The Academy’s Sashimi Sword Master

“Anyway.”

The boss opened his mouth, not clear whether he was looking at the sky or glancing over his shoulder.

“…How long are we going to keep pretending we don’t know?”

In truth, a presence had been obvious for some time from within the thicket. The ones here were me and the founding hero. That wasn’t something easy to hide.

‘If it were an Auditore da Sicilia, maybe…’

But this all-too-familiar(?) visitor didn’t have the mastery of the Auditore family in concealing her tracks.

‘…Ryozo…’

That was the name of the cat burglar. She was eavesdropping.

I simply looked up at the night sky. The boss also vaguely averted his gaze and let out a line into the air.

“Has that girl always had that hobby?”

“What are you insinuating about my wife? Let me remind you that, even if it doesn’t look like it, she’s the director of the academy you founded.”

“I think I end up sounding stranger with what you just said.”

“……”

He hit the mark.

The boss suddenly gave a hollow laugh.

“Ha… though a person’s life may change, isn’t the difference too much compared to before?”

“Yes, in my past life I crawled too much.”

Kim XX had hit rock bottom as a human being. In the end, he was called the best swordsman in the country, but to me that glory was empty.

What Kim XX truly longed for was not such a title.

“It also feels strange to me sometimes.”

A love without conditions. What he yearned for was familial affection.

“…In my past life there was no one who gave me a feeling like that.”

“……”

I smiled at him as if resigned, and looked at the boss.

“Boss?”

Then I was surprised.

“You.”

He had an expression so complex it was hard to describe, as if his facial muscles had broken.

“Don’t tell me… you don’t remember?”

“…Excuse me? What do you mean?”

What on earth is he talking about?

At my natural reaction, his black pupils dilated.

“Could it be that you…”

But then he immediately shook his head.

“No. No, nothing.”

“Boss?”

“I’m tired. I’ll go in first to rest. You stay a while with your friend and come in later.”

He turned his back on me coldly.

And at that moment, I saw it.

In that man’s once calm gaze appeared an overwhelming murderous instinct.

I could swear I had never seen such an expression.

‘…What was that?’

***

Meanwhile, on the festival grounds.

Inside the main building, a bit removed from the bustle.

While a crowd enjoyed themselves outside, someone observed in silence, her cheek resting on her hand.

Chaerina.

Her irises were black, denoting an absence of emotion that matched her current expression.

The glow of lanterns reflected in the windows. Joaquin’s nocturnal lights flowing over the glass.

Chaerina’s eyes swallowed all that light like a black hole, returning nothing.

An absolute absence of emotion.

As if she were someone who had never felt anything in her life.

Clack.

The sliding door opened. A presence entered.

Chaerina didn’t react.

“Even if it’s a commemorative festival, are you planning to spend the time bored to death?”

In the dark classroom, long white hair swayed at hip length, imposing its presence alone.

Chaerina immediately knew whose voice it was with just one glance.

“……”

“Well, for you, who live in a constant hell, every day is a funeral festival, isn’t it?”

It was the saint Yu Sein.

She stopped in front of her, one hand on her waist.

“Don’t look so cold. I only came to thank you.”

“I don’t need your thanks.”

“How cold.”

Yu Sein dropped into the chair across from her, rested her chin on the backrest, and looked at her.

Chaerina frowned and stood up right away.

“Hey.”

Yu Sein’s hand held her.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Chaerina looked at her harshly.

Their black gazes clashed in the dimness of the classroom.

Yu Sein pressed on.

“I’m not asking you to pick sides or anything childish. I just don’t understand your behavior, Chaerina.”

“What do you mean?”

“If you’re the person I think, you should share Kali Yuga’s goal. And yet, the one who stopped him last time was you.”

Kali Yuga.

His plan was to take root in humanity’s psyche with Blessing of the Apocalypse M 2nd and subjugate it.

That grand plan was thwarted by Chaerina.

Her power was Hell. An authority capable of superimposing another world over the existing one. A superior version of Kali Yuga’s illusions, with the difference that he had more real combat strength.

Chaerina could not face Kang Geom-Ma directly. She wasn’t up to par with a rival who had even managed to temporarily match the Heavenly Sword.

Chaerina coldly brushed away Yu Sein’s hand.

“It was a coincidence.”

“There are no coincidences.”

Yu Sein smiled wearily.

“Under the supervision of the Power of Suppression there are no absolute coincidences. And you know what they say—when coincidences repeat, they become destiny.”

“Classes are taken during the day, that’s enough.”

“I’m not trying to lecture you. I told you I came to thank you.”

Yu Sein sighed and ruffled her hair.

“…I know it doesn’t fit the role assigned to me, but in the end, I’m a saint. I thought if you ever need help, maybe I could do something.”

“You?”

“Yes, me. Among those of us in the same situation.”

“Same situation?”

Chaerina repeated the phrase twice, as if testing Yu Sein’s patience.

She clenched her teeth in silence and nodded.

“…You and I arrived here through the Power of Suppression. So I think we should help each other when it’s difficult. Since Kali Yuga, I’m sure you’re not our enemy.”

“You.”

Chaerina’s eyes gleamed. At the same time, the pressure in the air grew heavier.

Yu Sein felt as if a giant hand were crushing her.

“Don’t overdo it with illusions.”

Her black hair floated, and at the tips appeared a reddish glow. Even in the darkness, her presence was dominant. It was the power of Hell.

“One, you are my enemy.”

Chaerina took a step forward.

“Two, I came here by my own will, not by the Power of Suppression.”

She countered point by point.

“And above all, your arrogance in thinking we are in the same situation.”

The tip of her fingers touched Yu Sein’s forehead.

“You will feel it yourself.”

“……!”

Yu Sein’s mind sank.

■■, I promise you. Someday ■■ for real.

■■, trust and wait for me. Even if it hurts, I will endure it. If you wait a little longer, ■■ we can.

■■, it hurts so much… ■■■. I don’t think my body can ■■.

■■, I lack so much ■. I can’t hold on ■■■.

■■, if I go on like this ■ ■■ will ■■.

Don’t leave me alone.

You promised to return…

……

………

……….

A broken voice came from Yu Sein’s throat.

“If it’s going to be like this… better ■■ at once.”

Haaah!

Yu Sein exhaled the air she had been holding back.

“Haa, haa…”

With both hands she grabbed her neck. Cold sweat dripped down the lines of her palms.

The sacred power managed to bring back her superficial consciousness.

‘If not for that…’

Just imagining it was terrible.

Yu Sein touched her face again and again as if scratching it, using her nails to cling to reality.

In just seconds she had experienced mental death and then returned.

I don’t want to go back there.

I don’t want to go through that again.

The heap of negative emotions made her lungs burn. She couldn’t understand exactly what had caused it, since the scenes and phrases appeared fragmented, like shattered pieces.

The only sure thing was that this could not be a “demonic mind” endured by such a fragile girl.

The worst kind of pain is commonly called a burning scorch. Not in vain the “hwa (火, fire)” in juhwaipma meant precisely fire.

And yet, Chaerina lived with a pain that was like twice that, permanently.

Just by breathing it felt as if a sharp knife cut her skin. Though her insides were dry and withered, Yu Sein’s eyes grew moist.

“…Huh?”

Her eyelids burned.

When she brought her fingers to the corner of her eyes, she found a liquid.

Tears.

“W-what…?”

Yu Sein had lost her emotions upon reincarnation. That was the trait distinguishing her from someone like Kang Geom-Ma, the possessed, or Balor Joaquin, the one who returned endlessly.

Yu Sein was an instrument to maintain the order of the world under the Miracle Blessing M.

Emotions were an obstacle to that mission.

And yet.

“Why? Why won’t they stop?”

She rubbed her eyes with her fists, so hard they burned. But the shining liquid kept falling, dripping down to her elbows.

“…What kind of life…?”

Yu Sein raised her gaze.

In her blurred vision the only thing reflected was the classroom. Chaerina had already disappeared without leaving a trace.

A sepulchral silence.

Yu Sein went over the nature of that emotion dominating her.

And soon understood.

That bitter feeling was.

Love.

An infinite love for someone.

A love that transcended eras, spaces, and even universes.

– First love.

***

Three days had passed since the commemorative festival ended.

“Haa…”

Abel had more and more worries.

‘…I’m unsettled.’

Her married life had been fairly stable.

Kang Geom-Ma, of course, and even Ryozo, delicate as her position was, had always made things easier for her.

‘Though sometimes I feel less capable because of how talented Ryozo is.’

At the start of the marriage, Abel often suffered from inferiority complexes. Kang Geom-Ma and Ryozo were known since their student days as a celebrated couple, and she seemed to have slipped between the two of them.

In the background was the warm affection of Kang Geom-Ma, but the public didn’t know that.

Those were difficult years.

However, Kang Geom-Ma never stopped supporting her. Thanks to that, Abel climbed out of the swamp and found her own role.

Dominating society.

In just three years, she placed herself at the center of the nobility and took advantage of that radiance.

She reduced the number of arrows aimed at Kang Geom-Ma and allowed Ryozo to concentrate on directing the Joaquin Academy.

She was satisfied.

Kang Geom-Ma treated Ryozo and Abel without emotional distinction. Even if on “odd days” Abel felt jealous without reason, just seeing his face the next day melted everything away like snow.

It was a life of peace, without major upheavals for ten years.

Until Rachel introduced the dissonance.

“Lady Abel!”

“…Rachel.”

“Today my father didn’t say anything when I greeted him, don’t you think? Isn’t that practically an approval?!”

To say something like that with such confidence in front of the current wife?

She wanted to scold her, but Rachel’s innocent joy disarmed any attempt.

‘Am I not the normal one here? She’s the weird one!’

‘Although…’

Abel glanced at her sideways as they walked down the hallway.

‘I can’t get that look Rachel had that day out of my head.’

She had known her a long time, even from before Joaquin Academy.

But Rachel didn’t start really bothering until they entered the sacred class.

‘And even so, I still don’t understand her well.’

Rachel was transparent.

Unable to lie.

Her subconscious and conscious were hardly distinguishable.

‘On the other hand, when she doesn’t want to say something, she never says it.’

There had only been two moments when Rachel truly showed what she thought.

The first was that day she told Abel: “I can’t yield Kang Geom-Ma.”

The second was relatively recently, when she cared for the fainted Kang Geom-Ma, with his head resting on her lap.

That left Abel with her heart squeezed tight.

‘…What are you really thinking?’

Rachel cheerfully walked beside her. The two were headed to the director’s office. Kang Geom-Ma had summoned them urgently.

‘When all this is over, I’ll have to talk to her privately.’

Abel convinced herself internally and nodded.

Knock knock.

After a couple of knocks, they entered the director’s office.

“Eh?”

There was an unexpected visitor.

“Long time.”

It was Knox Auditore.

‘He looks awful…’

The worry was clearly reflected in his expression. Even his voice was dim.

Abel and Rachel took seats on the free sofas.

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s not cramped, right?”

“Nyahaha.”

Despite the comical scene, Knox was gloomy.

Feeling the heavy atmosphere, Abel and Rachel put on serious faces.

Kang Geom-Ma pointed at him with his chin.

“Now, say it.”

“…Uh.”

Knox opened his mouth with difficulty.

“I beg you, even if it’s shameful.”

“What is it?”

“Money…”

“Money?”

Knox looked as if he were at death’s door.

“…Could you lend me money?”