Chapter 314: The Transfer Student is a Singularity (2)
argThe restrained admiration erupted into thunderous applause. It was so loud that even the clouds seemed to scatter.DMNd
hTSQ“Uoooooooh!”G9vO
orpGHHThe arena was in a frenzy. The roar violently drew in passersby. Among them was Lee Won-bin, the head instructor of the Wolf Class.pqAF8
PJU“W-What is this?”cBRX1
8Kuj7cGFor a moment, he thought it was a riot. Moving like he was swimming, he pushed his way through the crowd.BYnSU
GiBAs soon as he entered the arena, the sunlight struck his eyes harshly, forcing him to squint. His bald head—which some joked was like a sun of its own—was nothing more than a firefly compared to the real thing.ppoKtYz
qR5In any case—NWqtbuz
8thqHLee Won-bin, eyes wide at the packed arena before him, couldn’t help but let out a stunned exclamation.m2r1Ih
xfF“What are those two doing there…?”uRDTn
9JYBZKang Geom-Ma, the Heavenly Sword, the greatest of all time.Xnb
gjUpAnd twenty paces from him, the “aspiring” hero, Leon van Reinhardt.0LbNa
rXCKang Geom-Ma was flicking the sheath of his sashimi blade, while Leon drew Balmung, the sacred and demonic sword.TIp
0YFSYes. The two of them, long past the title of “hero,” were now preparing for a duel in a subspace.5LfYNJm
oDfCYdFor a brief moment, Lee Won-bin nearly vaulted over the railing to stop them. He feared that a cut from the Heavenly Sword could tear space itself. It was for the safety of the students—but then he remembered those two were no longer students.2ZoP2
1rPG9DyAnd besides, once the duel began, any intervention would be meaningless.N8A
wNowN‘Surely the Heavenly Sword knows how to restrain himself.’NaP1
hdHhHe had already learned from experience that clumsy interference only made things worse. And he had paid for it—with his hair.Jxqk
7lqR4tAt that moment, his gaze drifted to a corner of the stands.WD2DSy
BYesGS5He didn’t know why exactly, but a particular group caught his attention instantly.bhBhR
7yKz8uThird-year students. Technically still apprentices, but the aura they gave off was entirely different.e3XOXw
yMQJV7‘How to describe it…?’Z4pN
HEqXAlmost petty, perhaps.2aCtx
JpKzIt was a controversial opinion for an instructor to have, but he couldn’t help it—their behavior and mannerisms were undeniable.V3cBI1
THQkJJA paper fan in the 21st century? Discrimination by status even now?JFQc
cscxOApparently, others noticed too. Students within a 30-meter radius began to subtly distance themselves from the third-years.vsJ
4wT3uH‘Children of political figures.’onD
gQqQGAt the center of the group was Princess Victoria. Her hair, a scarlet blonde like molten gold wrung down to its essence, inevitably drew every eye.RdtF
WSXxgLShe must have come to the arena as soon as she heard. No doubt she skipped morning classes without hesitation.Jfq
Uwtf3i0He considered saying something to her, but shook his head. Instead, Lee Won-bin curled his lips into a crooked smile.eRHZopo
ZeJGu“They’re the same ones who wish to see the Heavenly Sword fall and constantly pressure the director.”6TTx
uyZUoa5The current director, Saki Ryozo, and Kang Geom-Ma were like children to him. Even after graduation, Kang Geom-Ma, Saki, and Abel had stayed at the academy, in constant contact with him.hWS1Clx
InWcezBy now, their bond was practically that of family.w1CuBo
dDPjsTechnically, that group of third-years were also his students—but even teachers have favorites.r6mCALy
6PXxAnd Lee Won-bin, at the end of the day, was human too. Even if he was in the TOP 100 heroes of the year (with the special issue of TAMES magazine framed and hanging at the entrance of his house).edlZrSD
AHpaO0dChuckling at himself for being a failed educator, he took his seat.wicNG
rFUqSAnd with a burning gaze, he looked toward the center of the coliseum.AJaIh
5cstR“Show me.”Zykx
ryJWhat it means to be a true hero.Aq565nh
w6bLNah***eBU2uAw
oN2IrThe density of the air was overwhelming.mWJZ
TnBPSoThe arena was vast, the size of several football fields. Even so, with thousands of people sharing the same oxygen, the air felt thick.kJGBx
kxexhJ“There are a lot of people here.”NG40bKS
mxo“Yeah…”DV63L4W
tp5ViBVLeon scanned the arena as he opened the conversation.q2jdg1
UP7k3XaFor some reason, his expression turned nostalgic. His emotions must have been incredibly complex.wVuRhze
kWFIgnoring that, I asked a casual question.9wvW0I
SqVLSG3“How long has it been since you were at the academy?”768Ll
lhc0t“Ten years.”COwJ
IlxpxnRWe both knew the answer, but saying it aloud was a way to dispel the heaviness. Leon understood and gave a wry smile.8zbg
cW4t“Time flies. Ten years…”cpXwsMM
6MPMS“Ten years.”Cp4nwMR
rY70wzI slightly unsheathed my blade while emphasizing that number.3SKE
fTGlIp“Ten years—maybe it’s time you stopped digging that hole in your heart.”lhaQ
g7OB“What do you mean by that…?”O2o
aZhZz“With that face and still such low self-esteem. You’ve lived like a condemned man since that day. Spare a thought for those of us around you.”9MZU8
vuLsJLeon pressed his lips together. He knew I had hit the mark.E9vAMu
IyqRight now, he was a walking target. That’s why he accepted Metatron’s proposal without hesitation.zyoAaK
ofLI kept going.bi3
f1N“I’m fine with it, but think of your father, the Archangel. How do you think he feels, watching his only son fall apart day after day? He has to force a smile until his lips tremble.”pCps
lov“…”vTt6
IDQiWd“That’s why he asked me to give you a little push, you idiot. As his son, you shouldn’t allow that.”YjIWtHH
Ok4ZmS“…”7zSZz2
sDSEx“When you carry too much weight, the people watching you get tired. So learn to let go once in a while. Look.”QK3
PwCK3O9I gestured toward the stands with my eyes. Leon looked up as well.U6FkWq
Mb3vThere were a few students who looked at him with disdain, sure. But not many. Most watched him with admiration.qjU9dg
nrwVE5aThe world hadn’t forgotten Leon’s mistake.kSQz
hyEMQpBut neither had it forgotten his sacrifice during the Second Great Human-Demon War.LR8l
smg‘If not for Leon…’aXy
x8MvXuWhile I was dealing with the false gods, the Human Realm would have fallen to Kuarne.0Uksrmx
567If I was the one who destroyed the culprit, the ones who truly saved humanity were Leon and his father, Metatron.gHltBn
dzDjtykThanks to them, we won. And the Joaquin Academy was able to rebuild.6sSI
YJ3eIt wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the new arena was built on the foundation Leon helped lay.f1Phv
pgltcDThat’s why I brought him here—so he’d remember that.TMsX
8O4Yk“Kang Geom-Ma… you…”Jivq
QSG“Come on, let’s not get sentimental between men. There are students watching. Besides, I have wives.”AnA
7RccDbi“Hahaha…”jf0nk
Rej8kLeon let out a freeing laugh.BGMBVxk
hAh9As he wiped his tears with his thumb, his deep blue eyes gleamed.Fd2sqJS
xKY0H‘Yeah.’9sM2
061dt7Now he looks like a true hero.TYC
B3FKjT“I’ll do my best.”Jgb
c5waIm“Just hold out.”kCYMcy
ZffH“How long?”yBhq
B15“One minute.”tFthTS3
IgmRpLeon nodded.15mW0p
ni8“It’ll be tough, but I’ll try.”0wPpb
Qz5The protagonist of that game that cost me so many hours of free time on Earth raised his sword with resolve.wMgnzk
S08BChiiing.oVHQb
GB5eThe natures of good and evil resonated in harmony.rkZ
N7VHThe entire arena vibrated with a mechanical hum.3gmd
CiyyQ9a[Deploying subspace barrier.]1oE65
ZHD[May the Hero’s Blessing be with you.]Q0xh
ojnI, too, rattled the sheaths of Murasame and Eternal Frost.bKzB
7uHgiq[Manifesting Blessing of the God of the Sword.]hu9Nz
9cyNSoTThe blades sang.TugUy3
WwUDI+++++++++++++++++PtwDR
QVk《May the blessing of the gods be with you.》jEYk
AMv4+++++++++++++++++SPIrK0
AU8The man stepped forward and launched himself into battle.vg75
Q1RTo***ybs
1um9iAn eagle soared through the sky. A purple membrane gently gnawed at its translucent retina.JwSnI
gaYAgain.hKMaCA
F3qIt was something that often happened when flying over the rugged Chiaksan Mountains in Wonju, Gangwon Province. For the Eagle family, who had settled in that region for generations, it was nothing new.6NwoK
itGfn‘Tsk. Today’s hunt didn’t go well… I’ll circle around and watch a bit.’lFGzU
28gSo decided the 14th of the Eagles, diving straight into the veil of distorted space. In that brief instant—LH2RQ
SxBbwwFlash!pX0b
GweK2Lightning burst from the ground. Once, twice, countless times.XzktrX
8OPZUThe 14th Eagle shuddered in surprise. Some of its feathers disintegrated among the clouds.JTY
T1ecSD‘What the hell is that?!’BjB8
Us9XWith wide eyes, its retinas captured the events unfolding in the coliseum. Thanks to the Eagle gene and its 8.0 vision, it could see everything clearly.18A
TSKH3Q7Clang!gdHyD2K
FTaYPnLA sharp metallic sound shook the world. Two swords clashed—one wielded by a black-haired man, the other by a golden-haired one.cig
h055From the eagle’s perspective, they merged into a single point.S3EIA
diUBut…uo2omv
McmPThe frequency.dQ9IkxN
UcJRSThe speed!1dEr
rYiD8YIt was as if time itself was being shattered into a thousand pieces.wTUswT
EF6fkBWas it just the speed? No, even the shockwaves pierced through the clouds. A flock of migratory birds scattered in utter chaos. That said it all.CWmaZtR
6MjSIeOnly earthquakes triggered reactions like that. This was an omen of catastrophe!L4MUJjx
fOmRThe two combatants clashed and separated again and again. The glow of their swords and the trails they left kept growing. The eagle’s pupils spun endlessly.5VQN
qVabOThump, thump, thump, thump.lIs79
Sf6c53nIt was like hearing the heartbeat of the world.lJOKh6D
9RqA56AThe kids sitting in the stands barely understood what they were seeing. Only an eagle could follow the flow of the fight.kLXDSr
AS6ZBut even the pride of its species wasn’t enough—the blasts were relentless.trP
yiI3The air stirred so much that even it lost its rhythm.EDCSR
jWHThat irritated the eagle. So it decided to fly even closer.hhuu
0F7NThe outlaw of the skies slowly descended.Tlh0oRX
uSMyBUo***U16
uY4GuThe sashimi sword sliced through the air. The altered space cracked under its edge.UXGXT
IGXThe sword’s trajectory was straight and honest, but the energy it carried was infinite.QziQXKm
vESm2Clang!tq7agY6
u6jLeon managed to block the strike, but was pushed back, dragging dust under his feet.b2zG
Zmxui“Ghh!”Yn0I
0WatGasps echoed here and there.iyODxe
bSR0nThe students of Heavenly Sword identified with Leon.GGob5
fSSThe third-years felt as if the tip of the sashimi blade was pointed directly at them. It was the classic fear of the guilty.Yg7PsE
vSJ094‘It’s gotten heavier.’IANLkAv
ljYbaAmid his disheveled blond hair, Leon’s blue eyes flickered.Yyo
tndEQThe only reason he hadn’t lost his footing was because Kang Geom-Ma was holding back. Leon knew this, and yet showed no signs of despair.6V9KHtG
FS0uhGJHe twisted his wrist and slightly tilted Murasame.ZltQ
eCiJMikA subtle shift in his center of gravity.fZavsk
YsqbLThen, he moved his foot back a few centimeters.C7Lqe
PlrcaThrust!rb4
fvu1LdThe tip extended like a lance of light.2g6
rqYKang Geom-Ma dodged sideways.KYj
rw2He closed in on Leon’s blind spot with a shift and counterattacked.rcDreC3
AWJuTheir swords clashed.8r1LVqp
Y2MBAs sashimi and Balmung scraped against each other, their eyes met.Z05X
J3CEHuA dark gaze.mrlLEM
BC9PsSsKang Geom-Ma, though restraining himself, walked dangerously close to the line between divine and human.3FQL
h4bCdMPIt would only take a push to cross it.JNPl
kAp“Grrrgh.”QNNfh
8LlULeon groaned. He wouldn’t last even forty seconds, let alone a full minute.uQ4y
D4MIt looked like an even match, but the fight was one-sided.ZBXc
hTWQklAnd Kang Geom-Ma was holding back.JRMT
4bFtd‘I can’t keep going like this.’OHJ2j
HESIt was his first time back at the academy in ten years.As8C
mbQThough he spoke lightly, deep down he wanted to prove he was still worthy.RpXu
6NyThat’s why he didn’t reject the challenge and dared to return to Joaquin.fYjA
5CuY‘Then.’3OtdJUs
sCnHe had to be at peace with himself.V86ou
rzulc‘And not just that.’dvb20RZ
knjAOkThe sword is a mirror of a warrior’s soul. In Kang Geom-Ma’s sashimi blade, he felt solitude.NdsmB
3LpjsHe was born for the sword.Mikm9
tp2LAnd deep down, he hoped for someone who could endure even a single blow from him.UlqT
pVSosIHe didn’t want to disappoint him.JMc6
MPoCkIt wasn’t friendship.1AXsru
yEzGGIt was a duel of pride between men.oe3N
WHki“Kang Geom-Ma!”P3guh
Sb1H0lHLeon roared and stomped forward.z8W
q4mNBoom!fmkj
3t8AHe advanced with a powerful step, leaning his weight forward.T2EY7Ga
VLrRIeHe planned to use the length and strength of his sword to press in.ufk
kHOJGrrrrrrk!MdLS1V
FHIyGPKang Geom-Ma stepped forward in a quick motion, pressed down on Balmung’s path, and pinned it to the ground.ZRfoLTr
LBmhHe did it at near-light speed, skipping all intermediate steps.D09
ZQeq“……!”y86
09DLeon tried to retrieve Balmung too late. Then he shuddered. He looked up and his left shoulder was blurred.oYe
yFfCK0XAt the same time, his world split in two.uS0SZND
YV3tThe slash that tore the world stretched all the way to the distant mountains.Qz2GT
jQigySlash.XnOKOP
5SHLeon’s vision blurred.SovW
FXJu2Even so, he recovered Balmung and was hurled backward.9kk7
VXKOSZy“My… my… body!”LVHm09
0NTUIs it intact?66rH
9BZWhy is it still together?HdL
HF8g1Didn’t he just slice me in half?Mso
faxxxLeon, lying far away, rubbed his neck.dOilZ
yMrpOHis lips moved like a madman’s.RkqKjO8
1SRR6bAll the students stared at him.WhR
ePHC6Silence spread.jOOs
Pcnu7aHMaybe that’s why Leon was able to think clearly.1KlxQd
QG0vuAnd then…L6OlmTG
beI0VUm“Hahahahaha!”wRfuWPs
gqqCZyHe burst into laughter, head thrown back.QYX0PQ7
dr48CThe students’ faces turned pale.YMdS
4CeyhYIt was a surreal scene.IzmzH
6l3o9LHumans blessed by divine grace often suffered from emotional paralysis.CJHa8vw
k2gkRThat’s why they were less sensitive to death than normal humans.43K11
9Pz45zpEven after surviving a battle royale in subspace, they’d recover from the trauma in hours.1lWJCt5
H5WEBut now, they trembled.skpQh
7cPlCAs if they had witnessed something forbidden.glP
R8rNaMAmid the commotion, the laughter ceased.WKz
HTD4“Kang Geom-Ma, you…”Oy9
uK1Leon spoke with difficulty.LwYqNED
qRV“Did you just cut death itself?”qIwCQT
VgS“……”NKv33
gRRKang Geom-Ma didn’t flinch.wlBk7GC
c4YCTHe simply sheathed his knives into his forearms and wiped away the blood.zejY0dv
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