C1019
"Wrath."
Raon called out to Wrath while keeping his gaze fixed on the Queen of the Swords.
"You feel it too, right?"
A person's nature isn't something that changes easily. Especially seeing how she has shown a completely different side in this short moment, it seemed clear that another entity had entered the Queen of the Swords' body.
-Of course.
Wrath nodded immediately, as if to say "why even ask?"
-Another soul has taken residence in that woman's body.
He slightly tilted his chin, indicating his certainty.
"Is it a demon descending from the Devildom, like you?"
The dying embers of Raon's Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation reignited, considering the possibility that a demon king or a demon like Wrath might have possessed the Queen of the Swords' body.
-It's not.
Wrath shook his head firmly, as if to say absolutely not.
-What's inside that woman's body is clearly human.
He twisted his lips, stating that it wasn't a being from another dimension, but a human from this world.
"A human...?"
Raon narrowed his eyes as he looked at the Queen of the Swords, who was smiling slightly.
"Could it be the Leader of the White Blood Religion?"
The Leader of the White Blood Religion currently possesses Martha's mother's body. The idea occurred to him that she might have stolen the Queen of the Swords' body using a similar spell.
"No, it's not that."
I don't feel any negative energy from that woman. While the Queen of the Swords' eyes shone strangely, there was no feeling of malignant energy like blood energy or demonic energy. As Wrath said, she seemed like a normal human.
-That's correct.
Wrath nodded calmly.
-What's inside that woman is human. Although there's a slight scent of magic.
He waved his hand, indicating that while there was an indescribable magical aura flowing, she was actually a normal human.
"Before I tell you who I am."
The Queen of the Swords approached him with slow, dragging steps.
"Why don't you step back?"
Her voice was identical to the Queen of the Swords', but her tone was light and hollow. Now he was sure. A different soul currently resided in the body of Brigitte, the Queen of the Swords.
"You shouldn't interfere with a hard-earned moment of enlightenment, should you?"
The Queen of the Swords gestured to him as if calling a child.
"I only blocked your path because I thought you might interfere with Thespian Emperor."
Raon frowned, not lowering the Heavenly Drive.
"Ah, I suppose a martial artist like the Sword Emperor wouldn't give an opportunity just to take it away. My apologies."
The Queen of the Swords clasped her hands in front of her chest as if apologizing.
"..."
Raon bit his tongue as he watched the Queen of the Swords apologize so casually.
"She's become so cheerful."
Not only her way of speaking, but her personality seemed incomparably lighter than the original Queen of the Swords.
"You asked who I am? My name is Briana."
The Queen of the Swords smiled cheerfully as she revealed the name Briana, not Brigitte. It was an expression the original would never show.
"Briana..."
Raon frowned deeply as he murmured the name Briana.
"Come over here."
Briana gestured to him as if inviting him to join her.
"Where are you trying to go?"
Raon asked without moving his feet.
"Didn't you have business with me?"
Briana tilted her head, asking if he didn't want a proper duel.
"A duel..."
Raon took a deep breath as he felt Briana's calm aura.
"This is strange."
Briana possessed the body and aura of the Queen of the Swords, but strangely emitted an aura suggesting she wouldn't lose to him.
"Is she bringing power from her original body while carrying causality, like you?"
Raon turned his eyes to Wrath.
-That's not the case. Only the soul has changed.
Wrath shook his head, saying that as a human, she couldn't use that method.
"Then can such a difference be made just by changing the soul?"
He felt curious about what aspect of Briana made him feel such a different strength.
"Hmm..."
Raon looked back.
"T-thank you for taking care of our lord."
"Don't worry about this side."
"W-we will protect our lord."
The White Whale martial artists were guarding her, weapons in hand, as if they wouldn't move until Thespian Emperor awoke.
"I'll entrust her to you."
He didn't want to ruin this opportunity after creating such a large debt with Thespian Emperor, and it seemed that her subordinates would protect her on their own.
"Everyone, follow me."
Raon gestured to the swordsmen of the Light Wind Palace and followed Briana. She looked around the market and shops outside the training ground, exchanging light greetings with the people. It was completely different from the typically taciturn Queen of the Swords.
"Doesn't the Queen of the Swords seem strange?"
"I felt it too. It seems she's gone mad after losing the duel..."
Krein and Burren let out a sigh, saying it was too different from the Queen of the Swords they had heard about in rumors.
"She's been replaced..."
"Yes. There's something else there, not the Queen of the Swords."
Runaan and Martha seemed to realize that a different entity was in the Queen of the Swords' body, perhaps due to their childhood experiences.
"Eek..."
Dorian also shuddered, sensing through his Mental Eye that the Queen of the Swords had changed.
"This should do, right? There's no one around."
Briana shrugged as she looked around the training ground set up on the outskirts of Barene.
"This time, let's fight properly..."
"Before that."
Raon raised his hand toward Briana, who was loosening her shoulders.
"Tell me who you are."
"I told you, I'm Briana."
Briana smiled as if asking what else he needed.
"You know that's not what I'm asking, right?"
Raon frowned as he looked at Briana.
"If you're curious, try to beat me. I'll tell you everything then."
Briana smiled as she placed her hand on the sword at her waist.
"Is her fighting style the same?"
The Queen of the Swords was a swordsman who knew how to use the Drawing Technique, and it seemed that Briana was also going to use the Drawing Technique.
"Alright."
Raon nodded as he briefly exhaled.
"It shouldn't be too difficult."
Actually, he had suffered some internal injuries from receiving Thespian Emperor's brute attacks head-on, but he was confident that he wouldn't lose to Briana.
"It feels refreshing. You... Ah!"
Briana's refreshing smile turned into a frown.
"Shut up a bit!"
She stomped her foot, shouting at the empty air in frustration.
"Talking internally? You should do it yourself! I'm not embarrassed at all!"
The Queen of the Swords clicked her tongue sharply and approached him.
"Sorry! Let's start now."
She nodded, saying they should start the duel immediately.
"...Very well."
Raon was about to question Briana, but decided against it.
"I'll find out if I win the fight."
He had a vague idea, but it didn't matter at the moment. Winning this duel was what mattered.
"Shall we begin?"
Briana lightly bounced in place as if skipping rope, then disappeared like smoke. With a whoosh, she reappeared to his right. In an instant, Briana leaped through space and extended an extremely fast Drawing Technique. By the time he realized it, her sword was already at his neck.
With a clang, Raon only twisted the angle of the Heavenly Drive he was holding halfway to block Briana's sword strike aimed at his neck.
"Ugh."
Was speed all there was? Although he defended, he was late to block, causing an impact that felt like it was going to shatter the bones of his wrist and arm.
"Speed isn't everything."
Briana used the same swordsmanship and footwork as the Queen of the Swords, but her power was otherworldly. It was as if the martial arts themselves had changed.
"It would be problematic if you're surprised by just this."
Briana smiled and waved her hand as if to say this was just the beginning.
"I know."
Raon launched his Thirty-Six Crimson Flashes Techniques toward Briana while she stood still. With a whoosh, thirty-six sparks shot out as if to tear the earth apart, but Briana had already left that space.
"You're strong! Then I'll try again!"
The moment Briana smiled and swung her sword, a chilling sensation was felt on his back. With a clang, Raon moved his Heavenly Drive first without even turning around to deflect the black flash of sword energy that was stabbing into his shoulder.
"Her sword strikes are like needles."
Briana's sword strikes penetrate flesh and muscle and shake the bones even when defended correctly. It was swordsmanship with terrifying penetrating power.
"You'll end up with chronic pain if you don't block properly, you know?"
Briana lightly shook her sword, telling him to concentrate on defense.
"You've become quite talkative."
Raon frowned as he drew the shape of a red dragon on the tip of his Heavenly Drive. With a roar, the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation Heavenly Drive Flame Dragon Strike. A crimson dragon enveloped in flames incinerated everything before his eyes. With a whoosh.
Briana emerged from the left, breaking through the gray smoke and heat. She seemed to have used Swift Sword footwork to escape the range of the Flame Dragon Strike.
With a hiss, she stepped on the flames rising from the ground and thrust her sword toward his heart.
"Your power is insane."
Briana exclaimed in admiration, but her eyes didn't fear his sword. With a clang, Raon deflected Briana's sword strike that was stabbing like a thorn into his feet and let out a low growl.
"It's clearly the same swordsmanship, but there's such a big difference."
Briana was using the Queen of the Swords' body to employ her swordsmanship and footwork, but she was creating an incredibly large difference. It felt like he was dreaming.
"From now on, I'll have to face her as a completely different entity."
Raon unleashed the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation Unification of Flame and Ice and the Azure Sky Sword's Heavy Heaven Great Bind in succession to block Briana's attacks and cut off the space where she could move.
"This is fun!"
But Briana easily deflected his offense and responded with sharp counterattacks. It was like a cornered mouse biting a cat.
"Hmm..."
Raon frowned as he deflected Briana's thrust by a very small margin.
"I'll keep going."
Briana fired a series of Swift Sword thrusts at him while frowning. With a series of clangs, Raon used the Fire Wall to block the Queen of the Swords' thrusts, but the flame shield didn't last long before breaking like a spiderweb. His aura couldn't withstand the sharpness of Briana's aura.
"Now I understand."
Briana nodded as if she could see it.
"You've only been using powerful swordsmanship since you reached Transcendence, haven't you?"
She slowly licked her lips and thrust an even faster and sharper sword.
"That's..."
Raon bit his lip as he deflected Briana's thrust.
"What do you mean?"
"You can't read movements because you've only fought opponents who are much stronger or weaker than you, right?"
Briana twisted her lips into a smile, saying it was too easy to fight him. With a clang, Raon gritted his teeth as he barely blocked Briana's sword strike that was digging into his skin.
"Now that I think about it..."
She's not entirely wrong. Most of the recent battles were either overwhelming opponents with pure strength, like when breaking through sieges, or gambling with great techniques to handle overwhelming states like the Black Tower Master or the Fallen.
The Demon Slayer Spear. Except for that last fight where he regained his senses, almost all battles were one-sided.
"Seems like I'm right?"
Briana nodded as if she knew all along.
"How did you know?"
"There's something showing in your sword. The conviction that 'I am strong'."
She smiled with the Queen of the Swords' solemn face, as if she found it amusing.
"I'll shatter that conviction today."
Briana disappeared before her words were completely heard and appeared right in front of him. With a clang, she aimed for his abdomen. He hurriedly lowered the Heavenly Drive to defend, but the timing was late, causing a sharp pain in his hands and shoulders.
"Ugh..."
Raon took a deep breath.
"She's perfected Precision Sword, Swift Sword, Elegant Sword, and Observant Sword to the extreme."
Not to mention her footwork. Briana's mastery of those four principles of the sword was superior to his, and her footwork was even better. However, that alone couldn't explain the current overwhelming strength.
"What am I missing?"
Raon frowned as he clashed his Crimson Cut against Briana's chilling thrust.
"Can such a result be achieved just by changing the soul, when the aura and body remain the same?"
It was incomprehensible, which made him nervous and caused his sword to waver even more.
"What do you think swordsmanship is?"
Briana asked while keeping her sword locked with his.
"Swordsmanship is simply a method of using a sword."
"That's an answer worthy of a Transcendent who has understood the sword."
Briana nodded, saying it was correct.
"The same swordsmanship can fail to cut even a twig in one person's hands, or split the heavens in another's. However..."
She pointed toward herself and lifted her chin.
"I think of swordsmanship as chess."
"Chess?"
Raon lowered his eyebrows as he deflected Briana's sword coming straight down.
"Yes. A duel of swordsmen is like a siege. The opponent's swordsmanship is the wall and the gate. We have to think about how to break and penetrate that wall."
Briana twisted her lips and shook her head.
"But it seems your walls have already been breached."
With that chilling voice, Briana's sword strike cut Raon's right side.
***
"Ha."
Briana licked her lips long and hard as she watched Raon, who didn't even seem to notice the wound on his side.
"A swordsman approaching perfection, right?"
Body, mind, swordsmanship, and mentality. Raon was a swordsman walking toward perfection more than anyone she had seen so far. If he continued to grow like this, he would become a great vessel at the top of the Continent.
"But I won't lose in a duel of swordsmanship."
In the mental world where a single faint light was all, she had repeated the Supreme Sword and Preservation of a Hundred Battles hundreds of thousands, no, millions of times. The principles of martial arts contained in the Supreme Sword and Preservation of a Hundred Battles had gone beyond internalization to become one with her soul.
Especially since she had had endless duels with Brigitte, who brought external swordsmanship into the mental world where time didn't exist, she was confident that she would never lose in a battle of sword techniques.
With a hiss, Briana licked her lips after breaking Raon's defense and wounding his thigh.
"What a pity."
Various principles of the sword, a body reaching perfection, and unlimited aura. The best ingredients were gathered, but Raon still couldn't create a proper dish.
"I understand the reason."
Raon probably didn't try to subdue opponents with only strength and powerful martial arts from the beginning. He probably changed like this after experiencing various battles, so it wouldn't be easy to fix now.
"Should I end this?"
Brigitte had asked her not to kill him, only to break him, so it seemed better to end it before unexpected attacks occurred. With a whoosh, Briana licked her lips as she watched Raon bring down a strong sword strike.
"A siege begins by resisting the enemy's attack."
She gently received Raon's sword strike, which contained heavy force, tilting her sword diagonally.
"Now is the time to break the opponent's gate."
She thrust her sword toward Raon, who stepped back after failing his attack. With a swipe, Raon raised a shield and a flame spear, but her sword penetrated his aura in a fraction of a second. With a buzz, Raon abruptly raised his Heavenly Drive with golden flames burning, worthy of a Transcendent, to block her offense.
"I read this too."
Briana used Raon's fiercely upward sword strike to her advantage and thrust her sword toward his neck.
"Now is the time to take the king's head."
Just when he thought it was all over and was about to stop her sword in front of Raon's neck. With a buzz, Raon's sword, which hadn't managed to catch her swordsmanship until now, bent with a strange trajectory. With a clang, a perfect defensive swordsmanship without a single inch of error blocked the Supreme Sword's killing technique and knocked her sword away. With a hiss.
For the first time, Briana was pushed back not by her own will, but by Raon's sword. Deep footprints were etched into the training ground's floor, just as the Queen of the Swords had left, unable to completely dissipate the force.
"Huh?"
The Queen of the Swords swallowed dry saliva as she looked at the smoking footprints on the ground.
"Is swordsmanship a battle of techniques? You're right. It was."
Raon's eyes shone with the flame of interest.
"Thank you for reminding me."
-
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