Episode 9
There’s an expression called “a shit-eating face.”
I’ve thought so for a while, but I don’t think there’s any phrase that conveys disgust better than this.
No one has ever actually bitten into shit, but just imagining it naturally forms a certain expression on your face, doesn’t it?
The reason I’m saying this now is because an insolent descendant bastard was making exactly that face.
“You really want to die?”
Veins bulged on Teo’s forehead.
He seemed quite angry.
And yet, he dared make that face at a distant ancestor.
As expected, kids these days have no manners.
“If you’re angry, sorry.”
Luke tilted his head.
“I’m just not good at lying.”
“The more I look at you…!”
Teo couldn’t hold back anymore and swung at Luke’s face.
Swish-!
But his fist merely traced a trajectory through the air.
Had he misjudged the distance?
His opponent hadn’t even really dodged, yet the fist missed completely.
“You seem quite heated. But since we can’t cause a commotion here, why don’t you calm down?”
Luke said, stepping back a pace.
There wasn’t the slightest disturbance in that movement, to the point he looked as if he were floating in the air.
“Hey, stop right there.”
Teo ground his teeth.
“I should rough you up like that bastard from earlier too.”
“You’ve already failed at the basics of intimidation.”
Perhaps truly bewildered, Teo froze stock still.
“If you just flap your mouth like that, who’s going to be scared?”
Abruptly.
Luke, who had approached right in front of Teo’s nose before he knew it, spoke.
‘What? When did he get here?’
Before Teo could resolve that question, Luke moved first.
Shring.
He drew the sword hanging at Teo’s waist.
And pointed it straight at Teo.
If Luke moved even slightly from this position, the sword would pierce Teo’s chest.
Gulp.
The sound of Teo swallowing dryly rang out plainly.
“W-what, what, what?”
“See? You’re scared right away. This is how you intimidate someone.”
Luke turned the sword around and handed it back to Teo.
“Let’s take our time with the rest of the greetings. It’s not like today is the only day.”
Luke tried to step back again as if nothing had happened.
Click.
If only Teo hadn’t pointed his sword at him.
“You arrogant bastard, should I leave a knife hole in your belly like back then?”
“Wow, applying what you learned right away. At this rate, it’ll be worth teaching you anything in the future.”
“Does this look like a joke to you right now?”
“Not at all.”
Teo was rather flustered by Luke’s nonchalant attitude.
‘This bastard… what’s with his eyes?’
His younger brother’s eyes looked deeper than the sea.
They were like the gaze of one who had ascended to a realm of enlightenment.
But as the older brother, he couldn’t afford to show his bewilderment here.
He pressed the sword he was holding closer to Luke’s neck.
“Want to make a bet?”
Luke spoke without the slightest tremor.
“I’ll give you ten minutes. During that time, swing the sword as much as you want.”
“What?”
“But only exactly ten minutes. If you can’t kill me by then, you’ll have to follow my words from then on.”
One corner of Luke’s mouth curled up.
“Do you think I’ll be scared just because you’re acting all high and mighty? Fine, I’ll leave a knife hole in your belly today.”
But this time too, the sword only cut through empty air.
Luke was already standing two paces away.
“I can take it that you’ve accepted the bet, right?”
Click.
He took out a pocket watch and pressed the button.
“Ten minutes starting now.”
* * *
An alley in the Northern Entertainment District.
A place that was noisy in and of itself, where disputes between people were frequent.
Usually, such fights were wrapped up quickly.
But from a little while ago, similar sounds had been continuously ringing out here.
Swish, swish-swish-swish, swish!
The sound of tearing air that conveyed its sharpness vividly even just by hearing it.
But the sound of the blade actually splitting flesh was nowhere to be heard.
Instead, only a man’s rough breathing could be heard.
“Hah, hah.”
His breath had risen all the way to his chin.
Perhaps because the strength had left his arms, the sword felt as heavy as a rock.
How much time was left?
He didn’t even need to worry about that.
“One minute left. How long are you going to keep cutting nothing but air?”
Because right there, standing just one step behind the sword’s range, was that younger brother bastard, looking at his pocket watch.
That nonchalance angered Teo even more.
If he just took one step forward from here and thrust his sword, he could pierce through that damned bastard’s chest.
But even without actually thrusting, he knew.
That his sword wouldn’t reach that guy.
‘Just how is he doing it?’
It had been like that since earlier.
No matter how much he swung, he couldn’t reach him.
That bastard never moved more than two steps from the sword’s range, yet evaded every single attack.
And without even launching a single counterattack!
Could he see the sword’s range with his eyes?
Or had he been possessed by a ghost?
He couldn’t grasp at all what kind of trick he was using.
Meanwhile, Luke, who was watching that spectacle, laughed inwardly.
‘Go ahead and try for a hundred days. Would that sword even reach me?’
Luke was certain that sword would never reach him.
Because he had practiced that sword technique until he was sick of it.
Without exaggeration, he could reproduce it even with his eyes closed.
On top of that, that guy was still a newbie who didn’t know how to properly conceal his own aura.
For Luke, who was extremely familiar with the Syunelden aura, it was plainly obvious whether the next attack was a thrust or a slash, high or low.
‘I can see when and how he’ll attack. How could I possibly get hit?’
Because his own training was still insufficient, he couldn’t perfectly subdue him to the point where he couldn’t even make a peep.
But bastards like that would keep crawling back up if you didn’t step on them properly.
That was why he had proposed this bet.
Because if it was just “not getting hit,” he could do it for an hour or two.
For Teo, who had no way of knowing that, it was only natural that Luke’s skill felt like magic.
“Not much time left. Are you just going to give up?”
Luke deliberately fanned his anger with a leisurely tone.
It was to draw out his abilities to the maximum.
“Do I look like a total pushover?”
Teo gripped his sword tightly and steadied his breathing.
As one who had been called the greatest talent of the Syunelden family, he hadn’t wanted to go this far.
But rather than lose to that bastard and be toyed with, it was better to throw away that measly pride.
“I didn’t think I’d end up having to use something like this here….”
A cold wind began to blow around Teo.
It was reminiscent of the Northern snow winds.
“You know what this is, right?”
“What is it?”
“It’s the true secret technique passed down all the way to the secret art.”
“Oh, really?”
Luke answered in a voice filled with anticipation.
“But you’re going to go that far against someone of the same blood?”
“I’ll make sure you can never look at me like that again.”
White frost settled on Teo’s sword.
And the moment that cold energy gathered at the tip of the sword.
Whoosh!
He thrust the sword in.
The cold energy settled at the sword’s tip surged forth together.
Swhoooaaaak-!
Like an avalanche, that cold energy swallowed Luke up in an instant.
As if that weren’t enough, the cold energy even swallowed the wall behind him before subsiding.
“Hehe.”
A smile full of certainty bloomed on Teo’s lips.
Luke’s appearance would be the same as that wall, which had been reduced to tatters.
‘Serves you right, running your mouth in front of just anyone…’
He had no choice but to stop thinking.
“Five seconds, four seconds, three seconds.”
Because right there was his younger brother, looking at his pocket watch, perfectly fine without a single wound.
Teo felt electricity running down his spine.
It didn’t take him long to realize that it meant he was afraid.
“H-how did this happen?”
“Two seconds, one second.”
Luke counted down without answering.
“How did you do it, you bastard…!”
Click.
“Ten minutes are up. It’s over.”
Luke said with a bright smile.
“You’ll have to follow my words as promised.”
“Are you crazy? Forget it, just get lost. I’m letting you off today because my condition isn’t good.”
“Who said it’s up to you?”
Teo flinched at Luke’s voice, infinitely cold unlike anything until now.
“You seem to be under some misconception.”
“…..”
“The weak should shut up and do as the strong say. If you don’t like it, get stronger.”
Luke knew that fact painfully well too.
Because he had been weak, he had suffered at Melvin’s hands, and thus had everything taken from him.
Not only his own honor, but also the future of the house.
To reclaim what had been stolen from him by Melvin and Cornelio, he had to become stronger without fail.
That was something that applied not only to Luke, but to the entire Syunelden family.
“I got too excited.”
Luke smiled softly again.
But in Teo’s mind, that coldness of Luke was still vividly present.
It was a type of sensation he had never experienced before.
“Anyway, see you at the White Silver Hall this evening.”
“…..”
Teo tried to talk back to Luke, but his mouth wouldn’t open.
‘What is this, why am I like this all of a sudden?’
Tremble, tremble, tremble.
The tips of his fingers were trembling slightly.
It was only because he was still exerting strength; if he let go here, they would tremble enough to be plainly visible.
On top of that, this chilling sensation running up his spine.
‘What is this?’
Since he had grown up, he had never once been afraid of anyone.
So he couldn’t even realize the fact that he was afraid.
While he was frozen stiff, Luke opened his mouth first.
“Can I take your silence to mean you understand?”
“Yeah….”
Once he accepted Luke’s words, only then did his mouth, which had been hard as stone, move.
He couldn’t understand why his body was acting this way at all.
‘And why did this bastard change so suddenly? He used to be just a pathetic loser.’
Luke noticed Teo grumbling inwardly.
“Upset?”
“No, it’s not exactly that.”
“If it stings, hit me. Of course, only if you can.”
Seeing that brazenly nonchalant expression, strength surged into Teo’s fist.
But he wouldn’t be able to lay a single finger on that face.
That bastard too… no, he must be saying that because he knows that.
“Then I’ll be on my way. I just came to see my big brother’s face today anyway.”
Luke turned around.
Then he stopped as if remembering something.
“If the garrison soldiers come, you take care of it. People gathered because of that flashy technique you used.”
Luke waved his hand and disappeared into the alley.
Teo quietly watched him leave.
Dadadada!
Soon after, footsteps were heard from outside the alley.
“Everyone stand back! It’s the garrison troops.”
“What kind of idiots are fighting with drawn swords in broad daylight?”
Just as Luke had said, the garrison soldiers were coming.
Well, they had fought to the point of blowing away the wall entirely in broad daylight, so of course the garrison would come.
“I’ll have to call Rahitz.”
Teo furrowed his brows.
Since disturbances of this level happened from time to time, Rahitz would handle it well.
‘But more than that, do I really have to go to the White Silver Hall?’
That was Teo’s only worry right now.