Chapter 351. 17 Years (5)

Chapter 351. 17 Years (5)

Tenmei Ryo smoothly wrapped his hand around the hilt of his sword with Mio as the target of his blade. His stance was masterful similar to what one would see in a textbook. He held that position and was as still as a statue.

“I never thought I’d be able to watch this duel in person.”

“One of the 5 Heroes from the past versus one of the top 100 fighters in the present. Who do you think is stronger?”

“Don’t you think the Sun Sword would win? The fighting style itself already has the upper hand…”

“I’m bored anyway. This seems entertaining.”

Players gathered in twos and threes and took a spot in the schoolyard. Perhaps the news had spread on the Community forums as well since it had become a major event with thousands of spectators.

“Their level of focus is amazing.”

“Yeah. They’re taking a long time reading[1] each other.”

Reading an opponent was something master fighters did before a fight. With just their sight, hearing, smell, and instinct, they would grasp their opponent’s capabilities. But that was what people often said to make it seem fancy. In simpler terms, they just stared each other down.

The members of Sky Soul tilted their heads. Tenmei Ryo was usually arrogant, but now, he was finding it difficult to make a move.

“The captain doesn’t seem like himself today.”

“Yeah. He’s taking really deep breaths.”

“Wait, I think his hands are shaking as well. Do you think he’s nervous?”

“That’s impossible. Since his opponent is his little sister, he’s probably concentrating so that he won’t hurt her.”

They were idiots. They were idiots who knew nothing. Tenmei Ryo internally cursed his subordinates.

‘You lot know nothing.’ 

He had to put in great effort to calm down the surge of excitement in his heart. The others didn’t know just how long he had been waiting for this moment. Frankly, he thought that he would never have the opportunity to fight her again. After all, he cared a lot about his reputation, so he couldn’t provoke his younger sister.

‘I am finally fighting you… again.’

He stared at the girl in front of him.

To others, she was the former Sword Saint or the Sky Phoenix.

To others, she was an idol.

To others, she was a Hero.

But for Tenmei Ryo, she was a barrier.

‘...The first and last barrier I have ever encountered.’ 

Tenmei Ryo slowly closed his eyes. He suddenly remembered that day, and it was as clear as yesterday to him. His younger sister had followed them to the training grounds, saying that she wanted to watch her brothers train.

Holding a sword for the first time, she knocked her two older brothers down with a cheerful smile.

‘That was the most humiliating day of my life.’ 

She had never even learned any sword techniques, yet she defeated two swordsmen with instinctive movements alone.

After that, all the brotherly love Tenmei Ryo had for Mio dissipated. He and his brother had always been revered as some of the most talented swordsmen, but he could never escape the humiliating nightmare of that day. Actually, even though decades had passed since then, he would still occasionally dream about that day.

‘I tried so hard to erase you.’ 

He didn’t pay her any attention and tried to erase her very existence from his life.

However, he failed. Tenmei Mio became a world-renowned hero, and even though the three men tried to ignore it, it still haunted them.

‘...I was miserable.’ 

He was ashamed of himself for feeling envious of his little sister. He used those emotions as a driving force to train like a madman, but no matter how much effort he put into it, he could never cross the barrier of natural talent. And so, he despaired.

‘I will wash all those emotions away today.’ 

His hands slowly started to grip tighter around the hilt of his sword. There was no doubt in his mind—he would win.

‘I won’t lose.’ 

After Mio was trapped in the ice, he trained every single day without fail for the past 27 years and eventually surpassed his older brother. He trusted his experience, and the design of his sword style gave him an advantage, too.

‘I know how to break through every single Blue Moon Style technique.’ 

In other words, he would win even though he didn’t know what she would do. Rationally, there was no way he could lose.

“Come,” Tenmei Ryo said.

“...” Mio nodded softly and lowered her stance.

The tension reached its peak. In the silence, only the sound of the breeze blowing through them could be heard.

- Claang!

Their swords clashed.

“W-woah!”

“Holy shit. Are you sure she was trapped in ice for 26 years?”

The onlookers let out small gasps. Mio’s movements were unimaginably fast.

‘She’s a genius. A true genius.’ One of the onlookers, Seo Jun-Ho, nodded slowly. There was only one reason he always called her a genius.

‘Be. Cause. She’s. Flaw. Less.’ 

Normally, when Players leveled up, raised their stats, or equipped nice gear, there would be an immediate sense of disharmony. Their mind and body would feel a disparity between them and their newly obtained stats.

‘That’s something that not even I have been able to overcome.’ 

However, Mio was an exception. It didn’t matter if her stats increased or decreased because she was born with the natural ability to bring her body to the optimal state. And it was something not even most other geniuses could achieve, even if they trained.

‘It’s a terrifying talent.’ 

- Claang!

Mio’s blade seemed to embroider the air. Every time their blades clashed, sparks would fly like blooming flowers.

“...Heh.” Tenmei Ryo let out a low laugh as he pushed aside each of her strikes.

‘I see it. I can see it! This is different from the past.’ 

He could clearly see the path of each of her strikes. No matter how fast the attacks were and no matter how much they tried to take him by surprise, as long as he knew how to counter them, he couldn’t be hit.

“You’re lucky. Since so many eyes are watching, you will not lose your life,” he said.

“...”

Fwooosh! 

Tenmei Ryo’s magic power surged around him like wildfire.

‘I can’t kill her or cut off a limb anyway.’ 

Those who didn’t know where Mio stood in their clan would definitely say that he was too cruel. So, he quickly chose a different direction. He chose to use this situation as a tool to raise his honor.

‘I’ll finish it in an instant.’ 

The Red Sun Style heated up the entire schoolyard.

“Hm, so this is the Tenmei Clan’s sword technique. The Red Sun Style, was it?”

“Even if they don’t have an elemental skill… The heat rivals that of a real fire.”

“I can finally see why they’re known as the greatest clan of swordsmen.”

The scariest part of the Red Sun Style was the way it overwhelmed the opponent while they were facing it. Like the actual sun, the opponent’s vision would grow dim, and they would find it hard to breathe.

Clang! 

Mio blocked Tenmei Ryo’s strike and momentarily retreated.

Then, she disappeared like a ghost.

‘Impressive.’ Tenmei Ryo’s eyes narrowed. She didn’t actually disappear. Rather, she lowered her stance so low that she reached the ground.

‘The Blue Moon Style’s second technique. The Sword of the Swallow.’ 

It was a fine technique. The Sword of the Swallow’s killing power was great, and if used on an opponent who didn’t know any better, it would guarantee victory.

‘But I am the second son of the Tenmei Clan.’ 

He knew every single technique Mio had. Tenmei Ryo slightly slid one of his feet back and readied himself for the next strike.

‘She’s coming.’ 

Pah! 

Mio kicked off of the dirt and charged him, almost seeming like she was sliding on the ground. She applied the technique in an extremely natural way it seemed like flowing water.

‘...!’

She was fast.

It was just for a moment, but she was so fast her figure flickered.

‘You fool. Pull yourself together.’ 

He wouldn’t lose just because he let his guard down. Tenmei Ryo sharpened his focus and read the trajectory of her sword before quickly swinging his blade. The Sword of the Swallow was a technique that drew the opponent’s eyes to the ground while the actual attack would come from above.

‘Her technique is impressive… But that is all.’ 

Tenmei Ryo already knew how to counter it. He used the Red Sun Style’s third technique, Bowing Cloud, and his lips started to curl up as he grasped his guaranteed victory.

“...?!”

But they were increasing...

He was sure the swallow only had one beak, but they were increasing until they became two, three, four…

‘I-is the technique supposed to be like this?’ 

Tenmei Ryo turned deathly pale as he hurriedly swung his sword in a panic. His blade shone as red as the sun as it cut each swallow down.

But even as he did, the one who grew impatient was him.

‘What is this? What in the world is this?’ 

The sun was the greatest source of light in the sky. By nature, if a swallow flew too close to the sun, biologically, it would inevitably melt.

However, the swallow seemed like it was about to consume the sun.

“Damn!” Tenmei Ryo cursed angrily and concentrated an enormous amount of magic energy into his body.

“H-holy shit.”

“I knew the Sun Sword would win!”

The sun split the crowd of swallows. He was called the Sun Sword because every time his blade flashed, an opponent would die.

‘Do you really think that you can beat me with speed?’ 

Clang! Clang! 

Tenmei Ryo’s sword vigorously cut through each swallow.

‘I won. This is my victory.’ 

Once again, he felt assured of his victory, and his lips curled up once more.

“Sword of the Swallow, Eight Trigrams.”

However, Mio started moving like an acrobat. The Swallow’s stance was difficult to maintain, but she was still swinging her sword without a single flaw.

“...!”

And then, Tenmei Ryo was faced with swallows coming in from eight directions.[2]

“Ugh!”

He swung his scarlet sword madly and cut through each swallow once again.

Rriiip!

However, Mio had already cut a long line through his upper garment.

“...”

“...”

Everyone in the schoolyard was still. The audience couldn’t tell if the match had ended or if it was still ongoing.

“He’s… not bleeding.”

“She went easy on him. She precisely cut only his clothes without touching his skin.”

“What happens in situations like this?”

“I don’t know. If he doesn’t acknowledge his loss… they’ll probably keep going, right?”

While the others chattered, Tenmei Ryo was frozen with confusion.

‘...She cut me? Me?’

No… No, that couldn’t be it. That was impossible. That couldn’t happen.

‘I was countering every single technique of the Blue Moon Style. I was breaking through each one.’ 

He acknowledged her skills. He had never seen someone who could use the Sword of the Swallow in such a masterful way.

But still, he had lost. And there was only one reason for his defeat.

‘My skills still aren’t—’ 

He held himself back. He couldn’t bring himself to finish the sentence to himself.

The moment he acknowledged that, his whole world would come crashing down.

“...”

He suddenly looked down at his hand holding the sword. After decades of being covered with callouses, they had taken over his whole palm. He didn’t have these callouses when he was younger—when he first lost to his younger sister.

‘...Even though so much time has passed, I still cannot reach her.’ 

Tenmei Ryo’s chest grew tight, and his body became so heavy it felt like he was drowning.

He gnashed his teeth amidst the misery, but he was aware of the eyes around him, so he forced himself to smile.

“Sister, that was a fine competition.”

“Please give me full authority over the Sky Soul Guild.”

“Though I lost by a mere hair, but this match—”

“Please give me full authority over the Sky Soul Guild.”

“It was the finest one I have had in recent memory…”

“Please give me full authority over the Sky Soul Guild.”

“...”

Geez, he was still talking…

Tenmei Ryo pushed down the heavy sense of self-doubt and nodded.

“...Alright. Do as you wish.”

With so many people watching, he couldn’t go back on his word like a coward. He shortly handed over the reins to the Vice Captain of his team and ran back to Earth with a face riddled with exhaustion.

As soon as it was over, Mio ran over to Seo Jun-Ho and said, “Didn’t I tell you? You did not need to worry, Jun-Ho. They will no longer be a problem.”

Seo Jun-Ho gave her a slow clap. “Wow, our maknae sure is the best.”

“The best…?” she muttered.

Mio smiled warmly. It was the brightest smile Seo Jun-Ho had ever seen from her since she broke out of the ice.

***

“The preparations are complete…”

Seo Jun-Ho completed the preparations for the battle earlier than expected, and he headed over to the city wall.

‘We stopped Sky Soul’s retreat, and they were why Players started to leave.’ 

On top of that, they had finished spreading the news thanks to Gilberto.

There wasn’t much to the rumors. All they said was that Erebo might attack tonight, so people should steel themselves, and that he was really strong, but they have a secret weapon, so people shouldn’t worry too much about taking out the cockroaches and the special entities. The rumors were basically like that.

‘And I asked the Sword Saint to help us take out Black and White.’ 

This way, Seo Jun-Ho could focus solely on Erebo.

“...Contractor. Allow me to make but one request,” The Frost Queen suddenly said with her arms crossed.

“If it’s about cake, then no.”

“Oh, please! Do you truly believe I would ask for cake in a situation like this?”

‘…Yeah.’

Seo Jun-Ho was silent for a moment before asking, “Then, what is it?”

The Frost Queen looked straight at him with a serious face. “No matter how many times you die from now on, do not change. This is an order. I… I am afraid of you changing.”

“...Why are you worried about that?” Seo Jun-Ho snorted. Truthfully, there had been a time when he had given up on everything after dying over and over again.

‘But I won’t run away anymore…’ 

He wouldn’t give up on those who were precious to him, and he wouldn’t lose himself anymore.

Seo Jun-Ho watched the tree grow bigger and bigger on the horizon.

“I’m the only Seo Jun-Ho standing here right now.”

“What nonsense is that? Are you saying that there is another Seo Jun-Ho somewhere?”

“No, come on. It’s just a metaphor.”

The current Seo Jun-Ho was the Seo Jun-Ho who had gone through every suffering and emerged triumphant. He was the only Seo Jun-Ho here.

‘There’s just one more thing left to do.’ 

If he looked back, he could see all his former selves, collapsed with countless injuries for the sake of bringing him here. He could feel their feelings, see their memories, and feel their pain.

And he was the ‘final’ Seo Jun-Ho who was carrying everything.

He stood before Erebo.

- How happy I am to see one, however naive you are. So it is a human.

“Yeah, yeah. Good to see you, Erebo.”

With Midnight Sun covering his body, Jun-Ho gripped the so-called Cold Spear in his hands.

“Hey, Cold Spear. After we get back to Earth, I’ll take you to a fortune teller and give you a really cool name.”

Upon hearing that, the cold the spear was giving off seemed to have grown stronger.