Jord Decker was a prodigy who graduated at the top of the Academy’s Swordsmanship Department.

As the second son of a humble knightly family with no title to inherit, he took pride in his swordsmanship, believing it was on par with that of any noble family.

How else could he have claimed the top spot in a department filled with the kingdom’s finest talents?

Because of this, Jord held great pride in his skills and firmly believed he could rise to the top ranks of the kingdom’s greatest knightly order, the Silver Lion Knights.

“There are plenty of formidable seniors, but none are insurmountable. Five years—no, within two years, I’ll surpass them all.”

Ambitious by nature, Jord’s initial goal was to become the vice-captain of the Third Division, one of the three divisions within the Silver Lion Knights.

Of course, considering that the current Third Division Captain was one of the kingdom’s only three aura users, surpassing him was a far-off dream for now.

Thus, Jord set his sights on the more immediate goal of becoming vice-captain. To achieve that, he needed to seize opportunities to catch the Captain’s attention.

“Lihan… or was it Lee Han, that senior knight…”

It was this particular senior knight who recently caught Jord’s eye.

From what he’d heard, Lee Han was a former soldier who had gained the Captain’s favor and been knighted. Even within the order, Lee Han was known as an anomaly.

When Jord first heard about him, he couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

It was said that Lee Han hadn’t even mastered the basic Dugibeop (combat techniques).

The gap between those who mastered Dugibeop and those who hadn’t was as vast as the difference between a cat and a lion.

“Still, he must have some talent to stay in the order. No room for underestimating him.”

Jord bore no resentment toward him.

As someone born into a modest knightly family with no title or land, Jord was in no position to look down on anyone. In fact, he felt a twinge of sympathy for Lee Han.

But sympathy was just that—sympathy.

Jord intended to use Lee Han as a stepping stone for his own advancement.

And so—

“Don’t call me heartless, senior.”

Jord didn’t underestimate him, but he was confident he wouldn’t lose.

──It took less than five minutes for him to realize that confidence was arrogance.

“Hahh… Haaah…!”
“Come on, push a little harder. I haven’t even warmed up yet.”
“Haaah… Cough, hack!”
“…Your stamina’s too weak.”

His opponent was toying with him.

---

Jake and the other knights were closely watching the match between the newcomer and Lee Han. None of them could hide their reactions, all clicking their tongues in disbelief.

“What a ruthless guy.”
“He’s completely toying with him.”
“…He hasn’t changed.”

Clack, clatter!

Just like at the start, it was Jord who made the first move.

Using swift swordsmanship as his foundation, he incorporated dazzling techniques with countless feints.

His blade was fast, unpredictable, and mesmerizing—enough to confuse the eye with its intricate movements. Several knights watching furrowed their brows, unable to imagine how anyone could block such attacks.

It was a demonstration worthy of someone who graduated at the top of the Swordsmanship Department.

Had Jord been from a more prestigious family, his skills could have earned him a place not just in the Third Division but even in the First or Second Division.

But his opponent was the problem.

If Jord had faced anyone else, he might have achieved impressive results or at least left a strong impression.

“He’s deflecting every single one of those.”

Lee Han, against Jord’s dazzling swordplay, blocked or deflected every move with defensive precision.

He didn’t counterattack. He merely defended, as if waiting. It might have seemed like he was being overwhelmed, but anyone who could fend off such an unrelenting assault for five minutes without a single hit landing, without even breaking a sweat, while his opponent was drenched and visibly exhausted—

That was no defense. It was mockery.

“Oh, your swordsmanship’s impressive. What’s that technique called?”

“Hahh… Haaah!”

“Hmm, no need to answer now. You might pass out.”

“Ughhh…!”

To an outsider, Lee Han’s tone might have sounded condescending, but the knights knew better.

He was genuinely impressed.

And that made it all the more humiliating.

“It’s that tone that gets under my skin.”

Anyone who had faced Lee Han knew this:

He wasn’t a genius who dismantled techniques at a glance. Nor was he a master who overwhelmed opponents with sheer experience and skill.

What he was—

“He just observes and blocks. That’s all.”

Or perhaps he simply reacts and blocks.

Amazingly, Lee Han doesn’t rely on any grand technique. He simply observes his opponent’s weapon until the very end and blocks accordingly.

No matter where the attack comes from or how it shifts, he just keeps watching and “blocks it perfectly.”

To anyone who practices swordsmanship—or any martial art—it’s an almost absurd claim.

Everyone understands that a sword, spear, or even an arrow can theoretically be blocked if you see it coming. But to actually see and react in time, avoiding or deflecting every attack, is an entirely different story.

Anyone who scoffs at the idea of how difficult it is and says, “Blocking? How hard can it be?” has either never picked up a sword or is a clueless fool who only knows how to talk.

What Lee Han does is akin to acrobatics—or even a magic trick.

It’s simple in concept but utterly unreasonable in execution.

To pull it off, his body must move with absolute freedom, precisely aligned with his intent.

Because of that, he’s—

“Why in the world would anyone pick a fight with him and suffer this kind of humiliation?”

Jake shook his head, feeling sorry for the rookie.

---

Panting desperately, Jord’s vision blurred further and further.

He felt an overwhelming urge to collapse onto the dirt, regardless of how filthy it was. Anxiety gripped him tighter, and his thoughts spiraled toward panic.

“Who… who is this guy?!”

Impressive? Skilled? Experienced?

None of those words quite fit.

Even during his years in the Swordsmanship Department, he’d never encountered someone like this.

It wasn’t just skill—

“He’s strong… just overwhelmingly strong!”

There was no special technique, no extraordinary style of swordsmanship.

But he was strong.

Unshakably strong.

“Rrgh…!”

In a desperate attempt, Jord unleashed the Phantom Eight-Sword Style, hurling himself forward.

A technique from the Phantom Swordsmanship School, it relied on rapid movements of the wrist and footwork to create the illusion of multiple swords. The final illusion extended even to the body, making it appear as though there were several copies of the user attacking at once.

Yet none of it worked.

Not even a little.

Look at him now—

Even as Jord flung himself with movements designed to be impossible to follow, Lee Han’s unwavering gaze tracked him the entire time.

“His eyes… they’re still on me.”

Not once did he falter. Lee Han’s eyes never left Jord, capturing his entire body in their focus.

He wasn’t just watching the sword. He was observing Jord’s every motion, predicting his next move and perfectly blocking the trajectory.

Crash!

It wasn’t that Jord’s strikes lacked power.

Having mastered the Martial Combat Technique, his physical abilities rivaled those of ten ordinary soldiers combined.

And yet, even such force was blocked without so much as a tremble or sign of strain.

Lee Han simply deflected the attacks, his expression calm, his eyes filled with nothing but curiosity.

At that moment, Jord felt his spirit waver.

A despair deeper than anything he’d ever experienced—not even from his father—washed over him.

The crushing realization that the swordsmanship, the effort he’d dedicated twenty years of his life to, was being utterly denied.

It was that sense of helplessness that weighed down on Jord.

“Aren’t you being way too half-hearted?”

“…Pardon?”

“I said, aren’t you taking this too lightly? Didn’t you challenge me to this spar because you wanted to win?”

“W-what are you talking about?!”

A sharp, stinging remark pierced through Jord, leaving him no time to recover his composure. And before he could gather himself, more words struck him like thorns.

“Am I wrong? You must’ve heard the rumors. That the 3rd Order of Knights has a soldier-turned-knight who hasn’t even mastered the Martial Combat Technique. You probably thought you could handle someone like that, right? Thought you might just have a chance.”

“Th-that’s not…”

“Oh, I’m not judging you, so don’t make that wounded face. Here’s what I’m saying: you probably realized something after about a minute into this spar. ‘Huh? This guy isn’t as easy as I thought.’ Didn’t you?”

“….”

He was spot on.

Anyone who’s fought enough knows.

You don’t need long—a minute, sometimes even just a first exchange of fists or blades is enough to tell. Whether your opponent is formidable or manageable.

The moment Jord crossed blades with Lee Han, he felt it: the weight of an unyielding boulder. He instantly understood that he’d made a grave miscalculation.

This opponent wasn’t easy prey—he was overwhelmingly skilled.

“Good, at least you know that much. But let me ask you this: if you know, why are you still like this?”

“…I’m not sure what you mean, sir.”

“You don’t get it, huh? If you realized I wasn’t an easy target, you should’ve come at me with everything you had. You should’ve attacked with your strongest technique, fully committed, as if your life depended on landing that one decisive blow.”

“….”

“But instead, why are you hopping around looking all miserable?”

“!!!”

Jord’s face went blank, as if he’d just been struck across the back of his head.

Those words hit him hard—a staggering mental blow.

There was no arguing against it.

It was true.

Jord knew his opponent was far stronger than expected, yet he hadn’t committed to a full-force assault. He hadn’t poured his entire focus and determination into a single decisive strike. Instead, he’d flailed around aimlessly, wallowing in frustration.

Even though Lee Han wasn’t even remotely exhausted, nor did he seem threatened in the slightest.

Realizing this brought a fresh wave of shame.

Despite recognizing his opponent’s strength, Jord had still clung to arrogance—or perhaps stupidity—and acted like a foolish coward.

If he’d just thrown himself at Lee Han with everything he had, even in despair, it might have been more satisfying.

“…I’ve shown you a pathetic display.”

“At least you’re smart enough to realize that now. Glad to see I’m not wasting my breath.”

“Yes, sir.”

Jord responded with a firm nod, raising the tip of his sword upright.

He was grateful.

Grateful to the man who had shattered his arrogance, who had pulled him out of his solitary despair and gifted him a profound realization.

Because of that—!

Wuuuuum!

“I will give it my all.”

“Ohhh.”

His opponent exclaimed in admiration.

And not just him—the observing knights all gasped in astonishment, their eyes widening.

Jord’s body and sword seemed to hum in resonance, vibrating as if in harmony.

Though the blade was unsharpened, it now felt as if it were honed to a razor edge.

Sword Resonance

A phenomenon that occurs when the wavelengths of a swordsman and their blade align perfectly, producing a resonance. It was a feat achievable only by a rare few among even the most talented swordsmen.

A sword in resonance sees its destructive potential elevated to the extreme, capable of defeating even stronger opponents in a single decisive strike.

For a swordsman, it was tantamount to a do-or-die move.

And now, Jord, having pushed his senses to their very limits, had ignited the phenomenon, wielding his sword with a singular purpose:

To cut his opponent down, no matter the cost.

No thought of conserving stamina, no regard for the aftermath. Only pure determination remained.

Whoosh!

Jord’s sword moved faster than it ever had, reaching Lee Han’s face in the blink of an eye.

An ultimate quick-draw strike.

Abandoning the illusions of his Phantom Sword Style, Jord placed everything on raw speed—a surprising, decisive shift in tactics.

And then—

“Not bad.”

Lee Han, still observing Jord’s every motion to the last moment, smiled.

---

BOOOOM!

---

…Thud-thud-thud.

“What a ruthless guy.”

The onlookers witnessed it all.

The rookie, who had managed to perform the awe-inspiring feat of sword resonance, seemed poised to finish with a dazzling finale. And yet…

“…Cough.”

…they watched as it was utterly shattered.

Jord, like a stone skipping across water, bounced three times on the ground before slamming into a wall. His body trembled briefly before he passed out.

And the man responsible for turning a person into a skipping stone?

“Ahh, that was refreshing.”

He grinned brightly, a look of utter satisfaction on his face.