Chapter 204 – Succession Ceremony (6)

It was midday, and the sky seemed unusually high for late autumn.

The sunlight was so intense it almost burned the eyes. Beneath it, hundreds of cameras were aimed in the same direction, firing flashes as if trying to rival the sun itself.

The subject of those photos had yet to appear. All that inefficient effort from the reporters wasn’t for the present, but for what was about to happen.

They alternated their gaze between their cameras and the main entrance of the building.

Their eyes, filled with solemnity, were as sharp as the lenses they held.

They repeatedly adjusted their focus, opening and closing the apertures with care.

It was a meticulous and tedious task.

But no one complained. They only wanted to capture the greatest number of images, with the highest precision, in the exact instant that door opened.

Their fingers brushed the lenses like their very wishes were contained in those small gestures.

Speedweapon watched them with a blank expression.

He was waiting for the succession ceremony to begin alongside the other members of the exploration club.

At that moment, someone bumped into his shoulder as they passed.

The person barely bothered to apologize before continuing on.

Speedweapon let out a dry chuckle.

At another time, he might’ve grumbled or made a scene.

But today, that was the most normal thing in the world.

He glanced around.

The crowd was so dense and vast that its mere presence was overwhelming.

‘God, why are there so many people? Don’t they have jobs or something?’

The massive courtyard of Joaquin Academy was completely packed.

It was impossible to even estimate how many people had gathered.

A red carpet ran through the crowd like a crimson river.

It stretched from the main entrance all the way to the stage in the distance—so far you had to squint to see the end.

The red of the carpet seemed to draw in the mind.

Primary colors, in their intensity, sometimes had the power to devour the soul.

Speedweapon shook his head. Then he nudged Ryozo in the side with his elbow, looking to strike up conversation.

“Hey, Saki. Have you seen the faces on those reporters? If you look closely, they all look like war correspondents, right?”

She raised an eyebrow with grace.

Seeing Speedweapon so excited struck her as a little ridiculous. She was tempted to step on his foot but let it go.

With an indifferent expression, Ryozo replied.

“It’s normal. This is a historic event that hasn’t happened in half a century. We know who the new Hero of the Seven Stars is, but they don’t. What’s strange isn’t them being so hyped—it’s us being so calm.”

“Well… if they’re this nervous now, what’ll they be like when they find out who it is?
They might faint and drop their cameras.”

Speedweapon clicked his tongue and shook his head.
Ryozo glanced sideways at him and thought.

‘This guy is on a direct path to becoming a grumpy old man.’

Speedweapon felt superior.

He knew something they didn’t.

That small vanity was enough to turn a teenager into a cranky old man.

Ryozo decided to mentally disconnect from the future sermonizer.

She tilted her head back and looked at the sky.

The clear autumn sky was reflected in her sky-blue eyes.

Blue on blue.

The only difference was the presence of clouds.

A fresh breeze brushed her skin, helping to clear her thoughts.

She spent a while gazing at the clouds, the sun, and the sky.

Then someone tugged gently at her clothes.

Ryozo looked down.

The first thing she saw was a pair of glasses reflecting the sunlight.

It was San Ha-na. She spoke.

“You seem pretty tangled up inside, Saki.
Well, it’s normal. After all, someone who was your classmate just a few days ago has suddenly risen so high.”

“……”

Ryozo looked at her, visibly confused.

Ha-na approaching her like this?

Normally, she only responded when spoken to—she never initiated conversation.

Ryozo hesitated a moment before replying.

“Yeah, I feel a little out of place. But it’s not like I’m that shocked or in disbelief. Think about it—everything Geom-Ma’s done up to now… that’s what really doesn’t make sense, don’t you think?”

At those words, Ha-na smiled faintly.

“You’re right. He’s taken down two Corps Commanders, and… well, a lot more. Achievements like that are far beyond what a teenager should be capable of. If anything, only ‘one’ person comes to mind who might compare.”

“That’s why people compare him so much to Balor Joaquin.”

“Hmm, I’m not so sure. I wasn’t referring to the founder hero. But if you see it that way, it’s a valid comparison.”

“Is there really someone who can be compared to Geom-Ma and still be human?”

Ryozo asked, surprised.
Ha-na replied with an enigmatic smile.

“I never said they were human.”

“Then… who were you talking about?”

“That’s… a secret. I’ll leave it as a riddle. You seem to like that kind of thing. If I can give you a hint… don’t think in terms of black or white, right or wrong. Try to go beyond that.”

After saying that, Ha-na turned her gaze back to the main gate. She even began to hum, as if enjoying the moment.

‘San Ha-na, you really are a complete mystery.’

Ryozo watched her thoughtfully.
About this person called San Ha-na.

‘The more I see her, the more certain I am… she’s definitely hiding something.’

It was Kang Geom-Ma who first noticed something unusual about San Ha-na.

Hadn’t he said she looked like someone? At the time, she didn’t understand what he meant, but now, she could sense it… barely.

‘San Ha-na is definitely connected to someone we know.’

The problem was, the more she tried to recall who it might be, the more it slipped through her fingers, like sand trickling between joints.
If she tried to focus too hard, it only made her dizzy.

‘I’ll have to keep a much closer eye on her from now on.’

Dum— Dum—

Suddenly, a drum resounded up front.

The sound, like a heartbeat, brought with it a solemn silence.

A silence that gathered hundreds of thousands of gazes in a single direction—the still-closed main gate.

No one said a word.
But everywhere, you could hear the sound of swallowing.

Bwooooh…!

The trumpet players standing at attention blew in unison.

The sound of drums and trumpets mixed in a deep tone.

Everyone could feel their hearts pounding in their chests.

What kind of person would walk through that door?

Would it be the hero they supported?

What title would he receive?

Excited imaginations churned in their minds.

In truth, it didn’t matter who it was.

What mattered was that they were witnessing a historic moment. That alone was enough to make their eyes gleam with emotion.

“The new Hero of the Seven Stars makes his entrance.”

The doors began to open.

The reporters gripped their cameras like they were snipers ready to shoot.

And the crowd, already full to bursting, was on the verge of erupting.
Everyone had a cheer waiting in their throats.

Then, a silhouette appeared through the portal that had just opened.

Eyes fixed on that figure widened simultaneously.

Some reporters even looked away from their cameras to make sure they weren’t seeing things.

Footsteps.

A pair of black shoes stepped onto the red carpet.

People blinked and rubbed their eyes. Some even creased their eyelids from opening them so wide.

Someone muttered without meaning to,

“Isn’t that the Sashimi Saint?”

That comment lit the spark.
The murmur spread like a contagious whisper.

After all, there were few who didn’t know Kang Geom-Ma.

The hero of the Joaquin tragedy.

The prodigy student who set noble heirs straight.

That’s why the world saw him as a promising hero.

And most agreed without argument.

But “promising” was just that—a promise.

Unlike the members of the exploration club, the public didn’t know the details.

That’s why seeing someone so incredibly young standing there caused such a stir.

Wasn’t he too young?
Everyone thought the same.

The reporters’ eyes gleamed like wolves who had spotted prey.

Footsteps.

Without stopping, Geom-Ma walked the path cleared between the crowd.

His white coat fluttered elegantly in the sunlight.
With every step he took, the noise gradually faded.

Footsteps.

Behind him came the Sword Master, the Sage Media, Changseong, and Saki Kojima.

At a glance, it was clear he was leading the procession.

All eyes refocused on his steps at the front. His expression couldn’t have been calmer. If anything, he looked slightly bored.

It was obvious he was used to such curious stares. Not even a crowd this massive could intimidate him. Everyone watched in silence.

His dark, indifferent eyes stirred something in their hearts—a warm emotion that slowly grew.

It was reverence.
For a boy who hadn’t even reached adulthood.

“The president…”

Speedweapon murmured to himself. He was holding back all the emotion swelling in his chest.

Ever since the first time he owed his life to the president, he had vaguely imagined this scene.

The image of him charging at the demon siren with two sashimi knives in hand. And not only that—during the Joaquin tragedy, he was the one who stepped forward first.

Speedweapon knew well that behind every decision Kang Geom-Ma made was a sea of anguish and internal struggle.

That the President, despite everything, was also human. He had also once been a student like them.

And that only made him more admirable.

Despite all the weight he carried, he stood up to the strong. And he never asked for recognition or understanding.

He barely even spoke with his own clubmates.

He preferred to bear it all alone.

Speedweapon’s eyes reddened.

This was the moment that so very human, so superhuman friend of his was finally being acknowledged.

And he decided not to hold back anymore. His friend deserved the loudest cheer. And he would be the one to start it.

He took a deep breath. And with his lungs full, shouted with all his might.

“Idiots!”

Shattering the solemn atmosphere, Speedweapon shouted again.

“Yell louder, dammit! He’s the new Hero of the Seven Stars! The one you were all waiting for!”

For a moment, everyone looked like fools. They glanced at each other with confused expressions.

And then, someone else joined in.

“Kang Geom-Ma!”

A first-year student shouted at the top of his lungs, baring his teeth.

A student from the Warrior class who had once looked down on Kang Geom-Ma.

He was also one of the survivors of the Joaquin tragedy.

A sharper voice rose from the crowd.

“Mr. Geom-Ma!”

It was Horn, among the people.

Choi Seol-ah, who was beside her, tried to cover her mouth, but ended up giving up.

She sighed, then eventually raised her voice too.

“Congratulations, my Lord!”

And she didn’t stop there.

“Kang Geom-Ma!”

“Demon of the Blade!”

“Gang Geom-Ma!”

Cries in every language on Earth erupted one after another.

The air turned fiery with the surge of cheers.

Joaquin Academy as a whole boiled with excitement.

The reporters, finally snapping back to their senses, began snapping pictures nonstop.

Upon seeing the scene, a smile formed on the Sword Master’s lips.

His eyes landed on the white coat of the one walking ahead.
The golden letters embroidered on the back gleamed clearly in his view.

Some might say the title was excessive. A lofty, almost arrogant nickname.

But on that boy, it couldn’t have looked more fitting.

“Heavenly Sword.”

The Sword Master savored the weight of those two words as he looked up.

For an autumn day, the sky seemed exceptionally high.

Was it just his imagination? Maybe not.

With that thought, the Sword Master resumed walking.