‘Come to think of it, I never got to hear the reason before I died.’
That thought crossed my mind for a moment, but I no longer wanted to dwell on it.
Clang!
Once again, my sword clashed against Enoch’s.
Perhaps my slightly shaken resolve had affected my grip, making my wrist ache from the impact.
“Ugh.”
I furrowed my brows, shook my wrist once, then adjusted my stance again.
One last time.
The lingering sensation in my body felt like something on the verge of exploding, leaving behind only a faint tingling.
“Can you keep going?”
Noticing my condition, Enoch asked.
I clenched my teeth and nodded.
“I’m fine enough to keep going until sunset.”
At my words, the tip of Enoch’s sword trembled slightly. Seeing this, I let out a small smile.
“That goes for you too.”
“……”
A bead of sweat dripped from Enoch Gray’s chin.
The great Enoch Gray, who had exchanged only four or five strikes with me, was already showing signs of strain.
He was just as shaken as I was.
Just like how Yoon Doyoon’s voice constantly swirled inside my head, I wondered if something was stirring inside Enoch Gray as well.
“For the final strike, let’s keep our minds clear.”
“That’s exactly what I wanted.”
Hoo…
Both Enoch and I exhaled deeply at the same time.
“Inspector.”
“Why don’t you call me by my name? Is it because you’re afraid that if we start addressing each other casually, you’ll forget the roles we play in each other’s lives?”
“If you really want to get close to me, I’ll gladly call you by your name.”
Despite the countless words from Yoon Doyoon’s voice resurfacing in my mind due to this strange phenomenon, I forced myself to push them away.
‘He’s someone I can never meet again, someone who has nothing to do with Cherrya Emblem’s life anymore. So, get out of my head already!!’
I gathered every last bit of energy coursing through my body in an instant, filling even the chaotic corners of my mind.
“This time, it’s my attack.”
“Alright. Come at me!”
Enoch’s sword struck first.
It seemed slow—painfully slow.
BOOOOOOM!!!
The clash of swords echoed through the air, distinctly different from before.
A fierce gust of wind kicked up a dense cloud of dust, obscuring the already devastated battlefield.
Then—crack!—the sword I was holding against Enoch’s shattered.
“……!”
“……!”
The fragments of the broken sword scattered across the ground.
Yet, Enoch and I remained locked in position, still pressing our swords against each other.
“This…”
“Cherrya… this is…”
We both spoke at the same time, and I could see the wavering in Enoch’s eyes.
No doubt, the reflection of me in his eyes was the same.
Something had changed.
The moment I realized it, my body started to collapse.
“Hey, you bastard! Get your hands off my granddaughter—!!”
Somewhere in the distance, I could hear my grandfather’s voice yelling.
***
Seffield Emblem’s kick landed squarely on the attacker who had been targeting Cherrya, showing not a hint of hesitation.
With a thud, the assailant was sent flying, tumbling weakly across the ground.
Seffield quickly turned to check on Cherrya’s condition.
“Oh, my dear Cherrya!”
Cherrya had collapsed, unconscious.
She had endured relentless training and countless hardships. She was strong.
Seffield hurriedly sent his aura into her body, confirming that she had no serious injuries. But seeing her lying there so helplessly made his heart sink.
He had rushed to Pavan as soon as the Emblems reported that Cherrya and Enoch had gone missing.
And now, he had followed the trail of sword aura straight to the Carmedan Jungle.
“How dare you lay a hand on an Emblem.”
The man Seffield had kicked was either unconscious with broken ribs—or dead.
The sheer power of a Swordmaster was beyond human comprehension.
There was no need to draw a sword. The price for harming an Emblem would be paid in full.
With cold fury in his eyes, Seffield stepped toward the fallen enemy.
“Who the hell did this to my granddaughter…?!”
With just a light sweep of his hand through the air, Seffield effortlessly cleared away the dust, finally revealing the attacker’s face.
“……”
A familiar face.
A face he had seen since childhood, now grown into a strong young man, yet still carrying traces of his youth.
A face that, even now—unconscious and coughing up blood—made Seffield feel as if he had just beaten up a child.
“…It was Enoch.”
A cold sweat ran down Seffield’s back as he grasped the situation.
Jade was the type to return a blow tenfold. If he found out that Seffield had beaten Enoch to this state, it would mark the true beginning of war between the Emblems and the Grays.
“Is he… dead?”
Seffield carefully placed two fingers under Enoch’s nose.
Thankfully, he was still breathing. Only then did Seffield let out a sigh of relief.
He first lifted Cherrya onto his back, securing her tightly with a cloth to keep her stable.
Then, he gently picked up Enoch with both hands.
He knew that, given the force of his own attack, Enoch’s bones were unlikely to be intact, so he had to be extremely careful.
“I’ve never even carried my dear Cherrya like a princess before.”
Seffield clicked his tongue as he examined Enoch’s face—still strikingly handsome, even in its bloodied and unconscious state.
“……”
Cherrya had once complained that Enoch was annoyingly good-looking.
And now, after turning this perfect face into such a mess, Seffield had no idea what kind of debt he now owed the Gray family.
‘Don’t give me that look. I’ll bring back not only my granddaughter but also your grandson.’
Before leaving for the Pavan Kingdom, Seffield had confidently declared this to Jade.
No matter what danger Cherrya and Enoch were in, he had promised to rescue them.
But now, he realized—he was the danger.
Clenching his eyes shut, Seffield shuddered with regret.
“…I’m sorry.”
Though Enoch couldn’t hear him, Seffield whispered the apology as he firmly planted his feet and leaped into the air.
Soaring effortlessly as if he were flying, he glanced down at the battlefield below.
“……”
The swamp was completely destroyed.
Seffield had once taught Cherrya how to use sword aura to alter the terrain—but never to this extent.
Yet the destruction before him was so severe that if someone had told him he had done it, he might have believed them.
They had surpassed their limits.
If even one of them had broken through their limits, it would be enough to shake the entire continent.
But from what he observed, both Cherrya and Enoch had left traces of their overwhelming power across the battlefield.
Both of them had transcended human limits.
“Tsk. If I’m going to repay my debt to the Grays, I’ll have to train this one too.”
Clicking his tongue at the thought of how busy he was about to become, Seffield prepared for the challenges ahead.
