A hair-trigger situation.
Kyle, his aura honed to a razor's edge, informed Brian.
"Hey, you."
"Yes?"
"If I lose, the black market pulls out of this."
Brian's face hardened at his words. He was far from pleased with the current turn of events.
"Must we really decide this in a single strike?"
He couldn't understand. Why, with their numerical advantage, Kyle insisted on a one-on-one fight.
Kyle shook his head firmly.
"No, that won't do."
"But why—"
"Why? What, are you blind?"
Kyle, having rebuked him, smiled bitterly. It seemed he was the only one—the only one who had truly grasped Kim Dojin's power.
A fight using numerical superiority?
'As if I wouldn't want to, unless I'm crazy.'
He was aggressive, but not so rigid as to boldly discard an advantage in a fight. Yet, he had no choice but to give up on it, for he had seen the future.
"If we gang up on him, we'll all die."
If everyone were to fight together, only two would remain standing here: Brian and Kyle. And even then, Kim Dojin was deliberately keeping Brian alive to extract information. Why would he deliberately drag a foreseen destruction into the present?
"Rather than that, it's better to end it cleanly with just me."
Though his own fate would become uncertain, at least his subordinates would survive. He shouted at his subordinates.
"Listen up, you bastards! If I lose, don't you dare make a fuss. Just get back to base and forget about this place. Got it?!"
"..."
His subordinates were flustered. Their boss, who always boasted he'd win against anyone, was now speaking so weakly. But they believed.
"Yes, Captain!"
Even if he said such things, there was no way their captain would lose.
Having neatly brought the situation under control, he then focused all his attention on Kim Dojin.
'That monstrous bastard.'
The more he watched, the more astonishing it was. What on earth did he eat, and how did he train, to become such a monster? He was momentarily awestruck by the overwhelming aura emanating from Kim Dojin.
'This is a good opportunity.'
As one grows stronger, opportunities to unleash one's full power become increasingly rare. This was due to both the collateral damage it would cause and the fact that most of his missions focused on capture rather than killing.
But this time was different. A formidable opponent had appeared, one he could go all out against.
Secretly delighted, he immediately drew his sword to prepare his proudest, ultimate strike.
Shhhnnk!
Huuuum!
The sword, drawn from its sheath, let out a mournful hum. It, too, must have sensed it—that its master was incredibly excited, facing such a formidable foe.
The sword, imbued with Kyle's energy, glowed crimson, overlaying itself with another blade of pure force. His sword's sole purpose was to cut down. This was natural. For he had lived his entire life in a world where if he didn't kill his opponent, he would be killed himself.
While others sought mystical, flashy techniques to exploit weaknesses and penetrate defenses, he simply cut. If he could mercilessly cut through even an opponent's defense, what else could he possibly need?
So he honed and sharpened, ceaselessly.
Sword Aura.
He continuously refined and sharpened the aura that could cut anything he desired, until he possessed a cutting power that could truly sever anything.
However, due to the immense mana consumption and drastically reduced durability, he could only unleash it once. But it didn't matter. He was certain no further attacks would be needed after this single strike.
A single strike that would cut down the enemy's life, along with all their preparations. After he had once used it to cleave a Dragon Weapon—painstakingly acquired for him by his boss—in a single blow, he had named it thus:
"The Ultimate Slash."
A technique that abandoned all else, pushing only its edge to the absolute extreme, flew towards Kim Dojin. Death rushed forward without a sound, as if even the very air it cleaved had been silenced.
Just as the word "victory" began to form in his mind, seeing Kim Dojin show no reaction—
Swoosh!
Boom!
The crimson edge, flying unimpeded, exploded and vanished without a trace.
What just happened?
No.
He saw it. How Kim Dojin had countered his ultimate strike. But it was so shocking that his mind simply refused to process it.
Yet, one cannot forever ignore the reality that has unfolded.
"Hey, that's pretty good, but..."
Kim Dojin had nullified his strike. And with an attack identical to his own. That meant Kim Dojin had seen him hone his Sword Aura, learned it in real-time, and then used it.
'Is that even possible...?'
It was utterly incomprehensible by his common sense. Perhaps he had already mastered a similar technique? He entertained that thought for only a moment.
"It's still incomplete, though?"
"..."
He finally realized his assumption was wrong. That he was the only one here who truly grasped Kim Dojin's power? No. No one had grasped his true power.
The realization sent a shiver down his spine.
*
It had been a long time since he'd seen such a decent technique. It wasn't about overwhelming power or divine authority that transcended all norms; rather, it was the creativity born from a human's desperate struggle to grow stronger.
He was pleased, and yet, also felt a pang of regret.
"What's the name of that technique?"
"...The Ultimate Slash."
"Hmm, not a bad name."
"Yes. Not a bad name, but also one I can no longer use."
The man lowered his head slightly, a self-deprecating smile on his face.
"Why not?"
"Because I couldn't cut you down."
Aha. He's a more rigid type than I thought. Looking at him, all slumped over, made him feel inexplicably guilty.
"Don't be too down. It's just because it's still incomplete."
"Incomplete, huh."
"Yeah. Its balance is completely off. Pushing the edge to the extreme is good, but you still need to maintain some balance."
An awl that's only sharpened to an extreme on one side is bound to break eventually. No matter how much you focus power on one aspect, you should at least make an effort to balance it.
"If you can just find that balance, the edge will actually become even stronger. Then, you might truly get closer to what you call 'The Ultimate Slash'."
At this torrent of advice, the man's lowered head subtly rose.
"But how...?"
Look at this guy. I save him from drowning, and he asks for his bundle too.
"The core of your technique is ultimately that, isn't it?"
Honing the Sword Aura to a razor's edge. To do this, Kyle roughens the surface of his mana, using it like a whetstone to hone his Sword Aura. Here, one problem arises. The Sword Aura is visible, but the mana, which acts as the whetstone, is not. So he has to sharpen it by feel alone, but can one truly master it perfectly with just sensation?
"In short, you're sharpening parts that don't necessarily need to be sharpened."
Because even parts that could be left alone are being sharpened, its durability weakens, and even the extremely sharp edge itself weakens or shatters when hit by external attacks.
"Try to sharpen only smaller areas."
"Sharpen smaller areas..."
Kyle nodded, a serious expression on his face. In truth, the reason he could quickly copy this technique was precisely that. Unlike Kyle, who had to manipulate mana with a sixth sense, he could see it directly. It wasn't difficult to see the method laid bare and simply follow it.
That's why he had already perfected it.
"Here, take a look."
Shing!
The blue Sword Aura overlaid on the sword emitted such intense edge that it made one's eyes ache just by looking at it.
"See? Doesn't it feel different just by looking?"
"W-wow, it's definitely different. Not only is it sharp, but its durability seems higher too."
"Right."
As long as the Sword Aura's edge is honed to the extreme, its inherent vulnerability in durability is unavoidable. But you can prevent it from dropping to 1, and keep it at around 3 or 4.
"But... it's too vague. I can't even get a feel for how to hone it like that."
The man despaired once more. It was understandable. If he had to do it by feel instead of sight, it would have been far more difficult for him too.
But what could be done?
"You just have to work at it."
In the end, there's nothing but effort. For humans to grow stronger, to survive, they must continuously strive. Humans have nothing. No sharp teeth, no powerful jaws, no astonishingly precise eyes, no strength to lift boulders. Since nothing is innate, everything must be achieved through acquired effort.
"If a human, with nothing, wants to reach the ultimate, that's what they have to do."
If you just want to live, then so be it.
"Effort... yes, there's nothing but effort."
Kyle chewed on the word "effort," a corner of his mouth curling upwards. The man, who had somehow regained his vitality, thanked him.
"Thank you, Kim Dojin. I've gained a great realization thanks to you."
As he spoke, the man clenched his fist, steeling his resolve.
"Next time, with this Sword Aura, I will definitely cut you down!"
"Uh, well."
Is that really what you say to a benefactor who just gave you such enlightenment? While he was flustered, the man gestured with his chin towards Brian and the Paladins and spoke.
"You can do whatever you want with them. I'll take full responsibility for any problems that arise, so don't worry."
The man boasted confidently. At the same time, Brian's face, trapped amidst the Paladins, turned pale.
Kim Dojin grinned, looking at him.
"So, what are you going to do now?"
After a moment of thought, the man slumped his shoulders and declared.
"I... I surrender."
"A wise decision."
He had acquired his witness more easily than expected.