The Lightning Blossom of the Divine Sword Do Family, Do Sieun.
Her skill had been well known since her student days.
Not only was she fully qualified to be active as a hunter right away, she was said to be capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with mid-level hunters.
And in fact, as she fought her graduation duel, she displayed skill that was hard to believe from someone who had only just graduated from the Academy, astonishing those watching from the stands.
“…So this is what they mean by one of the Ten Great Families. The Divine Sword Do Family won’t have to worry about its standing for the next thirty years. She’s probably decided to join the Regulus Clan, hasn’t she? I envy them.”
“I heard she’ll be working at the Regulus Clan’s Academy City branch. From what I hear, she’ll be allowed to act independently from the moment she joins, and she’ll even be given the authority to form her own party….”
“The more I watch, the more my jaw drops. How can a girl be that gallant? She’s amazing.”
“I know…. What was I doing at that age…?”
“She deserves to graduate at the top of her class.”
“Ahem! Our junior Sieun is simply that incredible. Did you know she fought our branch head and drove him to the brink of defeat?”
“…Regulus Clan bastard, get lost. Are you bragging right now?”
Everyone voiced their impressions in their own way.
No one dared to look at Do Sieun’s skill and belittle it.
All they could do was accept it for what it was and marvel.
At the same time, they were shocked.
Because the student serving as her opponent in this graduation duel was…
Crackle! Rumble!
“…”
Displaying skill that did not fall behind Do Sieun’s in the slightest.
Moreover, at times, he even threatened her.
To those watching the duel, it was a sight difficult to believe.
They could not readily find the words.
“That kid… who did you say he was?”
“The Divine Sword Do Family’s… Thunder Cat, Do Gyeonu.”
“I’d heard rumors about the Thunder Cat, the one the Divine Sword Do Family supposedly regards as their next great prospect after the Lightning Blossom… It seems that wasn’t an exaggeration.”
“They say reality is stranger than fiction, and truly, the world is full of astonishing things.”
“Huh…. A kid who’s only advancing to his second year this year is matching the Lightning Blossom… Unbelievable.”
“It doesn’t even feel real anymore.”
“He’ll join the Regulus Clan when he graduates from the Academy too, won’t he? It’s a shame there won’t even be a chance to recruit him.”
“Now, now, you shouldn’t give up already. Who knows? He might join another clan.”
“Regulus Clan bastard, shut up.”
The Thunder Cat of the Divine Sword Do Family, Do Gyeonu.
People had no choice but to click their tongues at his skill, which far exceeded expectations.
At first, many had wondered whether the Divine Sword Do Family had simply chosen him as Do Sieun’s graduation duel opponent to raise the family’s prestige, but now they felt they understood the reason.
He possessed more than enough skill for it.
“…”
Neither side yielding even an inch.
Splashing through the water pooled on the floor, Do Sieun and Do Gyeonu charged at each other and crossed swords.
Not everyone looking down from the stands could follow the swordsmanship of the two with their eyes.
Even so, the scenes seared into their retinas from moment to moment could not help but leave a deep impression.
Most of all, they were captivated by the azure lightning that flashed blue without a moment’s pause.
Crackle! Fsssh!
“Wow….”
Azure lightning surged, writhed, and scattered.
At times it changed like a blooming flower, and at times like a roaring lion.
It was beautiful.
Before they knew it, the spectators had fallen silent, utterly absorbed in watching the duel.
Hoping that the world unfolding before their eyes would continue for as long as possible.
* * *
Unfortunately, controlling electric currents was one thing.
But when it came to controlling water currents, I couldn’t match Do Sieun, who handled the Suyeon Sword and a water spirit.
As a result, the azure lightning I generated was repeatedly blocked by her ability to control water.
On top of that.
Lion Curtain
‘…Again?’
Whenever it seemed as though I was about to gain the momentum even slightly.
Do Sieun swiftly cut off that flow, using the water pooled on the floor to create a curtain.
Then she would disappear into the curtain of water, conceal her presence, and launch a surprise attack from somewhere.
Crackle!
‘Seven o’clock.’
But I wasn’t simply being swept up in Do Sieun’s tactics either.
Sharpening my senses against the current running down my spine, I immediately turned my body.
I avoided Do Sieun’s sword, widened the distance, and adjusted my stance.
‘Noona really is strong. I can’t let my guard down for even a moment.’
Holding our swords in middle guard, we faced each other.
We were evenly matched.
If this trend continued, the duel would likely be decided by who exhausted themselves and collapsed first.
I didn’t want that kind of duel.
After all, as swordsmen…
‘Shouldn’t we decide things with our swords?’
That was what I believed.
Do Sieun would probably agree as well.
So.
‘It’s time to make a change.’
I made my decision.
I activated the magic built into the Ultramarine Sword.
Just as Do Sieun had been hiding a card of her own.
I, too, had been hiding one.
The sixth skill of the Ultramarine Sword, unlocked after reaching an Agility stat of 80—Iron Sand Conversion.
The mana flowing out of me instantly transformed into iron sand.
With this, I could freely draw upon iron sand that had not existed in the dueling arena.
Kicking off the ground and rushing forward, I immediately swung my sword.
Clatter! Slither!
“…!”
The iron sand sword, using the Ultramarine Sword as its medium, lengthened and shortened according to my will.
Do Sieun, who had accumulated a sense of distance from me through countless exchanges until now, could not help but flinch.
Agitation appeared in her blue eyes, and she had to struggle desperately to block my sword.
Shh-shh-shhk!
Naturally, I did not let that chance slip by and pressed Do Sieun hard.
Stepping forward with my front foot, I dug even deeper into her territory.
Lion Wild Dance
I couldn’t give her time to create a Lion Curtain like before and widen the distance.
Having seized the flow, I did not stop, swinging the iron sand sword again and again.
The iron sand sword would occasionally bend like a whip, adding to Do Sieun’s burden.
Slice!
“Ugh!”
The violently rotating particles of iron sand cut through Do Sieun’s collar.
At last, they grazed her cheek, leaving a small scratch.
At that very moment.
Whoosh!
Do Sieun’s blue eyes flashed.
Her eyes emitted light.
At the same time, streams of water wrapped around her, and the water pooled on the floor rose into the air.
‘The iron sand….’
Because of that, all the iron sand I had been controlling was caught up in the flow of water and swept away.
Having suddenly stepped into Do Sieun’s domain, I was left defenseless.
Toward me, Do Sieun used—
Lion Soaring Flight
She tried to thrust her sword in rapid succession.
Immediately grasping Do Sieun’s sword technique, I infused mana into the knot attached to the Ultramarine Sword.
Darkness burst out with me at its center.
By hiding myself within it, I neutralized Do Sieun’s sword technique and launched a counterattack.
But even within the darkness, where her senses were dulled, she moved without hesitation.
Splash! Splash!
The sound of water.
Do Sieun was detecting my position from the sound of water splashing whenever I stepped on the ground.
‘She really is amazing.’
I marveled inwardly.
I decided to use another move.
Taking advantage of the moment the darkness began to thin, I stepped on the air and rose into the sky.
And then.
Lion’s Weal and Woe
Wrapped in azure lightning, I descended.
Do Sieun calmly unfolded a defensive form.
From that point on, both she and I were revealing the bottoms of our mana reserves.
We began clashing swords while restraining our mana consumption.
If one struck down, the other defended; if one swung, the other knocked it aside; if one thrust, the other deflected it. We poured all our strength into each exchange.
It was in the middle of that when the end arrived.
‘I see it.’
An opening appeared in Do Sieun.
Ironically, the same was true of me.
In the end, I had to choose.
‘Do I retreat here or not?’
In truth, there was no need to hesitate.
Do Sieun would feel the same.
We trusted ourselves without the slightest doubt and thrust out our swords.
“…”
The Suyeon Sword touched the back of the Ultramarine Sword’s blade and passed by my face.
Meanwhile, the blade of the Ultramarine Sword was held close to Do Sieun’s neck.
The match had been decided.
I raised the corners of my mouth.
“I won, didn’t I?”
“…Yeah. I lost.”
Almost at the same time.
As if by prior agreement, we lowered the swords we had aimed at each other.
Though we had been fighting tooth and nail to win until just moments ago, we were now smiling as if relieved.
“Thanks. I learned something from you.”
“Same here. I learned a lot. When you made a contract with a water spirit, Noona, I was seriously shocked. But is your cheek okay? Sorry.”
“This? It’s fine. It’ll be healed by tomorrow. You were cut by me a lot too, though. Are you okay?”
“Well, that’s true. I’m fine too.”
We clasped hands firmly.
It felt as though Do Sieun’s elation was being transmitted to me through that hand.
She was probably feeling something similar.
Soon, after steadying our breathing, we looked around.
Perhaps because we had been focused on the duel until now, the moment the stands entered our eyes, it felt as though the world had expanded.
“…”
Countless people.
They were looking down at us from the stands and applauding.
Thunderous applause filled the arena without any sign of stopping.
I could not hide my pride.
“I guess we did pretty well. Right, Noona?”
“Yeah, I guess so. I think this is the first time I’ve experienced something like this too.”
People called out to me and Do Sieun.
We lightly bowed our heads and greeted them.
“Noona.”
“Yeah, what is it?”
“I’ll say it one more time. Congratulations on graduating. I’m going to miss not being able to see you.”
“…Thank you. Still, I’ll be working as a hunter in Academy City, so we’ll be able to see each other from time to time. And if we get the chance next time, let’s spar again.”
“Sure. Of course.”
And so.
Do Sieun graduated from the Academy.
* * *
The Circulation Cha Family had imprisoned the first spirit in their ancestral mountain and exploited it.
The hidden side of the Circulation Cha Family, revealed to the world several months ago, was extremely fascinating.
And the downfall of the family that resulted from it was even more so.
—To create superior hunters. This was a nation rebuilt from the very beginning under that ideology, so it is hardly strange that the Cha Family was doing such a thing. The Radiant Seong Family, to which I once belonged, was the same, and the other Ten Great Families and prestigious houses are surely doing similar things while merely keeping silent about them. Still, I wonder who tried to expose their own family’s disgrace.
The head of the Demon Society, Tacheon.
As one who stood in opposition to the Ten Great Families, he concluded that he needed to confirm the matter properly.
So, to investigate the incident himself, he visited the ancestral mountain of the Circulation Cha Family and replayed the memories of the scene at the time.
And within the memories filled with static.
—Those children again?
He discovered familiar faces.
They were the students who had killed Lee Gahyeon, the Puppet Demoness, one of the Six Demons.
Do Gyeonu of the Divine Sword Do Family, along with the promising first-years of Geumgang Academy.
The first time might have been coincidence, but the second was inevitability, was it not?
For some reason, Tacheon felt as though he had a strange connection with them.
Especially with—
—What truly chilling azure lightning. It is no wonder the first spirit was defeated. The one who cut off the Puppet Demoness’s breath was certainly that child as well.
The Thunder Cat of the Divine Sword Do Family, Do Gyeonu.
Tacheon found himself interested in him.
As it happened, he was said to be showing his skill in this graduation duel.
—I suppose I should take a little stroll.
Having heard the news, Tacheon visited Geumgang Academy out of curiosity.
And after watching the graduation duel, he could not help but be impressed.
“This is extraordinary.”
The Lightning Blossom of the Divine Sword Do Family, Do Sieun, was one thing.
But Do Gyeonu’s skill was at a level impossible to find among others his age.
Even Tacheon himself at that age, or Do Yeik, likely would not have been his match.
“From what I hear, even the Fighting Demon’s disciple couldn’t defeat that child? The Water King truly has an excellent grandson.”
He wanted him.
A child so outstanding surely ought to live in the world he would create, should he not?
If the opportunity arose, he wanted to snatch him away.
Amid the fervent applause of the crowd, Tacheon quietly smacked his lips and rose from his seat.
“I saw something good.”
If there was a bond between them, they would become entangled one way or another.
There was no need to be deliberately attached.
Wearing a white fedora on his head, Tacheon left Academy City without looking back.
And so, winter break passed, and a new school year began.
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss