"A hastily constructed bridge..."
Sif nodded, brushing back his red hair.
"Yes. That's the only way you could see it."
He smiled thinly, saying he could understand completely.
"It's not just how we see it, it's what it is, isn't it?"
Rimmer tapped his shoulder with his leaf sword.
"I've lived a long time, and I've never heard of or seen anyone reach transcendence like this."
The idea of stealing someone else's power to reach transcendence was unheard of in the continent's history. Although Sif was clearly emitting the aura of a Transcendent Warrior, there must be a weakness.
"Then feel it for yourself. See if I show any flaws!"
Sif stomped his foot with a twisted smile. A powerful wave of aura surged around him. It was the absolute aura that only a Transcendent Warrior could display. Sif charged forward in an instant, as if to end it in one blow. A sharp sword strike that could pierce the eyeball came rushing in.
'There must be a weakness.'
Rimmer bent his left knee and imbued his leaf sword with blue wind. He advanced with a refreshing aura that erased the smell of blood, unleashing the true essence of the Destruction Wind Sword. Neither Rimmer nor Sif avoided each other's swords. As the sword strikes clashed head-on, the entire cavern shook.
"Hmm..."
Rimmer let out a dull groan as he was thrown back. He frowned, forcibly gripping his trembling hand.
"How is it?"
On the other hand, Sif drew a smug smile without retreating a single step.
"Do you see any flaws?"
"Can't tell from just this."
Rimmer shook his head, shaking off Sif's remaining energy from his grip.
'This is no joke.'
Just from one clash, his insides were churning. It wasn't internal injury, but the impact was significant. It meant he was completely outmatched in both physical ability and aura.
'I should avoid fighting head-on.'
Sif's physical abilities and aura level were on par with a martial artist who had reached transcendence long ago. If he fought head-on, he might lose his limbs before he could even last a few moves.
"You can't tell, you say..."
Sif nodded calmly.
"Then I'll have to show you more."
He bent his wrist forward, raising the black sword. The moment he pointed the blade like a thrust, a blue light flashed before his eyes.
'Spatial Sword!'
Rimmer hurriedly lowered his stance and raised Garunua's wind. A sharp strike that cut through space and sliced through Garunua's wind. It was as skillful as if it were Alice' Spatial Sword.
"..."
Rimmer swallowed dryly as he wiped the blood flowing from his cheek.
'What is this?'
Sif's Spatial Sword was real. It made him think his judgment that flaws would be revealed was wrong.
'No, I still have to continue.'
Once the fight has started, one shouldn't doubt their own judgment. He had to believe in himself and keep moving forward. Rimmer reached Sif's left side, enveloped in the Gale Wind Style's wind. He swung up the leaf sword he had kept by his thigh as he stomped his left foot.
As the concentrated Garunua wind was released, an enormous energy exploded.
"You're fast."
Sif let out a small exclamation and tilted his black sword diagonally. Not defense, but attack. Instead of defending, he tried to bite into Rimer's neck by shooting out a Spatial Sword.
'I can't dodge.'
The moment he retreated, Spatial Swords would come rushing from all directions. Believing in his sword, he charged forward recklessly. The leaf sword and the black sword intersected, and the blue wind and spatial strikes collided. With a sound like thousands of glass windows shattering, a black crack opened in the center of the cavern.
Rimmer and Sif were pushed back five steps each, staring at each other. However, unlike the relaxed Sif, Rimmer's complexion had turned ashen.
"How..."
Paras had said that Sif hadn't learned the Spatial Sword until he left Alice. But now he was perfectly executing the Spatial Sword even at close range. Contrary to expectations, not even the slightest flaw was visible.
"It seems you're starting to believe now."
Sif nodded as if he had expected this.
"As you feel, I have reached transcendence."
"...That's impossible."
Rimmer bit his lip, glaring at Sif.
"It's impossible to make someone else reach transcendence through magic, sorcery, or martial arts!"
It was true that Sif had been closer to transcendence than himself or Raon. But reaching transcendence by stabbing Alice rather than through one's own awakening was something that disrupted the balance of this world.
"What if it's not human power?"
Sif shook his head as he planted his black sword in the ground.
"What...?"
"Rimmer. Since you've been with grandfather all your life, I can tell you this."
He said it would be interesting as he curled up his lips.
"The humans of Zieghart have the blood of angels flowing through them."
"An...gels?"
Rimmer's eyes rippled as if hit by a turbulent wave.
"As you said, it's impossible to reach transcendence by stealing someone else's power with human abilities. But if it's the power of angels, that's a different story."
"Then what you did to Alice..."
Rimmer swallowed dryly and looked at Alice, who was on Dorian's back.
"That's right."
Sif drew a cold smile as he looked at Alice, following Rimmer's gaze.
"I received the power imbued in mother's blood through the vessel of an angel. That's why, as you said, a result impossible for humans was achieved."
He shrugged, asking if it made sense now.
"No, I still don't understand."
Rimmer shook his head, looking at Sif.
"How did you know about the angel blood mixed in Zieghart's blood, and what's the method of stealing power!"
"Because I researched both angels and my body."
Sif pointed to his own head with his finger, saying he had opened his skull.
"Researched angels and your body..."
Rimmer's fingertips holding the sword trembled. Research on angels. There was only one person capable of that now.
"You don't mean..."
"That's right."
Sif nodded as he spread both arms.
"Derus Robert. He is my god."
He revealed a solemn look as he mentioned Derus' name. His personality seemed to be changing erratically, as if the human itself had been broken.
"Did Derus kidnap you and experiment on you..."
"No, I offered myself willingly. As a sign of respect for Lord Derus."
Sif smiled, saying it was his own decision.
"Thanks to that, I reached transcendence at the youngest age in the continent. All of this was his arrangement."
He clasped his hands as if he truly regarded Derus as a god.
"After completely extracting mother's power, our goal is to go for Raon Zieghart and then grandfather."
Sif lowered his chin heavily, saying he would become the blade that could kill Glenn.
"Ha!"
Rimmer snorted, looking at Sif.
"You... You've mentioned the names of two people who shouldn't be touched."
"Why do you think I told you?"
Sif revealed a chilling gaze with his face lowered.
"Because all of you will be buried here."
He raised his head, giggling as if his personality had changed lightly again.
"Alright. Let's see what you can do."
Rimmer straightened his back, suppressing his churning chest.
"If a disciple can kill a transcendent, there's nothing I can't do."
He lowered his eyes and raised his sword up and his hand down. As he called upon the wind and lightning dwelling in the mental world, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Sword Domain: Song of Wind and Lightning."
As Rimmer opened his Sword Domain, green wind and red lightning swept through the entire cavern, causing an enormous aura wave. Each stream of pouring wind and lightning was no different from a powerful Astral Ring.
"It's fake."
Sif shook his chin, calling Rimmer's Sword Domain fake.
"This time, I'll shatter your false Sword Domain."
As he swung down his black sword, dozens of sword shadows were drawn in the air, splitting the surging wind and lightning.
"With just that?"
Rimmer snorted and swung down his sword, causing the wind and lightning streams that had seemingly died down to rise again.
"Hmph."
Sif approached, pushing away the ground. He suddenly popped out from the right side and thrust his black sword, incorporating the subtleties of the Spatial Sword into his footwork. A faintly glowing blade. He was unleashing Spatial Swords even in close combat.
'Blocking would be disadvantageous.'
The Spatial Sword was a strike that penetrated beyond the opponent's defense. The moment he defended, he would lose momentum, so it was better to attack instead. Rimmer raised his blade wrapped in wind and lightning to strike down Sif's incoming sword strike.
Although Sif was still superior in terms of raw aura power, Rimmer could barely hold on thanks to the power of wind and lightning.
"Not bad for a fake?"
Sif sneered as he twisted his black sword to the left. The black blade that rose up twisted contained the power of destruction. Even though Rimmer blocked it with his leaf sword wrapped in wind and lightning, his insides churned. Since Sif's sword strikes themselves were imbued with the subtleties of the Spatial Sword, even a slightly delayed reaction would result in severe damage.
"You look like you're struggling? I'm still at ease."
Every time Sif swung his black sword, the air vibrated and the lightning and wind were torn away. As his original swordsmanship merged with the Spatial Sword, it was becoming increasingly difficult to deal with.
'Let's get closer. It's disadvantageous for me if we're far apart.'
Even though Sif could use the Spatial Sword at close range, its efficiency was lower than at a distance. Fighting at extremely close range, betting their lives, seemed more advantageous to him. Rimmer closed the distance with Sif, trusting in his body and aura enhanced by the Sword Domain.
In a gap too narrow to fully swing a sword, he twisted his wrist and thrust the sword of lightning and wind towards Sif.
"You're not necessarily at an advantage in close combat, are you?"
Sif, befitting a Transcendent Warrior, avoided the lightning sword by twisting his waist, but he frowned as if annoyed.
"But I can at least diminish your advantage a bit, can't I?"
Rimmer fought at a distance close enough to hear Sif's breathing. He aimed for Sif's vital points, employing not just swordsmanship and footwork, but also instantaneous body movements with maximized senses.
"Fine. I'll face you as you wish."
Sif, as if retreating would hurt his pride, stood at the same distance as Rimmer and slashed with a close-range Spatial Sword. Even as countless strikes of lightning and wind fell, his sword didn't waver in the slightest.
"Kuk."
Sif twisted his lips upward, looking at Rimmer.
'He certainly deserves to be called the Light Sword.'
Ethereal movements as if riding the wind, sharp sword strikes wrapped in lightning, and composure unwavering even while standing on the edge of a blade. He was a martial artist anyone would have to acknowledge. But as the fight continued, Rimmer's movements began to become familiar.
"This way."
Sif licked his lips and swung his sword, splitting the wind and thinly tearing Rimmer's thigh.
"Move faster. I can see everything."
He mocked Rimmer and unleashed a series of spatial strikes. It was a chain of strikes, shooting the second sword strike before the first Spatial Sword extended.
Rimmer deflected five sword strikes but failed to block the sixth Spatial Sword, exposing his waist. It wasn't a severe wound, but it was an indicator that he was starting to fall behind.
"...So what?"
Rimmer exhaled roughly and moved even closer to Sif. Although he was inferior in strength, speed, physical ability, and aura, his will couldn't be broken. He felt as if he was stepping into a death pit where his limbs could be torn off if he was even slightly off.
'But I have no choice but to move forward.'
Raon couldn't fight in his place, nor could the Head of House come. He was the only one who could protect Dorian and Alice.
'How long has it been since I've had a fight like this?'
Overwhelming disadvantage. It had been a long time since he'd been in such a fierce battle where a single wrong move could cost him his head. Strangely, though, he didn't feel afraid or burdened. Rather, he felt joy in being able to draw out everything he had. Perhaps it was because he believed in Raon, as Alice had said before.
'I feel at ease.'
As his mind became free, his body, which had felt heavy, became as light as if it had grown wings. It felt as if his spirit was connecting with the sky as his lower, middle, and upper dantians became one. Rimmer's movements began to read Sif's sword strikes, which had been difficult to avoid even at full power. No, the flow of mana in this cavern was seeping into his eyes.
The sword strikes from Sif that were hard to dodge even with full effort began to be readable. No, he could see the flow of mana occurring in this cavern.
Rimmer infiltrated Sif's left side and stirred up wind and lightning. Red lightning and blue wind gathered in one hand, creating a powerful wave. For the first time, Sif was pushed back and hit the wall with his back.
"What is this..."
He bulged his eyes as if unable to understand the situation.
"Haha."
Rimmer laughed. Pure natural mana was filling up the mana circuits throughout his body. He felt his body and soul growing as if about to ascend to the heavens. The caliber he had built up over a lifetime was breaking through the wall of transcendence that had been blocking his path.
Rimmer avoided Sif's strike and thrust his sword towards Sif's shoulder.
Where before his speed and strength would have been too slow and weak, now with lightning and wind infused, he was able to cut Sif's shoulder.
"What have you done..."
Sif frowned, unleashing a series of strikes. They were sword strikes sharp enough to be fatal no matter where they hit, but the wind was still on his side. Rimmer moved his body following the green wind, not his original footwork, and shot a lightning blade towards Sif's heart.
As Rimmer's leaf sword and Sif's black sword clashed head-on, green sparks spread throughout the entire cavern.
Rimmer advanced, wrapping his entire body in the Gale Wind Style's wind. He had suffered internal injuries, but his body's growth was even faster. It felt like he was evolving into an invincible body.
'Transcendence.'
He was certain he was advancing towards the realm of transcendence he had longed for. However, there was something more important than that.
'I'm enjoying this.'
Instructor of the Fifth Training Ground, Leader of the Light Wind division, Vice Leader of the Light Wind division. It felt as if he had shed all those shells and regained his freedom as Rimmer.
He felt like he could go anywhere, as if he had become the wind and lightning itself. Rimmer clashed head-on with Sif once again. Although he was still inferior in strength and speed, it was no longer an overwhelming disadvantage as before. With the power rising from his three dantians, it was enough to drive his sword into Sif's body.
As Rimmer's sword strikes grew stronger, veins began to pop out on Sif's forehead.
"You're reaching transcendence? Someone like you?"
Sif's entire body was dyed in black energy. A powerful aura wave, as if the darkness of the earth was rising, extended out, imbued with the subtleties of the Spatial Sword. It seemed he was now going all out.
'It's impossible to block this.'
Rimmer bit his lip and twisted his leaf sword diagonally. He tried to deflect Sif's strike to the ceiling and floor, but the power contained in it was too strong to fully receive. The spatial strike that tore through space escaped the blade of the leaf sword and went behind.
'Wait! Over there!'
Rimmer turned back urgently. The Spatial Sword he had deflected was shooting towards Dorian and Alice.
'Ah...'
He could block it now. But it was so close that he would surely receive a significant impact that would affect the fight. Of course, his body was already moving towards Dorian before he could even consider such thoughts. Rimmer threw himself towards the incoming Spatial Sword, shattering the ground as he advanced.
Although he defended as much as possible with the leaf sword, the most powerful impact yet enveloped his entire body.
"Kuhek!"
Rimmer bent over, spitting out blackened blood.
"V-Vice Leader!"
Dorian screamed, grabbing Rimmer.
"This is ridiculous."
Sif let out a hollow laugh, looking at Rimmer.
"If you had kept fighting, you could have reached transcendence, but you throw your body away for these vermin?"
He frowned as if he couldn't understand.
"Our Division Leader..."
Rimmer shook his head, wiping his blood-stained lips.
"Made a promise with this troublemaker. That he would protect our backs."
He smiled gently, as if he had no regrets.
"As a subordinate, I can't let the Division Leader break his promise."
Rimmer said that was all, slowly straightening his back.
"You're a fool."
"Of course a degenerate who stabs his own parents wouldn't understand. I'm talking about basic morality, the duty that people should fulfill."
He had almost reached transcendence feeling freedom, but in the end, what he chose was the shackles of responsibility. It seemed he had truly become human after all.
'This isn't good.'
His body felt heavy. The freedom of becoming wind and lightning was already gone. But he couldn't speak of defeat. Now was the time to fight to the end.
"Fine. Die as a human. I will live on as an angel."
Sif pointed his sword at Rimmer. An enormous energy that could collapse this entire dungeon began to writhe in his sword.
"R-Run away..."
Alice opened her parched lips, saying they should escape alone.
"My power is being drained more..."
She dropped a tear, saying Sif was getting stronger and stronger.
"I told you."
Rimmer shook his head as he wiped away Alice' tears.
"Raon considers you family. I can't bring sadness to that disciple who's just learned the importance of family."
He smiled gently as he stepped forward.
"Die."
A dark blue light stream connected in Sif's grip. A transcendent strike that drew darkness leapt across space and rushed in.
Rimmer advanced into the pitch-black darkness with his trembling hands gripping his sword. Lightning and wind that erased the darkness. His strike, imbued with his soul, formed a vast light that cut through the darkness.
"I am the Light Sword of Zieghart!"