The man, at first glance, seemed ordinary.
Ah, let me correct that.
He had a beautiful appearance that was far from ordinary.
It was as if a renowned sculptor had carved him himself.
His atmosphere was so cold that if he stood still, it could easily be mistaken for a statue by others.
So, in a way, he was ordinary.
While his looks could make anyone, regardless of gender, admire him, there was nothing to feel from his expressionless face.
Only a quiet calmness was felt, suggesting there was the warmth that anyone would typically have.
In other words, his sense of presence was somewhat faint.
Had his last name not been Lionel, no one would think anything of him.
However…
*Swish.*
The moment he drew his sword.
He was no longer an absent presence, nor was he calm.
It was chilling.
The air around him suddenly stiffened as a sharp and eerie aura resembling a blizzard enveloped the surroundings.
He merely picked up a sword, and he was already a completely different human from a moment ago.
Not just a change, but a transformation so stark it hardly seemed to be an exaggeration.
Roen Dmitri de Lionel.
He was unlike anyone Lee Han had faced before.
And everyone could feel it; standing before him, Lee Han thought,
‘This guy has no intention of hiding the fact that he’s a Regressor.’
A snort of disbelief escaped him.
Was it not too obvious?
*Swish.*
Unlike the opponents who used peculiar military weapons, Roen wielded a simple straight sword.
An utterly unremarkable blade.
It seemed to be made of high-purity steel, but it was nothing more than an ordinary iron sword.
Yet when Roen held that iron sword, it felt like it transformed into a legendary sword.
What Lee Han had emphasized about momentum was now infused within that mundane sword.
An unusual energy.
What was the word used to describe such momentum again…?
‘Ghoul?’
Did it seem like a ghoul was rising?
It might not be the appropriate term, but it appeared so to those watching.
This wasn’t a mere presence; it was a terrifying energy that could only come from a seasoned warrior who had rolled around in battle for at least a decade, not something exuded by a twenty-year-old rookie.
Thus, he was not someone to be judged by appearances.
You could easily call him a completed swordsman.
Perhaps inexperienced warriors would mistake him for a genius and see him as extraordinary.
But someone with a developed sense like Lee Han, or a soldier seasoned in battle, would instantly recognize.
That he wasn’t a genius, but merely a swordsman perfected after long years of training.
…A particularly strong killing intent.
*Hoo, hoo!*
Yet Lee Han lightly swung his wooden sword.
As the unusual energy tried to engulf him, it was a reflexive action to swing, and with every sweep, the sound of the wind slicing through the air was anything but ordinary, growing faster with each swing.
At one point, the wooden sword became so fast it was nearly invisible!
*Whoosh—!*
“—Alright, let’s begin.”
“…”
“Step in.”
“…If I go in now, I feel like I’ll get cut.”
“Stop whining.”
Before the opponent’s energy could even pour out, it was already torn apart.
Roen and the other cadets witnessed it.
The mark that Lee Han’s wooden sword left on the ground.
They swallowed dryly while looking at the earth that seemed scratched by the wind pressure of the wooden sword, even though it hadn’t even touched!
Only then did they realize once more.
That person was strong.
And this fact,
“I’m going.”
Made Roen smile.
Unquestionably splendid,
A mad laughter.
* * *
The first to move was Roen.
*Whoosh—!*
The black sword aimed directly at his eyes, lunging in without a moment’s hesitation, a thrust filled with peril.
However, Lee Han reacted.
“Are you trying to make me blind?”
“Wasn’t it no threat?”
*Clang!*
Without even blinking, he effortlessly dodged while striking down with his wooden sword.
Roen tried to quickly block it, but he couldn’t completely dissipate the shock.
Perhaps that’s why his arm felt numb, and he took a step back as he asked.
“…You’ve directed your flow inward, not outward.”
“This is a technique I’ve been practicing lately. Think it’s useful?”
“It’s incredibly threatening.”
“Although it’s still lacking for real combat, it’s suitable for dealing with rookies.”
“That’s a relief; at least you’re not a rookie.”
It was a blow enhanced by Lee Han’s advanced techniques, yet it had no effect on Roen.
Using a sudden reinforcement of his internal flow, he easily neutralized the force that Lee Han had infiltrated.
However.
“Your strength is truly impressive.”
“That’s my strong suit.”
The overwhelming might could not be shattered easily.
*Boom!*
As Lee Han seized the moment when his opponent’s body stiffened, the ground caved in beneath his powerful step.
Each vigorous stride delivered immense pressure.
*Whoom!*
Lee Han’s wooden sword struck precisely against Roen’s blade. Roen aimed to deflect the wooden sword while also slicing at Lee Han…!
*Clang…!*
“……”
The wooden sword did not get cut.
No, rather, the wooden sword displayed a strength comparable to that of an iron blade, withstanding Roen’s sharp strike.
Roen was left perplexed and swung his sword once more.
With a swift *swish*, he delivered three slashes in an instant, but once again.
*Clang clang!*
Blocked again.
In a rather anticlimactic fashion.
And instead, Roen felt pain in his palm.
What is this?
‘It feels like striking a rock.’
It was akin to slicing at stone.
No, it genuinely felt like striking stone.
What kind of harmony is this, he wondered.
Seeing the bewildered cadet, Lee Han took it upon himself, as a sort of instructor, to explain.
“I don’t know much about tactical techniques. No one’s around to teach me, and it seems that people are stingy with their knowledge because of the vision aspect. But I do understand how the ‘strength’ within my body operates.”
“…What?”
“Strength isn’t merely the ability to lift heavy weights. It’s a cumulative term for bones, tendons, and muscles. The technique to appropriately utilize that strength is what I call ‘Gyeong’ (勁). It means ‘the art of strengthening.’”
“…….”
“Another name I’ve given it is ‘Geungang’ (金剛). It’s a way to transmit the strength in my body not just through my flesh but also to tools. And if that’s possible…”
*Boom!*
“Then something like this can happen.”
Again clashing against Roen’s blade, the wooden sword endured without breaking, as if it were a formidable iron club, knocking Roen back.
Had Roen not lessened the impact, he would have been sent sprawling uselessly.
However, instead of his body momentarily floating in mid-air, he was astonished by the technique Lee Han demonstrated.
An instinctive and sensory display of ‘his own tactical art’ without any systematic learning at all.
“…I’ve never thought I was lacking intelligence, but everything you showcase feels completely beyond my understanding.”
“Heh heh, it’s because I lack the ability to explain. Most of what I learned was not through theory but through practice and instinct.”
“……People usually call that genius.”
“That’s a nice compliment.”
Yet Lee Han denied that statement.
Such things belong more to the realm of imagination.
The endless information he read in his past life granted him creativity, and all he did was realize that creativity into reality.
Still.
*That sounds nice to hear.*
* * *
The cadets watched Lee Han and Roen’s duel with bated breath.
Thirty exchanges had occurred so far.
Neither sword had ever laid a touch on the other, repeatedly clashing and clashing.
A swordsman’s bout with no concession whatsoever.
Some watching were filled with jealousy and envy.
Jealous that someone of their same age could be so strong.
Also, they felt the bitterness of facing such unreasonable talent.
However, some of them remarked.
“The instructor’s wooden sword is nearing its limit.”
“Roen is the same.”
“…It’s like a monster trying to shatter an iron sword with a wooden one.”
They measured their levels against those two and calculated how they could possibly surpass them.
“…Wow, so this is why people enjoy watching fights.”
[Aren, is that all you’re feeling?]
“Um, it’s splendid?”
[…Aren, please don’t tell anyone you’re a magician. I’d be so embarrassed.]
“What are you talking about?”
While some watched with pure, thoughtless eyes, fully absorbed in the spectacle.
However, a duel could not go on indefinitely.
The swords of both combatants had already reached their limit.
“Then how about we make this last strike serious?”
“…What do you mean?”
“Show me your true self. Of course, you’re impressive now, but there’s more, right? I want to see the real you.”
“……”
Bring out what you’re hiding.
At this statement, Roen flinched for the first time.
“I didn’t notice it at first, but now I can feel something.”
Roen was undeniably strong.
He was more seasoned than any other cadet he had faced so far and unmatched in both strategic fighting and tactical techniques.
A worthy opponent without a doubt.
…Yet, there was something unsettling.
Was it his instinct warning him?
Or perhaps the accumulation of experiences from the battlefield?
He surely sensed that.
‘There’s more to him, I’m convinced of that.’
What he had shown so far was merely average.
There was definitely something more.
As Lee Han urged him to let it out, Roen hesitated.
Internally, he was satisfied.
Not only was he pleased to be right in his assessment, but he also wanted to properly conclude the duel.
After all, it’s a sword that must break.
Isn’t it more thrilling to secure an outcome rather than balance on such a precarious tightrope?
The finishing touch.
Lee Han hoped that this duel would end in a relief for both of them.
He had a slight expectation that our target No. 1 shared similar feelings…
“No, I will concede.”
“…Huh?”
“It seems the intensity is escalating; I don’t think I can continue.”
“……”
Well, expectations are just expectations; it seems he was just lost in his own thoughts.
Roen flashed a charming smile and gestured around.
“The purpose of this duel was originally for those who didn’t recognize you, to acknowledge your value, instructor. And now that goal has been achieved, wouldn’t continuing this duel be pointless? I think it’s time to wrap things up gently.”
“…Are you serious?”
Was he being cunning despite his appearance?
Lee Han expressed disbelief, but regrettably.
“Are you not excited about the meeting event with Uncle Baltar?”
“Sorry, but I’m looking forward to your teachings far more than meeting Sir Baltar.”
“…You don’t look that diligent, though.”
“Should we judge people on appearances?”
“……You’ve left me speechless.”
The moment he had been anticipating ended up feeling utterly anticlimactic, and ultimately, Lee Han set down his wooden sword.
He wasn’t bad enough to force someone who didn’t want to fight to continue.
However.
‘Ah, there’s definitely more to him.’
Considering the potential techniques a presumed Regressor might be hiding, it felt like a disappointing conclusion.
“…Hmm.”
Lee Han sulked.
* * *
‘…That was dangerously close.’
Roen surprised himself.
Did he really still have such feelings left deep inside him?
‘What a prideful feeling; that youthful pride can be fearsome.’
He thought all such feelings had been burned to ashes, but apparently, they still lingered.
‘Heh, perhaps it’s been a while since I’ve had such a pure fight.’
Pure rivalry.
No, facing the untainted ambition radiating from an opponent reminded him of the reckless spirit of his youth.
Not the youthful exuberance of the present day.
The ‘youth’ he alone remembered.
He recalled that day.
…And,
‘I will stop such a tragedy this time.’
To prevent that calamity…
‘This time, I will kill.’
He recalled the prey he must eliminate.
‘Isis Ireina de Pandragon. I will surely bury a blade into your throat.’
That would be the day he avenged himself.
Roen reaffirmed his resolve.
Until he achieved his objective, he treated his youth like a luxury.
And thus, he suppressed his true nature.
For the day of retribution that would come someday.
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