Chapter Index





    The Star of Sword, Charon, felt a sense of dissonance.

    He looked at the young man standing before him. The young man’s eyes, reminiscent of sunset colors, were bloodshot, and his pupils were constricted to their limit.

    ‘His eyes resemble Lord Gerd’s.’

    The Empire’s Sword Master, Gerd.

    The Empire’s Best Swordsman who surpassed him in every field except swordsmanship—truly the strongest among current humanity. In Najin’s eyes, Charon glimpsed Gerd’s gaze.

    Though they looked nothing alike physically, the feeling was similar. Eyes that sent chills down your spine when you met them.

    “……”

    Charon silently looked at his scabbard.

    Just moments ago, Najin had grabbed Charon’s scabbard. As if foreseeing the near future. In that fleeting moment, Najin’s movement was clearly “strange.”

    …A movement that predicted the future.

    And.

    An uncanny ability to replicate even the passage of time after seeing something just once. When Najin mimicked Charon’s movements earlier, there were only a few parts he couldn’t replicate.

    The parts Charon had perfected after reaching the realm of Sword Master. Najin had accurately mimicked almost everything except the movements that could only be shown by a superhuman who had transcended barriers. It was chillingly precise.

    Though the imitation lacking his own subjectivity was still imperfect, its precision was undeniable.

    ‘Imitation, and temporary future sight.’

    Information pieced together in his mind.

    ‘Could it be.’

    The assembled information. The conclusion drawn.

    “Could it be,” Charon let out a hollow laugh. If what he was thinking was correct, then this young man’s true talent didn’t lie in the sword itself.

    A smile formed on Charon’s lips.

    Meeting Najin’s bloodshot eyes, Charon was about to close and open his eyes but instead adjusted his grip on his sword. Not yet. Not yet, he needed to see more.

    “Show me.”

    Charon flicked his scabbard.

    Whatever it is.

    Show me.

    Your uniqueness, your value.

    2.

    The scenery before his eyes was different.

    The world seen through bloodshot eyes was different from before. Since coming to Cambria, Najin had grown through countless experiences. Naturally, the scenery visible through those eyes had to be different.

    Constricted pupils. Bloodshot eyes.

    The world reflected in those eyes was a mass of information. Countless pieces of information crashed like waves into Najin’s mind. However, as always, Najin filtered out unnecessary information and focused only on his opponent.

    The Star of Sword, Charon.

    His breath. His stance. The subtle movements of his muscles. The flutter of his clothes and the movement of his eyes. Based on this information, Najin predicted the near future. Insight and vision beyond common sense made this possible.

    In the underground city.

    In the City of Opportunity.

    In battle against the Fallen Knight.

    Through combat, escape, pursuit, and countless situations, Najin had trusted his eyes. This time would be no different. But… at the same time, Najin sensed it.

    ‘I can’t maintain it for long.’

    Though he could maintain it throughout the battle with the Fallen Knight, Najin sensed that he couldn’t maintain this vision for long now. There was simply too much information entering his eyes.

    Standing before him was a Sword Master.

    A superhuman who transcended ordinary people.

    A transcendent being who reigned above common sense.

    No matter how exceptional Najin’s vision was, at his current level, he couldn’t completely predict Charon’s movements. There was simply too much information to process.

    Drip.

    The nosebleed that had stopped started flowing again. His head throbbed. But Najin shook it all off with a smile and took a step forward. Then, with a bang, he kicked off the ground and lunged at Charon.

    Charon moved in response to Najin’s movement.

    Deliberately, he reacted a beat late.

    The moment Charon moved, the future Najin had foreseen wavered. Unlike the opponents he had faced so far, Charon’s movements weren’t clear but blurry. It meant he was still an opponent beyond Najin’s ability to fully perceive.

    ‘So what?’

    He could see. He could vaguely make it out.

    That was enough. Najin’s eyes moved rapidly. As Najin quickly ducked his upper body, Charon’s scabbard swept over his head.

    Lowering his stance, one more step.

    Diving in, Najin unleashed his swordsmanship. It was Najin’s swordsmanship, a mix of the Order’s techniques and what he had independently developed in the underground city. Charon had described it as incomplete and without value.

    He didn’t deny it.

    He was still inexperienced after all.

    When imitating others, Najin would adapt and refine the movements to fit his body, but he knew that the “your sword” Charon spoke of was not limited to just that level.

    ‘I couldn’t actually imitate the Star of Sword’s technique.’

    Complete control over one’s body.

    A sword technique that only he could wield.

    Swordsmanship not just mastered but perfectly internalized and optimized. Charon’s sword was completed in that way, and Najin couldn’t steal it.

    No matter how much he tried to adapt it to his body, the picture just wouldn’t match.

    Najin was still too inexperienced to interpret Charon’s sword in his own way and adapt it to his body. He lacked understanding of the sword as a weapon and hadn’t embedded countless sword techniques in his mind like Charon had.

    Lacking. Inexperienced.

    He had no intention of denying that.

    But what Charon wanted was a variable. The uniqueness that only Najin possessed. If that was the case, Najin knew he could show it even without his own sword.

    Swish.

    In a split second, Najin’s sword accelerated. Charon’s scabbard, which was about to casually deflect Najin’s sword, also accelerated in an instant. With a clang, Charon deflected Najin’s sword along his scabbard and narrowed his eyes.

    Faster. Faster than before.

    It wasn’t just about speed. Every time Charon tried to strike at an opening, Najin seemed to know the location, immediately twisting his body to prevent his stance from collapsing.

    He acknowledged his imperfection. However, if he knew where the attack would come from… he could at least block it. That seemed to be what he was shouting.

    That spirit is admirable.

    That determination was admirable.

    ‘Hmm.’

    A smile spread across Charon’s face.

    Charon wanted to see more. He wanted to confirm more of what the young man before him possessed. Charon’s scabbard accelerated to match Najin’s increased sword speed.

    Sword and scabbard clash. The sword wrapped in sword energy and the scabbard deflect, twist, and dive into each other.

    Charon still moved with ease, but Najin wasn’t rolling on the ground or being completely pushed back like before. He stubbornly stuck close and swung his sword. Though no words were exchanged, through the clashing swords, Charon read Najin’s inner thoughts.

    Are you just going to look for openings forever?

    That way, I won’t learn anything either.

    A sword that seemed to say that. Charon burst into hearty laughter and responded to Najin’s proposal. Yes, I’ll show you as much as you want. Charon pushed Najin’s sword away forcefully and dove in. For the first time, Charon moved from his spot.

    Even when sparring with Sword Seekers, Charon had never moved from his spot, but now he took a step forward as if to overwhelm Najin.

    Boom.

    Striking the ground, Charon swung his sword. A sword strike descending from above like a guillotine. A perfect strike combining perfect movement and perfect breathing. Even though he was matching Najin’s speed, Najin had to widen his eyes and block the sword.

    Even though he knew where it would come.

    Blocking that sword was not easy.

    The moment he blocked it, his knees almost buckled. His fingers holding the sword trembled. The ground beneath his feet cracked with a sound.

    Clang.

    But it didn’t end with one strike. The moment Najin blocked the sword, Charon’s scabbard flowed like a river along Najin’s blade and extended toward his nape. The transition from cutting to thrusting was incredibly natural.

    “…!”

    Because he had read it in advance, he was able to twist his sword and distort the flow before the scabbard reached his neck. But the flow had already shifted. The Order’s swordsmanship creates flow. It drives the opponent through the connection of stances.

    Some say.

    The Order’s swordsmanship is like a great tree.

    Stances that start from a single trunk and branch out into hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands. It’s almost as if there’s a prepared response for every situation that could arise in sword combat. The Order of the Sword is a place that studies swords, and they’ve developed swordsmanship over hundreds of years.

    The way swords connect.

    How to respond when an opponent blocks your sword.

    Transitioning from defense to offense.

    Dealing with an opponent who dives in, and counterattacking.

    Even in a single situation, there are dozens of responses. From the perspective of the Star of Sword, who has memorized and mastered all these responses and tens of thousands of stances, sword combat is… merely a process of choosing the correct answer.

    ‘It’s like a wave.’

    Blocking the Star of Sword’s attacks, Najin felt as if he were standing in the middle of a vast ocean with waves crashing around him. Waves surge. It feels like he might sink into the sea at any moment, swept away by the massive flow.

    This is the swordsmanship of a Sword Master.

    This is the pinnacle of the Order.

    He had felt the flow created by his opponent during his duel with Volkman, but the Star of Sword’s technique was incomparable to Volkman’s. Charon was creating a flow that could never be resisted.

    ‘Even though I’m predicting the future…’

    He couldn’t resist the flow.

    Najin’s eyes were screaming. The future he foresaw was becoming not just blurry but as hazy as a mist. Najin was pushed back again and again.

    Yet even so, Najin engraved it in his mind.

    Charon’s sword. The pinnacle of swordsmanship he displayed. Even if he couldn’t imitate it yet, it was a teaching that would become his flesh and bones, a high-quality fertilizer.

    ‘I want it.’

    The sword the Star of Sword possessed.

    That understanding of the sword.

    That beautiful swordsmanship.

    ‘More, much more…’

    He wanted to see even more. But he couldn’t draw out the Star of Sword’s true technique on his own. So Najin chose. Rather than being pushed back like this, he would make a gamble. Najin widened his eyes.

    Blood vessels burst, tinting his vision red.

    But for a fleeting moment, Najin read Charon’s sword accurately. A future seen clearly. Najin witnessed the trajectory drawn by Charon’s scabbard, what master swordsmen call the “sword path.”

    Najin’s sword moved belatedly. But even so, it blocked Charon’s sword with surprising ease.

    Because he could see the trajectory. Because he knew where to block it. The moment Najin blocked the sword, Charon’s eyes widened. Najin, still with widened eyes, took a step toward Charon.

    Three steps forward.

    With his straining eyes, three was the limit, so he intended to land a hit within those three steps. While blocking Charon’s sword, Najin had witnessed and experienced the pinnacle. It was a valuable experience for anyone, not just Najin.

    After a sparring session ends, one sits cross-legged, reviews the session, and refines. One swings a sword alone facing a wall, refining one’s stance based on the review.

    That’s the process swordsmen who have had valuable experiences typically go through. It’s how they gain insights.

    But Najin didn’t need such cumbersome processes. Insights could come even during battle, and there was no need to postpone them.

    ‘So.’

    What came to mind were hundreds of images.

    The dozens, hundreds of images Charon had shown unfolded in Najin’s mind. Najin understood how Charon swung his sword, when he applied force, and when he relaxed.

    ‘Like this.’

    Because he understood.

    Swish!

    Najin imitated Charon’s sword in his own way. It’s insufficient to call it solely Najin’s sword. It’s still just imitation and can’t be called creation. But even so…

    The single strike Najin unleashed.

    Did not appear worthless in the eyes of the Star of Sword.

    At least, there was no way to block that strike while standing on the same level. That’s why Charon smiled. The Star of Sword acknowledged the value shown by the young man before him.

    Because he acknowledged it.

    He closed his eyes and opened them. When he opened them, what was reflected in those eyes was the near future. It’s the exclusive property of Sword Masters, a symbol of the superhumans who have transcended the category of humans.

    Future sight based on insight.

    The same thing Najin possessed. However, it was something Charon could only acquire after reaching the realm of Sword Master. He used it. As a kind of respect for the young man before him.

    Clash!

    The future Najin was looking at shattered. The future Najin foresaw and the present didn’t match. A phenomenon that occurs when future sight clashes with future sight. It’s a first for Najin too. Najin’s eyes widened.

    Grab.

    Charon reached out and grabbed the sword Najin had swung. Despite grabbing the sword energy with his bare hand, not even a small scratch appeared on Charon’s hand. Holding the sword, Charon lowered his scabbard. As if signaling the end of the sparring.

    “This is beyond belief.”

    Charon let out a hollow laugh.

    “A Sword Expert who can read the sword path. I declare, you’re the only one in the history of the Empire.”

    When he first grabbed the scabbard, he was uncertain, but by now, it was clear. The young man before him possessed future sight like that of superhumans.

    ‘What kind of insight is this?’

    Sword Masters who have crossed the barrier and transcended the limits of their own bodies to reach the realm of superhumans. Even such Sword Masters barely acquire future sight…

    Yet the young man before him already possesses it.

    If this young man continues to grow and reaches the realm of Sword Master… Charon couldn’t grasp how far those eyes would be able to see.

    “I acknowledge it.”

    He had to acknowledge it.

    The value the young man before him possessed. The fragment of possibility that might surpass him. Charon smiled and released Najin’s sword.

    Talent aside.

    The determination to boldly throw oneself for victory, and the dedication even in that short moment. Charon acknowledged the value of the strike created as a result.

    “The final strike you showed was excellent.”

    He had seen an excellent sword strike.

    So he should return the favor. Just showing would be helpful to that young man. After releasing Najin’s sword, Charon moved. He walked to where his sword was stuck in the ground before the sparring began.

    With the scabbard at his waist, Charon reached for the sword stuck in the ground. And the moment he drew the real sword.

    The air changed. The flow reversed. Despite the considerable distance between him and Charon, Najin felt as if a blade was pressed against his nape. Not just Najin. Even Middle Priest Volkman, who was watching the sparring from afar, felt the same sensation.

    Charon adjusted his grip on the sword. Rising above the sword was Charon’s sword energy. Charon looked at Najin while holding the sword.

    “Don’t move.”

    A single warning.

    Immediately after, Charon swung his sword.


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