I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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“Umm….”

The aura pressing down on Taichi revealed that Kim Il-shin’s actions were genuine.

Despite the sudden situation, his fluster didn’t last long.

He was after power, yet his true essence was that of a martial artist. Even while preparing for great undertakings, he never neglected his training.

Objectively speaking, Taichi’s abilities surpassed those of an active B-rank hero. That was the minimum standard.

It was precisely because he was confident in his skills that he chose to face Kim Il-shin as a test.

From the beginning, Taichi’s goal was to accurately gauge Kim Il-shin’s talent.

To do so, he needed to draw out everything he had.

“I will do as you desire.”

Like a mirage, Taichi’s hand, now obscure, swiftly grasped the sword.

A pure white sword burst forth, ready to sever the Hyunwol sword.

Kaaang!

A fierce metallic sound echoed as the swords clashed.

However, the expected consequences were not realized.

‘I intended to strike hard…’

It had been an unexpected attack aimed at seizing the initiative.

Kim Il-shin hadn’t even taken a proper stance, and his sword was left exposed, pointing at Taichi without any defenses.

Thus, Taichi thought it would at least be possible to deflect the sword and disrupt his balance.

However, at the moment the swords collided, all the force carried in Taichi’s strike scattered.

It felt as if he had cut through a sludgy swamp.

Even after the metallic sound settled, the Hyunwol sword merely shifted slightly without budging from its place.

‘What kind of trickery is this?’

All Kim Il-shin had done was slightly twist the point of his sword. Taichi couldn’t decipher the profound intricacies of the Cheonryu sword contained in that small movement.

Step.

With a single step forward to keep pace with Taichi’s retreat, he raised his right elbow slightly to block Taichi’s sword’s departure.

Whoosh.

They firmly pressed their blades against each other, binding with the art of absorption, wrapping their swords in a small spiral.

The two swords remained frozen in place, as if they would never part.

Soon, mana began to swell on the surface of the white sword across from him.

Though he read the intent behind the sudden burst of force, he didn’t act immediately.

He tightened the muscles in his supporting leg, bracing himself and waiting for the opportune moment.

Paan!

And just after, the moment the mana exploded from the sword’s surface, Kim Il-shin relinquished the Hyunwol sword.

At that instant, Taichi’s eyes widened in shock, witnessing a swordsman treating his weapon as if it were his life, letting it go.

Like a root, Kim Il-shin’s left hand shot forward, clasping Taichi’s forearm.

Kwadak!

A fist descended from above, striking the wrist that held the pure white sword.

The shock imparted to the sword lingered even after it was released from Taichi’s hand.

Both swords flew far away, embedding into the ground.

“Indeed…!”

“How does someone of such a young age possess such skill?!”

“But isn’t it the same for both of them since they dropped their swords…?”

Admiration and confusion spilled from everyone present. The questions heavily outweighed the admirations.

Regardless of the process, just judging by the outcome, it seemed both had lost their swords.

However, the verification wasn’t finished yet.

So far, it had merely been a preparatory phase for unlocking true enlightenment.

Pulling with his left hand that was grasping Taichi’s arm, Kim Il-shin thrust his right fist forward.

Identify!

In that moment, Taichi’s hand, twisting at the axis of his left foot to establish distance, trembled before shooting up.

His trailing garment flared out like the wings of a bird.

Chonggeukgyeol (衝隙結). The martial arts of the Endo clan, which lightly pierced the opponent’s perception, were in play.

The widely spanning long fist targeted Kim Il-shin’s chin, aiming to sacrifice flesh for bone.

Boom!

But his strike didn’t succeed.

At the moment it launched, Kim Il-shin’s elbow disrupted the flow and blocked the long fist.

Taichi, feeling a sharp pain at the point of contact, was astonished.

‘How…!’

It wasn’t merely that it got blocked. He couldn’t comprehend that timing at all.

No matter how quick the reaction, anticipating and predicting an opponent’s attack required some time.

However, Taichi’s long fist hadn’t even extended halfway before it was intercepted.

It was blocked the instant he was ready to attack.

Since it was their first meeting, it wasn’t as if they’d grasped each other’s combat styles or habits.

Given that it was a sudden skirmish, he couldn’t have possibly obtained any preliminary information.

Hence, the astonishment grew. It was as if he possessed foresight of the future.

‘Change is relative.’

This revelation came during the process of analyzing the barrier that lay over the Endo estate.

The relationship between the barrier and the badge was mutually complementary.

While change never ceased, the opponent adapted in response, intertwining endlessly.

This was true for human relationships as well.

Boom!

He pivoted his axis, creating a force along his elbow that sent Taichi’s arm bouncing back.

Concentrating his energy at a single point, he observed his opponent’s changes.

The twisting muscles and shifting gaze conveyed several possibilities of the future.

Kim Il-shin selected one of those futures and then adapted himself accordingly.

Letting go of his left hand, he leaped forward. At the same time, he lowered his stance and directed his gaze upwards.

Taichi had fallen off balance. The most probable choices were reduced to two.

‘Left-hand uppercut or using my center of gravity to rotate backward while kicking.’

He advanced further, claiming the space. He dismissed the latter option.

What remained was the left-hand uppercut. He swung with his left hand and then spun with the recoil.

Thud!

The recoiled elbow struck Taichi’s chin.

Yeonhwan strike (連環擊). This was the name of the martial arts technique that combined all these actions into one swift motion.

‘Was there really no need to set aside the sword?’

Though this was his first encounter and he’d acted for the sake of ease, he felt regretful now.

If only he had held a sword, he could have verified things more effectively.

“…Impressive, indeed.”

Taichi, regaining his center of balance, spoke. He was not the type to be taken down by just that single blow.

However, everyone here understood. The validation had already concluded.

“It seems this verification suffices. With a pure spirit, the Endo clan welcomes you.”

Continuing any further would only bring dishonor. Taichi announced the end of the verification.

“Incredible…!”

“How could he have such martial talent at his age…?”

The astonished gazes of those surrounding Kim Il-shin were filled with disbelief.

No matter how promising a candidate, they hadn’t expected this level of skill.

It was the same for Hazuki, albeit for different reasons.

‘This is different from last time.’

It was as if he was reading his opponent’s thoughts through his movements.

This wasn’t what he had seen during the exhibition match. It meant he had developed even further since then.

Whether it was that he concealed this during the exhibition or that he grew so much in such a short time, it was equally unbelievable.

He even felt a sense of crisis,

No matter what happened in the future, he wouldn’t choose to turn Kim Il-shin into an enemy.

To do that, he had to first sort out the current situation.

*

Immediately after the verification concluded, Taichi and his group swiftly retreated.

Hazuki instructed his aides to tidy up the surroundings before approaching directly and apologizing.

His voice was tense, showing signs of strain.

“We have committed a great disrespect to our guest. I apologize on behalf of the clan. Please understand that Taichi’s intent does not represent the entirety of our clan. Furthermore, we will fully compensate for any issues arising in connection to this event, including physical and mental aspects.”

He refrained from expressing gratitude intentionally. Taichi’s actions were internal clan issues.

Information that didn’t need to be disclosed to an outsider like Kim Il-shin.

“It’s alright.”

Kim Il-shin replied briefly. There was no reason to blame Hazuki.

In fact, he was glad to have been able to test the Yeonhwan strike just right.

However, it seemed they had different perceptions of the severity of the incident.

Upon hearing Kim Il-shin’s response, Hazuki’s expression visibly brightened.

He must have been quite worried.

He brushed it off lightly and continued speaking.

“More than that, I’d like to prioritize meeting with the swordsman.”

“Oh, understood. Then I’ll truly inform the clan head now.”

Hazuki once again approached the Torii, placing his palm on one of the pillars, murmuring softly.

Dudududud!

Then he felt vibrations rising up from below.

The stalks of plants that broke through the ground swiftly wrapped around the entire Torii.

Even after covering the Torii, the vines pressed into the space at its heart.

The strands of vines intertwined like webs, filling the interior of the Torii entirely.

The completed appearance resembled green sliding doors.

It was thin enough to barely see through but looked sturdy enough that even a sword couldn’t cut through it.

This formed the gateway connecting the barrier beyond to this place.

Confirming that the gateway was complete, Hazuki bowed his head and said,

“The clan head has permitted your entry, Kim Il-shin. If you step through here, you will meet him.”

Kim Il-shin stepped into the interior of the Torii.

It felt as though he was entering a horizontally positioned lake.

The moment he fully immersed himself, he found himself standing in a different location.