Dancing on the golden ashes

I could see the fire of the two warriors blaze like a wildfire. Eun-woo suddenly roared, his hammer crashing down with power and raw desire. It was like a mountain barreling toward Seong-hoon, but this mountain was surprisingly swift. Has he been putting his points into agility, not just to be a meat shield? I was taken aback. I had never imagined I would see Eun-woo fight like this. To me, he had always been a protector, a shield—his offense was never his strength.

But looking at him now, I felt both proud and relieved. He was giving it his all, even though he could be a little dull sometimes. It made him cute in a way.

"Brother, you are really something. But do you think you've won just because you became a little faster?" Seong-hoon sneered, his eyes flashing with confidence. He dodged like the wind, his movements fluid and sharp, and his blade roared with power that matched Eun-woo's.

The powerful attack from the Dragon Sword crashed into the shield, the sound of metal meeting metal ringing out. Sparks flew in every direction, and the crowd roared in excitement, their cheers adding to the intensity of the moment.

"Brother Kim Seong-hoon, you can do it!"

"Brother Kang Eun-woo, crush him with your hammer! The date is yours!"

The battle soon became extremely heated, and to be honest, it was entertaining. But I didn't wish for either of them to get seriously injured in this exchange.

"You have twenty seconds to wrap this up, or both of you will be deemed losers!" I boomed, my voice carrying across the arena. The crowd responded with a surge of excitement, cheering even louder in return. We should really do this more often, this is fun.

My eyes shined with amusement as I watched the two of them struggle. But no matter what, neither could gain the upper hand. Their skills alone weren't enough; without their powers to boost them, they were equals. Seong-hoon, especially, could enhance his strength with the Dragon Transformation, which made them nearly indistinguishable in their fighting prowess. It was clear they would stay locked in this stalemate until the very end.

With one final exchange, the hammer and the Dragon Sword clashed again, but it only resulted in another standstill.

"And time is up!" I declared loudly, the crowd letting out a collective sigh. They had wanted to see a winner, but we needed to save our strength for the upcoming battle. There was no time to be acting like fools.

"Good fight, brother." Seong-hoon extended his fist to Eun-woo. But then I saw something I didn't expect—Eun-woo hesitated for a few moments before slowly returning the fist bump.

"Yeah, let's both prepare for the next battle." He said with a bright smile, but something felt off.

I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong between them. The aura had shifted, and I could feel it. It wasn't the playful camaraderie I'd expected—it was heavier, filled with an unspoken tension that neither of them seemed willing to address.

I jumped down into the ring, landing gracefully. "The battle might be over for you, but who will fight me?" I said with a wild smile on my face. I wanted to see if there were any brave souls among this group of fighters. But just as I thought, the moment those words left my mouth, the crowd dispersed almost immediately. It made me giggle.

"The two of you, wait a second, I need a word with you," I said, grabbing Eun-woo and Seong-hoon as they tried to slip away.

"Big sis, you must be kidding. We don't need to fight you," Seong-hoon said, a nervous smile on his face.

"Yeah, exactly, we should head back to our own work," Eun-woo added awkwardly, clearly trying to avoid my challenge.

But who was I? I wouldn't let it go that easily.

"Don't worry, you don't need to fight me. All I need is to discuss the strategy for the upcoming battle with the two of you," I said, my voice smooth but with an underlying edge.

"Oh, is that what it was?" Seong-hoon chuckled nervously. "Hahaha, big sis, you had me sweating for a second."

The moment his guard was down, I didn't hesitate. I punched him square in the belly, sending him flying backward.

"Never let go of your defenses," I said calmly. "You never know whether it will be a friend or foe who strikes next."

I turned my gaze to Eun-woo, who immediately raised his hands in surrender, a sheepish smile crossing his face.

"G-Gaon, this is unnecessary. I've completely understood the lesson, right? Hahaha..." Seong-hoon scratched his cheek awkwardly. "So, umm... how about you let me go?"

"Do you think the enemy will let you go just because you ask?" I said coolly, my voice steady.

In the blink of an eye, I moved like a blur. The next moment, I was already behind him. With a swift push, I sent him flying into Seong-hoon. I watched as the two of them collided, stumbling into each other.

"PFFT!" I couldn't help but laugh at the sight. Both of them looked helpless against me, their faces red with fury. But despite their anger, neither dared to challenge me.

"Why are you hesitating?" I taunted, my voice sharp. "Just because I'm leagues above you?"

The tension in the air thickened as I stepped closer. "In the next battle, the monster will be leagues above me. So what? Will you pee yourselves the moment you meet its gaze? How will you fight if you can't even find the courage to fight me?"

It was something I had to do. I had to push them, break through their hesitation. I needed them to fear nothing, not even God, because as long as they feared me, they'd be fearless in the face of the upcoming battle—no matter how suicidal it seemed.

"Come! Let me see what the two of you are really made of."