The match wasn't decided instantly. As the dust rose and the ground shattered, Yujin felt a numb tremor run through his arms.
But the Iron Arm Knight was in the same state. He had struck with everything he had, but Yujin had countered with a rising crescent slash, meeting the full force of the blow head-on.
It was magnificent. This duel, right here and now.
Even if the spectators above saw them as mere entertainment, the two knights standing on the shattered earth shared the same intent.
An honorable duel. To seize victory in a clash of wills.
The Iron Arm Knight didn't give up just because his ultimate strike had been blocked. though his body was exhausted, he dragged his hammer and charged at Yujin again.
Once more, sword and hammer collided. Yujin could feel the strength behind the hammer waning, but he swung his sword in silence. It was the only way he could show his respect.
Heavy metallic clangs rang out as they exchanged dozens of blows. For a long time, neither retreated, wielding their weapons with everything they had.
Armor cracked. The hammer shook as if it were about to break. As time passed, it was the Iron Arm Knight who was pushed into a corner.
While the Knight was becoming a battered mess, Yujin still had stamina to spare. Aside from the dent in his side from the first hit, his armor was largely intact.
"Huff... huff..."
Gasping for air, the Iron Arm Knight looked like he was about to collapse, but his eyes said he wouldn't give up.
Respect for an honorable knight.
Yujin raised his sword. A haze of heat rose from the tip. His momentum had been overwhelming until now, but the Iron Arm Knight sensed something different about Yujin in this moment.
It was night, and the arena was illuminated by bright floodlights. Yet, behind Yujin, a darkness seemed to swallow the artificial light. Against that pure, absolute black backdrop, Yujin lifted his blade.
Two stars rose.
Like points of light in the void, two connected stars shone brilliantly in the darkness.
It was a sight so overwhelming and radiant that the Iron Arm Knight trembled. Was it fear? Or awe? Unable to distinguish the emotion, he gripped his hammer tightly to shake it off.
Nothing changes.
Prove it with the result of the duel...!
The Iron Arm Knight charged again, hammer raised. But within a fraction of a second, Yujin‘s sword moved with deliberate slowness.
And then, a single strike.
"Guh!"
With a choked gasp, the Iron Arm Knight was sent flying. He skidded across the ground, crashed into the arena wall, and slumped to the floor.
He didn't move. The impact had knocked him unconscious.
The victor had been decided.
"…I won."
Yujin removed his stifling helmet. The loud voice of the commentator praising him and the roar of the crowd washed over him.
Four left.
Only four more to go.
2.
"Aaargh...!"
Yujin groaned as he lay on his bed. He had overexerted himself by using the Stars unnecessarily. Even without them, his victory had been assured, but he had gotten caught up in the moment.
"Sigh."
He looked so cool in the arena, yet why did he turn into such a goofball when they were alone? Larin sighed as she looked at him.
"Are you okay?"
"I'm fine... ugh."
Larin poked the bruise on his side where the Iron Arm Knight had hit him, and Yujin grimaced in pain. It was a shame he still hadn't solved his fundamental problem.
His body couldn't withstand his Arts.
Yujin‘s chronic weakness was literal. If Arts were water and the human body was a vessel, Yujin was like a vessel made of extremely thin glass.
A fragile vessel, easily shattered.
He had suspected it after fighting Tarkan, and his training with Netsalem and Buldrokk had confirmed it. But he couldn't live in this world without Arts. He had lived with the mindset that even if he was a glass cannon, he just had to be a skilled one. Only Netsalem knew the full extent of this weakness.
It was manageable for now. But using the Stars against the Iron Arm Knight had strained his body.
The Stars were an Art of unknown origin. Netsalem called it a power close to a Covenant. As long as he didn't break his vow, it granted him immense strength; but the moment he faltered, the power he had received would turn into blades and tear him apart.
If it‘s going to give me power, it could be a little gentler about it, Yujin thought as his body creaked.
Since the fight with Tarkan, no new stars had appeared. He had spent his time training in seclusion in Kazdel, so there had been no significant events to trigger another one.
"Ugh, Larin. Could you put a patch on my back?"
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Yujin turned his back to her. Larin peeled the medicinal patch Daniel had provided and lifted Yujin‘s shirt.
"Ah..."
His body was sculpted like a statue. As she carefully placed her hand on his firm back, Larin traced a large scar running down his spine with her slender finger.
It looked like the claw mark of a beast—too large and savage to be ordinary.
"Larin?"
Startled by his voice, Larin quickly applied the patch. She had been unconsciously caressing his back.
"Can I ask you something? If it's not rude?"
"Sure. What is it?"
"Who gave you this scar?"
It was too savage to be from a human, and too deep to be from a normal animal.
Yujin answered without much emotion.
"A Sea Terror. Or, to be more precise... a Seaborn. Have you heard of them?"
Neither name rang a bell for Larin, so she frowned. Yujin was strong; for something to leave a scar like this, it must have been a formidable enemy. Moreover, it was clear that if this wound hadn't been treated immediately, it would have been fatal.
"Are they strong?"
"Strong. Terrifyingly so."
Yujin‘s face hardened. Larin wondered what kind of enemy could elicit such a reaction from him.
"They're better left unknown. It‘s best not to get involved. Just know that they exist."
Seeing that he didn't want to talk about it further, Larin dropped the subject. But there was one other thing she wanted to ask.
"Okay. Also... Yujin, you said you came from Kazdel. Did you have any close friends there?"
The question was loaded with intent, but Yujin answered thoughtlessly.
"Do I look like a guy with no friends...?"
"No, no! I didn't mean it like that! I was just curious..."
"Of course I do. Not many, though."
"How many... women?"
"Three? Wait, why are you asking?"
"Just because."
When Yujin turned around, Larin was smiling, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. Yujin gave an awkward cough.
"Two are in Kazdel right now, and one is in Iberia. Come to think of it, I wonder how she's doing."
"Iberia? You‘ve been to Iberia?"
"I wish it had been for tourism, but unfortunately, it was for training. Didn't get a moment of rest."
The memories of that trip weren't pleasant. That was the day Yujin, who rarely felt fear, had been truly terrified.
"Whew..."
"…Hey."
Limping out of the water, Yujin crawled onto the shore. He was in bad shape, and his platinum eyes burned as he glared at Buldrokk.
"What the hell... was that?"
"Did you see it?"
"Cut the crap and answer me. I'm already pissed off enough."
Yujin rarely swore, but Buldrokk understood. He had reacted the same way at first. Terrified and angry.
"Have you ever heard of the Seaborn?"
Sea Terrors. Seaborn. Buldrokk explained them with an expressionless face. Listening to the explanation, Yujin‘s face crumpled as he looked back at the ocean.
"Those things... are sleeping down there? But Iberia is..."
"A ticking time bomb. They‘re just covering up the truth with the name of a Golden Age."
The stories about the Seaborn were horrific. Yujin, who had just fled from facing them in the dark abyss, couldn't imagine what would happen if they ever came up to land. They reminded him of the Cthulhu mythos from Earth—creatures born of cosmic horror.
To think he had to retrieve three flags from that hell... Yujin gritted his teeth. This wasn't just difficult; it was a trial with his life as collateral.
"…I‘m going in to rest."
"Alright."
Leaving Buldrokk to cast a fishing line into a sea that yielded no fish, Yujin went into the shack, washed up, and threw himself onto the bed.
Thanks to Netsalem‘s preparations, his wounded body healed quickly, but the thought of doing it all over again was exhausting.
He closed his eyes and fell asleep. Having run himself ragged and then dived into the ocean, he was dead tired.
But after what felt like a very short nap, Yujin tossed and turned, opening his eyes.
「 ♪~ ♫ 」
"…Who‘s singing at this hour?"
Buldrokk was fast asleep, sprawled out on his bed, but Yujin‘s sensitive ears picked up a beautiful melody. It sounded like rolling marbles—clear and pure.
He opened the door and stepped out. Walking across the crunching sand, Yujin looked at the sea. The moon had risen between the clouds, casting its reflection on the water. It was a beautiful sight, but knowing what lay beneath made him feel uneasy.
The sound was coming from some distance away. Following the faint song, he reached a rock jutting out from the sand.
A girl in a white dress sat there. Her white hair fluttered in the wind, absorbing the moonlight. In her pale, almost monochromatic appearance, her deep red eyes stood out like drops of blood.
She was humming a song without lyrics. It sounded like a lullaby, yet it carried a deep sorrow.
When her song ended, the sea fell silent, leaving only the sound of waves. Yujin, who had been listening quietly, raised a hand.
"…Hello?"
This was Yujin's first meeting with the girl named Ishar-mla.