Gwi-heon stepped forward without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, he vanished from sight.
SWOOSH!
In an instant, he was right in front of Raven. His sword came down from above at high speed, slicing through the air with a faint whoosh.
Raven didn't move.
He remained standing in place, neither dodging nor retreating.
Only the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
CLANG!
The clash of metal rang out sharply.
"Too slow."
In Raven's hand, the old dagger was already raised. His movement was light, as if exerting little force, yet sufficient to block Gwi-heon's full-force slash.
For a split second, Gwi-heon froze.
His attack was stopped… with one hand.
Raven gave him no time.
With a swift motion, he pushed the sword back using his dagger. The thrust didn't look strong, yet it was enough to force Gwi-heon's body to stumble back a full step.
"Blocking that attack… with one hand?" Gwi-heon thought.
But before he could think further, Raven vanished.
Gwi-heon heard only a faint rustling sound beside him
And suddenly Raven was standing behind him.
"Right here."
Gwi-heon spun around instantly and slashed without hesitation. His sword sliced through the air swiftly, but only empty air was split.
Raven stood just a few inches from the path of the slash. So close that the hem of his garment was swept aside by the sword's wind.
"Wasn't he just… behind me?"
"Your focus is scattered," said Raven.
"YOU!"
Gwi-heon immediately charged forward again. His sword moved swiftly, slashing forward several times without pause. Each swing carried such force that it was enough to force his opponent back.
But Raven simply stepped back calmly.
He dodged every slash with small movements. Unhurried, his gaze remained steady as he tracked the sword's path, reading every shift in angle and the force released.
A straight thrust came toward him.
And Raven dodged again by shifting his body slightly to the side.
But at the same moment, Gwi-heon instantly changed the direction of his attack. His sword spun into a horizontal slash, aimed directly at Raven's path of movement.
The attack was fast.
And precise.
Raven immediately ducked downward, narrowly avoiding the slash. The wind from the sword's blade swept over the top of his body.
It wasn't over.
Behind that series of attacks, Gwi-heon had another move up his sleeve. The moment Raven ducked to avoid the horizontal slash, his left hand suddenly moved, unleashing a palm strike toward Raven's body in tandem with a vertical slash from his sword. The combination was designed to close all openings and corner his opponent.
But…
Raven had seen it coming.
As soon as the palm strike closed in, he immediately grabbed that wrist. With a single motion, he deflected the attack off course.
Without a moment's hesitation, Raven used the energy still flowing through her palm to spin her body.
And…
THUD!
A counterattack in the form of a powerful kick instantly struck Gwi-heon in the stomach.
The man's body was sent flying backward. He immediately planted his sword into the ground to stop his momentum, his knees dropping to the ground.
His hands clutched his stomach as the pain was excruciating.
On the other hand, Raven landed with one hand as a support. He pushed off slightly using his strength, then jumped lightly and stood upright again.
His movements were smooth.
As if it required no effort at all.
Sweat began to bead on Gwi-heon's forehead. His breathing grew heavier. For the first time, his expression lost its composure.
"My attack should have hit him… How did he dodge that?"
His mind began to waver. Disbelief mingled with the pressure slowly building up.
"How did you do that?" he finally asked.
Raven stared at him blankly, then sighed softly as if the question were too simple.
"It's not difficult," he replied calmly. "The way you swing your sword is too stiff. When you're about to strike, your shoulders already give away the direction of your attack."
He took a small step, maintaining the same distance.
"Your weight transfer is also too obvious. You're not really channeling power from your entire body into that slash. Instead, you're holding it back for your next attack. From that alone, it's enough for me to read what you're going to do."
Raven's eyes narrowed slightly.
"From the very beginning, I've been watching every movement of your body. But what's quite interesting… you're not just a swordsman."
There was a brief pause before he continued, "You've also studied palm techniques."
Gwi-heon fell silent.
"But honestly," Raven continued, his tone remaining flat, "you're far better suited to using Palm Art than Sword Art."
Those words felt like a direct blow to his pride.
"What the hell…?" Gwi-heon thought to himself. "How could he analyze that much just from a brief fight?"
His heart began to race.
"In a single fight… he read every movement of my body… even going so far as to guess the foundation of my martial arts…"
His gaze hardened.
"He… is completely unreasonable." He took a deep breath, then straightened his posture again.
"It seems I was the one who underestimated you, Young Master," he said softly, though this time his tone was far more serious. "In that case… I won't hold back anymore."
His eyes sharpened.
"And one more thing. I'm a swordsman. Not a palm technique user."
Raven smiled faintly.
"Still so stubborn".
In that very moment, the qi within Gwi-heon's body erupted outward.
The ground beneath his feet cracked as he planted his foot firmly. Energy surged through his body, amplifying every movement.
In a single burst, he shot forward.
His sword struck in rapid succession, both swift and heavy. Each thrust carried a sharp gust of wind, forming a small vortex around the blade.
The air around him trembled.
Leaves that were touched were instantly split in two. The ground in his path was gouged, leaving clean, sharp cuts.
This attack—
Was vastly different from before.
The attack of a martial artist who no longer held back his abilities.
And Raven…
was still standing there, watching.
WHRRRRR—!!!
Blades of wind surge from all directions, sharp enough to tear apart anyone caught within them. Yet Raven does not retreat. He merely swings the dagger in his hand casually, as if brushing aside something trivial.
Each swing generated a dense gust of wind. And strangely, the moment those gusts touched his slash, the attack instantly dissipated and vanished, as if it had never existed.
"He… is breaking my attack?" Gwi-heon thought to himself, his face slowly turning pale.
Raven narrowed his eyes, glancing at the sword technique briefly, as if assessing its quality.
In the next instant, Gwi-heon was already in front of him. His sword came down straight, carrying the residual pressure from the previous technique.
When the tip of Gwi-heon's sword finally reached Raven, the man simply raised his hand and pinched the blade between his thumb and index finger.
The movement was simple. There was no visible pressure.
Yet it was enough to halt the attack's entire momentum. Gwi-heon immediately thrust forward, exerting all his strength to drive his sword further.
But Raven didn't budge an inch.
As if the attack… had no meaning at all.
"Hm… your technique is quite good," Raven said calmly, his gaze still fixed on the sword blade he was holding. "But I told you from the start, you're not suited for sword art."
He tilted his head slightly, as if truly appraising him.
"Something's off. The flow of your technique isn't cohesive. Your movements are correct, but they don't flow… as if you're forcing something that isn't yours." He paused for a moment, then continued in a flat tone. "Even your qi isn't fully following the direction of your sword."
Gwi-heon furrowed his brow, his jaw tightening.
"…Are you teaching me?" he hissed lowly.
Raven stared at him without blinking.
"Yes,"
"And you should feel honored."
The words fell like a hammer. Not arrogance… but the absolute certainty of someone who knew he stood far above the peak.
In an instant, Raven's aura shifted.
FWOOM—
A wave of energy radiated from his body, a blend of the coldness of death qi and the warmth of life qi. The two did not clash, but merged in a strange… yet suffocating balance.
Gwi-heon jolted. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end instantly. Without realizing it, he loosened his grip on his sword and took a few steps back, then assumed a fighting stance with a wary expression.
That pressure… was different.
Unlike anything he'd ever felt from a martial artist of his caliber.
Raven merely smiled faintly.
"Hey, no need to panic like that."
Casually, he tossed Gwi-heon's sword, which was still in his grasp. The sword floated through the air before finally plunging into the ground right in front of its owner.
"If you're a swordsman, you shouldn't let go of your sword, right?"
"Tsk…" Gwi-heon clicked his tongue softly, then gripped his sword again.
Raven tilted his head slightly.
"Alright… now it's my turn."
And in the next instant…
He vanished.
It wasn't just moving fast. His presence had completely vanished without a trace. No sound of footsteps, no gust of wind, not even the pressure of his aura seemed to remain.
Gwi-heon had just blinked when a black shadow flashed right in front of him.
So fast… it felt as though it had pierced through his body.
Instantly…
Srrt!
Gwi-heon's shoulder was slashed by a dagger. The cut was small, but deep. The stinging pain only emerged after the blood began to flow.
"What kind of speed is this…?" Gwi-heon thought, holding his breath.
Before he could reposition himself, other shadows began to appear all around him. They moved erratically, overlapping one another, as if the world were filled with countless Ravens.
Each time a shadow appeared and vanished.
Slash… after slash
On his legs...
Thighs…
Hips…
Cheeks…
Even his calves…
Thin wounds appeared, almost painless at first, yet deep enough to make blood flow freely. The attacks were invisible, imperceptible until they struck their target.
"Come on," Raven's voice sounded faint, echoing from all directions.
"Show us what you've got, old man."
Gwi-heon clenched his teeth.
Amidst the rain of slashes, he forced himself to stop moving.
He stood tall.
His feet were rooted to the ground.
He gripped his sword with one hand, while the other supported the lower part of the hilt. Slowly, he closed his eyes, as if cutting himself off from the outside world.
He took a short breath.
Then he exhaled.
The next moment, the hand holding the sword began to move.
Clang!
Raven's attack, which should have been invisible, was instantly blocked.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The other consecutive attacks were parried one by one. The friction between Raven's dagger and Gwi-heon's sword sparked sparks of fire, glinting in the dark air like tiny flares.
Raven chuckled softly.
Oh?
Sword Instinct…
It's not just his palm techniques but his sword techniques are also top-notch, and it seems he's already reached that level.
"This is getting more interesting," he muttered.
"In that case…"
"I think I'll ramp up my power and speed a little."
Raven's shadow reappeared, but this time it was faster, heavier. Every slash brought pressure that crushed his bones and joints. His footwork changed, his leg techniques improved, and his attack angles grew sharper.
Gwi-heon began to be pushed back.
His breathing, little by little, grew heavier.
His attacks… are getting stronger?!
Still with his eyes closed, he held on with all his might.
But…
An opening appeared.
CRASH
A kick struck his back.
Gwi-heon's body was flung far away, sliding ten paces before slamming into the ground.
"GAGH!!"
Blood spurted from his mouth. He tried to get up, but his legs had lost all strength. His body trembled as he forced himself to support himself with his sword.
"How… did that attack… get through…?" he gasped, his breathing ragged.
He hadn't even felt it.
But before he could stand properly…
Raven was already in front of him.
Without warning, Raven swung his hand, a simple strike aimed straight for his face.
Gwi-heon's instincts moved faster than his thoughts. He raised his sword and parried with the edge of the blade.
CRASH!
The impact felt like being struck by a massive boulder falling from a great height.
Gwi-heon's body was flung to the side, dragged a few steps before falling again and slamming into the ground.
"You… you…" His breath came in gasps, his chest rising and falling erratically.
"Who are you, really…?"
Raven's shadow reappeared.
Not with the sound of footsteps, nor with a gust of wind, but
he was already there. As if distance meant nothing to him.
Right in front of Gwi-heon's face.
They were too close.
So close that Gwi-heon could feel the cold of his own breath bouncing back.
As if there were no room to escape.
"Do you deserve to know that," Raven said softly, his voice barely a whisper.
His gaze dropped slightly, assessing him without emotion.
"I had hoped you might make me take this a little seriously tonight," he continued flatly. "But it seems I was hoping too much for a fight whose outcome is already clear."
The words had barely finished when Gwi-heon swung his sword reflexively, driven by a survival instinct ingrained over decades.
And yet—
Raven caught the blade with one hand, as if what was coming at him wasn't an attack.
His palm closed around the cold metal as if gripping a dry twig. There was no hesitation on his face, not even a single shift in his breathing with each movement. Raven merely twisted his wrist slightly.
CRACK—!!
The sound of shattering metal rang out loudly.
Cracks spread from where Raven was gripping the blade, and in an instant, the sword shattered into shards of metal that scattered across the ground.
"Damn… My sword!" Gwi-heon thought to himself.
Raven stood still for a few seconds, staring at Gwi-heon lying on the ground. His gaze contained neither mockery nor triumph. Only an empty calm, as if what had just happened was nothing more than a minor disturbance in the night.
He then glanced at the shards of the sword scattered on the ground.
The pieces of metal reflected the moonlight; their jagged cracks were proof that the weapon had been shattered not by sword technique, but by a gap in skill that was simply too vast.
"Truly disappointing…" Raven said flatly as he released the remaining, mangled blade.
He let out a soft sigh, not from exhaustion, but because his expectations had not been met.
"It seems this is your limit."
Raven lowered his blade. The old blade was once again hidden beneath his clothes.
He turned his body halfway, then walked away.
His steps were not quick.
Each step was calm and steady, as if his back weren't turned on a deputy guard captain who was still alive.
"Is that all?" Gwi-heon's voice sounded hoarse from behind, filled with wounds deeper than just the physical.
"After defeating me… you're just going to walk away like that?"
Raven stopped.
He didn't turn completely around, but merely tilted his head slightly, just enough to glance at him out of the corner of his eye.
"Then what do you expect from someone like you?" he replied flatly.
Raven's tone was flat, almost disinterested.
"I haven't even fought with all my strength yet."
The words fell softly… yet struck harder than any attack.
He took another step, moving one step away.
"Rest," Raven continued without turning around.
"If you force yourself to stand now, what will be shattered isn't your pride…"
"…but your dantian."
Raven's footsteps grew fainter, his silhouette slowly swallowed by the darkness of the trees.
But it was precisely at that moment that Gwi-heon realized something that made his chest feel tighter than any wound.
Raven wasn't leaving because he didn't care about him.
He was leaving…
because Gwi-heon was no longer worth his attention.
And from that point on, the senior's despair began to turn into reckless determination.
"Ugh—"
Gwi-heon coughed violently. A mouthful of blood trickled from the corner of his lips, falling to the ground with a damp sound. His chest rose and fell erratically; every breath felt like it was slicing through his own lungs.
"I…"
He paused for a moment, swallowing the bitterness filling his throat.
"…never imagined…"
His head lifted slowly. His gaze trembled, not from pain, but from the shattering of the self-respect he had spent decades building.
"…would be debased this far."
His body trembling, Gwi-heon forced himself to stand. His clothes were rumpled, with dirt and blood caked onto his guard's uniform, which had once always been neat. His qi flow was chaotic and unstable, yet the look in his eyes was different now.
"I should have…"
"…never used this again."