Yujin knew.
He knew how warm human love could be.
His past life had been ordinary—walking the same path as others, living a life he considered happy and wanting for nothing. That was before he fell into this world.
Here, there was only violence and hatred. He had spent his time as a small child rummaging through trash to survive, constantly beaten by older, larger children who stole what little he had.
He didn't want this. He didn't want a life like this.
Rolling in the mud and staring up at that dismal, oppressive sky, Yujin had once resented the gods. But paradoxically, in that very moment, he made a vow.
He would not become like them.
If this world lacked a hero who shone like those in fairy tales, he would mimic one himself. He vowed that he would never abandon his humanity or his sense of justice. Even if it was a presumptuous wish for someone in his position, Yujin looked at the deep melancholy of the streets and prayed.
The first thing children here learned was how to give up on the things they wanted. No matter how much they cried or threw tantrums, there was no one to indulge them. Even if they dreamed of a hopeful future, they were surrounded by adults whose faces looked like death, living proof of the misery that awaited them.
It didn't take long for children's eyes to grow as clouded and dull as the adults'. Their lives were reduced to a daily relief that they had simply survived until tomorrow.
Looking at those children, Yujin swore.
He would change it.
When he met Theresia and Theresis, he made a promise to himself. His first true vow was an arrogant declaration: he would change this world.
Tarkan thought to himself: Why? Why can't I see a vision of my own victory?
A warrior who has reached a certain level can gauge their opponent and predict the outcome of a battle. Whether victory is impossible, whether both will perish together, or whether the scale is perfectly balanced.
The moment the second star appeared on the boy's arm, Tarkan could no longer see himself winning.
But why? The tide of battle should still be in his favor. Even if someone else was causing chaos below, his subordinates would soon suppress them and come up as reinforcements. Yujin's body was covered in minor wounds from Tarkan's explosive Arts, his flesh stinging and burning.
Tarkan gripped his greatsword. As if trying to shake off his fear, he gritted his teeth and took a stance.
His Arts didn't just apply to his surroundings. Tarkan lunged forward, using a localized explosion at his feet to propel himself with unnatural speed, swinging his greatsword downward.
Collision. Once again, platinum light and crimson energy clashed. But unlike before, Yujin's blade was actually pushing Tarkan's heavy sword back through sheer force.
"I will never... lose to someone like you."
Unwavering eyes. Eyes filled with conviction. Yujin's golden gaze locked onto Tarkan as the man kicked out to create distance.
There was no running now. This was a fight that would only end when one of them died.
Finally, Tarkan, staring at Yujin's light, shouted in a frenzy.
"That power... it's not something a brat like you should possess! Do you have any idea what kind of end awaits someone with that strength in Kazdel?!"
"I don't care."
The boy's answer was blunt. Tarkan swept his hand across the floor, detonating his Arts. The abandoned building groaned and shook with a thunderous roar.
"The Royal Court will not leave you be! They are arrogant monsters who erase anything that offends their sight!"
The Royal Court's way was to crush and erase anyone who threatened their authority. Tarkan knew this better than anyone. He had been a shining knight once, only to be cast aside after crossing the line just once.
Tarkan ripped off his black mask and charged. Their blades clashed again, spitting sparks. Tarkan's face was hideously scarred, looking as though it had been scorched by fire.
"You will be crushed too. If you cross that line... if you try to erase this hatred... you will lose everything."
A greatsword naturally required larger movements than a standard blade. Yujin exploited the gaps between Tarkan's heavy swings, diving into the openings.
Crash!
A support pillar collapsed. Yujin had moved in a flash, cutting Tarkan and sending him flying. The duel, which had been as tense as a pulled wire, was now tilting rapidly. It was as if Yujin was evolving in real-time, not just keeping up with Tarkan but beginning to surpass him.
Watching Tarkan cough up blood as he slumped against a pillar, Yujin spoke low.
"You, who abandoned both honor and pride, have no right to lecture me. I don't take advice... from losers."
A loser. Hearing that, Tarkan laughed like a madman. The fight wasn't over, yet the boy was already claiming victory.
As Yujin approached to finish him, Tarkan suddenly slammed his palms against the floor.
"It's not over yet!"
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
Blood streamed from Tarkan's distorted face, but the explosion he triggered by striking the floor was massive. It was a suicidal strike, a desperate attempt to take his enemy with him. Yujin lunged backward, wrapping his body around the unconscious Theresia. The floor, already weakened by their battle, gave way with a deafening screech.
Yujin fell, shielding Theresia with his own body. He was forced to drop his sword in the process. As they tumbled through the smoke and fire, he focused only on protecting her.
A cloud of dust rose. Yujin coughed and stood back up. The sounds of Theresis fighting the mercenaries below had gone silent.
"Now... neither of us has a sword."
Tarkan emerged from the dust cloud, looking like a ghost. His greatsword was snapped in half, useless. The arm he had used to trigger the explosion was wreathed in flames, a charred and agonizing sight.
Even without weapons, they had to fight. Yujin lunged.
Tarkan met him head-on, and a raw, blood-soaked brawl began.
Crunch. Fists collided, flesh was bruised. Tarkan was still larger than the young Yujin, but his injuries were far more severe. One arm was a burnt ruin.
Realizing this war of attrition would lead nowhere, Yujin focused every ounce of his Arts into the arm marked with the stars.
Tarkan tried to use his legs to compensate for his useless arm, but Yujin dove into his guard, striking with a force that lifted them both off the ground.
"Gah!"
The impact of Yujin's fist sent Tarkan flying through a weakened wall. Tarkan, refusing to fall alone, used his charred, mangled arm to snatch Yujin's collar.
"You crazy bastard!"
Yujin hadn't expected him to be able to use that arm. He shouted as he was pulled out into the open air, both of them falling toward the hard ground below.
"One of us... is going to be smashed into the dirt!"
Tarkan's eyes were wild with obsession. Mid-air, he delivered a kick to Yujin's stomach; Yujin retaliated with a punch that slammed into Tarkan's jaw.
They hit the parched earth hard, their bodies reinforced by Arts. Both went rolling across the dry ground. Yujin was at his absolute limit, but he refused to stay down.
"Ngh..."
As he forced himself to take a step, waves of excruciating pain washed over him.
"You... you're just a step... a ladder for me to climb back up..." Tarkan muttered, his eyes unfocused like a dead man's.
Hold on.
Stand up.
Win.
With that resolve, Yujin lunged one last time.
Tarkan, his arms ruined, attacked with his legs. Yujin dove into every opening, accumulating damage on the older man. They stopped dodging, trading blow for blow in a final, brutal exchange.
Finally, Yujin caught Tarkan's leg as it swung toward his midsection.
"Die."
Just as he had when they fell from the building, Yujin poured all his remaining Arts into a single, clenched fist.
BOOM!
The sound of an impact like a cannon shell echoed as his fist connected, crushing Tarkan's face into the dirt.