Clang—.
On the duel platform, which had yet to be cleared away, a man placed his hand atop his sword.
A single sword hung from his waist.
It was the man’s beloved weapon, a famed sword forged long ago by the Tang Clan, known as the Eun-a-jeol Sword.
Among swords whose beauty matched their names, it was counted among the finest.
The swordsmanship of the warrior who wielded it was no less beautiful, and had earned him considerable renown.
Shrrring—!
The Eun-a-jeol Sword slid from its sheath, revealing its lovely blade to the world.
“…Oh….”
“My….”
As though proving that its fame was no lie, those watching voiced their admiration.
And what of his presence?
“…So this is the commander of the Alliance.”
The Fierce Battle Sword, who had somehow already stepped down from the platform, let out a low groan.
The fighting spirit of the swordsman who had drawn his blade seized control of the surroundings.
The arrogance that had been faintly perceptible according to their differences in cultivation vanished in an instant, replaced by humility.
Concealing his cold sweat, the Fierce Battle Sword looked at the man holding the sword.
‘He’s a master.’
The Fierce Battle Sword’s skill was by no means something to be cowed by anywhere else. Yet in the face of his opponent, even that became meaningless.
One of the swords who led the main forces of the Martial Alliance.
The battle unit that fought against monsters.
The commander of the Iron Dragon Unit. The Silver Wolf Sword.
When he raised his sword, the surroundings fell silent.
One of the Hundred Great Masters of the Central Plains.
It was a position one could attain only after reaching the Transcendent Realm, known as the supreme realm, and advancing to a certain level beyond it.
With the sole exception of the now-deceased commander of the Wind Dragon Unit, every unit commander of the Orthodox Faction was counted among the Hundred Great Masters.
The Silver Wolf Sword was no exception.
The Hundred Great Masters was commonly described as the dream every martial artist aspired to.
And because those who reached that rank gained absolute standing, it was a position coveted by all.
Furthermore—
“…Good heavens… Th-that presence.”
“How can it be so sharp…?!”
In the end, even that position could only be earned through strength.
The Silver Wolf Sword standing atop the platform was demonstrating that fact all too clearly.
He was the commander of the Iron Dragon Unit, and a master who had reached the Transcendent Realm.
Grrrrrrrrrrr—!!!
The chilling fighting spirit displayed by a unit commander swallowed the entire duel platform, vast as it was.
The air sank heavily, and those nearby grimaced.
A suffocating pressure tightened around their entire bodies.
Watching this, the Fierce Battle Sword swallowed dryly.
‘Is this really all right?’
Was this situation truly acceptable?
With trembling eyes, the Fierce Battle Sword looked toward somewhere else.
The shattered table that had been placed at the examination stand moments ago had been cleared away, leaving only a solitary chair.
There, he saw a young man sitting calmly and watching the platform.
‘The Star King….’
The Star King, Gu Yangcheon.
The Fierce Battle Sword looked at the man who had created this situation and thought:
‘Do you truly have some purpose in mind?’
Naturally, it was an inward question to which no answer would come.
******************
Voooooom.
Sssssss—!!
Within the rough vortex formed by the deep, lingering cry of the sword and the spreading aura, the source of that energy—the Silver Wolf Sword—slowly opened his eyes.
“…Hmph.”
The light breath he let out was plainly laced with displeasure.
Indeed. The Silver Wolf Sword found this situation deeply distasteful.
‘This is truly irritating.’
He disliked having to step onto the duel platform beneath so many eyes.
He disliked drawing the beloved weapon he would never have drawn if he could help it.
And he disliked the opponent he had been forced to face after drawing his sword for no good reason.
He disliked every last part of it.
With eyes layered in displeasure, he looked straight ahead.
A woman stood there.
She was an astonishing beauty with bluish-white hair, blue eyes, and dark-blue garments.
Even the Silver Wolf Sword, who had weathered every sort of hardship, found his gaze repeatedly drawn to her.
Her sobriquet was the Sword-Dance Fairy. She was a rising young warrior who had distinguished herself after appearing at the Friendly Martial Tournament several years ago.
Her sword dance resembled the movements of an actual dance, and her appearance was so exceptional that she had been given the name Sword-Dance Fairy.
Recalling this, the Silver Wolf Sword nodded.
‘Certainly.’
He had thought it was not a sobriquet an ordinary rising star could possess, but after seeing her, his thoughts changed.
‘She’s strong.’
He knew it the instant he saw her.
The woman before him was considerably strong, even in the Silver Wolf Sword’s eyes.
Far too strong to be called merely a rising young warrior.
Perhaps—
‘Perhaps I’m looking at the next Sword Empress.’
He could tell without even crossing swords.
A leading candidate to become the Sword Empress who would carry on the age after the Plum Blossom Sword Empress.
In the Silver Wolf Sword’s eyes, the Sword-Dance Fairy possessed that level of worth.
It was utterly absurd.
‘They called this the generation of shooting stars.’
The Divine Dragon was one thing, but so was the Moon-Splitting Sword, the successor of the Sword Venerable.
All of them were excessively powerful to be called rising young warriors.
‘And the strangest one among them is….’
The Silver Wolf Sword moved his head and looked to the side.
There sat the true monster who had brought about this ridiculous situation, the one called the representative of the generation of shooting stars.
‘The Star King.’
The master of the stars.
The young man who had been confirmed as the greatest existence among the flood of geniuses.
The Star King, Gu Yangcheon.
He was looking at him.
Crack—!
The Silver Wolf Sword clenched his teeth at that gaze.
He disliked those eyes looking at him with interest.
Even if one gave him the greatest possible credit, Gu Yangcheon was young enough to be his son.
A ridiculously young brat.
Among the rising young warriors now called the generation of shooting stars, he was even among the youngest.
‘What a monster….’
The Silver Wolf Sword trembled with rage as he watched him.
The youngest King. That was not important.
Many doubted the Star King’s strength, and the Silver Wolf Sword himself was no exception.
However, he was not the sort to charge in and insist that he could not believe it, like the Twin-Blade Illusion Sword Demon.
It was said that the Star King had beaten the Blade King as easily as catching a rat.
That was the truth conveyed by hundreds of people, and upon hearing it, the Silver Wolf Sword had been able to imagine it.
‘If it were me.’
If it were him—
Could he have beaten the Blade King as easily as catching a rat?
‘….’
The Silver Wolf Sword shook his head inwardly.
He was confident of victory.
The Silver Wolf Sword was certain he could defeat the Blade King.
However, if they were speaking of a perfect victory, the matter became uncertain.
And it was not only the Silver Wolf Sword.
Including all the unit commanders, only two men could overwhelm the Blade King.
The Sword Emperor, commander of the Guardian Unit.
And the Pure Sword, commander of the Azure Dragon Unit.
Only those two should have been capable of such a feat.
‘Yet the Star King did it.’
Which meant—
‘At the very least, the Star King is a warrior on the level of the Pure Sword.’
It was unbelievable.
That young brat was already at the level of the Pure Sword, who was not far from becoming one of the Ten Great Masters?
It was utterly preposterous.
‘….’
Even so, the Silver Wolf Sword could not deny it any further.
That was reality.
No matter how much he denied it, reality remained reality.
The Silver Wolf Sword narrowed his eyes as he studied the Star King.
The brat was sitting there with his chin propped on his hand, quietly watching this way.
Even when he tried to gauge his aura, he could not see it clearly.
That meant the brat was at least on equal footing with him.
‘Damn it.’
Feeling this, the Silver Wolf Sword scowled.
Not only had some unknown upstart appeared out of nowhere and taken a commander’s seat, he was even provoking them while looking down on them. From the Silver Wolf Sword’s perspective, it was enough to make his blood boil.
Even now.
‘To think I have to go along with this farce.’
He had released his presence and drawn his sword, yet he found it utterly distasteful.
More than that, it was laughable.
“Whew….”
He—
The Silver Wolf Sword, commander of the Iron Dragon Unit—
had drawn his sword only to dance in the palm of that mere brat’s hand.
—How about we make a wager?
The Star King had smiled at the Silver Wolf Sword and suggested that they make a wager.
He said that if the Silver Wolf Sword won, he would give him none other than the Sacred Dragon Unit.
And on top of that—
‘Did he say he would lick the top of my foot?’
It was disgraceful beyond words, but it was also a tempting offer.
That was why he had said it.
—…I’ll hear you out.
He would at least hear what sort of wager it was.
The Silver Wolf Sword had spoken those words before he knew it.
—Oh? Really?
The Star King had smiled as though he had been waiting for that answer.
—Then spar with her for a bit.
—What?
He had gestured toward the duel platform as he spoke.
Following that gesture, the Silver Wolf Sword had looked over and frowned.
—You mean the Fierce Battle Sword…?
The Fierce Battle Sword was one of the more famous swordsmen, a master expected to reach the Transcendent Realm before long.
Was he asking him to spar with that man? When the Silver Wolf Sword looked at the Star King with a strange expression—
—Huh? No. The one beside him.
—…Beside him…?
Surely not.
—…You mean the Sword-Dance Fairy?
—Yes.
The Star King had said he should spar with the Sword-Dance Fairy.
Upon hearing this, the Silver Wolf Sword’s face crumpled beyond recognition.
—Star King, are you in your right mind?
—Why? Do you dislike it?
—This is an insult directed at me.
He was being told to spar with some young warrior beside the Fierce Battle Sword, rather than the Fierce Battle Sword himself.
Moreover, she was neither the Divine Dragon, who was confirmed to have reached the Transcendent Realm, nor the Sword Venerable’s successor, who was expected to reach it.
He was being told to fight the Sword-Dance Fairy instead.
Such a thing could only mean that he was being treated with contempt.
And so, just as the Silver Wolf Sword was about to speak to the Star King with a face that clearly showed he had been insulted—
—So what? Do you not want to do it? Then don’t.
—Star King.
—If you don’t want to, you don’t have to. Did I tell you that you had to fight? I’m merely trying to show something.
The Star King pointed at the Sword-Dance Fairy with a hardened expression.
—I’m going to stake my pride on showing that your ignorant judgment—that she doesn’t meet the passing standard—is wrong.
—…Hah.
Only then did the Silver Wolf Sword understand.
The Star King had created this situation because of what he himself had said.
—If you dislike it, then stop. Stop, and just keep your mouth shut and sit there quietly.
—….
After hearing those words, the Silver Wolf Sword slightly relaxed his eyes and spoke to him.
—Those are words you’ll regret.
—I’ll deal with that myself.
—…I heard that woman is the Star King’s fiancée. And yet you still intend to force this through?
—You’re awfully long-winded. So are you going to do it or not?
—….
A brief silence passed.
Countless thoughts came to mind, but in the end, what remained with the Silver Wolf Sword was the Star King’s offer of the Sacred Dragon Unit.
He did not truly believe he would be able to obtain the Sacred Dragon Unit.
However—
‘It’s more than enough to serve as a pretext for something.’
The Star King’s words, and the circumstances that had unfolded.
The result he could obtain through them.
No matter how he looked at it, there was nothing to lose. So long as he won the wager.
—…When you say spar, you don’t merely mean that I have to win. What are the rules?
—Do as you please.
—Huh?
He was telling him to do as he pleased?
—Then all I have to do is win the spar?
—That’s up to you, Senior.
—….
What on earth was he plotting?
Could he truly believe that the Sword-Dance Fairy might win?
If so, perhaps the Star King mistakenly thought that just because he was a monster, everyone else was the same.
It did not matter.
The more his opponent was devoured by arrogance, the better.
There was only one thing he had yet to ask.
—Star King.
—Yes?
—I’ve heard everything. Then, conversely, what do I stand to lose if I lose the wager?
Since it was a wager, both sides had to have something to lose.
If the Star King had put up something like that, then there must be something he himself would lose as well. That was what the Silver Wolf Sword was asking about.
—Ah. That? That’s what you mean.
The Star King had smiled and answered.
“…”
Upon hearing that answer, the Silver Wolf Sword made his choice.
And the result of that choice was this.
“Miss.”
“…?”
At the call, Namgung Bi-ah raised her head and looked at the Silver Wolf Sword.
What beautiful eyes, he thought involuntarily.
“I have no particular ill will toward you. Even more so because I have ties with your father.”
The Sword-Dance Fairy’s father was the Sword King of the Namgung Family.
Their connection was not a deep one, but the Silver Wolf Sword knew him.
“So, if even now you would—”
Shing—!
“…!”
At the sound, the Silver Wolf Sword’s eyes widened.
He had meant to say that they could stop even now.
Namgung Bi-ah answered his concern by drawing her sword.
Seeing this, the Silver Wolf Sword asked:
“Do you truly intend to spar with me…?”
“…”
“Setting aside the Star King… Are you saying that you, too, believe you have a chance of winning against me?”
The Sword-Dance Fairy was strong.
As he had said before, even the Silver Wolf Sword could recognize her level.
However, being strong did not mean she was stronger than him.
The Silver Wolf Sword understood her level all too well.
It was an astonishing level, but that was where it ended.
She was still far from reaching him. That was the Silver Wolf Sword’s judgment.
“This is truly becoming absurd….”
In such a situation, were this pair of man and woman joining forces to look down on him?
Crack—!!
The Silver Wolf Sword clenched his fist violently.
“Very well.”
Fine. Show him what she could do.
He did not know what the Star King had intended to show, but having come this far, he could no longer retreat.
Since things had come to this, he would show them something as well.
Vrrrring.
The Eun-a-jeol Sword let out a low cry.
“Before the spar, I’ll give you three moves.”
“…”
“Come.”
The Silver Wolf Sword spoke as he lowered his aura.
An act of consideration—three whole moves.
At his words, everyone’s eyes gleamed with keen interest.
Exactly three moves.
The Silver Wolf Sword intended to yield those three moves, then strike her down with a single blow on the fourth.
He was just thinking that he would end this ridiculous spar that way when—
“Three moves?”
Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head and spoke.
“That’s right. Three—”
Whoosh—!
Suddenly, Namgung Bi-ah began swinging her sword.
Once just now.
Swish—!
Then twice.
Swish—!
And three times.
After swinging her sword three times in total, Namgung Bi-ah made her characteristic expression and looked at the Silver Wolf Sword.
“Three moves.”
At her calm words, everyone watching covered their mouths.
“…Th-this…!”
Crack.
The Silver Wolf Sword’s face flushed red in an instant.
He immediately roared, overcome by surging rage.
“Even when I was trying to show you consideration, you dare look down on me like this—!”
Tap.
“…!?”
But the Silver Wolf Sword’s outburst did not last long.
He felt something cold against his neck.
The edge of a sword was touching his skin.
“Consideration?”
At the voice, the Silver Wolf Sword lowered his head.
The voice that had sounded somewhat distant only a moment ago was now coming from directly before him.
A faint floral scent reached him.
Silken white hair swayed.
At the same time—
“…Who said…?”
Namgung Bi-ah whispered to the Silver Wolf Sword.