C139
And with the gaze of two members of the Choi Family on him, Cale responded indifferently:
"What are you looking at?"
Choi Han kept his mouth shut, and Choi Jung Soo immediately opened his mouth.
"No, fight suddenly? No, this is a bit-"
"Does someone who earned the title of 'Sword Demon' through countless fights have a complaint about this?"
"No, but still-!"
Choi Jung Soo couldn't continue speaking and hit his chest as if he were frustrated.
"Young Master."
But Cale was sitting in the padded chair that Ron had brought from somewhere, lazily looking up at the sky.
"Dawn will break in a minute. Let's go."
Beside him, of course, were Raon, with bright eyes, Priest Dust, with a fresh face, Beacrox, observing with crossed arms, and Sui Khan laughing at the humor.
There were also three nervous-looking people: Eunuch Chief Wi, Fist King Mok Hyun, and his great-granddaughter Mok Hee.
Members of the Evil Faction and the Justice Faction were not invited to this training ground. They weren't even told.
And Toonka had been so busy playing with members of the Evil Faction lately that it was hard to see his face.
'I'm a little nervous.'
Cale couldn't see Toonka, and that made him a little nervous.
That guy was a mischievous rascal.
'Well, he'll manage on his own.'
Even if Tunka caused trouble, what else could he do besides breaking things? He was tough, so he would come back after being beaten up. Cale didn't have to worry about him getting too hurt and losing contact...
'Oh!'
Cale shivered for a moment.
"Am I really worried about Toonka right now?"
He was crazy.
Cale looked at the people staring at him, disregarding his thoughts, shaking his head from side to side.
He couldn't understand his own train of thought at all.
At that moment, Choi Han's voice suddenly sounded.
"Let's do it."
"Ugh. There's no other choice."
And then, Choi Jung Soo also shrugged with an expression that seemed to say there was no other choice.
Cale looked at the two people who had decided to fight without much persuasion and said:
"It's a friendly match, so don't cause serious injuries."
Choi Jung Soo's gaze, which seemed to question if that was even a word, was easily ignored.
Because the main point would start now.
"But if you don't fight properly or if I'm not satisfied with the result, we'll take it to the end. We'll stay up all night."
"What?!"
Choi Jung Soo shouted in anger, but Cale pointed at Raon.
"We won't get hurt."
He pointed at Sui Khan, Ron, and Beacrox.
"There will be people trying to stop you if you fight too fiercely."
With that, Cale crossed his arms and spoke.
"You wanted to try it at least once, right?"
When the two Chois shuddered.
"Don't you feel more comfortable with this than talking?"
The two looked at each other at the next question.
The corner of Cale's mouth curved slightly as he saw their reactions.
'A couple of funny guys.'
And he finally closed his mouth.
"Begin."
And silence fell.
No one spoke to each other.
And there was only silence between them.
Choi Han didn't know what to say.
It was always like this when he looked at Choi Jung Soo.
'Choi Jung Soo.'
At the mere mention of the name, he felt his breath being cut off, but at the same time, he felt like he could breathe.
He seemed older than him, but he was his nephew.
He had seen Choi Jung Soo's life.
He had seen how he lived and how he died.
That's why Choi Han had taken his mark on his sword and created the Black Dragon.
'He's a master, in a way.'
Although younger than him, Choi Jung Soo was also a master.
Nevertheless.
Somehow, for once, he wanted to speak first.
Choi Han steeled his heart.
He looked at Choi Jung Soo, who couldn't hide his wavering gaze, and spoke to those pupils filled with various emotions.
"Come."
At the same time, Choi Han's sword resonated.
Uuuuung~
The fierce but sparkling black energy contained in tiny particles burst from his sword like a torrent.
At the same time, that sword began to form a figure.
It was an Eastern dragon.
Fierce and wild, but at the same time, as if it had been silent for a long time somewhere deep, a dragon that kept its mouth firmly closed.
The moment Choi Jung Soo faced that dragon, he closed his eyes.
'It's the same.'
The pupils of Choi Han and the Black Dragon were identical.
They contained the silence and solitude that only those who had lived many years could possess.
Choi Han and the Black Dragon were waiting for him.
Then...
"Here I go."
Yes, my relative is calling me, so I should go.
Choi Jung Soo lifted his eyelids.
And drew his sword.
As the common steel sword came out of its sheath and was revealed,
Uuuuung-
A white energy burst from his sword and took the form of a dragon.
Seeing the White Dragon, Choi Han gripped his sword tighter.
It was different from Choi Jung Soo's memory of the White Dragon when he was unconscious and suffering in the past.
Back then, it was also a beautiful dragon, but now it seemed like the artisan had poured their energy and precision into it as if they were creating a living being.
Cale looked at the two dragons and thought:
"Choi Han's became fiercer, while Choi Jung Soo's became more detailed."
The roots of their sword techniques were the same.
The sword techniques of the Choi Family. That's what connected them.
And although Choi Han, influenced by Choi Jung Soo's sword, was becoming more similar in that direction, in the end, they both took different paths.
That was natural.
They were different people and had lived different lives.
But ultimately, they had the same essence.
They grew up in the same family and shared the same things, and in the end, they both wielded a sword.
Uuuuu---
Uuuung-uuuu---
At the moment two unfamiliar roars echoed in the air.
The white covered the black.
And the black faced the white.
Quuaaaa---
An immense roar shook the battlefield.
Paaat. Raon's shield deployed in front of the group.
But no one paid attention to it. Even Raon was completely focused.
In the face of the two Dragons entangled with each other,
Quaaang-!
Choi Han sought an opening. However, Choi Jung Soo, with a subtle movement that barely tilted his body, skillfully dodged his sword.
In doing so, the Black Dragon advanced again.
And the White Dragon gracefully evaded and, skillfully, grasped the neck of the Black Dragon.
Choi Han let out a laugh.
Although he had told Choi Jung Soo to go first, now he was the one attacking more.
But he couldn't help it.
That's how he fought.
Brutal and fierce.
Choi Jung Soo, on the other hand, was different.
He was smooth.
More detailed than before, more skilled.
But his form was not unpleasant. It was magnificent.
It was as if an elegant entity did not plunge into the mud puddle but watched and, when the enemy leaped, cut its throat in a single motion.
That was the sword art beautiful enough to be called the "Sword Demon."
And yet, a laugh erupted from Choi Han's lips.
Why?
"They resemble each other."
Their swords were similar.
It wasn't that he had forged a Black Dragon from Choi Jung Soo's White Dragon.
Choi Jung Soo, who now worked alongside the God of Death after death, had certainly changed, but he was still himself.
His solitude was contained in his sword.
At the same time, it was filled with determination.
The determination to protect what he had chosen.
"Yes, that's why you've been polishing it more and more."
That couldn't be helped. Because Choi Jung Soo, who traveled alone to fulfill his duty, surely had to become stealthy and sharp.
Choi Han closed his eyes tightly.
"Because there's no one to protect him."
At that moment, Choi Jung Soo's voice resonated.
It was a more unfamiliar and awkward voice than before.
"Uncle, you're going to lose if you keep this up."
Choi Han let out a brief laugh.
"No way."
His dark energy became fiercer and fiercer.
He unleashed the despair and loneliness he had accumulated for a long time while living in the Forest of Darkness and spending days that were nothing more than an accumulation of incomplete days.
He moved without hesitation and without stopping.
At some point, his sword changed like this.
This was Choi Han's choice.
He wanted to stand in front of his comrades before they got hurt, hoping the enemies would attack him first.
Even so, he wasn't worried.
If he managed to defeat the enemies, that would be good. And if he couldn't, while he fought, his comrades would find a way to face the enemies.
It was in these thoughts that the light of hope shone like a star in the midst of the darkness of dark energy.
But Choi Jung Soo couldn't.
Choi Han could no longer laugh.
He felt a stealthy energy approaching and moved his sword.
Ch'ang!
"You're really good at blocking even with your eyes closed."
Hearing Choi Jung Soo's voice, Choi Han opened his eyes.
Now, Choi Jung Soo was smiling.
In response to that, Choi Han replied sharply.
"Don't laugh."
"What?"
"If you don't want to laugh, then don't."
At that moment, Choi Jung Soo's face hardened as a smile formed on his lips.
"Heavenly Sword. The Sword Art you gave me reflects the thoughts of someone who wants to tear the sky apart and become their own Heaven."
Choi Han swung the sword relentlessly.
With his smile gone, Choi Jung Soo blocked the sword.
Kwaang, kwaang! Kwa-ang!
A series of explosions rang out, shattering the entire training ground.
The destructive power was too great for a simple sparring, but the two did not stop.
Their breaths remained equally fierce, but their swords, their Dragons, became increasingly intense.
Perhaps that's why their conversation could only be heard between them, buried in the noise.
"However, that Martial Art is a bit strange."
There was a reason Choi Han was reflecting on the Heavenly Sword.
"Jung Soo-ah. Is that really the Heavenly Sword of the Sword Emperor?"
Choi Jung Soo was left speechless.
He only stared at Choi Han with a rigid expression, only moving his sword toward him.
On the other hand, Choi Han continued to speak unabated.
"It must be true that you have the Heavenly Sword. Rumors like that wouldn't have circulated in vain. But is it really the Sword Emperor's Heavenly Sword that you gave me?"
The ancient-looking Martial Arts Book that Choi Jung Soo gave him did not have the title Heavenly Sword written on it.
He just said it was the Heavenly Sword, so everyone believed him.
"It seems to suit you quite well."
Choi Han had learned that Martial Art with astonishing ease.
And when he discovered what the author had hidden in that Martial Art, he understood it.
"That Martial Arts book is a Martial Arts book that contains your thoughts, right?" (Note: In other words, the book was written by Choi Jung Soo)
The moment he realized this, Choi Han was unable to complete the Heavenly Sword.
He could see what his only remaining blood family could tell him.
Or, to be more precise, he could feel what it concealed or wanted him to know.
Of course, it could have been his desire to pass on his exceptional Martial Art.
"But you still consider yourself an Imoogi*, right?" (Note: Imoogi= Incomplete Dragon)
The Imoogi perfects its skills over countless years to become a Dragon.
In silence.
And finally, when it reaches perfection, it ascends to the sky.
However, this Heavenly Sword is a bit different.
Instead of ascending like a Dragon, this Imoogi was thinking of tearing the sky apart and becoming the Sky itself.
Kwaaaaang----!
The moment the Black Dragon tried to tear the White Dragon's neck off, the White Dragon gently pushed it aside.
Choi Han confirmed his conviction by seeing Choi Jung Soo deflect his sword with force.
Indeed, this kid is stronger than me now.
He's hiding his skills, polishing and improving.
"Could you see it, Uncle?"
When the firm voice asked this, Choi Han calmly replied.
"Yes, I saw it."
"Uncle, it seems you're much more talented in martial arts than I thought. The fact that he didn't want you to see it says it all. I only gave it to you so you could become a little stronger."
A lie.
Certainly, Choi Jung-su had hidden his true feelings in that Martial Arts book. However, to hide something implies that there must be a desire for someone to recognize it.
"You and I are alike. Even if not by blood. So I could understand."
The two men took a step back, distancing themselves slightly from each other.
There was a calmness.
No, it was more like the calm before the storm.
"But I'm different from you," Choi Han told his nephew.
Why Choi Jung Soo wanted to become a Dragon and what kind of sky he wanted to eliminate, he didn't know for sure.
He couldn't understand what kind of Heaven he longed to be.
Perhaps, from now on, he would have to ask. However, somehow, it seemed that Choi Jung Soo wouldn't say a word.
That's why Choi Han was finally able to make a decision.
"I don't want to master the Heavenly Sword."
"...Really?"
"I feel like I have my own path."
Choi Han once again realized the role he wanted to play.
"Now I understand."
The moment he saw Choi Jung Soo in front of him, and the moment he saw the same loneliness in the White Dragon, no matter how exquisite and beautiful it was, Choi Han understood his heart.
Furthermore, not knowing this before, he could realize how he was hiding himself.
He expressed his determination.
"I want to be an existence that can protect my land."
Finally, he could have a home, a place to breathe, and valuable people.
He didn't want to lose those things.
It had always been his thought, but it was different to feel it in his heart.
Because it was a thought that had to be like that, without a doubt.
"No one can target my land. Whether it's the sky or the gods. I will protect what is mine."
He told Choi Jung Soo in front of him.
"So at any time-"
Choi Han repeated the same words he had said when he started training with Choi Jung Soo.
So at any time...
"Come."
Choi Jung Soo's eyes widened.
Choi Han wielded his sword again.
And approached Choi Jung Soo.
"I don't know what you're thinking."
Choi Jung Soo raised his sword without understanding.
The Black Dragon roared as it increased its energy.
"But even if you don't achieve what you desire, even if you don't break the Sky."
Choi Jung Soo's eyes focused intensely.
When something flashed in his eyes.
The White Dragon began to display its presence, stealthily releasing its own existence.
The two rushed toward each other.
The swords clashed, the Dragons intertwined their bodies.
The moment the White Dragon and the Black Dragon intertwined, Choi Han looked into Choi Jung Soo's eyes through the clashing swords.
"At any time, come back here. I will protect you too."
The two Dragons, which had deeply entwined, soared into the sky.
Kwaang----!
The rumble spread everywhere.
The two Dragons, rising into the sky, merged into one.
Or rather, they became one, and their colors blended, transforming into transparency.
Choi Jung Soo watched the scene while holding his sword, then lowered the sword and asked.
"...Can I still?"
Choi Han nodded.
A smile formed at the corner of Choi Jung Soo's lips.
Both shared that same gentle smile.
-
