Afraid?

Pal Duyeok ground his teeth at the thought that had surfaced before he knew it.

Afraid. That he, at that brat still wet behind the ears, should feel fear.

It was absurd.

Sssrrrip.

Blood ran down along his body.

The wound was not all that deep, but the throbbing pain also grated.

Pal Duyeok ran his hand across his chest.

He wiped away the flowing blood and checked it.

‘...I was cut.’

When had he been cut? Pal Duyeok had not caught that moment.

When, how?

With a twisted face, Pal Duyeok looked at someone.

There stood a handsome youth holding a great saber and facing him.

Black hair with a faint brown cast, skin pale for a man, and a body not all that large.

The gentle eye corners and neat features said clearly that he was quite the pretty boy, but—

Unlike that mild appearance, the gaze now opened was far more intense than it belied.

At a glance the weapon was one of considerable weight.

Had he swung that without even realizing it himself?

And then—

‘...That brat.’

Had he always had that air?

Pal Duyeok swallowed at the reversal in Bang Sungyeon’s bearing.

Something had changed.

Nothing had changed, and yet something had changed.

Pal Duyeok’s instincts said so.

‘What is it?’

What had changed. He narrowed his eyes and watched, but nothing leapt out at once.

However—

“...Brat. Were you hiding your strength?”

What is seen is not all, so Pal Duyeok asked Bang Sungyeon.

Hearing that, Bang Sungyeon gave a slight laugh.

“For your look, you’re a sensitive one.”

“......”

Hearing that, Pal Duyeok knit his brow. It was an affirmation.

So he had been hiding his strength?

‘...How?’

He could not understand. Even now.

‘If he had been hiding his realm—’

Nothing at all had changed. The bastard was still lodged at first-rate.

That was plain as day to Pal Duyeok’s eyes, but—

To take that at face value—

‘I keep thinking of the path he’s shown so far.’

The images that brat had shown until just now.

He remembered that most of it in battle had been acting and feints.

Then—

‘Are those words and that attitude now an act.’

If it was an act—

‘Which side is...?’

Was it an act that he had been hiding his strength?

Or was he only pretending to have hidden his strength?

It was confusing. To believe any one thing firmly, the bastard’s state was delicate.

Then—

“You look full of idle thoughts.”

Bang Sungyeon swept up his hair as he spoke. His hand ran up his forehead, and the blood that had been running was wiped away with it.

“Well then, shall I give you more time to think?”

“...You little—”

Open mockery. At that, a cross sprang in Pal Duyeok’s brow.

“Puffed up because you kept one trick up your sleeve?”

Kkrrrk—!!

Pal Duyeok’s spear scraped the ground.

As the spear moved, a fierce momentum burst from its tip.

Fwoooom—!!

A rough pressure filled the surroundings, and Pal Duyeok’s killing will mixed into it.

“You lured me into carelessness and landed a single strike—fine. But even that failed, and for you there is no future.”

He mentioned the wound on his chest.

Whatever the bastard had hidden, nothing would change.

“I’ll pierce your neck and erase those others as well.”

He swelled his muscles and hauled up his power.

He gradually seeped energy into his massive frame.

“The show ends there. Go on, thrash to your heart’s—”

“Anyway.”

At that moment, Bang Sungyeon cut off Pal Duyeok’s words.

And his expression was plainly one of utter disgust.

“The weak are always the ones who talk. Does your strength not rise unless your mouth runs? If you’d swung your spear in the time you’ve been flapping it, you might have been Zenith Under the Heavens by now.”

“......”

“Tsks, just as expected—the half-baked are always like that. In the old days I’d have just had your tongue pulled. I suppose I’ve grown old; my temper’s worn down.”

At the words, given with a shake of the head, Pal Duyeok lost his words for an instant.

What nonsense was the brat yapping now?

It was ridiculous. Truly ridiculous, and yet—

‘...Why.’

Why was he just standing there and listening. The moment he realized that—

Shaaak—!!

Pal Duyeok tightened his grip on the spear.

He got a hold of himself.

‘To be toyed by such cheap antics.’

It was a paltry provocation.

A death throe taken at the edge of a cliff.

Whatever trick he had hidden, even that would be meaningless.

“You said a sword that cut the sky?”

That his sword had cut the sky.

So he should be grateful.

Those were the words a brat whose head still wasn’t even dry with blood had dared to throw at him.

Truly arrogant.

Because he’s been praised as the Sword Saint’s successor, is that why he’s strutting like that.

Or is that simply his nature.

Whatever it was—

‘He resembles his master a great deal.’

From him there came, strangely, the scent of Yoo Cheongil, that monster.

Especially the gaze.

Eyes in which no anxiety, no fear, was felt at all.

By figures alone he was certainly looking up at Pal Duyeok, but—

Strangely, there was a presence as if he were looking down on him.

Zenith Under the Heavens.

Greatest of ancient and modern.

The Central Plains’ supreme.

Pal Duyeok had brushed against him once.

He had not forgotten that instant to this day.

Could one even call that a human.

No.

That was not a human.

It was to the point it was only right to say a god had descended.

When they said he had died, Pal Duyeok could not bring himself to believe it for a time.

Such an existence, and yet—

‘From this brat—’

Why was that smell coming from this brat.

The scent of an absolute.

From one who had not even crossed into the twenties yet, a scent that ought never be felt.

And yet from him, such a scent was certainly coming.

Perhaps—

‘Is it that saber?’

A great saber rough and violent to a bizarre degree.

Looking now, he understood.

‘That is—’

It was the saber that monster had used. Had his disciple brat found it and taken it up?

Kkook—!

He put strength into the spear.

‘Kill him.’

He had to die here.

The brat was one who would surely poison the Palace Lord.

‘Even if I am punished by the Palace Lord for this.’

That one, at least, had to die here.

“Let’s see you try to show me.”

Grinding his lips, Pal Duyeok stepped forward.

At that moment—

THUD—!!!

Cracks ran through the ground as Pal Duyeok charged Bang Sungyeon.

His heavy body tore through the air and bored in.

Normally one might yield the first move, or say something of the sort, but—

Pal Duyeok did not.

A strangely rising sense of unease interfered.

So, to test him first, he thrust a blow. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Screee—!

CLANG—!

“...!?”

Suddenly the angle of his spearhead reversed.

What had been thrust straight slid like a flow and then stuck in the floor.

“Your strength is good.”

A voice reached him. By then Pal Duyeok’s lower body was already moving.

He used the spear as a lever and stole the rebound.

He wrapped inner energy around his toe tips and swept at Bang Sungyeon.

Fwoooo—!!!

There was only the sound of wind being cut.

In that spot, Bang Sungyeon was already gone.

Where had he gone? There was no need to search.

Vvvvvv—!

He already felt a heavy force to the side.

KRUNCH—! Wrenching out the embedded spear, he swung toward the force’s position.

But—

Fwoom—!!

Again, there was nothing.

‘So that’s it.’

Then how had he felt the force. The question was answered at once.

Something was bobbing in the air. A blue clump made of energy.

“You bastard...!”

Had he used a cheap trick to catch his eye?

If so—

‘Where is he?’

Where had the bastard gone.

Just as Pal Duyeok scowled and tried to turn his gaze—

Shwiiiiik—!!!

He heard a sound.

His body already moved.

KAAAANG—!!!

He blocked it with the spear. From the left, the bastard had swung his sword.

Energy burst like an explosion. His body shook and was shoved back.

‘What power...!’

Was this really the power of a first-rate martial artist? Pal Duyeok ground his teeth.

‘Did he approach with his presence hidden.’

He drew the eye with energy and came in with his presence killed.

Because of that, he did miss the sign, but—

‘Did he really do that in an instant?’

It was nothing if not tremendous control.

Energy spread like a heat haze.

Whirrr—!!

The spear spun swiftly. He infused energy into the force generated by acceleration.

Ocean-Dance Rotating Order.

Pal Duyeok’s secret art was about to unfurl like a calam—

KWA-GRRRRK—!!

—er, when Bang Sungyeon wedged his sword through the gap in the spear.

Thunk—!

Energy twisted and his motion wobbled.

Crack—!

He heard something collapse.

“Huh...?”

At the sight that followed, Pal Duyeok let out a breath.

His offensive collapsed.

He could not unfurl his art; the flow was severed; by the rebound his motion buckled.

And then—

Shwiiiiik—!!!

The blade came flying in.

“Kuh!”

Pal Duyeok forced strength into his body and executed a movement.

He put excessive force into his lower body to anchor his center, and swung the spear as-is.

Clang—!

It struck the sword and a harsh sound spread.

“Mm.”

Seeing that, Bang Sungyeon narrowed his eyes.

Right ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ after blocking the attack, Pal Duyeok set his footwork and widened the distance.

Bang Sungyeon did not chase.

He only—

“Tch.”

From farther off, tilted his head as if something displeased him.

“Ordinarily, I should have sliced off your arm just now, but this wretched body—cannot even manage that.”

“What...?”

What was he saying now? Pal Duyeok twisted his face.

Even so, Bang Sungyeon did not let his mouth rest.

“Boy. Did you see it? Using feints is fine, but when everything is false, meaning fades. The method isn’t wrong, but...”

What on earth was he saying?

“In everything there are openings. What you must see in battle is, in the end, the discovering of openings and the manner in which you discover—”

“What are you doing right now.”

“Ah.”

When Pal Duyeok flared and threw the words, only then did Bang Sungyeon widen his eyes.

“Oh, my apologies. There are a few things I need to teach.”

“...Who are you talking to.”

“There is. A brat who seems clever and yet is stupid.”

Tch tch tch.

The way he chuckled grated.

He was speaking, but it was certainly not to Pal Duyeok.

Then to whom on earth?

Or else—

“Are you trying to make sport of me?”

Was he trying to toy with him.

When he voiced that question—

“Mm?”

Bang Sungyeon spoke with a full-on puzzled face.

“Make sport? An amusing thing to say.”

“What about this is amusing.”

“No, what would change from bothering to do such a thing. In any case.”

Srrrng.

Bang Sungyeon flicked his blade tip.

“Whatever you do, you will not be able to reach me.”

“...!”

At Bang Sungyeon’s words, veins stood thick in Pal Duyeok’s brow.

“You little—”

At the same time, his lips raked up in a rictus.

And then—

KWAGAGAGAGAGA—!!!!

He detonated the energy of his whole body as if exploding it.

So fierce was it that the surroundings shook from the energy alone.

“Fine.”

KUGUGUGUGU—!!!

Gradually, Pal Duyeok’s spear was submerged under energy.

It even looked as if the very mass of the spear were swelling.

A great pillar.

Gripping it, Pal Duyeok moved.

Now it was enough.

Whatever that brat possessed.

Whatever tricks he had.

Now it did not matter.

‘Kill him.’

For Pal Duyeok, only that purpose remained.

He would not be satisfied unless he bored through that arrogant brat’s head.

Thinking so, he packed energy and killing will into the spear tip.

Then—

Kkgggrrk—!

The energy grew stronger and began to take shape.

Hardened qi.

It went beyond merely wrapping energy—took on a form.

It was the strengthening of energy that most martial artists dream of and set as their goal.

And it was the chief reason a first-rate martial artist could not defeat a peak expert.

‘Even if they say you beat the Little Azure Sword—’

At the end of the day, he’d still have been a snot-nosed brat who could not even truly use hardened qi.

If Little Azure Sword had known how to wield hardened qi properly, Pal Duyeok was certain Bang Sungyeon could never have won.

And that was because—

‘Hardened qi can be broken only by hardened qi.’

A martial artist who cannot wield hardened qi cannot defeat one who can.

Such was the current common sense of the Central Plains.

‘You die here.’

It was self-evident that a first-rate like Bang Sungyeon could not defeat Pal Duyeok.

Thinking of that, Pal Duyeok moved the spear that was suffused with hardened qi.

And then—

“Hmm.”

Seeing that, Bang Sungyeon’s eye tail curved.

Seeing that smile, Pal Duyeok’s eyes flared with wrath.

“You laugh? That won’t work anymore.”

His tricks to unsettle the mind were of a high level, but—

Having come this far, it was too late.

“Let’s see you block it.”

THUD—! Pal Duyeok smashed the ground and charged again.

It was speed on a different level from before.

By the time Pal Duyeok reached Bang Sungyeon’s front, the sound followed behind.

“Hup!”

Pal Duyeok thrust with all his might.

At this level it would not be pierced—it would be crushed.

The spearpoint shot for Bang Sungyeon’s head.

At that moment—

“Boy. Do not let go, not for an instant.”

Crack—!

With Bang Sungyeon’s words, something broke.

“Huh?”

Along with it, Pal Duyeok let out a vacant sound.

What was this?

‘Why—’

Why was his own spearhead flying before him?

‘This is...’

Had the spear been cut?

Pal Duyeok’s gaze dipped slightly down.

Yes.

The very tip of the spear had been cleanly severed.

The severed spearhead was flying through the air.

What was this.

‘...What is this...’

He could not make sense of it.

How could a spear wrapped in hardened qi be cut away.

In the instant his thoughts stalled on the question—

“From olden times, it was so.”

Vmmm—!

From somewhere—

“Common sense that’s shut itself in—how narrow and paltry it is. And you never notice it.”

Vvmmmm—!!

A vibration could be felt.

“A martial artist seeks higher places and carves out his own path. But—”

Pal Duyeok’s eyes moved again.

“If you’re swept in laughable common sense and cannot see what must be seen, how pitiful is that.”

The direction he looked was Bang Sungyeon’s sword.

‘That is...!’

Pal Duyeok’s eyes widened.

They had to. For upon Bang Sungyeon’s sword now—

‘Hardened qi...?’

Indeed, hardened qi was coiled.

How could a first-rate martial artist be sheathing hardened qi.

‘Don’t tell me he even hid his realm?’

Had he reached the peak? No. Even now, Bang Sungyeon’s realm was first-rate.

Then how was he using hardened qi?

Moreover—

‘What is that.’

It was not mere hardened qi.

Not simply energy wrapped about the blade.

‘It shines.’

The energy was emitting light.

So beautiful was that light—

For an instant, Pal Duyeok’s gaze was stolen.

Hence—

“The first was to call up the moon.”

Bang Sungyeon’s words—

“The second was to give night to the moon that had risen.”

His motions, which began to move, little by little—

“What would be the third.”

All of it he watched, and yet could not move.

“The moon, by its nature, must shine.”

The tip of Bang Sungyeon’s blade moved.

“This is the third I will show you.”

Blue Moon Sword Dance.

Third Form.

Radiant Moon Annihilation-Overturn.

PAAAAAAA—!!!!

A blue moon that rose from the sword—

Overturned the world.