Artura lifted his gaze.
There was flame.
That flame, which had been quite far away, charged in the blink of an eye.
– KWAANG!
The massive shock that broke through his defense shook his body. Shaking off the impact, Artura moved his arms calmly.
From within the flames, hands and feet emerged. An attack was coming.
Fists hammered down, and elbows and shoulders joined in to ram him. The legs were restless. His limbs moved organically, launching a barrage of wild attacks.
Punches and kicks imbued with Gop-hwa. Each one carried immense force. Any average weapon would shatter and tear apart before such strength.
Artura boldly blocked and deflected the onslaught.
Flame-encased hands, swatted away.
A rising fist from beneath, blocked. KWAANG! The impact against his forearm lifted him off the ground. The attack was heavy. Artura frowned as he stretched out his arm.
KWAANG! Recklessly swinging his fist to deflect Artura’s attack, Hong Yeon-hwa lifted her knee. She thrust her palm out, blocking the knee strike.
KWANG! Furthermore, his body was lifted off the ground. In that instant, Hong Yeon-hwa pivoted. The flames spun like a windmill. A fist, emerging from the swirling flames, swung down like a club.
– KWANG!
Being hit while airborne sent him flying backward. The ends of his hair, damaged, flapped wildly, while Artura, landing firmly on the ground, stared straight ahead.
– HOOOSH!
Hong Yeon-hwa, wrapped in clinging flames, charged forward. The Gop-hwa, which could feel calm despite its rough appearance. Hong Yeon-hwa’s expression was also composed.
Yet, the momentum was deadly.
Beneath that calm facade, intense emotions seeped through. That fueled Gop-hwa even more.
‘The ability to expand Gop-hwa, Evolution.’
He had experienced it in the past, when Gop-hwa’s current head, Hong Jin-sun, was in full swing.
He had seen the flames wielded by that man on the battlefield. They were undeniably fearsome enough to make one think of Gop-hwa. High-ranking monsters, the moment they were engulfed in Gop-hwa, would let out a deafening roar as the ground quaked beneath them.
Even a third-tier monster charging into the fray deemed that Gop-hwa a formidable danger.
He had encountered it even outside the battlefield.
He couldn’t remember the name. Someone who was expelled from the Gop-hwa clan as shameful and executed on the spot. The Gop-hwa they wielded was particularly threatening enough that, even without a name, it left a lasting imprint.
A regrettable memory. He could have captured and killed it, but interruptions prevented that. The one with blades sprouting from its entire body—a rather comical sight, yet skillful enough to slip away.
A famed Gop-hwa—it overlapped significantly with Hong Yeon-hwa standing before him.
Tap! Hong Yeon-hwa planted her feet firmly in the ground, twisting her body. She bent her waist and pulled one leg back. The Gop-hwa surged within her.
The evolution ability to expand.
Her physical prowess was elevated stronger than ever. She gathered all of Gop-hwa’s flames into her elongated arm and drew strength.
Swinging her drawn-back leg with force by reversing her twisted body.
KRUUUMB! Her kick, slicing through the air with a special aura. A blatant display of individuality on this world. The technique-based expansion ability seemed to be awakening gradually.
But the movement was large.
If it lands, it would be a powerful attack, but there were many escape routes. There were also many opportunities for countering. Artura had the chance to exploit the opening and launch a powerful counter right now.
Hong Yeon-hwa knew that weakness full well. In a real fight, big attacks like this were something she would avoid. Yet, she still proceeded—
“Hmph…!”
This attack was predicated on landing a hit.
Just as predicted, Artura neither countered nor dodged. He merely stood firm in place, strengthening his defense.
In a normal spar, he would have retaliated and knocked her down, but that wasn’t his objective now. While ensuring she could vent her frustrations, he couldn’t just lash out.
“BAAAAACK!”
As she unleashed a cry, echoing like something bursting free, the projectile path of the attack overlapped atop his steadfast defense.
– KWAANG!
It felt like a meteor wrapped in flames was crashing down, creating a massive rumble. A chilling sensation spread through his outstretched arms, forcing them back.
Pfft! The attack, pushing through his defense, struck his face. Artura’s head snapped to the side.
RUMBLE! With two of them at the center, the ground split like a spiderweb, suddenly sinking down.
A sparring arena built solidly with the anticipation of superhuman battles collapsed like a sandcastle.
Both combatants were buried in a cloud of dust.
“Phew…”
After a moment, Artura sprang upright from the cloud of dust.
Rubbing his creaking neck, he sighed heavily.
Dust piled heavily on him, and an uncomfortable sensation nagged at his throat.
Artura furrowed his brow, not due to dust, but another reason.
His neck was sore. Wiping his mouth discreetly revealed a smear of red blood.
And when he examined the arm that had blocked the attack, as expected, it showed considerable swelling.
Though he hadn’t donned any armor, it was an incredibly powerful attack. Even an average monster wouldn’t leave an impact as severe as this.
“So, feeling a bit of relief now?”
As Artura wiped the blood from his mouth, he turned his gaze ahead.
Hong Yeon-hwa, having unleashed the Gop-hwa she had bottled up, glared at him with irritation.
“Is that enough, you jerk?”
“I figured as much.”
The harsh curse struck Artura like a slap, but he shrugged the shoulder and didn’t care much.
Her reaction was unexpectedly calm, causing Hong Yeon-hwa to scowl deeply.
A free-for-all spar… no, a release of anger.
– The disciple’s tale seems to be a curse indeed. Moreover, as expected, the condition for release is a kiss.
A sudden and unsettling encounter. The location: a sparsely populated sparring arena.
And the words that were thrown out as if no preamble was needed were ones Hong Yeon-hwa had anticipated herself.
Lee Ha-yul, by nature, is quite cautious.
His mental barriers are high and solid, showing resistance to those who cannot breach them.
Maybe due to his innate kindness, he treats those outside his barriers with politeness and kindness, but if treated rudely, he’ll cut off all interest and simply ignore them.
However, once someone gets past that barrier, he cannot simply discard them again. No matter the means, once they cross that threshold, they can’t be sent back.
Being superhumans, they are both unique and eccentric in their worldview and nature. The strong uniqueness of that worldview stands out more vividly in this world.
Such barriers are also Lee Ha-yul’s unique worldview. This type of worldview is difficult to alter.
Hong Yeon-hwa realized that far too late. By the time she awakened to it, some people had already settled inside those barriers.
Additionally, once she confirmed the mysterious something connected to Lee Ha-yul, she could no longer push it away.
– Is that so? Then just vanish quietly.
She anticipated the issue.
So she threw punches without hesitation. Artura accepted the punches without a second reaction.
Thus began a storm of pent-up frustration.
“Damn it, that’s hard as hell. Like hitting a steel block.”
Her crumpled expression didn’t ease up. She was the one doing the hitting, yet it felt more like she was the one receiving the damage.
Of course, the sight of blood flowing from the lip she particularly targeted provided some tiny relief, but mostly, it wasn’t satisfied.
“No matter how much I punch that girl, it doesn’t loosen my frustration at all.”
“The body of a martial artist is inherently tough. Especially a superhuman’s body used to close combat shouldn’t be soft.”
“Damn girl.”
Hong Yeon-hwa shook her aching wrist as she complained, while Artura just shrugged again.
Her cheeky retort fanned the flames of her anger again.
Narrowing her eyes, Hong Yeon-hwa thought for a moment.
After a brief pause, a sly grin crept across her lips.
“Your body must be that hard, huh? So your breasts are as tough as steel plates, too?”
With the vulgar sexual harassment following the cursing, Artura narrowed his eyes.
“… The heir of Gop-hwa truly has a vulgar tongue. Haven’t you been burned for your speech before?”
“I’m just speaking the truth. I’m not that hard. That’s why Ha-yul likes me so much. Oh, did you say that steel-like body is something he hates?”
“……”
Artura’s expression crumpled violently. After a moment of twitching his lips, he eventually turned his head sharply away, avoiding her gaze.
Finally, that was the response she wanted. Hong Yeon-hwa couldn’t help but chuckle faintly, feeling somewhat relieved.
SDVIMVFoanVzY1YwSVhjamMzUkt1WHI2UUFyOVpudXd1UCtIRU1uTU1JaW4wMDBIdVFQcXA3UWVaZUpva242eA
– DING DING!
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, an alarm sound rang by Hong Yeon-hwa’s ear. A familiar sound. The alarm set on her smartwatch.
The source of the sound came from the ruins piled nearby. Knowing it would lead to destruction, they’d left it in disarray during their brawl, and it seemed to have crumbled alongside the ground.
Clearing away the rubble, she quickly found her smartwatch after the alarming sound echoed again. Shaking off the dirt, she strapped it back onto her wrist and a hologram projected ahead.
With a plain face, Hong Yeon-hwa began reading the hologram.
…
“THIS…”
– CRUNCH!
Her once impassive face twisted. A dreadful cracking noise emitted from her tightly clenched fist.
“THIS…!
Her body trembled violently. The Gop-hwa she had hastily gathered began to bubble within her.
“HOW DARE THIS LITTLE… AAAAAAAAH!!!”
“WHAT…?”
KRUUUMB! The Gop-hwa exploded forth.
A shocked Artura blocked the Gop-hwa.
*
A courtroom is originally a cold and solemn space.
It is a place to judge whether a wrongdoer has sinned and, if so, enact the severity of the punishment.
The sinner wishes for their wrongs to remain hidden, while the victim desires the sinner’s faults to be fully exposed—a place brimming with these aspirations.
How could such a place be filled with warmth and cheer?
I had been to a court before.
Like a moth drawn to flame, I crashed my car, and ever since the incident that led to my limbs being rendered incapacitated, I had to attend court related to it.
The court I entered, wheeling in my chair past people darting in with cameras like wolves, had that very atmosphere.
Though I spoke few words, the lawyers and prosecutors took care of things well, but the distinct somber atmosphere still lingers in my memory.
An atmosphere thickly laden with negative emotions:
[Anxiety]
[Tension]
[Fear]
[Terror]
[Discontent]
Right now, I’m feeling that same sensation again.
My right arm’s injury had been treated well.
An injury that split my arm in two. Though I was dazed trying to cope, Bai Kar-in’s actions came swiftly.
She perfectly aligned the cut edges and froze them with coldness. After that, she inserted healing energy into the secured wound and began recovery…
I was taken aback by her swift and accurate actions, only to be chastised by Bai Kar-in for simply being awed…
Regardless, I soon received a diagnosis and healing from the stationed healer, and my arm was wrapped snugly with high-grade bandages.
Fortunately, the cut was clean, and thanks to Bai Kar-in’s emergency measures, nothing alarming occurred.
But the events didn’t end there.
Like a criminal being transported, I was dragged back to the dormitory, soon surrounded by those who rushed in upon hearing the news.
In the living room of my dormitory… this was the courtroom and selection stand.
And seated in the center, I knelt, a sinner, while the numerous pairs of gazes fixed on me were the judges…
Hong Yeon-hwa, Bai Kar-in, Elia, Seo-yul, my master, Professor Liana… when did they all gather?
“Why doesn’t Ha-yul take care of his body? Huh?”
At that moment, Hong Yeon-hwa, who had been observing me quietly, took the lead in speaking.
I subtly lifted my gaze.
But as I met the piercing glare of Hong Yeon-hwa, as if asking where I was proudly lifting my head, I shrank back with a squeak.
“I, I… treated it c-carefully─”
“Carefully, huh? Is that how you almost lost your arm? Are you a robot? Can you just detach and reattach your arms?”
“Uh, no…”
“What? So you didn’t treat it carefully? Are you saying you were just being reckless with your own body?”
“I’m sorry…”
I instinctively hunched my shoulders under their scornful gazes.
A furious-looking Hong Yeon-hwa and my master glared at me, while Bai Kar-in and Professor Liana sighed in disbelief.
Elia, with tear stains around her eyes, and Seo-yul, still sniffling…
‘Ugh…’
The piercing gazes and emotions were too sharp.
Especially Seo-yul’s expression made my heart ache intensely. How could the protector have caused the child to shed tears?
Right now, this situation was far more painful than Aeorus’ claws or the poison of the two-headed dragon…
sigh
As I was scrutinized by Hong Yeon-hwa, she suddenly let out a deep sigh and crouched beside me.
When I slowly lifted my head to meet her gaze, Hong Yeon-hwa spoke.
“Should I try cutting off my arm as an experiment too? Then maybe Ha-yul would understand how I feel?”
“NO, DON’T─!”
– KAWOOOM!
With her following words, my mind went blank.
Putting myself in her shoes—I staggered at the thought. Just imagining it made my head spin.
My arm could be sliced, torn, or ripped apart as much as possible. I don’t mind my pain.
But no one else should ever endure that.
After that, my memory became vague.
“I’m sorry…”
I just cried and clung to Hong Yeon-hwa, pouring out tears uncontrollably…
*
[Player Calibration System: Measurement]
…
▶ Title
‘Little One’
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