Whether his heart was troubled or the political currents of Kazimierz were growing strange, Yujin had a job to do. He stood with sword in hand in the stadium, a place he had visited so often it now felt familiar.
His opponent this time was a Sport Knight who had completely transitioned to the professional circuit. Originally a Campaign Knight, he had changed paths.
Yujin didn't know his name, only his title. But a single question lingered in Yujin's mind like a thorn.
Where is the Chivalry?
Chivalry. A word that now sounded like a hollow fantasy.
A knight‘s conviction, a moral code. Somewhere along the line, it had become a set of rules more often broken than kept.
The pouring spotlights dazzled his eyes. The light burned his retinas, accompanied by the roar of the crowd and the shouting of the commentators.
The knight standing opposite him stared at Yujin in silence. His spear, raised high, gleamed blindingly in the light. Yujin knew spears well; he had fought against them until he was sick of it.
He saw the knight‘s armor shining with a blue luster. The man inside seemed to be saying something, but Yujin couldn't hear it.
Crunch. His grip on the sword and the force anchoring his feet dug into the ground.
"Let‘s end this quickly."
Unable to control this strange, rising emotion, Yujin muttered to himself, his eyes sinking into darkness as he swung his blade.
"Something... is wrong."
Watching Yujin from the stands, Raquelamalin spoke to Daniel. Daniel‘s face was also hardened as he watched the match unfold. It was clear to anyone that Yujin‘s state was abnormal.
Yujin‘s swordsmanship was precise. Not just "precise" in a general sense, but bordering on a pathological obsession with perfection.
Usually, such swordsmanship evoked specific emotions: fear in enemies, awe in allies. Larin had felt the same when she first saw him fight.
Forged to the limit, his sword was art. But what Yujin was showing now...
It was monstrous. Like a beast rampaging solely to kill.
Larin had seen many Sarkaz consumed by curses and sorcery, losing their minds. They either raged with hatred, killing everything in sight, or collapsed into despair and self-destruction.
A monster wielding the Nearl blade. His body and technique, honed to the extreme, made it possible. The opposing knight‘s helmet shattered, sending him crashing into the wall.
His eyes were revealed as he looked at Yujin. Even facing a rampaging Yujin, his gaze remained calm.
"…The young man seems off. He wasn't like this in the previous match."
The knight had seen the star that lit up the sky during the fight with the Iron Arm Knight. The platinum star shining in Yujin‘s embrace had awakened forgotten memories.
But now, he was swinging his sword like a beast who had lost his reason. Even in this state, his skill made him a terrifying threat, and if this continued, the knight‘s defeat was inevitable.
The knight gripped his spear and aimed it at Yujin.
"Sorry, but I can't just lose quietly... I have someone cheering for me."
Realizing a graceful defeat was impossible, the knight looked at Yujin.
Anyone who reaches a certain level has a signature technique—an ultimate move. If he was going to lose, he wanted to show everything he had.
The blue spear tip glowed. A flash of light erupted, a single thrust aimed directly at Yujin‘s heart.
Crack.
The sound of bone shifting echoed, sending a shiver down the knight‘s spine. He had fired a single beam of light, but what returned was a vision fractured into dozens of pieces.
"No... way..."
Unable to finish his thought, the knight‘s body was sent flying through the air.
2.
Slap!
"…What are you doing?"
Larin was frantically checking Yujin‘s face, touching his eyes, nose, and mouth with a serious expression.
"You're not consumed by a curse. So why did you suddenly..."
Everyone's eyes were on Yujin. Daniel‘s face was stiff, and Kiril and Kisha looked at him with worry.
"I'm fine. Not a scratch on me."
"Being fine is the problem! Why did you act like that!?"
Seeing the usually calm Yujin swing his sword like a madman was naturally worrying.
The technique he used at the end was the one he had shown Larin during their spar. Though it was a diluted version with fewer strikes, a technique was a technique.
Yujin opened his hand, feeling the throbbing in his arm. Usually, this helped him maintain his composure, but something was wrong. He couldn't control his emotions.
"I don't know if you're okay... Your appearance just now was definitely different," Daniel noted.
Why?
He didn't know the reason. Perhaps a stone had simply been thrown into the lake of his mind.
"…I'll be back in a bit."
"Where are you going in this state?"
As Yujin stood up, Larin grabbed his sleeve worriedly. But Yujin had something he needed to do.
"To apologize."
Leaving Larin and the children behind, Yujin walked away. He headed toward the infirmary where his opponent was being treated.
"…Waaaaah!"
Except for the child who burst into tears the moment she saw him.
A woman was hiding the crying child behind her back, while the knight lay in bed, looking at Yujin. Seeing Yujin arrive, the knight gave a bitter smile and sent the woman and child outside.
"Hmm, sorry about that. My daughter seems afraid of you."
"I understand."
Answering briefly, Yujin pulled up a chair. He bowed his head to apologize.
"I'm sorry. I think I inflicted a heavier wound than necessary..."
"Don't apologize. This isn't something to apologize for. Getting hurt in a duel is something countless knights have experienced."
The knight laughed heartily, Wahahaha! as if losing was the more embarrassing part.
"You have incredible skill, young friend. We might see the first Sarkaz champion."
"You flatter me."
"Flattery? If a man who just became an adult is this strong, aiming for the top is only natural."
He seemed to like Yujin. The knight continued speaking, even bringing up the strangeness during the duel.
"Come to think of it, you seem fine now. During the duel, you swung your sword like a beast; I was quite startled."
"…I apologize."
"Oh, I didn't say it to hear an apology. Even a beast-like sword is a path of the blade. It just means you have another side to you."
A knight around the same age as Iron Arm. At this point, Yujin wondered if Murchal was the only rotten apple and the other knights were decent. Just as that thought crossed his mind...
"By the way, do you have some time?"
The knight made an unexpected proposal.
"…So, you want me to be your partner?"
Hearing Yujin‘s words, Larin looked pleased but made a complicated expression. An invitation to a party hosted by the Sport Knights had arrived, and Yujin needed a partner.
"Yeah. If it's uncomfortable, you can refuse..."
"No, I‘m not refusing."
Larin turned her head to look at her shoulder. There, the crystallized proof of her Infection—the mark of Oripathy scorned by the world—resided.
"Are you sure?"
"About what?"
"Taking me as a partner. You know I am..."
Infected. Larin trailed off, looking at Yujin, but he answered without emotion.
"I thought it was something serious. It doesn't matter. The invitation didn't say Infected weren't allowed."
Maybe they didn't write it because it's obvious Infected aren't allowed? Larin worried, but Yujin looked at her shoulder and spoke firmly.
"Besides, I have no intention of watching you be insulted in front of me. Don't worry. I'll protect you."
A duel. Though the culture had faded due to the tournaments, throwing down a gauntlet was still a valid challenge. Through it, Yujin was confident he could smash the head of anyone who insulted her.
If they were truly knights of Kazimierz, they wouldn't refuse.
Larin blinked, looking at Yujin. His black hair falling down, his shining platinum eyes.
Suddenly, she lowered her head and buried her face in Yujin‘s chest. Yujin was startled by the sudden closeness, but Larin had no intention of retreating.
"…You really say things without thinking sometimes."
But she loved that about him. More than anything.