Chapter 67
When I opened my eyes, I saw the Sword Empress standing by my bedside, watching over me.
It seemed I had poured everything into that final strike and briefly lost consciousness.
As I slowly sat up, my entire body throbbed in pain.
Park Siwoo quickly supported me.
“You’re awake?”
“How long was I out?”
“Barely ten minutes? You’ve got quite the sturdy body.”
“For someone sturdy, I can’t move an inch right now.”
“That’s because you’re suffering from mana exhaustion.”
As she said that, she lightly flicked my forehead with the edge of her hand.
“As expected from Chun-woo’s friend, you’re just as crazy. That last attack—no matter how you look at it—wasn’t something you should use in a duel.”
“Khmm, I’m sorry. I got too caught up in the moment without realizing it……”
The Sword Empress shot me a sharp glare.
Of course, she wasn’t the only one giving me that look.
Park Siwoo and Helena were glaring at me too, eyes blazing, as if ready to lecture me to death.
The Sword Empress continued,
“You know that feeling, don’t you? When enlightenment strikes and you move instinctively to embody it—or struggle to grasp it. I know it’s something beyond control, but you need to be more aware of your body’s limits and the force you can withstand.”
My gaze turned toward the training hall.
Indeed.
The arena where the Sword Empress and I had fought was now just a massive, charred crater.
If Instructor Kang Jae-seok saw this, he’d never let me off the hook.
It was only thanks to the Sword Empress creating a barrier that things weren’t worse—otherwise, Hanul Hall itself would’ve been blown to pieces.
Still, didn’t that mean my technique was that powerful?
This duel had truly given me a lot.
Martial growth itself, and a new, immensely powerful skill.
Though it would take some time to fully master it…
Its destructive force was on par with Sword Aura, the pinnacle of swordsmanship.
Really, this spar had been like winning the lottery.
Then, the Sword Empress asked me,
“So, what’s the name of that technique?”
“The name?”
“Yes. A technique isn’t complete without a cool name, don’t you think?”
A name for the skill, huh.
After a brief moment of thought, I cautiously replied,
“How about Asura Descent?”
“Receiving the descent of the King of Hell. Not bad. It fits the image of the technique quite well.”
“Does it?”
“It even matches your fighting style—like you don’t care what happens to your body as long as it’s for battle.”
Was that supposed to be a jab?
When I looked at her, her expression was surprisingly serious.
“The yearning for something fuels improvement—it’s what drives you forward. But you must never be consumed by it. Otherwise… you already know what’ll happen, don’t you?”
“……”
“Answer.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I knew why she was scolding me.
Even now, my body was completely wrecked—I could barely move a finger.
My body was covered in bruises and cuts from the duel with the Sword Empress.
It was already in terrible shape, and now I’d probably end up with even more scars.
But worse than that were the mild burns across my body and the shredded state of my right hand.
I really did have a tendency to push my body too far.
It was probably partly because of inherited memories from a past life—but mostly because of the Power of Restoration.
No matter what wounds I suffered, that power could restore my body to peak condition.
Even when I told myself to be careful, I always ended up throwing myself in harm’s way, thinking, It’s fine, I can heal anyway.
Then Helena’s sharp voice cut through.
“How long are you planning to just stand there holding him! You should treat him first!”
“It’s fine. Your friend’s body is sturdier than I thought.”
“Unnie!”
At Helena’s protest, the Sword Empress shook her head.
“Helena, you’ve always been so stiff—back then and even now. Why don’t you try living a little more flexibly?”
“This isn’t about being flexible or not! Just look at him!”
“I’m fine, really……”
“Be quiet!”
Helena snapped, glaring at me.
Why’s she only yelling at me?
The Sword Empress, half-amused by Helena’s stubbornness, took something out from her sleeve.
“Here, take this.”
“What’s this?”
“My personal contact card. If you ever want to make money after graduation, call me. Or better yet, you could just quit the Academy right now and come work under me.”
“Are you serious?”
She gave me an unreadable smile.
“What do you think?”
“You’re serious.”
“Of course. I don’t say things I don’t mean.”
I carefully accepted the card she handed me.
She looked divine, like a goddess in that moment.
That card wasn’t just a phone number.
Though she said to call her after graduation, I was sure that even if I contacted her before then, she’d gladly lend a hand if I needed it.
In other words, her contact card was a rare joker card—just as valuable as Mabel’s lucky rabbit foot.
Sword Empress, are you perhaps a tree that gives without end?
I could feel Park Siwoo’s envious gaze boring into me.
The Sword Empress noticed it and chuckled brightly.
“I’ll give you one too, Siwoo. You should stake your claim while you can.”
“Thank you!”
He bowed so low his head nearly hit the floor.
Because of that, since I was leaning against him for support, I almost lost my balance and fell.
The Sword Empress laughed at the sight, then looked back at me once more.
“Well then, I’ll take my leave. I’ll talk to the instructors about the damage to the training hall, so don’t worry too much. And next time I see you, I want to see your Asura Descent perfected.”
“I’ll do my best.”
After bidding farewell to the Sword Empress, we left Hanul Hall.
The completion of Asura Descent, huh.
Her last words kept circling in my mind for no reason.
Left alone in Hanul Hall, the Sword Empress fell into pleasant contemplation.
Her sparring with Chun-woo’s friends had been far more enjoyable than she had imagined.
And that wasn’t just about Seongwoo.
Park Siwoo, Helena—all of them.
The duels with them made her feel as though she had returned to her own academy days.
‘Are they the true gems of a new era?’
In fact, before she came to the Academy, she had been secretly worried about Dan Chun-woo.
Dan Chun-woo had too much.
Overwhelming talent—and the strength of a family powerful enough to support that brilliance.
Because of that family’s unmatched power, everything had been permitted to him. And Swordmaster, who loved his own bloodline, let Chun-woo’s arrogance go unchecked.
As a result, her younger brother had grown uncontrollably twisted.
In the end, the Swordmaster, unable to bear watching anymore, expelled him from the family and sent him to the Academy. Yet, the Sword Empress hadn’t been certain that was the right decision.
If anything, she worried that Chun-woo would grow even more warped at the Academy.
If he found no worthy rival there, his arrogance and sense of noble superiority would only deepen.
The only reason the Sword Empress, despite her busy schedule, visited the Academy from time to time was to keep an eye on Chun-woo.
If he hadn’t changed even after coming here—and instead became an even greater troublemaker—she had planned to break his arms and legs and make him serve by her side.
But after today’s sparring with Chun-woo’s friends, she felt reassured.
‘He seemed… stimulated, at least.’
When she had fought Yoo Seongwoo, she had caught a glimpse of Chun-woo in the corner of her vision, staring at Seongwoo intently.
The expression of a pup who had always believed himself the strongest—now meeting a tiger for the first time.
“I suppose I don’t need to worry about Chun-woo anymore. So then, when do you plan to show yourself, junior?”
Her gaze turned toward a corner of Hanul Hall.
A moment later, the air there crackled with blue lightning.
Soon, a short-haired beauty appeared before her.
The one who emerged before the Sword Empress was none other than Yoo Iseo, the Student Council President.
After tidying her floating hair, she politely bowed to the Sword Empress.
“It’s been a while. Since we last met at the Association a few years ago, right?”
“Yes, it has, senior.”
“I heard a little about what happened. That young girl died, didn’t she? You must be deeply hurt.”
At those words, Yoo Iseo fell silent.
As the memory she had been suppressing rose to the surface, ripples spread across her heart.
Seeing her expression, the Sword Empress sighed faintly.
“Was that an unnecessary thing for me to say?”
“No… as a hero, I suppose learning to let go of close ones is part of it. And besides……”
Yoo Iseo’s eyes grew solemn.
“To overcome death, I must understand it. The reason I’ve come to you, senior, is to investigate Dahee’s death.”
At that, the Sword Empress tilted her head slightly.
To ask her—someone unrelated to Seo Da-hee’s death—about such a matter?
“You were once the Student Council President of the Academy yourself, weren’t you?”
“That was ages ago.”
“I understand that during your time here, the Demons’ assaults on the Academy were at their fiercest.”
“So, what are you trying to say?”
After a brief pause, Yoo Iseo continued.
Her breathing quickened slightly.
“Has there ever been a time when a Demon infiltrated the Student Council?”
Without hesitation, the Sword Empress nodded.
“Yes. In fact, there were so many that I purged them all and rebuilt the Council from scratch. The current elite-member rule of the Council—that was my doing.”
Yoo Iseo’s eyes wavered violently at those words— as though she had just confirmed something she hadn’t wanted to believe.
The Sword Empress, not missing this, immediately understood why she had asked.
“You’re suspecting a traitor.”
“……”
Yoo Iseo didn’t respond, but that was answer enough.
During her long seclusion, she hadn’t spent her time in idleness.
If anything, she had moved and thought and deduced more fiercely than ever before.
She had used every connection she had to endlessly investigate Seo Da-hee’s death.
Especially in uncovering the identity of the shrouded Devil Knight, she had devoted countless hours.
And the deeper her investigation went, the more suspicious things appeared.
Seo Da-hee’s death hadn’t been a simple accident.
It was as if a meticulously designed trap had been laid specifically to kill her.
However, the fact that the Student Council bore the secret duty of demon extermination was known only to a very few.
And the only ones who could access detailed information about those operations were the Council’s executives.
In other words—there was a traitor within the Student Council.
When Yoo Iseo first realized that, it had felt like her heart was being torn apart.
The pain was as sharp as when she had lost Seo Da-hee.
How long had it even been since losing someone precious—and now she had to suspect the precious ones who remained.
But another question arose alongside that agony.
It was about the Devil Knight’s identity.
When she had first met him, he told her she would be betrayed by the person she cherished most.
And the second time they met, he told her she must trust no one.
At first, she had sought him out simply to kill him—for being Seo Da-hee’s enemy.
But now, she found herself wondering about his true purpose.
Who exactly was he, to say such things?
What did he know?
She felt she had to find out.
At that moment, the Sword Empress, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke.
“I just finished a spar. And then you appeared. Meaning—you’re here to ask whether I sensed any trace of a Demon among the students I crossed blades with, aren’t you?”
Yoo Iseo quietly nodded.
Just as the Devil Knight had said, there was no one in the current Student Council she could trust.
And among them, there was one person she suspected the most.
A stranger— and yet someone who drew everyone’s attention within the Academy.
Strong enough to bring out even the Sword Empress’s full power.
And, above all, present at the scene of every incident.
That person was Yoo Seongwoo.
Yoo Iseo’s gaze turned to the Sword Empress.
【Suspicion Level within the Academy has increased by 3.】