[Hmmm......]

Toward the wrecked roof of the quarters. Yoo Cheongil’s eyes gleamed as he surveyed the situation.

It was truly a hair-trigger moment.

Bang Sungyeon was wrapping energy around his sword as if enraged.

His opponent gripped a great saber and wore a slightly flustered look.

[What on earth is he doing.]

Even as he watched, questions filled him.

What on earth is that supposed to be.

[So out of character.]

The brat who always weighed profit and hated to step forward—why was he wasting himself like that? Yoo Cheongil simply could not understand.

[Mn.]

Yoo Cheongil’s gaze dropped. To the child lying beneath the straw, life already gone.

No doubt that child was why Bang Sungyeon had come here.

It explained why he had kicked the carriage door and bolted without a word.

[......What is this?]

What was it. What reason did the brat have to act out of nowhere like that.

[I don’t recall him being full of chivalry.]

There were, from time to time, fellows like that.

No matter their own strength, if the weak were in danger they’d throw themselves in without heed for life or limb.

In any age, survive and you’re a hero; die and it’s a dog’s death—such men always existed.

[But I didn’t think he was one.]

At least, he had not thought it would be Bang Sungyeon.

The people he’d seen and Bang Sungyeon ran on different rails.

Put nicely, he was a fellow who hunted profit cleverly without taking a loss.

Put poorly, he was a fellow who thought only of himself.

Yoo Cheongil did not think poorly of that.

Men who show off without strength die early; men who live like that live long.

From his own standpoint, it profited him if Bang Sungyeon stayed alive.

He had been certain of it.

[This isn’t good.]

Had there been an unexpected side to him?

Yoo Cheongil’s brow knit.

He felt his prediction had missed. That he would rush in without regard like this—furious besides.

[Why?]

What had provoked Bang Sungyeon. He did not understand, but more than that Yoo Cheongil looked to something else first.

So then—

[Can he win?]

Could Bang Sungyeon defeat his opponent now.

He watched quietly.

[Mn.]

The bald one’s realm was, by rough measure, first-rate.

Bang Sungyeon by comparison was second-rate.

A difference in realm is absolute to a martial artist, but it did not mean there was no possibility at all.

Where someone like Bang Sungyeon had multiple tools, it could be different.

But could one say Bang Sungyeon knew that?

[Who knows.]

Yoo Cheongil did not feel much faith.

Under normal circumstances he might judge there was a chance......

[Not now.]

Yoo Cheongil denied it flatly.

If it were the Bang Sungyeon he knew, it might be possible.

If his emotional shifts were extremely slight, and his head turned quickly, perhaps.

But not now.

Bang Sungyeon was running hot, submerged in emotion.

No rational thought would be possible.

If it were possible, he would never have done this in the first place.

[Hmmm......]

All the more, Yoo Cheongil pondered.

[Should I enter.]

Should he enter Bang Sungyeon and settle it for him.

Or should he watch for the moment.

If he just watched, something big was going to happen......

Such worries flashed and flashed, but not long after Yoo Cheongil nodded.

[Let’s watch first.]

The pondering did not run long.

If he died like that it would be a pity, but—

[It’s only to that extent.]

He would not cling to it.

So Yoo Cheongil watched Bang Sungyeon with interest.

[Go on then, let’s see it.]

In this situation, what side of yourself will you show.

He had always been a brat who defied expectations, and so Yoo Cheongil naturally felt anticipation.

At that moment—

The fight began.

The one who moved first was Bang Sungyeon.

Ssshhk—!! He thrust his sword.

Bang Sungyeon’s sword drove at the man, but the man moved his body and slipped the strike.

A slight change crossed the face of the man who had evaded.

Seeing it, Yoo Cheongil let out a snort.

[You felt it.]

The opponent had some sense.

Cruder than expected.

Slower than expected.

That would be what the man felt, facing Bang Sungyeon’s sword.

As if to prove it, confusion mixed into his expression.

Seeing the Small Moon Unit’s embroidery yet facing a fellow like this would raise questions.

Ssshk—! Shhk-shhk—!

In response, Bang Sungyeon did not stop and kept stabbing his sword.

“......What are you.”

The man continued to evade and, bit by bit, vigor returned to his face.

Soon—

“You.”

Clamp—!

The man who grabbed the wrist that held Bang Sungyeon’s sword grinned savagely and said,

“Weak, huh......”

Crack—!

“Ghk!?”

The talking man lurched.

In the instant his wrist was seized and the man drew close, Bang Sungyeon flung dirt.

The man, struck square in the eyes, faltered.

[Huh.]

Watching it, Yoo Cheongil let out a breathless laugh.

[......When did this brat—?]

Suddenly there was dirt in Bang Sungyeon’s hand.

Even Yoo Cheongil had not noticed.

So when? He cast back and then—

[......Ha.]

As if grasping something, his eyes lit.

[So that was it.]

The moment he said it was dangerous and told him to duck.

As Bang Sungyeon ducked with the child in his arms, he had scooped dirt from the floor.

[Hahaha. Look at this brat.]

With the situation grasped, the vanished smile returned to Yoo Cheongil’s face.

At the same time he looked at Bang Sungyeon’s face.

It was calm.

Bang Sungyeon had wiped away the heated expression from just now and, as always, turned to a composed face.

[You mad brat.]

Seeing that, Yoo Cheongil should have gotten gooseflesh.

Even the anger from moments ago had been an act.

To pull the opponent’s eyes off his own dirt-filled hand.

And to make the opponent register that he was swallowed by emotion.

Bang Sungyeon had aimed for that and acted.

And that—

[You fooled even me.]

Fooled even Yoo Cheongil, who had been watching everything.

[Hahahahahahaha—!]

Unable to hold it in, Yoo Cheongil burst into roaring laughter.

[I underestimated you far too much.]

He acknowledged it.

He had underestimated Bang Sungyeon far too much.

He had long known the brat was broken somewhere.

He had not imagined he was this monstrous.

Not to this degree.

Yoo Cheongil’s eyes burned like they were firing as he fixed on Bang Sungyeon.

[Fine by me. So what now?]

If he had fooled both the enemy and Yoo Cheongil and made an opening, what would he do next.

That was what Yoo Cheongil wanted to see.

[The opening is brief. Boy.]

An opening made with dirt is far too brief. A first-rate will open his eyes at once; hesitate and Bang Sungyeon dies.

[Even so, can you do it?]

Bang Sungyeon had never killed a person.

That was what Yoo Cheongil knew.

In fact, Bang Sungyeon had said with his own mouth he had never killed anyone.

Could a fellow like that, within that opening, employ a killing stroke at his opponent—

Thock—!!

“Grrk!”

[Huh?]

Something drove into the man’s neck.

Bang Sungyeon’s sword.

Fwoosh—! Blood sprayed.

“Guh.......”

The man flailed in a panic, but Bang Sungyeon hooked the staggering man’s leg.

Thud—!! The heavy body toppled far too easily.

And into the fallen brute’s heart—

Sluuunk—!!

Bang Sungyeon drove in his sword.

“Guh... guh...... urk.”

With both his throat and his heart pierced, two vital points, not long after he collapsed the man’s body quivered.

And then the life in his eyes guttered out.

[Ha.]

Watching it, the corners of Yoo Cheongil’s mouth climbed.

He had already been smiling, but now it was to a frightening degree.

Looking at Bang Sungyeon, Yoo Cheongil felt certainty.

[You’re a fellow with an awful lot of secrets.]

Shraaak.

Bang Sungyeon drew his sword from the man’s heart, scattering blood.

“......”

Even then, Bang Sungyeon’s face was expressionless.

Eyes without the slightest tremor or guilt.

A gaze you could not believe belonged to someone who had just killed for the first time.

The flesh that had lost its spark and was cooling.

Blood streamed in rivulets from the wound at the neck.

“......”

At that, Bang Sungyeon approached the dead corpse.

[Hm?]

Yoo Cheongil tilted his head as he watched. Why go closer at all.

He watched, puzzled.

Bang Sungyeon set his hand on the dead man’s forehead, and—

“......Your...... child...... ah.......”

He whispered in a voice so small even Yoo Cheongil could not hear it.

At that moment—

—Screeeeee......!!

[......What?]

Something burst out of the man’s body.

Yoo Cheongil’s eyes went wide as lanterns at the sight.

The man came out of the man’s body.

[What is that.]

A semi-transparent state. That was just like—

[A ghost?]

It was the same form of ghost Yoo Cheongil usually saw.

Which meant—

[The brat...... dragged a ghost out?]

He had called a ghost from a dead body.

And even that was not all.

—Screeeeeeeee......!!!

“Shut up.”

—......!!!

At a single word from Bang Sungyeon, the bursting ghost’s mouth closed.

Clench—. Bang Sungyeon’s grip on the ghost trembled.

In response, the ghost screamed without sound.

Watching it, Bang Sungyeon said,

“I told you.”

Bang Sungyeon’s eyes as he spoke were—

“You won’t be able to die even after you’re dead.”

Cold enough to raise gooseflesh.

****

“Kh—!”

A man hurried his steps.

He clutched his shoulder as if his arm were injured, and the blood running down his fingertips told that his condition was not good.

Drip—! Drip—!

On top of that, rain had begun to fall.

A situation growing worse by the moment.

Even so, the man ran like mad.

“Damn it—!”

The curse ripped out on its own.

“Where the hell did freaks like that pop out from all of a sudden......!!”

It had clearly been an empty village, so the plan was to grab some information, wipe it, and run.

Things had snarled strangely.

‘Of all times, the combat squads are gone.’

The assault unit had already finished and withdrawn.

Only bottom-rung remnants remained.

And in that very situation......

‘The Small Moon Unit—!’

The monsters called the Blue Moon Sect’s elite.

Even their superiors had warned them to avoid entanglement if they ever met them.

And yet he, a bottom-runger, had run into them.

“Kh.......”

All the more, he had to get word out somehow.

‘I survived somehow.’

He had ditched his comrades and barely fled. As is, he would somehow make contact with the combat unit and report the situation.

‘Where. How do I.......’

Scanning his surroundings as best he could, the man suddenly spotted something.

A carriage.

“......That’s it!”

He stopped running and veered.

Heaven and earth’s gods had helped him; he could not think otherwise.

There were ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) horses, and by the look of it someone sat in the driver’s spot.

Seeing it, the man drew his sword.

He would threaten the driver and depart at once. Reach where he needed to go, then kill the driver and dispose of him.

To do that, he rushed the driver first—

“Hey—! If you don’t want to die, then right—”

He could not finish the words he’d started.

Thup.

Roll-roll-roll.

A head fell out of the air, and the running body staggered a few steps and dropped.

Blood flowed from the severed body.

The old man seated on the coachman’s bench did not shift his gaze no matter what sound rang.

Even with a man dying beheaded, he showed not a flicker of interest.

He only stared somewhere with a chill-settled gaze.

That somewhere was none other than the direction where Bang Sungyeon was.

“Curious.”

The one-armed old man spoke in a dry voice.

When he spoke, even the nearby horses could not loose a whinny.

“How did he know.”

How had he sensed a presence from that far.

Even he himself had felt only a trace of oddness—by what means had that young brat known.

Thinking on it, the old man pictured the face of a certain worthless fellow.

“So it means he isn’t a vain brat after all?”

As he spoke, the old man’s expression changed.

If need be, he had simply planned to kill him.

Apparently—

He would have to watch a while longer yet.