*Trickle.*
Blood flowed from where the blade had touched his neck.
In the fleeting moment when he had been cautious of even his breathing, fearful he might be cut, Eullanggeom felt the trickling blood and cold sweat, and his body went rigid.
Just how had this situation come to be?
He forced his trembling gaze downward and looked at the woman.
The woman pressing a sword to his neck.
Geommuhui Namgung Bia.
Watching her, Eullanggeom's brow gradually hardened.
‘How.’
How in the world had this happened?
That is, when had this woman come all the way here?
Clearly, only moments ago she had been far off in the distance, yet the instant he noticed, she had burrowed into his guard.
It was impossible.
‘...I didn't sense her?’
While the woman was approaching, had he truly been unable to perceive even a hint of her?
Could it mean her realm was simply that high?
‘That can't be.’
Eullanggeom immediately denied it.
Nothing had changed.
To Eullanggeom, Geommuhui's realm was still clearly visible.
She could not defeat him.
Because of that, the fact he had failed to perceive her was likewise incomprehensible.
‘What trick did she use?’
She had used some kind of trick. If not, it was simply impossible.
Then, was it some kind of sorcery?
Just as all manner of thoughts rose in Eullanggeom's mind.
*Shhk-*
The blade touching his neck slowly began to fall away.
*Swish-! Clack-!*
Namgung Bia lowered the sword she held and slightly widened the distance.
Roughly the same distance as at the beginning.
Having opened exactly that much space, Namgung Bia looked at Eullanggeom.
The same expression as when they had first faced each other.
At that expressionless face, Eullanggeom bit his lip.
He wrapped his hand around his wounded neck as if to cover it and infused it with naegi.
It was to stop the bleeding.
As naegi seeped in, the blood stopped.
Only then could Eullanggeom catch his breath.
Along with that, the surroundings, which had been silent, began to slowly regain sound.
"Wh-what just..."
"Did Geommuhui defeat Eullanggeom?"
"It happened in an instant; I couldn't even see it properly..."
They all had blank, dumbfounded reactions.
It couldn't be helped. Even having seen it directly, the spectacle just now was not something one could easily believe.
It was an instant.
A fleeting moment not even worth calling a spar.
They had been unable to perceive any warning or process, yet all that remained before they knew it was the result.
Eullanggeom had allowed Namgung Bia into his guard.
If a sword touched the neck, that was the end. This was an implicit agreement that even a non-martial artist would know.
Since the result had turned out like this, could it be that Eullanggeom had lost?
Just as that thought surfaced in everyone's minds.
"...Are you... doing?"
Namgung Bia suddenly spoke.
At that voice, Eullanggeom furrowed his brow.
"What...?"
"...Over?"
"...!"
This time, Eullanggeom's eyes widened slightly.
Only then did he understand what Namgung Bia was saying.
Was this the end?
Was he not going to spar anymore?
Those were words containing such meaning.
"Ha..."
Having heard that, Eullanggeom let out a hollow laugh.
"You intend to continue?"
Victory and defeat had already been decided. Whether it was carelessness or a trick, there were already too many who had witnessed the outcome.
What meaning was there in doing more?
To the words Eullanggeom uttered thinking this, Namgung Bia immediately added.
"...I... haven't gone all out... yet."
"..."
The spar was not over.
Hearing that, Eullanggeom ran a hand over his head.
Because her appearance, purely wanting to spar more, felt somehow strange.
'Isn't it enough that she won?' Thinking so, he suddenly felt his own state was ridiculous.
He recalled the image of her swinging her sword three times and asking why he yielded.
Gazes were still pouring down.
Amidst those intense eyes, Eullanggeom bit his lip.
'Damn.'
Something was terribly wrong.
Realizing this, he raised his sword.
"Miss."
At Eullanggeom's words, Namgung Bia tilted her head.
"First, allow me to offer my apologies. I underestimated you."
He did not know what method she had used, but he had to accept the result.
He had underestimated Geommuhui, and as a result, he had given up his neck.
Furthermore.
"...Also. I am grateful for your teaching and consideration."
*Hummmmmm-!*
Eullanggeom's aebyeong slowly began to cry out.
"Please, grant me one more chance."
"..."
That he would not be careless this time, so please allow him to spar just once more.
To that request, rather than answering with words.
*Shhring.*
She instead pointed her sword at Eullanggeom.
Seeing that reaction, Eullanggeom turned his gaze.
Beneath the dueling platform, to where Seongwang was.
This was a spar where a bet had been placed from the start. Receiving one more chance was fine, but Seongwang's reaction was also important.
Would he make an issue of this? Eullanggeom sent a worried gaze, but.
Having noticed, he merely stared silently at Eullanggeom without saying anything.
Seeing this, Eullanggeom swallowed a groan inwardly.
"..."
Did this mean it truly did not matter if they went again?
In other words, was it that there would be no great issue even if he fought without letting his guard down?
'That can't be...'
It couldn't be. He tried to think so, but hesitation flitted by.
What was visible might not be everything. Hadn't that just been proven?
*Clack.*
Soaking in tension, Eullanggeom gripped his sword.
"Huooo..."
He regulated his breathing.
*Hummmm-! Hummmmm--!!*
As Eullanggeom breathed, the geommyeong gradually deepened.
*Swoooo--!!*
And the moment geomgang enveloped the blade.
*Thud-!*
Eullanggeom moved.
The moment he took a step, a flash swept by.
It was crescent moon-shaped geomgi.
"..."
Seeing that, Namgung Bia crouched and put force into the sword she held.
*Crackle-!!* Neoegi exploded out as she immediately unleashed her sword.
*Bzzzzzzzt---!!! Boom-!*
Neoegi and geomgi clashed, causing an explosion.
Fragments of naegi poured into the air, and through that gap, Namgung Bia moved.
*Hummmmmm---!!*
From her sword, the sword cry roared fiercely.
As she stepped and performed the movement, the Changryongbo clad in neoegi reached Eullanggeom in an instant.
*Bzzt-!*
As she swung her sword, blue lines were drawn in succession.
Dozens of lines poured toward Eullanggeom.
"..."
Eullanggeom did not dodge this.
He merely swung his sword as many times as the lines he saw.
*Clack.*
Eunageomsik.
Eunseom Biyuryeonsik.
Rapid swordplay cut apart all the rampaging lines.
*Crackle-! Bzzzt-!!*
It seemed each sword strike contained neoegi, for a tingling sensation swept over him each time he parried them.
Having cut apart every last attack, Eullanggeom then urgently widened the distance by a step.
Namgung Bia, who had been looking toward the sky, charged at Eullanggeom as if taking a low position.
Her speed was tremendous.
No, to be exact, it wasn't so much that her speed was fast.
*Rumble---!!!*
It would be more accurate to say that the pressure erupting from Namgung Bia's body bound Eullanggeom's feet.
'Jewanggeomhyeong!'
Recalling the martial art, Eullanggeom furrowed his brow.
He had been uncertain because the energy was ambiguous, but now he knew.
The pressure gripping his ankles—this was the ultimate technique of the Namgung family, Jewanggeomhyeong.
Namgung Bia must have deliberately diverted his attention with the lines and used Jewanggeomhyeong low so he wouldn't notice.
'Ha.'
Amazing. Admiration flowed out reflexively.
He knew well how difficult a martial art Jewanggeomhyeong was to use.
It required not only a considerable amount of naegi but also the strength to maintain it.
Therefore, adjusting it so it wouldn't show should be nearly impossible.
Yet that woman was not only maintaining Jewanggeomhyeong but also adjusting it nonchalantly.
'And she doesn't even use Jewanggeomhyeong as her main technique.'
For generations, the Namgung family had handled swords and neoegi with the overwhelming presence of Jewanggeomhyeong at the forefront.
Namgung Bia seemed to be focusing solely on swordsmanship rather than that.
If one were to ask if that was a weakness.
'...It's dizzying.'
It seemed that was not the case after all.
*Screech--!!*
The tip of the sword cutting through the floor brushed past Eullanggeom's nose.
Dodging the attack, Eullanggeom urgently spun backward and swung his sword.
*Crack-!!*
Having dodged the sword strike, neoegi flew from behind.
He couldn't tell when this had been fired either.
Having thus cleared away the neoegi.
"Huu-!"
He took a deep breath and put strength into his hand.
Already, a flood of information was flowing into his gigam.
Namgung Bia, absolutely refusing to give distance.
Neoegi pouring from all directions and Jewanggeomhyeong gripping his ankles.
It could be seen as a total crisis.
However.
'As expected.'
Seeing this, Eullanggeom was convinced once more.
Namgung Bia was strong.
Only by fighting her could he tell even more.
At this level, she would reach the Hwagyeong soon... or perhaps she was already in the Hwagyeong.
It was certainly an absurd level, but.
'For now.'
For now, he was still stronger.
*Crack-!!*
Amidst the fiercely digging swords and neoegi, Eullanggeom suddenly plunged his sword into the ground.
At that moment.
*Thooooom---!!!*
Ganggi erupted out and swept in all directions.
It was truly vast naegi. One could tell he had infused a considerable amount.
The energy spread like waves, devouring all the neoegi, and took on a fog-like form, obscuring vision.
This was a kind of domain.
A domain created by Eullanggeom.
If one was inside the fog-like energy, it was easy to detect energy.
Blocking the opponent's vision while creating a situation advantageous to oneself within it.
This was a martial art and ultimate technique that Eullanggeom, who had reached the Hwagyeong, had mastered.
He had not expected to have to use this in front of others, but it couldn't be helped.
"..."
He immediately concealed his presence. Now his opponent would not know where he was.
Though he couldn't see an inch ahead, his surroundings felt perfectly clear to Eullanggeom.
Thanks to that, Eullanggeom could easily find Namgung Bia.
She had not moved an inch from her original position.
*Shhk.*
He gripped his sword and took a stance.
One strike.
He would end the spar with this one strike.
And.
'I'll have to pretend the bet never happened.'
No matter what, he couldn't nitpick about the bet now that things had come to this.
Since the other side had also let things pass, he could not make an issue of it either.
Having judged so, Eullanggeom raised geomgang.
*Vrooom-!!*
Ganggi coiled around the blade like a whirlwind.
It was preparation for a thrust rather than a slash.
Before long, the completed energy—gripping it, Eullanggeom raised the tip of his sword.
*Tap-!*
In the silence, he charged forth, piercing through the energy.
*Whoooosh---!!!*
The moment the thus-launched sword tip was about to reach Namgung Bia, who had not noticed.
"...Huh!?"
Eullanggeom suddenly let out a hollow gasp.
Surely she shouldn't be able to see an inch ahead, let alone his presence.
'How...?'
Because Namgung Bia had suddenly turned her head and was looking at Eullanggeom.
Namgung Bia's blue eyes were clearly fixed on Eullanggeom.
And, as if to prove this wasn't a lie, having confirmed Eullanggeom, Namgung Bia moved.
As if to block the thrust, she twisted her body and raised her sword.
*Screeeeech---!!*
The clash of sword tip and sword spine spread a tearing sound.
How had she noticed? Though doubt arose, this was not the time to ponder it.
'What comes next...!'
He had to prepare the next move immediately.
Namgung Bia blocking was fine, but if he twisted his waist and pushed through in this state, he had to take the next move immediately....
He flinched.
"..."
For some reason, Eullanggeom, who had been envisioning his offensive, stopped.
Then, with trembling eyes, he looked at Namgung Bia.
*Swoosh--!!*
The fog that had spread in all directions suddenly subsided.
Obscured vision was revealed.
Namgung Bia was blocking Eullanggeom's sword.
At a glance, it looked like Namgung Bia had barely blocked it. However.
"...I have lost."
Strangely, the one who spoke of defeat was Eullanggeom.
The spar had not ended, so why did he mention defeat?
As everyone wondered.
"...Miss, I would ask one thing."
He asked Namgung Bia with a look of utter astonishment.
"Since when?"
"..."
At first, no answer came. But Eullanggeom repeated his question as if he had to hear the answer.
"Since when, exactly..."
It was a trembling voice.
"...did you plant a Simgeom behind my neck?"
Eullanggeom couldn't move in the slightest.
If he moved even slightly from here, the invisible blade hovering behind his neck would strike.
Finally noticing the sensation, Eullanggeom asked.
And hearing that, Namgung Bia spoke.
"...From the beginning..."
"..."
It was an answer that drained his will to fight.