I Will Kill That Child

At the Sword Empress’s absurd words,
Yu Seha gaped dumbly.

“Did I hear that right?” he doubted.
No, what the…
He barely collected himself and asked haltingly.

“So, how on earth do I fight something like that?”
“Normally it’s impossible to face it. But Se-ha? You already know the clue to stop it.”
“…What?”

The Sword Empress smiled faintly.
What she pointed at with her finger was one of the swords floating in the air.

A heavy, Eastern-style sword exuding solemn beauty.
It was, precisely, [Black Iron].

“Was his name Kwe? The owner of that sword.”
“Ah, yes. He called himself a wandering warrior… a truly strong swordsman.”

Yu Seha answered.
In that moment, the one line Kwe had said flashed through his mind.

-You have a keen sense. As you suspect, it’s crude, but you’re already grazing the tips of it.

Kwe had said.
Just a little,
That he had reached the realm of the heart-sword.

Thinking that, Yu Seha looked at the Sword Empress.
The Sword Empress smiled gently and nodded.

“…Yu Seha. You may not realize it yourself, but you are already using the heart-sword to some extent.”

Take that as a clue and keep going.
If so… you can do it.

“Someone with talent greater than anyone else like you…”

Peng Jin-ah, myself,
Even incomparable to that Sword Ghost,
If Yu Seha possesses such brilliant talent…

“You will surely reach it.”

Yu Seha opened his eyes.
He spread his hand, staring at the approaching Ghost-Shadow Sword.

Before he knew it, [Black Iron] was in his grip.
Gripping it, he projected the perfect image of a swordsman.

-If it’s you, you’ll reach it within a year. It could be shorter. And you’ll go beyond.

Yu Seha recalled the warrior’s words.
I can do it.
Believe myself.
Believe in the genius that is me.
Believe in all the effort I’ve made so far.

Finally…

‘Believe in this resolve I vowed for the girls!’

If the Sword Ghost’s swordsmanship is a power that carves will into the world,
Yu Seha can respond by putting equally potent imagery into his blade.

The sword moved.
It became one with the warrior perfectly.
And now it unfolded.

Klang-!

A sharp metallic ring.
At the same time, the sword qi of the Ghost-Shadow Swords scattered in all directions.

Anyone who saw this would be stunned.
Promising hunters, seasoned hunters,
Even clan masters leading villains and minds couldn’t counter the supreme swordsmanship that had overwhelmed them…
Was now stopped by a mere nineteen-year-old boy.

Now, at this moment.
The flower named Yu Seha began to bloom.

The flower of talent that Peng Jin-ah had once said would reveal brilliant beauty in unyielding soil.

All that effort and its fruits combined, and the flower called Yu Seha began to blossom.

And this…

The old man…

The Sword Ghost So Hang-woo,
Looked at it plainly with both eyes.

“…”

A brief silence.
Soon, the Sword Ghost’s shoulders shook.

A moment that even the watching Yu Seha found puzzling.

A laugh erupted that could split the heavens and earth.

-Wahahahahaha!!!!

Literally manic laughter.
He laughed for a long time,
Then soon looked at Yu Seha with eyes full of chilling madness.

The Sword Ghost nodded.
He nodded as if expecting him to block it.

“So, you blocked it! You stepped into the heart-sword! Good. Very good!”
“…”

The Sword Ghost looked at the wary Yu Seha and was certain.

In all his life,
He had never seen talent of that caliber.

Compared to him, even the Plum Blossom Sword Empress,
Overlord Sword,
And even himself were mere trash.

If he were to compare…

‘My hyung…’

Han-seong hyung.
Ji Han-seong.

He was comparable to him.
He was similar to him.
Perhaps even a bit superior?
No, he would definitely surpass him.

The Sword Ghost laughed.
A title that would undoubtedly become a star.

No!
He couldn’t dare define him with the trivial word ‘star.’

The boy, the young man before him,
Would surely reach as far as the realm of celestial bodies,
And spread that talent.

‘Literally…’

The greatest talent of past and present.

The Sword Ghost took a step forward.

Yu Seha stepped back the opposite way.

No matter that he had stepped into the heart-sword realm, the place the Sword Ghost had reached was far too lofty.

The great tree grown on malice and madness that was him,
Had enough power to trample the flower called Yu Seha mercilessly.

“Excellent. But still lacking. One who will go to the world of celestial bodies must show an even higher realm. Raise your sword. I will personally teach you.”

“…What nonsense have you been spouting—”

“-Do you still not understand!!!”

The Sword Ghost shouted.
His words
Pierced Yu Seha’s whole body.

“From the moment you met me, surviving my strike and now having learned the heart-sword, you were my disciple at this very point!!!”
“…!”

The Sword Ghost’s blade pointed directly at Yu Seha.

“Did you think my call to be my disciple was some childhood play you went through? If so, I apologize personally.”

Gentle teaching through the bond of master and disciple?

The depth of camaraderie?

Strength that rises step by step as you learn each other?

“You don’t need any of that, Yu Seha! What you need is extreme real combat and experience.”

Just cram that in, and you’ll accept everything and bloom.

“I will teach you only this one time!”

Don’t worry.
By any means…

“I will complete you as an existence.”
“…You madman.”

Yu Seha frowned.
He swallowed dryly.
He took another step back.
It was undoubtedly the retreat of someone terrified by overwhelming madness.

Seeing that, the Sword Ghost narrowed his eyes.
Having gone through countless battles,
He could tell well.

That it was the movement of one trying to flee.
If necessary, to stall for time,
And then make a full-power run to escape.

Soon, the artifact hanging from Yu Seha’s neck came into the Sword Ghost’s view.
The Sword Ghost recognized it as an emergency escape artifact.

‘I see.’

There’s a hole to get out…
And he’s confident he can use it, huh.

It might not be true of others.
But with Yu Seha, it was quite possible.

‘That cannot be…’

Forcibly knocking him down and taking him away was an option, but
They were right in the middle of enemy territory.

No matter that he was the Sword Ghost,
That wouldn’t be easy.
And he wanted to see.

The sight of Yu Seha surpassing his limits…
The best way to achieve that was…

‘Rage.’

Resentment.
A fury that would drive one mad.
The Sword Ghost knew perfectly well how to draw that out.

“Alright, fine, if you have the heart for that, I have something in mind too.”
“…?”
“Beyond master or disciple talk, I’ll instantly raise your will to the brim.”

At the Sword Ghost’s sudden words,
Yu Seha’s doubts rose.

And then…
He froze like a stone at what was spoken.

“Ma Hana.”
“………”

A tiny node in the Sword Ghost’s memory.
Noted while reading Yu Seha’s profile…
A worthless, vermin-like Cat race girl unworthy of remembrance.

“It said you cherish that child above all. Indeed, judging by your expression, that’s true.”

“…You, you fucking—”

“-I will kill that child.”

A declarative statement.

A pronouncement.

As if sealing it as an absolute future.

The Sword Ghost didn’t stop and continued.

“And moreover…”

Right before your eyes.

Shuk-!

“…!”

In an instant.

The Sword Ghost felt scorching pain for the first time in a long while.
He looked down.
His left hand, which wasn’t holding the sword.

The ring and middle fingers were cleanly severed.
Even so, thanks to superhuman reflexes it was only this; normally the whole arm would have been torn off.

Undoubtedly a mortal wound.
But the Sword Ghost laughed.
He curled his lips as if delighted beyond measure.

He couldn’t help it.
How could he not?

‘With that right before me…’

How could I not laugh!!!

The Sword Ghost saw it.

Yu Seha’s appearance, completely different from before.
Veins popping in both eyes.
His blood-tinged eyes exuded a murderous intent that even chilled the Sword Ghost.

The sword he held trembled,
And began to crack.
Unable to withstand the surging force, it began to shatter.

Immediately after, Yu Seha unleashed a straight-line sword strike.
What had flown like ordinary sword-ki
Soon formed its peculiar irregular straight line.

The Sword Ghost was certain.
Although it was a single line,
There was no doubt.

Carving his will into the world,
Forcibly manifesting it,
That supreme swordsmanship, bordering on absolute power, that realizes outcomes.
Having set foot in the realm of stars,
A subtle principle only then possible to unfold.

The Ghost-Shadow Sword (鬼影劍).

Yu Seha
Had begun to use the Ghost-Shadow Sword.

The Sword Ghost laughed.
He laughed and laughed, growing louder.
It turned into a manic roar,
And was sublimated into unparalleled rapture.

The Sword Ghost, too, struck down carrying the same will in his blade.
He shouted at Yu Seha.

“So, you use my technique! You use my technique after only ten minutes of meeting! You grasped the heart-sword and reached the Ghost-Shadow Sword in barely one minute!”
“…”
“Yes, that’s how you should be! Absolutely! A talent that could devour the world itself must do at least that!!!”

Thunk-!
The Sword Ghost swiftly kicked Yu Seha,
And pursued the flying him.
Yu Seha, coming to his senses, mirrored the same footwork.

Legs collided.
Immediately, without regard to who struck first, both swung Ghost-Shadow Swords.

“In the end, you’re no different from Han-seong hyung! One who surpasses limits not for himself but for others! Yes, that’s it! That makes you all the easier to handle!!!”

The Sword Ghost laughed as if mad.

Yu Seha felt murderous intent swelling,
And stared at the Sword Ghost.

He was certain.

‘He’s sincere.’

The words he had just uttered.
The line about killing Meowi—
Was not thrown out as idle talk.

He felt inevitability.
Every cell and his mind cried out.

He was being sincere.
This man would really do it if it meant he could see the scene he wanted from me.

If I lose, Meowi will die.
Not just Meowi.
Many more will die.

Ju Na-young, Moon Bora, Peng Jin-ah.
And countless others beyond them…
He was a man who would sever every bond I had built in this world for hatred and revenge.

‘I cannot allow that.’

He put the magical sacrificial artifact hanging from his neck into subspace.
He discarded the option of using it to escape.
If I run, others will die.
Only that thought lodged in his head.

The alarm blared insanely.
He ignored everything.
He shouted inwardly for himself to shut up.
He resolved and vowed.

‘I will kill.’

Surely,
Absolutely,
right here…

“I’ll kill you. For sure!!!”

A killing work erupts like a volcano.

The watching Sword Ghost burst into a laugh filled with joy.

Immediately after, without either taking precedence…
The two charged at each other to kill.