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Fuck, it really hurts like hell. It feels like my whole leg was cut off. Plus I feel like blood is gradually draining from my whole body.

Shoulder and leg. All terrible serious injuries just to look at. No matter how sturdy my body is, I absolutely can't beat excessive bleeding. Dragging out time is disadvantageous. I must decide the match.

"Huu."

If there's a fortunate point, it's this thing in my hand. Until just now it was a terrible thing stuck in my leg. Now conversely, another loyal limb that will faithfully carry out my commands.

The large shadow Hyun Sujin stuck in my leg. The terrible dagger that flew to the end no matter where I fled or how I blocked. That shadow is now conversely aimed at Hyun Sujin.

Though only one, though too few compared to Hyun Sujin. For me now, this one alone is sufficient. More than enough.

"...Now I understand what that crazy yellow woman meant. You're crazy."

I'd prefer if the crazy guy listening didn't say that to my face. I admit it too. That this isn't normal now. I understand a hundred, thousand times.

It probably has some connection to those experiments or whatever. I'm a bit curious to learn more about what was done to this body. But that's for later. Right now, I need to block the one in front of me.

I take position again. I call and gather the scattered wind. Drawing the broken path, carving in the sword path that scattered before forming.

"I told you it's impossible!"

Chwaaaaak!—

Countless tremendous shadows pour forward. That appearance is like a wave. No, not a wave. Should I call it a tsunami?

The leg with a hole momentarily doesn't obey. Just moving arms, just swinging the sword can't block everything. Sometimes I need to step back, sometimes charge forward two steps. In such situations, the current injury could be called fatal.

If I didn't have the shadow stolen from Hyun Sujin.

'Forward. Charge straight ahead.'

I substitute the space I couldn't fill with the shadow swaying beside.

What happens when shadow and shadow collide? I did worry about that. But that worry was soon completely, cleanly erased from my mind. It's now mine, not Hyun Sujin's, so though only one, that's sufficient.

Kwajik!— Kuung!—

A collision between my shadow and Hyun Sujin's shadows. The victor there was the shadow assimilated with me, though only one.

'The situation seems better than expected.'

How do I know? Though very brief, I saw Hyun Sujin's expression contort. She probably thought they'd break equally. But her shadow was pushed back. If she can maintain composure even seeing that, my fraudulence would be insufficient.

'Back again, keep going back. Back. Back.'

Does she think there are limits to just pressing from the front? Several shadows circle behind and fly in from outside my sight.

As if that wasn't enough, now attacks pour across all directions.

Blood still keeps flowing from wounds. Stopping the bleeding would help, but Hyun Sujin won't give that leisure. Plus I need to keep moving to block attacks and draw wind paths.

What Hyun Sujin aims for is probably that with high probability. If she keeps forcing movement, I'll eventually collapse from exhaustion. So before that, I must definitely finish drawing the path.

Kuung!— Kung!—

The shadow is still holding up well. Thanks to that, I saved one hand, so I speed up a bit more.

Sweeping away all of Hyun Sujin's shadows, creating space for wind to enter. One wind stream per swing. Block once, strike once. Blow in once more and place it, then block approach with shadow.

Then Hyun Sujin's offensive became fiercer. As if to say try enduring, as if asking how long one shadow can last. Like getting caught in a downpour, truly countless shadows poured down.

"Heoeok, heuk."

My heart feels like it'll burst any moment. My breath rises to under my chin. The situation of having to block all attacks while simultaneously drawing wind paths is too difficult.

I considered finding other methods instead of Kang Minseong's wind. But thinking again, there was no sharp solution other than this.

First, Kwak Hyuk's spear - no time to deploy it, so pass. The sword Lee Hyunwoo showed isn't guaranteed better than Kang Minseong's. All other methods couldn't be said to be superior to the wind path.

And it's too late to back down now after coming this far.

Jjeojeok!—

Big trouble. I felt cracks in the shadow that had been holding up well. Very small but definite cracks. And they'll gradually grow. Feeling that gap, I seemed to unconsciously harbor impatience.

Light burst from Hyun Sujin's eyes. She probably noticed my urgency.

From now it's a race against time. Will it break or not? Will the interference succeed, or will I achieve my goal despite interference?

Shadows form a giant curtain and fly right up front. To avoid suffocating wrapped in that curtain, I must move. I can't rest at all. I must swing madly and break through.

Kwang!— Kang!—

Sword energy flies in all directions without time to worry about direction. At least it's fortunate. There seem to be no people around. If there were, someone might have lost their life to these blind energies.

Kwang!—

"Euheuk! Euaaak!"

...Ah. Wait, wait. Why do I hear human screams? Damn it. My mouth was loose. I shouldn't have made sounds about people being there or not. I briefly took my eyes off the nearly completed path to look at the sound's source.

Over there, between collapsed buildings, a man in his 50s came into view. The suit he was wearing is all torn and ruined. Probably an ordinary family man who couldn't evacuate in the chaos...

"Irina! Irina!! Where the hell did you go!!"

This isn't it. An ordinary family man couldn't call out to Irina like that. Come to think of it, Irina definitely said she was working. In times like this, if an S-rank personally works, it's probably VIP escort with high probability.

Shuak!—

For a moment I wondered if I saw wrong. Hyun Sujin who had been fiercely pressing me. That woman was suddenly flying toward the man upon seeing him.

I wondered if she was trying to take a hostage. But soon I thought 'Why?' Currently, the disadvantaged side isn't Hyun Sujin but me. The one trying to drag out time isn't that woman. But taking hostages? I concluded there's absolutely no reason for that.

Once concluded, my mind started turning quickly. The 'work' Irina mentioned, and Hyun Sujin's reaction. When my thoughts reached there, my conclusion was one.

Shaaaaaa—

While Hyun Sujin left her position, the path was finally completed. Wind currents gently touch along the passage the sword flowed. And following that current, the breeze that was blowing gently instantly becomes a storm.

'The woman who was pressing me to death until just now suddenly acts like that.'

The reason Hyun Sujin betrayed her past and colleagues to become an Elder. For revenge. Because that revenge was so desperate she gave up herself. All actions can be said to be merely groundwork for that revenge.

If that Hyun Sujin tries to secure that man even showing her back in battle with me? And if that man is important enough for Irina to escort?

'Connected to the past and revenge.'

No need to think more. I was certain. That now is the opportunity. She's a woman whose revenge comes before her honor, past, even life. If that man is a fragment of that revenge, she'll definitely try to secure him.

That also means she can't properly resist my attack.

Kugugugu—

Wind surges and fiercely strikes the sword tip. I'm controlling with all my might but it's overwhelming. The body that had been holding up well until now is on the verge of overload.

That much, the path Kang Minseong taught was very treacherous.

It's called wind, but that word just sounds easy. In reality, I must swing that heavy sword without error in empty air. I can see why his disciples, children all struggled to draw paths.

Instead, it was that fatal and sharp. Just watching what's swirling from the sword gives me goosebumps. I understand why Hyun Sujin desperately tried to prevent path-drawing.

Piiiing!—

The sword filled with intense storm whines and wails. It's the limit. Now it's time to pour forth without restraint. Responding to that, I gritted my teeth and slowly raised the sword up.

The place this wind must go is only one. The Elder turning her back and leaving the examination hall. That won't do. Where are you trying to go during an examination?

I gripped the sword handle so tight it might crumble. Not the slightest trembling, not a trace of hesitation is permitted.

With one wind, I seize my wind in one go. My current wind is 'perfect defeat of the enemy before me.'

Uuuuuu!—

The wind that received that wind roars. To let it down now. Since it's sufficient, guide the end of that path. I no longer resisted and dropped the sword downward.

Hyun Sujin just about to snatch the man. My clear enemy. The opponent I must definitely block.

I drew one final path toward that woman.

… 

"Keheuk! Kek!"

"Don't exaggerate. I'm the one hit by poison, so why are you like that?"

Irina threw Alexei aside with a cold smile.

Even unable to use her left arm anymore, even suffering other minor injuries. She didn't fall behind against two Elders at all. Rather, she had the upper hand.

Perhaps it was natural. What needed three Elders became two. Two and three have a very big difference. And that was possible thanks to Baek Seojin.

'I need to finish quickly and go help Seojin oppa. Saving a prince in crisis? With Seojin oppa's personality, he'll definitely say thanks... Should I ask if he can thank me with something other than words?'

Thinking that, just as Irina was smiling.

Kwaaaaang!—

A roar came from the opposite side, then tremendous shockwaves hit everyone. Not only Kwak Hyuk and Alexei, but even Irina momentarily staggered.

"...Ha."

When that huge vibration finally calmed, Irina sighed. It wasn't time to be leisurely. If she's careless, she'll need rescuing again.

"Let's finish. We've dragged this too long."

The smile disappears from Irina's lips.

Kwagwagwagwa!!—

Huge golden energy spews tremendous flash. Soon the entire area was buried without trace in that giant light mass.