EP.30
Long, long ago, it is said there was a wicked dragon in this world.
A colossal beast with seven heads and ten crowned horns.
Bestowed with power, throne, and authority from the ‘Old Snake,’ this dragon was permitted to wield its dominion for 42 days, during which it allegedly ruled over the entire world with its immense strength.
The dragon possessed the ability to mesmerize humans, leading them to worship and praise this foul beast that was on the brink of annihilating the world.
At that moment, the ones who rose against the malignant dragon were none other than the Seven Heroes, who, after fierce battles, managed to send the dragon back into the depths of the abyss.
Among the Seven Heroes, the Sword Saint utilized a technique known as the ‘Dance of the Dragon’ to defeat the beast.
An art specifically honed for slaying dragons, one that could not be resisted by human strength alone.
While crafted to slay dragons, ironically, it involved imitating the dragon’s power, mimicking its breath and mirroring its senses.
This is precisely why the ‘Dance of the Dragon’ can only be wielded by those who descend from the House of Pendragon.
An ordinary human body lacks the capability to fully reproduce the might of the dance, even if one attempts to perform it.
However, the descendants of Pendragon are born with the innate supernatural ability of synesthesia, granting them the capacity to accept and embody such skills.
– But yours is somewhat different.
“Why is that?”
– Within your mind resides the descendant of Pendragon, endowed with the ability of synesthesia.
Currently, Erekaya del Pendragon exists, preserving her soul neatly within a corner of Jin’s mental realm.
A single body housing two souls. Yet, these souls do not reject each other, having merged to some extent.
– Thus, it means that, with my assistance, you can wield the ability of synesthesia, even if just a little. Moreover, you meet the minimum conditions to replicate the ‘Dance of the Dragon.’
“However, you know, this ability of synesthesia feels frankly quite vague, doesn’t it?”
– What do you mean by that?
“I mean, look at others who can breathe fire from their hands, shoot lightning, or teleport—yet I’m left with just sharing one sense with another; isn’t that a bit insignificant?”
– Well, it is true to some extent. Synesthesia, on the surface, doesn’t seem like an overwhelmingly grand ability.
But, Erekaya added another remark.
– You will come to realize through practice why the House of Pendragon, despite having such a modest ability, has risen to fame as the mightiest warrior family of the Empire.
As such, Jin stood in the center of the magic practice ground, which Claire had introduced as her usual training area, drawing his sword.
– Before we commence serious training, let me make it clear: Humans can never surpass dragons.
Dragons are the strongest beings among creatures on the surface. They are colossal, powerful, agile, and effortlessly manipulate the magic in the atmosphere.
The eyes of a dragon can see beyond human perception, and its wings allow it to soar to heights unattainable by human survival.
Furthermore, the ‘senses’ of a dragon supposedly far exceed the perceptual capacity that a human can accommodate, by hundreds of thousands of times.
– The ‘Dance of the Dragon’ mimics the abilities of dragons only to meet the bare minimum requirements for combat. It is never intended to directly confront their power.
The difference between dragons and humans is akin to comparing humans to ants. Even if an ordinary human were to face hundreds of thousands, they would scarcely leave a scratch.
– The scales of the dragon are tougher than anything in the world. The dragon’s breath is hotter than anything in existence. The dragon’s claws are sharper than anything known to man.
And those who dance the Dance of the Dragon emulate such powers of the dragon.
– Realize that you are steadfast. Realize that you are swifter than anyone else. Realize that your sword is sharper than anything else in this world.
Then, at the end of it all, the soul of the dragon will reside within your sword.
Shiver.
The sword in Jin’s hand moves of its own accord. Erekaya applied her ability of synesthesia, transferring the “correct sense” of wielding the sword entirely to Jin.
The sword dance unfolds. A beautiful sword dance tracing an incomprehensible trajectory, one that even the wielder cannot fully grasp.
And as the Dance of the Dragon continues, Jin feels the world around him expanding exponentially beyond its previous confines.
“…..!”
Through his eyes, he perceives ‘sound’ and ‘smell.’ The ‘taste’ of air lingers in his ears. It becomes possible for him to ‘see’ objects beyond the reach of his vision with his fingertips.
His sixth sense, enveloping all of this, feels as if the amount of information it could process directly correlating to his five senses is increasing without limit.
Though the distance is limited, within this range, he could become aware of everything. If he wished, he could even discern another’s heartbeat or the movements of their muscles.
‘Goodness.’
Though this power is not his own—merely a temporary borrowing from Erekaya—Jin shudders at the sensation, expanded many times over, flooding through his existing senses.
To think that an ordinary human could grasp and process such vast quantities of information. It is akin to… possessing the senses of a deity, not merely a human.
If he could wield his sword in such a state of heightened perception, there would be no one who could block his single strike, barring those who have reached the level of a Master.
– Do you understand now? This is precisely the Dance of the Dragon.
And Erekaya, watching Jin’s reaction with apparent satisfaction, smiled.
– It is the weapon of the Divine Realm, crafted to approach and ultimately hunt the dragons.
It is beautiful.
As Erekaya gazed in a daze at the sword Jin wielded, that was her first thought.
She did not mean that the sword itself was beautiful. Nor did she imply that his level of swordsmanship was supreme.
On the surface, his sword seemed clumsy, akin to someone wielding a sword for the first time in their life—awkward and very rough.
Yet it was undeniably the Dance of the Dragon that he was executing. Because Erekaya’s synesthesia informed her that the swordsmanship he was displaying was indeed the ‘Dance of the Dragon.’
However, his swordsmanship was, quite frankly, abysmal.
The original finesse inherent to the Dance of the Dragon had vanished completely, leaving only a coarse and clumsy display of swordplay.
To an unknowing observer, it would appear as if he were being led astray by some taught technique rather than actually performing swordsmanship.
Yet, Erekaya, possessing the gift of synesthesia inherited from the bloodline of Pendragon, could not help but gaze at what he was attempting.
His sword was crude. But within it lay an inexplicable mastery.
His sword was rough. Yet it contained an unknown intricacy.
His sword was awkward. However, within it lay an age-old understanding of sword principles that she could not comprehend.
The Dance of the Dragon he was weaving… Surprisingly transcended the ‘Dance of the Dragon’ that Erekaya knew.
– To put it metaphorically, it is akin to Erekaya ten years from now, having undergone endless training, newly redefined and perfected form of the ‘Dance of the Dragon.’
While possessing tremendous power, it is also an incomplete ‘Dance of the Dragon’—a martial art that could not be mastered without the supernatural ability of synesthesia and genius talent, dismantled and then reconstructed into a form of art.
Sometimes dropping the sword, sometimes losing posture, and sometimes losing balance and falling—his appearance was by no means something to be disparaged.
“Ah.”
Unconsciously, she let out a moan between her lips. How could one not be moved? How could one not be enraptured?
The culmination of the sword she had always dreamed of, the ideal she had desired, was right there.
Thump.
Her heart began to race uncontrollably. Her vision of the world narrowed dramatically, creating the feeling that only she and that man remained in the center of the universe.
“…..!”
Then it happened. The synesthesia she possessed resonated with that of the man. As if it was meant to be from the beginning, the two started to blend together naturally.
‘Why…?’
She couldn’t understand. This resonance phenomenon was something that typically only occurred among close blood relatives of the Pendragon bloodline.
Yet, why was this resonance phenomenon happening between her and that man, who had no ties to the Pendragon lineage?
Moreover, how could he possibly display the Dance of the Dragon, which should only be performed by one of Pendragon lineage, and possess the ability of synesthesia?
‘Could it be—’
She was already aware that the man had some connection to the House of Pendragon.
Despite the vastness of the world and the many hidden powers within it, it was rare for someone of merely teenage years to have the potential to produce a Master.
Additionally, Erekaya often felt that the way he carried himself and his manners bore subtle traces of the etiquette of the House of Pendragon.
Of course, such etiquette was rendered meaningless by his often casual and undignified behavior.
Taking all of this into account, it seemed clear that he had learned martial arts from someone connected to the House of Pendragon.
Perhaps, just perhaps, it could even be said that he had a master who was a Sword Saint that had vanished fifty years ago.
However, learning martial arts from someone associated with the House of Pendragon was an entirely different matter than possessing the ability of synesthesia.
Synesthesia was a supernatural ability that only those of Pendragon’s bloodline could possess. Throughout the long history of the continent, there had never been a single individual born with the ability of synesthesia who was unrelated to the Pendragon bloodline.
Moreover, now this phenomenon of resonance was occurring. Up until now, the only individual she had ever experienced such a phenomenon with was her father, the Duke of Pendragon.
So why was there a resonance happening with this unfamiliar man, and how was he executing such a perfect ‘Dance of the Dragon’?
As she gazed steadily at the man, why was her heart racing so wildly?
And there was only one possible explanation that could clarify it all.
“Is it possible… he is.”
This was solely a conjecture, a story that was too unreal, and no matter how many times she considered it, it seemed utterly absurd—
But he might, just might, share the same blood as Erekaya del Pendragon.