Roan leaned forward, taking a heavy yet powerful step. He infused the aura surging from his energy center with the swiftness of wind, and imbued the flames blooming in his hands with change and illusion. Not content with merely wielding a sword, he transformed his entire body into a blade, embodying the essence of swordsmanship in every movement.
As he unleashed the techniques of Heavy Sword, Strong Sword, Quick Sword, Wind Sword, Phantom Sword, and Variable Sword, culminating in the subtle art of Destructive Sword at the tip of his blade, a new flow emerged as if swordsmanship itself was evolving. Roan's sword strike pushed back the white waves of the Reverse Wave Arts like a river flowing upstream, flashing with an even sharper aura.
"Insane..."
Lawrence's half-closed eyes flew wide open.
'This actually works?'
He tried to suppress Roan's swordsmanship with the Reverse Wave Arts, but it wasn't easy. The boy's sword had already found its way to the edge of the boundary.
'I have no choice!'
At this level, Lawrence could no longer stop Raon. Abandoning his pride, he employed the Reverse Wave Arts at its highest limit. A white current imbued with the waves of the Reverse Wave Arts blossomed from Lawrence's fingertips, engulfing Raon's relentless swordsmanship.
In the end, Raon's new swordsmanship faded away, blocked by the wall of the Reverse Wave Arts.
"Haa..."
Lawrence let out a low sigh, bending at the waist. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and raised his trembling gaze.
"You just..."
"I fell a bit short."
Raon frowned, looking not at Lawrence but at the Heavenly Drive.
'It seems I'll need a bit more time to get used to this.'
The swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance, regardless of their level, live their lives with the sword embedded in their being. He had tried to embody the sword in his body and soul like them, but it seemed he fell slightly short.
"What on earth are you?"
Lawrence bit his lip as he looked at Raon.
"Just now, it wasn't your aura, but your swordsmanship alone that almost broke through the Reverse Wave Arts!"
He shook his chin as if unable to comprehend.
"I tried to embody the sword in my life itself, like the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance. Though it seems I failed due to my inexperience."
Raon sighed, expressing his disappointment.
"What nonsense! I've lived in the Holy Sword Alliance for decades, but I've never heard of or seen anyone like you!"
Lawrence shook his head, telling Raon not to talk nonsense.
"I simply tried to express what I felt through my sword and body."
Raon looked at Lawrence with a brief smile.
"By the way, what is this Reverse Wave Arts you keep mentioning? Is it your martial art?"
"Yes. It's an incomplete martial art I've learned."
Lawrence nodded, leaning his back against a tree.
"Incomplete?"
"Remember when I told you I had read all the books my mother brought me and those in the study?"
"Yes, you did."
"That house originally belonged to the apostle who spared my life. Many of the books there were martial arts manuals."
He let out a low sigh while looking at the sky.
"Among them was a manual on the Reverse Wave Arts. It focused on breaking the enemy's martial arts rather than attacking. However, it was purely theoretical, something even its creator hadn't fully mastered."
"Even the creator couldn't master it?"
"It required special eyes."
Lawrence pointed to his golden eyes.
"My eyes can read the flow of the opponent's aura and movements directly. Thanks to that, I was able to learn the incomplete Reverse Wave Arts. Of course, it's still incomplete."
He nodded, saying that without his innate eyes, he wouldn't have been able to use the Reverse Wave Arts.
"Of course, the Reverse Wave Arts isn't omnipotent. Monsters like your grandfathers could just overwhelm it with sheer power."
Lawrence clicked his tongue, emphasizing that it wasn't an invincible ability.
"Hmm..."
Raon briefly smacked his lips after hearing Lawrence's words.
'So that's why I couldn't replicate it even while using the Ring of Fire.'
He seemed to understand how the Reverse Wave Arts worked, but didn't think he could replicate it. He had found it strange, but now realized it was because he lacked the innate eyes like Lawrence, making it impossible to copy the Reverse Wave Arts.
-To be born with such eyes and only use them for breaking techniques, how pathetic!
Wrath muttered about how foolish it was, shaking his head.
-If it were me, I would have focused solely on crushing everything!
'Well, you would have... Wait a minute.'
Raon swallowed dryly as he looked at Wrath's furrowed brow.
-What are you looking at?
Wrath rolled his blue eyes as if displeased.
'If I use the Evil Eye of Wrath...'
He might be able to replicate Lawrence's eyes similarly.
"Lawrence, could you show me the Reverse Wave Arts again?"
Raon extended his hand to Lawrence after finishing his thoughts.
"Showing it isn't difficult... but why?"
"There's something I want to try."
Saying he'd do it right away, Raon swung down the Heavenly Drive with a Crimson Slash. Lawrence responded by employing the Reverse Wave Arts with his hand raised. The moment his eyes flashed golden, the flame and flow of the Crimson Slash imbued in the Heavenly Drive instantly dissipated.
'Now I understand.'
Raon lowered the Heavenly Drive and extended his left hand.
'If I read the opponent's movements with the Evil Eye of Wrath and grasp the flow of aura with the Ring of Fire...'
It should be possible. Although the Reverse Wave Arts itself was complex, he felt he could replicate it after seeing it every day for a month. He simultaneously activated the Evil Eye of Wrath and the Ring of Fire. Reading the movement of Lawrence's hand and the flow of his aura, Raon mimicked the Reverse Wave Arts exactly.
As the two Reverse Wave Arts clashed, the two currents quietly dissolved like shields colliding.
"Huh...?"
Lawrence's lips trembled as he saw the energy of the Reverse Wave Arts in his hand disappear.
"What did you just..."
"So this is how it's used. I understand now."
Raon smiled as he looked at his left hand, now devoid of any aura.
"D-Did you just copy the Reverse Wave Arts? How, when you don't even have eyes like mine!"
Lawrence stared at Raon with eyes full of astonishment.
"I have pretty good eyes too."
Unable to reveal the Evil Eye of Wrath, he simply said he was lucky.
"Hah, I thought nothing about you could surprise me anymore..."
Lawrence placed a hand on his chest, saying his heart was still racing.
"It's also thanks to you continuing to fight with me."
Raon bowed his head, expressing his gratitude.
"This feels awful. I think I understand now why those who lost to me had that expression."
Lawrence frowned, seemingly recalling the expressions of the swordsmen he had defeated.
"No need to thank me."
Raon shrugged his shoulders at Lawrence.
"Thank you, my ass! I'm just getting irritated!"
Lawrence jumped up and down, telling Raon to stop talking nonsense.
'But this Reverse Wave Arts...'
Raon narrowed his eyes as he used the Reverse Wave Arts again.
'It's similar to how the Fierce Wave Arts is used.'
Ogram's Fierce Wave Arts, which ignored the enemy's aura to attack, and the Reverse Wave Arts, which erased the flow of the enemy's martial arts. The two techniques were similar not only in name but also in their method of use.
'Ignoring aura, erasing the flow of swordsmanship. Wait, if I combine those two...'
It seemed a terrifying swordsmanship that could shatter both the enemy's aura and martial arts might be born.
'This could be interesting.'
-Look at you, thinking like that. You're quite the vicious one.
Wrath clicked his tongue harshly, as if disgusted.
-However, it's still beyond your current abilities to achieve that.
He shook his head, indicating that it would take a lot of effort.
'It wouldn't be fun if it happened right away without effort.'
Since his path wouldn't end at Grandmaster, training with an eye on a more distant goal would surely be meaningful.
"Then let's start again."
Raon dusted off his hands and gripped the Heavenly Drive again.
"Huh?"
Lawrence, who had been wearing a bitter expression, opened his eyes wide in surprise.
"You want to go again? Haven't you already mastered my Reverse Wave Arts? Shouldn't we stop now?"
He tilted his head, asking if Raon hadn't been coming all this time just to learn the Reverse Wave Arts.
"What are you talking about?"
Raon let out a dry laugh as he lowered his hand.
"The Reverse Wave Arts was just a bonus. I've been coming to you to improve my swordsmanship. I'll keep coming until I can break through your Reverse Wave Arts with my sword skills alone."
Although the Reverse Wave Arts was an impressive martial art, he had never particularly intended to acquire it. He simply wanted to defeat Lawrence with his swordsmanship.
"Of course, fighting with you is also fun."
"Hmm!"
Lawrence smacked his lips in satisfaction, as if pleased by Raon's words.
"Oh? You like that? Are you happy that I'll keep coming?"
Raon grinned slyly and nodded at Lawrence.
"W-What nonsense! I'm irritated that you'll keep coming! That's why I'm like this!"
Lawrence waved his hand, telling Raon to just go away.
"Don't cry when I eventually return to Zieghart."
"Please, just shut up!"
His face flushed red as he took the initiative to attack for the first time. Wrath shook his head as he watched Raon and Lawrence begin their sparring again.
-It seems every human breaks when they meet this guy.
* * *
After finishing his sparring session with Lawrence, Raon returned to Rector's mansion. As he was about to open the door and enter, he sensed a familiar presence inside.
'Dorian?'
About two weeks ago, he had gone with Rector to find Dorian, only to see him meditating and return without disturbing him. It seemed Dorian had returned to the mansion today.
-That's right! The wallet has returned!
Wrath also smiled, seemingly pleased at Dorian's return.
'It's been a while.'
Raon chuckled as he opened the door and entered the mansion.
"Raon. Dorian is back."
Runaan extended her hand, pointing towards the reception room as if she had been waiting. Following her finger, Raon saw Dorian sitting with his back straight.
"Dori... Huh?"
Was he always this handsome? Perhaps due to losing all his excess weight, the once ordinary Dorian now appeared as a cute, good-looking young man.
Though he had known him for nearly 10 years, Raon had no idea Dorian was hiding such a face.
"I was surprised too. Who knew he looked like that underneath."
Burren let out a bemused laugh, marveling at the change.
"He's still just Dorian, though."
Martha shook her head, saying appearances didn't matter.
"Lord Raon. You've returned."
Dorian bowed politely towards Raon, as if he had been waiting. It seemed that not only his appearance but also his demeanor had changed. The previous lightness in his manner was nowhere to be seen.
"Huh? Yeah."
Raon nodded, somewhat bewildered.
"So, what did you learn that made you lose so much weight?"
Martha rolled her eyes towards Dorian, curiosity evident in her gaze.
"I learned and mastered many things. Among them..."
Dorian paused mid-sentence and pulled out a bottle of water from his pouch.
"Lord Raon. You must be thirsty right now."
Without any hesitation, he offered the water to Raon.
"How did you..."
Raon nodded blankly as he accepted the water. His sparring with Lawrence had indeed left him quite thirsty, and Dorian had accurately perceived this state.
"And Lady Runaan, you've been craving ice cream for a while now."
Dorian approached Runaan and produced a box containing bead ice cream.
"Oh."
Runaan let out an exclamation as she received the ice cream box. Her usually blank eyes sparkled for the first time in a while.
-Me too! Me too! Me too!
Wrath stuck out his tongue and waved his hand at Dorian.
"Lady Martha, since you want to make your day feel like two, I'll give you this fatigue recovery potion."
Dorian approached Martha and handed her a herbal fatigue recovery potion.
"You, what are you...?"
Martha widened her eyes as she looked at Dorian. However, seeing her accept the fatigue recovery potion without protest, it seemed she really did need it.
"Lastly, Sir Burren, you'll need this."
Dorian pulled out a small doll from his pouch, just the right size to fit in one's arms.
"Why this..."
"Haven't you been having trouble sleeping lately without your comfort doll? It's written on your forehead that you need this..."
"N-Nonsense! Don't talk rubbish!"
Burren's face turned red as he threw the doll away. Seeing the dark circles under his eyes and his intense reaction, it seemed Dorian might actually be right.
"But it should be right..."
Dorian frowned disappointedly as he picked up the discarded doll.
"Dorian. What exactly did you learn?"
Raon tilted his head after drinking the water.
'It doesn't feel like he's grown at all in terms of martial arts.'
While his posture had improved slightly, there didn't seem to be any significant change in his martial arts skills. It was unclear what he had been learning for the past month.
"I've learned to understand what others want. From now on, please call me the Transcendent Warrior of Supply!"
Dorian nodded confidently, saying he had learned how to provide others with what they need at any time.
"That's just..."
"An even bigger sucker..."
"Isn't it?"
Raon, Martha, and Burren finished each other's sentences.
"Nom."
Runaan, seemingly uninterested, just ate her ice cream.
"A sucker? I just want to supply you all with essentials anytime!"
Dorian thumped his chest, imploring them to believe him.
"When I came to find you, you were meditating. Wasn't that sword training?"
"My master was training me to discern what others need."
He grinned, saying that was all there was to it.
"Oh, come on..."
Raon finally couldn't hold back and put his hand to his forehead.
'I shouldn't have entrusted him.'
He had trusted the martial artist who took Dorian, believing him to be a swordsman at the pinnacle of Grandmaster level, but he never expected this outcome.
"You're going to train with me starting tomorrow."
Raon sighed and shook his head.
"What? But I just got back today..."
"Doesn't matter. Be out at dawn, no excuses."
He waved his hand, indicating he wouldn't listen to any objections.
"That's..."
-Hmm...
However, Rector and Wrath seemed intrigued as they examined Dorian, briefly smacking their lips.
* * *
The next day, as soon as dawn broke, Raon summoned Dorian to the training ground in front of the mansion.
"W-why are you doing this..."
Dorian, having reverted to his usual self overnight, trembled in his arms and legs.
"To think you wasted a whole month."
Raon frowned as he looked at the frightened Dorian.
'It's such a waste of time.'
Burren, Martha, and Runaan had surpassed the pinnacle of Master level through repeated sparring and training here. But Dorian, despite spending a month with a Grandmaster, hadn't made any significant changes. He had just lost some weight, slightly increased his aura, and improved his ability to discern others' needs.
The third improvement, in particular, was so unnecessary it was absurd.
"We don't have much time left before we return. Until then, I'll stick to you and teach you. You need to go back having changed at least a little."
"Ugh..."
Dorian let out a long sigh as if resigned to his fate, and picked up his sword.
"Well then."
Raon lightly stamped the ground, wrapping himself in the subtleties of the Quick Sword. He swung the Heavenly Drive at a speed Dorian couldn't react to, intending to make him feel tense. Just before piercing Dorian's neck, he tried to stop the Heavenly Drive, but Dorian, as if he knew everything, leaned back and deflected it with his own sword.
Though it wasn't imbued with strong force, the precise angle of the hit caused the Heavenly Drive to bounce back roughly.
"Ugh!"
Dorian screamed and blinked rapidly, as if he himself didn't know what he had just done.
'Was it a coincidence?'
It seemed he had somehow managed to block the sword by chance while swinging first.
'This time, for real.'
Raon narrowed his eyes and unleashed an even faster Quick Sword towards Dorian's solar plexus. But Dorian raised his sword and blocked his attack once again.
"What are you..."
Raon's jaw trembled as he looked at Dorian holding his sword in front of his chest.
"W-What do you mean?"
Dorian blinked, as if not understanding what Raon meant.
"How did you just block that?"
"If I don't block, I'll die!"
"That's why I'm asking how you blocked it!"
"Because the sword was coming!"
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
The two of them tilted their heads, staring at each other's faces.
-What kind of idiotic conversation is this...
Wrath sighed, as if dumbfounded.