I have to admit, the pillar of flame is impressive—but I'm done for. My body refuses to move.
At least I'd like to soften the fall, but not even the wind bothers to help.
The wind slipped between my hands as if it had never been an ally.
I guess I'll have to hope Sinclair catches me...
Sadly, I'm not plummeting toward the remaining intact building where Sinclair waits—I'm headed straight for the jagged ruins below.
Well, that's just brilliant...
Dying with my skull splattered on rocks isn't exactly dignified, you know?
Fortunately, my worry proved utterly pointless. Sinclair was brandishing a massive wooden axe.
"Hello, Sinclair. Good to see you're alive, isn't it?"
"I guess so. I think I'm glad... maybe?"
Look at him getting all embarrassed.
Time rewinds to Sinclair's perspective as he observed Baekhyun wielding [Originium Arts].
Once again, I fell behind. I thought I'd improved this time... yet here I was trailing him again.
Were my struggles pointless? The image of you strides ahead—unhesitating, unguarded—resonated with the ideal I'd long admired, and I yearned to walk beside you.
He falls. The bird that soared plummets. The bird that seemed destined to touch the heavens is falling. I have to catch him. But how? Right now, I can do nothing.
That's right, my Sinclair—you still can't do a damn thing.
No, that's not it! The nightmare from that day, replaying in my mind. Yes, the nightmare that corroded my world from within.
"If only I could cut it out with my own hand...!"
[Originium Arts] users usually grasp their craft instinctively. Just as a newborn creature stands to learn to walk without instruction, their instinct guides them to wield their art without a teacher.
That's why Sinclair recognized this colossal axe as his own art—and knew exactly what he must do with it.
The axe carved through the debris, and on its broad face, a friend slid off and fell.
"Hello, Sinclair. Good to see you're alive, isn't it?"
"I guess so. I think I'm glad... maybe?"
Yeah. I think I'm glad.
"Ugh... running's tough..."
"He'll be here soon, too. What do we do?"
Both of us were hurt, so we couldn't pick up speed. At this rate, we'll both get caught.
"Hey—if we get caught, will they at least feed us?"
"Is that even the issue...? Still, I hope it's something tasty."
"You just better pull a mountain of veggies!"
"If so, I'm leaving you behind."
That's harsh. Our friendship falls apart over a single veggie?
"Sounds coming from here... you two are..."
"Uh... hello, sir?"
I'd run headlong into the worst person I could've. Ji-hyeon's father—head of intelligence at the Seven Association.
Should I strike him down?
No. In this condition, I could probably land a hit, but I'd lose fast—and just accrue more wounds.
"You're here... haah..."
"Let me warn you—I can still cut you down."
Pathetic bluff. I'm still reeling from the aftermath of [Originium Arts], and Sinclair's limping. Yet I can only hope he believes that even a cornered rat claws back.
"Sizzle—Captain, is anyone there?"
"...Captain Yun Kwon-hyeok here. No one's in this sector. Redirect all units to search over there."
"Understood."
He... helped us?
"My son. And Sua?"
"He's... probably north of here. And just so you know, she came on her own."
"Haah... So my son knows his business when it counts. You two—go home for now. Trust me, I'm not about to abandon you. That's a man's solemn vow."
"...Let's go."
"Oh! Uh—goodbye!!"
"...See you at home."
Why did he help? Weren't the authorities tracking the [Sword Sect]? A personal favor? Or was he feeding us a line?
"First... let's get going, Sinclair. We need to check on the others."
"Right. And we might need to... take him hostage, just in case."
"Damn, you're finally thinking straight, huh?"
"O-only in the worst-case scenario!"
"Hey. You two okay? You both look rough."
Ji-hyeon looked pale—maybe from all the puking—and Sua didn't look any better.
"Your father found you. He said you should go home."
"R-Really?! He knew I'd come?"
"Yeah. He looked pretty frazzled..."
"I-I'm doomed..."
"Um, are you guys actually the [Sword Sect]?"
"Yeah. Why? Are you going to turn us in?"
"Th-That's impossible! You're the righteous..."
"Stop right there. You're mistaken. I didn't come to rescue you. I came to chop off the target's head. If you'd been in my way, I'd have killed you."
"T-That..."
He really meant it. I can barely keep myself alive—why would I chain myself up?
"The righteous [Sword Sect] you speak of is only what our leader aspired to. We're not righteous yet."
The faction that went south truly did pillage, so we can't claim absolute righteousness.
"I'm not sure about your grandpa, but at least don't turn your back on the truth. We're not as virtuous as you believe."
"T-Then what? Was my grandfather just some common thug? Is that really it?"
"No, it wasn't that. You said the [Sword Sect] was righteous when your grandfather led it. So cherish that pride. Don't forget that truth. Then I'll—no, we'll rebuild it."
"...Huh? Rebuild what?"
"A righteous [Sword Sect]. Right, Sinclair?"
"Uh, me? I?"
"What, are you out? Fine. I'll build it even if I have to walk there alone."
"Ah, no! We're coming too!"
Yeah, that's how it should be. Isn't that how you'd back your friend Baekhyun?
"But how do we get over this...?"
"Um... should I cut it down?"
"Why does that actually sound doable...?"
"Was that pillar of flame from earlier your doing too?"
"Count me out..."
"So he did it all by himself...?"
"He wasn't a swordsman but a caster...?"
What are you even saying? I'm a swordsman. If anything, I'm an Arts Fighter—but still a swordsman.
"More importantly, how do we actually handle this... huh? Why is there a door?"
"It's... opening?"
"Uh... let's go for now! We'll get caught if we linger here!"
We cut through the back alleys and finally reached home. Inside were Ji-hyeon's parents and what appeared to be a Fero couple.
If they were determined to swing a blade, they could have taken at least one of us.
I don't want to assume the worst, but I have no choice.
"You two, come on in. You need to have those wounds treated."
"...Excuse me."
There didn't seem to be any traps. Was this genuine goodwill—or an elaborate test?
"Hyah? What on earth... how are you even walking?"
My blood feels like it's spilling out, but I've been in this state enough times before.
"Please, start with my friend. I think she's hurt in the head and limping."
"All right... I understand. Just wait a moment."
"Ji-hyeon, you were reckless, weren't you?"
"Ugh... but Sua..."
"No, that doesn't give you a pass to go into a place that dangerous! If they hadn't been there—if my team had been a moment later—you could have been seriously hurt!"
"I-I'm sorry..."
"Haah... I'm sorry for putting you all through this because of my son. And thank you for saving him."
"Let's call it even for earlier. And to be honest, if things had gone south, I was ready to take them hostage too."
"Straightforward."
"When you've dealt with people, intel, and all that until you're sick of it, lying becomes a waste of time."
"You know I'm supposed to apprehend you. Yet... I couldn't do it."
"Is that because you care about friends? Or because you're tied up in things you can't control?"
This guy must have someone to send captives to. So there's a client involved. And there's no guarantee they're even here in the country.
"...Are you really a kid?"
"Well, one's free to wonder. So where are they?"
"First, the Kongkong Gang you captured—"
"Pfft Ah, sorry... pfft..."
"Don't laugh... heh... Kongkong... they're called the Kongkong Gang...!"
"Kid, don't move—makes treatment much harder~"
"I laugh too, so don't mind me. Anyway, after tracing the Kongkong Gang, I found they've allied with Dragon Gate's major crime syndicate."
"Dragon Gate?"
"Yes. The Ironworks Guild. We can't pursue them—that'd be a matter for national authorities."
"So you're hoping we'll take them down... right?"
"I... hoped this might show me if you're just street scum or the long-forgotten [Sword Sect]. That's why I pretended not to see."
"And another thing, you kids—those uniforms made you too conspicuous. Your parents, and that couple there—they were all from that school."
"Excuse me? I thought it was a tiny school?!!"
"Guess that makes it a dragon rising from a small creek! Hahaha!!"
Seriously. Danguk is absurdly small.
"By the way, you should take your son and daughter to a psychiatrist. They've seen more corpses today than any child should—and vomited like mad."
In fact, Sua's face was still pale, and even cradled in her parents' arms, she trembled like a leaf in the wind.
"Huff... you've endured much. I'll be off now. And you kids—no, the [Sword Sect] swordsmen—thank you for saving my daughter."
After Sua's family left, I too received treatment.
"Leave here early in the morning. The public will think the Seven Association handled it, but already inside, there are whispers attributing this to the [Sword Sect]."
"Is that so... thank you in many ways."
"Thank me? This is what adults do. Besides, that pillar of flame—you did that, right?"
"...Did you watch from afar?"
"No, call it a Resolver's instinct. More than that, I'm impressed. If you ever have interest in the Resolver line, come find me."
I'd never actually go... but I'll take his business card, just in case. If the [Sword Sect] crumbles, I'll defect here.
"It's been a chaotic day. Wouldn't you agree?"
"...Yeah... sleep well... everyone...."
Exhausted, we quickly fell asleep,
"Where... am I now?"
I had a strange dream.