“Jiho-yah, want to go for a round?”
Taehyun, Jisoo, and Hanbin all turned sharply, their eyes wide with disbelief.
“What?” Taehyun blurted, looking as if he had misheard.
Soobin scratched his neck awkwardly, flashing an uneasy smile. “Haha… After seeing your fight with Taehyun, I kind of want to spar with you too,” he said, his voice almost hesitant.
Jiho’s smile widened as he nodded, his tone casual. “Of course. I’d be happy to.”
“NO.”
Taehyun stepped between them, his voice resolute. “Soobin, have you lost your mind? Just what are you saying?”
Soobin’s face softened. “Taehyun-ah, I understand why you’re like this, but… I’ll be fine. You promised to trust me, didn’t you?”
“Ugh,” Taehyun groaned, turning to Hanbin. “Hanbin, tell him something!”
Hanbin hesitated, glancing worriedly at Soobin. “S-Soobin… I think Taehyun’s right. It’s too much for you.”
Despite their protests, Soobin remained firm. “I still want to do it. Jiho, what about you?”
Jiho shrugged, his calm demeanor unshaken. “Let’s do it. Taehyun-ah, don’t worry—it’s just a normal spar.”
Taehyun buried his face in his hands, groaning louder this time. “This guy…”
The instructor’s voice boomed across the training hall, silencing their bickering. “Students, prepare. The first one to land a hit wins.”
The sparring barrier activated, enclosing Jiho and Soobin in a glowing circular field.
Taehyun, Jisoo, and Hanbin stood at the edge, their gazes fixed on the match. Other students gathered as well, murmuring excitedly at the rare sight of Jiho taking on another challenger.
“Ugh, this guy,” Taehyun muttered again, massaging his temples.
Jisoo, both curious and annoyed, glanced at him. “I get that Jiho’s tough, but why are you so overprotective of him? It’s just a sparring match. Everyone trains like this.”
Taehyun hesitated before responding, his voice quieter. “You don’t understand. He’s… not like us. He can’t take it.”
“What do you mean, ‘can’t take it’? Even the weakest among us can handle this kind of spar,” Jisoo said, frowning.
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Taehyun exhaled heavily. “Soobin doesn’t have a spirit core.”
Jisoo’s eyes widened in shock. “What?”
A hush fell over their conversation.
People born with spirit cores naturally possessed enhanced physical abilities, even before contracting a spirit. Their bodies were far stronger than those of ordinary humans, making them capable of enduring the intense training required of spirit energy users.
“Then why is he even here?” Jisoo asked.
“Both of Soobin’s parents are heroes with spirit cores,” Taehyun explained. “It was assumed he might develop one later. That’s why he was allowed in. And, well… he’s good at studying too.”
Jisoo fell silent, her gaze drifting back to the barrier as the instructor called out, “Begin!”
Jiho moved immediately. Unlike his previous spar with Taehyun, this time he was on the offensive. He closed the distance between them in a flash, his blade slicing through the air with precise, deliberate strikes.
Soobin’s eyes narrowed as he raised one of his daggers to parry, his movements controlled but far less fluid than Jiho’s. Each clash of their weapons echoed in the enclosed space, the sound sharp and jarring.
“Jiho’s being aggressive… Did he figure it out?” Soobin thought, his grip tightening on his daggers.
With each strike, Jiho pushed Soobin further back, his attacks relentless. Soobin struggled to keep up, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
“This will be over quickly,” Jisoo muttered, crossing her arms.
Taehyun and Hanbin remained silent, their expressions tense.
Jiho’s final strike came with an almost overwhelming force. Soobin braced himself, his dagger meeting the blade head-on. The impact sent him stumbling back, his feet skidding across the barrier floor.
Jiho smiled faintly, his voice calm but confident. “Let’s end this, Soobin-ah.”
He rushed forward, his sword poised to deliver the finishing blow.
Soobin, still crouched from the impact, made his move. With a flick of his wrist, he threw his second dagger directly towards Jiho. At the same time, he lunged forward towards him with his remaining dagger.
Jiho reacted instantly, slicing through the thrown dagger mid-air. His blade continued its trajectory, clashing with Soobin’s remaining dagger. The force of the strike sent Soobin to one knee, his body straining under the pressure.
“It’s over,” Jiho said, his blade poised inches from Soobin’s neck.
“Yeah,” Soobin replied, a faint smile playing on his lips. “I win.”
Jiho blinked, confused. “What?”
Before he could process Soobin’s words, the dagger Soobin had thrown earlier—now spinning wildly—fell from the air. It grazed Jiho’s shoulder, leaving a thin red line on his cheek.
Jiho instinctively touched his face, his fingers brushing against the small drop of blood.
The instructor’s voice rang out. “The fight is over. Soobin wins.”
A stunned silence fell over the hall.
“What?” Jisoo whispered, her expression mirroring the shock on Taehyun and Hanbin’s faces.
The barrier dissolved, and the instructor approached the two combatants. “While student Soobin has technically won, student Jiho displayed superior skill in all aspects. In a real-life battle, the outcome would likely be different. Soobin, focus on building your strength and stamina.”
As the crowd broke into murmurs, most students dismissed the result as a fluke.
“Jiho was clearly stronger,” someone whispered.
“Yeah, no way that guy’s better,” another added.
Taehyun, Jisoo, and Hanbin remained quiet, their gazes fixed on Soobin.
Jiho, now smiling faintly, extended a hand to Soobin. “Good job, Soobin-ah. That was impressive.”
This ends the flashback, and hence the writing style was a bit different, there were barely any reactions to previous chapter, so i hope this one has some.!
Soobin took the hand, his grip firm despite his exhaustion. “Thanks, Jiho-yah.”
Both Soobin and Jiho returned , and other than a few congratulations nothing much was talked about this fight . Soobin also stopped coming to practical classes from a few classes after this.