"Sparring...?"
Raon gulped dryly as he repeated Glenn's words.
"Until death?"
He had expected Glenn might have them spar, but he couldn't help but laugh incredulously at the condition of continuing until death.
"Sparring, eh..."
Burren calmly nodded, as if he had anticipated the sparring as well.
"Well, we have to see their skills first!"
Martha licked her lips excitedly while clenching her fist.
"Yes... cultivation begins with sparring..."
Runaan dozed off before slowly rotating her shoulders with her eyes half-open.
"S-sparring again? No matter where we go, all we do is spar..."
Dorian's hands trembled on his sword hilt, already seeming terrified.
"We haven't even started yet, stop being such a coward!"
Krein slapped Dorian's back, telling him to pull himself together.
"This should be interesting."
Mark Goetun tightly clenched his fist, seemingly excited about sparring with new people.
"Hmm?"
Raon tilted his head, puzzled by the unexpectedly calm reactions of the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen.
"Why are you all so calm? Didn't you hear the part about fighting until death?"
He stared at the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen, warning them that this wasn't an ordinary sparring match and they should stay alert.
"What...?"
"Are you insane?"
"...Raon?"
Burren, Martha, and Runaan blinked, as if wondering what he was talking about.
"Y-Young Master? Are you serious?"
"This guy really..."
"Huh?"
Dorian gaped in incomprehension, Krein clenched his teeth as if insulted, and even Mark Goetun tilted his head in confusion.
-You truly are a madman...
Wrath let out a disbelieving laugh.
-You made them spar to the death for so long! And you did it every day!
He turned his head as if unable to believe Raon truly didn't remember.
-You beat them when you were bored, beat them when they were weak, beat them when the food tasted bad, and now what!
Wrath shook his fist, urging Raon to remember what he had done.
'Ah...'
A low gasp escaped him as he saw the contorted expressions of Wrath and the other swordsmen. Now that he'd heard Wrath's words and seen everyone's reactions, he finally understood why they were responding this way.
"Hmm."
Raon discreetly shifted his gaze to observe the other swordsmen.
"S-sparring?"
"If it's until death, how much force should we use?"
"It literally means to fight as if your life depends on it. Won't be easy."
"He's coming on strong from day one."
Unlike the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen, the other swordsmen repeatedly gripped and released their swords with furrowed brows, clearly worried about the sparring. Their inability to hide their tension was evident in their violently trembling eyes.
'That's right...'
Raon nodded after observing everyone's reactions.
'Only our people are acting strange.'
Unlike the others, the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen weren't tense at all—instead, they were angry with him. It meant the training they had experienced thus far was completely different.
"..."
"It's been a while since I've faced other Transcendents!"
Karoon remained silent with his arms crossed, while Alice smiled excitedly as she stretched her body.
"Who should I spar with? They all look like fun!"
"Calm yourself."
The Blade Queen excitedly stomped her feet, while the Warlord pressed down on her shoulders. The only ones not tense in the training ground were the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen and the four Transcendents.
"Hmm."
Glenn slightly shook his head as he observed the reactions of the swordsmen gathered in the training ground.
"In their current state, having them spar or watching them would be meaningless."
He clicked his tongue briefly, noting that the swordsmen seemed too tense.
"Light Wind Palace Master."
Glenn addressed him by his title of Light Wind Palace Master rather than by his name, Raon.
"Call forth those who will demonstrate the sparring first."
He raised his chin slightly, asking Raon to select people for a light demonstration match to help the swordsmen relax.
"Yes."
Raon nodded and immediately turned to his right where the Light Wind Palace Swordsmen were gathered.
"Hmm."
"Hmph!"
"Yaaawn..."
Burren calmly looked at Raon, Martha puffed out her chest as if asking to be chosen, and Runaan yawned disinterestedly.
"Urgh..."
"..."
Dorian subtly avoided Raon's gaze, while Krein hid behind Dorian's back, holding his breath.
"Krein."
Raon called out Krein's name first, just as he would during training at the fifth training ground.
"And Dorian, step forward."
He gestured to both of them, calling forward Dorian, who could be considered Krein's rival.
"Aaaaaaargh!"
Krein screamed while clutching his head.
"If you were going to do this today too, why did you pretend not to know!"
He gritted his teeth, resentful of Raon.
"Why, why me..."
Dorian stepped forward, chewing his lips nervously, too afraid to protest.
"Damn it!"
"Ugh..."
Krein gnashed his teeth while Dorian sighed deeply in distaste. Both showed more anger toward Raon than fighting spirit for the sparring match.
"Let's start with a light sparring match."
Following Glenn's suggestion, Raon instructed the two to spar lightly to help ease the tension of the others, then stepped back. The moment the signal was given, Krein and Dorian simultaneously executed their footwork and thrust their swords at each other's vital points. Their blades clashed with a resounding ring!
The two swung their swords with blazing determination in their eyes, as if they had never shown reluctance or fear.
With each powerful clash of their Astral Energy-infused swords, thin but deep sword marks were carved into the training ground floor in succession.
"Let me win this time!"
"N-no way! If I lose, I'll get beaten!"
Krein and Dorian seemed to have completely forgotten Raon's instruction to spar lightly, unleashing terrifying sword strikes as if facing mortal enemies, seeking only opportunities to exploit each other's openings.
"W-what is this?"
"Wasn't this supposed to be light sparring...?"
"Besides, those two are supposed to be best friends."
"Why are they fighting like mortal enemies?"
"I had no idea Dorian and Krein were this strong..."
The swordsmen at the training ground gulped dryly as they watched Krein and Dorian fight as if trying to kill each other.
"You think we want to fight like this!"
"If we don't fight like this, the Palace Master will beat us to death!"
Krein and Dorian shook their heads vigorously, as if to say they hadn't become this way by choice. Yet even while complaining, their swords extended sharply, aiming for each other's vital points.
"Hahaha! Yes! That's how sparring should be!"
Balder, True Martial Palace Master, sat on the ground clapping his hands, pleased with the excellent show.
"I see why the Light Wind Palace is strong. If they spar like that every day, they can't help but become stronger, whether they want to or not."
Serena, the Void Sword Division Leader, muttered that this was a stance worth learning as she focused on Krein and Dorian's match.
"..."
Karoon also watched the sparring silently with crossed arms, seemingly impressed. With a sharp thrust, Dorian read Krein's movements with his Mind's Eye, then aimed his sword at his opponent's opening when Krein's strength faltered.
"Damn it!"
Krein tried desperately to counterattack, but Dorian's sword extended quickly and precisely, contrary to his usual nature. With a resounding clash, Krein took a hit to the chest from the flat of Dorian's blade and collapsed onto the training ground floor.
"Damn..."
Krein bit his lip until it bled and raised his head. His expression showed that losing to Dorian felt worse than the pain in his chest.
"G-good job."
Dorian, sweating profusely unlike someone who had just won, extended his hand to Krein.
"Heh, today's your win."
Krein smirked as he took Dorian's hand and stood up.
"I-I got lucky. I could read your thoughts well."
Dorian smiled weakly, feeling good about the end of the duel.
"Hmm!"
As Krein and Dorian stood smiling and holding hands, Raon approached them.
"P-Palace Master!"
"How was it?"
Dorian and Krein looked at Raon with expectant eyes.
"Still lacking. You couldn't fully focus on the fight. Krein lacked sharpness, and Dorian's analysis was slow. Both of you had over ten opportunities to defeat each other."
Raon clicked his tongue briefly without a single word of praise.
"Step back."
"Ugh..."
"Yes..."
Krein and Dorian pouted as if they had nothing to say and stepped back.
"Ah, you two need to fight properly again, so prepare for a second match."
Raon raised his chin slightly, indicating this wasn't over yet.
"Damn it! That inhuman bastard!"
"C-calm down!"
Krein gnashed his teeth and tried to rush at Raon, but Dorian grabbed his shoulders and dragged him backwards.
"...I truly understand why the Light Wind Palace is so strong now."
Serena gulped dryly, feeling once again the strength of the Light Wind Palace through the current situation.
"Then let's begin again. Light Wind Palace Master."
Glenn nodded, indicating that as planned, they would start with the Transcendents sparring.
"Yes."
Raon, understanding Glenn's intention, stepped forward, addressing him as the head of the house.
"The opponent..."
Glenn examined the Transcendents' faces one by one, as if searching for Raon's opponent.
"Hmm!"
"Father! Me! Me! Me!"
Karoon uncrossed his arms and raised his chin as if wanting to fight, while Alice shouted "Father!" to Glenn, begging to be chosen.
"Me too!"
"If given the chance..."
The Blade Queen and the Warlord also placed their hands on their sword and knife respectively, expressing their desire to face Raon. The two emitted intense battle aura, as if unwilling to miss the chance for a formal match.
"Hmm..."
Glenn's gaze slowly moved around before stopping at one point. He raised his finger to announce Raon's opponent.
"Blade Queen Siera. Step forward."
Since this was a teaching session, he called her by her name Siera rather than addressing her as Senior Blade Queen.
"Yes!"
The Blade Queen stepped forward toward Raon with a smile, seemingly more pleased by this formal address.
"I've been curious how much stronger my Lord has become, and now we get to face each other like this."
She rotated her wrist with a bright smile.
"I'm afraid I might disappoint your expectations."
Raon exhaled briefly and shook his head.
"I don't think that will happen. The battle aura I'm feeling now is..."
The Blade Queen licked her lips, genuinely excited.
"It's no less powerful than my own!"
She drew her crimson sword, baring her white teeth.
"I'll do my best to meet your expectations."
Raon drew his Heavenly Drive sword with a smile similar to the Blade Queen's.
"Everyone relax and focus on these two's battle."
Glenn nodded to the other swordsmen as he created a barrier of aura surrounding Raon and the Blade Queen.
"Watching is also important cultivation."
He flicked his hand to signal them to begin when ready and stepped back.
"I'll go first!"
The moment Glenn stepped back, the Blade Queen charged forward as if she had been waiting. There was no concession or dialogue as a senior.
"By all means."
Raon didn't retreat from the Blade Queen's fierce charge. Instead, he stepped forward. The clash of the Heavenly Drive and the Blade Queen's sword sent a shockwave that reverberated through the sky. Neither Raon nor the Blade Queen took a single step back, their swords locked as they tested each other's physical and mental strength at close range.
"As expected of the Destructive King of the North's barrier. It seems we can use our full power, right?"
The Blade Queen nodded in satisfaction at Glenn's barrier, which easily withstood the shockwave from the collision of her and Raon's swords.
"May we?"
She raised her chin as if suggesting they fight properly.
"As I said, you may do as you please."
Raon gave a subtle smile, indicating he would handle whatever she threw at him.
"Now this is refreshing!"
The Blade Queen's sword spun wildly, cutting through the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. Her fierce momentum and swordsmanship fully displayed the power of her blade. Raon, aware of her strengths in destructive force and speed, didn't dodge or deflect her strikes. Instead, he met her head-on with equal strength and speed, unleashing the Fangs of Insanity.
With a resounding clash, the Blade Queen's swordsmanship seemed to use instinct like the Fangs of Insanity technique, breaking into Raon's spacing even more fiercely and intensely. As their fire-imbued swords collided countless times, an endless comet-tail-like formation appeared in the center of the training ground. The sound of steel meeting steel filled the air!
Raon curled his lips as he watched the Blade Queen's sword consume the flames of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation.
'Impressive.'
The Blade Queen's swordsmanship was modeled after the martial arts of the first Zieghart head of house, the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. It was moving to see how what was once merely a derivative style had reached its own distinct realm after a thousand years.
"Why does such a young person have so little energy!"
The Blade Queen urged him to show more strength as she intensified her flames, devouring the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's fire and blocking even her own retreat path. Flames rose from all directions, forming patterns like prison bars.
"You still can't beat me in this kind of fight!"
The Blade Queen raised her chin, claiming supremacy in the aggressive swordsmanship that focused on power and speed. Gripping her sword with both hands, she swung it down like an axe. It was the Crimson Flame Piercing Form, an amplified power technique among her secret arts.
"That might have been true before. But..."
As Raon twisted his Heavenly Drive sword, golden flames flickered from the blade, splitting the Blade Queen's fire. With a tremendous sound, the Blade Queen's martial arts, supposedly supreme in charging power and destructive force, failed to penetrate the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation's fire and began to be pushed back instead.
"Now is different."
Raon raised his left knee and stepped forward, unleashing the Azure Sky Sword technique. When he first met the Blade Queen, he would have needed to avoid the Crimson Flame Piercing Form, but now he was confident he could break through it with force. With a powerful sound, the Azure Sky Sword technique, containing the golden sky, split the Blade Queen's magnificent sword strike in half.
"Insane!"
The Blade Queen let out a disbelieving laugh as she unleashed her second technique, the Wave Spirit Flame Palace. Ten streams of fire rose around her and fell toward Raon's entire body. With a thunderous clash, Raon extended forward relentlessly as if propelled, thrusting his sword.
The sword strike of the Celestial Thunder Arts, imbued with explosive force and acceleration, literally erased the Blade Queen's Wave Spirit Flame Palace while wrapped in red lightning.
"Yes! This is how a fight should be!"
The Blade Queen's eyebrows trembled in momentary confusion, but she showed no intention of backing down. Instead, she exploded her aura and Willpower, thrusting her sword as if determined to see this through to the end. It was her final technique, Crimson Wave Culmination. She wielded her sword with desperation, as if fighting a mortal enemy for her life. The sound of her power echoed throughout the arena!
Terrifying flames rose along the sword path the Blade Queen had cut. Heaven and earth—no, everything visible seemed to be engulfed in her flames. It was literally a Crimson Wave. A red tide was surging forward, becoming a mountain of flames.
"Correct. This is how a fight should truly be."
Raon, not hiding his excitement, raised his Heavenly Drive sword and drew his Wooden Ring Sword. Before the wave of flames covering heaven and earth, the two swords emitted different lights and Willpower. The sound of power reverberated throughout the arena!
The flames of heaven settled on the Heavenly Drive sword, while frost lightning rose from the Wooden Ring Sword. These swords opened the sky and called forth lightning. The Sky-Piercing Thunder technique extended forward like a ship's prow breaking waves.
With an explosive sound, Raon and the Blade Queen thrust their swords to the limit without backing down, despite feeling the enormous power residing in each other's weapons. The Sky-Piercing Thunder and the Crimson Wave Culmination collided head-on, creating a massive impact that shook not just the training ground but the entire Lord's Manor.
"Aaaaargh!"
"W-what is this!"
"Is this really sparring? It's practically war!"
"Th-they're both insane..."
The swordsmen trembled in shock, their jaws quivering as they stared at the center of the training ground where terrifying battle aura rippled, clearly having never imagined sparring of this intensity.
"Is it over."
As Glenn spread his hands, the barrier he had created disappeared, and the smoke and sparks that had risen from the transcendent sword collision settled. With a whooshing sound, Raon and the Blade Queen stood frozen like statues, each with their swords aimed at the other's neck and chest.
"You're amazing. If you had revealed what you were hiding earlier, I would have simply lost."
The Blade Queen let out a disbelieving laugh, genuinely surprised by Raon's growth.
"You were hiding your true skill as well, Blade Queen."
Raon nodded as he lowered his Heavenly Drive and Wooden Ring Swords. The two shared refreshing laughs, seemingly pleased after their satisfying match.
"Did you see that."
Glenn's lips curled slightly in a thin smile, apparently satisfied with Raon and the Blade Queen's sparring.
"This is how it should be done."
He nodded calmly, telling everyone to fight like Raon and the Blade Queen from now on.
"..."
The moment Glenn finished speaking, all the swordsmen's expressions changed in unison, as if synchronized.
'Uh...'
'How?'
'Like that?'
'Just kill me instead...'