Book 8 Chapter 7
제181화
“Manaheart (심; 心) is broadly categorized into six systems.”
Celine first began to explain the five systems of Manaheart.
Lightning (Byeokryeok; 霹靂).
Three Talents (Samjae; 三才).
Five Elements (Ohaeng; 五行).
Taiji (Taegeuk; 太極).
Cloud Dragon (Unryong; 雲龍).
Aki's face, which had proven to be not very bright, twisted into a frown, and as if she had been waiting for that, Celine grinned.
“But we, the Cheonhwapa, don't need to know such complicated ways of using it. We are the Extreme Yang (Geukyang; 極陽), called the Enhancement System. We are the ones who use Manaheart in the simplest way.”
“Aki, ooooh!”
“Just pour everything you've built up into this fist, and it's over.”
* * *
“Aki Punch.”
The power of magic, originating from Manaheart (심; 心) and circulating throughout the body, condensed at the tip of the fist.
A strike at zero distance.
A series of movements became a great flow of power, unleashed through the fist. Flames swirled into a storm around the point of impact where the fist landed.
“······?!”
“······?!”
“······?!”
Those present in the arena simultaneously fell silent.
Even Rain couldn't close his mouth.
A Daecheong disciple, caught in the storm of flames, was flung into the barrier separating the inside and outside of the arena. Specifically, right before the stairs on the first floor of the ship's deck.
“Hah, one hit…?”
The faces of those who saw the unspeakable sight turned pale blue.
“To finish a Daecheong disciple with one punch…?”
“The Daecheongpa isn't just any sect; it's right below the Six Great Sects…?”
A victory with one punch.
It was the absolute law of power that had resonated with the hearts of wanderers since ancient times.
But, no, but…
“With this! Fighter Aki! Wins the first preliminary match and proudly enters the Pala-se-eom Lighthouse!”
On the Window of Clairvoyance, as soon as Aki's face, still shaking off the blazing flames from her fist, was magnified, the following string of characters appeared below it.
[WㆍIㆍNㆍNㆍEㆍR]
The announcer dramatically raised Aki's hand, and at the same time, presented a magical tool imbued with voice amplification.
“Fighter Aki, what is the name of that incredible technique you just used?!”
Before Celine, her master and now an elder of the sect, could rush over and answer, Aki replied.
“Aki Punch.”
“Aki Punch?”
“Aki Punch.”
“The name of the technique is… Pfft, Aki Punch?”
“It's Aki Punch.”
“Yes, it's truly unbelievable, but… the name of the Cheonhwapa's technique is Aki Punch!”
Not only the spectators but also the representatives of each sect simply could not believe this situation. No, they couldn't accept it.
“That was a coincidence.”
“Indeed, it was merely a stroke of luck, successfully executed by reading movements.”
“It's impossible to use the Cheonhwapa's ultimate secret technique after only practicing martial arts for four months.”
However… such denial of reality met its end when all the first-round matches concluded. The results of the second, third, and fourth rounds, which continued inside Pala-se-eom, were:
“Prepare yourself, I am──!”
“─Aki Punch.”
“Everyone I've met so far has been weak, but I, who have mastered the Baekgolpa's secret technique──!”
“─Aki Punch.”
“Hmph, as long as I don't get hit by such a fist, this Ryunmapa's Thirty-Six Stratagems──!”
“─Aki Punch.”
Aki Punch exploding in every match!
A continuous display of terrifying and tough power, sending even the rising stars of the Six Great Sects crashing into the lighthouse's inner wall barrier with a single blow.
The spectators initially marveled, then…
“Wow, incredible! All one-punches!”
“No matter what the opponent does, it always ends with one punch?!”
“It's so exhilarating, the viewing experience is amazing!”
From the fifth match onwards, they slowly began to go insane.
“Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch!”
“Aki, is she a dragon?! Aki, is she a dragon?! Aki, is she a dragon?! Aki, is she a dragon?!”
That's right. They had gone mad.
Being called a dragon was the highest praise for wanderers.
“Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch!”
“Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch!”
“A! Ki! Punch! A! Ki! Punch! A! Ki! Punch! A! Ki! Punch!”
Rain blinked blankly amidst the ceaseless chants of ‘Aki Punch’, as if to sink the arena into the sea.
No…
Isn't she getting too strong?
Balencidis, having confirmed that even the Arch-Witches couldn't recognize Aki's true identity, spoke.
“Aki, is she a dragon? I've been thinking about that remark.”
“Thinking, thinking, thinking.”
“Don't think.”
“Isn't it a bit much to enter a True Dragon in a human martial arts tournament?”
“No, it's not.”
“Nungji, Nungji, Nungji.”
“I see.”
“Right. But I do have one concern. Won't everyone recognize Aki everywhere now? It's going to get incredibly bothersome.”
“If the World's Best Martial Arts Tournament's status was the same as before, then yes.”
“It's not anymore?”
“The Red City <Shurigana-kyusu> is holding a separate Southern Republic World's Best Martial Arts Tournament. They call it a Blood Battle… In reality, apart from a few places, sects with dojangs on the Adrion Continent aren't even seen there.”
“<Shurigana-kyusu> is…”
<Shurigana-kyusu> is a city located in the central Adrion Continent, a sacred place of the crimson sun, Shurigan.
They always liked to compete, claiming they were superior to <Tervenopl>, but to think things have come to this…
Perhaps misinterpreting the worry on Rain's face, Balencidis shrugged.
“It's not a bad judgment, though. With this, the name of Aki, a Cheonhwapa disciple, will be somewhat known throughout the Adrion Continent.”
“Ah.”
“Don't you understand? Even if she just carries the Cheonhwapa's symbolic uniform and that wooden necklace, her identity will be somewhat proven.”
Oh, that would be really convenient.
Until now, Aki had no way to prove her identity, so I even had to dye her hair red.
While <Tervenopl> somehow allowed them past its gates with Celine's mediation, aren't Celine and I supposed to part ways in this city?
“If she wins, having the World's Best Martial Arts Tournament's seal engraved on that necklace would make it even more perfect, wouldn't it?”
“Yes. Your little dragon has grown big enough now that you won't be able to just pass her off with your identity alone.”
Even while chatting with Balencidis, Aki's Aki Punch exploded whenever it was her turn.
One opponent after another.
By the time the number of young wanderers eliminated by Aki's one-punch reached ten, only two names remained on the bracket.
“Yes, it's finally the long-awaited World's Best Martial Arts Tournament Youth Division Finals!”
And finally, Aki ascended to the rooftop of the Pala-se-eom Lighthouse, this year's sky-dome.
As soon as her face was projected onto the screen, a roar of cheers erupted from the stands.
The announcer once again thrust the magical tool, imbued with the power of 'sound amplification', towards Aki.
“Fighter Aki, could you please tell us your aspirations before the final match?”
Aki then rubbed her belly and replied weakly.
“Aki is hungry…”
Rain thought, “Oh, right.” It was about time for that kid's stomach to start rumbling.
But strangely, the fervor that erupted from the stands in response to that answer felt like the world was melting.
“Aki PUNCH!”
“Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch!”
“Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch!”
That statement made even the renowned wanderers, who had until now looked at Aki through colored glasses, slap their foreheads!
“Unspeakable (Eoneododan; 言語道斷)! To have risen through the ranks and still hunger for victory?!”
No…
It's not like that.
“A serious indulgence and struggle for victory… That is truly the attitude a martial artist dreaming of transcendence should possess. Observe it well.”
It's not.
She's just genuinely hungry.
“Yes, Master!”
You guys, don't sparkle your eyes.
The announcer delivered the decisive blow to that wave of misunderstanding.
“Yes, Fighter Aki's ambition, that she hungers for victory, is truly fierce!”
Woooow!
Amidst the enormous cheers, the announcer extended the magical tool to the opponent, a Suunpa disciple wearing a blue uniform, and asked about his aspirations.
“Hmph, I will prove that she has merely been lucky with her opponents so far.”
How dare that bastard…?
That condescending attitude towards Aki ruffled Rain's feathers.
“Show them, Aki, the power of a True Dragon to that lowly human scum…”
Balencidis and Pipi looked at Rain with narrowed, fish-like eyes.
“You've got that look of a black mage fallen into the abyss again, Rain Ludwig.”
“Shut up.”
“Understood.”
The cheers, which had seemed to shake the world, subsided, and the final match began.
The flow of the match was the same.
The opponent first rushed at Aki with their footwork, and Aki's fist precisely struck that opening.
“……?!”
But this time, the outcome was different.
A fist amplified by Manaheart (심; 心) clearly exploded, and an explosive current even arose, but…
“Hmph.”
…the Suunpa disciple's body suddenly transformed into mist and scattered?
Aki's eyes widened.
And then, he planted his foot into the opening that inevitably appears when an attack is made, namely, Aki's abdomen!
“Hyah!”
“Kkwaat!”
Immediately, exclamations of martial artists erupted from all directions.
“Ooh, that's…!”
“The Suunpa's secret technique, Cloud Dragon Body Movement (Unryongsinhaeng; 雲龍身行)…?!”
Cloud Dragon Body Movement.
It was a secret art passed down in the Suunpa, said to allow one to transform their body into mist and escape even beneath a dragon's flames if they reach the extreme peak.
“Hahaha! I told you! She just got lucky with her opponents!”
Following this, the Suunpa's fist art exploded against Aki.
Rain, unable to bear watching Aki get hit, had to tightly close his eyes.
Aki's Aki Punch exploded again, but the situation was the same.
“Ah, Fighter Aki… is being pushed back. She's being cornered…!”
Amidst the Suunpa's offensive, Aki pursed her lips, showing her displeasure.
“Ugh…”
She wanted to finish quickly and see her dad, she wanted to eat, but the situation wasn't ending.
She thought.
And realized. Another secret technique Celine had taught her, its name was─
“─Aki Marking.”
Rain didn't have a deep understanding of the Cheonhwapa's martial arts. But he could tell what martial art Aki had just used.
“That mark Celine used…?”
Instead of her right hand, which had been using Aki Punch until now, she extended her left hand forward, and flames surged forth, forming a round shape in front of it.
“Th-that's…?!”
“The Cheonhwapa's secret technique, Fire Shadow Seal (Hwayeongjangpyo; 火影章表)…?!”
“Impossible, how could a child like that…!”
As the wanderers doubted their own eyes, Aki plunged her fifth Aki Punch into that mark.
“Aki Punch.”
Explosion.
Flames, indescribably explosive, engulfed the top of the lighthouse, even covering the Window of Clairvoyance that illuminated it in crimson.
The true way to use Cheonhwa Fist Art, said to be employed by Cheonhwa masters who have reached the pinnacle.
Cheonhwa Fist Art, specialized for zero-distance combat, is a passive counter-fist art that can only unleash its true power when the distance is close.
Therefore, a new way of using power created by previous sect leaders to utilize such power in a different dimension.
It creates a magic amplification mark within arm's reach, then amplifies and explodes the power of the Cheonhwa Fist Art that strikes this mark, turning it into a force that obliterates everything in front.
To evade this, one must move quickly to the side, not to the rear.
“Agh, agh…?!”
But the Suun disciple, momentarily overwhelmed by this power, this absolute force, instinctively used Cloud Dragon Steps to retreat, and…
He was swallowed by the breath of a dragon (龍) that consumed everything in front, evaporating even mist.
The moment that transcendent flame subsided, the boy was found embedded in the semi-circular barrier surrounding the lighthouse.
…
…
…
Aki retracted her flaming fist and adjusted her stance. Then, she showed courtesy with a fist-and-palm salute to the Suun disciple, with whom she had an ill-fated connection.
A momentary silence fell.
The moment the announcer approached Aki and dramatically raised her hand.
“Yes, the winner of this World's Best Martial Arts Tournament Youth Division, with an undefeated record, is… Fighter Aki of the Cheonhwapa!”
An enormous roar erupted, as if to break the silence that had prevailed until now.
“Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch!”
“Aki! She is a dragon! Aki! She is a dragon! Aki! She is a dragon! Aki! She is a dragon! Aki! She is a dragon!”
“A! Ki! Punch! A! Ki! Punch! A! Ki! Punch! A! Ki! Punch!”
“Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch! Aki Punch!”
Rain stared blankly at the scene with an almost expressionless face. His face felt like it was burning up, about to explode.
“Hey, Balencidis.”
“What is it?”
“I can't be happy because of you. What am I supposed to do with this feeling, like needles digging into my conscience?”
“Surprisingly, it seems you had a conscience. Even you, who strutted around with such skill, slaughtering your 1388th batch of classmates.”
“Sounds like someone implies they didn't do it?”
“Indeed.”
“Right.”
Just then, the awards ceremony began, and the Alliance Leader of the Northern Republic Martial God Alliance stepped forward.
It seemed that even the Martial God Alliance had split continent-by-continent. Of course, the Six Great Sects still seemed to be a concept shared across continents.
The Alliance Leader personally placed the winner's laurel wreath on Aki's head and offered words of blessing.
“To have acquired such a great talent as you, the future of the Cheonhwapa is truly promising.”
And that laurel wreath transformed into light, settling into the hands of Master Celine.
Later, Celine would present it to Aki in a different manner.
Amidst the cheers of 30,000 people, Aki looked bewildered for a moment, then glanced in Rain's direction and smiled brightly.
It was then that even the old masters, who had until now been pretending to be solemn and merely stroking their beards, began to go wild.
“Aki! I permit you my grandson! Bear strong children and revitalize our sect!”
“No, I will permit you my son!”
“What nonsense! Aki, I permit you myself! Come into this old man's embrace!”
“What the hell, you old monk? Has he gone mad?!”
A magic circle of incinerating blood formed on Rain's palm as he shot up, but Pipi immediately pecked his temple, calming him down.
…
Balencidis, who had been shaking her head while eating the last slice of melon, had killing intent flash in her eyes the next moment.
“Rain Ludwig.”
“I know.”
Immediately, Balencidis threw down her plate and stood up, gripping the fan at her waist, Kasha-sur.
The smell of blood…
Someone, whose entire body was stained with the putrid smell of a sewer and the stench of blood, was climbing the gangway leading to the deck.
“Hmm…?”
A lightly armored female swordswoman who, for a moment, resembled Miria.
Gasping for breath as if she would collapse at any moment, she staggered, then seeing them, let out a sigh of relief.
And what she said wasn't “Help me” or “Save me.”
“I'll, tell you a secret──”
Just as she was about to reveal whatever that secret was, with a suppressed scream, both of the swordswoman's knees buckled.
And her fallen, convulsing body began to turn bluish-black from the neck down.
What bewildered Rain more than the sudden situation was the instantaneous, unexpected magical signature of ‘that guy’.
“Rain Ludwig!”
“I know, Bell Quirius!”
01010010101.
As soon as his vision turned red, he could see the magic of death, starting from the swordswoman's neck and spreading throughout her entire body.
And that bizarre shape and texture, squirming like maggots… it was Zernix's magic, something he could never forget since seeing it in Harvadonia.
Instantaneous reverse calculation.
Reverse calculation verification.
Formula substitution.
Spell nullification.
He had to complete the supernatural interference in such a short time that his mind turned completely white. Otherwise, that woman would have died.
‘I've definitely seen this before.’
It wasn't that the form or texture of the magic was similar; he had seen something completely identical.
Where was that again?
Ah, right, it was in <Oltaris>.
Miria had the exact same spell then, and I got rid of it. Even the location is identical.
“Zernix, it's Zernix. He's nearby. Since he cast this, he must be close.”
Has that bastard come all this way? He urgently scanned the area, his breathing quickening.
The witches and soldiers, who had been guarding the surroundings in case of an emergency, seemed not to have noticed the swordswoman's strange behavior, as their attention was entirely on the awards ceremony.
Balencidis casually dismissed Rain's conjecture with a shake of her head.
“No.”
Helping the fallen swordswoman to lie down comfortably, and then casting a healing spell on her discolored skin.
“This is not that kind of spell.”
“What?”
“I told you. True Slayers have a mark. What you just erased was probably the mark of a true Slayer.”
A strange feeling, like chisels scraping his skull; the words didn't make sense.
True Slayers are descendants of Link, right? But how, no, why is Zernix's magic on them then?
Just then, tears welled up in the eyes of the swordswoman, who couldn't even focus her gaze.
“Help, help me… It's you, right… who resolved… the Red Mountain Range incident this time…”
Rain and Balencidis exchanged blank stares.
How does she know that?
The answer came immediately.
“You, only you can help… Miri, Miria… might die…”