Ch.148The Horn-Blowing Star (3)

Najin felt his inner self stirring. Seeds buried underground yearn for the surface. They desire to break through thick earth and bloom in the world. The ground covering the buried seed cracked, and light leaked through the small crevice.

Flash.

Najin’s sword energy grew more intense. With just one step—only one step remaining—Najin charged forward. Kaaaaang! The Bull Horned Star turned toward Najin after swinging his spear shaft to shake off the Helm Knight. When he saw the starlight Najin had manifested, the Bull Horned Star’s body froze for an instant.

The pause was brief. Then the Bull Horned Star roared.

A constellation that has lost its star instinctively craves a star. It yearns for a brightly shining star, one it can no longer possess. The Bull Horned Star kicked the ground like a beast. His movement could only be described as beast-like.

Kwang!

As if two legs weren’t enough, the Bull Horned Star rushed at Najin using both arms and even the spear shaft in his hands. He struck the ground with his spear, using the rebound to close the distance, then swung his claws.

……The Bull Horned Star was a constellation that had fallen decades ago. His body, having repeatedly suffered injuries and recoveries over many years, had already had most of its parts replaced with starlight. It was now harder to find human parts in his body, which meant inefficient parts had disappeared.

Even his claws were no different from a beast’s talons. When he swung them, the sound of blades cutting through air could be heard. When the Bull Horned Star’s slashing claws collided with Najin’s sword energy, a harsh sound echoed.

Kagagagagagakang!

Sparks flew upward. While swinging his claws, the Bull Horned Star simultaneously swung the spear shaft held in his other hand. Seeing the approaching spear shaft that came with the sound of air being torn, Najin didn’t block this time.

Skak!

He swung his sword and cut through the spear shaft.

No matter how much aura surrounded it, vulnerabilities always exist, and the old, worn spear shaft couldn’t withstand Najin’s sword energy for even a second.

Kuung!

But even the Bull Horned Star knew this fact. The moment the spear shaft was cut, he forcefully stomped down with the foot he had raised to take a step. As the ground shook, another spear shaft embedded in the earth sprang up.

With a snap, he caught the spear shaft and thrust it forward. There was no distinction between the two movements. Just as a master of battōjutsu makes no distinction between drawing a sword from its scabbard and swinging it, the Bull Horned Star was the same.

A warrior who had reached transcendence with a single spear. Naturally, his technique was beyond ordinary people’s comprehension.

Tuhwak!

The speed of his thrust was so fast that the air caught on the spear blade swirled, converged to a point, and even exploded. Faced with a technique incomprehensible even to his eyes, Najin was dumbfounded.

How sharp is that aura?

When he parried the aura-wrapped spear blade, the numbness wasn’t just in his hands. The shock traveled from his sword-holding hand to his arm, from his arm to his shoulder, and from his shoulder throughout his entire body.

His joints screamed in protest. Blood vessels burst in his eyes as he strained to keep track of the Bull Horned Star’s movements. Najin’s flesh was torn away by an attack he couldn’t completely avoid. Chewing on the blood filling his mouth, Najin swung his sword.

Kaaaaaaang!

If not for the Helm Knight filling the gaps by continuously attacking the Bull Horned Star, Najin would have already fallen with a hole in his body. A formidable opponent. An opponent he could never defeat alone……

But, Najin thought.

‘He’s not overwhelming.’

Juel, Charon, Gerd.

Unlike when he faced the continent’s three Sword Masters, he didn’t feel overwhelmed. Unlike them, against whom no strategy seemed viable, his current opponent had openings.

A star that was once transcendent but has now fallen. This star couldn’t shoot sword energy that cut hundreds of meters like a Sword Master, nor could it unfold its mental image to pressure Najin. Of course. How could one who has fallen and lost himself imbue his aura with himself—his mental image?

The Bull Horned Star’s aura was incomplete.

Though still sharp and heavy, it lacked the mystical quality, the mysterious… the unwavering standard that transcendent beings typically possess.

Kaaaaaaang!

Of course, even that was powerful enough, but not unbeatable. Najin dragged his sword tip low. Pretending to leap backward to create distance, he suddenly swung his sword wide.

Chaaaaaaaaaaak!

The compressed sword energy on the blade stretched out long. Like a whip, the extended sword energy swept across the area. The Bull Horned Star easily deflected the sword energy that had decreased in density as it stretched, but that wasn’t Najin’s true aim.

The spear shafts scattered throughout the area were shattered by Najin’s sword energy. Najin immediately closed the distance and broke the Bull Horned Star’s spear. Now, the Bull Horned Star would need to create distance, just like Najin, to grasp a new spear.

It was at that moment, when he roared and tried to turn to find a spear shaft, that Najin’s sword energy touched the Bull Horned Star’s body for the first time.

Kakang!

Of course, it wasn’t a significant strike. Najin’s sword tip merely scratched the Bull Horned Star’s armor. The Bull Horned Star didn’t block the attack precisely because it wasn’t threatening.

A meaningless attack for the Bull Horned Star.

But not for Najin.

“What knight howls so inelegantly?”

What Najin’s sword cut were the helms attached to the Bull Horned Star’s armor. Those helms, with their covers open, had been roaring like beasts. As one helm shattered and fell, the Bull Horned Star’s roars also diminished.

Najin raised his sword tip and curled up the corner of his mouth.

“If you wish to charge like a beast, yes, do so.”

A star shone at the tip of his sword.

“I shall treat you as a knight.”

2.

A star was shining.

The worn-out star gazed at the brightly burning star. The light emitted by the brightly burning new star was something he had lost long ago. Seeing that sight, the old star couldn’t help but laugh.

‘He’s crazy, truly.’

The Helm Knight thought as he pressured the Bull Horned Star in sync with Najin’s movements. The Bull Horned Star was strong. He was a challenging opponent for the current Najin, and that remained true even with the Helm Knight’s help.

In a situation where a slight mistake could lead to death or serious injury, that young man was moving even more aggressively, as if he had multiple lives. More surprising was that his speed was gradually increasing.

Wounds multiplied, blood splattered, and even after being struck down and rolling on the ground, he would stand up and charge again. At this point, it was hard to tell which one was the unkillable monster.

Ka, gagagagak!

As he thrust his spear toward the Bull Horned Star, the Helm Knight felt a bitterness in his mouth. The Bull Horned Star wasn’t focusing on him. He was concentrating on Najin, who kept charging. This was despite the fact that the Helm Knight had inflicted more wounds and was a more threatening opponent.

What an ungrateful fellow.

The commander came all this way to see.

Despite his grumbling, the Helm Knight couldn’t deny that he was enjoying this moment. With each strike of Najin’s sword energy on the Bull Horned Star’s body, his movements were changing.

‘A little more.’

The Helm Knight thrust his spear. He swung it and kicked the ground, pressuring the Bull Horned Star. Whenever the Bull Horned Star’s arms tried to spread like a beast beyond the range of joint movement, he swung his spear shaft to disrupt the motion.

‘A little more, step forward boldly.’

The Helm Knight guided Najin’s movements by interfering with the Bull Horned Star. Sure enough, Najin understood the Helm Knight’s intention and immediately followed through.

Flash.

Najin’s sword energy flickered more intensely.

The Helm Knight immediately recognized what was happening from that flash of light. That fellow is trying to sprout a bud. He was attempting to step into the realm known as germination.

Having passed through that realm long ago, the Helm Knight could understand what Najin was trying to do.

Yes. If that’s the case, I can’t just stand by.

Gaps were gradually appearing. But as the gaps increased, so did Najin’s injuries. If they dragged this out any longer, the balance would collapse.

‘So, now is the right time.’

The Helm Knight decided. He swung his spear shaft forcefully to push back the Bull Horned Star and then stomped the ground hard with a Kuung! He gripped the spear shaft with both hands.

“Najin!”

As he called out, Najin threw the sword in his hand high into the air. Then, Najin stomped the ground. Just like the Bull Horned Star had done earlier.

Tuung.

A spear shaft embedded in the ground sprang up toward Najin. Catching that spear shaft, Najin assumed the same stance as the Helm Knight. Even to the Helm Knight, that stance looked quite proper.

It was worth teaching him.

I didn’t expect him to learn so quickly.

The Helm Knight and Najin thrust their spears toward the Bull Horned Star almost simultaneously. Air wrapped around the spear blades, creating whirlwinds, and storms raged along the straight path of the spear blades.

Chungkak.

A technique that all knights of the Golden Horn could use, their pride and symbol, and the technique the Bull Horned Star was most confident in. That technique erupted from the spear tips of the Helm Knight and Najin.

Kagagagagagagak!

Of course, unlike the Helm Knight’s, the storm created by Najin was weaker. He hadn’t yet mastered the technique perfectly. But it was enough to momentarily disrupt the Bull Horned Star’s movements.

The Helm Knight’s spear pierced through the gap created while blocking Najin’s Chungkak. The Bull Horned Star’s side, pierced by the spear blade, burst open. His armor shattered, and black blood spurted up. The spear shaft he was holding was shattered by the storm.

Blood spurting up. Broken spear shaft.

And the cross-star spear piercing his side.

The Bull Horned Star could have grabbed a new spear. There were numerous spear shafts embedded in his domain. But he didn’t reach for another spear shaft.

Kwak.

The Bull Horned Star gripped the spear shaft piercing his side with both hands. His gaze met the Helm Knight’s. In truth, the Helm Knight couldn’t tell if it was really a gaze. The black star replacing the Bull Horned Star’s head met the Helm Knight’s eyes.

……Spear wielders typically prepare answers for when an opponent grabs their spear shaft, including how to shake them off. And also how to disarm an opponent. The Bull Horned Star, who had been a master-level warrior, was no exception.

He twisted his hand holding the spear shaft.

The spear shaft rotated within his palm.

The Helm Knight lost his grip on the rotating spear shaft. He hadn’t expected such a technique at this moment. His surprise was understandable. That technique was meant to be used when pointing a spear blade at an opponent, not when a spear blade was embedded in one’s own body.

Tuhwak!

The spear shaft that had pierced the Bull Horned Star’s side rotated, tearing the wound wider. Blood spurted like a fountain from his side. Chunks of torn flesh fell to the ground.

However, as if unconcerned by this, the Bull Horned Star stepped back and gripped the spear shaft firmly.

Deudeuk……

He slowly stood up, pulling the spear from his side. He shook off the entrails caught on the spear blade with a swing and straightened the blade.

“……”

Until now, he had been hunched over like a beast, howling, but at this moment, the Bull Horned Star made no sound. Standing straight with both feet on the ground, he gripped the spear with both hands.

The cross-star spear.

The spear blade shone in the hands of its original owner.

3.

Starlight beat upon him.

The starlight beat upon the blackened star, upon the body that had become a corpse. Of course, the miracle of the Bull Horned Star regaining his sanity did not occur.

He was still a corpse.

Still, he was a fallen star.

But even so.

There was no law saying his star couldn’t shine.

The blackened star was bleached by the brightly shining star. Though it could no longer shine on its own, it could shine again by reflecting the starlight scattered by another star.

The Bull Horned Star shone.

The black star emitted its own light. That light was not brilliant. Nor was it warm. It was murky, dim, far from starlight.

But what of it?

What matters is that the star is shining.

The Bull Horned Star stood on two feet. He straightened his hunched back. Through the shattered gauntlets that fell away, human fingers were revealed. With human fingers, he gripped the spear shaft firmly.

He still had no reason.

All that remained in his body was instinct.

And his instinct called out. The memory engraved in the deepest part of his life called out. Take your stance. Hold your spear. Show your best. For that is courtesy to your opponent.

And so the beast, while remaining a beast, becomes a knight.

The black star replacing his head sank. Through the sunken star, the night sky shone. Stars shining in the night sky twinkled through the gaps in the black star. They substituted for the Bull Horned Star’s eyes.

The Bull Horned Star did not blow his horn.

He did not roar.

He simply remained silent.

The silent knight.

Krinbel, the Knight of Silence, gripped his spear. The spear tip pointed at Najin. Toward the star that made him shine, Krinbel presented.

What?

His most powerful strike.

Chungkak.

A storm raged around Krinbel.