Chapter 22. King of All Weapons – (8)

***

“This concludes our duel.”

Leonhardt lowered his sword from Han Chunsung’s neck, smiling refreshingly.

Seeing this, Han Chunsung also broke into a small smile.

As both were smiling contentedly, Han Chunsung suddenly spoke up.

“So, in the end, it’s a draw?”

At Han Chunsung’s unexpected words, Leonhardt stopped smiling and blinked.

“…A draw?”

This duel was clearly his victory.

He had enveloped his entire body with the energy of the Sky-Splitting Blade, moving at an unimaginable speed. And it ended with him pointing his sword at Han Chunsung’s neck.

There was no need to inflict wounds. The duel ended right there.

He had no intention of gloating or showing off about the duel’s result. But Han Chunsung’s statement of incorrect information was difficult to understand.

“Han Chunsung. What exactly do you mean?”

When asked without understanding, Han Chunsung slowly smiled and lowered his gaze.

“Leonhardt. Can’t you see this spear?”

Leonhardt followed his gaze, looking blankly at the spear while still not comprehending.

The sharp tip of the spear.

Its point was aimed at the center of his chest. It had stopped about a hand’s breadth away.

“When did you…”

As Leonhardt expressed his disbelief, Chunsung slowly withdrew the spear aimed at him.

Just as Leonhardt had casually withdrawn his sword moments ago, Chunsung’s withdrawal of his spear was equally nonchalant.

Click.

Having lightly retracted his spear, Han Chunsung burst into laughter at Leonhardt’s dumbfounded expression.

“Leonhardt. Do you know why snakes are frightening?”

Then he uttered something completely out of the blue.

“Snakes?”

“You see, snakes are truly terrifying when they hide their bodies in the bushes and attack suddenly. Or when they strike when you least expect it. But if you encounter a snake on flat, open ground where there’s no foliage, where everything is exposed, snakes aren’t really that scary.”

As this seemingly irrelevant talk continued, Leonhardt furrowed his brow before finally understanding.

He realized what Han Chunsung was trying to say.

‘Come to think of it.’

He briefly recalled how Han Chunsung had been pushing him since the start of the duel. But at some point, he had overlooked it.

Han Chunsung, who had been attacking as if burning his body, had a peculiar look in his eyes throughout the duel.

A gaze filled with heat, as if ready to risk everything if I forcibly tried to close the distance.

And even now, looking at Han Chunsung gave him that feeling.

Mutual destruction.

The strange sensation of stopping just before choosing that option. At the same time, he thought about it.

When I rushed forward with the Sky-Splitting Blade’s energy enveloping my body.

‘If…’

If Han Chunsung could have extended his spear to match my speed.

Even though it was an utterly absurd assumption, the thought suddenly occurred to him.

‘Then he could have stopped me.’

That’s how Han Chunsung’s words sounded.

It sounded like he had hidden his spear like a snake and launched a surprise attack.

But.

‘That can’t be.’

It sounded like nonsense.

“I vaguely sensed that you were charging at me with intent.”

At that moment, the words came directly from Han Chunsung’s mouth. Despite my blank stare, Han Chunsung smiled slightly and shook his head gently.

“But I just couldn’t bring myself to thrust the spear.”

“Couldn’t thrust it? If you had stabbed with the spear, it would have been over right then…”

Even as I answered blankly, I couldn’t understand.

Those words seemed to suggest that he could have won, but chose not to.

And if he had stabbed me with the spear. I probably would have been caught off guard.

I couldn’t deny that I had let my guard down in that moment.

“It would have been over, you say. Yes, surely it would have been as you say. But it wasn’t that simple.”

As Han Chunsung continued to speak, it felt like I had been caught off guard… realizing that he might have actually been able to counter.

Han Chunsung’s performance after reaching Talent level 4 was certainly impressive. From enveloping his spear with mana to his increased physical abilities and even deeper utilization of the spear.

It was incomparably greater than before, as if I was facing a completely different person.

That’s why I couldn’t let my guard down even for a moment, despite reaching level 3 myself.

I had given it my all, after all.

But. That was it.

In this duel, I can say with certainty that I never once envisioned a scenario where I would lose.

I acknowledged Han Chunsung’s struggle and his good performance. I didn’t look down on him. That’s why I thought even more strongly that I would win.

The power I possessed. I didn’t think lowly of my own abilities.

“Leonhardt. If I had thrust the spear then, you would have surely died. And the same would have happened to me from your sword. That’s why I couldn’t extend the spear. Even with the instructor observing, in that split second, I wasn’t certain the duel would be stopped.”

At Chunsung’s detailed explanation, a bitter laugh escaped me involuntarily.

…Somehow, it felt empty.

Everything I had thought was completely overturned.

I acknowledged Han Chunsung, but he had already exceeded my expectations.

“Han Chunsung. How… How were you able to react to the speed of the Sky-Splitting Blade?”

“Rather than reacting, I just… guessed.”

“Guessed?”

“Ah, well… It might sound a bit strange, but I just had this… feeling, you know.”

As he awkwardly smiled and fumbled for words, I didn’t press further.

Han Chunsung seemed sincere as he spoke, and it didn’t seem like he was lying.

And the Han Chunsung I knew wasn’t the type to lie.

So I realized.

This duel was, in fact.

ㅡMy defeat.

After receiving the Legendary Talent, even while focusing on training, I never thought I would face defeat so quickly.

It was… more shocking than I had anticipated.

Thud.

Tap.

Then, hearing footsteps, I turned my head blankly.

Amidst the gradually dispersing students.

Our group was approaching.

Grecia and Yumia. And even the Avalanche training instructor.

“I never expected to see such an incredible duel from the very first match…”

Even as the instructor spoke with a gentle smile, I could only manage a stiff smile in return.

“It’s nothing.”

“There’s no need to be so modest. Even though the duel ended in a draw, it was truly remarkable. It’s rare to see two students simultaneously evolve their Talents during a duel. Both Leonhardt and Han Chunsung, you’re both worthy of recognition.”

Even as the instructor praised us, I didn’t feel good at all.

…A bitter feeling along with a sense of emptiness.

And I felt that I was still greatly lacking.

I thought I wasn’t arrogant and that I had approached the duel with proper acknowledgment of my opponent.

But in reality, that wasn’t the case.

‘Did I unconsciously look down on Han Chunsung?’

If I had truly viewed him as an equal, I would have considered it at least once more properly.

The assumption that Han Chunsung might be able to react to my Sky-Splitting Blade’s move….

If so, I would have chosen to cross swords more cautiously and aimed for a definitive victory by parrying his spear.

Realizing this, I could only let out a laugh.

“…You did well, Han Chunsung.”

Then, hearing a calm voice, I instinctively looked towards it.

There, I saw Grecia approaching Han Chunsung.

With long blue hair reaching her waist and a mysterious appearance. Unlike her usual stoic demeanor, her face was incredibly intriguing.

An expression I had never seen before. Her expression was completely different from before.

“Yeah, you did well too.”

As Han Chunsung responded to her words with a slight smile, Grecia suddenly smiled faintly.

That sight…….

Strangely captivated my gaze.

Thud.

“Leonhardt…! Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere!?”

As Yumia approached urgently, I awkwardly smiled and turned my gaze.

“I’m fine. As you can see, neither Han Chunsung nor I have any wounds.”

Even as I spoke the truth, my heart felt strange.

…And I realized once again about this duel.

It wasn’t just a duel between Han Chunsung and me. It was a duel witnessed and felt by many people.

Including its result and process.

That seemed to pound in my chest.

The outcome of this duel, which I thought I wouldn’t dwell on.

Belatedly weighed on my mind.

***

The duel ended in a draw.

By a miraculous result, I was able to avoid defeat.

“……”

Even as Han Chunsung reflected on this fact, a strange smile escaped him.

Now, having left the A-class training ground and parted ways with everyone, he felt a bit dazed as he headed towards his dormitory.

“There’s no bigger fraud than this.”

It was a self-deprecating smile.

In the duel with Leonhardt, I gained far too much.

Talent level 4.

Just that alone should make me feel like I’m flying high, but I also proved myself to an A-class student and even gained recognition from the training instructor.

That will become a value that can’t be measured materially, becoming my reputation and strength.

However, the fact that I created a draw as a result kept nagging at one corner of my mind.

‘If it had ended with my defeat, it would have been cleaner.’

I kept thinking that I should have lost.

That the duel should have ended in my defeat.

But at the very last moment, I. I ended up showing an impossible action.

It was Leonhardt’s habit. Because I know what actions he will take in the future.

So I was able to counter.

A movement that I shouldn’t have been able to counter originally. I turned my body as if foreseeing and extended my spear.

The protagonist in the novel always neutralized his opponents with his unique style.

ㅡGrabbing the opponent’s back and pointing the sword.

Even though he could kill, even though he could inflict great wounds. Leonhardt doesn’t do that.

Among readers, it was called a cancer-inducing factor or whatnot. But I didn’t think such a protagonist was bad.

A kind protagonist. A gentle protagonist. Is that really so bad?

But.

I… exploited that.

The moment I recalled it, I acted almost instinctively.

Even though I couldn’t properly see Leonhardt’s movements, I extended my spear to the space where Leonhardt would appear, as if predicting it.

“I’m really sorry.”

Suddenly, Leonhardt’s dejected face came to mind.

That face that looked completely defeated by my roundabout words…

When in fact, it wasn’t like that.

“Originally, you should have won… you know.”

A small regret unknowingly settled over my joyful feelings.