NOVEL WEB Chapter 23 – Master Isen Recognize
After minutes...
I tried to keep my focus on the match that followed mine.
Tried.
But the moment I blinked—
"(Kid… may you step out a bit... I need to talk to you.)"
Everything froze.
Not the arena.
Not the crowd.
Just me.
…No. No no no. That voice—shit. I know that voice.
I swallowed hard, eyes darting toward the top platform without moving my head.
He hadn't shifted from his spot.
Still sat there like a serene monk in black and silver robes, golden hair gently moving with the wind.
Master Isen.
The Keiryuu.
How? How did he—?!
No one should have recognized that technique.
It was basic. A damn beginner Echo Art from the dragon era. Forgotten. Lost. There's no record of it in this age.
My palms were starting to sweat.
I could feel the gaze of the Veinwalkers above like spears pointed at my soul. But none of them looked at me.
Not overtly.
Not yet.
Only him.
His expression hadn't changed, still smiling.
Wait... Master Isen... His master... was a Dragon Knight too.
But that art... That specific wind movement—that's from the first generation. Even they should've lost it in translation after a few centuries.
There's no fucking way he could've known.
And yet…
His voice entered my head again, softer this time.
"(Kid, meet me outside... Don't worry, I won't bite. I just need to know how you used that technique. Just curious.)"
Just curious? Just CURIOUS?! Yeah, right.
No one escapes his radar.
I looked down at my feet, heart pounding.
Shit. Shit. What do I do? If I lie, he'll know. If I tell the truth, I'm done. My dragon blood... Everything will be exposed.
No. Breathe. Calm down.
I exhaled slowly.
The wind still lingered around me, waiting like a loyal dog sensing danger.
I tilted my head back just slightly to the sky.
I beat Shigeo. I made my move. Of course the world would push back.
This is the price of moving too early.
But then again—
If Master Isen really wanted to expose me...
He wouldn't have asked.
I stood up slowly from the bleachers, pretending to stretch as if tired from the last match.
Eyes still on the arena.
Face still blank.
But my mind?
Okay, old man. You want a talk? You'll get it.
I rolled my shoulders. Gave a low, fake yawn like I was just some kid trying to shake off post-battle nerves.
Then, mentally—I played dumb.
"(U-uh, Master Isen… you are Master Isen, right?)"
Let it drip with false awe. Clueless. Timid. Like I was just another first-year overwhelmed by the legend.
His reply came with the smoothness of silk and the weight of iron.
"(That's right.)
(Now go. I'll meet you outside the arena gates. Just need to make sure my Eclipse Vanguards don't follow. They get curious when I move.)"
(Oh, I know they do.)
I caught a flicker of Raiden Kurogami glancing down, then looking away.
Even lazy eyes don't miss the breeze when it shifts.
Still, none of the Eclipse Vanguards moved. They stayed seated, eyes fixed on the current match but their silence? Deafening.
I stepped down the bleachers one step at a time.
Not rushing.
Just walking like I was headed to grab a snack or take a breather.
(Keep it calm. Don't look back. Don't trigger their instincts.)
I passed by Kaen.
He gave me a brief look. Half-smile. Not suspicion—just confusion.
Maybe even concern.
I gave him a small nod like everything was fine.
It wasn't.
It never is when he calls.
Once I slipped out of the inner stadium doors, I inhaled deeply.
The outside wind met me instantly.
Cool.
Dry.
Free.
But only for a moment.
Because I felt it.
Like gravity bending.
A presence—walking behind me.
No footsteps. No sound.
But air moved for him.
I turned slowly.
And there he was.
Master Isen.
Golden hair faintly tousled by the breeze. Black and silver robes flowing like they were made of light itself.
He didn't say anything.
Not at first.
He just stood there.
Looking at me.
Not through me.
At me.
The way no one ever does.
Like he saw everything.
I almost laughed.
(So this is what prey feels like.)
He finally spoke—
"Relax, kid. If I wanted to expose you, I would've done it mid-match and turned the crowd into a jury."
His voice was warm. Too warm. The kind that melted steel just before the strike.
He folded his arms neatly behind his back, posture straight, relaxed—like an emperor during an afternoon stroll.
"I just want to talk."
My lips twitched.
"Would people be suspicious that I go outside?" I asked, keeping my tone neutral.
His blue eyes barely moved.
"Oh, yeah… Don't worry about that," he said with an airy chuckle.
"They're too focused on the next match. You're just another student taking a breather."
"And besides…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"That strength you used? No one recognized it. They just assumed it was some hidden technique you've been honing in silence."
I looked away briefly, eyes resting on the stone steps behind us.
"But… I defeated Shigeo."
Even I could hear the weight in my voice.
He grinned. Genuinely.
"Ahahahah, yeah… That wasn't an easy feat."
His voice dipped—familiar, knowing.
"Shigeo… Despite his slothful nature, that kid's a genius. Just hates things that get too complicated."
He chuckled again.
"Even my Eclipse Vanguard assumed he underestimated you. Thought that was why he lost."
He paused for a second. Then shrugged.
"Maybe after this… he'll find his 'complication' worth solving."
(As expected of Master Isen...)
(He doesn't just read power—he reads people.)
And then—
He stilled.
His gaze lingered.
Like something had clicked.
"Now I get it."
I blinked.
"…Get what?"
That was when he moved.
So fast, I didn't even flinch until after it happened.
His hand rested gently on my shoulder.
Then—
Everything blinked.
The air twisted.
My feet landed on moss.
Birds scattered.
We were no longer anywhere near the arena.
Surrounded by tall trees. A glade untouched by footsteps. Wind shifted gently between ancient boughs.
A secluded forest.
Untouched.
Safe.
Hidden.
Master Isen stood before me, the breeze carrying the edges of his black and silver robes like falling ink in water.
And then—
He smiled.
Bright.
Disarming.
"Let's talk here."
"So that people won't notice us."
To be continue