Yuna’s palms were sweaty, and the musky scent permeated the entire courtyard. Namjoo stood before her with a look of determination. She wasn’t expecting her to be such a strong opponent, but that was a mistake on her part. The fight to determine ranks within the soldiers had begun.
At first, Yuna thought that this would be a simple sparring match, but she overlooked the fact that soldiers in this era were prideful. The rankings weren’t formal, and they weren’t given titles. A win could determine how much power someone had within the army. The soldiers that lost were bound to bow down to those that have defeated them. This only applied to their comrade-in-arms, not enemies.
Yuna observed the countless soldiers that sparred and learned that this match wasn’t as simple as she thought it would be. It didn’t look like a simple match when these men were ripping at each other’s throats to win the fight. Some came out of the fight with broken bones and torn flesh. Yuna could not believe the gruesome reality that most deemed true - the survival of the fittest.
She couldn’t believe her eyes when she noticed that some of them were hardly breathing and yet they refused to surrender. What gave her so much confidence soon deflated like a balloon. How could she keep up with everyone else when they had put their all in to training? Was she just supposed to sit this one out? She rejected the idea instantly
She would be a laughingstock for everyone. She couldn’t give up so easily. What would all of her ideals become if she quit? She had to prove to everyone that even females could become as strong as men. Namjoo was a living example of this ideal, but she could not reveal her secret. It wasn’t her place to tell everyone. The only way was for her to become stronger.
Plus, this wasn’t the only reason she wanted to become stronger. She had to face enemies that stood like shadows behind their puppets. These elites were unknown to the public and she knew there was someone behind the Empress. There had to be, and her weaknesses could only allow for an early death. She wouldn’t allow that future to come into fruition.
Yuna straightened her back and stood tall. The determination to grow strong arose from within her thoughts. Eunho noticed the change in her demeanor. She looked completely defeated at the start of the match, but soon her will to fight was shown through her movements.
Once Eunho signaled for the start of the match, Namjoo sprung forward as fast as lightning. Yuna could not keep up with her speed. She was struck hard on her gut with Namjoo’s kick. Yuna curved into a ball and fell face flat on the ground. The soldiers scoffed and some cheered. She felt the excruciating pain stabbing at her insides. She could taste the blood in her mouth from smacking the ground so hard.
She wiped the blood off her lips and stood up with her wobbly legs. Namjoo felt a pang of guilt when she noticed the blood. She shouldn’t have fought so hard with a beginner. Yuna had no previous experience of fighting. Before she could stop the fight, Yuna dashed forward and attempted to punch her.
Namjoo swiftly dodged her attack. She countered Yuna by smacking her outstretched arm towards the right. Yuna attempted a second punch with her left arm but was countered the same way. She found herself punching at the air with no successful attempts. Namjoo then switched from defense to attack. She swept her legs low and successfully tripped Yuna once again.
Yuna felt herself lose her center of balance. She fell on her back. She didn’t let the pain get to her. Yuna shocked everyone when she used a move that no one expected she knew how to do. Yuna used a karate move that she learned from watching martial arts movies. She did a throw which is a grappling technique that involves off-balancing or lifting an opponent.
The momentum from the throw caused a destructive blow to her back. Namjoo couldn’t help but cough out blood from the strong move that Yuna showed. The crowd had their mouths open wide in shock from witnessing the impossible. Yuna was so small, yet she was able to throw Namjoo over herself. Although that was a strong move, Namjoo was tough. She wouldn’t surrender from just this alone.
Both Namjoo and Yuna got back on their feet. Namjoo wiped the blood and a grin formed on her lips. She praised, “That was good. I never thought you could do something like that. I guess I underestimated you. Since this is an actual sparring match, I won’t take it so easy. So, we should both try our best. What do you say?”
Yuna nodded, “I’m not as weak as you think. I can handle it. Let’s give it our all!” Both of them sprinted towards each other at full speed. Yuna was much slower than Namjoo, but she refused to let her weakness stop her. Namjoo utilized her speed effectively. Before Yuna could reach her, she did a spin and landed a kick to Yuna’s side.
The side that Namjoo kicked was throbbing and she could already feel a bruise forming. Before Namjoo could land another kick with her other leg, Yuna blocked it with her arms. She was shocked by her own muscle memory. The memory of the scenes was imprinted in her mind. Namjoo failed the second kick, but that didn’t stop her.
She continuously tried kicking Yuna on both sides, but each of them was blocked successfully. Yuna caught on to the pattern in Namjoo’s moves. She caught Namjoo’s leg and attempted to throw her. The move wasn’t successful because she didn’t have enough strength to lift Namjoo. They both ended up tumbling to the ground.
Yuna’s body ached horribly from all the punches and kicks. She had no clue how long she could go on for. She felt her body becoming sluggish. She used up most of her strength to block the kicks. It took all of her strength to successfully throw Namjoo with the karate move. She struggled to stand up. She was utterly exhausted.
Namjoo didn’t even seem to be struggling. Yuna took a deep breath and calmed herself down. Although she was started to grow tired from their sparring, she couldn’t just give up. While Namjoo prepared for the next attack, Yuna slowed down her every breath. Once they were ready, Namjoo leapt into the air and kicked towards Yuna’s face. Yuna quickly dodged the deadly attack by rolling forward.
The soldiers surrounded the platform in wonder. How was Yuna able to move so nimbly? She was able to dodge Namjoo’s deadly move. Some of them had been injured horribly by that move and it was like looking at a miracle when Yuna dodged it. Wasn’t Yuna supposed to be a noble lady with little to no experience in martial arts?
Eunho couldn’t believe his eyes. How come he didn’t notice this side of Yuna before? Was she this good at fighting? He had always believed that it was the men’s duty to protect women, but now he had no clue what to think. If she trained properly, she just might be able to surpass him. He felt useless. What would he become to her if he wasn’t able to protect her? He felt that his existence was useless to Yuna.
If she’s able to accomplish becoming a female martial artist, what’s stopping her from becoming the most powerful person in the empire? Would she go on to marry Minho and become the future empress again? It’s only a matter of time before everyone takes notice of her. She will become the most coveted noble lady in the empire. Her martial arts and her intelligence were far superior than most ladies.
He regretted his choices at this very moment. He shouldn’t have discouraged her. She probably hated him for judging her without believing in her potential. The only thing he could do now is become her teacher. That would be the only thing he would be to her – a teacher. Even if she wasn’t going to be his future bride, he would have to help her become much stronger than her previous self.
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