Chapter 338: Tradition of the Inter-Academy Tournament (2)

Sköll and Hati.

The twin wolves that devour the sun and the moon.

According to mythology, it is said that these two eventually consumed the light of the world, plunging the universe into complete darkness.

And then, in an Asgard deprived of light, the war between gods, giants, and monsters began.

A sign. The prelude to war.

That is what Sköll and Hati symbolize.

Therefore, those twin wolves rightfully serve as the starting point for the great apocalypse.

***

It was the eve of the second event.

The Hero Association summoned the teachers from both our side (Joaquin) and Parsy’s side separately.

They justified it by saying they had to give us a preliminary notice before the main event.

“Long time no see, Heavenly Sword!”

The one who greeted me with open arms at the meeting point was Changseong Richard Mura.

His gigantic muscles were still just as imposing. The buttons on his shirt looked like they were struggling to stay fastened.

Siegfried von Nibelung, the Sword Master of domination.

Richard Murat, overwhelming power.

‘Is he aging in reverse or what?’

Lately, the veterans all seemed to be getting younger. I wasn’t sure whether to be happy or concerned. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve asked myself that.

“Come on, let’s sit down first.”

Changseong gently pressed our shoulders, urging us to sit.

Then he sat next to me and crossed his arms.

The Parsy professors, seated at a distance, looked uneasy. Their attitude toward me was different.

To them, I was the embodiment of fear itself—something beyond comprehension. But Changseong was within the realm of what they could grasp.

He was one of the strongest “within reason.” In fact, he probably intimidated them the most.

No one seriously fears a high school senior. But a senior just one year older? That’s a different story.

For the record, I don’t feel capable of subduing them with force like Changseong does.

If I applied even a bit of pressure, they’d drop dead on the spot. Just a hint of killing intent, and they’d die of a heart attack.

‘Calling Changseong was a smart move, Speedweapon.’

A little while later.

“I’m sorry for calling you all so suddenly. I apologize on behalf of the Association’s president.”

Seong Yuchang, the president of the Association, appeared.

By his side, standing guard, was Speedweapon, eyes sharp like a hawk.

“It’s nothing serious. We just want to introduce a small variation to the ‘Sköll and Hati’ event.”

“What? Just like that?!”

As expected, Parsy’s side quickly raised objections. But that was all.

“Listen to what comes next.”

“……”

At Changseong’s firm tone, they quieted down like moles burrowing into the ground.

The former president of the Association had calmed the commotion in seconds.

Sung Yuchang, the current president, didn’t hesitate to get straight to the point.

“The previous event, ‘Flag War,’ received enormous worldwide attention. Much more than we anticipated.”

“That sounds like good news.”

The director of Parsy Academy replied with a controlled tone.

“It is good news, yes. But it also means it was seen by all kinds of audiences. Let me ask you something, Director. Do you think the Flag War was appropriate for viewers of all ages?”

“I don’t think so.”

“And why not?”

“Because it’s not just heroes watching.”

Normally, the contents of the academy’s curriculum are kept secret.

But this exchange event exposed part of it, which drew global attention.

And such intense interest also brought a significant impact.

For heroes, a bloody war is routine. Battle cries are like pop songs, the scent of blood is perfume.

But from a civilian’s perspective, it can be stomach-turning.

‘I didn’t get used to it right away either.’

Some viewers were likely traumatized after witnessing the brutal reality of heroes for the first time.

“We’ve been getting a flood of complaints via phone. Especially from parents with children in school.”

When the audience faced the truth, their vague, romantic admiration for heroes was shattered.

And more and more people began to feel aversion and fear toward the cruel actions of aspiring heroes.

Violence between humans is an implicit taboo. Displaying it so blatantly forced the Association, which manages all heroes, to take action.

“For that reason…”

Sung Yuchang leaned toward the microphone.

“We would like the teachers to participate in the ‘Sköll and Hati’ event as well.”

“…?!”

Everyone gasped. Chairs creaked, and the echo spread through the hall.

Immediately, all eyes were on me. I became a human dartboard under their gaze.

— If Heavenly Sword participates, won’t the balance be completely broken?!

The Parsy teachers stared daggers at Sung Yuchang. He merely shrugged, as if he’d been expecting it.

“We knew this would cause reactions like this. But don’t worry. We already have contingency plans for everything.”

The man who once cried and laughed while watching dramas was now becoming a real fox.

***

Parsy Academy, located in Switzerland, remained cold despite being in the middle of summer. The red magnolia, still imbued with the winter chill, drooped its head.

Plop, plop.

It shed a few tears of dawn before withering completely.

“…….”

From her hospital bed, Chloe Auditore watched that pale moment of dawn. Her pupils seemed lost, deeply dazed.

“I… blacked out again.”

Chloe bit her lower lip as if to spit the words out between her teeth.

It was always like this. In the decisive moment, her brain would shut down as if a fuse had blown.

Since this kept happening, she ended up missing every crucial opportunity. Just going in circles.

“…Don’t be so hard on yourself, Chloe.”

Knox, her brother who came to visit, spoke while peeling an apple for her. Though his voice felt familiar, she consciously chose to ignore it.

“Do you really think that’s going to comfort me?”

Chloe turned her head, her gaze frosty.

“I didn’t say it to comfort you. I just told you the truth…”

“You always… Ha. Forget it. What’s the point of complaining to you?”

“You can complain if you want.”

Knox set the apple slices on the plate. The white flesh fanned out like eight open wings.

“That’s what families do.”

“Fa…mily…”

Chloe lowered her head, her gaze vacant.

“I wish Geom-Ma were part of our family too…”

“……”

“I wish I were part of his family…”

Knox let out a silent groan. The air grew heavy with pressure.

‘It’s not your fault. You did your best.’

During an Auditore mission, Chloe had run to Parsy Academy.

She claimed to have sensed something strange in Kang Geom-Ma. Then, without apparent cause, she lost consciousness.

Not even Speedweapon, who brought her to the hospital, knew what had happened. Though concerned, Knox didn’t press the issue.

Kang Geom-Ma had warned him not to speak. How could an Auditore member go against the Heavenly Sword?

‘You’re a good girl.’

If she committed any sin, it was being born into a clan of shadows and staining herself with too much blood.

After the Second Great Human-Demon War, the siblings opened a sushi restaurant as a public front.

It all began with a recommendation from Kang Geom-Ma in their youth: “Why not try a part-time job?”

Surprisingly, the business suited Chloe and Knox well.

And thanks to Altair Auditore’s generous investment, they rose to the top of the global culinary industry.

Even so, they never neglected their real work.

By day, they posed as entrepreneurs under false identities.

By night, they fulfilled the clan’s shadowy missions.

Their involvement in corrupt and organized crime circles as businessmen made them more keenly aware of the world’s darkness than when they were younger.

‘That’s why the patriarch invested so much in us,’ Knox thought with a bitter smile beneath his mask.

Social tumors didn’t disappear, no matter how many they removed. They just seemed to multiply.

Still, they had no regrets.

They exposed all the parasites who thrived on the peace Kang Geom-Ma had secured. Knox was proud of that, and Chloe gladly joined the cause.

All the money they collected was returned to society.

Even the name of the donor and the foundation was “Heavenly Sword.” That had been Chloe’s firm proposal. She had devoted her entire life to Kang Geom-Ma.

— This world can’t repay even half of what he gave us. So at the very least I want to compensate him this way.

“Oppa…”

Knox slowly opened his closed eyes.

“Do you think I’m useful to Geom-Ma?”

“……”

“I always feel like I’m just a burden to him. Unlike me, Abel and Ryozo are solid, capable. I’m the opposite.”

Chloe was nearly sobbing. Knox raised his hand, but dropped it to his lap and clenched his fist.

“Listen carefully. I’m not saying this just because I’m your brother.”

He had never said anything like this before, and his jaw was trembling. Calm down.

This was a conversation that had to happen someday, right, Knox?

“You’re better than those two…”

It was at that moment.

Click clack clack.

The sound of the door shattered the silence like cracking a thin sugar crust. Both siblings turned toward it at once, their expressions shifting.

“G-Geom-Ma!”

Chloe expressed a mixture of surprise and joy, bordering on euphoria.

“You right now!?”

Knox was nearly scandalized.

“Didn’t know you were both here… I’ll come back later.”

Kang Geom-Ma scratched his eyebrow with his thumb and frowned. Chloe leapt from the bed as if flipping a table with the blanket.

“No!”

Chloe clung to Kang Geom-Ma’s chest, shaking her head repeatedly.

With her clinging to him, he began to break out in a cold sweat.

“What’s going on?”

“Well… since the hospital food isn’t very good, I brought you a lunchbox. Chloe, you like fish, right? To whet your appetite, I made some spicy freshwater soup.”

“Just hearing that makes my mouth water!”

“It’s a thermal lunchbox, so it shouldn’t smell.”

“Even so!”

Knox watched the two cheerfully from afar.

‘Chloe… for you, the Heavenly Sword means more than anything else.’

It left him feeling a little hollow.

Pfft.

But seeing Chloe so happy made him smile. Still, it left a bittersweet taste.

Crunch crunch.

To calm his unsettled stomach, he lowered his mask and took a bite of apple slice.

‘Is it okay to act like this while being a married man?’

And to top it off, married to the Lady of the Sword and the Absolute Archer.

You’re hopeless, Kang Geom-Ma…

On the other hand, he also thought perhaps this was a privilege reserved for the heroes of the old world.

***

Even if Yu Sein hadn’t mentioned it, he had been planning to visit Chloe eventually.

Chloe had created a donation foundation in his name. Though she had tried to keep it a secret, Knox confessed it to him a month ago.

Such a sincere girl. What was he, to deserve Chloe’s wholehearted devotion?

The guilt weighed on his chest like molten lead, but he was also deeply grateful.

So he decided to spend more time with Chloe going forward. This visit was the first step.

‘How much longer am I going to keep avoiding her just because she’s a yandere?’

Anyway, today was a success. Chloe had been so happy she looked ready to leap for joy. They talked endlessly until there wasn’t a single grain of rice left in the lunchbox.

It was just that, due to the situation shift with Sköll and Hati, work piled up, and he decided to save the rest for another day.

When Chloe insisted on seeing him off, he had to gently push her back into bed.

Running into Ryozo or Abel would’ve been problematic.

“It’s a promise, a real promise!”

“Of course. Rest well.”

After saying goodbye, he stepped into the hallway. Knox, who had followed him quickly, called out.

“Wait a moment, Heavenly Sword.”

He turned around.

Through the window, dawn had already broken. Sunlight gleamed between the leaves.

Beams of light reflecting off the greenery formed an uneven but warm crimson horizon, merging with the Alps and their shoulders.

“…There’s something I’ve been meaning to say…”

Knox took his time finding the words.

After a long silence, as if making up his mind, he spoke again.

“Heavenly Sword, I’ve noticed that you’ve been having trouble controlling your life energy lately. Am I right?”

It was a sudden, but accurate observation. His power was still expanding. And without realizing it, that energy had started to affect his surroundings.

Even now. The greenery beside him was turning ashen gray.

The environment could no longer withstand his energy.

It was one of the main causes of his instability.

If this affected not just plants, but people too, he could end up harming those around him.

“Wow, nailed it. That’s true.”

Knox froze momentarily. He hadn’t expected him to admit it so easily.

With a conflicted expression, he thought for a moment, then narrowed his eyes.

“Can I teach you how to control that energy?”

…What?

“You want to give me the Crow Blessing? But first off, that blessing can’t be transferred…”

‘But wait.’

There’s something—

“Heavenly Sword, I’ve known for a while that you have the ‘Transfer Blessing.’ I’ve been with you for almost ten years—it was impossible not to notice. If I was being reckless, tell me. I’ll cut my tongue out.”

You’re insane. Just like always.

“I didn’t mean to hide it. But are you saying you’re going to teach me the Auditore’s treasure? Or give it to me?”

Though he said it that way, the truth was that this offer came at the perfect time.

With Sköll and Hati weighing on his mind, the Crow Blessing was huge news.

He’d never expected it. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have dared ask. The value of that blessing was immense.

“I’m not saying I want to transfer mine.”

“Then?”

“Who else could it be?”

Chloe?

“The Crow Blessing I have is nothing compared to Chloe’s. Didn’t I tell you before? Chloe’s potential is, without a doubt, the greatest in the entire history of the Auditores.”

“Hey, man. This is all so sudden. I think I need a bit of context first.”

“I want…”

Knox forced the words out with difficulty.

“…I want to free my sister Chloe from the chains of the Auditores.”

The brother, Knox, with guilt swelling in his throat, opened his heart in a wish for the sake of his sister, Chloe.