chapter 83
Elena, after unleashing a naturally lethal attack, sneered at Elliot.
“(Heh. Someone couldn’t even make that guy budge a single step.)”
“(Shut up! If I had put aura into my sword, I could have done it too! And what’s so great about you, using lethal attacks in a spar…?!)”
“(Mmm~ sorry, I don’t listen to weaklings.)”
…Hmm.
If I had to sum up what I’ve seen of Elliot and Elena’s personalities so far—
Elliot is your typical hot-blooded protagonist type: loves sparring but knows his limits.
Elena, on the other hand… pretends to be graceful in public, but she’s always ready to cross the line. Basically a psycho.
That might sound harsh, but anyone who throws out such deadly attacks in a spar isn’t exactly normal. Even if she was confident her opponent, far stronger than herself, could dodge them.
“……”
Arthur, who was acting as referee, seemed to share my thoughts. He frowned, but since I wasn’t complaining, he let it slide.
“Was that… really okay?”
“…The other side went a little far, but Gunwoo’s an Aura Master. He’ll be fine.”
My mother and Rachel, watching from the stands, also looked a bit unsettled but chose to keep quiet.
‘…Well, let’s set aside the issue of personality and character for now…’
In terms of skill alone, Elena seemed slightly above Elliot. Elliot’s level was impressive for his age, but still about average compared to what I remember of academy cadets.
‘…Ah, but that was the academy before my regression… The current academy probably trains cadets to a much higher level, huh?’
Not that it matters. The point is, Elliot’s ability would be good enough to stand out even among those older, elite academy students.
And Elena was stronger than even him.
‘Though judging by her style, she’s not the type to fight head-on. In a one-on-one, Elliot would probably win.’
Having made my assessment, I turned back to the royal siblings, whose bickering was nearing its end.
“(No matter how strong you are, as the rearguard you’d be useless without me in the front!)”
“(Mmm~ not listening~)”
“……”
Their childish argument aside, I decided to interrupt.
While they were too busy quarrelling to notice, I hurled my sword between them.
Whoosh!
Thud!
“!”
“!”
The blade zipped between them and embedded itself into the training hall wall, startling them both.
For the record—I hadn’t infused it with aura. I had thrown it using nothing but raw physical strength.
‘And the fact it still pierced the reinforced wall of a dueling hall…’
That might not sound impressive, but in truth, it’s absurd. The walls are designed to withstand blows from countless Awakened fighters. Yet my unaided throw had driven a blade into it.
With everyone’s attention now firmly on me, I spoke to Elliot and Elena.
“(That’s enough fighting between yourselves, don’t you think?)”
I rolled my shoulders and raised my fists.
“…Gunwoo. Don’t tell me you’re planning to fight barehanded?”
“Yeah.”
I do prefer a sword, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use my fists.
…Honestly?
‘Most of the time, fighting barehanded is easier.’
Unless it’s an extraordinary blade, most swords can’t withstand my strength. I always have to hold back so I don’t shatter them. It’s less hassle to use my fists. My body, after all, is perfectly adapted for Harmony Divine Arts, and it’s easier to wrap my aura around my own limbs.
Not that I planned to use aura this time.
“(……)”
“(……)”
Elliot and Elena both tensed, not underestimating me just because I’d set aside my sword.
Plenty of aura users in this world fight barehanded. They must have figured I was one of them.
“(I’m going in. Cover me.)”
“(Are you… ordering me around?)”
Elliot shouted as he charged at me with his sword. Elena, irritated, still backed him up.
Couldn’t tell if their relationship was good or bad.
Either way, I focused on Elliot’s sword and Elena’s spirits.
Arthur’s Zedel Swordplay – Form One: Lunge.
Spirit Magic – Howling Wind.
Elliot, enhancing his body with magic, lunged with perfect form. Around his blade, Elena’s storm-like winds swirled, boosting its destructive force.
‘With that setup, no ordinary defense will stop his thrust.’
Her storm would blow away anything before it even reached the sword. That also made redirecting his attack difficult.
For normal opponents, anyway.
I shifted my body and dodged the thrust.
“(What?!)”
He hadn’t expected me to evade instead of block. His surprise slowed him slightly—
Clang!
I caught his blade with both hands.
“……”
“……”
Everyone gaped in shock.
Well…
“Ahaha… I didn’t think you’d defend like that…”
Arthur gave a strained laugh.
“Even if it’s a practice sword, wasn’t that a little dangerous?”
I shook my head.
“Not really. I knew exactly when and how fast the attack would come, and how much power was behind it.”
All I had to do was push through Elena’s winds and seize Elliot’s blade.
“Besides, swords are weighted toward the hilt, not the blade. It’s not as forceful as you think.”
I twisted my grip—
“(Wha—!)”
—and dragged Elliot off balance. With a quick trip, I sent him sprawling to the ground.
Thud!
“(Ugh!)”
Before he could recover, I snatched up his sword and closed in on Elena.
Her eyes widened; she hadn’t expected me to target her. She scrambled to defend—
Whoosh!
“(Kyaah!)”
—but her wind barrier shredded instantly under a single swing. I didn’t just cut the shield; I sliced right through her spirit itself. It dispersed like mist, and she was sent tumbling like Elliot.
“Enough!”
Arthur, seeing both had lost their will to fight, called the match.
After all, this spar had only started because Elliot wanted to test himself against me, an Aura Master. Now that both siblings were defeated, continuing was pointless. Or maybe…
‘…Maybe Arthur just wanted to avoid complications. If either royal got seriously hurt—even in a spar—it’d become a mess.’
He knew I wouldn’t injure them, but still, better safe than sorry.
Either way, it was over. I tossed the sword aside and walked back toward the stands where my mother and Rachel waited.
The siblings were still on the floor, too stunned to rise.
They weren’t injured. Just shocked.
‘Elliot at me catching his blade… Elena at her spirit being cut by an unaided sword.’
Both acts defied common sense.
Hopefully, it wouldn’t break their spirit.
But when I glanced back—
“(…Hahahaha!)”
“(So this is an Aura Master…! Yes, that’s what a true Aura Master should be capable of!)”
They were laughing.
…Well then. No need to worry.
If anything—
“Son…?”
“……”
—I had something else to worry about.
“I know you’re strong, but barehandedly grabbing blades? Throwing swords around? How could you do something so dangerous…!”
My mother scolded me nonstop. To her, a civilian with no Awakening, my every move must have looked terrifyingly reckless.
It wasn’t really dangerous, but since she was so shaken, I quietly endured the nagging until she calmed down.
“(Ahaha… This could take a while, huh?)”
“(Yeah. Let’s go talk with Elliot and Elena until it’s over.)”
Arthur and Rachel tactfully left us alone.
While Gunwoo endured his mother’s scolding, Arthur and Rachel approached Elliot and Elena, who had returned to the opposite stands.
“(So? How was your spar with a fellow Aura Master your age?)”
“(……)”
“(……)”
They both fell silent for a moment, then answered together:
“(It was the best.)”
“(The best.)”
How many middle-schoolers in the world got to spar with an Aura Master their age?
Arthur himself was an Aura Master, true—but with his height and build so different from theirs, a proper spar was impossible.
“(I’m glad to hear that.)”
But the voice that spoke next wasn’t Arthur’s.
It was the man who had earlier cleared his throat loudly from the stands.
“(Uncle William?)”
“(I was worried when I heard you’d be sparring an Aura Master. But it seems things turned out well.)”
“(Worried? Why would you worry about a spar?)”
This was William—current Queen of England’s younger brother, uncle to Elliot and Alice, and head of the Awakener Association in London.
He narrowed his eyes.
“(Unlike Arthur, your opponent wasn’t British.)”
Aura Masters are not people you can treat lightly, not even royalty.
If the children had offended one, the consequences could be dire.
“(Well… considering Elliot was the one who challenged him, we already crossed that line of rudeness.)”
Arthur pointed out with a wry smile.
Thankfully, Gunwoo hadn’t minded. If anything, he’d seemed amused by the siblings.
‘…Honestly, to me it looked like the Artist himself was enjoying watching their antics. But no need to say that part out loud.’
