Cheol Sunjik.

He is a terrifying person.

My arms and legs, moving by my own will, are suddenly bound by the strings he manipulates before I even realize it.

It is not just me.

Everyone around me dances to his tune.

The more they struggle to escape, the more they become entangled in the spiderweb he has woven, unable to move an inch.

Those who figure out his true nature fear him, and those who do not try to avoid him.

Their survival instincts send a signal.

That he is a dangerous natural enemy.

That they must avoid him.

Looking straight ahead, he was running toward me with a face flushed bright red.

In the meantime, Eunho stepped in front to block me.

I placed my hand on Eunho's shoulder and spoke.

"Step back."

"But..."

Meeting my gaze, Eunho realized something and nodded.

"Then... please give me the flag."

"The flag?"

He spoke as if it were obvious.

"Eldest Senior Brother, aren't you going to win?"

A small chuckle slipped out without me realizing it.

"... Yeah."

Eunho, who had been commanding the sword array, took the flag and stepped back.

The White Tiger Sword Array had already collapsed, and all four directions had become a chaotic mess, rendering the sword array meaningless now.

I quietly stared at the culprit who had created this situation.

"In a situation like this, there is no time for that eloquent tongue of yours to exert its power, is there?"

I moved my steps toward Cheol Sunjik.

Little by little, faster and faster.

And soon, when I reached my absolute peak speed.

SWOOSH!

Adding the momentum of my sprint, I slammed the Black Dragon Sword down.

CLANG!

The two swords clashed against each other, ringing out with a resonant sound.

Because we had charged in so hastily, the shock spreading between us was massive.

Cheol Sunjik stumbled back five steps to keep from falling, and I too retreated three steps.

"Jin Sowoon..."

"You aren't even calling me Representative Jin anymore."

That fierce glare and the murderous aura were incredibly delightful.

Because I had wanted to face him like this at least once someday.

"I like this very much."

However, he did not seem to welcome it at all.

"Haaah!"

In an instant, the Jukhyeon Gang's Cheongjuk Sword Technique unfolded.

Rooted in the World's Thirty-Six Sword Techniques, the Cheongjuk Sword Technique possessed the profound principles of a heavy sword.

Though he wasn't using internal energy, every time the sword struck, it felt as if I were entirely absorbing the impact's reverberation from inside a bell.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Unable to use internal energy, he instead threw his body weight into swinging the sword.

His resourcefulness was enough to put ordinary wandering warriors to shame.

Without realizing it, I ended up feeling a moment of pure admiration inward.

Is that so? Are you this adept at fighting?

Because I had never seen his skills even once in my past life, I couldn't hide my surprise.

Being this tyrannical, why did he never show off this ability in my past life?

Why, not even once.

How come, not even a single time.

'In the midst of crossing the lines of death, did he never once show the figure of a proper comrade?'

With a swift movement, Cheol Sunjik spun his body sideways twice in the air and struck down with his sword.

I, too, gripped the Black Dragon Sword with both hands and met his attack.

CLAAANG!

My hands trembled, and that tremor spread through my forearms and across my entire shoulders.

To stop the vibration, I slammed the sword into the ground and immediately unleashed the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique.

SWOOOSH!

The sword advanced precisely in the direction I had predicted.

"Hup!"

His eyes wide, Cheol Sunjik swiftly raised his sword to block.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Once again, the crying of blades echoed throughout the entire mountain.

The two swords stood their ground.

In a clash between a heavy sword and a fast sword, what matters is who seizes the rhythm.

A fast sword pushed back by a heavy sword will break, and a heavy sword caught up in a fast sword's pace will fall.

"Hnggh...!"

Neither of us took a single step back, each trying to steal the other's rhythm.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

In one instant, Cheol Sunjik's vital acupoint was exposed.

Even anticipating his own end, he didn't show a hint of fear.

Rather, he only wore an expression of intense, bitter resentment.

"In this life, I have won."

Just as I was about to drive the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist into the solar plexus of Cheol Sunjik, who wore a momentarily puzzled expression.

"Sunjik!"

An uninvited guest intervened.

THUD-THUD-THUD!

Cheol Hyeonjik, who had taken the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist with his back instead.

While Cheol Hyeonjik writhed in pain and rolled on the ground.

Cheol Sunjik, who had looked down at him briefly, moved his hand swiftly.

'Damn it!'

The moment I tried to step back to escape the heavy sword's area of effect.

"...!"

Cheol Hyeonjik, who was rolling on the ground, desperately grabbed my leg.

"Sunjik! Now!"

Along with Cheol Hyeonjik's shout, Cheol Sunjik spun in a full circle, loaded his sword with tremendous force, and swung it as if to cleave my waist.

A movement filled with pure, unadulterated sincerity.

A scoff burst out from me before I knew it.

Crazy bastard, has he forgotten that this is just an evaluation?

... But somehow, I understand.

Because I, too, had forgotten the fact that this current evaluation was nothing more than a score.

I executed the Flowing Cloud Divine Art's Lotus at its absolute peak.

My joints screamed from Cheol Sunjik's heavy sword pressing against the flat of my blade, but I gritted my teeth until they bled and endured it.

"Aaaagh!"

CLANG!

Barely managing to deflect Cheol Sunjik's sword, I immediately kicked away Cheol Hyeonjik, who was clinging to my foot.

"Sunjik... now..."

Fuck, what does he keep saying 'now' for?

THUD.

When Cheol Hyeonjik, who had been clinging like a leech, let out a gagging sound and fainted, Cheol Sunjik looked at his brother once with emotionless eyes before correcting his stance.

"You're lucky, Jin Sowoon."

"Have you finally dropped that crappy formal tone now?"

"... Strange. Everyone usually likes it when they are spoken to politely."

I let out a slight sneer.

"Only those who can't see the sinister intentions hidden underneath."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah."

One would expect him to show outrage at the sight of his fallen brother, but he showed no such reaction at all.

He just continued to swing his sword.

Soon, his dry voice continued.

"You must have thought you only needed to save two people, Seong Moran and Lee Geumpyo. That ruining my strategy and doing that much would be enough."

"..."

As Cheol Sunjik's eyes glinted sharply and he leaned his body further forward, his sword became even heavier.

"Did you really not think I would have predicted even that from the start?"

As if representing his mood.

"Jin Sowoon, things will not go as you wish."

CLAAANG! CLAAANG! CLAAANG!

To the point where, even knowing it was Vajra Indestructible Iron, I worried the sword might break.

"Since you ruined my plan, you won't achieve what you want either!"

Cheol Sunjik shouted with more emotion than ever before.

* * *

In my past life, I despised Cheol Sunjik.

Because his selfishness—prioritizing his own safety and his sect's over the entire squad's victory—was disgusting.

Because their constant failure to give their all made them a target of criticism not only from our Minor Orthodox Unit but from all the warriors.

However, there was actually nothing we could do.

We lacked the skill to force him into submission by strength, and he was far too cunning to outmatch with brains.

Even Zhuge Cheongi fell into his schemes every time, save for one single instance.

That was why I hated and despised him to a sickening degree.

But.

'In truth, I was jealous.'

Of them, who managed to preserve their lives to the very end.

Of him, who saved his people by any means necessary.

Yes, I was jealous.

Of him and his sect members, who survived every time even while being criticized and cursed at.

Because I couldn't do the same.

So, in the end, I had no one left to protect.

"Keuk...!"

Perhaps despising him to the bone was ultimately born from self-loathing over my inability to protect my precious people.

That is why I cannot lose.

No, I must not lose.

I will not repeat the mistakes of my past life again.

I am sick and tired of just hiding and cursing the enemy while staring at the traces of dead, fallen comrades.

"So I cannot stop here!"

Even as I stumbled from the shockwave of the heavy sword, I desperately swung the Ten Thousand Transformations Invincible Fist.

It couldn't deal a massive blow, but it was enough to momentarily obscure his vision.

"Keuk!"

The moment Cheol Sunjik, who had momentarily narrowed his eyes, brought his gaze back.

SWOOSH!

I thrust the Black Dragon Sword without hesitation.

Now that I knew his skills, I knew he wouldn't die easily from an attack like this.

SWOOOSH!

By a hair's breadth, it left a cut on his ear, and with his head still tilted, he immediately thrust his sword hilt toward my side.

It was a crisis where my ribs could have been shattered if I handled it poorly.

Simultaneously retracting the Black Dragon Sword, I struck his jaw with my elbow.

THWACK!

Staggering from the impact, he stumbled back a couple of steps.

His face was a mess of rage and grievance.

"Why... why do you interfere every time, Jin Sowoon..."

Instead of his usual immaculate appearance, Cheol Sunjik, with his head bowed and hair disheveled, spat out the words as if chewing on them.

"I must tear down the heavens. But, but why is someone like you...! Why are you blocking my grand cause!!"

Incomprehensible words reached me, but I didn't question them.

Because I could roughly grasp what he was talking about.

He wailed desperately once again.

"Why... why do you block my path every time?"

CLAAANG!

"Why... how come!"

CLAAANG!

"Every single time...!"

Cheol Sunjik's sword and the Black Dragon Sword clashed, but the heaviness from before was no longer there.

Nor was there the speed that aimed for openings.

Only his desperate thrashing remained.

"I'm asking why you block my path!!!"

CLAAANG!

I no longer stepped back from the impact.

No, rather, it was Cheol Sunjik who stumbled back a couple of steps after clashing with my sword.

Yet he screamed at the top of his lungs in desperation.

"I absolutely cannot back down!"

I looked at him as he staggered.

"The same goes for me."

"..."

I stared into those eyes that held nothing but rage and malice.

An expression that looked just like the one I probably wore in my past life.

"Because I, too, can never back down."

Staring at me blankly, he let out a faintly twisted laugh.

"... Is that so? Jin Sowoon, are you wishing for the same thing as me?"

"..."

"Then why not me? What exactly is the reason you can, but I cannot!"

A question I had also asked myself countless times in my past life while watching Cheol Sunjik.

Now, he was shouting it at me.

"Why must I just stand by and watch blankly!"

Though I hadn't even been able to fathom the answer in my past life, somewhere along the way, I had found the answer to that complex question.

And that answer was unexpectedly simple.

"Because I am more desperate."

"..."

The reason I hadn't been able to answer the question was simply because I lacked the courage to face the truth.

From the start, the answer was clearer and simpler than anything else.

"More than you, Cheol Sunjik!"

And it pierced deep into the lungs.

"Because I am more desperate."

It induces a profound sense of despair.

"That is simply it."

"..."

Cheol Sunjik shook his head.

As if he absolutely could not accept it.

"That can't be true. I... more than anyone... more than anyone..."

Cheol Sunjik's empty gaze looked at me and the members of the Taiyi Sect.

At Geumpyo, who was enduring to the very end while taking on the swords of five people...

"More desperately... than anyone..."

At Saryeon, who, with her disheveled hair, never once let go of her trembling sword...

Then, soon, he clamped his mouth shut.

I could see his jaw muscles bulge out.

GRIND.

Presently, red blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Trembling with his head bowed, he flashed a glare and stared at me.

"If that's the case..."

Cheol Sunjik's face was stiffly rigid.

"If that's really the case, prove it. Prove how desperate you are..."

Along his limp arms, veins bulged out once again as if they were about to burst.

"... This time, I will become your Mount Tai."

I, too, poured all my strength into my trembling arms.

"Even without you, the world is overflowing with bastards trying to block my path!"

SWOOOSH!

Simultaneous to the Black Dragon Sword shooting forward, Cheol Sunjik blocked it with the flat of his blade.

CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!

Cheol Sunjik focused entirely on defense without budging an inch.

Choosing to become a wall instead of swinging his sword, Cheol Sunjik had truly become a single Mount Tai, just as he had declared.

SWOOOOOSH!

"Come at me all you want!"

Not only was there a limit to the speed of a fast sword without internal energy, but simple sword trajectories also wouldn't work on Cheol Sunjik, who had grown accustomed to the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique.

"You won't be able to surpass it easily. Jin Sowoon."

"... Is that so?"

"Yeah... you too should feel it, just how sickening an existence blocking your path can be..."

But I was not afraid of that Mount Tai at all.

Why, you ask?

"If I can't surpass it, I just have to smash it, don't I."

"What?"

Instead of the Lesser Heaven Sword Technique, I gripped the Black Dragon Sword with both hands.

"Cheol Sunjik, just like you tried to do."

And I swung the Cheongjuk Sword Technique that Cheol Sunjik had been swinging.

An honest, straight, and incredibly solid heavy sword, faithful to the basics.

It was a sword sufficient to break down a solid wall.

BAAANG!

I displayed it exactly the same way he had.

BAAANG!

A surprised Cheol Sunjik's eyes grew wide.

"What in the..."

Using someone else's martial arts in a state where one cannot operate internal energy is madness.

Because most martial arts are created based on the circulation of internal energy.

Unless one has trained and studied that martial art for a lifetime, it is impossible to use it efficiently without internal energy.

But I have no need to worry.

Because Cheol Sunjik had just shown me all the time he had built up until now.

The utmost peak of the Cheongjuk Sword Technique, executed without internal energy.

"This makes no sense!!!"

I merely needed to faithfully follow the Cheongjuk Sword Technique he had displayed.

Because then, it would become the absolute best Cheongjuk Sword Technique that could be used in this situation.

CLAAANG!

Just as he had struck as if to smash down the wall that was me.

CLAAANG!

This time, I struck as if to smash down the wall that was Cheol Sunjik.

CLAAANG!

Packing it with weight instead of internal energy.

Adding rotation instead of speed.

CLAAANG!

CRACK.

For the first time, a small crack formed on Cheol Sunjik's sword.

"W-what!!!"

Cheol Sunjik tried to step back in panic.

Without delay, I spun three times in place and swung the Cheongjuk Sword Technique.

THWAAACK!

Presently.

CRACK!

SHATTER!

With a sound that threatened to tear the eardrums, Cheol Sunjik's sword broke.