Night unfolded.

A world scorched black.

As if night had really fallen, everything before Tang Cheonil’s eyes went dark.

An utter darkness where nothing could be seen rose up in front of him.

It was a mercilessly black world.

He had cut down with his sword, so how had it become night?

He could not understand.

Tang Cheonil stared stiffly into the night. It was so black and dark all around that he could see nothing at all.

Looking at that night, Tang Cheonil suddenly realized.

Ah.

This wasn’t purely night at all.

This was—

Is this... a revolving lantern?

What spread out before him was a revolving lantern of memories that only resembled night.

With a single strike from Bang Sungyeon’s sword, it had become night.

But that was just another name for a revolving lantern at death.

Am I dying?

To that punk who doesn’t know a damn thing, me?

In such a pathetic state?

It was a reality he could not believe.

Thinking that, Tang Cheonil let out a hollow laugh.

What rose up in his mind then—though some fundamental feeling that death was frightening certainly existed—

was, absurdly enough, the face of someone he knew.

The face of his older sister, whose features were gentle for someone of Tang blood.

Just when he was accepting the night that was slowly drawing in—

Sparkle.

Huh?

Something flickered in Tang Cheonil’s eyes.

In that night where nothing had been visible—

in the midst of it, something was slowly beginning to shine.

Split into several points and shining slowly, hanging in the night, it looked like stars.

Swelling bit by bit and holding a blue light, it looked like a moon.

It was an alien phenomenon.

Seeing that, Tang Cheonil thought:

Beautiful.

The light made him think that without his even realizing.

What is that? What on earth is shining like that?

As Tang Cheonil silently stared at the light—

“What the hell is this lunatic?”

A «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» voice reached him.

In that instant—

FWOoooOSH—!

The darkness covering Tang Cheonil cleared.

All the darkness vanished, and what remained before his eyes were the stars and moon that had been hanging there.

No.

At first he thought that’s what they were, but as his mind came back, he could grasp their true nature.

They weren’t stars and moon.

This was—

...Sword force...

It was Bang Sungyeon’s sword force blooming along the edge of his blade.

Its form was so dazzling that it had looked like stars and a moon.

The sword was in front of him.

Bang Sungyeon was holding his sword with the tip right in front of Tang Cheonil’s forehead.

There was only one thing that meant.

“You’re smiling? Your tastes are really fucked up, you know that?”

“......”

He had lost.

He—

one of the Seven Prodigies—

had lost to Bang Sungyeon.

Realizing that, Tang Cheonil unconsciously wiped the smile off his face.

*****

I won.

I won.

I won.

I beat one of those so-called Seven Prodigies in a duel.

And it wasn’t with help from Yoo Cheongil.

I did it with my own hands.

With my own hands, I took down Poison Dragon Tang Cheonil.

Just thinking about that sends heat rushing up my back.

That tingling sensation feels like it’s climbing up my spine and all the way to my head.

Ha.

I let out a laugh inside.

What am I supposed to even call this?

No matter that it wasn’t a proper, standard duel, and that while he didn’t know my moves, I did know his—

I still beat a member of the Seven Prodigies.

That doesn’t make the swelling elation go away.

The seven said to be the most outstanding among all younger elites in the entire Central Plains right now.

I just took down one of them.

Only a few months ago I was a third-rate nobody with nothing.

And now I’d gotten to the point where I could beat a member of the Seven Prodigies.

Even I thought it was surprising when I looked at it myself.

FWAAAK—!

I drew the sword back, spun it once, and flicked it through the air.

The massed sword force unraveled. Watching that, I checked my dantian.

...That was almost really bad.

My insides were hollowed out. Even though after taking the Great Rejuvenation Pill my internal qi had increased to a level incomparably higher than before—

between using it once while training and once just now in the duel, my internal qi had hit rock bottom.

If it had dragged on a little longer, I would’ve lost.

If the spar had gone on even a bit longer, my energy would have run dry and I would’ve ended up losing to Tang Cheonil.

This victory was really close to a miracle.

Right then—

[Keuk keuk keuk.]

Yoo Cheongil, who hadn’t said a word during the duel, started chuckling the instant it ended.

With his trademark rough laugh, he was looking at me.

[For a little show, that wasn’t bad. There are more than one or two things to be disappointed in, but at this level it was worth watching.]

For something I’d put my heart into, that evaluation sounded like total bullshit.

Even so, that word “not bad” buried in there stuck in my ears in a strange way.

All I’d ever heard from him until now was, “It wasn’t terrible.” This time, he’d said something different.

[Keuk keuk keuk— you’re looking pleased. So, how do you feel?]

“......”

How do I feel? Hell if I know.

“...Not bad.”

I exhaled the words together with my exhausted breath, and Yoo Cheongil laughed boisterously.

-HAHAHAHAHAHA.

God, he’s loud.

I winced and covered my ears.

“Young Master Bang—!”

“Hm?”

Someone was calling me and running over. Surprisingly, it was Tang Yeran.

“...What the?”

How long had she been here?

I’d been so focused on the situation I hadn’t noticed. Behind Tang Yeran, Murong Yeongsun was leaning against the wall, watching this way too.

...Her eyes are pissed.

Those especially unpleasant-looking eyes caught my gaze.

She always looked like she’d been born rude, but she looked even worse than usual today. Why is she staring at me like that?

Ah.

It didn’t take long before I realized why.

I said we’d talk, then never went.

After breakfast, I’d asked Tang Yeran for a favor and told Murong that I’d go talk to her later that day.

And then I never went to Murong Yeongsun that day.

I watched Tang Yeran repair the sword until night fell.

And once it was night, I went straight to sleep to deal with the spirit-dream.

As a result, I completely forgot my promise with Murong Yeongsun.

So that’s what those eyes are about.

That must be why she was looking at me with eyes that murderous.

Gulp.

I swallowed dryly. Should I just pretend to faint right here? I thought about it for a second, but I knew it’d be pointless. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

...There’s no way she’d fall for that.

There’s no way something like that would work on a woman that sharp-eyed. In that case, the only option left is—

Ignore her.

Just ignore it.

For now, ignoring it was the way to go.

“Young Master, are you all right...?”

“Ah, yes. I’m fine.”

Tang Yeran came over looking worried and asked after me.

But if she’s going to worry, shouldn’t she worry about Tang Cheonil instead of me?

He’s still her older brother, but Tang Yeran wasn’t sparing even a shred of attention for Tang Cheonil.

“Are you really all right...? Are you hurt anywhere—”

“No, nowhere. I’m fine.”

She felt like she was coming way too close, so I put a hand up to block her.

As soon as my hand stopped her, Tang Yeran’s eyes widened and she froze.

She must have realized herself that she’d gotten too close.

And then—

“...What do you think you’re doing?”

Only then did she finally turn her gaze from me toward Tang Cheonil.

But her eyes were very different now.

“Brother. Yesterday, and today too—just what kind of rudeness are you going to keep showing to our clan’s guest?”

Tang Yeran was looking straight at Tang Cheonil, force in her gaze.

That look felt sharp in its own way.

And on top of that—

“How long... just how long are you going to keep this up?”

Her voice, as she let the words out, was thick with frustration and sadness.

“I know it’s because of me. I know you’re taking out your anger because you don’t like me. But what did I do so wrong...? What is it you hate so much that you have to make me this pathetic?”

Her reddening eyes were a tangle of emotions.

Meeting Tang Yeran’s gaze, Tang Cheonil looked at her.

There was no strength in his drooping body.

“...That I don’t want to be a martial artist, and want to become a smith instead—that bothers you that much—”

“Still putting on airs beyond your station, handing out your ‘leniency’ like always, huh.”

Tang Cheonil cut off Tang Yeran’s words. Tang Yeran’s face twisted at that.

“What... did you say...?”

When Tang Yeran glared, Tang Cheonil staggered as he pushed himself to his feet.

“You asked if I don’t like it.”

Tang Cheonil glared at Tang Yeran.

“I don’t like it. Seeing you, Tang blood, trying to run away from our trade. I hate it so much I want to kill you.”

“That—! I...”

“And the fact that it’s because of me—it’s so disgusting it makes me want to puke.”

“...!”

Tang Yeran, about to protest, closed her mouth at Tang Cheonil’s words.

Her face said he’d hit the mark exactly.

Seeing that reaction, Tang Cheonil’s expression twisted.

“Was I... that laughable to you?”

“...Brother. That’s not...”

“You say I made you pathetic?”

He snorted.

Tang Cheonil laughed. It was a hollow laugh.

“Who did that? I made you pathetic? Or was it... you who made me...?”

“......”

Tang Yeran couldn’t answer. Watching her, Tang Cheonil moved.

TAP—!

He bumped his shoulder into hers as she stood frozen and walked past.

“You bitch.”

He muttered the insult like a whisper and walked straight out.

The way he staggered as he left made it look like he’d collapse any moment.

“......”

Watching that, I thought:

...That fucking bastard. He just walks off?

The duel was with me, but somehow I felt like I was the one being ignored.

*****

Once things calmed down a bit, we went back from the training ground to the room.

Throb.

Ugh.

I couldn’t help but grimace at the throbbing pain in my body.

My body hurt a lot. Was it the recoil from the duel?

I didn’t think I’d pushed my body that hard, though.

It hurt more than I’d expected.

I’d sparred with Cheon Eujin now and then too, but I’d never felt like this.

Was it because I’d used sword force, or—

Because I fought someone at a higher level than me.

I didn’t know exactly what level Tang Cheonil was at, but I knew he was stronger than I was.

This fight was just a victory by sheer luck.

Even so—

I still won.

The corners of my mouth kept wanting to creep up. I pressed them down with my hand.

I was still in a good mood over the fact that I’d beaten a member of the Seven Prodigies.

I was forcibly holding it back so it wouldn’t show on my face, but—

[...Tsk tsk tsk... pathetic brat...]

Yoo Cheongil had apparently already seen through it. He was looking at me like I was pitiful.

I tried my best to ignore that and focused even more on keeping my expression under control.

I had to, right now.

Because the person in front of me had an especially bad expression.

Since early morning, Tang Yeran had come to find me, and maybe because of what had just happened, her expression was really not good.

She looked like she was deep in thought, and her face was full of sorrow and hurt.

Should I ask what’s wrong? The thought crossed my mind, but I decided not to.

I figured if the other person wasn’t going to bring it up first, the polite thing was to ignore it.

Even aside from that—

I don’t really want to get tangled up in it.

Whatever her circumstances were, I didn’t think there was any need for me to get involved.

“Young Lady Tang. What is this?”

So I just turned my eyes somewhere else.

Pointing at the cloth-wrapped object on the table with my hand, I asked, and that seemed to snap Tang Yeran out of it.

“Ah...!”

She hurriedly started unwrapping the cloth.

“Oh?”

As the cloth fell away to reveal what was underneath, I let out a breath of admiration.

[...Huh.]

Yoo Cheongil was the same. He let out a low breath as he looked at the sword that had appeared.

A black blade.

Above the hilt and guard I’d brought, a new blade had been forged.

The moment I saw it, the hairs on my arms all stood on end.

I got chills. It was the kind of feeling you got just from looking at it.

“...It’s finished... I finished it, Young Master.”

Tang Yeran said, her face full of pride.

What she’d brought was the sword I’d entrusted to her.

[...Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.]

Heavenly Demon Divine Sword.

The Divine Sword the Heavenly Demon was said to have wielded in the past.

Living up to the name Divine Sword, it looked like it would cut you just from looking at the edge.

Did she do it right?

I didn’t know, so I couldn’t tell if it was well done or not.

Judging from Tang Yeran’s reaction, it seemed like it had gone well, but...

Since I wasn’t sure, I snuck a glance over at Yoo Cheongil.

The old man was nodding.

Guess she did well.

Yoo Cheongil was too busy staring at the Divine Sword in astonishment.

You could tell from those eyes. Tang Yeran had done it properly.

“...You’ve worked hard.”

“Do you... like it...?”

Tang Yeran asked in a worried voice. I nodded.

“Yes. I really do. I’m glad I entrusted it to you.”

“Ah—!”

As soon as I said yes, Tang Yeran let out the reaction she’d been holding back.

She laughed in relief, and that smile looked unusually bright.

“Thank goodness... thank goodness... I’m so glad...”

“Young Lady Tang...? Young Lady Tang!”

Mid-sentence, Tang Yeran suddenly collapsed in a heap.

Startled, I hurried over.

[Don’t worry. She just fell asleep from exhaustion.]

“......”

He was right. Tang Yeran was fast asleep, breathing softly.

[She must have been concentrating to an extreme degree. She didn’t even realize until she’d spent every last bit of her strength. She’s a remarkable child.]

I agreed. She really was remarkable.

That must be why she could put her soul into her forgework at this age.

After laying Tang Yeran down carefully—

I turned my eyes back to the sword.

A blade black as pitch. A hilt the color of ink.

The stark shape and the presence radiating from the sword made my body tense up.

[Go on and pick it up.]

I’d wanted to touch it anyway, and Yoo Cheongil spoke first.

I didn’t refuse.

Carefully, I wrapped my hand around the hilt.

And then—

ZZZZT—!!!

“...!!”

Goosebumps raced up my arm.

Like a current had run through me, every muscle in my body clenched tight.

“...What the...”

It stuck to my hand.

As if something had been smeared on the hilt, the way it fit into my grip was bizarre.

I stared at the sword, fascinated.

[Hahahahaha—!]

Suddenly, Yoo Cheongil burst out in loud laughter.

[...So it really is you, brat.]

“...What is?”

[That picky bastard chose you without a second’s hesitation. Even I didn’t expect it to accept you that fast, but that’s actually better. A hundred times better than if it hated you.]

“...Huh?”

[Handle it well. It’s a peerless sword. From now on, boy, it’ll be your beloved blade.]

“...?”

I could only stand there blankly at his words. A brief moment passed.

My sword?

Beloved blade...?

“Wait, what!?”

By the time I came to my senses and asked back, I couldn’t stop myself from shouting.