With a resounding clash, Raon deflected Zalek's sword and executed the Supreme Harmony Step. As he infused the swiftest footwork of the Supreme Harmony Steps with the essence of Quick Sword, his vision blurred, and suddenly Zalek's white beard was right before his eyes.
"Huh!"
Zalek raised his white eyebrows high, seemingly unable to predict such speed. However, befitting a swordsman who had awakened his Mind's Eye, he accurately defended his targeted shoulder while stepping back. With a metallic ring, Raon used the sound of the Heavenly Drive and staff sword colliding as a springboard to advance another step forward.
Approaching to an awkward distance for sword thrusts, Raon unleashed Wrath's Silver Moon Demonic Seal with his left hand. A powerful burst of compressed frost exploded 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 seal technique, he used the hilt of his sword to block the cold energy of the Silver Moon Demonic Seal. It was a perfect defense, almost to the point of being ridiculous.
"Of course."
Raon nodded calmly and deployed the Fangs of Insanity. With his honed sensory sword, he pressured the space where Zalek stood.
'He's dodging everything.'
Zalek seemed to know all the trajectories of the Fangs of Insanity, harmoniously blending evasion and defense to completely block Raon's offensive.
'The Mind's Eye...'
Although Zalek had said that the Mind's Eye wasn't like reading minds, as the fight dragged on, Raon couldn't help but suspect that Zalek was indeed reading his thoughts.
'He's not the type to lie. Then that ability must be...'
Insight. And not just any insight, but a special kind 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 surpass human limits. The clash of swords rang out!
Raon narrowed his eyes as he watched Zalek's sword thrust towards his abdomen, using the flow of the Fangs of Insanity against him.
'Then how should I break through the Mind's Eye?'
Several methods to break through this extreme insight came to mind. He could apply pressure with physical strength, overwhelm with powerful aura, use Lawrence's Reverse Wave Arts, or shatter Zalek's insight with swordsmanship that surpassed the limits of the Mind's Eye.
'The path I'll choose is already decided.'
Choosing another method might feel good if he won, but it wouldn't help him grow. Just as when he fought Lawrence, breaking Zalek's Mind's Eye with his swordsmanship alone would give meaning to his time at the Holy Sword Alliance. With a resounding clash, Zalek retreated, his expression hardening as if he had read Raon's resolve.
"Looks like you've realized something."
He lowered his eyebrows, appearing more cautious.
"I haven't realized anything, but from now on, things will be a bit different."
Raon deployed the Ring of Fire to its extreme. 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 beyond Divine Sword Unity, a new realm that only he, who had mastered the righteous Ten Thousand Swords, could reach. A fiery aura erupted around him!
Sensing danger, Zalek retreated, but Raon stuck to his left side and unleashed the Crimson Slash. Instead of following the already perfected technique of the Crimson Slash, he added the most appropriate essences of Quick Sword and Heavy Sword for the current situation.
"Hmm!"
Zalek let out a low groan as he struck the blade of the Heavenly Drive with his staff sword. Just as Zalek's staff sword was about to make contact with the Heavenly Drive, Raon changed his swordsmanship. 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, angled his sword diagonally.
A heavy aura supported his shoulder. It was the best posture to block the severing sword.
'As expected.'
Raon calmly nodded. He had thought that with Zalek's Mind's Eye, he would predict even this change in swordsmanship.
'So I'll break through it.'
The severing sword was a special technique that cut off the flow of the opponent's swordsmanship. Raon unleashed the Crimson Slash, infusing it with the extreme essence of the severing sword he had honed until now. With a thunderous roar, Zalek didn't retreat either. Wrapping himself in a sword strike as heavy as a boulder, he advanced towards the oncoming Crimson Slash.
His pride in his own abilities and swordsmanship was palpable.
With a resounding clash, 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 in the rock's victory, but this time the result was different. A sharp, grinding sound echoed!
The essence of the severing sword imbued in the Heavenly Drive cut through Zalek's heavy swordsmanship flow, leaving a small sword mark on his waist.
Zalek's eyes widened in disbelief at the blood trickling from his waist. His expression showed utter amazement that the severing sword had broken through his Heavy Sword technique.
"What are you..."
"I told you, I'm Raon Zieghart..."
"Not your name!"
Zalek waved his hand dismissively, as if telling Raon not to spout nonsense.
"Breaking through compatibility, how is this possible! It was clearly a severing sword!"
He squinted his right eye, still unable to accept the situation.
"It was indeed the severing sword. It feels like I've broken through a wall, even if just a little."
Raon nodded with a smile. Perhaps because he had believed in himself and acted on it, his achievement with the severing sword, which had always lagged behind, had greatly improved.
"...To grow in the midst of a sparring match, what an insane talent."
"No, that's not it."
Raon shook his head, looking at the mountain behind them.
"This is the result of sparring with the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance every day."
Thanks to countless sparring sessions with the swordsmen of the Holy Sword Alliance, including Lawrence, he had been able to achieve growth in his swordsmanship. This was the result of talent, effort, and luck combined.
"I see."
Zalek nodded, seeming to understand now.
"But to use the severing sword in that situation, was it a technique you often used before?"
"No."
Raon slowly shook his head.
"The severing sword is the swordsmanship I'm worst at."
Unlike straightforward sword techniques like Heavy Sword, Quick Sword, and Middle Sword, the severing sword, which was closer to a counterattack, didn't suit his style and didn't improve quickly. Among the many techniques, it was the swordsmanship that lagged furthest behind.
"What? Then why..."
"Just because it's difficult and challenging doesn't mean I can avoid it."
Although the severing sword didn't suit his style and was difficult, he had never given up on it. He had put in more effort and spent more time on it than other sword techniques, which is why it seemed to have blossomed first.
"You, you're a real monster."
Zalek lowered his stance, his lips twisting. Cold sweat dripped from his forehead. His expression was filled with a competitive spirit. Although he appeared sage-like, he too was a swordsman of the Holy Sword Alliance.
"Then let's start again."
Raon calmly raised the Heavenly Drive. This wasn't a sparring match to win, but one to grow himself. 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 running from Zalek's Mind's Eye that seemed to see through him, but determined to shatter his insight itself.
A thunderous clash resounded!
* * *
With a resounding clash, Zalek was pushed back by Raon's Heavenly Drive.
"E-enough now..."
Zalek shook his head, using his sword to prop himself up. His lips trembled, as if he were too exhausted to speak.
"Already?"
Raon blinked, lowering the Heavenly Drive. He was reluctant to end the sparring session like this, as there were still many sword techniques he hadn't fully grasped.
"What do you mean 'already'! The sun has already set!"
Zalek raised his hand, gesturing towards the sky. As he said, the sun had set and the moon was rising. Since it had been morning when they first came here, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they had been fighting all day.
"I can't fight anymore! If I move any more, my back will snap!"
Zalek let out a long sigh, saying that while he still had aura left, his physical stamina had reached its limit. He was so exhausted that his beard and eyebrows were drenched in sweat, their ends clumping together like brush tips.
"Hmm, let's stop here for now."
Raon lowered the Heavenly Drive, licking his lips. Though he was also in a battered state, the joy of improving his swordsmanship had made him oblivious to his own sweat.
"Great work, both of you!"
Dorian approached, as if he had been waiting, and handed towels and water to both Raon and Zalek.
"Thanks."
"Thank you."
Raon nodded, wiping his sweat with the towel.
'This is beyond my expectations.'
The achievements from over a month of training and sparring here had exploded all at once. It felt like the sword techniques that had sprouted in his mental world had grown more than a handspan.
'This too...'
Raon smiled faintly as he watched Zalek breathing heavily.
'It must be because I had a good opponent.'
Zalek wasn't just someone with the Mind's Eye; he was an unparalleled swordsman who had honed numerous sword techniques to perfection. Thanks to his head-on clash, Raon had gained many insights.
"I finally understand what the Alliance Leader meant."
Zalek closed his eyes tightly as he draped the sweat-soaked towel around his neck.
"You mean grandfather?"
"Yes. He said I'd have a hard time when you came, and now I understand what he meant."
He shook his head, saying that if he had known this would happen, he wouldn't have accepted Dorian.
"M-Master!"
Dorian's jaw dropped, genuinely surprised.
"Even if you hadn't accepted him, I would have requested a sparring match anyway."
Raon laughed, saying that such a hypothesis was meaningless.
"Master! Are you abandoning me? You said you'd make me a Transcendent Warrior of supplies!"
Dorian sniffled, grabbing Zalek's ankle.
"It's a joke! A joke! And when did I ever say I'd make you a Transcendent of supplies!"
Zalek kicked Dorian away, telling him not to talk nonsense.
"It's good to see."
Raon smiled faintly as he watched Zalek and Dorian, who seemed to have truly become master and disciple.
"Right?"
"What do you mean 'good'!"
Dorian grinned happily at the comment, while Zalek sharply turned his chin away.
"Ahem, I made a mistake earlier."
Zalek awkwardly shifted his gaze.
"A mistake?"
Raon tilted his head. He couldn't understand what mistake Zalek was referring to, given how satisfying the sparring had been.
"I said you didn't have talent for the Mind's Eye, but that wasn't true."
"No way..."
"Yes. While not to Dorian's extent, you also had dormant talent for awakening the Mind's Eye."
Zalek nodded, affirming that he was certain.
"But I just fought using my intuition..."
"Didn't I tell you? The Mind's Eye isn't something as grand as the eye of the heart. 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 might actually be kind and timid."
-T-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 Devildom or the heavenly realm. No, he's a monster who would enslave everyone there!
The creature shouted at Zalek to come to his senses, slapping his cheek.
"Meditate often. Remember, the Mind's Eye resides not in your eyes, but in your heart."
After giving advice about the Mind's Eye, Zalek leaned back 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 Reverse Wave Arts and Fierce Wave Arts, it seemed possible to complete a martial art capable of killing the Leader of the White Blood Religion in her spirit form.
'This is worth researching.'
He made a mental sketch, resolving to think it through properly after returning to his family.
"It seems you've already realized something. Your eyes are sparkling."
Zalek chuckled, saying it was amazing. Hearing the word "eyes" reminded Raon of what Zalek had said earlier.
"Zalek."
Raon looked at Zalek's half-closed eyes.
"Earlier, you mentioned Human Sight, Heavenly Sight, and Demonic Sight to me. What do they mean?"
"Human Sight refers to the eyes that humans should possess. It means you're fulfilling your duties as a person."
Zalek clicked his tongue, saying that there were many humans who lacked even Human Sight.
"Then what about Heavenly Sight?"
"Heavenly Sight is the benevolent eye where sacred divinity resides, and Demonic Sight is the eye of evil spirits where darkness seeps in."
"The eye of evil spirits..."
Raon bit his lip as he looked at Wrath. While he wasn't sure about Heavenly Sight, he had an idea of what Demonic Sight meant.
"However, that's just a rumor spread by loose-lipped humans. It's never been proven whether Heavenly Sight is truly good or Demonic Sight is truly evil. People have just categorized them according to their preferred terms."
Zalek shook his head, saying that one must think for themselves about the divine and demonic.
"One thing that's certain is that both the divine and demonic can dwell within you."
He quietly let his eyes shine, 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 might be because of Uriel, whom Derus had summoned.
-W-who are you calling a leech! You're the leech!
Wrath trembled his jowls, clearly offended.
"I see."
Raon stood up, engraving the information about Heavenly Sight and Demonic Sight in his mind.
"Are you leaving now? Because of you, I'll need some time to recover..."
"No. We've rested enough. We should start the second round."
Raon blinked, as if asking what Zalek was talking about.
"Please get up."
"Ah..."
Zalek raised his eyelids so high it looked like his eyebrows might come off, as if the thought of a second round hadn't even crossed his mind.
"Didn't you hear me? I said I have no strength left!"
"Give up."
Dorian shook his head as he handed the sword to Zalek.
"No one can stop Raon when he's like this."
He stepped back, saying it would be easier to just fight quickly.
"Ugh..."
Zalek's hand trembled as he gripped the sword.
His face suddenly looked ten years older. He appeared like a completely helpless old man.
"You 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 echoed through the Holy Sword Alliance.
* * *
Early dawn. Raon, who had been meditating motionlessly like a stone statue, slowly opened his eyes.
'Has it already begun?'
Mornings at the Holy Sword Alliance start early. The people here value the sword above all else in life, so they practice swordsmanship before washing up or eating breakfast.
While there were many swordsmen in the Zieghart family who also started training at dawn, it was rare to find people who swung their swords and sparred with such passion, dedicating their entire being to it.
"It seems you've gotten used to the Holy Sword Alliance's mornings now."
Rector, who had been watching Raon while leaning against the wall of the training ground, smiled faintly.
"That's right."
Raon nodded with a smile.
"It's been two months since I came here, after all."
After staying at the Holy Sword Alliance for two months, it would have felt stranger not to hear the sound of swords at dawn or night.
"What about the others?"
"They left before sunrise. They're probably clashing swords with someone."
Rector shrugged, saying that Martha, Runaan, and Burren had already gone outside.
"They're working hard too."
The three squad leaders had adapted to this place faster than him and were growing day by day. Training and sparring, especially the experience of fighting against swordsmen who had honed their unique sword techniques to the extreme, had been immensely helpful to everyone.
'It might be good to bring the entire Light Wind division here later. Or should we arrange a full-scale sparring between the Zieghart family and the entire Holy Sword Alliance?'
It might be too much now, but someday, after the true identity of the Holy Sword Alliance leader was fully revealed, they might be able to act without hesitation.
"It's a shame."
Raon licked his lips as he listened to the sound of swordsmanship echoing like birdsong.
"That it's time to leave."
From the beginning, their stay at the Holy Sword Alliance was 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."
Rector laughed, saying he could stay here for life.
"I'd like to, but I can't leave my subordinates alone."
Raon shook his head. As the Division Leader, he had to take care of not just the squad leaders, but the entire Light Wind division. No matter how beneficial his personal training was, he couldn't stay here indefinitely.
"That too is the right choice."
Rector nodded approvingly.
"So when do you plan to leave?"
"There's a lot to wrap up, so I'm planning to leave next week."
"Wrapping up... I suppose that takes priority."
"Yes."
Raon nodded heavily, gripping the hilt of the Heavenly Drive.
"It's time to see this through to the end."
* * *
The next day. As soon as evening fell, Raon left the mansion and headed up the mountain where Lawrence stayed. However, unlike his usual solitary climbs, this time Rector, Burren, Runaan, Martha, Dorian, and a few Holy Sword Alliance swordsmen were accompanying him.
"I told you not to come."
Raon frowned as he looked back.
"How could we miss this!"
"Yeah. We want to see that little Lawrence get thrashed."
The Demon Sword Lord and String Sword Lord, who had been his sparring partners every day, shook their heads, insisting they would definitely come along.
"We need to see how much stronger our Division Leader has become."
"If you haven't grown more than me, be prepared for an earful."
"If you lose, buy us Bead Ice Cream..."
Burren, Martha, and Runaan's eyes sparkled, eager to watch.
"You've tormented me for two weeks, so you better show me the results."
Zalek followed closely beside him, frowning with his forehead deeply wrinkled.
"Master! Over here!"
Dorian stuck close to Zalek, offering him tea and raisin cookies. At this point, they looked less like master and disciple and more like a caregiver and patient.
-C-cookies! Raisin cookies! This King loves them too!
Amidst all this, Wrath grabbed his own hair, saying he wanted cookies too.
'Ah, I get it! Be quiet!'
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 nice."
"Hahaha."
Mustan and Rector smiled softly, seeming to enjoy the lively atmosphere.
-Hmm...
Wrath narrowed his eyes as he savored the cookie from Dorian, then looked back.
-Now you always have many people with you. When I first saw you, you were just a wallflower stuck in a corner.
He chuckled, finding it amusing.
'A wallflower...'
Raon nodded gently as he watched the chattering people around him.
'Maybe so.'
In his past life, he had been the leader of Shadow, unable to form good relationships with anyone. Living a life where people treated each other like tools, even when he was born as Raon Zieghart, his deep distrust made it difficult to build relationships.
But fortunately, various relationships overlapped, and good people came to be with him. Although the increased responsibilities were burdensome, he could now feel a completely different kind of happiness compared to before.
-This King was the same! With this innate charisma, I captivated all the Demons! I am truly the greatest...
Wrath raised his round fist, shouting about charisma. Raon couldn't understand what this chubby cat-like being was talking about.
'...I see.'
-T-this King's words are not finished yet!
'I need to spar 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 spar every day, why have so many people come!"
He waved his hand as if telling them to go back.
"Let it be. It's the last time, after all."
Raon shrugged. Since today was the last sparring match with Lawrence before leaving for Zieghart, he thought it wouldn't be bad to have spectators.
"Hmm..."
Lawrence erased the irritated expression from his face and pressed his lips together. He seemed to regret Raon's departure.
"It'll be over soon anyway..."
Lawrence sighed briefly as he came down to the clearing.
"So let's do today's sparring a little differently."
Raon looked at Lawrence with burning red eyes.
"We'll have just one match, but with the goal of decisively defeating the opponent."
"I thought your eyes looked fierce for some reason."
Lawrence smiled as if he had expected this.
"Alright. Let's start without delay."
He twitched his long, branch-like fingers as if daring Raon to come at him. Sword Domain - Divine-Demonic Harmony. Even before the sparring began, Raon drew both the Heavenly Drive and the Blade of Requiem, opening his Sword Domain. The sun and moon rose over the dim mountain. He raised the Divine Sword of flames in the sun and drew the Demonic Sword of frost 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 built here..."
Raon curled his lips as he pointed the blazing Divine Sword.
"I will defeat you."