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Rojen wasn't a large man. He stood only 1.75 meters tall, lean, if anything.
Yet, as he closed his eyes, the golden Origin Dan in his Dantian began to rumble with a deep "Wēng Wēng" sound. Boundless true magical energy, the foundation of his possessed power, surged through his body along an intricate, defined path. In an instant, Rojen's silhouette grew hazy, then began to expand.
He inflated as if a giant, invisible balloon were filling him, swelling his body to ten times its original size. His robes snapped violently, though the air around them was strangely still.
A towering sword intent shot into the sky, then violently exploded outward, encompassing a terrifying radius of over three hundred meters.
The sheer, fierce intent sliced through the atmosphere. Within that massive area, the very ground seemed to be shredded by thousands of invisible blades. Explosions, hōng lóng lóng, rang out in rapid succession as massive cracks split and spread across the battlefield.
In the shimmering void, countless illusory swords appeared, each one hovering, vibrating, and glowing with brilliant runes on its hilt. Their tips slowly turned, and in an instant, every single one aimed directly at Zephyr, sending a freezing chill crawling across the Admiral's body.
"Wēng Wēng Wēng!"
Within the three-hundred-meter perimeter, the void itself felt like frozen steel. Zephyr found it difficult to even twitch a finger. Every inch of his skin prickled, as though stabbed by those invisible blades, while the cutting sword intent gnawed at his Haki-reinforced flesh.
"What in the blazes is this technique!?"
Zephyr's face twisted in shock; his heart hammered violently as an overwhelming, primordial sense of danger flooded him.
At that very moment, Rojen's tightly shut eyes snapped open.
An even greater, more devastating sword intent erupted. Within his pupils, two radiant, glowing sword images gleamed, locking straight onto the immobilized Admiral.
"Hōng Hōng Hōng Hōng Hōng!"
The ground beneath Rojen detonated, the destruction rapidly spreading in a chain toward Zephyr. Before the Admiral could even fully process the threat, the blast swallowed him whole.
Smoke and dust billowed upward, completely shrouding Zephyr within the swirling tempest of sword energy.
Rojen stood massive, hands clasped behind his back, his eyes sharp and gleaming with a sword intent so fierce it seemed capable of piercing the void itself.
"AHHHHHHHH!"
Suddenly, Zephyr's raw, furious roar tore through the chaos. He burst through the dissipating dust clouds, his face grim and contorted.
He scanned his surroundings, seeing the illusory swords in the air growing denser, more solid, and frighteningly real. He could easily visualize what would happen if they all struck at once. A crushing weight pressed on his heart; for the first time in years, Zephyr felt true dread.
He realized he had tragically underestimated the young man, the mysterious, foreign power coursing through him far exceeded anything he'd imagined.
"Zephyr," Rojen's massive form thundered, his voice like the rolling of storm clouds, "try taking this sword!"
"Wēng Wēng Wēng!"
All around, the floating sword phantoms rapidly solidified under the surge of Rojen's magic, becoming truly tangible blades. Their cyan edges shimmered coldly, every single point aimed straight at Zephyr.
"Damn it!"
Zephyr's expression darkened. He felt as though he had stepped into the enemy's own private domain, sword intent pressing in from every direction. His speed, reaction time, and perception had all plummeted severalfold. Each step forward felt like wading through thick mud; every motion was a struggle against the air itself.
"Soru!"
Clenching his jaw, Zephyr unleashed his full strength, forcibly breaking free from the invisible resistance. He flashed across more than thirty meters to appear directly before Rojen's colossal form.
"Fall before me!"
He roared, his knees bending as he exploded with immense force, crushing the ground beneath his feet into twin craters as he charged.
"Sword, come!" Rojen's eyes flashed coldly as he shouted.
"Whoosh!"
At his master's summons, the Seven Stars streaked through the air like a bolt of flowing light, appearing before Zephyr in an instant and blocking his powerful punch.
Rojen's right hand lifted slightly, seizing the hilt. Magic power surged through his arm and into the blade, the Seven Stars swelled tenfold in size, a menacing cyan light pulsing along its edge.
Without hesitation, he swung it down in a single, merciless strike.
Zephyr's pupils contracted. He executed a quick Geppo (Moonwalk) to leap into the air, narrowly evading the massive blow.
"Shua!"
The Seven Stars cleaved through empty space, unleashing a terrifying surge of Sword Energy that tore open the very void itself and shot far into the distance.
"Hōng lóng lóng!"
Three breaths later, a deafening explosion erupted from the Marine outpost, hundreds of meters away, fifteen buildings sliced cleanly in half by that single, distant strike.
Zephyr's expression changed, the dark depths of his eyes deepening with grim understanding. Rojen's strength had wildly exceeded his expectations. He finally grasped how desperately difficult this battle would be. Compared to their last encounter, this kid was not just tenfold stronger, he was utterly transformed, like a different person entirely!
"Shua!"
The Seven Stars slashed down again, its speed surpassing even the previous strike. For a brief instant, Zephyr's mind went blank; he didn't have time to dodge before the sword came crashing down upon his head.
"Boom!"
He was blasted away like a cannonball, skidding across the ground for over thirty meters before coming to a stop. Along the path of his violent fall, Sword Energy erupted, hōng lóng lóng, sending dust and debris flying.
Zephyr reacted instantly. Despite taking the strike head-on, his body was now covered in countless fine sword cuts, blood beginning to flow. He still forced himself to leap back to his feet.
But as he rose and looked forward, Rojen's right hand lifted, his index and middle fingers extended together like a sword, and he pointed straight at Zephyr from afar.
"Sword God!"
"Weng!"
The moment those two words were spoken, the countless swords that filled the three-hundred-meter void grew even more solid, no longer phantoms, but truly materialized blades. They quivered violently, bursting with dazzling, razor-sharp energy, and then, all at once, they rushed toward Zephyr.
Zephyr's pupils shrank; his face was a mask of terror. Everywhere he looked, there was nothing but an endless torrent of sword points stretching into infinity, each one exuding Sword Energy sharp enough to slice through anything. A deep chill ran through his body; he could not stop trembling.
"AHHHH!"
With a thunderous roar, Zephyr unleashed every ounce of his strength, preparing a desperate dodge. Those swords were interlinked, tip to tail, spiraling above Rojen's head in a massive formation. If they attacked sequentially, he might still have a chance to avoid them.
But then Rojen's calm, cold voice rang out, "Heed my words: you will stand still for ten seconds and not move an inch!"
A strange, suffocating power spread outward, instantly enveloping Zephyr's body. His muscles locked; his entire form froze in place. That eerie, absolute force bound him completely, he couldn't move a muscle!
At that same moment, the humming sword formation above began to move.
"Siiiiii!"
Like a massive swarm of serpents baring their fangs, wave after wave of Sword Energy lashed out, striking Zephyr in the blink of an eye.
Zephyr's pupils constricted, his whole body trembling uncontrollably.
If this attack landed in full… he would die!
"Hōng hōng hōng hōng hōng!"
An unending chain of explosions tore through the air. Within the three-hundred-meter radius, especially around Zephyr, Sword Energy detonated again and again, thunder rolling nonstop for thirteen whole seconds.
Rojen's gaze remained calm and cold. When only half the swords in the formation above remained, he finally withdrew his sword fingers, and the storm of explosions ceased.
Drip… drip…
Scarlet blood trickled from the settling dust, splattering onto the shattered ground.
As the smoke cleared, Zephyr's figure was revealed. His arms were raised before him in defense, his entire body gravely wounded, torn, and blood-soaked. Under that single, ultimate Sword God strike, he had been decimated.
"ROJEN!!"
He slowly let his arms fall. From head to toe, there wasn't a single intact patch of flesh, countless streaks of Sword Energy had ravaged his body, and even his powerful physique and Haki could no longer endure it.
Yet in that instant, Zephyr let out a final, furious roar. His knees bent, and unbelievably, he began sprinting once more, charging straight toward Rojen!
(End Of This Chapter)