Chapter 60 – Duel of the Fates

[Play: Duel of the Fates]

Lee smiled and said, "You underestimate my power."

Suho's mouth twitched. But then he couldn't resist and said, "Don't try it."

Lee grinned and then rushed forward with a powerful and telegraphed overhead swing using both his hands.

Suho kept a close stance and proper structure to deflect it. And if it was a normal strike, it would have sent Lee's sword wide to make an opening for a counterattack.

But-

Suho laughed and immediately stepped back to avoid the attack instead when he realized Lee's sword wasn't behaving properly. "You're cheating!"

Lee idly twirled his sword again and smirked. "Cheating? No such thing. You just lack conviction."

The crowd went wild after Lee's words.

"HE'S QUOTING VADER!"

"I KNEW IT! I KNEW LEE SHIN WAS SMURFING!"

"RANK 999 MY ASS!"

Lee's smirk grew wider when he heard the crowd. Then he pointed his sword at Suho and said, "Well then, Suho. Let's get down to business."

===

Suho kept a calm smile on his face as he observed Lee. But on the inside, his mind was racing as he tried to figure out Lee's fighting style.

'It definitely isn't Qi Reinforcement or Sword Ki... it's not his Gift either. Is it really just understanding momentum?'

Suho could vaguely see how Lee's attacks were working. Similar to Hajin, Lee was using precision attacks and timing to make up for a lack of strength... except Lee HAD the strength, so he was varying it too.

'Is it really the Force?'

Even with the Outcall incident, quite a lot of media from the past was still around. And Star Wars was definitely among them.

Suho had heard about some heroes trying to recreate the fighting styles. And there were even some mana conducting blades that mimicked lightsabers...

'But this is something else.'

Lee's fighting style wasn't just the fancy flourishes from the movies. No, it was the real thing.

Suho chuckled and slowly approached Lee, keeping his sword raised in a guard. "You know, there's being a genius and then there's being insane. Did you really turn a fighting style from fiction into the real thing?"

Lee held his sword low and pointed to the ground in his right hand. As he did, he smiled and said, "If it's effective, it's effective. Doesn't matter if it's fictional or not, you know?"

"...Right." Suho carefully observed Lee's stance.

It was open. The sword was held too loose for a proper parry or guard.

Suho's instincts from his training in his past life, as well as his experience sparring against people in this life told him that he should be able to just break through Lee's guard.

But at the same time, Suho had a feeling that instinct was wrong. No, that the entire premise of 'swordsmanship' Lee was using wasn't like anything he'd encountered before.

Suho studied Lee a bit more.

Lee allowed him to, that smirk still on his face.

And then Suho realized it. "...That's true swordsmanship isn't it? A style where you assume that every blow will be strong enough to send the opponent back and the sword will stay true."

Lee twirled his sword and said, "Maybe. Or maybe I'm just messing with you."

Suho let out a low chuckle.

As he did, a thought crossed his mind.

'So this is what it's like fighting someone like me for the first time, huh?'

Suho wasn't arrogant, but he knew his skill at swordsmanship was at a point where even Heroes admired it.

...It would be sad if it wasn't considering the years he spent polishing it in his past life.

But that was why.

People who faced him didn't expect Suho to have such a polished swordsmanship, so they usually underestimated him enough for him to close the gap in physical and magical power.

Lee...

Well, that swordsmanship he was using... it wasn't as polished as Suho's.

But the *application* of it was.

Suho could clearly see it. Lee was using the flashy fighting style that Anakin Skywalker used in the movies. But he was also mixing in real sword techniques as well as somehow being able to control the sword properly despite the flashy twirls.

A normal person would definitely just try and punish him for it since the attacks lacked structure. There wasn't proper support to attack, counter, or parry.

At least, there shouldn't be.

Suho tightened his grip on his sword and said, "I guess I just have to test it out myself, huh?"

Lee chuckled and said, "You can stare at my stance all day, Suho. It won't make sense to you. I'm sure of it." After that, he took a step back with his right foot and held his sword over his shoulders. Holding out his left hand, he crooked a finger and said, "Come on. Show me your moves."

"...I understand how Jonghak lost now." Suho chuckled as well. But then he focused and charged. Sprinting forward with his sword held loose at his right side, he deliberately kept his body open and watched Lee's stance to catch the timing.

"Taking a page from my book now, huh?" Lee laughed and said, "Fine. Let's see how quick you adapt."

Suho didn't respond. Instead he continued his advance, watching Lee closely.

One step.

Lee didn't move.

Two steps.

Lee still didn't move.

Three steps... close enough for Suho to slash.

Lee just remained smiling.

And then Suho slashed.

But the moment he did, Lee did as well.

*CLANG*

The moment the swords touched, Suho expected Lee to step in and try to bind his blade.

But Lee didn't.

Instead, he backed off and swung his sword again, aiming not at Suho, but at Suho's sword.

Suho was caught off guard and barely managed to cling to his sword as Lee's heavy blow struck it. And then he realized his mistake.

A domineering and heavy stream of attacks. Tight sword twirls that transitioned into heavy slashes aimed not at vital spots, but all over Suho's body. As if it didn't matter what got hit, only that something was.

Suho's eyes flashed blue with mana as he instinctively reinforced his body further with magic power to keep up.

A series of clangs and sparks echoed as Lee's sword chopped towards Suho's body, barely deflected by Suho's intuition and reflexes.

"Oh my god, am I a mob character?! I can't see the swords!"

"You idiot, just use your mana to reinforce your eyesight."

"YOU CAN DO THAT!?"

"Lee Shin is ABSOLUTELY smurfing. What the hell is that speed?!"

Suho felt sweat run down his brow as he frantically blocked Lee's sword... and ONLY block too since he didn't have the time or spacing to parry or deflect.

'If Lee can fight with a sword like this then why the heck did this guy-'

*"Fine. I guess I should test something out now too."*

A fragment of a memory from last night. An offhand comment Lee made.

Suho met Lee's latest blow with a heavy one of his own to open space and jumped back. As he did, he laughed and said, "You bastard. You fixed your problem just before the exam duels, didn't you?"

Lee idly twirled his sword and said, "Maybe, maybe not. The world may never know. But." He hummed and said, "I can say one thing. You are definitely a master at using your sword. But I don't think you've mastered the sword yet. You're not a swordmaster, but more like a sword saint, aren't you? A guy who slashes to cut through everything in front of him."

Suho froze.

'How did he- No, does he know?'

Suho stared at Lee, wondering if he knew Suho's secret. And his Gift... but that guy didn't seem to. Instead, it was more like he was perceiving weakspots in Suho's fighting style instead.

Lee stared back at Suho, a thoughtful look on his face. "Hm... If you have the right weapon, you're unbeatable. But it's kind of limited then. Your concept of how to use a sword is too narrow."

Suho blinked. Then his eyes narrowed as he comprehended Lee's words. "...Too narrow, huh?" He glanced at the sword in his hand. Then he thought about how Lee had been fighting, as well as the difference in their way of fighting.

"Hey." Lee rested his sword on his shoulders again and said, "Suho. What do you think a sword is?"

Suho paused. "...A sword is something you use to cut down your enemies and to protect others."

"By that definition, so is an axe. And a cleaver. Or a knife." Lee looked at Suho again and said, "If it's just to 'cut,' then why are you not fighting like that?"

Suho's eyes widened in realization.

'...To cut. Just to cut.'

Right.

Lee was absolutely right.

If, to Suho, the sword was just something meant to cut...

Lee smiled and then pointed his sword at Suho again. As he did, he said, "To me, a sword is just a sharp metal stick. I smash, chop, cut, slash, stab... all of those attacks are available to me. But that's because I've trained with all those forms of attacks. But, if to you, a sword is purely for cutting. Then shouldn't you just focus on that? And on things that allow you 'to cut?'"

Suho straightened.

It might just be an illusion. A hallucination from his fatigue.

But for a moment, he thought he heard something click. Like a lock falling off.

"...You're right, Lee." Suho smiled. "If a sword is something that cuts. Then there's no need for anything like defense, parrying, or evasion."

Lee's eyes widened. "W-Wait. Suho, hold on-"

"I just need to cut."

After that, Suho stepped forward and swung his sword.

It was too far to reach Lee.

There was still space between them.

But...

Suho felt it.

If a sword was something 'to cut.'

...Then the sword didn't have to be the thing he held in his hand.

An invisible ripple. Space itself seemed to distort for just a second as a pure line spread out.

And then Lee blurred and Suho felt his arm knocked up towards the sky.

The moment it was, the clouds above the arena split apart, revealing the clear blue sky.

And the moment it did-

> A great epiphany has been achieved!

> Your Gift [Sword Saint] has mutated!

> [Sword Saint] has become [Sword that Cleaves Fate]

-Suho felt something inside him change.

But at the same time, he fainted.

===

Lee stared at Suho laying flat on the ground. Then he looked up at the completely split apart sky, revealing just the thinnest line of pure black from the atmosphere being split apart.

After that, he quietly murmured, "Note to self. Stop giving ideas to geniuses."

The speakers crackled on and then the announcer's voice roared. "IN AN AMAZING TURNABOUT, THE WINNER IS LEE SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!"

Immediately after that...

"NOOOOOOOOOOO! My money!"

"HAH! I TOLD you he'd win! 1000X odds for the win, baby!"

"LEE YOU GODDAMNED MAGNIFICENT BASTARD! DRINKS ON ME!"

...The crowd erupted in noise.

Lee chuckled and decided to go along with the vibes. Pointing his sword at the sky, he said, "To infinity... and beyond!"

"UWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

===

Meanwhile. In the waiting room doing some last minute prepwork before his duel with Lee.

Hajin paused in the middle of strapping a bag of pocket sand to his waist as he felt a buzz on his smartwatch.

At the same time he felt that buzz...

> Luck applies! The fervor around Kim Suho's duel heavily skewed the odds!

> You have won the bet at 2000:1 odds by placing a bet on Kim Suho's opponent!

> Luck applies! Your wife, Kim Yeonha, is in the mood for being comforted and will seek you out the moment you finish your duel.

> Modified Setting: Kim Suho has achieved an epiphany to awaken his true Gift early.

> Modified Setting: As a patchwork solution, due to the changed circumstances, even if everything becomes a mess, raise the level of the opponents.

...A series of VERY concerning messages popped up in front of Hajin's eyes.

He stared at them.

He blinked.

He stared at them again.

Then Hajin let out a long suffering sigh. "...Fuck it. I'm going to start snipping plot threads."

If the co-author is playing speed chess and fast and loose with Hajin's setting now, then Hajin might as well do the same...

But first.

The announcer's voice echoed over the speakers.

"Next match! The obviously smurfing Lee Shin versus... the Sadistic War Machine!"

Hajin facepalmed. "...Everyone's lost the plot."

What happened to the prestigious Cube midterm exams...?

"...Well, I guess this is more realistic."

Hajin sighed.

Since the midterm exams were basically on the level of Worlds for League, if there was a crowd favorite or some iconic people, the administration would play it up for publicity.

And as much as he was cringing at everything happening...

> You have gained a great deal of SP!

> You current SP is still being tabulated due to the rapid increases!

> We thank you for your patience.

...It was working out in his favor? Probably?

"Now entering... KIM HAJIIIIIIN!"

"And there's my cue." Hajin let out a slow breath and shook off his nerves. After that, he made sure the standard issue duel armor was secured.

And then he started heading out.

The crowd was already hyped, cheers filling the air.

As Hajin walked out, he started reviewing what he knew about Lee.

'If I remember right, there was a Lee Wei as an extra in my story...'

Hajin vaguely remembered using a generic name to fill up the ranks on Rachel's team.

So it was possible that Lee was just a revised version of that extra that the co-author made-

"Wait." Hajin paused right in front of the door to the arena entrance.

"Lee Wei. Lee wei... Leeway. And Lee keeps insisting his name means Different Belief- GOD FUCKING-"