“Eun-gong…”
“Miss Mok-kyeong. A warrior speaks through the sword. If you have something to say, let us speak through our blades.”
“Yes, Eun-gong.”
‘Who would’ve thought I’d end up dueling the protagonist like this.’
William looked at Mok-kyeong with a reflective expression.
‘For now, I must focus on this martial duel alone.’
Mok-kyeong looked at him and steadied her mind.
There was a slight hesitation in her heart about fighting someone she respected, but since this wasn’t a life-and-death battle but a regulated martial duel, she quickly calmed herself.
Naturally, memories of William’s swordsmanship came to her mind.
‘Eun-gong’s swordplay is characterized by counterattacks and fluid movements. I’ve seen it countless times, so with proper attention, there’s a good chance for victory.’
Preparing for the tournament by practicing sword clashes, who would’ve thought it would come back to this? Mok-kyeong wasn’t sure whether she should feel lucky or uneasy as she watched William execute his familiar opening stance.
‘Ox.’
It was a familiar posture, one William often assumed. Thus, Mok-kyeong was well aware of how both attack and defense flowed from this stance.
‘This stance allows him to both attack and defend from all angles, so using any complex moves would likely be meaningless.’
Even powerful attacks would merely be deflected.
He knew this better than anyone in the Central Plains, so the initial phase of the duel was bound to be a tense standstill.
After all, combat ultimately boiled down to finding and exploiting an opponent’s weakness, or forcing an opening through brute strength.
However, this was equally true for William.
‘Since he reached the peak master level, he’s become more difficult to handle than before.’
What might have been ten or more blades could now amount to a hundred.
Such a feat would typically require considerable training even after reaching the peak level, but that only applied to ordinary warriors.
It didn’t apply to someone like Mok-kyeong, who possessed supreme martial talent in the entire martial realm.
‘Opposite me is the world’s chosen protagonist. He might even grow stronger mid-duel. Moreover… my sword techniques are likely well-known to him at this point. I might just face my first technique breakdown.’
Through several duels, the strengths and weaknesses of long-sword swordsmanship were likely already understood by Mok-kyeong.
Just that knowledge alone put William at a disadvantage in this duel.
‘…But the duel has already begun, so I must dismiss any distractions.’
William maintained his stance and observed Mok-kyeong.
A familiar guard stance.
And familiar eyes.
‘Should I attack first, or is a counter more appropriate?’
At the end of the day, since the duel must conclude, neither party could avoid making a move.
Since this wasn’t a mere practice of swordplay, someone needed to swing their blade. William pushed off, his feet springing into motion.
‘Do what must be done.’
This was something his leader repeatedly emphasized whenever teaching him the sword.
Recalling his mentor’s words, William swung his sword directly at Mok-kyeong’s waist.
Honest, steady, and resolute, the longsword aimed unwaveringly at her center.
Mok-kyeong quickly raised her blade, feeling the vibration of the blade meeting hers.
‘An attack neither too heavy nor too light. Is this a probing strike?’
Staking everything on the first move would be foolish. So when William’s sword was parried, he swiftly withdrew it and slashed diagonally downward toward her chest.
It was effortlessly blocked.
The sound of the blades colliding echoed crisply across the martial arena.
The pattern of William attacking and Mok-kyeong defending continued.
Though void of flashy sword techniques and dazzling moves, the audience watched their swordplay intently. Even the casual observer could tell they were carefully gauging each other’s skills.
The fact that this kind of duel was rare throughout the tournament added to the interest.
‘Simple attacks will only drain my strength with no clear advantage.’
The core of long-sword techniques revolved around transitioning smoothly from one stance to another to maintain dominance. However, Mok-kyeong refused to yield control.
‘She clearly guards against being pinned down. She intends to give no opening for a grapple, understanding that being caught in such a position would mean certain defeat.’
Consequently, Mok-kyeong didn’t fall prey to William’s baited traps that aimed to provoke counterattacks.
‘Is this a battle of patience, or should I push harder?’
The apex of Thousand Swords swordplay was its unmatched speed and illusionary prowess that pressured opponents relentlessly. If Mok-kyeong reached that level, even someone of a higher skill tier would suffer if total control were given.
Thus, William decided to take something of a gamble.
‘Using inner energy to encase my legs, then releasing it like a coiled spring should allow me to move rapidly.’
A technique taken from the Shadowless Flying Step manual.
Even if it failed, all he could do was avoid failure.
Feigning a transition into another stance, William suddenly thrust himself forward.
‘Damn!’
Such a sudden charge, at close range, leaving little room to evade. Mok-kyeong hastily deflected William’s thrust, but she couldn’t prevent him from grabbing her collar.
“I gave you a scare.”
“I was surprised too.”
‘Her resistance to being lifted means this must be the rumored Thousand-Pound Anchor technique!’
Thousand-Pound Anchor:
A technique using inner energy to increase one’s weight and resist movement.
An old memory came rushing back as William stepped three paces back and re-entered the Ox stance. It was a necessary move, as Mok-kyeong’s sword had grazed dangerously close to his chest.
“I apologize, but I have already analyzed your techniques, Eun-gong.”
“Of course, I expected as much.”
Since William had fully anticipated this, he calmly accepted the reality. Having witnessed the Thousand Swords technique firsthand, it didn’t come as a shock.
‘Given that she won’t fall for simple grapples, I should abandon throws entirely.’
Closing the distance again, William readied another slash. With grappling now off the table, his movements became lighter and faster.
He couldn’t afford to recklessly press an attack and leave himself open to counterattacks.
As his transitions between stances pressed Mok-kyeong, she remained calm, analyzing his techniques while deflecting his blows.
‘Mid-guard.’
The middle section of the sword.
An opening.
A minuscule one.
Seizing the moment when William retracted his sword, Mok-kyeong closed the distance in an instant.
A surprise attack. William deflected the ten swift strikes targeting his vital points one by one, all while observing Mok-kyeong.
‘So, she’s going on the offensive.’
But this was well within William’s expectations.
‘Still, I can’t let her overpower me so easily.’
As soon as William deflected the attacks, his longsword surged forward like a ravenous predator lunging toward Mok-kyeong.
The sharp and precise blade aimed for her neck. Dropping low to evade the strike, Mok-kyeong swung her blade at William’s legs.
For a knight, this was a familiar countermeasure.
As if anticipating this, William’s sword descended like a plunging eagle, blocking Mok-kyeong’s attempt.
“Your sword is fierce.”
“So is yours, Eun-gong.”
“There’s still much I haven’t shown you.”
“Bring it on.”
‘Since she hasn’t entered the state of no-self, the situation isn’t critical yet.’
The exact conditions remain a mystery.
All he knows is that until she reaches the highest peak, the gifts of heaven will guide her incredible talent.
Thus, William aimed to subdue Mok-kyeong before she could reach the state of no-self.
‘It’s time to play my trump card.’
As they re-entered their standoff, William surged forward once again.
His charge, though lacking flashy or acrobatic movements, radiated immense pressure due to his size and skill combined.
Mok-kyeong calmly gripped her sword tighter and prepared to face William’s charge.
‘My opponent is clearly trying to regain control…!’
As if aiming to halt the charge, Mok-kyeong’s sword seemed to expand outward.
Ten.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Forty.
Fifty…
Hundred!
A hundred blades surged at William from all directions, threatening to shred him apart.
A situation where stopping the charge seemed imminent.
But instead of halting his advance, William gripped the middle of his sword like a dagger and dove into the ocean of blades.
The audience gasped, for nothing could seem more reckless than plunging into the torrent of swords.
Everyone held their breath, watching the clash between the two.
How would the colored-eyed swordsman defeat this tide of blades?
Who will emerge victorious in this duel?
‘It’s fortunate this hasn’t been shown.’
With his sword wielded like a dagger, William clashed with the sole valid blade among the hundred.
‘Did he grasp the blade’s edge?’
Sparks flew as William’s foot slipped between Mok-kyeong’s legs.
Twisting his body in the now-close embrace, William’s maneuver caused Mok-kyeong’s sword to become tangled with his own.
Using her entangled weapon and her body’s momentum as a pivot point, William spun around once and secured her rear.
The entire sequence happened in the blink of an eye, leaving Mok-kyeong no time to react.
She had never even heard of, or seen, a technique where the middle part of the sword was gripped to fight like with a dagger.
“…I concede.”
As she felt the blade pressing against her neck, Mok-kyeong admitted defeat.
“The victor of this duel! The winner of the martial tournament is the Blue-Eyed Lion, William.”
And thus, the champion of the martial tournament was decided.
