Cold winds screamed across the northern training grounds.
Snowflakes drifted endlessly beneath the silver moon while black stone tiles trembled softly under the pressure radiating from the center arena.
The spar had already surpassed casual practice long ago.
Everyone watching understood that now.
Because the atmosphere surrounding Kel and his cousin no longer resembled family training.
It felt like two true swordsmen testing one another beneath the frozen northern skies.
CLANG!!
Steel collided again.
Silver sparks erupted violently into the winter air as Kel calmly blocked another heavy strike descending toward his shoulder.
His cousin moved without hesitation.
Aggressive.
Sharp.
Relentless.
Her crimson eyes burned brightly beneath moonlight while silver aura exploded continuously around her blade.
Meanwhile—
The floating aura sword beside her shoulder continued attacking independently.
Every movement aimed to corner Kel from multiple directions.
Yet—
Kel avoided everything.
Too smoothly.
Too naturally.
Like flowing water avoiding rocks within a river.
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly laughed.
"She's getting more serious."
Kel stepped sideways, avoiding another slash by mere centimeters.
"…I noticed."
Meanwhile—
His cousin immediately rotated her body again.
The floating sword attacked first from above while her real blade thrust directly toward Kel's chest simultaneously.
Fast.
Precise.
A properly coordinated dual-angle assault.
Yet—
Kel simply leaned backward.
The floating sword missed his face barely.
Then his own aura blades intercepted her real sword instantly.
CLANG!!
The collision shook nearby snow from the surrounding statues.
Meanwhile—
The young woman refused to retreat.
Instead—
She stepped closer.
Closer.
Pushing forward continuously.
Attacking harder.
Faster.
The pressure around her aura intensified further.
And finally—
Kel spoke while deflecting another strike.
"Do you really have to go this far while we're just sparring?"
His voice remained calm.
Controlled.
Meanwhile—
His cousin smiled sharply beneath the moonlight.
Not mockingly.
But excitedly.
Then—
CLANG!!
Their swords collided again.
"You dodged every attack."
Another strike followed instantly.
"That motivated me."
Her floating aura blade spun violently toward Kel's side.
"To push my limits."
Kel tilted his head slightly, avoiding the aura sword before smoothly parrying her main attack again.
The silver-haired girl stepped forward aggressively afterward.
"And see this through until the end."
Meanwhile—
The watching family members had grown completely silent.
Because honestly—
The intensity rising from the arena no longer looked normal for noble sparring.
Several younger knights even unconsciously swallowed nervously.
Meanwhile—
Kel blocked another strike before speaking again.
"Don't you think one of us could get hurt?"
This time—
His cousin laughed softly.
Actually laughed.
And for the first time tonight—
Her expression looked completely alive.
Then—
She attacked even harder.
CLANG!!
"I know."
Another strike.
CLANG!!
"But isn't it better to push our limits?"
Her aura flared brighter afterward.
"If we don't push our limits…"
The floating sword descended from above.
Kel's own aura blade intercepted it instantly.
"…then we stay trapped beneath a ceiling forever."
Meanwhile—
The northern winds screamed louder around the arena.
Snow spiraled violently across the battlefield now.
And somehow—
Her words themselves carried weight.
Real weight.
Because everyone watching understood instinctively—
She meant every single word.
Another clash erupted afterward.
CLANG!!
"I already hit my ceiling."
Her breathing had grown heavier now.
But her attacks became sharper instead of slower.
"So now I'm trying to break it."
The floating sword accelerated violently beside her afterward.
"To grow again."
Kel silently watched her for a moment while blocking another strike.
Then finally—
She smiled again.
Wildly this time.
"And I don't mind getting injured if it's worth it."
Another step forward.
"So stop holding back, Kel."
The training grounds fell silent afterward.
Because everyone watching realized something important.
She noticed it too.
Kel was still restraining himself.
Severely.
Meanwhile—
Inside his mind—
Sairen softly muttered:
"She has good instincts."
Kel calmly jumped backward afterward.
Snow exploded beneath his feet as distance finally formed between them again.
The cold winds drifted through the space separating both figures beneath moonlight.
Then quietly—
Kel raised his sword.
Pointing it directly toward her.
And for the first time tonight—
The atmosphere around him shifted slightly.
Not fully.
Not seriously.
Just enough.
Yet even that minor change caused the surrounding knights to tense instinctively.
Because suddenly—
Kel felt dangerous.
Truly dangerous.
Meanwhile—
His black hair moved softly beneath the winter winds while silver aura slowly flowed around his blade like living moonlight.
Then calmly—
Kel spoke.
"I don't know when I'll hit my ceiling."
Silence followed briefly.
"But…"
The floating aura swords behind him rotated slowly afterward.
"…I should help you break yours."
Then—
Kel lowered his stance slightly.
And finally said:
"Come at me with your full power."
The words echoed quietly beneath the northern skies.
And instantly—
The entire atmosphere changed.
Helena von Rosenfeld
Kel's mother unconsciously tightened her grip upon the railing nearby.
Because for a brief moment earlier—
When Kel's aura shifted—
She felt something terrifying hidden beneath it.
Not monstrous.
Not evil.
But overwhelmingly vast.
And strangely—
It frightened her slightly.
Not because she feared her son.
But because she suddenly realized—
Kel might already possess strength beyond what even House Rosenfeld expected.
Meanwhile—
She quietly whispered beneath her breath.
"When did you become like this…"
The Younger Brother
Kel's younger brother looked completely overwhelmed.
His eyes practically sparkled beneath the moonlight.
"This is amazing…"
To him—
This wasn't frightening.
It was inspiring.
His older brother looked exactly like the legendary heroes from northern battlefield stories.
And now—
He wanted desperately to grow stronger too.
The Younger Sister
Meanwhile—
Kel's younger sister clung closer toward Helena silently.
Unlike others—
She noticed something emotional instead.
Kel looked calm.
Too calm.
Even during intense combat.
As though fighting itself no longer excited him.
And somehow—
That made him feel distant again.
The Eldest Uncle
The eldest uncle narrowed his eyes sharply.
Now he understood clearly.
Kel's earlier demonstration truly was restraint.
Because the pressure radiating from him currently felt completely different.
More refined.
Sharper.
Dangerous enough that even experienced warriors nearby instinctively focused harder.
Meanwhile—
The uncle quietly muttered beneath his breath.
"…Absurd."
The Second Uncle
The second uncle watched silently while snow drifted across the arena.
Yet internally—
His thoughts sharpened continuously.
Kel never bragged.
Never displayed arrogance.
Never sought attention.
And now he understood why.
Because Kel didn't view strength emotionally anymore.
To him—
Power had become normal.
Natural.
Like breathing.
And honestly—
That realization felt terrifying.
Duke Aktaris
The Slaughter Dragon remained completely silent.
Yet his crimson eyes had sharpened intensely now.
Watching every movement.
Every fluctuation.
Every detail.
And currently—
The Duke finally confirmed something.
Kel had real battlefield experience.
Not training.
Not simulated combat.
Actual survival.
Because the moment his aura shifted earlier—
Aktaris recognized it instantly.
That pressure belonged to someone accustomed to killing.
Meanwhile—
Inside the Duke's thoughts—
One realization surfaced clearly.
"My son walked through battlefields far beyond what he admitted."
At the center of the arena—
Kel calmly stood beneath the frozen moonlight while silver aura drifted around him softly.
Across from him—
His cousin raised her sword again.
Breathing heavily.
Eyes burning brightly.
Excited.
Determined.
Ready.
Meanwhile—
Inside his mind—
Sairen quietly whispered.
"So?"
Kel slowly tightened his grip upon the sword.
"…I'll raise it slightly."
The spirit immediately laughed softly.
"Try not to traumatize your family too much."
And then—
The second phase of the spar began