Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 250

Weapon-Devouring Illegitimate Son – Episode 250

The research sessions with my eldest brother, initially twice a week, gradually increased to every other day.

My interpretation of the Mind Sword Style differed greatly from my eldest brother’s.

This led to many debates, and the sparring sessions were an extension of those debates.

Of course, there was no right or wrong in these debates.

Interpretations of the Mind Sword are unique to each individual, and reaching the pinnacle of the Mind Sword involves refining these individual interpretations to their limits.

After several weeks passed.

My eldest brother and I managed to establish our respective interpretations, albeit imperfectly.

Even for my eldest brother, who was at a higher level than me, the Mind Sword Style seemed to be a significant stepping stone to enlightenment.

“Thank you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Thanks to you, I broke through a wall.”

That day, I saw my eldest brother unleash magic with Aura [a life force or energy field].

Conversely, I also saw the Twelve Movements of the Soong Moo Yi Family [a fictional martial arts clan] being executed with magic alone, without any Aura.

“The boundary between magic and martial arts has disappeared. I don’t know whether to call this magic or martial arts. Perhaps, it’s closer to unique magic.”

My eldest brother had pioneered an entirely new realm.

He could unleash the Mind Sword through magic, or unleash magic through the Mind Sword.

‘He’s truly a monster.’

Technically, physically, and mentally… my eldest brother was a near-perfect warrior.

I stared at my eldest brother with a look of bewilderment.

“More importantly, unique magic? Didn’t you have unique magic until now?”

“No, I did. However, compared to this martial art I’ve created… no, this magical art… anyway, it’s nothing more than outdated.”

That was probably true.

There was probably no one in this world who could unleash the Mind Sword with magic.

No, in the first place, there was no one who could learn both magic and Aura.

“Give it a name.”

“…What do you mean?”

“This was created with you. I couldn’t have created it without your Evil Eye and magic control ability.”

“I thought the process of naming unique magic was also important.”

“Any name you give it will be sufficient.”

I wasn’t very confident in naming things, and after much deliberation, I decided on a simple and clear name.

My eldest brother had a vague expression when he heard the name, though.

“You couldn’t have come up with something more stylish… Anyway, these youngsters these days.”

“…Then you can name it, elder brother.”

“Never mind. This is enough. It only has meaning if you name it.”

Thus, a discipline unprecedented in history, the Magic Sword Style (魔劍式), was born.

The Magic Sword Style was recognized by the elders of the Soong Moo Yi Family and registered as a new profound art, with its secret manual stored in the underground library.

In the magical world, it was recognized as a new concept of magic, and my eldest brother was promoted from a quasi-2nd class mage to a full 2nd class mage.

My eldest brother’s martial prowess had changed even more than it had a few weeks prior.

Some time passed since then, and my eldest brother returned from the Magic Tower after completing his promotion examination and said to me.

“I’ve shown what I’ve gained, now show me what you’ve gained.”

“What do you mean I’ve gained something?”

“Don’t hide it, you rascal. You’ve gained something, haven’t you? You’ve been tormenting me so much lately.”

…Of course, I didn’t spend the last few weeks trying to make my eldest brother stronger.

I was able to increase the casting speed of the Mind Sword like my eldest brother, and I was able to reduce the consumption of energy while freely manipulating the Mind Sword.

However, such growth was all secondary.

“It’s not complete yet. I’ll show you when it’s complete. You’ll probably… be surprised. I was surprised myself while doing it.”

“You were surprised…?”

I could see my eldest brother flinching.

I looked down at the Mind Sword Style and wore a subtle smile.

* * *

During the sparring sessions, I only used the Mind Sword with my eldest brother.

I applied the topics that were brought up each time and unleashed the Mind Sword according to our respective interpretations.

So there was no clear victory or defeat.

Of course, if we had to determine a winner, I had lost far more often.

‘But this time will be different.’

I clenched the Black Night in my hand and smiled.

My eldest brother and I stood facing each other on a wide plain owned by the Soong Moo Yi Family.

Since we couldn’t unleash our full power in the training hall, we had no choice but to come out this far.

“…Are you ready?”

My eldest brother said, drawing his sword.

“Yes, are you ready, elder brother?”

“Heh heh, you cheeky fellow. Come at me anytime.”

I gripped the Black Night and took a stance.

My eldest brother’s and my stance were exactly symmetrical.

As brothers, our appearances were somewhat similar, and our stances, physiques, the direction of our gazes, and the speed of our breathing were also similar.

Holding the sword in my right hand, I took a step forward.

I was the one who moved first.

‘He’s moving first?’

Lee Myung-jung [the eldest brother’s name] narrowed his eyes slightly.

The youngest’s Mind Sword is, after all, a technique that has reached the pinnacle of reactive initiative, that is, counterattacks.

It is strong because it is unleashed a beat late, and it cannot be blocked because it is not extended first.

But he moved first.

‘What on earth is he trying to do?’

Lee Myung-jung raised his Bloodless Blade and drew up his magic power.

Thump! Rumble!

With a heavy noise, the Aura in the air began to take on different properties.

Magic Sword Style Form 1, Fire Rain.

The Soong Moo Yi Family’s Meteorite Strike was imbued with high-level fire attribute magic.

Dozens of fireballs filling the air swirled around, each carrying the energy of Mind Sword severance.

It was at that moment.

Rattle!

Weapons began to take shape in the air.

Lee Myung-jung looked at me with wide eyes, as if in disbelief.

Why is he unleashing that unidentified technique now?

Wasn’t this a situation where we were competing with the Mind Sword?

But soon, Lee Myung-jung realized the reason.

‘The youngest’s Mind Sword… is splitting apart.’

The mental image swelling from within Lee Chul [the youngest brother’s name] was imbued in the various weapons floating in the air.

And the power of the Magic Sword Style filling the air clashed with Lee Chul’s weapons.

────Clang!

Immediately after the collision, Lee Myung-jung frowned at the roar that penetrated the magic power protecting his ears.

Anyway, he himself had a magic power output that was twice that of an average person, but his younger brother had a tremendous magic power output that was by no means inferior to his.

‘…No, wait. A roar?’

Lee Myung-jung’s eyes widened in surprise.

His Mind Sword has no sound or form that can be identified.

That’s because it cuts everything away.

But a sound was heard.

In other words.

His Mind Sword, which collided with Lee Chul’s, had been pierced.

Whoosh!

Soon, the energy of the collapsed Mind Sword spread out around them.

The ground trembled, and the air rushed violently, leaving only silence behind.

The clash between Mind Swords ended like that.

“What happened?”

Lee Myung-jung immediately asked the question.

Lee Chul had clearly broken his Mind Sword just now.

He had never broken it in a head-on confrontation before, but he had done it.

“Nothing is impossible. Didn’t you say that, elder brother?”

“Yes, I did. So what exactly did you do?”

“The Mind Sword is about bringing one’s mental image to the world. And my Mind Sword was freedom.”

“Yes. I understand, so tell me how you did it.”

Lee Myung-jung saw it.

The youngest’s Mind Sword was branching out.

And its nature… had changed.

I nonchalantly retrieved all the Black Knights that had been shattered by colliding with my eldest brother’s Mind Sword and said as if it were nothing.

“So I changed it.”

“…Changed? What?”

“The form of the Mind Sword. Ah… to be precise, I should say the mindset with which I draw the Mind Sword. Or should I say the emotion? Hmm. Anyway, I changed that.”

“…?”

My eldest brother frowned as if he didn’t understand.

“Doesn’t the latter part of the Mind Sword Style say this?

[…However, the human mental image cannot be defined as one. The mental image is always changing. Accordingly, the Mind Sword also changes.

To release a stable Mind Sword, one must be able to control one’s mental image.]”

“Wasn’t that passage essentially meant to master an immovable mind?”

Since a person’s mind is bound to change according to external factors, one should cultivate oneself to control it and use the Mind Sword stably.

Lee Myung-jung interpreted it that way.

“I interpreted it a little differently. It said that the mental image changes, didn’t it?”

Lee Myung-jung paused to organize his thoughts, wondering what he meant.

Mental image.

A word that means the form of the mind.

The Mind Sword creates a Mind Sword by taking out the fundamental mental image that each warrior has through magic power.

‘And… the youngest’s mental image was freedom.’

It can’t be defined exactly as ‘freedom,’ but that was the closest expression.

The moment he thought that far, Lee Myung-jung realized what this monstrous youngest brother had done.

“You’re now… you’ve realized a way to change the form of the Mind Sword?”

“I think it’s possible because it’s me. You know, my Mind Sword is arbitrary.”

My Mind Sword can be anything.

Until now, I had been bound by the shackles of reactive initiative, but I threw it away.

Whether I extend it first or later.

In the end, what was important was that I could freely change its nature.

If so.

‘Isn’t it possible that it may not change depending on the opponent in the first place?’

Lee Myung-jung felt his hand tremble for a moment.

“Of course, as you saw, it’s still incomplete and requires the help of external objects. I have to change my mental image, but this can’t be done by training.”

My Mind Sword has the potential to be anything, but honestly, I still can’t control my mental image freely.

…It’s easy to say, but the mental image is located in the deepest part of the unconscious.

There’s a reason why the unconscious is called the unconscious.

Even high-ranking monks who have cultivated their minds to the limit find it difficult to change their unconscious at will.

So now I needed the power of the Black Knights.

Reviving the experience of dividing my consciousness to deploy the Thousand Lances, I tried to create weapons through the Black Knights and forcibly imbue them with different properties of the Mind Sword.

“It’s still lacking. It’s not even complete. I was secretly trying to break through your Mind Sword, but I only managed to block it.”

This incredibly amazing youngest brother didn’t look too good, perhaps because he felt uneasy about unleashing an incomplete technique.

Lee Myung-jung, who was watching him, had rather complicated feelings.

‘Blocked it? No. It was clearly broken.’

It’s true that it was helplessly blocked because it wasn’t a real battle and he didn’t expect it, but do warriors even consider such things in sparring?

And more importantly, there was something else.

‘Changing the nature of the Mind Sword. That means….’

In other words, the day that is completed, Lee Chul will have many ‘Mind Swords.’

It’s not just about infiltrating the opponent’s energy according to the opponent’s nature and crushing the opponent’s energy.

Literally formless freedom.

Lee Chul may be able to use his Mind Sword.

Lee Chul’s Mind Sword… will be out of specification.

‘But is that a realm allowed to humans?’

Lee Myung-jung couldn’t hide his surprised expression as he watched Lee Chul begin to clean up the chaotic surroundings.

My eldest brother and I wanted to continue researching after that.

Both my eldest brother and I felt that we were growing day by day.

If possible, we wanted to share our respective realizations and move on to a higher level.