“…You’ve got to be kidding me, right?”
The human fighters gathered to protect Arhan all shared the same look of disbelief.
“Are the dwarves insane? What kind of mad race sends a Sword Expert into an Infinite Duel…?”
“This is as shocking as when the Orc Great Chieftain appeared last time.”
The Racial Duel was, for all intents and purposes, an event match.
When the Great Chieftain had appeared for the Orcs previously, people accepted it because they were Orcs—a naturally unpredictable and savage race. But why would the dwarves, who were notoriously short on elite talent, deploy such a powerhouse here?
To the human fighters, it was utterly incomprehensible.
On the human side, which already had zero chance of winning, the strongest combatant was merely a Sword Runner. Most had entered just to garner a bit of fame; none were truly there to uphold the pride of their race. Naturally, the motivation of the gathered fighters evaporated in an instant.
“Dammit. I’m out.”
“What the hell is this…?”
The hesitating fighters began to withdraw one by one.
It wasn’t because they were cowards. These men possessed the bravery befitting their titles. They were warriors willing to risk their lives against superior foes, men who had won countless duels and earned high praise for their valor.
But a Sword Expert?
This defied common sense.
If told to face a mountain giant, they would fight. If given a spear and told to hold the line against an army, they would do so. But they could not face that monster. No matter how brave a warrior is, they cannot defeat a natural disaster.
One does not swing a blade against a surging tidal wave, stand firm against a hurricane, or leap into an erupting volcano.
A Sword Expert was exactly that: a disaster. An unstoppable, merciless force of violence approaching in silence.
“I forfeit! I’m throwing in my identification tag!”
“You over there, get back here! Hurry—”
In the face of an approaching catastrophe, all a human can do is pray and flee. Even if their retreat was pathetic, who would dare mock them? It was perfectly natural, perfectly logical. Yes, it was the only obvious choice…
“…But why isn’t that young man moving?”
The retreating fighters couldn’t understand it.
“He must have a death wish! Let’s just go!”
“No, wait. That’s not it. Look at him.”
Everyone else had lost their will to fight and fled—even the famous gladiators, even the seasoned veterans who had reached the rank of Sword Runner.
But there he was.
“He looks like he’s… actually going to try.”
A rookie gladiator who had only reached the rank of Sword Walker. The young man, who didn’t look a day over eighteen, did not run. He simply stood his ground, maintaining the same stance as before.
“Doesn’t it look like he’s trying to… fight back?”
Like tempered steel.
* * *
“It is only natural that the Descendant of Steel is at a lower realm than I. You have only recently stepped onto the path of the sword, whereas I, Dwight, have lived in the heart of war since before I could walk.”
“….”
“If I move, the Descendant of Steel will be crushed in the blink of an eye. Therefore—”
Dwight held up three fingers.
“Three turns. For the next three exchanges, no matter what attack the Descendant of Steel makes, I will not defend, nor will I move. I shall not counterattack. Show me everything you have.”
“….”
“Lest you misunderstand, this is not a favor granted to the weak. Nor is it the arrogance of the strong. This is purely my own greed.”
Through the narrow slits of his dark iron helmet, his piercing gaze locked onto mine.
“How great is the Blood of Steel that I have only heard of through the legends of my ancestors? It is the ugly greed of wanting to experience it with my own body and see it with my own eyes.”
He wasn’t lying. What Dwight was displaying wasn’t simple arrogance.
“And if you are truly the Descendant of Steel, you must understand.”
I could feel it instinctively.
“This is no mercy. Rather, this will feel like a far harsher ordeal than if I were to end the fight in an instant. A very, very harsh ordeal.”
With my current level of swordsmanship, I couldn’t leave a single scratch on Dwight’s body even if I swung at him for decades. The gap between us was that immense.
“Now, swing your sword, Descendant of Steel.”
His heavy voice resonated through the arena.
“Prove the weight of your existence.”
An intense pressure weighed down on my shoulders. As my breath hitched, I realized why Dwight called this a ‘harsh ordeal.’ The hand gripping my sword was trembling uncontrollably.
Rational thought, born of doubt, whispered in my ear. No matter what you do, your sword cannot wound him. That mighty dwarf will never be satisfied with your skills. The fantasy Dwight holds regarding the Blood of Steel will be brutally shattered, and disappointment will cloud his face. Your pathetic sword will be exposed for all to see….
Yes. This was a cruel trial.
I hadn’t even swung my sword yet, but a terrible sense of helplessness was already swallowing me whole. The certainty that I could do nothing tormented my mind. I couldn’t move.
Because even without swinging, I felt as if I had already seen the result.
It was more wretched than being beaten into the dirt. It was more pathetic than being mocked by the crowd and crawling away in shame.
Looking down at my trembling hand, an old memory resurfaced.
Yes, it was like this back then, too.
‘ …Damn it. ‘
When that cursed Swordmaster came to our territory.
When Swordmaster Carlos, holding a blade soaked in my parents’ blood, stood upon the ruined earth of our estate and glared at me.
What did I do then?
I did nothing. I froze like a man turned to ice. Even though the enemy who had taken everything from me was right in front of me, I could do nothing but shiver in fear. I still remember that trembling. I remember the way my heart raced, the cold sweat on my skin, the metallic tang of blood in the air, and the way every hair on my body stood on end.
Yes, I remember. Bitterly.
So.
“Ho-oh.”
That moment must never be repeated.
I would rather die than feel that helplessness again. Rather than fleeing from an insurmountable fear just to live another day, I would foolishly swing my sword and die right here.
“Indeed, the name Heart of Steel was not in vain.”
I took a heavy step forward. I took a stance, however clumsy it might have been.
I heard Dwight’s voice.
“With the heart of a mere Sword Walker, you dare to bare your teeth before a Sword Expert. Honestly, I am truly surprised….”
“….”
“But there is more you must show me.”
His firm voice dropped an octave.
“Now, unleash it!”
At that moment, I swung.
“The path you wish to walk!”
I inhaled sharply as I struck. My Mana Heart throbbed, surging superhuman strength through my limbs. The blade cut through the air in a wide arc, carrying the weight of every sword I had devoured until now. I showed no mercy to an enemy who refused to resist.
『The last thing I remember was the burning mansion.』
The Needle of the swordswoman Mary.
『The Free City Crowde did not live up to its name.』
The Fang thrust by the nameless assassin of the Free City.
『The boy dreams of becoming the protagonist.』
The Twilight imbued with the life of my neighbor, Knight Petel.
『There is no paradise in the place you flee to.』
The Wildness symbolizing the footsteps of the Orc Great Warrior Berik.
『My life was like a breath of wind.』
The Gale drawn by the Ronin who wandered the continent.
“Phew.”
The swords of the many people intertwined within me were condensed into a single, continuous strike. It was a perfect execution, devoid of any waste.
But.
“Amazing. It was like seeing ghosts. I cannot even guess how many styles were contained in that single swing.”
“….”
“However.”
None of it reached Dwight. I couldn’t even leave a nick on the wall standing before me.
“In the end, are they not merely the swords of ghosts who vanished in vain? Pathetic lives that left no mark on history.”
Instead, I was the one who was wounded.
The hand holding my sword shook violently. My grip failed. My head spun as if I’d been struck by a hammer, and my legs buckled. My stomach churned with sudden nausea. My vision blurred.
‘Mana Shock.’
It was the phenomenon that occurred when one’s mana collided with a force far more solid and intense. While my body swayed dizzily, my heart felt as if it were being split apart. My body was already broken from pushing Gale to its limit, and adding Mana Shock on top of that caused a severe overload.
It felt as if my flesh and bones were about to crumble into dust. It was agonizing.
“Whew—!”
But I could endure it.
Compared to helplessness, physical pain was nothing. The sensation of my body breaking only served to sharpen my mind. This pain made me feel poignantly alive.
“Stop summoning the swords of the dead. I do not wish to see the techniques of others. I want to see the sword of the Caravan—the one who once commanded an era and held the world beneath their feet.”
The sword of the Caravan.
I pondered Dwight’s words. Did such a thing even exist?
“If the only ability a Caravan possessed was devouring the swords of others, how could they have reached the pinnacle? Reproducing the techniques of ghosts is merely a trick. As far as I know, the true power of the Blood of Steel is something else entirely.”
I had learned many things from my Master. But the sword of the Caravan? I had never heard of it.
“I said, show it to me!”
Since I didn’t know it, I showed him what I did know.
I sliced my mana thin to create a Line. The Path of Steel that no one could block.
“A sharp blade for your level. But even this is pathetic compared to the legends!”
The Line was blocked with insulting ease. The path that was supposed to be unstoppable was cut short, betraying its name.
The second attack failed just like that.
“Hurry, show me the real Steel—!”
It felt like my sword would snap. No, it felt like my body would break first. If my body were iron, it was currently in a state of extreme fatigue—brittle, ready to be shattered or bent by the slightest pressure.
「My young descendant.」
But I cannot back down. Even if I break today, I cannot take a single step back.
「Are you confused?」
I cannot allow it, even if no one else cares.
「Are you confused because he demands something you do not know?」
“….”
「In many martial families, secret techniques are passed down. They have their own unique styles, mysteries imbued with tradition, and swords that symbolize their lineage. But all you have learned from me until now is Steel. Is that why you are lost?」
If I don’t know the way, I simply grip the sword tighter. Even if I don’t know the technique, I fight the enemy before me. That much, I know for certain.
「I taught you only how to become solid. I did not teach you how to swing our family’s sword, nor our way of walking, nor our way of breathing. Nothing was concrete; everything was abstract.」
“….”
「Is that why you are confused?」
The third swing failed to even scratch the armor. Disappointment began to cloud Dwight’s face.
「My young descendant, there is no need for confusion.」
I could read his thoughts in his eyes.
「Believe in what you know and what you have learned. Believe in your sword. Believe in the teachings bestowed by your great Master, who dyed the most terrible era in Steel. Believe in me. And—」
“….”
「Believe in yourself.」
Was the legendary Caravan only this much? Was it all a lie? Is this the end?
「Believe in yourself, whom your father, even while tormented by madness, protected until the end. Believe in yourself, whom your weak mother sought to shield with her life. Believe in the Steel flowing through your veins.」
Whether Dwight was disappointed or not, whether his fantasy of the Caravan was shattered, or whatever legends the dwarves believed in—I didn’t care.
「Even if it is faded, steel does not break.」
I am still standing on my own two feet. My stamina is gone, but I still have the strength to swing. My vision is blurred, but my eyes are still open.
Then, I must fight.
「Recall the summit you wish to climb. What will you swing when you reach that peak? What is required to face the Swordmaster you hate so much?」
“….”
「What is needed to set right this broken world? What sword must you hold to cut down a world that gives only unreasonable answers and steals your happiness as if it were nothing?」
Thump.
Dwight took a step. The heavy vibration traveled through the ground, making my body tremble. A cold gaze pierced through me. But I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t back down. I simply stood my ground, gripping my hilt.
“The three turns are over. You are more disappointing than I imagined.”
I wasn’t listening to Dwight. I was focusing on the questions raging within me. At this moment, the one standing before me wasn’t Dwight.
A Sword Expert, a general of the dwarves, a titan in dark iron armor—none of that mattered.
“Perhaps the ordeal was too harsh.”
What is my sword? The sword that can cut down everything that torments me?
The moment that question became clear, a vivid sky unfolded before my eyes. A deep blue sky, filled with pure white clouds and the sound of birds.
“I hope that the next time we meet, you will show me something less pathetic.”
It was the same on the day I lost everything. The scene of the massacre was, in the end, merely an event on the ground. My father’s head on a pike, my mother looking as if she were merely sleeping, my father’s shattered armor—it was all bound to the earth.
Even on that terrible day, the sky was the same as always. Deep blue, with a sun that rose to announce the end of dawn with cruel brightness. The sun that shone on tragedy was the same sun that shone on everyday life.
As the memory surfaced, the sun in my mind began to change. It wasn’t a sun that merely watched the world. The sun in my mind grew excessively large. The solar flares were too violent. It burned with a cruelty that threatened to incinerate the entire world.
“I truly hope so—”
The moment I thought of it, an immense heat erupted as if my body had caught fire. For a heartbeat, I felt as if I was the flame. A flame that melts and consumes everything.
“…?”
Was what I held in my hand a sword? Or was it a streak of fire?
“What is this…?”
I couldn’t tell. However, the heat in my hand was so intense that I couldn’t stay still. If I didn’t move, my hand, my body, and my heart would melt away. To survive, I had only one choice. Before I was consumed, I had to burn the things that tormented me.
My enemy. My foe.
And.
「Now you are finally worth looking at. Congratulations, my young descendant.」
This unreasonable world that took everything from me.
「From this moment on, you have stepped into the world of Mystery.」
* * *
“The duel has ended!”
Amidst a heavy silence, Dwight stood frozen.
“The winning race of this Racial Duel is the dwarves of the Sky Mountain Range!”
In his hand, he held identification tag number 444. Cheers erupted from the distance, but Dwight didn’t hear them.
“How long has it been since the dwarves won a Racial Duel? Everyone, please give your full praise to this glorious victory!”
Dwight looked down at the fallen youth. He looked at the blade in the boy’s hand. The sword had shattered into pieces, scattered across the dirt. The blade that had once emitted a silver radiance was broken beyond repair.
But.
“The legend… was no lie.”
The iron fragments weren’t just on the ground. Dwight brought a trembling hand to his chest. His invincible dark iron armor—which neither an Elven elder nor an Orc Great Warrior could scratch—had been breached. Right over his heart.
There.
“The words of the ancestors were true. They were true.”
The tip of the sword. The sharpest fragment of the broken blade was embedded deep in the dark iron.
The sword of a Sword Walker had pierced the armor of a Sword Expert.
No, perhaps that wasn’t the right way to put it. In the final moment before the boy collapsed, Dwight had seen it clearly.
“It is not over.”
The sword the boy had swung with a face full of venom. Beyond the clumsy blade, behind the crude armor, something had faintly manifested. It was incomplete, but it had definitely ‘unfolded.’
It was a form Dwight had never seen, a sight he had never imagined since he first picked up a sword. But it wasn’t hard to recognize.
Yes, it was a wing.
“The Age of Steel… has not ended yet.”
The greatest wing Dwight had ever seen in his life.
The Wing of Steel.
* * *
「Name: Gale」
「A broken sword imbued with the life of a Ronin from the Great Land.」
「Contains the Mystery of Wind.」
「Digestion complete.」
. . .
「The Blood of Steel is hungry.」 「Please consume a new sword.」
