I Became a Genius Swordsman in the Pretty Girl Game-Chapter 273: Sword Sacrifice (3)

Fortunately, Jin Yoo-ha managed to avoid what could have been the worst-case scenario for Baek Seol-hee.

"No matter how much you claim to be my master's master, I can't agree to become your disciple without my master’s consent," Jin Yoo-ha said, standing firm in his loyalty.

Though it seemed like he hesitated for a moment, Baek Seol-hee's influence on him was clearly strong. That monster of a kid must have thoroughly ingrained her teachings into him.

‘Tsk, I was so close,’ the Sword Sovereign thought, clicking her tongue in disappointment as she glanced at Jin Yoo-ha. But then, she reconsidered.

‘No, I still have plenty of time. He’s not leaving anytime soon, and he came here to learn the sword anyway, right?’

Yes, he had come to her seeking instruction in the sword. If she stayed close and persistently taught him, it would only be a matter of time before he opened up to her. After all, those obsessed with the sword were ultimately selfish beings, with a screw loose somewhere.

‘Hmph, maybe I should share some stories about his master. That might make him trust me faster.’

She would take her time, like taming a wary stray cat. Eventually, she would make it so he couldn’t resist seeking her guidance. The Sword Sovereign’s eyes gleamed with a cold light.

‘One day, he’ll beg me to take him as a disciple. I’ll make sure he can’t be satisfied without my teaching.’

She was confident in her abilities.

"Well, if you’re so insistent, I suppose I have no choice but to give up. I won’t push you to be my disciple anymore," the Sword Sovereign said, her words dripping with insincerity. Jin Yoo-ha, relieved that the awkward conversation was over, let out a sigh of relief.

"But, since I agreed to watch your swordsmanship, let’s see what your 'master' taught you. Show me everything you’ve got," she continued.

"Understood," Jin Yoo-ha replied.

"Don’t disappoint me."

With that, Jin Yoo-ha steadied his breathing and drew his sword.

Performing swordsmanship in front of someone who claimed to be my grandmaster was nerve-wracking.

She was the one who had taught my master, after all. Her ability to judge swordsmanship must be far from ordinary.

‘I can’t afford to disappoint her.’

After all, my master’s honor was at stake in this demonstration.

‘She asked me to show her everything.’

I calmed my mind, recalling all the teachings I had received.

My master was not one to speak lightly. Every word she uttered carried weight, often laden with multiple meanings, just like her Moonlight Sword technique.

Now that I thought about it, the Moonlight Sword technique was a reflection of my master’s nature.

The essence of the Moonlight Sword lay in its simplicity and depth. A single swing carried within it countless possibilities—speed, direction, intent, posture, mana, and flow.

The combination of these elements allowed the sword’s path to branch into infinite directions, enabling one to adapt to any opponent and any timing.

‘So when the Sword Sovereign told me to show everything, she likely meant to see how much I could encapsulate in a single strike.’

Exactly.

To show everything, there was no need for multiple swings.

One swing would suffice.

And the swing I was most confident in was...

‘A straight downward slash from above the head to the ground.’

This was the first technique I practiced when I joined the academy, the one I first learned from my master. Back then, I had spent an entire day holding my sword above my head, trying to perfect a single straight line.

What had once ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ been a slow, deliberate line could now be deconstructed into...

Dozens of lines.

Hundreds of points.

Even further, into countless possibilities.

I raised my sword above my head, just as I had on that first day in the training ground.

Taking a deep breath...

I opened my eyes.

Whoosh—!!!

I brought the sword down in a single, swift motion.

And then...

Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish.

Hundreds of sword marks materialized in the air, each one etched sharply and clearly.

"?!"

It was the first time my sword energy had manifested so tangibly, so I couldn’t help but feel a bit startled.

And then...

Thud!

The Sword Sovereign, who had been watching with her arms crossed, fell back onto the ground, her eyes wide with shock.

"Crazy... What... What the hell did that madwoman teach you!?"

Her voice echoed through the training ground, filled with disbelief.

‘This is insane...’

The Sword Sovereign struggled to regain her composure, wiping her face as she stood up.

She couldn’t believe what she had just witnessed.

It was just a simple downward slash.

When Jin Yoo-ha had first raised his sword, she wasn’t particularly impressed. She had been filled with anticipation, expecting that he would be the one to inherit her sword.

His upright posture, the precise balance of his body, the steady flow of energy, and the grip on his sword—all of it had told her that he was a brilliant "rough diamond."

But rough diamond? That wasn’t even close.

Her anticipation shattered the moment he brought his sword down.

She prided herself on her keen eye for swordsmanship, honed over countless years of never letting go of her sword, never once neglecting her training.

Because of that, she could see it, and she understood immediately.

What Jin Yoo-ha had just displayed was utterly absurd.

To describe his sword in one word: arrogance.

How could it not be arrogant?

The idea of encapsulating all the world’s sword techniques in a single strike was something only a truly insane person could conceive.

‘No, anyone could imagine it.’

The problem was that this arrogant swordsmanship didn’t remain in the realm of imagination.

She stared at Jin Yoo-ha with trembling eyes.

How many times had he come close to death in order to bring this sword technique from the realm of fantasy into reality?

He must have died hundreds, thousands of times. Not in some simulated or metaphorical sense, but in reality. Only by teetering on the edge of death daily, swinging his sword with a delicate precision, could such an absurd sword technique be forged.

Any ordinary person would have broken long ago, their mind shattered, their spirit crushed, their brain burnt out from the strain.

‘That woman and this boy...’

The face of Baek Seol-hee, the monstrous little brat who had thrown herself into countless near-deaths, overlapped with Jin Yoo-ha’s.

— "Kid, do you really have a death wish?"

— "I’m not a kid. I’m going to perfect my sword."

— "Hah, if that’s all it takes to perfect a sword, it’s not worth calling a sword."

At the time, she thought she had broken Baek Seol-hee’s spirit by overpowering her with sheer strength.

But it seemed that girl had continued the same reckless path even after leaving Taebaeksan.

And now, she had created this sword technique.

‘They’re both insane.’

The Sword Sovereign couldn’t even recognize this as proper swordsmanship.

There was no do (path), no shim (mind), no ui (will).

There was only arrogance—an arrogance so overwhelming that it was almost maddening.

A shiver ran down the Sword Sovereign’s spine, goosebumps erupting along her arms.

‘That madwoman... She really gave birth to a sword demon...’

Of course, the Sword Sovereign was unaware that Jin Yoo-ha’s first nickname had been "Sword Demon."

"Um, grandmaster, are you okay?"

I approached the Sword Sovereign, who had suddenly shouted and was now glaring at me with a fierce intensity.

"..."

But she still didn’t respond.

‘Did I do something wrong?’

Worried, I asked her again.

"Did I make a mistake?"

She shook her head slightly.

"No, but let me ask you one thing."

The Sword Sovereign gripped my shoulder, her voice urgent.

"Did Baek Seol-hee... Did she complete the sword technique you just used?"

‘She said she failed... That she wanted me to finish it...’

For a moment, I wondered if I should protect my master’s pride. But I knew that my master wouldn’t hide the truth, so I decided to be honest.

I shook my head.

"No, she said she failed."

"I see... That’s right. It’s a sword that can never be completed... by her," she murmured.

"Excuse me? What do you mean by that?"

I asked, confused, but the Sword Sovereign didn’t seem inclined to answer my question. Instead, she spoke with a serious expression.

"After seeing this, I can’t ask you to be my disciple anymore. But you must still inherit my sword."

It was a contradiction.

She said she wouldn’t ask me to become her disciple, yet she insisted I inherit her sword.

"I understand why Rina sent you to me now. Hah, that troublesome brat..."

The Sword Sovereign sighed deeply, rubbing her temples.

"From tomorrow on, you’ll relearn what it means to fear death."

That was how she described the training she would give me.