The sword came at me.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched it fly in.

I was already reacting. My toes shifted, and I moved backward.

Half a step.

As I opened that distance, I leaned my upper body back too.

KRAAANG—!!

The slash skimmed right past me.

If I had been even a little slower, it would have cut me.

My hand went to my waist.

I drew the Divine Sword.

WOOOOONG—!

I could feel the killing intent.

My eyes opened.

Moon Eyes blazed.

The opponent’s sword paths poured into view.

Huh?

My eyes widened the instant I saw them.

Why the hell were there so many sword paths?

The number was completely unexpected.

I flinched.

That many swords...

I’d only ever seen that when I faced the Small Moon Unit Leader or absolute masters.

The Sword Emperor had been the opposite. With him, it had almost felt like there were no sword paths at all.

A number like that was something I had only ever seen from people who had reached a monstrous realm.

What the hell is this guy?

Just what was that young man?

I narrowed my eyes and swung.

SKREEEE—!!!

The blades crashed together.

Out of the countless sword paths, I picked one and blocked it.

That was the right one.

The lines were so unclear it was hard to choose even one.

That had been close.

“Oh.”

A short exclamation slipped out of the young man’s mouth, like he was genuinely surprised I had blocked it.

Look at this asshole.

That reaction was filthy.

I put strength into my footing.

If I didn’t, I would get pushed back little by little.

Even the pressure in the clash of our swords was anything but ordinary.

I dug in.

I tightened my thigh hard, then drew in a breath and steadied it.

KRRRK—!!!

I filled my body with the power of the heart art.

The force erupting from my dantian ran through my acupoints.

I compressed all of it into a single point.

Without missing the moment, I poured everything I had into creating an opening.

CLANG—!!

The sword strike condensed into that single point knocked his blade away.

“...!”

Surprise flashed across the young man’s eyes.

That forceful exchange had opened a gap in him.

Now.

I didn’t hesitate.

I remembered the killing intent he had sent at me a moment ago.

I had no intention of backing off either.

So I brought my sword down straight at him.

Night Moon.

I tried to bury him beneath the night sky, but—

“Ha.”

A short laugh slipped out.

“This is fun.”

KRAAANG—!

“...Ghk!?”

He swept his sword up and shattered my Night Moon.

The pressure exploded, and my stance collapsed.

When?

When—

When had he recovered his posture?

He had definitely been off balance.

My hand was still throbbing.

To break a martial art like that—

This...

It was eerily similar to Yoo Cheongil’s way.

That old bastard did the same kind of thing.

I staggered backward.

I tried not to give ground, but once I had been pushed back in that instant, it was already over.

That was when—

“This isn’t it.”

He sounded disappointed.

Then—

THUD—!!

“Khk!”

He kicked me in the chest and sent me sliding back.

I dropped to one knee.

I clutched my chest and tried to steady my breathing.

Then he asked,

“Why aren’t you using it?”

“...What...?”

The young man was speaking to me.

“The ultimate art the Sword Saint left behind. I’m asking why you aren’t using it.”

The ultimate art the Sword Saint left behind?

No way.

“...You mean Moon Heaven?”

“Oh, that’s what it’s called?”

At the name, the young man smiled brightly.

“Not a bad name.”

There was something eerie about that smile.

I couldn’t put my finger on it.

What was this goddamn feeling?

What the hell was that bastard?

I was still clutching my aching chest when—

“...Senior Brother...!”

Cheon Eujin cut in.

He stepped between me and the young man, then spoke to him with tense eyes.

“What are you doing all of a sudden...?!”

“Oh...”

The young man grinned at Cheon Eujin.

“Well, if it isn’t our junior disciple Cheon. Long time no see.”

Junior disciple.

Senior Brother.

I could more or less tell the relationship from those words alone.

For now, it looked like he really was someone from Blue Moon Sect. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Of course he was.

That much I had known the moment I saw him.

He has Moon Eyes.

He had Moon Eyes, and he was wearing the Small Moon Unit uniform.

That alone told «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» me he was a Blue Moon Sect master.

...But who the hell is he?

This was my first time seeing him.

Since coming to Blue Moon Sect, I had checked every single person coming and going.

I had never seen anyone like him.

Which meant—

Someone who had been operating outside the sect.

Someone who had spent a long stretch of time acting beyond Blue Moon Sect’s grounds.

And there were only three people like that.

Of those—

Someone around that age.

He looked just past thirty.

And even by the feel of him, he didn’t seem young.

Watching him, I came up with one name.

...That bastard?

I knew of him, but he was the kind of person no one really brought up.

Moon Dancer of Blue Moon Sect was a famous genius.

But even aside from Moon Dancer, Blue Moon Sect had plenty of people known as masters to begin with.

Among them—

Only one.

In a way, he was famous.

But compared to the reputation he carried, he had never stood out all that much.

That epithet was probably—

“...Silver Moon Sword.”

“Oh.”

The young man reacted to my words.

“So you know me.”

He smiled, like that was the right answer.

The young man’s identity was Silver Moon Sword, Yoo Yul.

Just as I had been called the Sword Saint’s successor and disciple—

he was known as Moon Immortal Sword’s disciple.

*****

Moon Immortal Sword’s disciple.

Moon Immortal Sword, the current sect master of Blue Moon Sect, could have called everyone in the sect his disciple.

Even aside from that, he could have called Cheon Eujin and Cheon Hyein—his own blood—his disciples.

But Moon Immortal Sword had never directly referred to those two, or the rest, as his disciples.

Part of it was simply the formality of being a sect.

And even where blood ties were concerned, he had never bothered to put it that way.

Only one.

Out of those countless people, there was only one person Moon Immortal Sword had personally referred to as his disciple.

That was the man called Silver Moon Sword, Yoo Yul.

He was just over thirty, with eyes so narrow it was hard to tell whether they were open or shut.

Like Cheon Eujin and Cheon Hyein, he was a second-generation disciple, and also a martial artist belonging to the Small Moon Unit.

Naturally, his Moon Eyes were awakened.

Though the blue eyes that had been visible during the fight were closed now, so you could barely tell.

“I’ve returned.”

Yoo Yul spoke with a smile.

Moon Immortal Sword looked at him.

“You’ve come.”

“Yes, Master. Your disciple has returned.”

Even as he looked at the newly arrived Yoo Yul, Moon Immortal Sword showed little reaction.

It was almost as if he had expected him to arrive around now.

“How many years has it been? I think it’s been about three.”

Three years.

That was how long Yoo Yul had been outside the sect.

“I still haven’t had the chance to greet the Small Moon Unit Leader, but from the rumors I’ve heard, it seems a lot happened in the meantime.”

“Quite a lot did. But.”

Moon Immortal Sword’s gaze shifted from Yoo Yul to me.

“You caused trouble the moment you arrived.”

“Ah.”

At that, Yoo Yul looked at me.

“Yes. He looked interesting.”

“Interesting?”

“I was too curious. They said the Sword Saint’s remarkable successor had appeared... I was so busy I couldn’t even come back, and the curiosity was killing me.”

“So you caused trouble the moment you arrived?”

“What trouble? I just crossed blades once with a fellow sect member. Isn’t that right?”

“...”

At Yoo Yul’s words, I frowned hard.

What the hell was wrong with this guy?

He’s uncomfortable.

No—

he was deeply uncomfortable.

Not just the way he spoke.

His atmosphere is uncomfortable.

What was this feeling?

There was something familiar in that discomfort.

I just couldn’t pin it down right away.

“Hmm, no?”

Yoo Yul shrugged.

“Yoo Yul.”

“Ah, yes, Master.”

“Do you not think it is a problem that something else took priority over your report?”

Moon Immortal Sword asked with a somewhat chilly stare, and only then did Yoo Yul make an awkward face.

“My apologies. Your disciple was thoughtless.”

“You will be punished for this later.”

“Understood.”

“I called you here to ask about the duel, but since neither of you seems to dispute what happened, Unit Member Bang may withdraw.”

“...Understood.”

I had given a rough explanation of the situation, so he seemed intent on sending me out first.

I nodded and turned around.

“Let’s meet again next time.”

Yoo Yul threw the farewell at me.

This bastard and that bastard both...

I had no idea why every damn one of them kept telling me they wanted to see me again.

*****

The moment Bang Seongyeon left, only the two of them remained in the room.

Breaking the heavy silence, Moon Immortal Sword spoke to Yoo Yul.

“What did you do?”

His voice was colder than before.

Hearing it, Yoo Yul shrugged.

“I told you already. I was genuinely curious.”

He had wanted to know what sort of existence this so-called Sword Saint’s successor really was.

So he had tried picking a fight with him once.

Worse than expected.

That was Yoo Yul’s first impression of Bang Seongyeon.

“Honestly, I was thrown off. Master, is that boy really the Sword Saint’s disciple?”

He sounded disappointed.

“On the way back, I heard so much about him my ears nearly bled. I had high expectations.”

Moon Hero.

The hero who saved Sichuan and Henan.

The Sword Saint reborn.

And then what was it?

“The youngest alliance leader candidate?”

Divine Spear was stepping down as alliance leader, and new candidates had been chosen.

He had heard that the kid was among them.

The moment he heard that, he had been so dumbfounded he almost laughed.

“Unless, perhaps, Master pulled a few strings—”

Shhk.

“Oh.”

A sharp sound cut through the air, and a few strands of Yoo Yul’s hair were sliced away.

Feeling it, cold sweat slid down his cheek.

I didn’t even see it.

There had been no sword drawn.

Moon Immortal Sword had merely looked at him, and yet this had happened.

“If you dislike it, say it with words. Are you planning to cut off your disciple’s head?”

“Do not cross the line. The name disciple is not lofty enough to protect you.”

“Yes, I know that well. Still, couldn’t you let this one slide? Do you know how much I rolled around these last few years just to do what you told me?”

“I know.”

“Then—”

“I know. That is why I am stopping here.”

“...”

At those words, Yoo Yul shut his mouth.

If he said any more, it was obvious he would get thoroughly beaten down.

Anyway, his master had always been a frightening man.

Better not say more.

He wanted to ask about it too—

about the previous sect master’s divine artifact, the thing that had gotten Bang called the Sword Saint reborn.

But it didn’t look like that was going to happen.

There’s something there.

That boy seemed to be someone his master cared about far more than usual.

What is he carrying?

Other than being handsome, what was so special about him at first glance?

Certainly, his talent was exceptional for his age.

But compared to the rumors, he had fallen endlessly short.

Hmm.

That was why he was interesting.

It felt like he was hiding something.

Then—

“Yoo Yul.”

Moon Immortal Sword called him.

At that, Yoo Yul’s narrow eyes opened slightly.

“Yes. Speak.”

“How did it go?”

“Ah.”

Straight to the real point.

That made Yoo Yul let out a small laugh.

“The struggle for Junior Sect Master is opening soon, and the first thing you ask about is the job...”

“There will not be a second warning.”

“Understood.”

So it wasn’t the kind of mood for jokes.

Accepting that, Yoo Yul spoke.

“Here it is.”

He pulled out a letter and handed it to Moon Immortal Sword.

“What you asked for.”

It was—

“the record of the Sawang who had been hiding on Mount Guiseong.”

Inside it were the last three years of Yoo Yul’s life.