The Hwanryeong Tournament (3)
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Yusoha looked at Eclipse with her usual composed expression.
“Eclipse.”
“What is it?”
“Today is an important day.”
“I know.”
“Give it your all.”
“……Alright.”
The curtain rose on the Hwanryeong Tournament.
The venue was a private island owned by the Hwanryeong Guild—Hwanryeongdo. They had developed an entire massive island and built a colosseum in a safe location where Awakened could fight without endangering anyone.
Broadcast stations and reporters from all over swarmed the island, desperate to capture even one more photo. But it wasn’t just the press. Fans who would brave fire and water to see their favorite Awakened began pouring in as well. In no time, the vast island was teeming with people.
The saving grace was that the island wasn’t just home to the colosseum. Various facilities had been prepared for the tourists who had come to see the Awakened. From training centers to video halls showcasing the greatest moments of the guild’s representative Awakened.
The hall displayed footage of the past—when Yu Hyeok had saved countless lives through his heroic actions, when Hwanryeong’s Awakened had staked their very lives to stop S-class Gates, and tributes to those who had perished in those battles. The exhibition stretched on, allowing countless visitors to witness those moments again. So that those gradually fading from memory would never be forgotten.
In the beginning, the videos were naturally heavy. They featured the noble sacrifices of Awakened and interviews with the people they had saved. But as time passed, the tone of the footage gradually lightened. It was only natural. Thanks to the sacrifices of the Awakened, Korean society had normalized at an astonishing speed.
Scenes of Awakened joking with one another. Scenes of them sparring. Footage from the very first Hwanryeong Tournament. All sorts of videos captivated the tourists’ eyes.
……And of course, that scene was included as well.
Footage related to last year’s Hwanryeong Tournament. In other words, the video of Yusoha suffering a crushing defeat at the hands of Yu Danha.
As soon as people arrived on Hwanryeongdo, verification posts flooded every community. And just as quickly, countless videos were pinned and shared. Posts asking, “Wasn’t this video taken down?” and confirming the reappearance of new clips received an endless stream of upvotes.
In that way, everyone who had arrived on Hwanryeongdo was eagerly anticipating the Hwanryeong Tournament.
Yu Danha stood at the top floor of a large hotel complex on Hwanryeongdo—one reserved exclusively for direct descendants of the Yu family—gazing down at the island below.
Is something troubling you?
“……Yes.”
Are you worried about Lady Yusoha?
“That’s right. Most of my worries tend to revolve around her.”
Are you worried she might win overwhelmingly again?
“Yes. If that happens, it’ll only crack her pride even more. Then she might stop treating me like her sister altogether.”
Lady Yusoha is not so narrow-minded. You know that, don’t you?
“I do. I know, but…… feelings of inferiority, or defeat, are incredibly dangerous and intense stimuli. Besides, the Fragment of Knowledge that Yusoha handed over to Hwanryeong last time…… because of it, you and I have become even stronger.”
That was true. Thanks to the Fragment of Knowledge Yusoha had obtained last time, Yu Danha had succeeded in restoring one of Hidelixius’s lost memories.
Guardian Stars were originally bound by restrictions on power or knowledge when crossing over to this world. Some faced both restrictions, others faced neither. Hidelixius had been restricted in terms of knowledge. Thanks to the fragment, he had regained several memories of his destroyed past that he could not previously recall, and Yu Danha’s overall combat strength had increased significantly.
The reason was simple. With the knowledge Hidelixius had recovered, he no longer needed to limit himself to shield techniques alone.
In his forgotten memories, Hidelixius had not been a mere shield-bearer. He had been a warrior. A warrior who stood at the very front, enduring enemy attacks while crushing them. His enormous body had never existed solely for protection.
The true value of Hidelixius that Yu Danha had confirmed was astonishing. Even the Guardian Stars of most A-class Awakened were no match for his combat techniques. Without his shield, he was overwhelmingly stronger than when he carried one.
What Yu Danha was worried about right now was exactly that. Hidelixius, who could now switch flexibly between offense and defense, had become far stronger than before. Yusoha would never be able to withstand that relentless assault.
Yu Danha primarily wielded all kinds of firearms. She was a specialist in gun-type weaponry. Moreover, her mana attribute was explosion. Because she could detonate her mana in an instant, every single one of her long-range attacks could inflict critical damage on her enemies.
In other words, Yusoha—who needed time to prepare her long-range attacks—would have no choice but to take every exploding bullet that followed Hidelixius’s barrage.
If that happened, what then? Her little sister’s pride would likely be shattered even more brutally than last year.
That was what Yu Danha feared.
“Do you remember…… how Yusoha cried last year?”
……Yes.
“It was the first time I’d ever seen her cry like that. After she turned ten, she never cried even once.”
……
“I don’t want to make her cry, but if I hold back, she’ll end up hating me. That’s the kind of girl she is.”
Yes.
“So I’ll fight with everything I have. That’s the bare minimum courtesy I can show her.”
A wise choice.
Facing the wind blowing across the hotel rooftop, Yu Danha organized her thoughts. Unnecessary distractions were pointless. She would give her all in everything she did. That was simply how Yu Danha thought.
The vast colosseum was packed with countless spectators. Shin Seongmin wore a fond smile at the sight of the arena he hadn’t seen in a long time.
“I wonder how much Danha and Yusoha have grown.”
Adein grumbled in response to his murmur.
“Of course. They’re like my cute little sisters. What, are you jealous?”
At her sulky tone, Shin Seongmin could only offer an awkward laugh.
“That might be true by your standards…… but I still learn things from them. And besides—”
While Shin Seongmin and Adein were chatting, the opening ceremony began. Grand music played as various performances unfolded. It was boring for the pair, but the audience’s response was overwhelmingly positive.
The moment the spectacular performances ended, a massive shadow suddenly fell over the center of the colosseum. A body so enormous that calling it the size of a house was no exaggeration floated in the air, casting its shadow across the ground.
Adein’s face soured at the sight.
“She’s in her tiger form today.”
Shin Seongmin gazed at the figure with deep respect. It was Cheolryeong Rumeorn—the Guardian Star of the Awakened Yu Hyeok, known to every citizen of South Korea.
The audience’s reaction was no different. No, it was even louder. A thunderous cheer erupted.
Waaaaaaaaah!!
It was an explosive response. And it was inevitable. Because beneath Rumeorn, a middle-aged man with a sturdy build had begun walking toward the center of the colosseum.
Despite being an old man well past seventy, he looked as if he had just entered his fifties. His body was so powerful it seemed to defy the passage of time, drawing gasps of admiration from the crowd.
Korea’s greatest Awakened. A man who ranked among the top even when compared to Awakened from around the world. A hero of the era who had saved an entire nation single-handedly.
Yu Hyeok.
He looked around at the audience and spoke.
“It is good to see you all.”
His words flowed with nobility and dignity. Everyone in the stands strained their ears, not wanting to miss even a single syllable.
The community’s reaction? There was no need to speak of it. Even in that place where Awakened were torn apart without mercy, Yu Hyeok was an object of worship—a living god. Countless praises flooded the live broadcast chat.
“Today, the Hwanryeong Tournament is once again upon us. All of our guild’s most talented young ones have stepped forward, so I believe we can provide the citizens with quite the enjoyable spectacle.”
It was a short speech, but it carried immense pride. Even the Awakened waiting in the wings sparkled with excitement as they listened intently. Some even wore expressions overflowing with pride.
Yu Hyeok continued.
“Moreover, we have put a great deal of effort into this year’s tournament. Many Awakened who are active overseas—people you all know well—have gathered here for today’s event.”
Ooooh!!
The anticipation soared. Riding that wave, Yu Hyeok smiled warmly and spoke again.
“And we also have a very special friend with us this time.”
At the words “special friend,” one name immediately came to everyone’s mind.
“I believe you’ve already guessed correctly. Shin Seongmin will also be participating in this year’s Hwanryeong Tournament.”
At the name Shin Seongmin, the crowd erupted in another round of cheers.
“My two proud granddaughters, who took first and second place respectively last year, will also be competing again. I am personally very curious to see how different they will be from last year.”
Yu Danha’s name rang out from every corner. Of course, there were also a few scattered voices quietly cheering for Yusoha.
“So please, enjoy yourselves to the fullest today. Criticize without restraint as well. The shortcomings of Awakened are directly tied to your own safety, so please do not hesitate to point them out.”
“Yes!!!”
It was the usual repertoire at the Hwanryeong Tournament—a polite request to criticize their flaws. At moments like this, most criticism toward Awakened was permitted. Crude insults would still get you sued, of course.
The moment he turned to leave, regretful voices rose from the crowd.
Watching from her personal waiting room, Yusoha smiled.
“Eclipse.”
“Let’s go wild today. Let’s completely ruin that smug face of Shin Seongmin’s. And while we’re at it, let’s get revenge on my sister for last year too.”
If it was Eclipse, it would be possible. It wasn’t blind faith—she was certain of it.
“Who do you think I am? Of course I’ll win.”
With a voice full of confidence, Yusoha turned and left the personal waiting room.
It was finally beginning.