Chapter 12: The Great battle of illusion(2)

With the Hwanryeong Grand Tournament just three days away, Hwanryeong began actively spreading news about the event.
[Hwanryeong Grand Tournament Countdown…]
[Who will the awakeners be this time?]
[Shin Sungmin expresses positive stance on participating in the Hwanryeong Grand Tournament…]
[Can Yoo Danha, last year’s champion, live up to her reputation?]
Articles like these flooded the media like a storm.
The news of Shin Sungmin’s participation, in particular, set many online communities ablaze.
It wasn’t something that could be dismissed as mere gossip.
Why? Because Shin Sungmin, who typically shunned media exposure, had personally agreed to an interview with a broadcaster.
– Hello, Shin Sungmin. I’m Lee Sunjung, an announcer from KBU.
– Hello. I’m Shin Sungmin, an awakener from the Hwanryeong Guild.
A young man with a polished appearance and a somewhat reserved demeanor appeared on the broadcast.
– I was so surprised when you agreed to this interview.
– Haha. I don’t usually enjoy media exposure, so I feel a bit guilty toward the public who’ve been waiting to hear from me.
– No, no. It just shows how dedicated you are to protecting the people.
– Thank you for understanding.
– Haha. I’m not speaking for the public, but as a fan curious about you, I’m really looking forward to this interview.
– So am I.
For someone usually so reserved to smile and express excitement about an interview was surprising.
Many viewers were shocked.
The reason for Shin Sungmin’s good mood was simple.
He’d had fun teasing Adein before coming to the interview.
– Shall we get into the interview then?
– Yes. Feel free to ask anything you’re curious about. I’m open to all questions.
– Great. Let’s start with the big news… the Hwanryeong Grand Tournament.
– I knew that question was coming.
– A lot of people are wondering why you, Shin Sungmin, feel the need to participate in the tournament.
– I know many think I don’t need to compete… but this time, I just felt like joining after a long break.
– May I ask why?
– Haha. Sure. There’s no grand reason, really. I just wanted to participate. It’s been a while, and I wanted to spar with Hwanryeong’s awakeners.
– But you’re one of the top S-rank awakeners in Korea, aren’t you?
– That doesn’t mean I can’t lose to lower-rank awakeners. Hwanryeong’s awakeners are strong. I thought sparring with them would teach me something, so I decided to join this time.
– I see…
– I’m especially looking forward to facing Yoo Danha, last year’s champion.
– Yoo Danha is A-rank, right?
– She’s likely grown even stronger since then. I think she’ll be the most formidable opponent this time.
– Oh, so you’re going in with full commitment?
– Of course. I always give my all when facing any awakener.
Watching the interview, Yoo Soha glared at Shin Sungmin’s slight smile, feeling a bit irritated.
“Soha? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
“…Are you upset?”
“A little.”
“May I ask why?”
“It feels like he’s saying I’m not even worth mentioning.”
“…I see.”
“To be honest, it’s not like I don’t get it. I got utterly crushed by unnie last year.”
Yoo Soha shook her head, as if she didn’t even want to think about that moment.
“What was it like?”
“Humiliating. I couldn’t break through Hidelixus, and unnie was gleefully sniping from atop it.”
“That must’ve been tough. Facing two well-coordinated opponents alone is overwhelming unless your skill is exceptional.”
“Exactly. That’s why I lost so badly. All my weapons were blocked by Hidelixus.”
“Blocked… so Hidelixus acted like a wall?”
“Exactly.”
Yoo Soha recalled Hidelixus from last year.
Holding a massive iron shield, it had blocked every single one of her attacks without a single gap.
It was, to her, nothing less than a wall.
And it wasn’t like she could prepare enough firepower to break through Hidelixus in one go.
The kind of bombardment she’d shown Eclipse before consumed a significant amount of mana, requiring a frontline to hold off the enemy.
So, the outcome was as everyone expected: Yoo Soha’s crushing defeat.
Chewing on that memory, Yoo Soha spoke.
“The Hwanryeong Grand Tournament is broadcast to the entire nation.”
“…So everyone saw you.”
“Yeah. Even with all the media out there, the tournament still pulls in high viewership.”
“….”
“I still shudder thinking about it. Losing was bad enough, but realizing how powerless I was made my skin crawl. And to top it all off, I showed that pathetic side to everyone watching.”
“It must’ve been humiliating.”
“It was. I know unnie is stronger than me. A Guardian Star is a key part of an awakener’s strength. But losing that badly? I couldn’t forgive myself. So…”
Pausing briefly, she glanced at Shin Sungmin, who hadn’t even mentioned her as a contender, then turned to Eclipse.
“I’ve got to pay them back. So, Eclipse.”
“Speak.”
“Help me. You said you wanted to see me stand arrogantly above others, right? I’ll show you. So help me.”
“Are you satisfied relying on my strength?”
“Of course. I told you, didn’t I? A Guardian Star is part of an awakener’s power. You’re here because I summoned you, so doesn’t that make your strength mine?”
“…Fair point.”
“Our goal is simple: victory.”
“Victory?”
“Yeah. Shin Sungmin, unnie, all of them—I’m going to beat them.”
“Simple. I like it.”
“You’ll probably have to put in some effort too.”
“Just what I wanted. I’ve been itching to move after all this quiet time.”
“Perfect. Oh, but.”
“But?”
“I’ll handle the small fries myself. You step in when it looks like I’m going to lose. Got it?”
“How many opponents like that are there in Hwanryeong?”
“Not many. If there were, I wouldn’t be team leader. My father’s all about merit. If I was stupid, slow, or weak, I’d never have made it to team leader.”
“Hm. Understood.”
Eclipse nodded, the clank of his old armor echoing.
“But.”
Yoo Soha narrowed her eyes, glaring at Eclipse.
“Hm?”
“Your armor… I know it’s your master’s keepsake, but isn’t it too worn out?”
“It’s worn, but it functions fine. It’s just the appearance that’s rough.”
“No way, that’s ridiculous. It looks like it’s been used for decades…”
“It functions fine.”
Eclipse said firmly to Yoo Soha.
“…If people see you show up to the Hwanryeong Grand Tournament in that beat-up armor, what will they say?”
“Is being worn a problem?”
“They’ll probably say it looks shabby. Compare it to unnie’s Hidelixus—it’s got such a refined, stylish look.”
“Appearance doesn’t matter to me. And wearing unfamiliar armor would just be uncomfortable.”
“Even if it’s custom-made to fit you perfectly?”
“Yes. Even a perfectly crafted armor wouldn’t compare to my familiar, worn one.”
Seeing Eclipse’s stubborn attitude toward his armor, Yoo Soha let out a low sigh.
“Ha. Fine.”
She wanted to rip off that old armor and put him in a shiny new one, but with his attitude, that was a lost cause.
Eclipse was cooperative in most matters, but when it came to his armor, he wouldn’t budge an inch.
‘Is it some kind of artifact? Like how his broken greatsword holds power, maybe the armor does too?’
That was the only explanation Yoo Soha could come up with.
“Does that armor have some special ability?”
“No. It’s just ordinary armor.”
“You really have no interest in new armor? It looks uncomfortable to me.”
Yoo Soha looked up at him with an uncharacteristically pleading expression.
“Is appearance that important?”
“It is to me.”
“Unfortunately, I value what’s familiar to me. I’ll cooperate on everything else, but I’d appreciate it if you stopped worrying about my armor.”
“…Ha. Fine.”
Yoo Soha had no choice but to back off.
If Eclipse had been difficult about everything, she might’ve pushed back, strong or not, but he usually gave in to her.
So, she had to concede on this, even if it was inconvenient.
Shaking her head slightly, Yoo Soha looked at Eclipse again.
“What now?”
“Nothing big. Just… I’m counting on you. Three days from now.”
“I’m counting on you too.”
As Yoo Soha held out her fist, Eclipse lightly bumped it with his own.
Feeling the cold touch of his worn gauntlet against her fist, Yoo Soha steeled her resolve.
In three days, she’d overturn every perception about her.