584

 [Chapter 157]

[Noh Eun-ha Squad (5)]

When did it start?

Probably after the recapture of Uijeongbu.

Having lost his peers and survived alone, he abandoned his will to protect humanity from monsters.

The ones in Uijeongbu are monsters.

How can we possibly defeat such beings?

3rd rank overrank White Mask.

Byun Ji-seong, who barely survived White Mask, realized the futility of life from that day on.

So he settled for the immediate reality.

He fell into a desire for honor.

There's so much to enjoy in the world!

I can't waste my life just killing monsters!

With the external honor of <Swift Sword>.

And obtaining the power of being one of the Seven Lions.

Byun Ji-seong floundered in desire.

As a result, he often conflicted with Gu Yeon-su or Park Hye-rim─.

'─It's not much, but please take care of me from now on.'

'Oh, what's this.... Hmm, I can't help it then. I'll do my best to help as much as I can.'

Eventually, he committed corruption.

It was one day.

That day, Byun Ji-seong met someone at a bar he frequented, whether by chance or intentionally, who said they would buy information about Regulus Clan.

Dazzled by the large sum he paid, Byun Ji-seong subsequently leaked some information from Regulus Clan.

At first, he had a guilty conscience.

But as he gave in to desire, the guilty conscience gradually faded.

Then around that time─.

'─Kids, say hello. These will be your future seniors.'

<Holy Mother> Park Hye-rim recruited Noh Eun-ah, Ryu Yeon-hwa, and Han Chang-jin to the clan.

From that day on, Park Hye-rim's influence within the clan began to grow.

Naturally, Byun Ji-seong's influence could only diminish.

From Byun Ji-seong's perspective, he simply couldn't like them.

Moreover─.

─These brats are so arrogant! If you've joined, you should just watch the seniors' moods, but you're looking down on the seniors!?

Because their achievements upon joining the clan were so great.

Byun Ji-seong's position was in a situation where it was gradually diminishing.

So to break through this situation, he challenged Ryu Yeon-hwa to a duel, but─.

'─Thank you for teaching me a lesson.'

'...Kuk...!'

So hopelessly.

Byun Ji-seong was defeated by Ryu Yeon-hwa.

Byun Ji-seong, who was utterly crushed in front of all the clan members, lost his influence within the clan.

In such a situation─.

─Noh Eun-ah's brother, was it? How great does he think he is....

There was no way Byun Ji-seong could feel goodwill towards Noh Eun-ah's younger brother.

He was already displeased with what Noh Eun-ah's group was doing.

Thinking that Noh Eun-ha would join in as well, his stress was about to explode.

So he was looking for an opportunity.

An opportunity to discipline Noh Eun-ha.

No, an opportunity to relieve stress.

Moreover─.

'─Wow, senior, you know in detail? Then how do you do this?'

'Oh ho, this is... Before that.... Didn't I tell you to call me oppa instead of senior? Why do you keep calling me senior? Bebe, are you uncomfortable with me?'

'Oh, come on.... There might be people watching around us.'

'There's no one here. So you can call me that. Come on, say it. Hehehe.'

'Okay..., Ji-seong oppa. But oppa, how strong are you?'

'What? How strong am I? Don't you know I'm one of the Seven Lions?'

'Oh, I know that. But I heard other seniors saying that with Eun-ha's skills, he could even beat the Seven Lions members....'

'What? Who said such nonsense?'

High school academy transfer student Bebe.

He had grown quite close to her after providing some convenience for her to enter Regulus Clan.

But she kept mentioning Noh Eun-ha at every opportunity.

Asking who would win if he and Noh Eun-ha fought.

'I want to see it. What would happen if Ji-seong oppa fought Eun-ha....'

'Of course oppa would win!'

'I want to see it.'

'...'

Thus, Byun Ji-seong grew increasingly hostile towards Noh Eun-ha over time.

Now, he has come to duel with Noh Eun-ha.

"─It's too late to regret now. You're dead."

"Shouldn't you speak with your sword rather than your mouth?"

"...You won't back down even in words."

"I won't lose with the sword either."

"..."

Using only swordsmanship without magic.

After confirming the duel rules, Byun Ji-seong immediately tried to intimidate Noh Eun-ha.

But arrogantly, that Noh Eun-ha brazenly talked back.

He's shortening his life.

Byun Ji-seong was extremely displeased.

Drawing his sword and taking a stance, he inwardly mocked him.

How stupid....

If you were going to fight me, you should have said you'd use magic.

Then you might have had a slight chance....

<Swift Sword> Byun Ji-seong.

The alias <Swift Sword> was given to him because he could swing his sword 8 times in 1 second without using magic.

For him, who was skilled at swinging his sword so quickly, this duel was nothing short of his solo stage.

That's why he was arrogant.

And confident in his victory.

"You come first. I'll give you a handicap."

So he was thinking of giving Noh Eun-ha the first move.

But Noh Eun-ha─.

"─You come first. As a junior, I'll give you a handicap, senior."

"...!"

Noh Eun-ha snorted.

Not expecting such treatment, his face turned bright red.

He couldn't control his anger and gritted his teeth.

"Fine. Don't regret it."

In the end, Byun Ji-seong decided to take down the insolent junior in one go.

He now felt very sorry for him who had kicked away the opportunity given to him.

Anyway─.

"─Here I come."

"Instead of moving your mouth, move your body...!"

As he rushed forward, he drew his sword.

Noh Eun-ha, who hadn't even taken a stance until then, was greatly flustered.

Regardless, Byun Ji-seong closed the distance in an instant.

White Ghost 72 Sword Technique

Even without using magic.

He had the swordsmanship that made him <Swift Sword>.

A swordsmanship that swings the sword 72 times in 9 seconds, killing the enemy before they can properly react.

Byun Ji-seong firmly believed he had won against Noh Eun-ha with swordsmanship alone, even though he had adjusted his strength.

But reality was completely different from his expectations─.

"──!!"

Byun Ji-seong's eyes widened.

Noh Eun-ha was keeping up with his swordsmanship.

No, he was reading it.

This can't be...!

As if he could see the dazzling trajectories passing by.

Noh Eun-ha was stepping back and avoiding the trajectories.

Moreover, he wasn't even using a sword.

White Ghost 88 Sword Technique

This is impossible.

Byun Ji-seong gritted his teeth and stepped forward with all his might.

He quickly switched from the 9-form technique to the 11-form technique and accelerated even faster than before.

Kiiieek!

It made a sound like a ghost laughing.

And only then did hesitation arise in Noh Eun-ha.

Can you dodge this too!

He found an opening in Noh Eun-ha.

Byun Ji-seong pressed him even more.

He thoroughly exploited his weakness.

And just as he was about to graze Noh Eun-ha's uniform collar─.

─Jiing!

As Noh Eun-ha raised his left hand.

The sword that had been appearing and disappearing like a ghost collided with Noh Eun-ha's mango glove.

No, it didn't collide, it got caught.

The sword got caught between the blade and the hilt, blocking its movement.

No, what...!

He raised the mango glove fearlessly even though his hand could have been cut off.

Byun Ji-seong was surprised by Noh Eun-ha's attitude and struggled to pull out the sword caught in the mango glove.

Just then─.

"─Kuhek...!"

Noh Eun-ha stuck close to prevent him from pulling out the sword.

Then he suddenly kicked his abdomen.

Byun Ji-seong, who was hit in the abdomen without any defense, cried out in terrible pain.

He lost his grip on the sword and fell backward from the recoil of the kick.

"A duel doesn't have to be just swinging swords."

"You bastard...!"

"I've taught you one lesson for now."

Noh Eun-ha said, giggling.

Soon he threw the sword caught in the mango glove to Byun Ji-seong, who had gotten up clutching his stomach.

With a clang.

The sword cried as it fell to the floor.

"..."

"It would be disappointing if it ended like this, right?"

Looking at the sword fallen on the floor.

Byun Ji-seong felt that something was going wrong.

☆

'─Shall I teach you a lesson?'

When she first heard those words.

Ryu Yeon-hwa doubted her ears.

No way.

Eun-ha would never say something like that.

A tone that sounded almost threatening.

Yeon-hwa couldn't hide her bewilderment at this unfamiliar side of Eun-ha.

Noh Eun-ha seemed very strange.

At the same time─.

─Is it because of me?

She guessed the reason why Eun-ha spoke so arrogantly to a senior.

Soon, her guess became certainty.

And finally─.

─He's doing this to protect me.

Ryu Yeon-hwa fell into a fantasy.

That Eun-ha had challenged the duel to protect her from Byun Ji-seong's verbal abuse.

She indulged in this fantasy.

I'm not... someone weak enough to need protection from anyone.

<Snow Spear> Ryu Yeon-hwa.

She was someone who protected others, never someone who needed protection from others.

Ryu Yeon-hwa, who had grown up hearing she was promising since childhood, thought she would never need protection from others.

But now Noh Eun-ha had challenged Byun Ji-seong to a duel to protect her.

I'm not... a weak person....

Confusion filled her heart.

Then an indescribable emotion warmed her chest.

Even standing still, her heart was pounding, and she felt heat emanating from her body.

'Hey... Eun-ha.'

'Noona.'

'...'

'Don't worry. I'll win. Don't you trust me?'

'That's not it....'

'Just watch from there.'

'...'

She wanted to tell him she wasn't a weak person.

She wanted to say something to Eun-ha.

But she couldn't stop Eun-ha as he stepped onto the dueling ground.

Because he had uttered those words just before stepping onto the dueling ground.

Ryu Yeon-hwa's thoughts were momentarily paralyzed.

Now that I look... he's grown.

Blankly.

Ryu Yeon-hwa stared at Noh Eun-ha's back with an entranced gaze.

Now she noticed his shoulders were broad.

He had really grown tall too.

If she were to lean on him, his build seemed sturdy enough that it wouldn't be uncomfortable.

In Eun-ha's eyes....

I must look weak.

Half wanting to explain.

Half wanting to leave it as is.

In the end, Ryu Yeon-hwa felt an aching sensation in her chest as she watched Eun-ha duel with Byun Ji-seong.

...It's hot.

Due to <Ice Flower>.

Ryu Yeon-hwa usually didn't feel heat well.

But at this moment, she felt her body getting hot.

"Yeon-hwa, are you sick? Your face looks a bit red..."

"It's nothing."

"It can't be nothing. Your neck is also..."

"I said it's nothing."

"...I guess it's nothing then."

While watching Noh Eun-ha's swordsmanship.

Han Chang-jin quietly came to her side and spoke.

She showed an unpleasant attitude, making him flustered.

Regardless, Ryu Yeon-hwa focused on Eun-ha's swordsmanship.

...It's clean. It's cool.

And... it's fun.

Noh Eun-ha is toying with Byun Ji-seong.

Unlike Byun Ji-seong who pursued form, Noh Eun-ha was thoroughly ignoring form and swinging his sword according to his mood.

Nevertheless, the trajectories Eun-ha created looked very beautiful.

Above all, his unpredictable swordsmanship was quite entertaining to watch.

"Eun-ha really... When I heard he would fight without using magic, I was worried, but there was no need to worry."

"There's no way Eun-ha would lose."

"...You sound like Eun-ah."

"I'm just stating facts."

"...Yeon-hwa, you're not angry with me about something, are you?"

"No. I'm not."

"...That's good then. But Eun-ha really handles the sword well. Just now he blocked the sword with the mango glove..."

"Chang-jin."

"Huh?"

"Can you be quiet? I can't concentrate."

"...Oh... okay... sorry..."

She doesn't like Chang-jin constantly talking beside her.

She spoke with strength in her eyes.

As Chang-jin became cowed.

She decided to focus on Eun-ha's swordsmanship now.

─Ah....

Time passed.

Eun-ha threw the scabbard to obstruct Byun Ji-seong's vision.

Seizing that moment, Eun-ha struck Byun Ji-seong's sword with his mango glove.

Victory was confirmed.

"Yeon-hwa! Eun-ha won!"

"Be quiet."

"..."

People cheer.

Ryu Yeon-hwa didn't even hear the cheers of the people.

She only had eyes for Eun-ha, who picked up the fallen scabbard.

Eun-ha sheathes his sword.

"..."

Then their eyes met.

Eun-ha acknowledges her.

At that very moment─.

─W-why am I like this?

Ryu Yeon-hwa was blinded.

☆

To be honest, it's disappointing.

Noh Eun-ha couldn't shake off that thought as he crossed swords with Byun Ji-seong.

Is this all the skill of <Sword King>?

In his previous life.

<Swift Sword> Byun Ji-seong became <Sword King> and a representative player of Regulus Clan.

But Eun-ha couldn't sense any quality of <Sword King> in the man before him now.

Isn't this going too far?

The alias <Sword King> held high value among players who used swords.

But seeing Byun Ji-seong's actual skill, one could only think he obtained the alias through Regulus Clan's influence.

Eun-ha kept sighing at Byun Ji-seong's poor skills.

White Ghost Sword Technique, what nonsense....

Is he going to cut ghosts with that?

He couldn't even properly cut monsters.

Moreover, the White Ghost Sword Technique, which could be called Byun Ji-seong's signature technique.

But Eun-ha couldn't hide his disappointment seeing his technique.

Isn't it just swinging the sword 8 times in 1 second?

In the future, there were many people who could swing swords like that.

Even our dummy hyung could do that much.

How could someone like this be called <Sword King>?

This is why marketing is a problem.

It was a point that showed how much Regulus Clan had declined in the previous life.

Inwardly clicking his tongue, Eun-ha decided not to deal with Byun Ji-seong anymore.

What's the use of swinging fast.

If nothing hits.

Speed isn't everything.

In the end, it's meaningless if it doesn't hit.

Eun-ha avoided Byun Ji-seong's swordsmanship while subtly inducing an opening.

Then Byun Ji-seong changed his technique and exploited the opening.

Aiming for that gap─.

"──!!"

If the opponent uses fast swordsmanship as their specialty and makes it hard to read trajectories.

Then you just need to induce the opponent to create the trajectory you want.

Eun-ha, who skillfully guided Byun Ji-seong, threw the scabbard he was wearing at his side at the exact moment the desired trajectory was created.

You didn't expect this, did you?

Byun Ji-seong was greatly flustered.

He reflexively tried to strike away the scabbard flying towards him.

At that moment, Byun Ji-seong's movements completely collapsed.

The sword faltered.

And swift swords become useless the moment their trajectory stops.

"I've taught you a lesson."

"...Damn it..."

Winter crawling on snow flakes, holding Byun Ji-seong's sword so it could no longer move.

Eun-ha pointed the coldly blooming winter at him.

It was settled with no room for excuses.

To think someone like this is one of the Seven Lions....

Byun Ji-seong can't even raise his head.

Eun-ha, now thoroughly bored, withdrew his sword from him.

With all desire to converse with his opponent gone, Eun-ha left the dueling ground.

"Eun-ha."

"Ah, noona. Did you see? How was it?"

Immediately, Ryu Yeon-hwa, who had been among the people, ran out to Eun-ha.

He warmly welcomed her as she came running with Buldak perched on her head.

He asked her for her impressions of the duel.

Ryu Yeon-hwa─.

"─It was... cool enough to make my heart race."

"Huh? Doesn't your heart always beat?"

"That's not what I meant..."

"I know what you mean. That it was incredibly cool, right?"

"Beep beep beep boop boop boop boop boop!"

"Yes, that's right. It was incredibly... really cool."

Ryu Yeon-hwa, who seemed somewhat flushed.

Eun-ha burst out laughing seeing her speak with her hand on her chest.

What on earth was so cool?

He didn't even fight properly.

But Ryu Yeon-hwa said─.

"─You fought because of me, right?"

"Huh?"

"You were upset that I was being insulted... so you fought, right?"

"...?"

Stars are pouring from Ryu Yeon-hwa's eyes.

Eun-ha was at a loss for words seeing her eyes sparkling at him.

Apparently─.

─Apparently this noona seems to be having some strange misunderstanding?

Noh Eun-ha blinked repeatedly.

Ryu Yeon-hwa's gaze wouldn't leave Eun-ha.

Oh well, never mind.

Let's just go with it.

In the end, Eun-ha gave up thinking about it.

"─That's right. I fought because of you, noona. I didn't like how that person kept picking fights with you."

"...! I suddenly have an urgent matter to attend to, so I'll go first."

"...Huh? Why is noona acting like that..."

"Papa?"

Now with her whole body turning bright red.

Ryu Yeon-hwa shook her head back and forth and suddenly ran away.

Noh Eun-ha and the clan members all couldn't hide their bewildered expressions.