episode_0002

Kim Cheolsu had one childhood friend.

From the first meeting, they had an unusually strong connection.

They shared a commonality of losing family to monsters.

The sole counterpart capable of healing each other’s wounds.

As time passed, they were always together.

There was never any doubt about that fact.

She felt the same way.

Though unspoken, they could sense each other’s thoughts.

For Cheolsu, she was his salvation.

When he awakened and entered the academy,

Cheolsu vowed to protect her at all costs.

Having experienced the loss of a loved one,

he did not want to go through it again.

It must have been like that—

“Oh, you’re quite good-looking, aren’t you?”

It was a kind of tragedy.

Or should it be called a natural disaster?

Yeonghee was undeniably beautiful.

Not just because she was a childhood friend.

In an academy where talented individuals from all over the country gathered,

she possessed remarkable beauty.

She received confessions twice a month.

Of course, she rejected all of them outright.

There was no jealousy, rather a sense of pride.

Their relationship was built on trust.

Seeing that fool in a school uniform with a shy face made him inexplicably proud.

“Are you trying to be my older brother or something?”

Yeonghee always teased him like that.

But such feelings were inevitable.

Did he ever imagine becoming a target of trash due to her beauty?

They met at the beginning of the semester.

“Please don’t do this. I have someone I like.”

“Are you sure? You might regret it.”

“I won’t.”

“We’ll see about that.”

He knew he was the infamous successor of ‘Heukcheon,’ but honestly, he didn’t care.

After all, he was just a student at the academy.

At most, he would attract some delinquents who would come threatening.

In fact, he had dealt with a similar situation before.

And he was confident enough to handle the delinquents.

For a while, nothing happened.

Then one day,

the orphanage director said,

“I was worried about the decrease in support lately, but suddenly a company offered to sponsor us. It seems suspicious.”

Looking back, that was the beginning.

Support from other organizations stopped abruptly,

and that company began to take over.

It might seem good at first glance,

but the reality was different.

That company held the reins of the orphanage.

Even the orphanage director was taken away on corruption charges.

All the connections they had disappeared.

Everything was cut off in an instant.

It wasn’t hard to figure out that the name of the company was ‘Heukcheon.’

They didn’t say anything, but they realized.

This was Kim Yujin’s pressure.

His actions didn’t stop there.

Subtle bullying started at school.

They didn’t openly attack him,

but if he intervened, gatherings awkwardly disbanded,

and when he spoke, he was blatantly ignored.

Friends who claimed to be close until yesterday, calling him Korea’s top prodigy.

In an instant, their attitudes changed.

Cheolsu even felt betrayed by their behavior.

But he also thought it was inevitable.

What would happen if they got involved with Kim Yujin?

They were experiencing it in real-time.

As they slowly converged psychologically,

Kim Yujin approached Yeonghee.

Being a responsible person by nature,

she probably blamed herself for the current situation.

Yeonghee tried hard to persuade Kim Yujin.

And he cunningly used that to his advantage.

He wanted to make Yeonghee his own.

“It can’t be like this. Even if everything is taken away, Yeonghee cannot be taken.”

In the end, Cheolsu decided to subdue him through force.

The sword, his greatest strength and unique weapon.

No matter what, they were both heroes.

Especially in the Black Heaven where Kim Yujin belonged, power equated to justice in this world.

Even the most despicable individuals would be honest before power.

If he lost, he wouldn’t be able to talk back openly.

“I don’t want to resort to violence to solve things, but…”

He couldn’t bear to see Yeonghee sad any longer.

“Today, I will break you with my strength and ensure you can’t approach Yeonghee anymore.”

Determined, Cheolsu challenged Kim Yujin to a duel.

Kim Yujin moved without a word.

From that step, his confidence and arrogance were revealed.

Cheolsu struggled not to falter.

“I’ve never lost to someone of my age. You won’t be any different.”

Watching Kim Yujin’s back, Cheolsu thought he wouldn’t lose to someone who was just after fun with Yeonghee.

****

“Huh, you’re too kind, aren’t you!”

Cheolsu turned out to be a better guy than expected.

“I didn’t expect you to even prepare the equipment(?) for our play.”

Of course, the equipment was a bit unusual.

I was thinking of soccer or basketball, not throwing wooden swords.

“But I guess this is normal in this world.”

When you think about it, it’s a fantasy world where monsters rule.

Even if playing with weapons seems odd, it’s not surprising.

Why did they ride horses made of bamboo during the Silla Dynasty?

Once you become close like that, you call each other “blood brothers.”

Perhaps a similar tradition has been carried on.

“Blood brothers, close friends, insiders… Ugh…!”

Just the sound of those cool words makes the frontal lobe tremble.

Yujin stood facing Cheolsu on the field.

Suddenly feeling gazes, he turned his head.

Students on their way to school were stopping and looking in their direction.

Even students in classrooms were staring.

Gazes could be felt from windows here and there.

“Well, this is awkward.”

Thinking about it, exercising during school hours is quite noticeable.

Unless you’re an insider like Cheolsu.

It’s too burdensome for me.

Could we at least move to the gymnasium?

“Do we have to fight right here?”

“What nonsense. Surely you don’t mind.”

No, it’s fine. I really enjoy playing sports with friends.

At least I’d prefer to do it where there’s less attention.

I might look ridiculous compared to you, who are skilled.

For a nerd like me, making a mistake once could turn into a lifelong trauma.

“Don’t regret it now. You were the one who started first.”

Wait, was it actually Kim Yujin who proposed first back then?

In that case, why bother leaving now.

I looked at the wooden sword in my hand.

“Oh, I’ve never used a sword before. I’m a total loser who has never even fought.”

Yujin was naturally gentle and innocent from birth.

He had never been in a common fight.

To the extent that when he was in elementary school, kids called him ‘so pure that he might end up killing someone out of stupidity.’

“…Come to think of it, that wasn’t a nice thing to say at all?!”

Still, I was somewhat happy when I was young.

There were a few kids I could call friends.

How did I grow up unable to say even these kinds of things?

Thinking about it made me a little sad.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and pick up the sword!”

But I was glad to become Kim Yujin.

Isn’t it fortunate to have someone who calls you to play as soon as they arrive?

Let’s sweat together, play, and have lunch afterward.

I wish we could go home together too.

As Cheolsu watched him quietly, he suddenly furrowed his brow.

“What are you doing now? Do you think you can stay like that?”

He checked his posture nervously.

It seemed like something was bothering him, but this was the best he could do.

He had only briefly learned swordsmanship during middle school kendo class.

Gripping the sword tightly with both hands, pointing the space between his thumb and index finger upwards.

……Is this right, perhaps?

In contrast, Cheolsu holds the sword in one hand.

The other hand is placed on his forehead in a peculiar posture.

It seems like that might be the official stance of this sport.

I thought about trying to mimic it after seeing it, but I stopped.

It’s no use for a beginner to clumsily imitate a master.

Let’s focus on what we can do even if it’s just a little.

“I’m fine with this stance.”

“With that stance, you’ll be too slow to dodge properly.”

“Well, isn’t it okay?”

“This kid…”

Even if I move quickly, there’s no fancy swordsmanship to try.

At most, it’s just blocking, hitting, and stabbing like kids.

Cheolsu still seems displeased about something.

He maintains a serious expression.

However, he soon seemed to resign to something and shook his head from side to side.

“…Fine. Just don’t say I lost because I let my guard down.”

Letting my guard down? What nonsense.

I can’t even take my eyes off in case I make a mistake.

But is this how it should start?

Should I ask about the rules since I don’t know them?

But would that seem odd?

Did I even have the courage to ask in the first place?

While I was worrying, Cheolsu explained the rules himself.

“The match ends when one side admits defeat or when one cannot continue the fight. Okay?”

I silently nodded my head.

He must have thought I forgot the rules from being hospitalized, so he deliberately told me.

He’s truly a good guy.

“…Hah. Let’s see how long that leisure lasts.”

No, I mean there’s no leisure at all.

Just from the gaze of those kids, I’m on edge to the point of death.

Anyway, it seems like we’re getting started for real now.

Cheolsu didn’t rush towards me immediately.

He began to slowly circle around me.

It was like he was conducting a reconnaissance before the fight.

Watching that for a moment,

I subtly moved in the same direction as Cheolsu.

“Oh! Indeed!”

Even though it may seem like this, I have my own sense of intuition.

Following the actions of your opponent is half the battle.

“This guy is really…”

Cheolsu’s eyebrows twitched as he watched me.

Then, he suddenly kicked off and rushed towards me.

And he drew his sword in a diagonal line.

Although it was clearly a fast movement, it didn’t feel oddly quick.

“Should I just swing back the same way?”

Honestly, I had a petty thought of just taking a hit and falling.

But no matter what, that wouldn’t be proper etiquette.

“After all, my skills will be obvious to those who fight monsters…”

With the sword held in both hands, I raised it to head height.

I swung my arms down.

The trajectory of the wooden sword drew a sharp straight line.

It connects with Cheolsu’s swinging wooden sword.

With a dull sound, the wooden swords collided.

And then they… broke…?

-Crack!

“Aaargh!”

Cheolsu, struck by the wooden sword, flew several meters.

“Huh?”

Dropping the sword, Cheolsu fell to the ground clutching his arm.

I alternated my gaze between my wooden sword, Cheolsu’s broken wooden sword, and Cheolsu with a broken arm, chuckling.

【Ruthless and bold assault!】

【’Infamy’ has increased.】

【You gain bonus stats.】

…..Ah, screwed up.