lacks the very foundation to hold the moon."
Meeting those blue eyes, now completely devoid of interest, Seom Seong-gyeong trembled violently.
Watching him, Bang Seong-yeon turned around and looked at the Moonmaster.
"Do I have to keep doing this?"
At his thoroughly annoyed tone, the leader of the Sowol Squadron hesitated before speaking.
"...Bang Seong-yeon... is the victor."
No one in the area reacted to the leader's declaration. They all simply stared at Bang Seong-yeon with expressions of utter shock.