CFZ

"Step forward, one by one."
The moment I spoke those words, I braced myself.
Honestly, I expected chaos to erupt.

A storm of energy bursting out—swords drawn and attacks flying my way.
But—
"Tsk."

"That bastard—!"
Surprisingly, none of the leaders rushed at me.
Their killing intent was obvious.

The energy emanating from them made it clear they wanted nothing more than to cut me down.
And yet… no one moved.
‘Huh. This is unexpected.’

I swallowed my surprise.
These guys…
‘They’re smarter than I thought.’

Despite my provocations, they didn’t lose their heads and attack.
Ordinarily, this situation should’ve already erupted into violence.
Yet, they hesitated.

Why?
‘They can’t predict the outcome.’
Martial artists might act on ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ instinct, but they still had eyes and ears.
They’d seen things. Heard things.

And right now, they were replaying certain stories in their heads.
The time I crushed the Blade King.
That fight at the martial arts tournament—where I left him in shambles.

They’d heard about it.
And if they had half a brain, they would’ve investigated me the moment they learned I was appointed as a Division Leader.
Now, they were calculating.

‘Is this fight worth it?’
If they rushed at me and failed—
Would they survive the aftermath?

They were weighing the risks.
‘So they’re still leaders after all.’
Hot-headed fools would’ve already drawn their swords.

But the social weight of their positions forced them to think.
Still—
‘I can see right through them.’

Dongcheon, the Twin Crescent Swords, scanned my entire body.
He was analyzing every detail, trying to figure out my strength.
The brief exchange earlier, when I blocked his strike—

That, along with the rumors about the Blade King, left him doubting his chances.
‘What does he see?’
I’d grown stronger since then—my energy and presence had sharpened.

But—
‘My level hasn’t changed.’
I hadn’t technically broken into a new stage, so my aura probably felt familiar.

And yet, Dongcheon kept hesitating.
I smirked.
‘You can’t see it, can you?’

He couldn’t gauge my level—or whether he could handle me.
Glancing aside, I noticed the Silver Wolf Sword.
His gaze was different.

He wasn’t focused on me—he was watching Muk Yeon.
Dongcheon worried about my strength.
Silver Wolf Sword worried about Muk Yeon’s intentions.

I tilted my head and asked,
“What’s wrong?”
"…!"

They both flinched at my voice.
“Not coming? That’s going to make me look bad.”
Scratching my cheek, I locked eyes with Dongcheon.

“I gave you the chance to come at me. If you’re too scared to take it… what does that make me?”
"You—!"
I pushed him again, and his body twitched, ready to move.

But—
"Tsk."
Even now, he didn’t charge.

‘Hmm.’
He was holding back.
What should I do?

This wasn’t enough.
Should I release my energy to pressure them?
No—that might complicate things later.

‘If I push too hard, it’ll backfire.’
I needed these leaders intact.
Breaking them too much would cause problems down the road.

Which meant—
‘I’ll have to beat them just enough.’
How, though?

I thought it over.
‘…I’ve got no idea.’
I wasn’t exactly experienced with “holding back.”

My life had never been gentle.
Besides, wasn’t it already too late for restraint?
So—

“Is one-on-one too much for you?”
I decided to provoke them again.
“Then come at me all at once, you cowards.”

"!"
BOOM!
A wave of killing intent erupted.

Dongcheon and Silver Wolf Sword drew their blades.
Three streaks of light shot toward me in an instant.
I tensed, ready to move—

CLANG!
CLANG!
CLANG!

“…What?!”
“Damn it—”
A flash interrupted the strikes.

Their swords were deflected, and before they could reach me, someone stepped in front of them.
Azure Dragon Leader.
Ilcheong Sword.

He blocked their blades and now stood in their path.
Dongcheon and Silver Wolf Sword glared at him, their faces twisted in confusion.
“Azure Dragon Leader?!”

“What do you think you’re doing?!”
They couldn’t believe he had interfered.
Ilcheong Sword calmly sheathed his weapon and replied.

“Calm yourselves.”
“Calm?!”
“You heard what he said to us! And you expect us to calm down?!”

“And what if I don’t?”
Shing—!
Ilcheong Sword’s aura flared.

Sharp, overwhelming pressure filled the room.
“…Ugh!”
Dongcheon flinched, his body trembling under the weight.

It was stronger than they’d expected.
“Are you prepared to shed blood here?”
Ilcheong Sword’s gaze turned cold.

“Gold Dragon Leader. Do you realize whose presence you’re in right now?”
Whose presence.
He meant Muk Yeon.

“…But Azure Dragon Leader…”
“There’s no ‘but.’ Muk Yeon stands here as the Lord’s representative. Defying him is defying the Martial Alliance itself.”
“Damn it.”

Dongcheon clenched his teeth, trembling with frustration.
“How can you expect me to endure this humiliation—!”
His words were cut short.

Shing.
Drip.
A thin line of blood trickled down his neck.

Ilcheong Sword’s blade hovered there—so fast that Dongcheon hadn’t even seen it move.
The tension turned deadly.
Ilcheong Sword spoke softly.

“Anything more is rebellion.”
“…”
Eyes filled with genuine intent.

They were the kind of eyes that promised bloodshed with even a single word out of place.
Ilcheong Sword's gaze swept past the Silver Wolf Sword and landed on me.
"Silver Wolf Sword, and you as well, Star King."

His voice rumbled through the tense air, pressing down on everyone present.
"Even if you haven't officially taken your position as a division leader, it's already set in stone. That makes you part of the Martial Alliance now. Wouldn't it be better to end this meaningless conflict here? Or do you really intend to spill blood?"
If anyone did, Ilcheong Sword made it clear—he'd personally step in to stop them.

I looked at him and thought,
‘Is that enough?’
This seemed like the right time to back down.

So I raised a hand slightly and responded,
"You're absolutely right, Senior. If my seniors are willing to stop here, I'll do the same."
I casually brushed off the tension and released just enough energy to make my point.

The subtle pressure seeped into the room, forcing beads of sweat to form on their foreheads.
Then, I wiped my damp brow with the back of my hand—intentionally.
I saw Ilcheong Sword catch the gesture.

"Star King has spoken. What about you two?"
"…"
"…"

Ilcheong Sword had positioned himself as a wall between us.
No one was satisfied—anger still simmered beneath the surface—but they knew this couldn't go any further.
They gritted their teeth, but their answer was inevitable.

"Fine."
The two leaders stepped back.
I looked at Ilcheong Sword and shrugged.

"Seems like it’s over now."
"…"
Someone shifted behind me.

It was Mingung.
He’d stepped in right before the fight broke out—not to block anyone, but to shield me.
Unlike Ilcheong Sword, who clearly aimed to prevent a fight, Mingung had moved like a bodyguard.

I tilted my head and asked,
"Should I be thanking you?"
"Not at all. I simply shared Ilcheong Sword’s concerns."

He denied any intention of protecting me, explaining that he acted to defuse the situation.
I nodded but kept observing him.
The idea that Mingung had moved to protect me was odd—but even stranger was his speed.

‘Fast. Incredibly fast.’
Mingung’s movements were far beyond what I expected.
Despite starting later than Ilcheong Sword, he’d reached me first.

‘Hmm.’
Something about it felt off.
I was about to take a closer look at Mingung when—

"It seems this meeting should end here."
Muk Yeon spoke.
His expression was tense, and he rose from his seat as though burdened by the situation.

"Muk Advisor."
Ilcheong Sword moved closer, concerned, but—
"I apologize. I may have spoken too hastily today. This was my mistake… I’ll prepare more thoroughly next time. My apologies."

Muk Yeon pressed his lips shut, as if unable to handle the conversation anymore, and left.
No one tried to stop him.
His sudden retreat left the others visibly disoriented.

Of course—
‘You sly old fox.’
I saw right through his act.

Muk Yeon had orchestrated this entire mess.
He created this uncomfortable situation, used me to pressure the division leaders, and manipulated events to push my terms forward.
‘Hah.’

I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I hadn’t expected such a cunning opponent.
Narrowing my eyes, I watched the door Muk Yeon had just walked through.
Was this a challenge?

‘Fine. Let’s see how far you can take this.’
Whatever schemes Muk Yeon had planned, I had no intention of backing down.
I turned and glanced at the others—

Dongcheon’s lingering fury, the Silver Wolf Sword’s blank expression, still stunned by Muk Yeon’s sudden exit.
And finally, Ilcheong Sword.
He was staring at me.

I met his gaze without flinching and smiled faintly.
"The outcome wasn’t great, but it seems the conversation is over. I’ll take my leave now. Is that alright?"
"…"

"I heard I’ll need to be back tomorrow anyway. So I’ll see you then, seniors."
I bowed slightly and turned away.
I had no doubt there’d be more to deal with later, but for now—

‘The bait’s already been cast.’
Whether the prey would bite was out of my hands now.
All I could do was wait for them to take the hook.

Creak—
As I opened the door to leave, a thought crossed my mind.
‘Not that it’ll take long.’

Judging by their reaction, they've already taken the bait.

   ******************
   
"Damn it—!"

CRASH!
The neatly organized study exploded into chaos.
Bookshelves toppled, sending papers scattering across the room.

CLANG!
Anything within reach—teacups, tables—shattered as it was flung against the walls.
BOOM!!

A man, fists clenched, raged in the wreckage.
His rampage only stopped when there was nothing left to destroy.
"Damn it… Damn it!"

CRACK!
Blood trickled from his knuckles, where his nails had dug deep into his palms.
"How the hell am I supposed to deal with that bastard?"

In his mind, that face kept surfacing.
The smirking brat who had mocked and toyed with them all.
—You worthless trash.

CRASH—!
Another punch smashed into the wall, cracks spidering outward from the impact.
He couldn’t hold back his rage.

How could he?
"That arrogant…!"
Not only had that upstart waltzed in and taken the title of division leader, but now they were building an entire unit for him—staffed with outsiders.

And the Martial Alliance’s strategist had greenlit it. The Lord had approved it.
Worse—
'A division tasked with wiping out the demonic sects?'

A force leading the war against the heretical factions…
'That position should've been mine!'
He had poured his loyalty into the Alliance.

Climbed his way up through blood and sweat.
'And they hand it over to some damn brat?!'
GRRRK—!!

His teeth ground together so hard it sounded like stone cracking.
He tried to calm his breathing, but his rage refused to subside.
And it wasn’t just the Star King that infuriated him.

The Alliance Lord’s hidden symbol.
Its sudden revival was another thorn in his side.
"The Lord went out today with the Sword Saint and the Azure Dragon Leader?"

The Sword Saint was expected.
As the Lord’s protector, his role had always been clear.
Even he could accept that much.

But—
'The Azure Dragon Leader I understand, but why the hell is the Divine Dragon there?'
The newly named Divine Dragon had accompanied them.

Why?
He had always served as the Lord’s personal guard—yet now, that role was given to someone else.
'They’re pushing me out.'

One humiliation after another.
The creation of the Star Dragon Division.
Losing his position as the Lord’s protector.

And worst of all—
'Why wasn’t I chosen as the Divine Dragon?'
He had every right to claim that title.

The pieces fit together too well.
Everything pointed to him being deliberately sidelined.
It felt as if the Alliance was throwing away everything he had dedicated his life to building.

The Star King.
The Divine Dragon.
He hated them both.

So—
"So…."
He turned toward the kneeling figure behind him.

The room was in shambles, but the man knelt in silence, awaiting orders.
"You’d better choose your words carefully."
Ilcheong Sword’s face twisted into something monstrous.

His sharp eyes fixed on the man—
"Flying Dragon Leader."
The one kneeling—Bumdong—lifted his head cautiously.

"Is what you said true?"
"…It is."
Bumdong’s voice was steady but laced with tension.

He met Ilcheong Sword’s gaze and spoke carefully.
"The Star King… That brat… is currently gravely injured."
"…"

Ilcheong Sword’s eyes gleamed.