17 – Sparring (2)
“……”
Harang erased his smile and glared at Lian. Even though he was a newcomer who had joined not long ago, he couldn’t be unaware of what it meant to fight with martial arts and fists.
Of course, there was a possibility that Lian had experience in martial arts, but Harang thought it was unlikely. The scars and calluses that come from moving one’s body vigorously were nowhere to be seen on Lian.
The speculation that he might not be a martial artist was also based on that.
Harang didn’t think Lian had the temperament to engage in meaningless fights. Was it a mistake?
While it was true that Harang found Lian appealing, he had no intention of treating him specially. Harang was someone who enjoyed combat itself, and whenever a physically capable person joined the mercenary corps, he would engage in sparring.
Sparring with Lian was just another one of those occasions.
“Quit playing around and bring it now.”
“I’m serious.”
“…”
Magic revolved around Lian. Harang stopped scolding and watched Lian. Eyes with emotions restrained to the extreme. It wasn’t born from arrogance.
‘Confidence.’
Now that he looked, Lian’s posture was firmly grounded. The movements achievable by someone who had trained for just a day or two.
At the same time, in Harang’s mind, a statement Lian had made before flashed by.
Did he say the reason his body was like this was due to personal circumstances?
‘…It seems I just blurted out something without much thought.’
“Damn it. I misunderstood again.”
Harang scratched his head, looking puzzled.
“I’m just saying this just in case, but I’m not normally such a stuck-up person. It’s just, that, um-.”
“It’s alright. It was my fault for being vague in my words.”
“…There’s nothing more to say after saying that.”
Harang sighed heavily and slowly shifted her posture.
“When you feel like coming in, come in. I’ll just defend, so show me what you’ve got.”
“There’s no need to go that far—”
“I’m just doing it because I want to, so just accept it.”
Instead of replying, Lian nodded his head.
The magic firmly anchored around Harang, as if protecting her body. Rather than focusing on attacking someone, her stance emphasized defense.
“Completely different from Jason, huh…”
If Jason’s magic was like a fierce storm, Harang’s magic was calm and serene.
“Hmm.”
Instead of immediately attacking, Lian observed Harang. She looked towards him with a tilted head, still supporting herself with one leg and seemingly unaffected even though one leg was missing.
Immovable.
Despite having one less leg to support her body, there was no trembling, and not even a hint of vulnerability.
It seemed as if she had become more robust than before, creating a misconception.
“How long are you planning to just stare?”
Harang opened her mouth. She still wore a white shirt over her shoulders, looking fragile as if it would flow down with the wind.
But it would never happen, fueled by absolute confidence in herself.
Seeming to notice that gaze, Harang lifted one corner of her mouth.
“Can you handle it?”
“I guess I’ll find out.”
“hahahaha, sure. That’s how it should be.”
No further conversation was necessary.
Lian clenched his fist and lowered his body. As always, he spread the magical pulse that emanated from his heart throughout his entire body.
Assessment!
And in an instant, he delved into Harang.
‘Physical enhancement?’
Harang’s eyes twinkled. As a skilled martial artist, she quickly saw through how Lian controlled his magic.
‘No restraint at all. Does he have perfect control over the magical energy within his body?’
But she wasn’t surprised. If the opponent were an ordinary boy, she would have been astonished, but Lian was no ordinary boy.
‘No way Jason would bring an ordinary kid.’
Considering the meticulous man, there was no chance he’d bring a troublemaker on the brink of an important project.
Naturally, this had to be done.
Kwang!
The next moment, Harang and Lian clashed. The impact of fists and legs colliding was unbelievably massive.
“…!”
Solid. Just one collision, and Lian could gauge Harang’s strength.
‘Ridiculously powerful.’
Ironically, it seemed like the one who attacked would be repelled. Lian stared at Harang, massaging his tingling arm.
Harang didn’t move an inch from her initial position. Her shirt just lightly swayed off her shoulders, showing no signs of unraveling.
If Harang had ambushed in this situation, he would have been unable to react and allowed an effective blow.
‘Is it over just because I managed to block it.’
Lian corrected the reversing magic and stood up.
“Hoo.”
After exhaling a light breath, he immediately kicked the ground and started running.
Thud, thud, thud, thud!
With each step, the speed increased rapidly. It was the result of pulling magic to the limit and accelerating the body.
Whack!
Approaching quickly, Lian efficiently executed strikes with minimal movements, trying to land blows if the opponent didn’t give an opening.
Even if by force, I have to create one.
‘Break through.’
Grasp!
Firmly stepping on the ground, he rotated his shoulders to transmit power effectively.
Haran’s expression changed as she clearly read Lian’s altered movements.
‘Head? No, lower body.’
Making big movements to mislead the gaze, but actually reversing magic to gather strength in the lower body.
Not a bad move.
‘Good!’
Swoosh!
Haran swiftly moved her legs, effortlessly parrying all of Lian’s attacks.
‘Is this around the third tier level?’
I’m unsure of Lian’s exact age, but achieving such accomplishments in their teens undoubtedly places them among the ranks of geniuses.
“I’ll go for real.”
Thud!
Before Harang’s thoughts could finish, Lian emitted a sound as if the ground beneath his feet was exploding. A strike incomparably powerful compared to before.
“…Huh?!”
It was hefty. Harang’s pupils shook. Wasn’t it over yet?
The intervals between attacks were getting shorter. A teenage boy displaying a practical movement that was hard to believe. As if that weren’t enough, there was a distinct aura in both fists.
“He was in the 4th rank?”
The difference between the 3rd and 4th ranks is not simple.
If the 3rd rank is the stage of controlling internal mana as one wishes, the 4th rank is a step further, reaching the point where one can spread their mana outside the body.
The symbol of the 4th rank is the manifestation of a sword, precisely because of this ability.
It was a state that could never be reached without countless battle experiences as a foundation.
In other words…
“…”
Lian has been engaged in battles since a much younger age than this.
Harang’s pupils shook. Thanks to past experiences, he could immediately figure out the origin of Lian’s movements.
A rugged, practical martial art specialized in killing rather than subduing opponents.
Military style.
“…Insane.”
The young soldiers dispatched to the front lines.
The thought occurred to him because he knew that talented children were being kidnapped by the military to fill their ranks.
It wasn’t just any place; being part of the military put him in the fourth tier. Even at this moment, numerous countries were waging wars for their own interests.
A living hell one couldn’t survive if not killing.
[Due to personal reasons.]
Harang’s brow furrowed. A sigh involuntarily escaped him. Simultaneously, Harang realized why Jason had concealed information about Lian.
A physique that was unbelievably agile, an excessively mature demeanor.
It was all because of that.
Ssshaaak…!
Perhaps his mind was elsewhere. Harang momentarily couldn’t keep up with Lian’s movements.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t react. Harang’s level was several steps higher than Lian’s, so splitting consciousness into multiple folds was possible.
So, if he wished, he could stop it.
However.
What meaning was there in blocking to that extent?
Facing a fourth-tier opponent, from the moment he exerted power beyond the fourth tier, it was already equivalent to defeat.
Flutter…!
Beyond Harang’s pupils, the sight of the shirt flowing down to the ground came into view.
Of course, the shirt didn’t settle on the ground.
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Thwack!
Faster than that, Lian’s grasp caught the shirt.
“I won.”
“…I see. I see.”
Harang forced a smile. She casually draped the shirt she received over the table.
“Are you going to continue?”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay then. Let’s continue.”
She didn’t want to sympathize. Feigned sympathy only caused harm to the other person. That was also why she tried not to show it externally.
“I have one thing I’m curious about. How old are you, by any chance?”
“I’m ten years old.”
“…Ten years old?”
“Yes.”
“….”
Harang couldn’t hide her expression any longer.
*****