The Semifinals (7)
The Hwanryeong Tournament was slowly drawing to its final stages. The public's attention had naturally shifted toward the four Awakened who had advanced to the semifinals: Yu Danha, Yusoha, Shin Seongmin, and Lee Jaeha.
Among them, the one receiving the most intense scrutiny was Shin Seongmin. He had advanced through every match without once summoning Adein, dispatching his opponents with effortless grace. Praise poured in that he truly deserved the title of S-class Awakened. Of course, that didn't mean he monopolized all the spotlight.
Interest in last year's champion, Yu Danha, was equally enormous. She could wield every type of firearm with masterful skill—from pistols to machine guns, sniper rifles, and shotguns. On top of that, her mana attribute was explosion. By simply infusing her bullets with mana, she could combine the gun's inherent firepower with her explosive magic, unleashing absurd destructive force in an instant.
In other words, even at the level of other Awakened, her bullets were difficult to counter—especially when they triggered mana explosions. Lower-ranked Awakened couldn't even put up a fight against her. Moreover, while most firearm specialists struggled in one-on-one situations without cover, Yu Danha was completely free from such limitations.
Because she had Hidelixius.
Thanks to him, she enjoyed a level of safety that set her apart from ordinary firearm specialists. The perfect harmony of offense and defense between her and Hidelixius drew gasps of admiration from countless spectators.
A few critics called her style underhanded and boringly repetitive, but their opinions were quickly dismissed. In a tournament where victory was everything, nothing mattered more than securing a clear win.
That said, was Yu Danha's combat style truly monotonous? Not at all. Her tactical barrages in every match guaranteed entertainment for the audience. Though for the Awakened on the receiving end, it probably felt like they were about to die.
Next to draw attention was, of course, Yusoha. Advancing alone without a Guardian Star, defeating numerous Awakened along the way—her solitary figure looked noble and dignified. Of course, there were still those who called her a half-baked summoner without a Guardian Star. But even they were forced to fall silent before her overwhelming skill. Her performance stirred awe in many.
With public opinion gradually shifting—that the unfair dismissal controversy from before had perhaps been justified from the company's perspective—her impressive displays were naturally helping to build a more favorable view of her. It wasn't strange at all.
Finally, there was Lee Jaeha, who had reached the semifinals. Unfortunately, despite his considerable ability, he wasn't receiving much attention. As team leader of Hwanryeong Team 3, he possessed genuine strength and had built a decent fanbase with his handsome features. But his opponent was simply too unfavorable.
“Of all people, it had to be Shin Seongmin.”
He let out a deep sigh. No Guardian Star? That penalty meant nothing against Shin Seongmin. The man could toy with A-class Awakened without even using his Guardian Star. And now he had to face him.
The silver lining, perhaps, was that reaching the semifinals was an achievement in itself. If his opponent had been Yusoha or Yu Danha instead, he might have had a chance. After all, he was a proper A-class Awakened. But the bracket was already set. There was no changing it now.
In the end, he resigned himself to reality and simply resolved to land at least one solid hit on Shin Seongmin.
Despite Lee Jaeha's determination, he couldn't even showcase his full ability before falling to Shin Seongmin. The arena roared with Shin Seongmin's name as Lee Jaeha left the stage with a bitter expression.
And so the next matchup arrived—the one everyone had been waiting for.
A rematch of last year's Hwanryeong Tournament finals. Some said the result would be the same this time. Others claimed it would be different. But the majority predicted Yu Danha's victory. It made sense. Yu Danha currently had no apparent weaknesses. She specialized in long-range attacks, while her vanguard boasted incredible defensive power in the form of Hidelixius.
Even those cautiously hoping for Yusoha's win had more or less accepted Yu Danha's victory as a foregone conclusion.
Yusoha was well aware of the atmosphere in the arena. Yet as she looked out at the crowd so certain of her defeat, she smiled.
Her steps toward the arena were lighter than ever, her smile brighter than it had ever been.
“Let's go, Eclipse.”
[Understood.]
Yu Danha seemed excited about this matchup—uncharacteristically so—as she spoke to Hidelixius.
“Hidelixius.”
“Yes.”
“You remember what I told you, right?”
“You mean to give it my all?”
“Yes.”
“I am already fully aware.”
“Good. There's no need to focus solely on defense. We're going full offensive.”
“Understood.”
“No dragging this out. Let's go right away, Hidelixius.”
“Yes.”
Yusoha stepped into the arena.
Waaaaaaaaah!
A mix of boos and cheers echoed through the massive coliseum. Her smile filled the giant screens for all to see. No one stood beside her. Walking alone with noble grace toward the center of the coliseum, she drew genuine admiration from the crowd.
The moment she reached the center, her older sister Yu Danha—who had monopolized the love of the masses—appeared. The cheers were even louder than before, so deafening it felt like her eardrums might burst. Yet Yusoha could only smile.
Shattering everyone's expected outcome was always a delightful thing.
When Yu Danha reached the center of the arena, Yusoha smiled at her.
“Soha.”
“Unnie.”
“Your skills have improved a lot.”
“So have yours.”
“I was able to grow thanks to you.”
“Because of the Fragment of Knowledge?”
“That's right. It looks like you've gone through some changes too...”
“Fixing my own mistakes turned out to be more fun than I expected.”
Over the past month, Yusoha hadn't been learning flashy, powerful sword techniques. She had focused solely on fundamentals. And that choice had been incredibly successful. Her skills had grown to an entirely different level than before.
Thanks to that, she could finally reveal Eclipse on the stage she had longed for so much.
“As expected of my little sister. I'm counting on you today too.”
“This time, I won't cry pathetically like last time.”
“I'll be looking forward to it.”
The moment their conversation ended, the referee stepped into the center of the coliseum. And then—
The match began.
Yusoha moved first. She swiftly closed the distance toward Yu Danha.
“Hidelixius!”
Yu Danha watched Yusoha's movements carefully. The instant her sister stepped forward, she dashed backward and summoned Hidelixius. In that moment, the giant appeared in the coliseum.
A massive frame reaching ten meters tall. The solid bronze skin visible through the gaps in his armor looked strong enough to serve as powerful armor all on its own. In his hand, the giant held an enormous shield.
Yusoha narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at the shield, then upward. Pursuit was already impossible. Yu Danha had already climbed onto Hidelixius's right shoulder.
She had already finished preparing her sniper shot from that high vantage and was staring directly at Yusoha. The next sound was a fierce gunshot.
Yusoha struck down the incoming bullet. The moment it ricocheted, it exploded. No matter how many times she experienced it, she could never get used to it. She could deflect the shots thanks to her overwhelming mana reserves, but her sister's gunfire was certainly not something to take lightly.
Judging that dragging this out would be dangerous, Yusoha charged straight toward Hidelixius's shield without hesitation. She had to break through that shield somehow. Without neutralizing Hidelixius, she would never reach Yu Danha.
Kaang!
A fierce sword strike collided with the massive shield. But that wasn't the end. Yusoha manifested her golden mana. Countless steel weapons began to float in the air. Every time she thrust her sword, the weapons danced. Swords, spears, blades—even shields.
Yu Danha wasn't standing still either. From atop Hidelixius's shoulder, she continued firing fierce rounds. But her bullets were blocked by the golden weapons Yusoha had summoned. A shield blocked a bullet and vanished. Yusoha immediately summoned another with her mana.
Under Yusoha's relentless assault, Hidelixius's shield gradually began to be pushed back. Yusoha thought she might not even need to summon Eclipse at this rate—but that thought was shattered in an instant.
Thud!
“...What!?”
Hidelixius had suddenly thrown away his shield. Hidelixius, discarding his shield? Why?
For a moment, everyone in the arena was filled with doubt. But the question was quickly answered. A fierce whirlwind of mana began to coil around both of Hidelixius's hands. Then, ferocious steel gauntlets formed over his fists.
Seeing the gauntlets wrapped around his fists, he threw a punch. Only then did Yusoha realize what they were.
“A Fragment of Knowledge...?”
“That is correct.”
“Ha, you've got to be kidding me... Isn't that the one I got for you?”
“It is.”
Yu Danha's mana-infused voice reached Yusoha.
“Thanks to you, Soha, Hidelixius has become even stronger. He is no longer just a shield soldier who holds a shield and defends. Using his powerful physique to crush his enemies... he is now a warrior in the truest sense.”
Every time Hidelixius moved, the ground shook. The spectators watched him throw refined punches and let out hollow laughs.
“This is like raising a dog just to have it bite me...!”
Hidelixius's fist slammed down on the golden shield Yusoha had summoned. The moment the shield shattered from the impact, Yu Danha sniped at Yusoha's exposed body. Yusoha barely managed to block the shot with a hastily created golden shield, but the explosion that followed upon impact sent her flying.
She rolled across the ground, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. Refusing to accept easy defeat, Yusoha raised her mana and fired golden spears to exploit the opening created when Hidelixius had thrown away his shield.
But even that attempt crumbled helplessly at a single gesture from Hidelixius.
“Will you continue?”
Yu Danha and Hidelixius stood before her in a majestic stance. Yusoha, as if in despair that her previous attempt had been blocked, dismissed all her golden weapons.
“Have you given up?”
Yu Danha spoke while looking at her sister's trembling back. Though she felt a twinge of pity, she had no intention of stopping here.
“Then I'll be taking today's victory as well.”
Click.
Yu Danha loaded a mana bullet. But then—
A sound that should not have been heard began to ring out.
“Heh... hehehe... hahahaha!”
“...?”
Yu Danha turned to look at Yusoha at the sudden laughter. It had been a misunderstanding. The back she thought was trembling with despair and sorrow had actually been shaking with suppressed laughter.
Has she gone mad? Such murmurs spread through the crowd. Laughing when defeat was all but certain. Even Yu Danha thought the same.
When everyone was treating her like a lunatic—
Yusoha finally realized the moment she had been waiting for had arrived.
“That's right, Unnie. Without a Guardian Star, I can't beat you.”
Her words, laced with laughter, reached Yu Danha.
“Are you going to surrender?”
Hearing that, Yu Danha spoke to her sister with a complicated expression. Yusoha shook her head and continued.
“But... with a Guardian Star, I'm different.”
“...What?”
“With a Guardian Star... I can beat you, Unnie.”
Unable to understand her sister's incomprehensible words, Yu Danha asked,
“What are you talking about?”
“This.”
With a confident grin, Yusoha glared at her sister and finally called out her Guardian Star's name.
“Eclipse!”
In that instant, a figure descended from the air, tattered cloak fluttering, landing before Yusoha. A knight in worn armor, a broken greatsword strapped to his back—looking like a defeated soldier. Yusoha looked at the knight and deepened the smile on her lips.
At last, the curtain had risen on the true stage.