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With a resounding crash, Raon deflected Zalek's sword and executed the Supreme Harmony Step. As he infused the fastest footwork of the Supreme Harmony Steps with the essence of the Fast Sword, his vision blurred, and suddenly, Zalek's white beard was right in front of his eyes.
"Hey!"
Zalek raised his white eyebrows, seemingly unable to predict such speed. However, as befitted a swordsman who had awakened his Mind's Eye, he accurately defended his targeted shoulder while stepping back. With a metallic sound, Raon used the sound of the Heavenly Drive and the colliding sword as a trampoline to advance another step forward.
Closing in to an uncomfortable distance to launch sword thrusts, Raon unleashed Wrath's Silver Moon Demon Seal with his left hand. A powerful explosion of compressed frost erupted before Zalek's eyes, freezing the surroundings in a white mist.
"You better melt all this before you leave."
Zalek frowned as he stepped on the frozen grass. As if he had predicted the use of the sealing technique, he used the hilt of his sword to block the cold energy of the Silver Moon Demon Seal. It was a perfect defense, almost to the point of being ridiculous.
"Of course."
Raon nodded calmly and deployed the Fangs of Madness. With his sharp sensing sword, he pressed the space where Zalek stood.
'He’s dodging everything.'
Zalek seemed to know all the trajectories of the Fangs of Madness, harmoniously combining evasion and defense to completely block Raon's offense.
'The Mind's Eye...'
Though Zalek had said that the Mind's Eye wasn't like reading minds, as the fight prolonged, Raon couldn’t help but suspect that Zalek was indeed reading his thoughts.
"He’s not the type to lie. So that ability must be..."
Insight. And not just any insight, but a special insight that had reached the realm of instinct. Insight is the ability to grasp a situation at a glance, but Zalek's insight seemed to far exceed human limits. The clash of swords echoed!
Raon narrowed his eyes as he observed Zalek's sword heading towards his abdomen, using the flow of the Fangs of Madness against him.
"How can I then penetrate the Mind's Eye?"
Several methods to overcome this extreme perception came to mind: he could apply pressure with physical strength, overwhelm with a powerful aura, use Lawrence's Reverse Wave Arts, or destroy Zalek's perception with a sword skill that surpassed the limits of the Mind's Eye.
'The path I will choose is already decided.'
Choosing another method might make him feel good if he won, but it wouldn’t help him grow. Just as when he fought Lawrence, breaking Zalek's Mind's Eye solely with his sword skill would give meaning to his time in the Holy Sword Alliance. With a resonating clash, Zalek retreated, his expression hardening as if he had read Raon's resolution.
"It seems you've realized something."
He lowered his eyebrows, appearing more cautious.
"I haven't realized anything, but from now on, things will be a little different."
Raon used the Ring of Fire to its maximum. Considering his body as a sword, he infused the essence of swordsmanship into the movement of his muscles and aura. This was a state of mental imagery that went beyond the Unity of the Divine Sword, a new realm that only he, who had mastered the Ten Thousand Swords, could reach. A blazing aura erupted around him!
Sensing danger, Zalek stepped back, but Raon maintained his position to his left and unleashed the Crimson Slash. Instead of following the already perfected technique of the Crimson Slash, he added the essences of Quick Sword and Heavy Sword that were more appropriate for the current situation.
"Mmm!"
Zalek let out a low groan as he struck the blade of the Heavenly Drive with his cane-sword. Just as Zalek’s cane-sword was about to make contact with the Heavenly Drive, Raon changed his sword skill. He infused the essence of the Severing Sword into the Crimson Slash, which already contained Quick Sword and Heavy Sword. The clash resonated loudly!
Zalek, as if reading even this decision, tilted his sword diagonally.
A heavy aura held his shoulder. It was the best posture to block the cutting sword.
"As expected."
Raon nodded calmly. He had thought that with Zalek's Mind's Eye, he could even predict this change in swordsmanship.
"So I will break through with this."
The Severing Sword was a special technique that cut through the flow of the opponent's sword skill. Raon unleashed the Crimson Slash, infusing it with the extreme essence of the Severing Sword that he had perfected until now. With a thunderous roar, Zalek did not retreat either. Wrapping himself in a sword strike as heavy as a rock, he advanced toward the approaching Crimson Slash.
His pride in his own skills and swordplay was palpable.
With a resounding crash, Raon's Heavenly Drive and Zalek's sword collided head-on. The clash between the Severing Sword and the Heavy Sword was like a battle between scissors and rock. Normally, it should have ended with the rock's victory, but this time the result was different. A sharp, screeching sound was heard!
The essence of the Severing Sword imbued in the Heavenly Drive sliced through Zalek's heavy sword flow, leaving a small sword mark on his waist.
Zalek’s eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the blood dripping from his waist. His expression showed utter amazement at seeing the Severing Sword penetrate his heavy sword technique.
"What are you going to..."
"I told you, I’m Raon Zieghart..."
"That’s not your name!"
Zalek waved his hand dismissively, as if telling Raon not to talk nonsense.
"Breaking compatibility, how is that possible? It was clearly a cutting sword!"
He squinted his right eye, still unable to accept the situation.
"It was indeed a cutting sword. It feels like I’ve pierced a wall, even if just a little."
Raon nodded with a smile. Perhaps because he had believed in himself and acted accordingly, his Severing Sword skill, which had always lagged behind, had improved significantly.
"...Growing in the midst of a training fight, what a crazy talent."
"No, it’s not that."
Raon shook his head, looking at the mountain behind them.
"This is the result of training with the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance every day."
Thanks to countless training sessions with the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance, including Lawrence, he had been able to progress in his sword skills. This was the result of a combination of talent, effort, and luck.
"I see."
Zalek nodded, seemingly understanding now.
"But using the Severing Sword in that situation, was it a technique you used to use before?"
"No."
Raon shook his head slowly.
"The Severing Sword is the swordsmanship I’m the worst at."
Unlike straightforward sword techniques like Heavy Sword, Fast Sword, and Medium Sword, the Severing Sword, which was more akin to a counterattack, didn’t fit his style and didn’t improve quickly. Among the many techniques, it was the one that lagged the most.
"What? Then why…?"
"The fact that it’s difficult and challenging doesn’t mean I can avoid it."
Even though the Severing Sword didn’t fit his style and was difficult, he never gave up. He had dedicated more effort and time to it than to other sword techniques, which is why it seemed to have flourished first.
"You, you’re a true monster."
Zalek lowered his stance and pursed his lips. A cold sweat was dripping from his forehead. His expression was filled with competitive spirit. Though he seemed like a wise man, he was also a swordsman of the Holy Sword Alliance.
"Then let’s begin again."
Raon calmly raised the Heavenly Drive. This was not a training fight to win but one to develop. It was an experience that couldn’t be bought even with a fortune, so he had to give it his all. A deep resonance filled the air!
Raon advanced, not fleeing from Zalek's Mind's Eye that seemed to see through him, but determined to destroy his own vision.
A thunderous crash echoed!
* * *
With a resounding crash, Zalek was pushed back by Raon’s Heavenly Drive.
"Enough already..."
Zalek shook his head and used his sword to rise. His lips trembled, as if he were too exhausted to speak.
"Already?"
Raon blinked and lowered the Heavenly Drive. He wasn’t willing to end the training session that way, as there were still many sword techniques he hadn’t fully mastered.
—What do you mean “already”?! The sun has already set!
Zalek raised his hand and pointed toward the sky. As he said, the sun had set, and the moon was rising. Since it was already morning when they first arrived here, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say they had been fighting all day.
"I can’t fight anymore! If I move more, my back will break!"
Zalek let out a long sigh and said that while he still had aura left, his physical stamina had reached its limit. He was so exhausted that his beard and eyebrows were soaked with sweat, and the tips stuck together like the ends of a paintbrush.
"Hmm, let’s stop here for now."
Raon lowered the Heavenly Drive and licked his lips. Although he was also worn out, the joy of improving his sword skills had made him forget his own sweat.
"Great job, both of you!"
Dorian approached as if he had been waiting and handed towels and water to Raon and Zalek.
"Thank you."
"Thanks."
Raon nodded, wiping the sweat with the towel.
"This exceeds my expectations."
The achievements of more than a month of training and fighting there had suddenly exploded. It seemed that the sword techniques that had blossomed in his mental world had grown more than a foot.
'This too...'
Raon smiled slightly as he watched Zalek breathe heavily.
«It must be because I had a good opponent.»
Zalek was not just someone with the Mind's Eye; he was an incomparable swordsman who had perfected numerous sword techniques. Thanks to their direct confrontation, Raon had gained a wealth of knowledge.
"I finally understand what the leader of the Alliance meant."
Zalek shut his eyes tightly as he placed the soaked towel around his neck.
"Are you referring to grandfather?"
—Yes. He said you would have a hard time when you came, and now I understand what he meant.
He shook his head and said that if he had known this would happen, he wouldn’t have accepted Dorian.
"Master!!"
Dorian's jaw dropped, genuinely surprised.
"Even if you hadn’t accepted him, he would have still requested a training match."
Raon laughed and said that such a hypothesis didn’t make sense.
"Master! Are you abandoning me? You said you would make me a transcendent warrior of supplies!"
Dorian sobbed and grabbed Zalek's ankle.
"It’s a joke! A joke! And when did I say I would make you a Supply Transcendent?"
Zalek kicked Dorian and told him not to talk nonsense.
"It’s good to see."
Raon smiled slightly as he watched Zalek and Dorian, who seemed to have truly become master and disciple.
"Good?"
"What do you mean by 'good'?"
Dorian smiled happily at the remark, while Zalek abruptly turned his chin.
"Ahem, I made a mistake earlier."
Zalek awkwardly averted his gaze.
"A mistake?"
Raon tilted his head. He couldn’t understand what mistake Zalek was referring to, given how satisfactory the fight had been.
"I said you had no talent for the Mind's Eye, but that wasn’t true."
"No way..."
—Yes. Although not to the extent of Dorian, you also had a latent talent for awakening the Mind's Eye.
Zalek nodded, affirming that he was sure.
"But I just fought using my intuition..."
"Didn’t I tell you? The Mind's Eye isn’t something as grand as the heart’s eye. When that intuition becomes extremely sensitive, it will blossom into the Mind's Eye."
He smiled, waving his hand.
"It’s hard to believe, but you could actually be kind and timid."
-E-this guy, kind and timid? Absolutely not!
Wrath shook his head vigorously, protesting against such nonsense.
-This guy would survive even if dropped in the middle of the Devildom or the Celestial Realm. No, he’s a monster who would enslave everyone there!
The creature yelled at Zalek to come to his senses and slapped him on the cheek.
"Mediate often. Remember that the Mind's Eye does not reside in your eyes, but in your heart."
After giving advice about the Mind's Eye, Zalek reclined against a wooden chair.
"Thank you for the advice."
Raon bowed politely to Zalek.
'Reverse Wave Arts, Fierce Wave Arts, and the Mind's Eye.'
If the element of the Mind's Eye could be infused into the martial art that combined the Reverse Wave Arts and the Fierce Wave Arts, it seemed possible to complete a martial art capable of killing the Leader of the White Blood Religion in her spiritual form.
"This is worth investigating."
He made a mental sketch and decided to think it through after returning to his family.
"It seems you’ve realized something. Your eyes are shining."
Zalek chuckled and said it was incredible. Hearing the word "eyes" reminded Raon of what Zalek had said earlier.
"Zalek."
Raon looked into Zalek's narrowed eyes.
"You mentioned Human Vision, Celestial Vision, and Demonic Vision earlier. What do they mean?"
"Human Vision refers to the eyes that humans must possess. It means you are fulfilling your duties as a person."
Zalek clicked his tongue and said that there were many humans who lacked even Human Vision.
"So what about Celestial Vision?"
"Celestial Vision is the benevolent eye where sacred divinity resides, and Demonic Vision is the eye of evil spirits where darkness seeps through."
"The eye of evil spirits..."
Raon bit his lip as he looked at Wrath. While he wasn’t sure what Celestial Vision meant, he had an idea of what Demonic Vision signified.
"However, that’s just a rumor spread by loose-lipped humans. It has never been proven whether Celestial Vision is truly good or Demonic Vision is truly evil. People simply categorized them according to their preferred terms."
Zalek shook his head and told Raon that one must think for themselves about the divine and the demonic.
"One thing that is certain is that both the divine and the demonic can dwell within you."
He let his eyes shine silently, saying that was the only certainty.
'The divine...'
He understood why the demonic was present, with Wrath clinging to him like a leech, but he couldn’t comprehend why the divine was attached. It could be because of Uriel, whom Derus had summoned.
—Who are you calling a leech?! You’re the leech!
Wrath trembled, clearly offended.
"I see."
Raon stood up, engraving the information about Celestial Vision and Demonic Vision in his mind.
"Are you leaving now? Because of you, I’ll need some time to recover..."
"No, we’ve already rested enough; we should start the second round."
Raon blinked, as if asking what Zalek was talking about.
"Please stand up."
"Ah..."
Zalek raised his eyelids so high that it seemed his eyebrows would fall off, as if the idea of a second round hadn’t even crossed his mind.
"Didn’t you hear me? I said I have no strength left!"
"Abandon."
Dorian shook his head as he handed the sword back to Zalek.
"No one can stop Raon when he’s like this."
He stepped back and said it would be easier to fight quickly.
"Pah..."
Zalek's hand trembled as he grasped the sword.
His face suddenly seemed ten years older. He appeared to be a completely defenseless old man.
- That little rascal! I’m older than your grandfather!
"Then you must know even more sword techniques. Let’s continue."
"Arghhhh!"
Once again, someone’s scream resonated in the Holy Sword Alliance.
* * *
Early morning dawned. Raon, who had been meditating motionless like a stone statue, slowly opened his eyes.
'Has it already begun?'
Mornings in the Holy Sword Alliance start early. The people here value the sword above all else in life, so they practice sword handling before washing or having breakfast.
While there were many swordsmen in the Zieghart family who also began training at dawn, it was rare to find people wielding their swords and training with such passion, dedicating their entire being to it.
"It seems you've already gotten used to the mornings in the Holy Sword Alliance."
The Rector, who had been watching Raon while leaning against the training ground wall, smiled slightly.
"That’s right."
Raon nodded with a smile.
"After all, it’s already been two months since I arrived here."
After staying in the Holy Sword Alliance for two months, it would have felt stranger not to hear the sound of swords in the morning or at night.
"And what about the others?"
"They left before dawn. They’re probably clashing swords with someone."
The Rector shrugged and said that Martha, Runaan, and Burren had already gone out.
"They're working hard too."
The three squad leaders had adapted to this place faster than he had and were growing day by day. Training and combat, especially the experience of fighting against swordsmen who had perfected their unique sword techniques to the extreme, had been a great help for all.
"It could be good to bring the entire Light Wind division here later. Or should we organize a large-scale fight between the Zieghart family and the entire Holy Sword Alliance?"
It might be too much now, but someday, after the true identity of the leader of the Holy Sword Alliance is fully revealed, they would be able to act without hesitation.
"It’s a shame."
Raon moistened his lips while listening to the sound of swords resonating like birds singing.
"That it’s already time to leave."
From the beginning, his stay in the Holy Sword Alliance had been set for two months, given the chaotic situation on the continent and the need to attend to the Light Wind division.
—I don’t mind if you stay longer.
The Rector laughed and said he could stay there for a lifetime.
"I would like to, but I can't leave my subordinates alone."
Raon shook his head. As a division leader, he had to take care of not only the squad leaders but the entire Light Wind division. No matter how beneficial his personal training was, he couldn’t stay there indefinitely.
"That’s also the right choice."
The Rector nodded in approval.
—So when do you plan to leave?
"There’s a lot to finish, so I plan to leave next week."
"Finishing... I suppose that takes priority."
"Yes."
Raon nodded heavily, gripping the hilt of the Heavenly Drive.
"It’s time to see it through to the end."
* * *
The next day, when the afternoon fell, Raon left the mansion and headed to the mountain where Lawrence resided. However, unlike his usual solo climbs, this time he was accompanied by the Rector, Burren, Runaan, Martha, Dorian, and several swordsmen from the Holy Sword Alliance.
"I told you not to come."
Raon frowned as he looked back.
"How could we miss this?!"
"Yeah. We want to see how you beat up little Lawrence."
The Demon Sword Lord and the String Sword Lord, who had been his training partners every day, shook their heads, insisting they would definitely accompany him.
"We need to see how much stronger our Division Leader has become."
"If you haven't grown more than me, be prepared for a scolding."
"If you lose, buy us beaded ice cream..."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan's eyes shone, eager to watch.
"You've tormented me for two weeks, so you better show me the results."
Zalek followed closely behind, frowning with his forehead deeply furrowed.
"Master! This way!"
Dorian stayed close to Zalek, offering him tea and raisin cookies. At that moment, they seemed less like master and disciple and more like caregiver and patient.
—Cookies! Raisin cookies! This king loves them too!
Amidst all this, Wrath grabbed his hair and said he wanted cookies as well.
'Ah, I understand! Shut up!'
Raon shook his head as he accepted some cookies from Dorian. With so many people clinging to him, he couldn't focus at all.
"This feels good."
"Hahaha."
Mustan and the Rector smiled softly, seeming to enjoy the lively atmosphere.
—Mmm…
Wrath narrowed his eyes as he savored the cookie from Dorian, then looked back.
—You always have a lot of people with you now. When I first saw you, you were just a wallflower stuck in a corner.
He chuckled, finding it amusing.
"A wallflower..."
Raon nodded softly as he watched the people chatting around him.
'Perhaps that's how it is.'
In his past life, he had been the leader of Shadow, unable to build good relationships with anyone. He lived a life where people treated each other as tools, and even when he was born as Raon Zieghart, his deep distrust made it difficult for him to form relationships.
Fortunately, various relationships intertwined, and good people came to him. Although the increased responsibilities were heavy, he could now feel a happiness completely different from before.
—This King was the same! With this innate charisma, I captivated all the Demons! I truly am the greatest…
Wrath raised his round fist and shouted about charisma. Raon couldn't understand what that chubby, feline being was talking about.
'...I see.'
—T-this King's words aren't finished yet!
"I need to train now. Please be quiet."
—Urgh…
Raon gently pushed Wrath aside and stood in the clearing in front of the cave.
"It's disgustingly noisy."
Lawrence emerged from the cave with a frown, as if he had been waiting.
"We train every day, why are so many people coming?"
He gestured with his hand, telling them to go back.
"Leave it be. It's the last time, after all."
Raon shrugged. Since today was the last training match with Lawrence before leaving for Zieghart, he thought it wouldn't hurt to have spectators.
"Mmm…"
Lawrence erased the irritated expression from his face and pursed his lips. He seemed to regret Raon's departure.
"Anyway, it will end soon…"
Lawrence sighed briefly as he descended into the clearing.
"So, we’ll do today's sparring a little differently."
Raon looked at Lawrence with burning red eyes.
"We’ll have a single match, but with the goal of decisively defeating the opponent."
"For some reason, I thought your eyes looked fierce."
Lawrence smiled as if he had been expecting this.
"Alright. Let's begin without delay."
He moved his long, branch-like fingers as if challenging Raon to approach him. Sword Domain: Divine-Demonic Harmony. Even before the match began, Raon took out both the Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem, opening his Sword Domain. The sun and moon rose above the dark mountain. He raised the Divine Flame Sword to the sun and drew the Demonic Frost Sword under the moonlight.
"You…"
Lawrence's eyes widened, as if he hadn't expected Raon to open his Sword Domain.
"Don't let your guard down. With the martial arts I've developed here…"
Raon curved his lips as he pointed with the blazing Divine Sword.
"I will defeat you."
-
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