In a split second where even time seemed to freeze, Raquelamalin closed her eyes.
A life that grows strong in defiance of the world's providence. A human who runs dozens of steps while others take a single one. The world has a name for such beings.
Genius (天才). Talent bestowed by the heavens.
Until now, Larin had thought she was a genius. It was embarrassing to say it herself, but everyone around her had praised her achievements, and she had felt confident in her strength.
But looking at Yujin, she wondered if he was even the same species as her. His unwavering eyes held absolute certainty.
Deciding escape was impossible, Larin squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the impact. But even after a few moments, nothing happened. Bewildered, she slowly opened her eyes...
Tap.
Yujin‘s finger gently poked her forehead.
Larin‘s eyes went wide as she stared at the finger resting lightly on her brow. Despite being in the center of the unfolding sword strikes, she was completely unharmed.
"Why so scared? Did you really think I‘d cut you down?"
Yujin looked at her with a playful smile.
Larin looked around. The eight beams of sword energy had created a lattice of destruction around her, carving deep into the earth and shattering her Arts, yet not a single scratch was on her.
"Ugh, seriously! Hmph!"
Kicking the cross-shaped scar in the ground, Larin playfully punched Yujin‘s arm. Her hit was soft and lacked force, but Yujin just laughed.
"Was that the sword style you created?"
Yujin had once told her: Don't just wear someone else's sword like a coat. Forge your own.
"…No. That was just the basics."
He had spoken grandly to Kiril, but Yujin still didn't know his own path.
He could use other styles, but he tried to refrain from copying them. Using the Nearl style here was an exception, and Larin knew why.
Entering the prestigious Champions League hadn't been achieved through his own merit alone. It was a result of his connection with Daniel and a fortunate turn of events that allowed him to be a substitute.
That weighed on him. The condition—the shackle—he placed on himself was to use only the Nearl Arts.
He had intended to stop copying others until he perfected his own sword, but he had already crammed too much inside him. He held so many techniques he couldn't even examine them all properly. Adding the weight of the Nearl name on top of that made his balance precarious.
Hearing Yujin speak, Larin carefully reached out and placed a hand on his back. His body was firm with muscle, a beautiful physique forged through effort. Yet, what was he trying to carry on those shoulders?
"What are you doing?"
Feeling her touch, Yujin turned around. Startled, Larin quickly pulled her hand back.
"N-nothing. Just wondering if I could help..."
"I appreciate the thought."
His next duel was against the Knight of the Iron Arm. No information, and his full power was sealed. It was a gamble, but he couldn't lose. Losing meant erasing the Nearl name from Kazimierz.
Larin looked at him with worry. Their time together had been short, but her affection for him had grown deep. She didn't want to see him push himself to the breaking point.
"…Is it hard?"
"It's fine. I'm going to win."
Yujin seemed to see right through her, which felt unfair since she couldn't read him at all.
Left with no other option, Larin silently prayed that he wouldn't get hurt.
Yujin tapped his finger on the table, lost in thought.
This was a problem he had been grappling with for a long time. It was a secret struggle no one else knew about.
Sometimes, without any reason, his killing intent would surge uncontrollably.
When someone annoyed him, his first instinct wasn't negotiation or dialogue—it was to remove them from his sight as efficiently and quickly as possible.
Hearing this might make him sound like a psychopath, but the conflict arose from two contradictory thoughts.
When he saw Murchal Ingra, the Iron Knight, he had felt it. Keeping this man alive in front of him would be annoying. He wanted to tear off his limbs and end his life.
But why had he picked up the sword in the first place? Wasn't it for Theresa?
He remembered the conversation he had with Kisha late at night. He had comforted the girl, hoping she would grow into a good adult.
And when he first met Netsalem, he had thought about saving the innocent and never losing to the wicked.
"It‘s not like it's black and white... what is this..."
Rubbing his temples, Yujin muttered irritably. This was going to be a problem. If that uncontrolled blade ever turned toward the people around him, he would regret it for the rest of his life.
"I miss Kalaisha."
He thought of the friend with whom he could talk without thinking. If he had to pick one friend he felt most at ease with, it would be Kalaisha.
If she were here, he might be talking about this casually. And she would probably just wrap an arm around his neck playfully and tell him it was no big deal.
Sigh. Not wanting to sound weak, Yujin exhaled deeply. He had lived longer than he appeared, but he was still human. Born and raised in a peaceful world, he had suddenly been dropped into a place where swinging a sword and waging war were daily occurrences.
Realistically, it made sense that he couldn't adapt perfectly.
He thought he was over it, but seeing the issue rear its head again made Yujin slam his forehead onto the table. Thud!
"Fuck."
He hadn't cursed in a while, but in annoying situations, it just slipped out. At least there was no one around to hear it.
"Seems like you have a problem."
But he hadn't noticed Daniel entering the room.
Yujin looked up with an awkward expression, gauging Daniel‘s reaction.
"Did you... hear that?"
"I‘ve been here for a while. Heard everything."
Leaning against the doorframe, Daniel walked in and pulled up a chair opposite Yujin.
"It‘s a foolish thought. Just ignore it and move on."
"Calling it foolish doesn't make it less real. I've had similar thoughts myself."
To live as a purely good fool, this world called "Terra" had too many problems. Discrimination was rampant, death was cheap, and countless other issues plagued society. The conflicts of Earth seemed trivial in comparison.
"I've had moments like that. When someone obstructed my plans or just annoyed me with their blabbering, I wanted to tear their mouth open."
Seeing Daniel say such violent things with a refreshing smile felt out of character. Yujin chuckled.
"What happened to that person?"
"Unfortunately for him, I was doing quite well at the time. He fell to the bottom."
Daniel chuckled as well. Jealousy, selfishness, and the desire for fame were inherent to being human.
"Don't take it too seriously. Murchal... he's a man who deserves punishment eventually. I understand why you felt that way."
"Mmm, but thinking about tearing his limbs off is a bit..."
"It‘s just a thought. Unless you act on it, it‘s not a problem."
Humans have hundreds of thoughts a day and forget most of them instantly. Yujin had a somewhat pathological habit of trying to remain "good."
"But keeping anger bottled up isn't good either. Eventually, it will either rot you from the inside or explode like a volcano."
Daniel was naturally grateful to Yujin. A complete stranger was fighting to preserve the Nearl name. It was only natural to feel gratitude.
"Daniel... if you were in that situation, what would you do?"
Daniel looked out the window, pondering Yujin‘s question. After a moment, he answered.
"I wouldn't hold back. If there was an opponent I truly needed to tear apart, I would do whatever it took."
Seeing Daniel‘s serious expression, Yujin flinched. Daniel stood up after their brief conversation and walked out the door.
"Wouldn't hold back..."
He hadn't met such an opponent yet, but Yujin brushed his hair back, hoping he would never have to think that way about anyone in the future.