Chapter 176: It happened before
The challenge was accepted. Dohyuk and Feiyen walked out toward the outskirts of the city. But she was walking much slower. Was she shaken emotionally? She hadn’t recovered fully for sure, but she was busy glancing around. She was astonished. There were citizens coming back out to the field to begin their work. They had been neglecting the crops during their fight against Antem, so they were busy working on the fields.
‘Everyone...’
There were no signs of concern or worry in any of them. It was weird. They hadn’t been here for long, but she and Kyuho saw Dohyuk’s city facing off against Antem’s army and what happened then. If that was the case, then the people should’ve been concerned. Even if they knew the threat was gone, it was natural for the people to be concerned. Unless everyone was extremely optimistic... it was only due to trust.
‘They must trust this city... and its safety.’
A few citizens greeted Dohyuk as they passed by.
“Mayor!”
“How are you doing, sir!”
Their voices indicated no signs of being oppressed. It was more like friendliness and admiration.
“It’s because of the supply,” Feiyen commented unconsciously without her knowing. Dohyuk looked back. “I... I mean...”
“Yeah.”
“What?”
“Weren’t you trying to guess why people like me? I said you are right.”
Dohyuk then turned and kept on walking.
“I was lucky to create a big enough city to suit all the different people’s lives.”
“...”
‘It doesn’t seem to be only that,’ thought Feiyen. But she just looked forward. Even the people she led never lacked supplies as she tried her best to provide the best for the people she rescued. Then what was the difference between her and Dohyuk? What was it about him that gave him so much respect when she couldn’t get any?
She couldn’t find an answer. As she thought about the answer to the question, they were already passing by the outer wall. They faced the devastated ruins of the explosion.
“I don’t think we need to get very far. You won’t damage the wall, won’t you?”
“...Of course.”
“The condition is what I mentioned earlier. It’s only until one of us surrenders or you lose your sword.”
And if Dohyuk’s legs are broken or cut down so he can’t move without recovering, that would be the end of the fight. Dohyuk flexed his legs while Feiyen pulled out her sword and laid it down.
There was no sign, but they backed away from each other. After they reached thirty meters, they stopped.
It then began.
Inside of a room of a building, Kyuho suddenly opened his eyes.
“Is it over now?”
“...!”
Yuri almost gasped, but she held back.
“Yeah.”
She looked down at Kyuho who had been wrapped tight into the chair. She tried looking for Blass to ask for binding clothes, but he wasn’t there so she resorted to another way. There were a lot of high-ranked equipment stored within their armory for binding. There were about five ‘A’ ranks or higher leveled equipment holding Kyuho down right now. If Kyuho woke up any earlier, it would’ve caused some trouble... or so thought Yuri.
“You’re clumsier than you look. I almost thought of asking you if you need my help.”
“...Shut up.”
“You want me to retrace what order you put on all this crap? Oh, or should I start from where you took something from your back pocket to drink?”
For ten seconds, Yuri was dumbfounded with her mouth agape.
“Don’t be too scared. You were slow, but you got me. I can’t do a single thing unless at least one of these is off of me.”
“That’s good to hear.”
She pulled a chair toward Kyuho and sat down.
“That means I can do whatever I want to you, right? I didn’t know this before, but it seems like your memory is very disturbing to me.”
“Do whatever you like.” Kyuho yawned as he answered, “But don’t expect me to respond. I’m tired.”
“...”
Yuri frowned.
“Why did you stay still?”
“I realized you weren’t lying. I thought about it when I woke up in the middle... it looked like you or the other kids will get frantic if I woke up before getting tied down. I can always knock you out but... Brother will become angry.”
“...For that stupid reason?”
“Huh? Stupid?” Kyuho glared at her coldly. It made Yuri flinch and she even instinctively became defensive.
“Hey, you want a scolding?”
“I truly wish to see you squirm in that thing,” she said and slapped Kyuho. She loved the city and was loyal to Dohyuk, but she couldn’t bear to be scared of this maniac.
“I give my service on my own terms to Boss without being a mad stalker like you. You better find other reason to trip up me on, you bastard.”
“Haha. I see.” Surprisingly, Kyuho didn’t seem to be angered at all. “Good. That’s good.”
She then realized that this man only reacted to Dohyuk. If it didn’t involve Dohyuk, this man didn’t seem to care much about something being done to him. Yuri tried to say something, but she heard an explosion from far away.
“Relax,” Kyuho said as he yawned again. “I think he’s fighting her right now.”
“What?!”
Yuri was shocked. That wasn’t something that could be considered lightly. And besides, how did he know?
“I really, really don’t like this at all, but it’s all for Dohyuk. They won’t die and when that’s over, Brother will get another useful weapon.”
“What the f*ck are you talking about?”
“She was like that before. She eyed Dohyuk like she hated him and challenged him without reason.”
“Before? ...you mean in the previous life?”
“Yeah. She’s a real weirdo, whether it was before or now. You know those people who are homeschooled the old-fashioned way? She’s really- I mean really, old-fashioned.”
The explosions kept on going continuously.
‘Whatever it is...’
Dohyuk must have agreed to the fight, and if that was the case, there was nothing Yuri could do about it.
“Then, do you know why they are fighting?”
“Brother is a good man. He takes in all the bullsh*t that all the assholes throw at him. But she’s just envious of him.”
“Envy? The Swordmaster is envious of the Boss?”
“It’s simple. She wanted to become like Dohyuk: a great, wonderful, powerful leader. But that’s not easy. She has some sword skills but she ain’t a leader. She’s different type but she’s as crazy as me.”
Kyuho explained while smiling.
“For people like us, either you run around in a crazed state, or be in control of a bigger presence who can take it in. She probably thought she and Dohyuk were equals, but she then realized she was inside him.”
“And that’s why... she fell in love?”
Yuri also heard about the rumors of the Swordmaster and Yoo Dohyuk. This was the rumor that enraged Jung Ilgyu and made him attack Yoo Dohyuk in the first place.
“I don’t know. I don’t think it was that simplistic and stupid... but who cares. I can’t explain my feelings toward Brother in simple words either.”
Kyuho shook his body and moved with the chair against the window.
“Open it up. Let’s watch.”
“...”
She tried to object, but she quietly moved to the window to open it up. She couldn’t bring herself to object, and she also was curious.
Dohyuk raised his eyebrows and looked down at his cut right wrist.
“...”
As he focused, the bleeding stopped miraculously.
“Any problems?” Feiyen asked. She was also glancing at another Dohyuk, not the one with wrist cut off, who was lying on the ground. That Dohyuk was in worse shape. One leg was cut from the thigh, and a long cut ran across the body while gushing out blood and organs. The pain that made Dohyuk frown was coming from that.
“If you can’t fight anymore, you can...”
“I’m fine.”
Dohyuk swung his cut arm. He then pushed his other self into an opening on the ground. There were many ‘openings’ on the ground right now as if there had been an earthquake, but it was all done by that sword.
“I’m still standing. My wrist hurts a bit, but I still have a chance.”
“...Good.”
Feiyen pursed her lips. Unlike Dohyuk, she had no wound whatsoever. However, she was almost out of breath. In Dohyuk’s case, he was bloody and full of wounds, but his breath was steady.
Dohyuk was a bit frustrated, but Feiyen was much more frustrated then that. Until one of Dohyuk’s bodies was nearly killed and fell on the ground, they both had almost forgotten that they weren’t fighting to kill.
After Dohyuk mastered ‘Double’, he had never faced an enemy who learned all patterns of how Dohyuk used the skill until the fight was over. Yet, Feiyen adapted to it with just two moves. As Dohyuk continued merging and dividing, his wounds increased. Soon, he couldn’t merge back anymore.
‘She’s lost her stance.’
Dohyuk carefully analyzed Feiyen. Her sword skill was exceptional. Dohyuk had unleashed countless attacks, but they were all deflected. However, Feiyen’s stamina was running out.
‘That’s not the reason of her broken stance though.’
Most trained martial artists never lost their stance even if they were out of breath. That was the same for Dohyuk. Yet, Feiyen lost her stance and seemed to be shocked. There was one reason for this.
‘She’s never fought until she was out of breath.’
This was a good sign, but also an alarming one. If Dohyuk was in her situation...
‘I’ll ready for the strongest blow.’
To finish it before the energy runs out. And to prove this...
Feiyen lowered her body and readied her sword like never before.
‘I probably can’t just dodge or deflect it.’
Even if he could, he had no intention of doing it. For Dohyuk, as with Feiyen herself, this fight was much more than what they expected to be.
Dohyuk stopped and took a deep breath. It was a great time to show ‘that’.