Black Badger

“What’s under the water?”

I had been staring blankly at the screen when the murmur # Nоvеlight # of voices made me lift my head.

But in the dark sea, all I could see were the juniors. The 63rd class swimming along the path formed by fluorescent buoys floating on the surface.

From above, drones cast down beams of light, illuminating their silhouettes.

I wasn’t particularly worried about the sea-swimming portion.

Kairos had been born on the plains, yet he was an excellent swimmer. Not from the beginning—I seemed to recall he’d become good at it while chasing aquatic Creatures.

The reason I wasn’t certain was simple: I didn’t know Kairos well during the Imperial era. I knew the incidents he’d caused. I didn’t truly know what kind of person he had been.

Still, I remembered one thing clearly—when an aquatic Creature had drifted into one of the Empire’s rivers, he’d leapt straight in without hesitation and handled it himself.

His swimming had been flawless.

So I had been watching comfortably, assuming he would naturally pass.

“What? I don’t see anything.”

“No, I thought I saw something...”

“A shark?”

“No, something huge... what was that? Did I imagine it?”

“Isn’t that just the shadow of a drone?”

The seniors whispered among themselves.

I couldn’t spot anything either.

The promotion test site was too far from here for Creature detection to work.

But if it were a Creature, wouldn’t Kairos have noticed first?

On screen, Kairos cut calmly through the night sea.

He was swimming almost parallel with Luke.

Nana was a little farther back.

It wasn’t that Nana couldn’t swim—but the other two were exceptionally fast. You could see the difference in stamina as well.

Now that I thought about it, Hesh had once bragged that his younger brother was far more talented than he was.

Hesh wasn’t someone who boasted easily.

Seeing Luke Lyle like this, I understood. He possessed a talent that was impossible to overlook.

Ricardo, who had been watching with his chin propped on his hand, commented casually.

“He’s good~.”

“Yes.”

Unlike the other seniors, Ricardo—who knew how seasoned Kairos truly was—didn’t marvel at the handler’s skill.

Instead, he watched Luke. I nodded in agreement with my senior.

“He’s skilled, and his fighting spirit is excellent. He’ll become a fine soldier.”

Even now, it was clear he hated losing to Kairos.

Kairos surely knew about Luke’s competitive streak. And he would welcome it. He enjoyed absorbing that sharp-edged rivalry directed at him.

Perhaps a little too much.

“Ah, the gap’s widening.”

“Still within a stable passing range.”

“Poor kid. It’s not like she’s bad—the other two are just too good.”

“She already looks worried. Falling behind in climbing and swimming... that must weigh on her.”

“She’ll pass. Night swimming isn’t easy.”

“Hang in there! Almost there!”

The seniors continued talking.

Those who had been chanting Black-Jack earlier were now watching Nana instead—either satisfied or restraining themselves.

Hang in there, Nana.

I murmured silent encouragement to her.

The other two are exceptional, but you’re doing more than well enough.

“If she wants to live past fifty, she’ll need a bit of luck.”

Yun’s voice drifted from the back row.

I whipped my head around and glared at him.

“Seriously. Don’t say things like that.”

“You know I’m not wrong.”

“I’m telling Yehyeon and Ami.”

I said it bluntly.

Yun closed his mouth.

He snorted, then leaned back lazily in his chair.

Like Ricardo silently rolling his eyes beside me, I glanced up at the ceiling before turning back to my mentor.

“You already said everything you had to say over dinner. Why are you still here? You don’t usually watch these.”

“The part I want to see will happen after the promotion test ends.”

His dry reply made Ricardo snort this time.

I stared at Yun’s cold, clean-cut features.

Then quietly said,

“Thank you for passing the message along. I will definitely come back.”

His pitch-black eyes rolled toward me.

He opened his mouth as if to say something—

But at that moment, applause erupted.

“They passed!”

“Black-Jack is insane!”

“Wow, that speed!”

“Black-Jack! Damn it, if he swims that well what am I supposed to do?!”

“Good job! Everyone did well again!”

Kairos and Luke reached the shore almost competitively.

Instructors rushed to hand them towels.

Seniors applauded their juniors.

It was a pleasant sight. I began to understand why Ami came to watch the promotion test every year.

Adrienne Wood thanked the instructors.

Ami waved brightly.

Leeho still hadn’t taken his eyes off the screen.

The screen split in two, focusing now on Nana Dol.

The applause quieted. Everyone began cheering for her instead.

She still had some distance to cover.

But she was within passing range. At this pace, unless she collapsed from exhaustion, she would pass.

She was slower—but she didn’t look tired. When her face briefly surfaced, relief flickered across it. The test was almost over.

“Huh?”

Something surged up behind that youthful face.

“What is that?”

A massive shadow behind her.

It wasn’t the darkness of the sea.

It was too black. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

A dreadful void, devoid of any reflection, burst through the surface.

Splash!

A mouth.

Rows of white teeth gleamed in the dark.

“It’s a Creature!”

Everyone shot to their feet.

I was no exception. I stood instinctively, locking my eyes on the thing racing toward her at terrifying speed.

“A shark?!”

“No! It’s a Creature!”

Not a normal marine predator.

The realization sent cold dread racing down my spine.

“Damn it, marine Creatures are the worst!”

That was no Creature Kairos could command. It was something fallen from another dimension.

“Fire! Shoot it with the drones!”

“Instructor!”

“Move!”

Bang!

The surface exploded.

The Creature slammed into Nana Dol.

[Aaah!]

A sharp scream.

Blood burst outward.

“Shit!”

“Pull her out!”

My entire body tensed.

Ricardo stood as well.

Sharp intakes of breath sounded around us.

Nana and the unknown Creature thrashed violently at the surface.

“Support! Air support!”

“What are the jet skis doing?!”

“Don’t let her get dragged under! Drowning’s a death sentence!”

“Didn’t anyone check the sea before the test?!”

“It’s the sea.”

Someone’s frightened voice answered.

“There’s a reason we avoid it. No matter how much you search, you can’t check everything!”

Kairos!

I clenched my fist.

Command another aquatic Creature—save her!

No human swimmer could outpace something born in the water.

If he could seize control of one nearby—

Rat-tat-tat-tat!

[Nana!!]

The drones opened fire.

Through the sharp crack of gunfire, two boys from the 63rd class shouted their classmate’s name.

They moved fast.

Luke dove underwater.

Kairos ripped the knife from an instructor’s belt and sprinted toward the sea.

[Catch!]

He threw the jackknife.

[A knife!]

The silver blade flashed.

It traced a perfect arc over the fluorescent buoys and the dark water.

It landed cleanly toward Nana, who was half-consumed below the knee.

She reached out.

Caught it.

“Stab it!”

Leeho’s sharp voice echoed through the media room.

“Stab it and break free!”

Slash!

She didn’t stab.

She tore.

Her arm moved fluidly.

I leaned toward the screen, transfixed.

Crude. Rough.

But there was dizzying talent there.

No wasted trajectory.

Perfect force alignment.

The short blade ripped straight across the Creature’s snout.

Blood arced outward, splattering across Nana’s face.

Her hand didn’t stop.

The Creature roared in pain, opening its jaws—

And in that instant, her blade plunged into the roof of its mouth.

Thud!

So she becomes something else when she grips a blade.

I watched as if being pulled in.

There are people like that.

Those born with blinding talent.

Those who forget the world the moment they grasp honed steel.

Before the war, when I had been tasked with training elite soldiers—including Lee Seunghyun—I hadn’t bothered chasing those who skipped the second day.

If I had only been forging ordinary knights, I would have dragged deserters back.

But I had been searching for someone capable of even briefly mimicking my sword.

That required more than effort.

It required talent.

The line between Sword Expert and Swordmaster.

The instinct to wield sharpened steel as if it were an extension of the body.

I could recognize it instantly.

Slash!

Blood and seawater scattered in the blade’s wake.

The jackknife split the Creature’s upper jaw in half.

Kiiiiiiii—

The massive body emitted a grotesque sound—

Then sank.

“Waaaah!”

The seniors roared.

“Holy—!”

“What was that?!”

“Well done, rookie!!”

“That was insane!”

“Did she kill it?”

Someone whispered.

“Did she... kill it?”

She did.

I saw the life leave it.

I saw Nana dragged downward with the sinking body.

Luke swam frantically, grabbing her shoulder and hauling her upward.

Kairos dove deeper instead.

He must have been driving off other Creatures drawn by blood.

Now that he was there, no further attack would come.

The 63rd promotion test really isn’t easy.

I clicked my tongue internally, remembering my own test—which had passed without incident.

Whether this was artificial or not, Black Badger would investigate later.

At least she’s alive.

And I got to see her sword.

That heart-racing talent.

If that shining raw gem were just polished a little—

“You spaced out there~....”

Ricardo’s voice snapped me back.

I’d forgotten he was beside me.

“She that good?”

I turned.

Ricardo and Yun watched me with curiosity.

I met their eyes and nodded.

“Yes.”

Now I understood perfectly why Leeho had entrusted her to me.

Even now, in this chaos, the urge to teach her surged up inside me.

I suppressed it.

“If trained properly, she has the makings of a Swordmaster.”

“Really?”

Yun asked without emotion, arms folded as he stared at the massive screen.

“Then I must have seen wrong.”

“You did, Yun. Nana will live far longer than fifty.”

“I’ve never seen you that focused~.”

Ricardo chuckled.

“You don’t even concentrate that hard on games....”

“...It’s dazzling talent.”

I had seen countless knights.

Someone with that level of innate ability was rare.

If taught well, she would awaken fully to the path of the blade.

Given the circumstances, I would have to leave that joy to Yehyeon.

“Hey—she’s swimming alone!”

Someone shouted.

I looked back.

Nana had shaken Luke off and was swimming toward shore on her own.

There was still time left.

Even if she exceeded it, they would count it as a pass.

But she gritted her teeth and drove forward.

“Why’s she swimming so hard? She’s already passed!”

“Maybe she thinks the Creature was part of the test.”

“Maybe she just wants to finish properly.”

“She might still make it within time!”

“Just a little more!”

She cut through the water.

“Ten!”

With ten seconds left, the room began counting.

“Nine!”

“Eight!”

“Seven!”

“Six!”

“Five!”

“Four—”

Ah.

She’s there.

“Threeeee—!”

“PASS! PASS!”

“Woooo!”

The media room shook with cheers.

Leeho leapt from his seat.

Ami jumped into the air.

“She did it!!”

“Nana’s amazing!”

Ami grabbed Leeho and bounced with him.

“So cool! Seriously amazing!”

“Congratulations!”

Seniors clapped thunderously.

“Congrats on becoming official Badgers, 63rd class!!”

Relief washed over me.

I clapped along, sincerely congratulating them.

Richard Green nodded in satisfaction. I couldn’t help smiling.

Those who had shouted Black-Jack earlier were now chanting Nana’s name.

I really did understand why people came to watch.

It was almost strange that Ricardo had only started attending last year.

With the atmosphere this good, I hoped CIS would have the sense to keep any unpleasant business outside the media room—

***

“Did you enjoy the show?”

Of course.

It was a foolish hope.

Before anyone could even leave, a group of men in suits approached me.

“We’ll be escorting Mr. Taleb now.”

The noise dropped instantly.

Movement froze.

Still seated, I lifted my head toward the intelligence agents—

And smiled slowly.