CFZ

Clang—

On the still-uncleared dueling platform, a man laid his hand on the hilt of his sword.
A single blade tied to his waist.
This was his cherished weapon, a famed sword crafted long ago by the Tang Clan, known as Silver Fang Sword.

Its beauty made it one of the finest blades ever forged, and the martial artist wielding it was equally renowned for the elegance of his swordsmanship.
Srrrng—
The Silver Fang Sword slid from its sheath, its polished blade catching the light as it revealed its breathtaking form.

“…Oh…”
“Wow…”
The spectators couldn’t help but express awe at the sight.

But more than its appearance—
“…So this is the might of a Martial Alliance captain.”
Tenacity Blade, now standing below the platform, muttered under his breath.

The martial aura radiating from the swordsman dominated the surroundings.
Those who had previously shown arrogance quickly grew subdued.
Swallowing nervously, Tenacity Blade stared at the swordsman gripping the blade.

‘A master.’
Though Tenacity Blade was far from weak, facing this man made his own strength feel insignificant.
This was no ordinary martial artist—

He was the captain of the Iron Dragon Unit, a force specialized in fighting monsters.
Eullanggeom, the Silver Wolf Sword.
As soon as he unsheathed his weapon, the atmosphere grew heavy with tension.
A recognized name among Zhongyuan’s Top 100 Masters, a position reserved for those who reached the peak of the Hwagyeong realm.

Among the captains of the Martial Alliance, all but one—the deceased Wind Dragon Captain—held a spot in the Top 100.
Silver Wolf was no exception.
The Top 100 Masters were a dream for most martial artists. Reaching that rank meant unrivaled influence and respect.

But this respect wasn’t earned by reputation alone—
“…What a terrifying presence.”
“How can his aura feel so sharp…?!”

It required raw strength.
And Silver Wolf was making it painfully clear—
He wasn’t just the Iron Dragon Captain; he was a high-level Hwagyeong master.

Rumble—
His energy expanded like a raging storm, devouring the entire dueling platform.
The air grew dense, pressing down on the bodies of those present, forcing them to frown under the suffocating weight.

Tenacity Blade swallowed dryly.
‘…Is this really okay?’
He wasn’t sure anymore.

With trembling eyes, he glanced toward the viewing area—
At the broken table that hadn’t been cleared away, leaving only a single chair.
And there sat a young man, watching the duel unfold with an almost casual air.

‘Star King…’
Gu Yangcheon.
Tenacity Blade fixated on the man responsible for this entire situation.

‘Do you really have a plan for this?’
Of course, his thoughts received no response.
 

 
Vrrrrm—
Ssshhhhh—

The low hum of the blade and the swirling energy around it mixed into a turbulent storm.
Silver Wolf opened his eyes within the storm he’d summoned.
“…Hmph.”

The sigh he let out was heavy with irritation.
Silver Wolf hated this situation.
He hated standing on the dueling platform under the eyes of so many spectators.

He hated being forced to draw his sword—his most treasured weapon.
But most of all—
He hated the opponent standing before him.

Everything about this situation annoyed him.
His sharp gaze fell forward.
There, a woman stood.

Silver-white hair, piercing blue eyes, and a flowing dark blue robe.
An indescribably stunning beauty.
Even a seasoned master like Silver Wolf found himself momentarily distracted by her presence.

They called her the Sword Dancer.
A rising star who had left her mark in a friendly martial arts tournament a few years ago.
Her swordsmanship resembled an elegant dance, earning her the nickname, which was further enhanced by her mesmerizing looks.

Recalling the story, Silver Wolf nodded faintly.
‘Indeed.’
It wasn’t a title someone of her generation could normally attain.

But after seeing her, he understood.
‘She’s strong.’
He recognized it instantly.

The woman standing before him—
‘Too strong to be called a rising talent.’
Her strength far exceeded what was expected of a young martial artist.

Perhaps—
‘I might be looking at the next Demon Sword Queen.’
He didn’t even need to clash swords with her to know.

She could very well inherit the legacy of the Demon Sword Queen, carrying it into the new era.
It was absurd.
‘They call this the Generation of Meteors…’

The Sword Dragon, the Crescent Moon Sword, and now the Sword Dancer—
None of them fit the label of “rising talents.”
They were already monsters.

‘And the strangest one of them all…’
Silver Wolf’s gaze shifted sideways—
To the true architect of this ridiculous situation.

The so-called Star King.
‘The ruler of stars.’
The one regarded as the brightest among the meteors—

Gu Yangcheon.
The young man who sat casually, resting his chin on one hand as he observed the fight.
Gnash—

Silver Wolf clenched his teeth.
He despised the way Gu Yangcheon looked at him—calm, amused, and utterly unbothered.
No matter how highly people praised the Star King, to Silver Wolf, he was just a child.

Barely older than the other rising talents, yet they treated him as if he were their leader.
‘A freak…’
That’s what he was.

Even if Silver Wolf didn’t believe the rumors, he couldn’t deny the facts.
The Blade King —
Gu Yangcheon had crushed him.

Hundreds of witnesses had confirmed it.
Silver Wolf tried to imagine it.
‘If it were me…’

Could he have defeated the Blade King?
‘...’
He shook his head internally.

He was confident he could win.
But dominating the Blade King?
That was another story entirely.

Among all the Martial Alliance captains, only two could decisively overpower the Blade King:
The Sword Emperor, and Blue Dragon Sword.
Only they stood at that level.

‘And yet, the Star King did it.’
Which meant—
‘Does that make him on par with the Blue Dragon Sword?’

It was unthinkable.
A kid not even in his twenties—already near the top of the martial world?
It was absurd.

And yet—
‘Reality doesn’t care what I think.’
No matter how much he denied it, the evidence was clear.

Gu Yangcheon’s abilities were beyond question.
Silver Wolf’s eyes narrowed as he studied the Star King again.
The young man leaned back in his chair, seemingly indifferent.

Even when Silver Wolf tried to sense his Qi, it remained obscured.
‘This brat… is at least my equal.’
"Damn it."

Silver Wolf Sword frowned as he felt it.
A blood-soaked brat had suddenly appeared, taken the seat of the host without warning, and now looked down on them with mockery, even daring to provoke them. From Silver Wolf Sword's perspective, the sheer audacity made his blood boil.
And even now—

"To think I'd have to go along with this nonsense."
He drew his sword, unleashing his aura, but the entire situation was absurd.
No, it was downright laughable.

"Hah..."
Himself.
The great Silver Wolf Sword, Captain of the Iron Dragon Unit—

And yet here he was, drawing his sword over a child's joke.
"Let’s make a bet."
The Star King had smiled at Silver Wolf Sword, proposing a wager.

If Silver Wolf Sword won, he would hand over the Star Dragon Unit.
And as if that wasn’t enough—
"Did he say he’d lick my foot?"

It was vile and ridiculous, yet an undeniably tempting offer.
That’s why...
"Let’s hear it out."

Before he even realized it, Silver Wolf Sword had said those words.
"Oh? Really?"
The Star King grinned as if he'd been waiting for that response.

"Then, spar with her."
"What?"
The Star King gestured toward the sparring arena, and Silver Wolf Sword followed his gaze—only for his expression to twist.

"Wait... you’re talking about the Flaming Combat Sword?"
The Flaming Combat Sword.
A renowned swordsman predicted to reach Hwagyeong soon.

A sparring match with him? Silver Wolf Sword looked at the Star King with a perplexed expression.
"What? No. The one next to him."
"Next... to him?"

Surely not—
"You mean the Sword Dancer?"
"Yes."

The Star King had calmly stated that he should spar with Namgung Bi-ah, the Sword Dancer.
Hearing this, Silver Wolf Sword's face contorted even further.
"Star King, are you out of your mind?"

"Why? Are you afraid?"
"This is an insult."
Not the Flaming Combat Sword, nor even the descendant of the revered Sword Sovereign or the New Dragon—both anticipated to surpass Hwagyeong.

No.
Instead, he was supposed to spar with the Sword Dancer?
This could only be a deliberate slight.

Silver Wolf Sword was just about to voice his anger when—
"So what? You don’t want to do it? Then don’t."
"Star King—"

"If you don’t want to, then don’t bother. I’m just trying to prove a point."
The Star King gestured toward Namgung Bi-ah with a resolute expression.
"I’ll prove that your arrogant judgment about her being unqualified is wrong—and I’m staking my pride on it."

"...Ha."
Only then did Silver Wolf Sword realize.
The Star King had set this up in response to his own words.

"If you’re not up for it, just keep your mouth shut and sit quietly."
"..."
Hearing that, Silver Wolf Sword narrowed his eyes and spoke.

"You’ll regret this."
"That’s my concern, not yours."
"She’s your fiancée, isn’t she? And you still insist on this?"

"You sure talk a lot. Are you doing it or not?"
"..."
A brief silence.

Countless thoughts ran through his head, but in the end, Silver Wolf Sword couldn’t ignore the Star King’s offer.
He didn’t truly believe he could win the Star Dragon Unit, but—
"This is enough justification."

The Star King’s words, the situation—
It was all more than enough to serve as a pretext.
There was no real loss, so long as he won the bet.

"So... this sparring match. You’re not expecting me to let her win, are you? What are the rules?"
"Do as you please."
"Huh?"

Do as he pleased?
"So I just need to win the match?"
"That’s entirely up to you."

"..."
What was his game?
Did he seriously think the Sword Dancer could win?

If so, the Star King was deluded by his own strength and assuming others were monsters like him.
It didn’t matter.
If his opponent was blinded by arrogance, that only made things easier.

Yet—
There was one more thing Silver Wolf Sword hadn’t asked yet.
"Star King."

"Yes?"
"I’ve heard your terms. But what do I lose if I fail?"
Since this was a bet, there had to be consequences on both sides.

If the Star King was betting so much, then surely Silver Wolf Sword would have to risk something too.
"Ah, that."
The Star King smirked and replied.

And that’s how it led to this.
"Miss."
"...?"

At the call, Namgung Bi-ah lifted her head to look at Silver Wolf Sword.
Her eyes were stunning—enough to make him pause briefly.
"I hold no ill will toward you. And I’ve even had ties with your father."

Her father, Namgung Jin, was the Sword Sovereign of the Namgung family.
Their connection wasn’t deep, but Silver Wolf Sword was acquainted with him.
"So, even now—"

Shiiing—!
"...!"
The sudden sound made Silver Wolf Sword widen his eyes.

His suggestion to back down—spoken with concern—was met by Namgung Bi-ah unsheathing her sword.
Seeing this, Silver Wolf Sword asked:
"Are you really planning to spar with me?"

"..."
"The Star King aside, do you seriously believe you can win against me?"
The Sword Dancer was strong.

As he had noted earlier, Silver Wolf Sword knew that much.
But even so—
Her strength didn’t exceed his.

Silver Wolf Sword had already gauged her level clearly.
Impressive, yes, but far from reaching him.
"What an absolute farce."

Two arrogant brats treating him like a fool.
Crack—!
Silver Wolf Sword clenched his fist tightly.

"Fine."
Let’s see what they could do.
Whatever the Star King was trying to prove, it didn’t matter anymore.

He couldn’t back down now.
He would put an end to this spectacle.
Hum—

The Silver Fang Sword emitted a low, vibrating hum.
"I’ll give you three seconds before we start."
"..."

"Come at me."
Offering three seconds of grace.
Silver Wolf Sword lowered his aura and spoke, his words drawing excited reactions from the spectators.

Exactly three seconds.
On the fourth move, he would strike and end this ridiculous spar.
That was the plan—until:

"Three seconds?"
Namgung Bi-ah tilted her head.
"Yes. Three—"

Swish—!
Suddenly, she swung her sword once.
And again.

Swish—!
And a third time.
Swish—!

Three strikes.
She then looked at him with a calm expression.
"Three seconds.

Her flat words left the crowd speechless.
"You—!"
Silver Wolf Sword’s face flushed red.

As anger exploded—
Tap.
"...!?"

He froze.
A cold sensation brushed against his neck.
The edge of a blade.

"Grace?"
At the sound of the voice, Silver Wolf Sword lowered his gaze.
What had been a distant voice now resonated mere inches away.

A faint floral fragrance lingered in the air.
Silken white hair shimmered.
And at that moment—

"...Who...?"
Namgung Bi-ah whispered to Silver Wolf Sword.