A solid stone wall.

That was the impression Daeun had of the one-armed swordsman.

She could reach out and touch it, maybe even attempt to climb it. But the wall before her was high and unyielding, too sturdy to overcome or break through.

“Haa… haa…”

Clutching her bleeding shoulder, Daeun breathed heavily. A fleeting expression of disapproval crossed Kana’s otherwise impassive face as she watched Daeun.

Was it disappointment in Daeun’s lackluster performance, or was she simply frustrated at seeing her struggle?

…I hope it’s the latter.

Daeun wanted to believe it was the latter, yet she knew Kana’s strictness all too well when it came to swordsmanship.

Taking a deep breath, Daeun’s racing heart gradually settled.

Admit it.

Kana had been right—it was beyond her capabilities.

The man was simply one step above her.

They had been evenly matched up to a point… her defenses had held for a time… but none of that mattered in the end.

What truly mattered was that Daeun’s sword couldn’t break through his defenses, while his sword had pierced hers.

What should I do now?

She had already tried everything she could think of.

Her most practiced moves, her strongest techniques—none had worked.

If he’d been an impenetrable fortress, she might have given up already. But he was just close enough to defeat that it was tantalizingly out of reach.

What would Kana do in this situation?

Unconsciously, Daeun thought of Kana, the strongest person she knew.

During their training sessions, her sword had never reached Kana.

Or rather, maybe it was more accurate to say she hadn’t even had the chance to attempt it. Every time she defended against Kana’s attacks, it was all she could do to keep up, let alone counter.

She’d thought she’d successfully blocked only to feel her guard slide away, her neck vulnerable, or to face an overwhelming thrust that left her frozen in fear.

Yeah, this is definitely impossible.

Recalling those training sessions, Daeun shook her head vigorously.

Kana’s swordsmanship was like magic to her.

She could see the outcome—like a coin reappearing in a cup—but had no idea how it had been achieved.

Trying to imitate Kana’s moves was a hopeless endeavor.

But giving up wasn’t an option. Daeun searched for another approach.

Should I mix in more feints? Or abandon defense and go all-out offensively…

Her mind spun so quickly it felt like it might explode.

“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”

The man’s voice interrupted her spiraling thoughts.

“Now I understand. You must be one of those they call apostles.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“No wonder. It explains why your swordsmanship is so poor for your level.”

“…Poor, you say…”

She knew she wasn’t skilled, but she thought she’d improved significantly under Kana’s guidance. His blunt assessment hit like a punch to the gut.

The man watched her stumble, seemingly baffled, then spoke again.

“You’re aware that I only have one arm, yes?”

“If you have eyes, it’s hard to miss.”

“Then you must also realize that I’m vulnerable to attacks from my left side.”

“Well…”

Even Daeun, inexperienced as she was, understood that much.

“Then why haven’t you targeted my weak side?”

“Huh?”

The person she had just been fighting asked her this? And he was asking why she hadn’t gone for his weaknesses?

Was I pitying him? she wondered. Even with one arm, he’s stronger than I am. I should’ve felt that myself, so why was I holding back?

Daeun tried to deny it but found herself pausing.

Sometimes, her strikes had aimed toward his left side, only to be blocked. While he managed to parry, his reactions were noticeably slower.

So why hadn’t she targeted his empty left side more deliberately?

Searching her mind, she spotted a reason in the corner of her vision.

The chatbox was filled with comments accusing her of being cruel or cowardly for attacking a “disabled” person.

Most of them were probably said in jest, merely to mock her.

But still…

“I see now.”

This wasn’t some child’s play or a spectator’s game; it was a brutal battle where both parties exploited each other’s weaknesses.

With a renewed resolve, Daeun removed the chatbox from her view and raised her sword.

Noticing her stance, the man readied his own sword.

The ensuing exchange was far fiercer and more desperate than anything before.

“Grr…!”

The man aimed a fierce downward slash at her heart.

The sheer force of his strike shook her balance, nearly making her tumble to the ground.

Whoosh—

But she caught herself, planting her hand on the ground, spinning around, and swinging her leg.

If he’d had a left arm, the attack might not have worked, but he’d already exhausted his options deflecting her previous attacks, leaving him with only two choices: dodge or brace.

He chose to dodge.

Her kick, though improvised, had enough force to deter him. It was an attack that capitalized on the raw strength inherent to apostles.

“Looks like you’re finally starting to get it.”

Utilizing one’s own strengths and exploiting the enemy’s weaknesses—the basics of combat.

Seeing the shift in her approach, a faint smile crept across the man’s face.

But it faded quickly as he tightened his grip on his sword.

“Still sloppy.”

Knowing one’s weaknesses but failing to compensate was foolish.

His vulnerability was so obvious that anyone with sight could spot it, and he had invested heavily to overcome it.

His sword now glowed with a faint blue mana.

Whoosh!

“Eek?!”

Daeun dodged as the blue blade’s arc sliced dangerously close to her side.

Slice!

A thin red line appeared on her cheek, marking the path of the missed blade.

The mana-infused strike continued past her, cleaving a tree behind her cleanly in two. Watching the tree topple with a resounding crash, Daeun’s face turned pale.

“…That’s cheating!”

“How is it cheating? Can you not use mana yourself?”

“I can’t! I don’t know how to do that!”

“I see.”

He nodded at her outburst, then lifted his sword again.

“Well, that’s convenient.”

“…What do you mean?”

“It means you have no way to counter my mana blade.”

“…What?”

He answered her confusion by releasing a barrage of blue mana blades.

“Ahhhh!”

Screaming, Daeun dodged as the strikes came down on her in waves.

Normally, a swordsman’s range was limited by their weapon, but adding mana extended their reach dramatically.

While there were ways to counter it, Daeun, unaware of them, could only dodge.

An opening…!

Despite her struggles, she spotted a fleeting chance and lunged.

“Not so fast.”

“Ugh!”

But the man, already anticipating her move, swung his sword to meet her, forcing her to block in haste.

“It ends here.”

With several red slashes marking her body, Kana finally stepped in, calling the match to an end.

“Selene.”

“I’m on it.”

As Selene’s holy power wrapped around Daeun, healing energy seeped into her wounds, leaving fresh skin in place of cuts.

The only evidence of her injuries was the dried blood on her skin.

As Daeun took a moment to catch her breath, she heard light footsteps approaching.

“How do you feel?”

“Tired…”

Daeun collapsed to the ground, letting her words express her exhaustion.

Kana looked down at her, speaking in a teasing tone.

“I did tell you it was too much.”

“You were right. I should’ve listened.”

Daeun had come to realize that the man hadn’t even been fighting at full strength.

Judging by his calm breaths, even the mana-infused attacks he’d unleashed were likely not his limit.

The world was vast, and strong opponents were plentiful.

Completely drained, Daeun lay down on the ground.

Oh, right… dust…

But the concern about dust was fleeting. Soon enough, she let herself sink into the ground fully.

“So, did I improve compared to before?”

“A sweet lie or a bitter truth—what’s your choice?”

“I feel like we’ve had this conversation before.”

And if she remembered correctly, it hadn’t ended in her favor.

“Pfft.”

As she mumbled to herself, she heard a light laugh above her.

“You’ve improved a lot.”

Daeun looked up to see Kana’s soft smile and round eyes curving gently.

Staring at the innocent expression on her pink-haired friend, Daeun broke into a smile.

“So, does that mean we don’t need to increase my training time—”

“With more training, you could have won.”

“…Point taken.”

Her shoulders drooped in resignation.

After giving her a few pats on the shoulder, Kana stepped forward.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“Not really.”

Though he had barely rested after his fight with Daeun, the man showed no signs of fatigue or complaint.

Any energy he’d used in the fight seemed fully restored, and even the mana he’d expended was hardly diminished.

Without another word, Kana tilted her sword in a signal, prompting the man to charge.

His movements, now infused with excitement, were even sharper than before, a step beyond his fight with Daeun.

Bang!

The moment the first attack was blocked, the next followed immediately.

Head, chest, legs, and back to the head.

Incredible…

Daeun, watching in awe, could barely keep up with the flurry of attacks.

Despite the fierce onslaught, Kana calmly parried every strike, her expression unchanging.

The clash of metal resounded in her ears as the swords met over and over.

Though Kana stayed on the defensive, the one-armed swordsman led the assault, resolutely targeting her neck.

With a single step back, Kana twisted her body to evade the strike, preparing to counter.

But the man had already withdrawn his sword, swinging it in a wide arc.

Kana lifted her sword vertically—a classic defensive move against a horizontal slash.

Swish—

Instead of the expected clang, a soft sound, like feathers brushing, filled the air.

The man’s sword slid harmlessly along Kana’s blade, redirected straight into the ground.

The sheer skill, forcing his attack’s momentum from horizontal to vertical, left him wide-eyed in shock.

A memory of Daeun flashed through his mind as he tried to plant his hand on the ground to recover and swing his leg around.

But before he could counter fully—

“Yah!”

“Ugh!”

With a high-pitched yet powerful impact, Kana struck his back, sending him crashing into the ground without a chance to regain his stance.

Shing—

As he tried to rise, the cold tip of Kana’s blade pressed against his neck.

Feeling the hot liquid trickling down his back, the man released his grip on his sword.

“…I lost.”

With that, the battle was decided.