Ch.51Sword Master, Charon (3)

Charon, the Star of Sword, is an oddball.

Who would dare call a Sword Master who has reached transcendence an oddball? Yet Charon was a man who could only be described as such.

One day he might venture into demon realms and return with the heads of high-ranking demons. Another day he might walk to the borders of Camlann to slaughter cursed beings crossing the boundary. And sometimes, he could be found swinging his sword on the battlefield of stars.

That’s not all.

He would claim to have found good liquor and stroll into the sacred realm of the constellations in the night sky for a drinking session. Or he might casually leap over fortress walls—while guards watched with wide eyes—to share a drink with the Emperor of the Empire.

A man of eccentric behaviors, utterly unpredictable.

Yet despite being the oddest of oddballs, the world doesn’t consider Charon particularly dangerous. That’s because the values he upholds are crystal clear.

The sword (劍), justice (義), and chivalry (俠).

Just as the Knights of Atanga bind themselves with honor and pride, the Star of Sword binds himself with justice and chivalry. He shows no interest in power or fame, dedicating himself only to what he believes is right.

His head is filled with nothing but the sword.

He has no interest in politics or power.

No one knows what his true purpose is.

However, even Charon has a purpose.

He always says:

That he must reach the extreme. That he must obtain more stars to become stronger. This wasn’t merely the mindset of someone challenging their own limits.

Why does he crave strength?

To that question, Charon once answered:

“To fulfill the secret wish of the Order of the Sword.”

The world doesn’t know what this secret wish is.

Only Charon and the previous Stars of Sword who have sat in the seat of the Order’s master know its true nature. It was closer to a duty and destiny than a wish.

Charon contemplated this secret wish.

What was needed to fulfill it was a monster who could surpass even himself, a once-in-a-generation genius. Because ordinary methods wouldn’t even come close to approaching the Order’s secret wish. That’s why Charon was searching.

For someone with the potential to surpass him.

For someone who could show him “what comes next.”

‘Now, how about you?’

The Star of Sword looked at the young man before him.

Now he needed to see.

How much talent this person possessed. Whether this person could become the one he had been searching for. Then, by what standard should he judge this young man’s value?

The answer was ridiculously simple.

‘By the sword.’

If there was something to confirm, confirm it with the sword.

That was the way of the Order of the Sword.

2.

Najin looked at Charon.

Holding his scabbard, Charon stood without moving a single step. As if saying, come at me. It wasn’t arrogance. It was the composure of a strong person. Najin couldn’t deny that fact.

Because it was true.

He didn’t think he could win even if he gave it his all and drew Excalibur. The gap between Charon and himself was something that couldn’t be bridged even with a holy sword.

A figure who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

A powerful being who stood shoulder to shoulder with the constellations in the night sky.

‘They say you possess six stars.’

-That’s right. I could ascend and become a constellation anytime, but I’m still remaining on earth.

He was a being who could become a star in the night sky but chose to remain in the mortal world. Najin slowly regulated his breathing and lowered his sword. Opportunities to experience the pinnacle weren’t common. Though it came unexpectedly, Najin knew how precious this opportunity was.

Knowing this, he had no intention of taking it lightly.

“Hoo…”

A single breath.

A flow surged within Najin’s body. Since his ability to use sword energy was already known, there was no need to hide it anymore. Pure white sword energy enveloped Najin’s sword.

“…!”

Volkman, who was watching their match, widened his eyes. Awakening to sword energy in just one month was impossible. The correct assessment was that he had known how to handle sword energy since their swords clashed earlier.

‘He was hiding his strength.’

Volkman smiled. He wasn’t disappointed by this fact. Rather, he was simply interested in seeing how far Najin could go against Charon.

And Charon?

He still hadn’t drawn his sword. He was just looking at Najin while holding his scabbard. With a thud, Najin kicked off the ground and rushed toward Charon. His speed had already surpassed the level of a Sword Expert.

Swish!

With a moment of acceleration, Najin swung his sword. A swift strike. Both his posture and the trajectory of his sword were clean. Even to Volkman, a mid-ranking priest, it was a flawless strike.

But not to Charon.

Charon lightly swung his scabbard. The speed of the scabbard was neither slow nor fast. The scabbard, moving at a moderate speed, touched Najin’s shoulder as he swung his sword. Charon simply extended the scabbard forward.

That alone broke Najin’s stance.

The trajectory of the sword twisted, and Najin, losing his balance, fell backward. He barely managed to twist his body to avoid falling completely, but… his eyes were trembling.

Tap.

Immediately correcting his posture, Najin rushed at Charon again. But once, twice, three times… up to five times, the same situation occurred.

Charon lightly swung his scabbard.

And that alone broke Najin’s stance.

It wasn’t even a proper strike, nor was it a fast one. The speed at which Charon thrust his scabbard was similar to or even slower than his own. Yet he so easily broke his stance.

How?

Najin knew the answer. Gaps in posture. Unstable parts. Charon precisely targeted the minute gaps invisible to ordinary eyes.

‘In that case…’

Najin exhaled briefly and readjusted his grip on the sword.

“…It’s begun.”

Watching this, Volkman clicked his tongue.

Charon’s matches typically proceeded like this. Though Charon limited himself to the same speed as his opponent or slower, that limitation was meaningless because…

Charon thoroughly overwhelmed his opponents.

He would target gaps, shatter sword paths, read and break stances, and block all attacks without moving from his spot. Being overwhelmed by someone who swung their sword slower than you was certainly not a pleasant experience.

‘The feeling of having your sword denied.’

It would feel like having your very self denied.

That’s why many avoided sparring with Charon. Though there was much to gain, it took a long time to recover one’s self-esteem once it was shattered.

How would this young man fare?

He must have been aware of his own excellence.

The impact would likely be significant. As Volkman was thinking this while watching Najin, Najin rushed at Charon with the exact same stance as before. Had he not accepted that there were flaws in his swordsmanship? Just as Volkman clicked his tongue…

The moment Charon thrust his scabbard,

Najin’s movement completely changed.

It was a gap that had already been exploited once. The moment the gap was targeted, Najin had already figured out in his mind how to fill it, how to correct his posture. Dividing his body’s movements into sequential actions and discarding the incorrect image wasn’t difficult for Najin.

The gap Charon tried to target was blocked. Without retreating, Charon lightly swung his scabbard. For the first time, Najin’s sword and Charon’s scabbard clashed.

Without sword energy, one cannot block a sword infused with it.

That was common sense, but Sword Masters are beings who reign above common sense. Charon’s scabbard, despite not being infused with sword energy, easily received and deflected Najin’s sword. The flow over the scabbard made it possible.

Clang clang clang!

However, Najin didn’t panic.

He immediately adjusted his stance and launched a series of attacks at Charon. As the accelerated sword swung, Charon’s scabbard penetrated Najin’s gaps several times.

He was pushed back with a broken stance and rolled on the ground, but…

That happened only the first time. Najin never gave up the same gap twice. Swordsmen say that once a stance becomes rigid, it’s like a habit and difficult to correct, but there are exceptions to everything.

‘What is this…?’

Watching Najin correct his stance in real-time and fill his gaps, Volkman widened his eyes.

‘Indeed.’

A smile formed on Charon’s lips.

He could somewhat understand why Volkman highly evaluated the young man before him. He certainly had outstanding talent. He knew how to control his own body.

And…

Charon’s eyes narrowed.

In Najin’s sword, Charon felt the swordsmanship of Atanga, saw the rough swords of mercenaries, and also felt Volkman’s sword. The young man’s sword was a mix of various swordsmanship styles. However, they weren’t fully integrated.

It was merely an imitation.

It wasn’t a sword solely for himself.

‘They say he has talent for mimicry and imitation?’

Well, let’s see then.

Targeting gaps was enough for now. To penetrate more gaps, he would need to swing his sword faster than the young man. So Charon readjusted his grip on the scabbard.

The swordsmanship he was about to display was that of the Order.

The position of Star of Sword, the pinnacle of the Order of the Sword, isn’t given just by reaching the position of a Sword Master. It’s a title that can only be obtained by reaching the extreme of all swordsmanship and all stances that exist within the Order.

Among the three existing Sword Masters…

In terms of pure swordsmanship, no one could defeat Charon. That’s how unique the realm Charon had achieved was.

“…!”

Finally, Charon displayed his technique.

Najin widened his eyes. Not a technique that transforms the form of sword energy or gives it properties… but a technique purely executed by moving the body.

Such techniques can be imitated if seen.

If he could just see it, he could follow it.

Najin was convinced of this. That’s how it had always been, and he had never failed. Najin focused his eyes, intending to absorb Charon’s swordsmanship and make it his own.

‘I’ve seen it. I’ve pictured it in my mind.’

Blocking the sword, Najin was pushed back.

Indeed, it was different from Volkman’s. Though it was the same Order’s swordsmanship, the level of completion was different. Well, if one could swing a sword like this, it’s no wonder they would see his sword as full of gaps.

Najin stuck out his tongue at the stance pictured in his mind. If Volkman’s swordsmanship was drawn in about thirteen images, the Star of Sword’s sword was drawn in over a hundred images.

Drip.

His nose stung and then bled. His bloodshot eyes stung. It felt like his head was overloaded just from seeing a single stance.

“I heard you’re confident in imitation.”

Charon looked at Najin.

He slightly moved his scabbard.

“Steal as much as you want. Imitate as much as you can.”

He was smiling.

“As long as you can steal, I’m prepared to show you all the swords I possess.”

Go ahead and try if you can.

That’s what Charon was saying. Najin wiped the nosebleed with the back of his hand and smiled back. If he was being so generous, there was no reason to refuse.

Grind.

Gritting his teeth, Najin moved his body.

He swung his sword following the images drawn in his mind. However, at some point, Najin realized that his body and the images in his mind were slightly misaligned.

Number 34, 41, 56…

A total of seven images were misaligned.

Of course, that’s just a small part of the over hundred images. At a glance, it seemed like Najin had stolen Charon’s sword, and to an ordinary person, the trajectory of Najin’s sword would look perfect, but…

Najin himself, who was swinging the sword, and

Charon, who was watching, knew.

That there were gaps created from the misaligned parts. That this sword strike was imperfect. Charon lightly thrust his scabbard to target the gap. Najin, with his stance broken, rolled on the ground.

“……”

Sitting on the ground, Najin blankly looked at the sword in his hand. The images were misaligned. It was the first time the images had been misaligned in this way. Najin recalled the misaligned images in his mind.

Moving his body, what he felt was dissonance.

There were parts in the images that he couldn’t follow no matter how he moved his body. As Najin was pondering these parts and getting up…

“You can’t imitate it. That’s what you seem to be thinking.”

Charon pointed his scabbard at Najin.

“Isn’t that obvious?”

Charon said nonchalantly.

“This is my sword. It’s a sword uniquely mine, refined to match my body, my breathing, my speed.”

He spoke as if stating the obvious.

“Even if you steal it, how could it be yours? This is mine. Only mine.”

He narrowed his eyes.

“You certainly have innate talent for imitation. It’s astonishing. But, it’s meaningless if it’s just simple imitation.”

He swung his scabbard with a whoosh.

The trajectory drawn by Najin’s hastily pulled sword was easily shattered. Najin looked at the scabbard that was right in front of his nape.

“Where is your sword?”

Charon asked.

The Star of Sword questioned about the sword (劍).

“Show me your sword. If you don’t have one yet, create it here and now. If you can’t do that…”

Charon’s eyes turned cold.

“This match would be worthless. If all you can do is copy, your sword will never reach the extreme.”

And I have no intention of wasting time on a worthless match.

The Star of Sword declared so. Faced with this declaration, Najin was silent for a moment, then laughed. He came suddenly challenging to a match and now arbitrarily judging its value. Of course, Najin could have dismissed the Star of Sword’s words as nonsense and ignored them, but…

Whoosh.

Instead of ignoring, Najin reached for the scabbard aimed at his nape. At this unexpected action of trying to grab the scabbard, the Star of Sword frowned and was about to withdraw it when…

Grab.

Najin’s hand seized the scabbard. It was a movement as if he had accurately predicted the trajectory of the scabbard. Faced with this movement, the Star of Sword narrowed his eyes.

“If this match gains value,”

Najin asked while gripping the scabbard.

“What can I gain?”

An incredibly bold question.

Faced with this question, the Star of Sword burst into laughter. It was refreshing to see Najin not cowering before a Sword Master but looking him in the eye and speaking up.

“My trust. And a master.”

“By master, you mean…”

“I mean I’ll become your master. Of course, under the condition that you want it.”

Najin smiled.

“That sounds good.”

After releasing the scabbard, Najin stepped back a few steps. You asked about my sword? You said there’s nothing to see except imitation? Well, that’s certainly true, as the Star of Sword said.

He had never thought about having something of his own.

But Najin wasn’t good-natured enough to just let such treatment slide. He thought he needed to show his opponent a variable, to see the Star of Sword’s surprised face to feel satisfied.

Though he didn’t know his own sword yet…

A variable. If it’s something uniquely his, there was one thing he possessed. It was something Najin had since birth, something he had unconsciously trained until now.

Eye power (眼力), and instantaneous judgment.

Now it had even reached temporary future sight.

Najin’s eyes gleamed with a sunset hue.