Duel
"I'm sorry, Captain Han Gyoseong."
"Ah, it's fine, Lady Na. Just tell Seol Pung when he comes back to hand out some snacks."
It was originally Squad Seven's turn to go on afternoon patrol, but with Seol Pung and his squad still not returned, Na Seo-yu had no choice but to ask Squad One, whose turn was next, to take it instead.
According to established rules, if a squad failed to return from hunting the Ju-gwi before their patrol time, the next squad would take their shift.
Still, going out earlier than scheduled was never a pleasant task.
In that sense, it was fortunate that Squad One followed Squad Seven.
Captain Han Gyoseong of Squad One, the Cheongpung Sword Dragon, was kindhearted enough to smile and encourage his members to patrol in their stead.
Beside Na Seo-yu, Cheon Ju-eun let out a relieved sigh.
"It's a relief he took it well. I was worried."
Na Seo-yu smiled and replied,
"Captain Han is a good person. Though he's lazy, gluttonous, and terribly forgetful."
Cheon Ju-eun blinked, startled.
"…Huh? I heard he's a genius even acknowledged by the Cheongseong Sect?"
"That's true. In martial arts, he's definitely a genius. Which is why he sometimes can't understand ordinary people and ends up hurting them. But he really is a good person. Of course, his world is so self-contained that Vice-Captain Hae-won has suffered and turned into a nag. But still, he's good."
"…What?"
As if venting her frustrations, Na Seo-yu's words left Cheon Ju-eun blinking. She glanced at Bae Jong-gwan for confirmation, but before he could answer, Na Seo-yu sighed again.
"In any case, I'll have to ask Captain Lee to take the next patrol, too. But… he's a little intimidating."
Cheon Ju-eun's face stiffened slightly.
"Captain Lee… isn't he Captain Sagun-il, the Jeomchang Sword Dragon?"
Na Seo-yu nodded, a worried look crossing her face.
"Yes. If you're uncomfortable, I can go alone. You can wait."
Cheon Ju-eun's father had died at the hands of the Blood Envoys during the Great War. Like Bi Sa-yeong, she bore deep hatred toward the Jeomchang Sect.
That was why, when she first joined the Thirteen Squads, she had avoided Squad Four under Jeomchang Sword Eagle Ma Yu-gyeom.
But now Cheon Ju-eun smiled gently and shook her head.
"It's fine. We fight together as comrades. I can't hold on to hatred forever. As long as it's not someone like our squadmate Ju Tae-gyeong, I don't mind."
Na Seo-yu chuckled and patted her head.
"That's right. Captain Sagun-il is the most reasonable among the Jeomchang Sect. He may seem cold, but that's just his nature—he isn't arrogant or dismissive."
Bae Jong-gwan added with a nod,
"Indeed, Lady Cheon. Captain Sagun-il is a man even other men admire. Like a perfectly tempered blade, cold and fair to all."
"…Cold and fair to all—that sounds like having a bad personality, doesn't it?"
"No, no. I phrased it poorly. I mean he treats everyone equally without discrimination, regardless of strength or sect."
Listening to their exchange, Na Seo-yu sighed inwardly.
She asked favors of other captains with a calm face, but inside she was deeply anxious.
She trusted Seol Pung's martial prowess, but his prolonged absence was troubling.
Could it be…?
Clasping her hands together, she prayed silently for their safe return.
Then, suddenly, a voice addressed her.
"Seol Pung isn't back yet?"
It was Jeomchang Sword Viper Ju Tae-gyeong, striding over with three flunkies at his back, wearing a smug expression.
Na Seo-yu sighed quietly but kept her face calm as she replied,
"He's delayed. I've asked Squad One's captain to patrol."
Ju Tae-gyeong sneered.
"Busy wasting time, are they…"
His lackeys—Ha Mu-jin, Ji Man-geum, and Man Gu-in—snickered and piled on.
"Maybe that pig Seonu was too scared to face you and decided not to return."
"Wouldn't surprise me. He's probably begging Seol Pung right now: 'Captain, I don't want to go back. Please spare me.'"
"Hahaha, hilarious!"
Na Seo-yu, who had been regarding them with pity, finally spoke.
"You three should learn a sense of belonging. Isn't it basic decency to worry whether your comrades might be in danger?"
Ha Mu-jin smirked.
"Worry? Why? If Seol Pung dies, Tae-gyeong becomes captain. That's even better."
"Exactly. That's how it should've been from the start."
"Right, right."
At that, Na Seo-yu's eyes grew cold.
"Ju Tae-gyeong, captain? Why? If, heaven forbid, something happens to Captain Seol Pung, then as vice-captain, I should take his place."
"What?!"
"How dare you!"
Na Seo-yu's aura flared, pressing them down.
"Dare? You dare talk like that to me, the vice-captain?"
The three, mere second-rate martial artists, paled instantly and fell silent before her first-rate aura.
Ju Tae-gyeong stepped forward smoothly to intercept the pressure.
"I know Lady Na is talented. But… aren't you still lacking to lead as captain?"
Smiling brightly, Na Seo-yu retorted,
"I may lack. But more than you, Young Master Ju? Shouldn't you defeat Seonu Jin first before thinking of leading? Not that I expect you can."
His face stiffened.
"That wretch isn't even worthy of being my opponent."
"Maybe. But from what I see, Seonu Jin doesn't even consider you worth worrying about. Said it wasn't important."
"You dare!"
Ju Tae-gyeong roared, but Na Seo-yu only smiled and turned away.
"Good luck, Young Master Ju."
Her smile vanished instantly once her back was turned.
She had sensed it—Ju Tae-gyeong's cultivation had advanced.
Even with elixirs, could Seonu Jin handle him now?
A suffocating unease filled her chest.
As she went to see Captain Sagun-il, she prayed desperately.
"Captain, please return soon. I'm so anxious."
By the time Squad One returned from patrol, Seol Pung's squad was still missing.
Now it was evening patrol, and Na Seo-yu was sending off Squad Two under Captain Sagun-il.
"Captain Sagun-il, thank you. I'm sorry for troubling you on our behalf."
Silent, the Jeomchang Sword Dragon merely nodded. But before leaving, he turned back to her.
"Seol Pung is one of the finest warriors I know."
Na Seo-yu blinked.
"Sorry…?"
He added calmly,
"So don't worry too much."
The subtle kindness hidden in his cold words left her staring blankly before smiling faintly.
She must have looked too troubled.
She resolved to stay strong, breathing deep, and turned back to her squad with a smile.
"Alright! Even without our captain, let's keep training—Ju-eun? What's wrong?"
Cheon Ju-eun's face was beet-red, her hands covering it as she stared after Sagun-il's back.
Na Seo-yu instantly understood and called, half exasperated, half amused:
"Ju-eun! Training!"
"Y-Yes! Yes, sister!"
Beside her, Bae Jong-gwan, oblivious, gazed at Ju-eun with adoration.
Na Seo-yu could only sigh.
Then Ju Tae-gyeong appeared again.
Na Seo-yu sighed.
"What is it now, Young Master Ju?"
He smirked.
"Don't you think it's serious by now? Shouldn't we ask the Grand Captain to send a search party?"
Na Seo-yu kept her smile.
"You know Captain's strength better than anyone. It's only been three days."
But Ju Tae-gyeong retorted smoothly,
"Only? I'd say already. No one has ever returned alive after three days in that forest. It's a day's trip there and back. Three days… it's foolish to cling to blind faith. If you want to be captain, you must learn to judge coldly and accept reality."
His sly grin made him look every bit the viper his nickname promised.
Na Seo-yu felt a chill just standing before him.
But his words cut deep—three days without return had always meant death. And she was already consumed with worry.
Still, she would not show weakness before him.
"I decide in the captain's absence. We'll wait until tomorrow."
Ju Tae-gyeong smirked.
"Really? Captain Ma Yu-gyeom thinks otherwise. I suspect the captains' meeting will be called tomorrow."
Her face burned with fury.
"You! You told Captain Ma without my consent?!"
But he only replied smoothly,
"It's for the squad and the Thirteen Squads. The longer this drags on, the more others suffer. Best to solve problems quickly, before they spread."
"You—!"
At that moment, a voice cut in.
"Indeed. I should've solved this sooner. Jin, you were right."
"And now you see—rotten fruit must be cut before it spoils the rest."
Na Seo-yu and Ju Tae-gyeong whipped their heads around in shock.
And their faces told the story—one of joy, the other of dread.
"Captain!"
"Seol Pung?!"
There they were—four figures, weary but smiling, returned alive.
Na Seo-yu covered her mouth in relief.
Cheon Ju-eun and Bae Jong-gwan ran toward them, faces shining.
"Ahhh!"
"Captain! Sa-yeong! Jin! Lady Cheong!"
"Kyaa! Captain! Why so late? Sister Seo-yu worried herself sick!"
Seol Pung flinched as Cheon Ju-eun rushed at him fiercely, then awkwardly pulled his body back and answered.
"Ah, s-sorry. I foolishly got injured and had to be carried back on Jin's back. That's why I'm late."
At those words, Na Seo-yu, who had been watching with teary eyes, gasped and rushed to him.
"You're injured?! Where? How badly? Are you alright now?!"
Overwhelmed by her fierce aura, Seol Pung stammered out a reply.
"Ah, I… I suffered some internal injuries, but it's nothing. I've already recovered on the way back. And…"
He trailed off, smiling awkwardly. But unlike his usual self, his eyes softened as he said,
"Sorry I returned late, Lady Na. And… thank you for worrying about me."
Hearing Seol Pung's gentle tone for the first time, Na Seo-yu was suddenly overwhelmed, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
Both were startled—Na Seo-yu at her own tears, Seol Pung at seeing them.
"Ah! Th-this isn't because I'm sad or anything, I—"
"S-sorry, Lady Na. I truly was in the wrong."
"N-no, I said it's not that!"
While the two flustered themselves, Ju Tae-gyeong, with a twisted expression, spoke to Seonu Jin.
"So you managed to return in time. But make no mistake—carrying your captain back doesn't change anything. I won't postpone our duel."
Seonu Jin smirked.
"Hm? You're here too? Why would you postpone it? Let's just get it over with quickly so I can rest. Come on, hurry up."
As if he were brushing off an annoyance, his words enraged Ju Tae-gyeong, who grabbed his sword hilt.
"You wretch, how dare you!"
Seonu Jin chuckled.
"Oh? Should we just do it here? That's fine too."
Ju Tae-gyeong faltered. No matter how angry, he couldn't agree to that.
This duel had to take place before as many witnesses as possible.
He wanted to crush this arrogant brat in front of everyone and proudly display his strength.
Now that he had advanced to the level of a first-rate upper-class warrior, he wanted to engrave his greatness into everyone's mind.
Gritting his teeth, he declared,
"Half a shichen from now, at the training grounds. Don't you dare run."
"Run? Me? Why would I?"
With that infuriatingly innocent expression, Seonu Jin flipped his insides. Ju Tae-gyeong turned away quickly, striding off.
He planned to go straight to Ma Yu-gyeom, his master and the Jeomchang Sect's chief disciple.
He knew Ma Yu-gyeom would enlarge the stage for him.
His heart already pounded with excitement at the thought of humiliating Seonu Jin before a great crowd.
He couldn't kill him, but he'd push him to the brink, break him utterly, and make him wish for death.
So that he'd never dare breathe freely in his presence again.
Ju Tae-gyeong's body trembled with excitement.
As Ju Tae-gyeong left, Bi Sa-yeong asked Seonu Jin quietly,
"Jin, are you really okay?"
Seonu Jin gave a wry smile.
"Of course not. I'm exhausted—I could collapse any moment. Thank goodness he didn't insist on fighting right now. I'll meditate a bit."
Seonu Jin sat right there and began circulating his energy.
Na Seo-yu turned to Seol Pung anxiously.
"From what I felt today, Ju Tae-gyeong's cultivation has advanced a step further. Will Young Master Seonu be alright?"
Seol Pung, Bi Sa-yeong, and Hae Cheong-yeon exchanged smiles.
Bi Sa-yeong answered confidently.
"Just wait and see, Lady Na. You'll be shocked."
"…Huh?"
Na Seo-yu, Cheon Ju-eun, and Bae Jong-gwan only traded puzzled glances.
After half a shichen of meditation, I rose and headed to the training grounds.
As expected, a large crowd had gathered.
Ju Tae-gyeong had clearly made sure of it.
Captain Ma Yu-gyeom was there, and aside from Captain Sagun-il, who was out on patrol, every other squad captain had come to watch.
Captain Han Gyoseong of Squad One, Captain Tang Yeo-eun of Squad Three…
Ju Tae-gyeong wanted to trample me in front of them all.
But…
As I looked at him standing in the center, smiling smugly, memories from my previous life came flooding back.
How he scorned and humiliated me.
How he constantly undermined Captain Seol Pung and sowed discord in our squad.
And most vividly—how Na Seo-yu had died because of him.
Laughter escaped me.
Finally, in this second life, it was time to repay it all.
As I entered the grounds, his eyes glittered with excitement as he sneered,
"I won't kill you. But I'll make you wish you were dead."
I knew what he was thinking. He wanted to kill me, but there were too many witnesses.
I smirked, raised my hand, and beckoned him with a finger.
"Shut up. Come."
His face hardened. He drew his sword with a shout.
"You bastard, how dare you!"
His sword flashed, striking like a bolt of light.
Shuaak!
An incredible speed—the Jeomchang Sect's thrust, said to pierce even the sun.
His thrust aimed straight for my chest, but my body shifted lightly, like a drifting petal, slipping past it.
My sword remained sheathed.
"What?!"
Scowling, he launched into his chained thrusts, his sword spraying misty energy like rain from a cloud.
"Haaah!"
Shuaaak!
But the result was the same.
I already knew the Jeomchang Sect's Four-Seasons Sword from my past life. And now, my cultivation and insight far surpassed his.
After the Ju-gwi incident, my mastery of the Heavenly Wind Step had already exceeded my previous life.
My body, moving like the wind, evaded every one of his strikes with the slightest footwork.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bi Sa-yeong staring, stunned.
Of course—my Heavenly Wind Step was completely nullifying the Jeomchang Sect's Four-Seasons Sword.
This was my way of showing gratitude for the elixirs she had given me.
Despite his relentless assault, Ju Tae-gyeong couldn't land a single blow. His face flushed red with shame and fury.
"What are you doing?! Are you just going to keep running?!"
I chuckled.
He still didn't understand what it meant that he couldn't defeat me, even when I hadn't drawn my sword.
Or perhaps… he simply refused to admit it.
So I told him plainly,
"Until now, that was the Heavenly Wind Step of the Bi Sect."
"…What?"
He frowned.
"And now—it's time for the Seonu Family's Thirteen Swords."
"What?!"
In that instant, my sword finally leapt from its scabbard, like a white dragon taking flight.
Shuaaak!
As my blade unsheathed, a flurry of sword energy spread like wings, engulfing him.
The First Form of the Seonu Thirteen Swords—Divine Eagle Soars the Sky.
"Urk?!"
Startled, he stumbled back to defend.
My grin widened.
Retreating in the face of an enemy's assault? He was even more foolish than I thought.
He had opened his own death path.
Without hesitation, I flowed into the Second Form—Divine Eagle Sheds Feathers.
From the outstretched wings, glittering sword-lights rained down like falling feathers, overwhelming him.
His panic was plain.
"Wha—?!"
As he flailed to block, one sword-light shot forth like lightning among the illusions.
The Third Form—Divine Eagle Descends with Might.
Ju Tae-gyeong stared blankly at my blade, halted right at his throat.
He couldn't believe it. Defeated in just three moves.
"Th-this… impossible…"
I smirked.
"Call me 'senior' now, Ju Tae-gyeong."
It was the most wretchedly twisted expression I had ever seen on his face—in both lives.