Chapter 15: The great battle of illusion (5)
[That was an excellent stance, Soha.]
“Thanks for the compliment.”
Yoo Soha happily soaked in Eclipse’s praise.
The first match was an easy victory, so what would the next one bring?
Judging by the unfamiliar name of her next opponent, it would likely be another easy win.
As she made her vague predictions, Eclipse spoke.
[Keep it up, and you’ll do fine. It’s not just about the sword. Fundamentals apply to any weapon.]
“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the advice, Eclipse.”
As the two shared a warm moment, a voice rang out.
[Eclipse? Who’s that, dear?]
The air twisted, and a familiar voice reached Yoo Soha’s ears.
In an instant, Eclipse materialized, assuming a combat stance.
Clad in worn armor and wielding a broken greatsword, he stood protectively in front of Yoo Soha, facing the voice in the air.
“Who are you?”
In response, Lumern materialized, glaring at him.
Her white hair and golden eyes gleamed sharply.
“Well, well? What’s this tin can? I’m the one who should be asking. Who are you to be with my granddaughter?”
Lumern began to draw on her power.
The surrounding space warped, and steel weapons started to appear.
“Granddaughter?”
But before she could fully summon them, a dumbfounded voice escaped Eclipse.
He glanced back at Yoo Soha, who looked at Lumern with a slightly embarrassed expression.
“G-Grandmother, what brings you here?”
“Grandmother…?”
“Well, dear, I think some explanation is in order.”
Caught between the two Guardian Stars in a standoff, Yoo Soha, uncharacteristically hesitant, spoke up.
“I see. So you’re Soha’s Guardian Star. Honestly, I approve. You sensed my presence and immediately took a combat stance. Your fundamentals are solid.”
“You’re too kind, Lumern-nim.”
It was an oddly formal tone.
“Just call me Lumern. Titles aren’t that important to me.”
“Understood, Lumern.”
“Grandmother, please, stop with the ‘dear’ thing.”
Yoo Soha seemed uncomfortable with Lumern’s use of “dear” since the conversation began.
Especially hearing it in front of Eclipse, her face was redder than ever.
“What’s wrong? You’re like a baby to me.”
“Even so…”
Eclipse now understood why Yoo Soha had insisted on calling Lumern “Lumern-nim” with such respect.
It was because she was her grandmother.
But then, why not just call her Grandmother?
Why address her like a stranger?
“Soha.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Couldn’t you have just told me from the start? That Lumern is your grandmother.”
“Well…”
Yoo Soha, who always projected perfection to Eclipse, couldn’t admit she’d simply forgotten to mention it.
“I was going to tell you later. After you revealed yourself today. I didn’t expect it to come up like this.”
“Hm.”
Eclipse sensed something off but didn’t press further.
In truth, there was no real need to mention it.
Lumern being her grandmother didn’t change anything significant.
“Anyway, it was worth the wait, dear. You’ve finally summoned a Guardian Star.”
“…Yes.”
“Are you pleased with your Guardian Star?”
“Yes. I couldn’t be happier.”
“There’s barely any mana emanating from him… yet he sensed my presence and went into combat mode instantly. He’s no ordinary being.”
“Haha, yes, exactly.”
Yoo Soha almost said, “He’s not ordinary—he’s incredibly strong,” but stopped herself.
Boasting about someone’s strength in front of Lumern would be like showing off in front of a master.
No Guardian Star, not even Adein, Shin Sungmin’s renowned S-rank partner, would dare claim strength before Lumern.
But contrary to Yoo Soha’s expectations, Lumern closely examined Eclipse and was startled.
A calmness with no trace of presence.
She had initially underestimated him due to his lack of mana, but the moment she truly observed him, her perspective shifted.
If Eclipse were truly ordinary, some kind of presence should have emanated from him.
Yet there was none—only pure tranquility.
And… Lumern knew exactly what that tranquility meant.
In her original world, only those who stood at the pinnacle displayed such calmness.
Those who could split the heavens and tear the earth with a gesture.
The tranquility of those who had reached transcendence, like the beings who were a step ahead of her when she achieved human status.
To her, Eclipse exuded a similar aura.
Something beyond human.
Lumern couldn’t confidently predict the outcome of a fight with him.
That realization brought her a rare smile as she spoke to Soha.
“Dear.”
“Yes, Grandmother.”
“You’ve chosen a strong Guardian Star.”
“Huh?”
Just moments ago, she’d said he wasn’t ordinary…
Yoo Soha couldn’t voice that thought.
Lumern’s approval meant her Guardian Star was ridiculously powerful.
A bright smile spread across her stunned face, mirroring the one she’d shown in the earlier fight.
Lumern smiled back.
“You kept this interesting fact hidden.”
“Yes, well… I planned to reveal it at the perfect moment.”
“And that’s today?”
“Yes.”
“Heh. Then I’ll watch with interest. I won’t tell the family.”
Yoo Soha hugged Lumern in gratitude.
“Thank you, Grandmother!”
“There, there.”
Moments later, as Lumern stroked her head, Yoo Soha realized how embarrassing her actions were.
“Oh, uh, I mean…”
“No need to be shy in front of me.”
“No, it’s not that…”
Yoo Soha’s gaze flicked toward Eclipse.
“Uh, um, thanks…”
Eclipse’s nonchalant attitude only amplified her embarrassment.
Lumern, looking at her with warm, affectionate eyes, found her adorable.
“Anyway, dear, I’ll be going. Prepare well and achieve great things.”
“…Yes, Grandmother.”
The air twisted again, and Lumern’s form vanished.
It was as if a storm had swept through.
And in the eye of that storm, Yoo Soha covered her flushed face with both hands.
Of course, Eclipse pretended not to notice, but that only made her feel even more embarrassed.
Little did she know.
As she acted this way, Eclipse smiled behind his visor.
‘So Soha has a normal side too.’
He found it even more endearing that his contractor wielded arrogance only when necessary.
The tournament progressed smoothly.
Yoo Soha, as expected, dominated with complete victories.
Yoo Danha watched, satisfied with her sister’s growth.
At this level, even if she went all out, Soha wouldn’t suffer a humiliating defeat.
“I’ve been underestimating Soha.”
Hidelixus nodded in agreement.
[Indeed.]
Hidelixus recalled the sword strike Yoo Soha had displayed.
Refined swordsmanship, not the sloppy, ineffective kind she’d shown before.
Her steps, her breathing—everything was stable.
If her swordsmanship could overwhelm an opponent with just basic strikes, she might even break through his defenses.
[If I hadn’t recovered some of my original memories from the Fragment of Knowledge, I might have lost.]
“Exactly. So… I can go all out without worry.”
She checked her firearms, smiling faintly.
“She’s changed a lot, Soha. Her refined swordsmanship is impressive.”
Shin Sungmin looked at Yoo Soha with admiration.
The Soha he’d seen before relied on flashy but clumsy swordsmanship, making the contrast even more striking.
“Hmph. Still just a kid.”
“Don’t be too complacent, Adein. With the expectations on us, we’re at a disadvantage.”
“No way.”
As he cautioned her, Adein smacked the floor with her tail in frustration.
“Adein, you’re not sulking because I haven’t summoned you, are you?”
“No!”
Her tail thrashed harder, now making loud thumps.
“You’re definitely sulking. I didn’t summon you because it’d be unfair to the others.”
As Shin Sungmin said, he hadn’t summoned Adein in any of the tournament matches so far, facing other awakeners alone.
The result, of course, was total victory.
Adein was just one reason for his strength; he wasn’t weak without her.
He’d made it clear before the tournament began.
He wouldn’t summon Adein until the final match.
If he did, the tournament would lose its excitement.
The crowd, eager to see Adein’s beauty, had grumbled, but Shin Sungmin was firm.
“I know.”
“This tournament’s going to be fun.”
“It’s not fun for me.”
“Why’s that?”
Shin Sungmin approached Adein, who was voicing her complaints, and hugged her tightly.
Her hard horns poked his chest, but he didn’t mind.
“Ugh, I told you to stop doing this…”
Despite her protests, Adein leaned into his touch, contrary to her words.
Smiling at her reaction, Shin Sungmin looked down at the colosseum with anticipation.
There, Yoo Soha was dominating her opponent with a sharp expression.