What I Wanted to Show You. (4)
'...What...?'
Barely managing to correct her posture, Namgung Bia thought. What on earth just happened?
Trickle.
Blood trickled from her mouth once again.
Rarely one to show her emotions, Namgung Bia furrowed her brow.
It was because her internal energy wasn't moving as she wished, likely due to a massive internal
shock.
'...I couldn't see it....'
Whatever shock she had sustained, from the moment she was attacked until she barely regained her stance, Namgung
Bia couldn't figure out what action Jang Seon-yeon had taken.
First, she had to struggle to grab hold of her internal energy, which wasn't moving according to her will, and somehow regulate
it.
But before she could—
'Kuh...!'
Namgung Bia immediately covered her nose without even wiping the blood flowing from her mouth.
It was because she smelled a foul stench.
'Why on earth...?'
She couldn't understand it.
Until just a moment ago, the stench was barely noticeable.
She habitually looked around.
To see if he was there.
Among the crowded spectators, Namgung Bia quickly found Dang So-yeol, Wi Seol-a, and
him.
He was staring at Jang Seon-yeon in front with wide eyes.
With an expression as if he was completely shocked by something.
'...He's there... but why?'
He was definitely nearby.
At that distance, the stench shouldn't affect her.
Why...? Why is the stench emanating?
"Where are you looking at like that?"
Shiver.
Moving according to the flow of energy she sensed, Namgung Bia moved her body.
Swish-!
Along with the sensation of something grazing her cheek, blood splattered.
'Sword aura...!'
Namgung Bia immediately regulated her internal energy to try and manifest the sword form once again, but...
Uwoong-!
"Ughhk...!"
Jang Seon-yeon was faster.
The sword cry reverberating from close by churned her insides.
The sword form she tried to unleash collapsed, and the internal energy she had gathered scattered.
Her loosened posture created an opening.
Jang Seon-yeon didn't miss it.
Thud!
With the impact felt in her abdomen, Namgung Bia's body was sent flying.
"Keuk...!"
She barely managed to defend by surrounding herself with internal energy, but the impact was still
there.
Drip, drip!
Stumbling, she barely regained her stance.
The blood she had shed earlier showed no signs of stopping from her mouth.
Barely creating some distance, Namgung Bia had to organize her internal energy.
'...It's strange....'
Faster than when they first faced each other.
And heavier.
It felt as if he had become a different person.
Jang Seon-yeon's martial arts earlier were certainly threatening.
But he didn't seem outstanding enough to flexibly apply them.
Meaning he was still unpolished.
Compared to others Namgung Bia had faced, he was a remarkable individual, but...
compared to the talented individuals Namgung Bia had encountered so far, he wasn't particularly
outstanding.
'Then what about now?'
What she felt was entirely different.
The level of fighting spirit (Tu-gi) she felt at a glance was completely different from before.
"I apologize to you."
Jang Seon-yeon spoke, looking at Namgung Bia.
As Namgung Bia furrowed her brows slightly, not understanding his meaning, Jang Seon-yeon
continued.
"I'm still not used to it, so I wanted to avoid using it if possible."
Uwoong...
The sword continuously rang.
To Namgung Bia, it sounded like a growling noise.
Not used to it?
Is he talking about martial arts?
Or is he talking about something else?
To Namgung Bia's questions, Jang Seon-yeon merely smiled.
"I never expected to use it in this martial arts tournament. But it came to
this."
As Jang Seon-yeon took a step forward, Namgung Bia immediately invoked the Emperor Sword Form.
At that sight, Jang Seon-yeon made an expression of surprise.
"...Your insides must be in ruins. I respect you, Miss Namgung."
The way Jang Seon-yeon addressed her unknowingly sent shivers down her spine.
However, just as Jang Seon-yeon said, her body wasn't normal.
Even now, the Emperor Sword Form she was executing was wavering because she couldn't properly grasp
it.
This was likely also due to the stench felt all around.
'...I feel like throwing up.'
She thought she understood a little.
This wasn't the stench emanating from Jang Seon-yeon.
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The stench of the world that had disappeared through Gu Yang-cheon was pouring over Namgung Bia once
again.
'...Why...'
She couldn't understand the reason, but to Namgung Bia, it definitely felt that way.
Her stomach churned, and the world grew dark.
She had stepped back into the hell she had felt her entire life.
Even covering her nose didn't erase the smell.
It was excruciating pain.
Why was it so hard?
It was something she had experienced her whole life, yet it felt harder than usual.
'...I want to escape.'
She wanted to run away right now.
He wasn't far away; if she ran to him and hugged him, would the stench
disappear again?
Namgung Bia was so desperate that she even had such thoughts.
Still.
"Huu..."
Namgung Bia immediately corrected her posture.
She hadn't brought it up to him just to show him a pathetic sight like this.
'-Trust me.'
There was a reason she went out of her way to say those words to him.
It was because she hated the look of worry in his eyes.
This was a thought Namgung Bia had continually harbored ever since the incident at the Huashan
Sect.
'I hate my own incompetence.'
It was a thought she had never had before, but Namgung Bia often recalled those
words.
It was about her own self, who couldn't be of any help.
Unable to do anything, watching his back with a broken arm.
She hated herself for staying by his side while receiving his worry.
Receiving worry and affection is happiness.
Happiness.
It was the emotion Namgung Bia had come to clearly understand for the first time.
Being by his side is happiness.
She can reach peaceful sleep, and breathing is comfortable.
She liked walking slowly while looking at the scenery.
It was a fact she learned late, but it was also thanks to him that she could know
this.
Because what she imagined when she closed her eyes wasn't a nightmare, but a warm
fantasy.
Namgung Bia called this happiness.
That was why she couldn't give up.
She didn't want to be by his side looking so incompetent.
A person who couldn't live without him—
could she be of help by his side?
Namgung Bia thought she couldn't.
She didn't want such a useless person to be by his side.
Therefore, more than anything, that couldn't be her.
Namgung Bia had to show him.
That she was someone who could stand on her own.
"Ugh..."
Ugh...
Jang Seon-yeon let out a groan.
It was because Namgung Bia's sword tip was pointed at him once again.
"You have no intention of forfeiting, do you?"
He was hoping she would forfeit if possible.
Not only did he not want to use this power for a long time,
but he never thought he would use it in such a trivial tournament.
'Originally, I even wondered if I would use it against the Thunder Dragon.'
Who would have thought there would be two people who exceeded Jang Seon-yeon's expectations.
It made him feel even filthier, as if most of Paeng U-jin's sneers had hit the
mark.
Creak.
Strength entered the hand holding the sword.
Swollen flesh.
Inside his body, internal energy and aura intertwined, feeling an explosive
power.
Jang Seon-yeon looked at Namgung Bia.
A face full of bloodstains. Slightly disheveled hair.
White skin smeared with dust from rolling on the ground.
Even though she was a mess from just a few exchanges, Namgung Bia's eyes were calm
and resolute.
It seemed to overlap with the appearance of the Poison Phoenix he had first met.
The green-haired girl was like that too. Jang Seon-yeon couldn't understand.
How could she not despair?
How could she not run away?
What was the reason she harbored no fear when facing an insurmountable wall?
'Annoying.'
Why did the behavior of that martial artist, showing she hadn't broken, feel so
bitter?
To maintain aloofness all alone within the orthodox faction that had already broken and rotted
away.
It was utterly disgusting to Jang Seon-yeon.
Unable to face reality, was she still dreaming of something?
What could she possibly gain by doing that?
'Disgusting.'
This wasn't something he was saying to them, but to himself.
Having wished to stand above all others, he couldn't lie to himself.
He was simply envious.
Compared to himself, who had been crushed by the wall and left to find another path, they looked far more
remarkable.
'Do not wither.'
He brushed away the useless thoughts.
He had to remind himself that he was chosen.
Jang Seon-yeon approached Namgung Bia.
If she wouldn't give up, he just had to make it so she had no other choice.
Even he wasn't fully adapted to his suddenly increased speed, but...
Jang Seon-yeon swung his sword. Thunder energy spread out for defense, but...
Jang Seon-yeon's sword sliced through like paper and bore into her.
Clang-!
The swords clashed, ringing out with a clear sound.
The sound was exceptionally clear, but the pressure exuding from the explosion of internal energy was
not.
Shockwaves spread in all directions.
Whoosh! Unable to withstand the impact, Namgung Bia's stance wavered.
Jang Seon-yeon, who wouldn't miss this, didn't stop his attack.
Clang! Clang!
The body, elevated based on aura, added force to the speed that had dulled from executing martial
arts, and the sword cry, even if small, seized the opponent's steps.
'Faster.'
As he gradually assimilated with the aura, Jang Seon-yeon's speed increased.
Likewise, his strength would grow stronger. The sound of the blade cutting through the wind grew increasingly
fierce, which was proof of that.
However.
'Why.'
Why isn't it reaching her?
Kuuong-! Stomping the ground heavily, internal energy gushed out to the surroundings.
Uuuwoong!
The sword cried as if responding to it.
Grrrrind!
The clashing swords bared their fangs fiercely.
Nevertheless.
Clang-!
Jang Seon-yeon's sword still didn't reach Namgung Bia.
"...How?"
Words blurted out without realizing.
Jang Seon-yeon simply couldn't understand this bizarre situation that continued to unfold.
Not to mention speed, his strength was also overwhelmingly superior.
He had even drawn upon the aura, so there was no way he could be pushed back. So why couldn't he
break through?
He quickly tried to break through all paths, but Namgung Bia blocked them all in the end.
Uwoong...
Jang Seon-yeon's eyes snapped open at the sound that suddenly reached his ears. A distinct sword
cry.
He hurriedly checked his sword, but this wasn't a sound coming from his own sword.
Woong...
A very small, yet distinct and clear sound.
It wasn't an illusion. This was a sound coming from Namgung Bia's sword.
'...A sword cry?'
The sound persistently piercing Jang Seon-yeon's ears right now wasn't the artificial
sword cry he himself was creating.
It was a true sword cry (劍鳴), produced by the sword techniques reaching the level where sword and
swordsman become one.
How could a sword cry emerge only now?
Did she have a hidden card?
But she looked far too late for that.
The current Namgung Bia was in a much worse state than before, from blocking the sword containing
his aura.
Blood was flowing from her nose, and perhaps because she couldn't block all the impacts, blood was also
flowing from the hand holding the sword.
However, the light in her eyes still hadn't wavered.
Rather, Namgung Bia's aura had grown even calmer.
Jang Seon-yeon couldn't tolerate that.
"...How can you still stand like that?"
"..."
"Give up. Even if you fight more, it won't do you any good, Miss."
No answer came back. To Jang Seon-yeon's words, Namgung Bia just raised her sword
again.
Uwoong!
A cry much clearer than before.
It was as if it answered on her behalf, saying the duel wasn't over yet.
Seeing that, Jang Seon-yeon finally gritted his teeth and pulled up all his aura.
Uwoong!
At the same time, a sword cry also erupted from Jang Seon-yeon's sword, but it was qualitatively different
from the sound Namgung Bia was letting out.
It didn't please him.
Why didn't a sound like that come from him? He should be far superior.
He was the one who was chosen. Why.
"...Idle thoughts."
At the voice that suddenly rang out, Jang Seon-yeon flinched in surprise.
Namgung Bia, who had consistently remained silent, had spoken.
"...Focus."
He thought it was something she was saying to herself in the moment.
It was Namgung Bia's mutter to herself.
Uuuwoong!
Namgung Bia's sword cry grew louder and louder.
"...I can do it."
She murmured.
As if she was focusing on something.
Only then could Jang Seon-yeon see something about Namgung Bia.
Her gaze was clear, and her will was soaring high.
But the person Namgung Bia was looking at wasn't him.
She was feeling something, focusing entirely on that place.
Enlightenment.
Yes.
Namgung Bia was currently stepping into the realm of enlightenment.
"...How dare she..."
Was she using him to attain enlightenment?
No one else, but in the middle of a duel with him—
From Jang Seon-yeon's shoulders, a heat haze gradually rose.
The pale blue heat haze contained a beautiful light just to look at.
"I didn't expect to be forced to bring this out."
The Yuseong called this Divine Qi (神氣).
It was an aura that only descended upon those chosen by the heavens, so calling it that was
fitting.
A blue aura gradually enveloped Jang Seon-yeon's sword.
It was an infinitely beautiful fluctuation, but what lay hidden within was a profound and vast
power.
"Do not regret this..."
For everything is the karma you have created.
Jang Seon-yeon raised his sword and charged at Namgung Bia.
In response, Namgung Bia also moved slowly.
With a brush of her toes, the sword containing thunder energy moved along the flow.
The internal energy within was scarce, and she didn't even use the Emperor Sword Form, an ultimate
technique.
Namgung Bia stepped into Jang Seon-yeon's domain without hesitation.
Soon, the swords grazed each other.
In an instant, light spread and flashed across the arena. Without a single sound, there was only
light.
After the light that filled the arena in the blink of an eye disappeared.
The arena was filled with emptiness.
The moment they faced each other was fleeting.
The result was already out.
Confirming the end of the duel, the referee raised his hand and shouted.
"...Jang Seon-yeon wins."
The one standing in place was Jang Seon-yeon.
Namgung Bia had lost consciousness and collapsed.
- Waaaaaaaah!
After a brief silence, cheers erupted from the spectator seats.
Jang Seon-yeon didn't move and just stood quietly in place.
Slowly,
Jang Seon-yeon slowly turned around at the sudden presence felt from behind.
There, someone was holding the unconscious Namgung Bia in his arms.
A boy with deep black hair wearing a red martial uniform.
Gu Yang-cheon, whose appearance was unknown, had come up onto the arena and picked Namgung Bia
up in his arms.
For a moment, their eyes met.
Facing Gu Yang-cheon's fierce eyes, Jang Seon-yeon didn't say a word.
Rather, it was Gu Yang-cheon who spoke up.
"Why do you look like you're about to cry?"
It was a voice completely devoid of emotion.
The words he brought up were also incomprehensible.
About to cry?
What kind of expression was he making?
"You seem to know what kind of dog shit you did. Seeing as you're making a fucking
face."
Coarse and rough swearing without a shred of manners.
He could have argued back, but Jang Seon-yeon couldn't say anything.
For some reason, his lips wouldn't part.
Gu Yang-cheon, who watched that quietly, didn't speak any further and left
the arena carrying Namgung Bia in his arms.
After going down past the referee, Jang Seon-yeon, left alone amidst the cheers, quietly covered
his face with both hands.
Because, for some reason, he felt like he should.