The 31st Piece Overturns the Game Board

The places where Yaksha had reappeared were mostly ones it had previously ravaged.

"KYAA!"

"W-we must get away!"

Some citizens screamed and fled at the mere sight of the mask, but those who had a grasp of the situation stopped running and turned back to look.

The battle between Yaksha and Seol's party was visible not only to those in the city where they fought but also to people in every city Yaksha had passed through along the way.

Although the fight had started on the plains of Sangyo, they could now be seen all across Khan.

In Huchong, where Seol's group was actually fighting, the citizens watched the battle unfold.

"Isn't that… Lady Seol Hong?"

"Yes! That's right!"

"And who is that fighting against the mask?"

"Can't you tell? It's obviously a hero who couldn't stand still anymore and decided to step up for the sake of Khan!"

There was an old rumor in the East that heroes would rise whenever Khan was in danger.

Whether it was true or not was unclear, but in this situation, it seemed quite believable.

[Yagwanggwi used Flying Hail.]

[You sporadically launch a flurry of ice projectiles. The projectiles grow in size and destructive power as the surrounding Frost Energy intensifies.]

[The projectiles linger upon impact and continue to emit Frost Energy, chilling their surroundings.]

Crunch…

As Yagwanggwi clasped his hands, shards of ice larger than an adult's head formed in the air.

As Yagwanggwi's eyes gleamed, the projectiles shot toward Chi Woo.

"Ha!"

[Chi Woo used Spinning Wind.]

[Enemy projectiles around you temporarily lose their target.]

[Projectiles affected by Spinning Wind might fly in any direction.]

Whoosh! Whoosh…

The hailstones that collided with Chi Woo's Spinning Wind scattered everywhere.

Crash—! Crash!

Even after hitting the ground, the hailstones kept growing. Some collided with the barrier holding the space together.

"KYAA!"

"Watch out!"

The citizens screamed, trying to dodge the hailstones, but they fell so fast that they seemed too hard to dodge.

WHOOM—!

CRASH—!

Fortunately, the projectiles bounced off when they hit the wall.

"O… Oof…"

"W-we survived."

This gave the citizens a reason to stay nearby with some peace of mind.

When someone fights for you, it's rare not to take a second look at them. Such was the situation now.

"D-don't dodge…"

"Are you telling me to die?"

"I'll be scolded… by Maegu…"

Paf—!

Chi Woo plunged into Yagwanggwi's chest.

Yagwanggwi reflexively stretched out his hand to block the charge.

A normal person wouldn't have dared to approach Yagwanggwi, as he was notorious for freezing anyone who came into contact with him.

Whoosh…

However, Chi Woo had a special power to neutralize Yagwanggwi's power.

The radiant power Hye Myeong had planted shone brightly.

"Huh…"

"Let's start with one hit."

Crack…

Yagwanggwi quickly surrounded his body in solid ice.

CRACK—!

However, Chi Woo's fist came crashing down on top of it, instantly shattering the ice protecting Yagwanggwi.

"Agh!"

Upon seeing that, Chi Woo became certain.

Spectre's judgment was correct.

To Ghosts, the power that Hye Myeong had planted on Seol Hong and Chi Woo was nothing short of terrifying.

"What's this…"

It was normal for the Immortal-rank Yagwanggwi not to be able to withstand it, just as a fish couldn't resist the beak of a bird.

"Let me ask you something."

"It hurts, human."

"What's your goal?"

"Goal…?"

"Yes, your goal. Yaksha might not have one, but you two must be after something, right?"

"I-I don't have anything like that…"

"What?"

Yagwanggwi scratched his head awkwardly.

"M-Maegu told me to do this… or I'd be locked up in the Sacheon Prison again…"

Chi Woo's eyebrows twitched.

Yagwanggwi didn't seem to be lying.

He was merely a pawn acting under Maegu's orders.

Swish—!

A blade was deflected and flew to where Chi Woo and Yagwanggwi were.

Tsss…

Maegu had been pushed back by something.

"Maegu!"

Maegu frowned as Yagwanggwi called out her name.

"Yagwanggwi, what are you doing?! How come you weren't able to subdue a single human?!"

"B-but Maegu, you also…"

"Silence! A human cannot defeat us. We're ghosts who couldn't be kept locked away in the Sacheon Prison."

"But… that's not true…"

Piinng…

Swoosh—!

A blade flew out from the mist.

"It's useless!"

Clang—!

Maegu's sharp claws deflected Seol Hong's blade.

Step… Step…

Seol Hong emerged from the mist.

Just like Chi Woo, she was also enveloped in a golden energy.

"That power… is annoying! It blocks the Ghost Energy—it's the worst!"

"I… I agree."

"Yagwanggwi, we have no choice. Although it will affect Yaksha's fight…"

"Huh? What?"

Maegu looked at Yagwanggwi's eyes.

Only then did Yagwanggwi catch on to what Maegu was thinking.

"Got it!"

Swoosh…

[Yagwanggwi used Cold Wave.]

[You unleash a surge of Frost Energy throughout the area.]

[Nearby enemies are exposed to Frost Energy.]

The temperature around them rapidly plummeted.

To make matters worse, Maegu also cast a Shamanic Spell.

[Maegu used Mist of Amplification.]

[You conjure a mist that enhances area effects for you and your allies.]

[The range and potency of all area abilities are increased.]

Crack…

Frost energy began filling the entire place.

At this point, Chi Woo and Seol Hong also joined forces.

Whoosh…

Their combined golden energy created a bigger energy than before.

"Ugh…"

"They went hiding."

The frost mist filled their entire field of vision, and the sudden drop in temperature restricted Seol Hong and Chi Woo's movements.

Without making any direct attacks, Yagwanggwi and Maegu gained the upper hand simply by dominating the space.

Chi Woo and Seol Hong decided to respond as they had planned in advance.

But at that moment.

Swoosh…

The Frost Energy began melting, unable to maintain its form.

Was it that they had given up on fighting? No, that wasn't the case.

Something startled Yagwanggwi and Maegu.

Fwoosh…

Behind them, someone spewing flames was driving Yaksha into a corner, leading to this turn of events.

* * *

Clang—!

Yaksha didn't say anything.

Its silent figure, swinging its sword, seemed almost as if it were part of the landscape.

"…"

Karen, who had been fighting it, had also been silent for a while.

Whoosh—!

Yaksha made another unpredictable move.

Ignoring the sword aimed at its abdomen, Yaksha aimed its sword at Karen's neck.

"Ugh…"

The Night Crow had noticed Yaksha's attack and pulled back as quickly as possible, but they couldn't avoid their shoulder from being slashed.

Drip…

Fwoosh…

The Blood of Origin quickly healed the Night Crow's wounds, and Yaksha's wounds healed by themselves.

"It's too much like a monster."

"…"

Paf—!

Clang!

An opponent against whom tricks don't work.

That was how they both evaluated each other.

If they took their eyes off, even for a moment, a sword would come flying toward their vital spots.

Clang! Clang!

Despite the ferocity of their fight, the clashing of their swords sounded crisp and clear.

Whoosh—!

The sword flew toward Karen's neck again.

"You won't!"

Karen raised Agony and blocked the attack.

Creak… Creak…

There was a brief struggle.

Although they had to give their all, it was still better than just reacting to the sword's unpredictable movements.

At least they had a bit of time.

After clashing swords with Yaksha, Karen's thoughts increased.

- Karen, clear your mind.

They were mostly things Lain had drilled into Karen.

- Once you draw your sword, leave everything to the sword. A knight's will is reflected in their blade, and any hesitation or doubt will weaken it. Focus only on defeating your opponent. You think too much, Karen. Hmm! How should I say it?

She was hopeless.

To think she would remember how she was scolded for thinking too much after drawing her sword. It was quite ironic.

"Hang in there!"

"Don't lose!"

"Please! Please, win!"

Voices rang out.

They were desperate cries coming from beyond the veil.

They screamed how terrible of a being Yaksha was and how much harm its existence had brought to the world.

- Karen, you're too kind. Kindness is the worst quality for an indecisive knight.

Yaksha's sword and Agony clashed head-on, each pushing against the other.

The discordant hum of their swords affected Karen as well.

While many questions were answered, even more arose.

Karen, the Immortal-rank Knight.

Right now…

"Enough!"

She was feeling fear.

[You have entered the time of Selflessness.]

[The chance of momentarily achieving enlightenment greatly increases.]

The eyes behind Yaksha's mask were brimming with an endless darkness.

Karen felt as if time had slowed whenever she looked into them.

'I've had this experience before…'

When she blocked The Black Sun of Montra, Lain's attack, or when she made a bet with the White Whale.

As they exchanged blows, she thought.

'I guess it can't be helped.'

She allowed her instincts to block Yaksha's incoming attacks.

She needed to think.

- Karen.

"Yes…?"

- What are you thinking about so much, absentmindedly?

Huh?

Where was Yaksha?

With his scruffy beard, Lain was sitting by the campfire, staring at Karen.

"Yaksha…"

"Yaksha? Huh, I put enough vegetables in… Here."

A crude bowl filled with hot stew was passed on to Karen.

"Ah… Hot!"

"A stew needs to be boiled for a long time to taste good. Just like you."

"Is that why you beat me to a pulp again today?"

"Hahaha! Well, you could say that."

As Karen stirred the stew with a spoon, she asked Lain a question. Maybe he came to give her an answer?

No, this seemed more like a forgotten memory.

"Hey, Lain."

"Yes?"

"I'll say it after eating…"

"Just go ahead."

"I think I've met a truly strong swordsman."

"Me?"

"Not you…"

"Hmm… I thought I had eliminated every other strong swordsman besides myself… but I guess I've been sloppy."

"Ah, stop with that nonsense…"

"You! Shouldn't you treat your master's words as sacred?"

"Enough!"

Slurp…

Lain took a sip of the stew and said.

"So, how is it?"

"Huh? What?"

"The swordsmanship."

"What about the swordsmanship?"

"You fool. Isn't swordsmanship everything to a swordsman?"

Karen pointed at Lain's chest.

"There."

"Well, the pectorals are important, but…"

"No, I meant the heart."

"Continue…"

She continued explaining.

"I met a swordsman who seems completely blocked here."

"And?"

"It doesn't waver at all. It's as if the sword moved on its own. That's what scares me—I’m scared I might lose."

"Was that all…?"

"Isn't it terrifying? An emotionless swordsman. Can you even imagine how scary it is facing someone who seemingly has no emotions…?"

"I've met one."

"What…?"

"No…"

Clatter… Clatter…

Lain said while scraping the bottom of his bowl as he spoke.

"I've killed one. With my hands."

"…"

Lain spoke about murder as if it were nothing. For a moment, Karen had forgotten about the sheer amount of villains who had died at his hands.

"He was possessed by a vicious evil Ghost. The number of the Empire's citizens who have died at his hands is probably in the dozens… no, maybe even in the hundreds. It shocked me the first time I saw his skills."

Maybe the answer was in Lain's story.

"How did you win?"

"How else? I just stabbed him."

"Huh…?"

"That's all there was to it. Why? What were you expecting?"

"No… It shouldn't be like that…"

"Pff… I almost wanted to thank him for taking care of my master, who did nothing but drink my alcohol and beat me up, but in the end, I avenged his death."

"Wasn't he strong?"

"He was."

Karen looked at Lain's eyes.

"But I was just stronger."

Lain's eyes were no different than those of a countryside farmer.

Which meant that there was nothing special about him.

Yet no one in this era would deny that he was the strongest Knight.

"Karen, I know what you're talking about."

"You do, right? As expected."

"I'm going to give you the answer. Will you follow it exactly?"

"Huh… After hearing it first?"

"Haha… You brat."

Lain placed his hand on top of Karen's head.

"The sword is everything."

"Damn…"

"Just listen. If you're going to talk about heart or whatever."

Swoosh…

He picked up a twig that had fallen on the ground.

"If I wanted to pierce your heart with a twig, what should I do?"

"What are you talking about…? You're being scary…"

"No. Think about it seriously."

Karen thought deeply before answering.

"Well, first, this twig can't pierce armor. So I would have to aim for a gap when the armor is off, right?"

"And then?"

"I'd wait until the target's asleep so they can't react."

"And then?"

"Stab! How about that?"

"Wrong. You got it wrong from the start."

"Ugh! Then, what's the answer?"

"The way you're thinking is what a strategist would do. That's not the way of a swordsman."

Swoosh…

Suddenly, a murderous intent emanated from the twig in Lain's hand.

Somehow, Karen felt it.

With that twig, Lain could pierce her breastplate and reach her heart.

"Do you understand now?"

"…"

"All the steps you thought of can be distilled into a single phrase: hone your skills further."

"Ah…!"

"That's what a swordsman is. That's what a Knight is."

Lain elaborated further.

"This sword is ultimately just a means. We're the ones who wield it. And it's the most efficient way to achieve our goals. If there were a better means than the sword, we would have chosen that instead—be it the heart or whatever, just like you've said."

"I see…"

"Disappointed? Because it isn't exciting?"

"No, not really."

"Hmm… You're disappointed. Let me tell you something that might help you."

Karen listened intently.

"The truth is, the reason I could kill that emotionless swordsman… was a lie."

"What do you mean…?"

"I actually respected my master. Sure, he did beat me sometimes, but that's normal."

"…"

"That guy mutilated my master's body. It was left in such a state that I could barely tell it was him. The moment I saw that, something boiled up in my chest, and I couldn't hold it anymore."

Lain leaned in as if he were sharing a secret.

"I cried a lot. I've never cried like that before or since. I chased him down and faced him. He was an opponent I was never supposed to beat. But then…"

He tilted his head as he continued.

"For some reason, that day, I could see the sword clearly."

"What?"

"My arms felt lighter than usual. My techniques were more polished. Isn't it strange?"

"What does that…"

"Maybe… Even emotions can be used as a tool along with the sword. How about that for an answer?"

"So you get stronger when you cry… Lain, that's not cool at all."

"Everyone who mocked my manly tears died by my hands. Do you want to join their ranks too?"

Smirk…

The two Knights smiled at each other.

The wall Karen couldn't surpass—The Black Sun of Montra, Lain.

"Karen, an indecisive swordsman suppresses their emotions. But…"

He nodded at her.

"A strong swordsman harnesses their emotions. Use your heart as fuel and burn even brighter! Do that, and you just might reach me, The Black Sun of Montra!"

"That doesn't inspire me at all!"

Lain laughed.

"Karen, don't become a mediocre swordsman."

Fwoosh—!

In an instant, the scenery melted away in flames. A fire so intense it could melt Lain.

"Ugh…"

Even Seol, who had merged with Karen, was surprised by the intense heat emanating from the flames.

Whoosh…

Paf—!

The Night Crow, Karen's movements changed.

[Karen used Burning Fixed Star.]

[Karen absorbs all heat within a certain radius while also generating her own heat as she spins.]

[The range of all fire attacks is increased by 150%.]

[The range of fire attacks can increase by up to 300% while she spins.]

[Karen takes 50% reduced damage from all sources while she spins.]

[Karen deals 500% of her damage with each spin.]

[Karen’s stance is perfect.]

[Karen’s spin rate increases by 50%.]

[Karen spins 120 times.]

Whoosh—!

【WOAH! We're spinning round and round!】

The Night Crow started spinning.

Agony complained about being dizzy.

Kkak…

The impact staggered Yaksha and pushed it back.

"KYAHAHA!"

Fwoosh…

Her flames were what dispelled the frost mist conjured by Yagwanggwi and Maegu.

Fwoosh—!

The blazing inferno covered her armor as if it were reinforcing the steel.

The flames took a defined shape, and some began wrapping around Agony.

Fwoosh…

"Huh?"

【Tss…】

As the flames enveloped it, Agony's blade turned serrated.

【I like this!】

[Awakening! You have awakened a new skill.]

[Night Crow: Shadow Hand is resonating.]

[You have learned Night Crow: Incomplete Combustion.]

[Night Crow: Incomplete Combustion is born!]

Fwoosh…

A thick helmet flickering with fire.

The kind-hearted swordsman, Karen, thrust Agony forward and said.

"Thank you, Yaksha!"

"…"

"Thanks to you, I can see it."

The intense battle had brought her an Awakening.

She could now see it—the path toward Lain.

The path that led to the sun.

[Prepare yourself, a great step is imminent.]

[The time of Selflessness has transitioned into Meteor Shower.]

[Meteor Shower! While maintaining the Meteor Shower state, continuous enlightenment will come.]

Their fight, which turned the entire area into a sea of flames, continued while the people of Khan watched.