Two daggers were thrown from a stationary position, one released with the first step forward, and another launched mid-leap.
Finally, two more daggers were hurled at the moment of pushing off the ground and positioning behind my back.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye.
A swordsman of a high level strikes with incredible speed.
And my Sixth Sister's dagger throws were, naturally, even swifter than such sword strikes.
Throwing Sword Style.
That was the name of the unique technique my Sixth Sister had devised.
The family's secret arts were restricted for the sake of fairness, but the unique secret techniques personally created by my Sixth Sister had no such limitations.
Boom! Clang!
Daggers imbued with aura looked like bursts of fire.
The title "Falling Flame" given to my Sixth Sister originated from this very technique.
There's no way to dodge.
I made my decision instantly.
Even if I did evade, I wouldn't be able to block my Sixth Sister's charge from behind.
However, just because it couldn't be dodged didn't mean it couldn't be blocked.
Viiiiiiiing!
A noise like the buzzing of dozens of insects filled the air.
The sound of my entire body's mana instantly converting into aura.
Thunderclap Art – Altered Form.
I swung Black Night downward, wrapping it in aura and striking toward the ground.
KWAARRRRRRR!
A thunderous roar erupted, as if a massive building were collapsing.
A widespread, impact-based aura skill—an adaptation of Thunderclap.
Like a sword barrier, the aura exploded in all directions.
Clang! Cling!
The incoming daggers failed to pierce through the aura and were deflected away.
"Damn it!"
Iseol-ah, who had positioned herself behind me, cursed and leapt backward to widen the distance.
A brief moment of respite.
I stood facing my Sixth Sister.
"I've long heard tales of your divine dagger techniques…"
I smirked, aiming Black Night at her.
"But it turns out they weren't much after all."
Iseol-ah's brow furrowed.
"You're so dead, you little bastard!"
Boom!
Iseol-ah closed the distance in an instant once more.
Clang! Clang! Crackle!
Aura sparks flew as Black Night clashed repeatedly against the daggers.
This brat still wet behind the ears dares to talk big? I'll crush him head-on!
Daggers versus a longsword.
A fight between a short weapon and a long one.
Naturally, daggers were at a disadvantage in reach and power compared to a longsword.
Yet, Iseol-ah charged head-on regardless.
Boom! Crash!
Her movements were almost like an elaborate acrobatic performance.
She controlled multiple daggers simultaneously, attacking from bizarre angles.
She kicked daggers midair to send them flying or changed her grip mid-fight to strike from unexpected directions.
A skill that would be impossible without monstrous reflexes and an intuitive sense of battle.
But—
This is exactly what I was aiming for.
In a battle of pure speed, I would inevitably lose.
That's why I baited her into attacking me head-on.
"Die!"
My Sixth Sister lunged.
The gap closed in an instant.
I deflected all the daggers and swung Black Night in a smooth, flowing motion, descending from above like a river.
Demon Slayer.
A decisive strike, with all unnecessary movements eliminated.
Dangerous!
Iseol-ah instinctively felt the overwhelming force of the attack and hastily crossed her daggers to block.
KWAANG!
Like a hammer striking down, the impact shattered her balance.
But—
Too shallow.
She had already prepared to roll backward before blocking.
The moment she took the hit, she flung her body backward, dispersing the force of the impact.
"Hah… So, you think you've got some skill, huh?"
Iseol-ah quickly sprang to her feet.
She sneered, but inwardly, a chill ran down her spine.
That bastard. A mere concubine's son using swordplay that feels like one of the family's secret techniques…
Isela glanced at the dagger.
There were fine cracks forming along the blade.
It was a straightforward strike—no feints, no wasted movements, no unnecessary tricks.
But beneath that straightforward strike lay an overwhelming mastery of the fundamentals.
She had no confidence in breaking that solid stance head-on.
'I hate to admit it, but I can't let that hit me.'
Isela swiftly discarded the cracked dagger and kicked up another one lying on the ground, snatching it mid-air.
"But what a shame! That move—you should've saved it for a more crucial moment!"
Whoosh!
Sixth Sister's movements changed.
With swift footwork, she avoided close combat, darting in and out to launch quick attacks.
A textbook out-fighting style.
Though I blocked each strike with Black Night, her overwhelming speed made counterattacks difficult.
She had the advantage in stamina and swordsmanship, steadily whittling me down.
"Why don't you try running your mouth again?"
Isela spat out curses like a back-alley thug, launching a rapid assault.
Unorthodox. Unpredictable. Unconventional.
Her dagger techniques came from impossible angles, defying expectations.
But—
'It's obvious, Sixth Sister.'
Even as I was pushed back, I remained composed.
'I'd love to counter trickery with trickery…'
But without Mujin, I had to take a different approach.
I spread my senses in all directions.
Sixth Sister was born much earlier than me, started fighting much earlier than me.
She had long since carved out her own domain, reaching a truly remarkable level.
So, even with my magic restricted, she must believe she would win.
Sorry, but that's an awfully self-centered assumption.
Against Sixth Sister, of all people, I had plenty of advantages to exploit.
Wuuung—!
A sunset-hued magic power flowed from my eyes.
Eyes that could read all movements and analyze phenomena—the Mystic Eyes had found the path.
My sharpened instincts sensed the incoming daggers, and my Mystic Eyes traced their trajectories.
No stealthy throw, no cunning feint could escape these eyes.
I was her perfect counter.
'Tch, those damn eyes!'
Isela grit her teeth.
She had intended to end this in a single overwhelming barrage.
But my Mystic Eyes detected even the attacks from her blind spots, making it impossible.
Daggers had to be thrown swiftly, swung in secrecy.
But that entire strategy was being shut down.
'Damn it, this is frustrating!'
A hard counter.
Her greatest strengths—stealth and agility—were now severely restricted.
Yet closing the distance and overpowering me physically was just as dangerous, given my earlier strike.
'Damn this magic restriction.'
Because of the bracelets and anklets, she could only use magic at the early fifth-stage level.
If just 10% more of her power were released, she could turn the tables instantly with a high-tier Aura skill.
'How the hell did it come to this?'
Isela let out a bitter chuckle.
For the past year, all she had thought about was how to take revenge on Ichul—never how to actually fight him.
She had only envisioned crushing him, shattering his pride, tormenting him until he begged for mercy.
Even when she stepped onto the training grounds, she never imagined this scenario.
And yet, look at her now.
"You seem relaxed enough to let your mind wander?"
Boom! Fwoom!
A dark, menacing sword cut through the air.
Clang! Clang!
Metal clashed as sword and dagger met, ringing through the air. Isela's expression twisted.
"I really didn't want to use this…"
Suddenly, her magic surged in an eerie, unnatural way.
The moment the magic imbued in the dagger struck Lee Cheol's sword, his mana distorted and twisted.
The sixth sibling, Lee Seol-ah's ability.
Mana Seal.
***
My sixth sister is undoubtedly a master on a higher level than I am.
Even if we suppressed our mana to a similar degree, her martial insight and physical prowess far surpassed mine.
And above all, her ability—Mana Seal—was a technique that rendered resistance futile even if one knew about it.
The ability was simple.
It sealed the opponent's mana.
By twisting their mana system, it caused interference in its flow.
It was a form of mana jamming.
If the opponent had a significantly greater amount of mana than her, they might be able to resist. Otherwise, they would inevitably be restricted.
I felt the strange force of my sixth sister distorting my mana system.
'My mana source is sealed.'
The moment I sensed it, I abandoned my mana source without hesitation.
However.
There was something my sixth sister didn't know.
'My mana techniques are different from others.'
I could use not only my mana source but also my mana pathways, and my mana control was so refined that even my eldest brother and father acknowledged it.
"How…?!"
Shock flooded my sixth sister's eyes.
Had it been another sibling, they would have struggled to win with their mana restricted.
But it was different when facing my sixth sister.
Even if I lost in martial prowess.
In terms of mana.
In terms of abilities.
I had an inherent advantage over her.
"It's my turn now."
Kwaaaang!
I shifted to an offensive stance.
Caught in confusion, my sixth sister was continuously pushed back.
'D-damn it!'
Lee Seol-ah couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Her ability was clearly in effect. Her Mana Seal was disrupting Lee Cheol's mana.
Yet, aside from a slight drop in mana control efficiency, he was still wielding mana without hindrance.
"Urgh…!"
She wanted to widen the distance and regain her stance, but she couldn't.
Lee Cheol, now fully on the attack, charged like a raging bull, unbothered by taking hits.
How… How did it come to this?
At that moment, Lee Seol-ah unconsciously turned her gaze to the back.
There, sitting beside their father, was Lady Baek.
Her face was cold and emotionless.
The moment she met that gaze, Lee Seol-ah felt her mind go blank.
"I… I…!"
She refused to believe this situation. She couldn't accept it.
A deep crimson rage boiled within her.
"All because of a mere bastard!"
A murderous aura poured out of Lee Seol-ah's eyes.
The daggers scattered around her suddenly lifted into the air.
Aura Skill—Seobmul (Telekinesis).
One of Lee Seol-ah's specialties.
Normally, using it safely with her restricted mana would require brief preparation, but she disregarded any risk and poured all her remaining mana into it.
In an instant, several daggers began moving as if they had a will of their own.
And then—
The daggers, brimming with immense aura, shot forward.
This was one of the secret techniques of the esteemed Seungmu Clan, recognized even by the world.
Secret Art—Meteor.
Despite the dueling rules forbidding it, the clan's secret technique was now being unleashed.
Even without direct impact, I could tell just how much power was contained in each of those daggers.
"Block it!"
A desperate voice shouted from outside the dueling grounds.
But it was too late.
The secret technique had already been deployed, and I had no choice but to withstand it.
"Hoo—."
I let out a deep breath and channeled mana into Black Night.
Kiiiiing!
Black Night let out an eerie resonance.
Gripping my sword, I stepped forward into the storm of meteors.
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