Drip. Drip.
The sound of blood dripping echoed through the training space as I stared blankly at Leon. I recalled what had happened just a few moments prior and found myself slowly opening my mouth.
“Did you just…?”
“Yes, it’s a new skill that I learned.”
Leon’s calm voice echoed as he looked at his torn-up clothes.
Massaging the back of his neck, I heard him mumble, ‘Ah, I just bought this yesterday. Do I have to buy a new one…?’
He then looked at me, and I looked away.
Was he trying to get me to pay for that? Hell no.
I quickly shifted the topic of conversation elsewhere.
“Did you acquire a new bone?”
“…You can say so.”
Leon answered while pulling his hand back down and staring at the blazer in the distance. He sighed in relief, ‘At least that one is okay.’
“Wait, what do you mean you can say so?”
“It’s a little complicated, but just take it as is.”
“But—”
“It’s not like I ask about what happened yesterday, right?”
Saying those words, Leon looked at me meaningfully. His gaze said, ‘You always keep secret and I never pry, so you won’t mind if I do the same, right?’
“…..”
I hated how I couldn’t argue back.
“Fine.”
Whatever the case was, this new skill looked incredibly impressive. It almost felt like Kaelion’s domain.
Well, at least that was how it looked at first glance.
Sitting down on the floor, I similarly took my blazer off.
“Is there some sort of limit to your ability? Is it like Kaelion’s skill? Or is there more to it…?”
“There’s more to it.”
“Oh?”
“…As far as I know, Kaelion’s skill heals most of his injuries, but I don’t think it can mend broken bones or severed limbs. I can.”
“What?”
I looked at Leon, baffled.
“That overpowered?”
“Yes.”
“Seriously?”
I wanted to ask more about it, but seeing the sort of expression that Leon was making, I knew he wouldn’t tell me even if I had asked.
A bit of a pity, but considering how I was the same to him, I decided to stay quiet.
“Ah, right.”
It was also then that I recalled something.
“Didn’t you say something about showing me two things? If this is the first one, what about the second thing…?”
“Ah, right.”
As if expecting me to ask this, Leon casually walked out of the room, much to my confusion. He came back a minute after, a sword in hand.
“…I had to get this.”
“I can see.”
Kicking the blazer aside, Leon stood in the middle of the training ground while I continued to remain seated where I was.
A thought occurred to me.
“Did you finally manage to master the sword style that you were previously talking about?”
“No.”
“Then…?”
“But I’ve managed to improve it thanks to what you showed me. I don’t think I’ve ever shown you it fully completed.”
“Now that I think about it, you haven’t.”
In fact, I had hardly ever seen him use this move. It was mainly because it was incomplete, but recalling how the steps worked, I understood just what sort of potential it had.
“Okay then.”
I beckoned him with my hand.
“Show me whatever you’re trying to show me.”
I was a little curious. To see how much he wanted to show me this strange sword technique, he must have developed it quite a bit.
‘I wonder just how strong it is.’
My finger twitched.
For a moment, I almost wanted to have him attack me, but considering how I was also wearing my suit, I decided against it.
That would be quite a waste.
“I’m ready.”
And so, hearing Leon’s words, I straightened my back and prepared to see the power of Leon’s developed attack.
Just how much stronger was his new sword movement?
***
“Hooo.”
Leon took a deep breath, his mind clearing of all thoughts.
This was the very first time he was going to display this full move to someone, and he felt a little nervous. Not because he was afraid of messing up.
No, it was more because he was afraid he’d go too hard…
The last time he performed this move in training, his sword shattered into pieces, leaving a massive scar across the training floor.
“…..”
Closing his eyes, Leon felt the world around him.
It was silent, with just the faint sound of Julien’s breathing echoing before him.
Leon drowned out the noise, letting silence settle within the space of his mind. The most crucial aspect of this move was the absolute calmness of the mind.
He had to be in a state of utter calmness to perform the move.
Drip.
The gentle ripple of his sweat hitting the floor echoed through the space. Leon stepped forward, channeling mana into every inch of his body with fine precision.
His back popped, and his muscles squeezed.
He felt power slowly build up from deep within his body as he gripped the sword firmly.
‘Make sure that your soldiers are in line with your legs.’
At the same time, he recalled a certain voice as it whispered in his mind.
‘Let the mana roam freely within your body. Don’t resist it. Accept it through every channel of your body.’
The same voice taught him how to fully use the move. It was as though he was extremely familiar with it.
Not only that, but he was also the same one who had helped him learn how to heal.
Leon had so many questions, but his questions were met with silence.
He could only silently accept the teachings.
Since this benefited him, he had no reason to refuse. But at the same time, he was wary.
Why was he helping him? What did he benefit from helping him…?
“Hoo.”
Leon took another deep breath, his chest relaxing.
Finally, Leon opened his eyes. The world before him shifted—now etched with glowing yellow lines, each one tracing a path that unfolded before his very vision.
In the silence that shrouded the space, Leon raised his sword, tracing one of the paths in front of him.
Swoosh!
It was just a single slash, and yet… the moment the sword cut through the air, it felt as if reality itself twisted, coiling tightly around the blade.
As if in a trance, Leon took a step forward, following the golden footprint that appeared in his vision.
Swoosh!
He slashed his sword again, the air freezing with the second slash.
And then came the third slash.
The fourth slash.
The fifth slash!
Swoosh, swoosh—!
With each slash, Leon’s sword grew progressively faster—so fast that by the seventh strike, it almost felt as though he was stuck in the same spot, frozen in place.
But he was moving.
So fast that the naked eye could no longer keep up with his pace.
Leon was absorbed in his own moves.
In that very moment, he felt something with his mind crack, and his movements grew sharper, faster, and more liberated.
His already improved movement was starting to become sharper, more precise.
He was slowly reaching an even greater realm.
That…
Leon’s entire body tensed as he followed the lines.
In that moment, he understood.
He was starting to grasp something.
He stopped holding back.
Cra Crack!
The very ground, resilient enough to endure high-tier spells, began to show signs of strain. Thin, jagged scars formed in a widening web around Leon, each new slash carving deeper into the ground.
But by this point, Leon no longer cared.
He was in a trance-like state, his eyes slowly turning black as stars started to emerge.
Faster.
He could go even faster!
Faster!!!
Slashing once again, Leon felt a sharp pain in his head as his expression twisted. He could feel that he was threading a dangerous territory.
Something that could probably tear his entire body apart, but in that moment, he felt like he was reaching a certain something.
‘Just a bit more…!’
But what exactly was he reaching out for?
SWOOOOSH!
Slashing again, Leon felt his sword touch something tangible.
‘What the..!?’
Before he knew it, the air shattered, and the world around him changed as he was suddenly engulfed in darkness.
White dots were scattered across the darkness, and as Leon looked up, he saw… endlessness.
He found there to be no end to the white dots and darkness.
And yet, he was moving faster.
Faster, and faster.
So fast that Leon started to panic.
In that moment, it almost felt like he was slowly being sucked by the endlessness in front of him.
If he went even faster then…
‘I’ll disappear!’
BANG—!
As Leon slashed down for the nth time, a terrifying explosion erupted, its shockwave ripping through the training ground. The very air quivered, and the surroundings trembled violently under the force of his strike.
“Haaa!”
When Leon snapped out of it, he found himself standing in the middle of the training ground again, the entire place littered by scars of all different sizes. The entire place… it was a complete mess.
Drip!
As sweat dripped down the side of Leon’s face, he clutched his chest and dropped to one knee, supporting his body with the sword in his hand.
“Haa… Haaa…!”
Heavily gasping for air, Leon’s lungs burned, struggling to take in as much as they could, while his muscles twisted and spasmed in agony.
This wasn’t the worst part of it all.
“My… My head!!”
Clutching his head, Leon started to scream as he bent over, his forehead touching the ground, as his legs flailed as the pain started to consume him.
“Argh!”
This sort of pain…
He had never experienced something like this before, and it was slowly consuming him.
“Akkkhhh!”
His scream pierced through the training hall again, and through his hazy vision, Leon looked up in the direction of Julien. Where was he? Why didn’t he say anything yet? Did he get hur—
Leon’s thoughts were abruptly cut by the figure sitting in the distance.
He sat in silence, staring toward the spot where he had been moments ago, displaying his sword movement.
At first glance, there seemed to be nothing wrong with Julien, but…
‘H-how is this possible?’
The area surrounding Julien was perfectly calm, untouched by anything.
While the entire place was torn with scars and cuts, his area was perfectly clean, as though his sword had never come close to him.
Most shocking was Julien’s expression and eyes.
They were blank.
Completely empty.
And then,
“Hm?”
As if sensing Leon’s gaze, Julien’s eyes focused once again as he looked ahead.
“What happened here?”
He said, his expression confused and bewildered as he turned to look at Leon.
“Did you do this? When did you start performing? Uh? And why are you there…?”
