767 – 9. There is not a single day when this does not happen (16)
It was spring when flower buds showed off their shy appearance.
As a new season comes, a new semester comes to the Academy. It was a time when unfamiliar relationships, loud drinking parties, and blood-curdling competition awaited us.
One day, I woke up with no memory and was asked to spar. To the gray-haired junior with whom I had never even had a proper conversation.
Seria Yurdina.
2Nd year senior in the Department of Swordsmanship, commonly referred to as ‘Yurdina’s Scumbag’.
Is it a coincidence that the season of Cheongeomsan Mountain was also spring? The sight engraved on my retina travels through my optic nerve and mixes with memories.
It was like this that day too.
My junior gritted his teeth and rushed at me with fierce force.
It was a speed that was difficult for me to respond to at the time. Because he was an ugly senior who couldn’t get ahead in swordsmanship, magic, or anything else.
But today was different.
Bang!
The sound of the wooden sword clashing with the wooden sword was intense. It feels like swords made of metal, not wood, are scraping against each other.
It was an exquisite crossover.
As her soaring wooden sword struck her from the side as she ran, Ceria skillfully twisted her wrist to control the angle of her impact. Even without using magical power, the strength of the ‘Master’ was difficult for even a trained warrior to handle.
As a result, my sword ran along the blade of the wooden sword lying on its side. Of course, Seria’s body, unable to withstand the momentum of my running, dug into my arms a little more.
It didn’t matter. This was because Ceria tilted her upper body in order to avoid my sword cutting across her side.
So, one match is a draw.
It didn’t matter. I didn’t think it would end in just one fight anyway.
Right away, the second sum.
The girl’s sword was returned from thin air as she flipped her upper body and naturally bent her knees. The target was my lower body, at about knee height, so it was difficult to respond.
If what was in Seria’s hand wasn’t just her practice wooden sword.
Tap.
The soles of her shoes and the wooden sword matched. If he had controlled her slash by slightly twisting her knee and stepping on it, it would not have been strange if it had already been cut off if it were a true sword.
Her neck blade was so powerful that it made the soles of her feet tingle.
There was a harvest. At the point when Seria’s wooden sword was blocked, the wooden sword in my hand was already falling like a guillotine.
With no way out, the girl had no choice but to throw away her wooden sword. Thanks to that, she was able to block it in the nick of time, but she couldn’t block the blow that struck with all her power without sacrificing anything.
“…… Pfft!”
Her kick hit Seria’s solar plexus as she tried to get up, stumbling and moaning.
Because she controlled her strength, she did not vomit blood. She was pushed to the ground, and only after rolling a couple of times was she able to regain her position.
There were no harsh screams. The blue eyes of the panting girl were still burning like fire.
I watched and asked.
“Is this the end?”
“No.”
Since she only shared a few sums, the girl’s breathing quickly calmed down. However, I can’t hide the heat that radiates from that tone.
“The purpose of sparring is to see the results of training… “You actually didn’t use the vision of ‘swrod circle,’ right?”
“There’s no need to force it, right? “I think it’s enough without having to use it.”
“It’s a foul.”
The eyes of the girl who objected were burning with her fighting spirit. The sound of breathing coming out through clenched teeth revealed clear emotions.
“When it comes to sparring, you have to keep actual combat in mind. But, blocking the blade with the sole of your shoe… “It’s impossible if you have a real sword.”
“So, do you want to join us one more time?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“I have never admitted defeat.”
It was a somewhat unreasonable claim.
What is ‘practical combat’? Speaking from my perspective, as someone who has been on the verge of death several times over the past year, it was truly a hell of uncontrollable variables.
Can we call it real combat just because we use a real sword? Who knows, my opponent’s blade may be dull, or I may happen to be wearing plate boots.
So, take the most appropriate response according to the situation at the time.
According to this perspective, my decision to block Seria’s path with the sole of my shoe was not a ‘foul’ or anything like that. Because it was the most appropriate move to catch the opponent off guard at that point.
Nevertheless, that’s why I don’t say anything.
It was simple. From the look on Seria’s face as she looked up at me, unlike before, I could see her clear feelings.
Fighting spirit, or the will to win.
This was the attitude a military officer should have. Moreover, I wanted to see more of the skills of a junior I met after a long time.
Ceria is responding to my movements even though she has no magic power. This was an impossible skill without her enlightenment in terms of distribution of power and agility.
One way or another, even though I am a strong person who has reached ‘Master’.
“Okay, then let’s play one more round.”
“It never ended in the first place.”
It seemed like he was clearly showing that he didn’t want to lose.
The fact that ‘one game’ is not over yet does not mean that the winner or loser has not yet been decided.
I guess it was a good complaint. Thinking like that, before I even adjusted my posture.
The wind rushed.
It was a rush that was so fast that even I was taken aback for a moment.
When I tilted my head to the side, a sharp wind passed by my earlobe. It was a high-quality stabbing that began without any preparation.
And the blade falls down in an instant.
It was a bizarre trajectory. Geomro, which stretched out in a straight line, was bent as if it were a stream of water that met a cliff.
But I couldn’t bear to complain.
Because that technology was a vision that I also loved.
‘The secret to calm movement.’
My wooden sword, which surged with all my might, deflected Seria’s sword path. The wooden sword that bounced to the side rushed towards me again, aiming for my forearm.
Kagak, the two bladeless swords interlocked and a struggle of strength began. Each time I carefully adjusted my strength and the angle of my wrist, the point of contact shook up, down, left and right.
Punching away, colliding with each other.
Nevertheless, unless the distance widened, the result was always the same. The two necks cling to each other as if they were making a sticky caress and have no intention of letting go.
I guessed his intention and burst into laughter.
Seria cannot match me in terms of strength or speed. This was a fact already proven in the battle just before.
Then what are the remaining fields?
Sophistication.
When two swords meet, the direction of force is more important than anything else. The moment a gap was created due to a slight difference, it was a stalemate.
So, you will do your best to cross swords with me.
It meant that if a gap was created due to a slight difference, it could be created in the opposite direction.
It was an offer I would gladly accept. I put more force into the wooden sword and let out a heated voice. Before you know it, Seria’s face is at a distance where their breaths can begin to mingle.
“…… “It was fun just now.”
No answer came back. Ceria was just gritting her teeth and concentrating all her attention on the sword.
Nevertheless, my voice continues.
“Without even preparation, they rushed in literally in an instant… So it felt even more sudden. “The more experienced a prosecutor is, the more sensitive he or she is to the opponent’s posture or muscles.”
Even before I got into position.
So to speak, Seria also committed her foul. No matter how much she thought about the actual battle, since she borrowed the form of ‘sparring’, she had to give herself time to complete her preparations.
However, I didn’t want to blame Seria. The purpose of this conversation was quite the opposite.
“It was a good idea. “It’s not like you, though.”
Praise, yes. That’s what I wanted to say.
Originally, Seria placed so much importance on her standards that she was worthy of being called a ‘swordsmanship textbook.’ Wasn’t she a woman who pursued a fair and clean path?
Then there was a change in my junior. Her standard may have its own merits, but I wanted to send a tribute to Seria in that she has a wider range of choices to choose from.
It was immediately after that that the girl’s lips, who were concentrating on the sword, softened.
“…… Is it like ‘me’?”
The hollow gaze was directed at me. The emotions contained in those blue eyes are unorganized and chaotic.
“Do you know me that well?”
Why should I answer this? I hesitated for a moment.
“No, I guess I was mistaken…” Master of emptiness.”
The playful words left a furrow between the girl’s beautiful eyebrows. The agitation of the mind also affects the sword.
There was no way I could have missed that subtle gap.
As soon as I pulled away her scarf with all my might, the other person’s arms opened. She took a step forward and hit the solar plexus directly with her elbow.
This was the second cumulative blow to the same area. Since she had even hit a critical point, she would have no choice but to make a choking noise and take a step back.
At this point I expected victory. Because I immediately pictured a future where I would hold a stiletto to the trembling girl’s uvula.
There was only one point where I misjudged.
Seria’s competitive spirit was beyond imagination. Even though she is just a couplet at best.
The girl snatched the wooden sword that was pointed at the nape of her neck. Of course, there was no strength left to twist my sword blade, and at best, the amount of pulling was limited.
Even so, Seria’s posture was on the verge of collapse. If I tried to pull my sting out in that situation, the outcome would be obvious.
The girl’s body collided with the ground with a harsh sound. Since the wooden sword held in her grasp was mine, she naturally had to fall on top of me as well.
Soon there was silence.
The sounds of rough breathing were mixed. Her skin was white and soft with light drops of sweat, the figure of her lying female body had a strange sensuality, and her blue eyes were full of me.
Because she still can’t hide her resentment.
It was of great help in understanding the whispers that permeated my eardrums.
“Is it good to beat a junior so quickly?”
“Junior? What junior? “I don’t have any juniors with the strange name ‘Gong’?”
Seria just gritted her teeth as the counterarguments continued to flow. Well, she must have nothing to say.
At this point, I decided to say everything I wanted to say.
“Why ‘ball’ in the first place? “It doesn’t even have a good tone.”
“It is an honorable title handed down from generation to generation by the instructors of Heavenly Sword Mountain… Of course, I am proud of it.”
“Wasn’t it Yurdina?”
“Do you know how I feel?”
What comes back to that question is another question.
I answered that question with silence. Until Ceria spoke out her true feelings.
“This is a decision I made after much thought and consideration… I thought I was getting used to it by now, but why did you suddenly come to Cheongeomsan Mountain and make a fuss…… !”
It was right then.
“…… “What are you doing, Master Gong?”
At the sound of her undesirable voice coming from somewhere, Seria’s body trembled in surprise. And it was literally a split second before she pushed me away and stood again.
Hmm, hmm. The girl cleared her throat, caught her breath, and began to feign her composure.
“Instructor Heo, and… Even Master Mu.”
My eyes also naturally turned to the center of the conversation. There, as expected, there were two unfamiliar figures standing there.
A slim boy and a woman whose face is barely visible because she has cotton thread pressed tightly into her bamboo ribs.
Among them, the one who abused Seria was ‘Instructor Heo’ in the form of a boy.
“Instructor Gong, I understand that you can’t control your youthful spirit… However, if you act affectionately while the trainees are watching…….”
“Ah, ah! Ugh… “Oh, no!”
She was so embarrassed that Ceria was even chewing on her tongue for the first time in a long time. Judging by my bright red earlobes, it seemed like I had finally realized what position we were talking in.
“It’s just that while sparring, I happened to… ….”
It was a lame excuse. This was clear just by looking at the reaction of the princess below her podium.
She even pointed her thumb down, making a low sound.
It was natural for Seria to blush even more. In the end, she chose to change her strategy instead of making excuses.
“Well, what about Master Heo and Master Mu? For some reason… ….”
“We came to see Dalian. Anyway, once the basic training is over, you might come to the ‘Gwan of Weight’ or the ‘Gwan of Change’… “I guess it’s already too late.”
Should I really call him an instructor?
Even though he had just arrived, Master Heo seemed to have a general idea of the situation. Even the fact that he no longer has anyone to spar with and that the winner has already been decided.
He spoke in a blunt tone.
“The Great Beom-nim will be calling soon. “Instructor Gong, let’s go up together after all this has happened.”
“Ah, yes, yes…” ….”
Ceria, half entranced by her shame, simply nodded her head. At a time when I thought that sparring would come to an end so suddenly.
“Pond of Forgetting.”
I glanced away at the unpleasant tone that sounded like boiling molten iron. Next to me stood a woman with cotton thread covering her face.
“Master Gong meditates in the ‘Pond of Forgetting’ every night.”
“Yes?”
She couldn’t guess the intention, so she asked again, but there was no answer. Because Master Mu was following the two masters who were already far ahead.
More than that, she was a woman with a strange voice. It was as if she had damaged her vocal cords on purpose.
I stared blankly at the back, and she quickly swallowed a laugh.
What are you saying?
However, I did have this feeling.
Let’s go to the pond tonight. A place called ‘Pond of Forgetting’.
The sun was already setting.