Episode 51
Chapter 19: The Banquet (6)
Sharp, solid ice crystals clung tightly to Siris’s blade.
Though it was merely a power wielded to kill her opponent, the sight of her unleashing the Endorma bloodline’s unique ability was breathtaking—so beautiful it could take one’s breath away.
With every strike of her sword, tiny crystals shattered, scattering light in dazzling reflections.
The dense lattice of cold, glittering like a delicate web, looked almost inviting to touch—but in truth, it was a deadly weapon capable of tearing a person apart.
Crack!
The clash of two swords sent the ice chunks shattering. Had Jin not instinctively wrapped his blade in aura, it would have shattered into pieces.
‘So this is the legendary Frostbite Blade.’
Normally, encountering such a rare power out of nowhere would cause great surprise, but Jin’s expression remained unchanged.
“You’re premature in your astonishment, Jin Runcandel!”
He wanted to say, “I’m not surprised,” but Siris’s triumphant expression left no room for retort.
Without a word, Jin calmly moved with precise footwork, evading her strikes. To Siris, it seemed dangerously close; to Jin, it was a relaxed dodge.
As Jin adjusted the distance and stepped back, a smile spread across Siris’s lips.
“You will tell me everything that happened that day.”
“Well, I could have just cut you down if I wanted to.”
It wasn’t a lie—if he had used his aura, it would have been entirely possible.
“So not only have you mastered the sword, but your bravado has reached five-star level as well?”
Siris lunged boldly again.
Even in pure swordsmanship, it wasn’t unheard of for a four-star to defeat a five-star. And with the Frostbite Blade in play, there was no way she could lose. Plus, her confidence stemmed from having more real combat experience.
Ting! Tzing!
Every time Siris’s blade sliced through the air, the atmosphere froze.
This was undeniably a dangerous power. The rumors that the Frostbite Blade could freeze even the sea were not unfounded.
“I didn’t expect you to reveal your secret technique so early, Siris. As the youngest who hasn’t yet inherited the family’s secret arts, how am I supposed to keep up?”
“None of your business!”
Jin focused solely on defense, making no counterattacks. Siris believed she had the upper hand completely.
Straight lines. Downward strikes. Diagonal slashes.
Siris’s sword traced sharp yet fluid arcs. Jin dodged and parried, moving his body this way and that.
Though it looked like he was being pushed back, he was merely biding his time. And the fact that he blocked or deflected every attack perfectly proved he was the superior swordsman.
After a moment, Siris realized her opponent was more composed than she had expected.
‘Five-star is five-star. At first, he seemed to be barely holding on, but as the fight continues, his true skill is showing.’
Geniuses recognize geniuses.
Siris admitted she had underestimated Jin. His swordsmanship was clearly superior.
‘But that’s as far as it goes. Once I unleash the Frostbite Blade’s third form, I can close this gap easily.’
The third form of the Frostbite Blade—the technique the Endorma clan called the “Avalanche”—was something Siris could only use once. It consumed enormous amounts of aura and cold energy, reserved for decisive moments.
‘Since I’m weaker in stamina and strength, there’s no point in dragging this out. The moment he reads my pattern and starts to counterattack, I’ll finish it!’
Clang! Clang! Swish!
The chaotic exchange between the two gradually became more orderly. Over time, they grew accustomed to each other’s blades.
There was no need to prolong the fight.
This wasn’t just Siris’s plan. Jin, too, began advancing step by step, sharing the same resolve.
‘By now, Siris must have acknowledged the gap and be preparing a decisive strike to break the flow. She’ll use a secret technique, but I can’t gauge its true power.’
It was Jin’s first time facing someone wielding the Frostbite Blade, so he couldn’t predict its full strength.
So he decided to choose the strongest secret technique he possessed.
He hadn’t read dozens of volumes of secret manuals in Storm Fortress just for fun. Of course, Siris had no idea Jin had secret techniques of his own.
Before Jin could decide on his counter, Siris boldly lunged in. Her diagonal slash aimed at his shoulder, cutting several strands of his long silver hair.
“It’s over, Jin!”
Whoosh!
Suddenly, a small blizzard formed at the center of the duel arena where Siris stood. But unlike a natural storm, the sharp wind carried by Siris’s blizzard sliced Jin’s forehead, drawing a drop of blood.
The aura-infused wind had cut him. At the same time, the chill that seeped beneath his shirt made his neck stiffen.
The third form of the Frostbite Blade—the Avalanche!
As Siris finished the technique, the swirling blizzard turned pure white. Then, with muffled thuds, ice crystals shattered, and the condensed white aura poured down like snow.
Suddenly, the scene resembled a midwinter mountain covered in snow. The shattered aura obscured vision, and the white energy crashed over like waves, choking the breath.
Through the storm, in a fleeting moment, Siris’s face shone with the fervor of assured victory.
And Siris saw a similar expression on Jin’s face—equally flushed with the certainty that he had already won.
‘What is this?’
The Avalanche had already been unleashed, and no matter how gifted a fifteen-year-old five-star genius was, there was no way to break through Jin’s secret technique.
A strange feeling flickered through Siris’s mind, but she dismissed the possibility of an anomaly. After all, the reason Runcandel and Ziphl, who had traveled the world, failed to conquer Jin’s secret technique was precisely because of this power.
Wobble.
Suddenly, Siris’s knees buckled as she poured all her strength into the attack. Though she avoided a fatal blow, she wouldn’t be able to stand tall after today. The youngest Runcandel would fear her from now on.
But she couldn’t savor the joy of victory.
Through the still-white haze that clouded their vision, a sword suddenly pierced through like a spear.
‘What?! What is this?!’
Siris hastily corrected her faltering stance. But sheer willpower couldn’t overcome the exhaustion after using a secret technique. She could only brace herself for the uncertain moment to come.
Ssssh!
A streak of sword light tore through the Avalanche.
It wasn’t a blade blessed by divine power like Siris’s. That sword bore no aura, not even the most basic energy any knight would use.
It was just an ordinary steel sword.
Siris couldn’t accept that it was this very sword cutting through the Avalanche.
“Impossible.”
She couldn’t even finish the word.
Jin’s steel sword, now mere inches away, was about to explode.
Crack! Bang!
The steel blade compressed to the size of a finger joint exploded.
Thousands of shards scattered forward like shattered glass. Each fragment glowed with aura.
The steel sword that had torn through the Avalanche was simply not enveloped in aura—but its core was packed full of it.
This was the legendary secret technique of the once-renowned swordsmanship family, Attila—the “Blade Storm.” Since Attila was destroyed by Runcandel, no proper records remained. It was a true secret art.
Among all the secret techniques Jin had mastered in the Storm Fortress’s underground chamber, this was the most powerful.
Though Siris wielded the Frostbite Blade, as a four-star, she could never withstand such destructive force.
‘Damn!’
Had she overestimated the Frostbite Blade? Or was Attila’s secret technique even stronger than expected?
Jin already regretted unleashing the Blade Storm. If Siris couldn’t dodge it, she would surely be killed or crippled.
Jin’s heart ached at the thought of her dying.
Siris gritted her teeth, suppressing the instinct to accept mercy and survive.
One second passed.
“Ah!”
“Ah…”
As the Blade Storm faded, both of them silently cried out in their minds.
One from relief, the other from humiliation.
Siris lowered her body, following Jin’s command.
“Are you alright?”
Jin dropped the now-hilt-only sword to the ground and grabbed Siris’s shoulder. She looked dazed, clearly shaken.
It was her first defeat since she had taken up the sword.
‘Me… lowering my body out of fear for my life and injury? Siris Endorma?’
The moment her instinct for victory turned into certain defeat, she had resolved not to dodge the Blade Storm. She believed she was not weak enough to rely on her opponent’s mercy.
But no matter how strong her pride or how precious her honor, she was still only fifteen. Too young to suppress the primal desire to survive.
“Phew, I almost killed you. Sorry about that.”
Jin exhaled deeply after confirming she was okay.
And for a while, Siris’s unspoken thoughts were clear—she was trapped in a hopeless sense of defeat, no words could comfort her.
‘Well, I guess she’s still just a kid. Maybe I should have let her win a little.’
By the years she’d lived, she was well past forty. The thought that she had almost driven a reckless young girl to death made her head spin.
And on top of that, this girl might one day become a worthy rival—or even a trusted ally.
Jin stared at her for a moment, gathering her thoughts. It didn’t take long.
“If the roles were reversed, I would have dodged too. And you would have shouted at me to stay down. So, I won’t say any more.”
She knew well that words wouldn’t bring comfort. It wasn’t her place to offer consolation anyway.
With that settled, Jin turned and started to walk away. Sometimes, the best help was simply to let someone be alone.
“Jin Runkandel.”
Sirith’s voice stopped her. Her eyes, which had seemed distant moments before, now held a deep, renewed intensity—as if she’d undergone some profound inner change.
“I noticed there’s still blood on Ben’s forehead.”
Sirith stepped closer, pulling a small handkerchief from her pocket. Silently, she wiped Jin’s forehead and applied healing resin—the same kind that Mamith had used on Jin’s shin.
“Consider this payment for the life you saved.”
“Don’t you think you’re undervaluing your own life? The sole heir of the Bow Clan can’t be repaid with just healing resin.”
“Since it’s a life I owe you, this resin is a fair trade. From now on, you’ll be worth a lot more. When that time comes, I hope I can be the one to save you.”
As they stepped out of the duel arena together, Sirith added one last thing.
“Oh, and today, we became strangers meeting for the first time.”
“Well, I guess that means I won the bet. See you tomorrow.”