Raon calmed the raging heat of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation over the Heavenly Drive sword.
'They're right. I've been too fixated on the power of swordsmanship all this time.'
During training, he had practiced all forms from basic to advanced swordsmanship, but in actual combat, he mostly used techniques that were powerful and fast.
'I had to end fights quickly.'
Because if battles dragged on, his comrades and subordinates could die, he always chose the quickest path in combat, which naturally meant using powerful and wide-ranging advanced sword techniques.
'Of course, that wasn't always the fastest way.'
While it's true that advanced techniques are more powerful, if he had used his head and applied the right sword technique at the right moment, he could have ended battles more quickly and effectively. But he had given up on thinking deeply and just tried to end fights with strong and fast swordsmanship.
His face flushed with embarrassment at knowing this but failing to act on it.
'Come to think of it, the sword techniques I've used recently have been quite similar.'
He frequently used the destructive Flame Dragon Strike, the all-encompassing Flame and Ice Unification, techniques from the Azure Sky Sword and Celestial Thunder Arts, and among his own created techniques, Void Slash and Whispering Wind.
'If I use all those techniques now, I could probably defeat Briana.'
No matter how strong Briana's soul is, her body and aura don't exceed the level of the Queen of Swords. If he went all out, even using Sword Domain, he could eventually win.
'But winning like that would be meaningless.'
He had provoked the Queen of Swords and the Thespian Emperor because he wanted to fight Briana, as Glenn had warned. Technique against technique, swordsmanship against swordsmanship—only by defeating Briana this way could he find the reason he came here and grow himself.
"You've realized something?"
Briana twisted her lips as if finding it ridiculous.
"Sorry, but that's not something you can realize just now."
She shook her head as if to say it was absolutely impossible.
"Understanding forms isn't about talent, but about repeating them hundreds of thousands of times."
Briana raised her faintly glowing sword and narrowed her eyes.
"Even for a genius like you, it means you need a long time."
She smiled faintly as if to say she'd make him feel it directly, then kicked off the ground.
'She's fast.'
Although using the body and aura of the Queen of Swords, because her footwork had reached its peak, Briana appeared before his eyes with lightning-like movement.
'Her swordsmanship is nearly perfect too.'
While Supreme Swordsmanship focuses on thrusting, Briana twisted her blade at the moment of thrust to also incorporate slashing or tearing. The reason his waist and thigh were cut was because of this peculiar technique. There was a stark difference between the Queen of Swords and Briana.
"Hundreds of thousands of times, huh..."
Raon stepped back with his left foot, etching Briana's sword that was penetrating like an awl into his eyes.
"I think I've done about that much too."
He stepped with the Supreme Harmony's Third Step, imbued with the subtleties of fluid swordsmanship. Like autumn leaves falling to the ground avoiding human touch, he deflected Briana's sword.
"Nonsense. Even if you had been swinging a sword since birth, it would be impossible."
Briana shouted not to talk nonsense and twisted her wrist. The sword in her grasp bent at an odd angle and rushed towards his chest.
'Fast and strong doesn't mean perfect swordsmanship. To block Briana's sword...'
Raon raised his toes like a bird's leg and drew a semicircle with the Heavenly Drive. Clang! The Heavenly Drive flowed like a wave, blocking Briana's sword and erupting with a sound like thousands of plates shattering. Yet unlike the loud noise, no shock remained in his hand.
'I should have received it like this from the beginning.'
So that the impact is directed outward, not into my body. Because Briana added the subtlety of penetration to the Supreme Swordsmanship, which is the highest level of swordsmanship, even when using powerful techniques, there was a great impact on his body and mind.
But now, by harmonizing footwork and swordsmanship to suit the current situation, the shock he used to feel when using Flame Dragon Strike or Flame and Ice Unification completely disappeared.
'Footwork is just as important as wielding a sword.'
In most battles, he had used the fast part of the Supreme Harmony Step, but now using the smooth Third Step or the heavy Fifth Step was much more effective. Whoosh!
Briana frowned as if surprised by his unwavering defense, but thrust her sword again. Black aura blooming from her sword thrust rose sharply like icicles under the eaves.
'This isn't a simple form either.'
Briana attacked like an ambush, but moved her sword in a way that made it impossible to accurately gauge where she was aiming.
'Even if I can't tell where it's aimed, it will ultimately land somewhere.'
Raon lowered his stance by bending his knees. Raising the energy of the Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation over the blade of the Heavenly Drive, he waited for the moment Briana's sword approached.
"Hmph!"
As if she sensed he had read her movement, Briana turned her shoulder and thrust her sword even faster. It was a move to disrupt the flow of battle so he couldn't defend properly.
'I expected that much.'
The moment Briana's sword thrust in faster, Raon leaned his waist back. Her sword blade deeply cut past his bangs.
"Hmph!"
As if anticipating his evasion, Briana gripped her sword in reverse to strike down at his chest. Zing! The moment Briana's sword fell towards his chest, Raon unfolded the Fangs of Insanity, raising the subtleties of bewitching sword and fluid sword imbued with fluctuation.
'The opposite of precision is fluctuation.'
Precision sword is the subtlety of swordsmanship that strikes exact points, while bewitching sword is the subtlety that creates confusion by shaking the sword. Since it was nearly impossible to block Briana's precision sword in a broken stance, he raised both fluid sword and bewitching sword simultaneously to break her swordsmanship. Whoosh!
Briana's sword strike shook violently like a sailing ship hit by ocean waves, striking the floor of the training ground instead of his chest.
Swish. Raon didn't miss that opening, straightening his waist and pointing the Heavenly Drive at Briana's neck.
"Didn't you say a sword duel is like chess or a siege?"
Raon smiled as he lifted Briana's chin with the Heavenly Drive.
"I agree. There's definitely a taste of breaking down the castle gates and taking the king's head."
Raon nodded, saying he had learned something good.
"Hmm..."
Briana furrowed her brow, looking at the Heavenly Drive touching her neck as if she hadn't expected to be counterattacked at the perfect moment of attack.
"A-As expected, you won!"
Krein clapped his hands after letting out a sigh of relief.
"Palace Master! I believed in you!"
"You're full of it!"
Martha snorted as she smacked the back of Krein's head.
"You were shaking like a puppy about to pee, thinking the Palace Master might lose!"
"I saw it too. I also heard you muttering about how embarrassing it would be if he lost."
Burren smiled with his arms crossed, saying he'd tell Raon later.
"Raon doesn't lose..."
Runaan nodded, seeming to have absolute faith in Raon.
"It seems he's realized something again!"
Dorian clasped his hands together, saying Raon was always the same. The Light Wind division swordsmen also looked at Raon with relaxed eyes, seeming to share the same thoughts as the executives. Whoosh. Raon pulled back the Heavenly Drive he had been holding to Briana's neck as he heard the cheers of the Light Wind Palace swordsmen.
"What's this?"
Briana furrowed her brow as if asking what he meant.
"You seem to have let your guard down, so I'll give you another chance."
Raon wiggled his finger, telling her to get up.
"You'll regret it."
Briana gripped her sword tightly, veins popping on her forehead.
"An opportunity like this won't come again."
She bit her lip, saying she had only been caught off guard by an unexpected move this time.
"No, you'll be looking up at me from that position again."
Raon swung the Heavenly Drive, saying they should start right away.
"Fine. From now on, I'll acknowledge you and properly defeat you."
Briana pulled her sword back deeply as if holding a spear, then thrust it forward in one breath. Whoosh! Countless lights connected like constellations in a cloudless night sky rushed towards him. It was a technique of Supreme Swordsmanship that the Queen of Swords had shown, but its power, speed, and the level of subtleties imbued in the sword were different. Whoosh!
Raon let out a gasp as he watched Briana's swordsmanship that seemed to bring down the universe.
'Beautiful.'
This was a high-dimensional swordsmanship that could only be created by refining forms to the extreme and fully understanding and embodying the subtleties within them. His heart trembled with admiration for Briana's effort and talent.
-Is this the time to think it's beautiful!
Wrath slapped his back as if telling him to come to his senses.
-You'll die if you don't block it properly!
He shouted that it was a sword technique Briana had unleashed with all her heart, saying the impact would be great even if he blocked it.
-Don't waste time and bring out a strong sword technique!
'I don't need a powerful sword technique. I'll only use aura at that level.'
-Huh?
'It's right to face sincerity with sincerity.'
Raon resonated the Ring of Fire to its peak. In the realm of transcendence that slowed down as if forcibly stopping the clock's hands, he read Briana's swordsmanship in detail.
'The subtleties of swordsmanship haven't changed much. Except for just one.'
The sword subtleties contained in this Supreme Swordsmanship are still strong sword, quick sword, precision sword, and observing sword. But between them, the subtlety of explosive sword that condenses and explodes aura had seeped in.
'I need to break that swordsmanship before the aura condenses. For that...'
Raon let out an excited laugh as he raised the Heavenly Drive.
'I just need to make more swords than the stars.'
The World Tree of flames blooms above the red-hot blade. Splendid and majestic flower petals rise with the wind and stand against the black-pouring technique of Supreme Swordsmanship. Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation Heavenly Drive Fire Spirit. But this isn't the Fire Spirit he always used. Because within the countless flame fragments, different sword subtleties were harmonized.
Light and fast, heavy and slow, strong, wind-wrapped, lightning-entwined, irregular, and sharp. The countless flame fragments bloomed like flowers, clashing with the sword strike that seemed to contain the universe. Boom!
The technique of Supreme Swordsmanship pushed in as if to devour the Fire Spirit, but the flame fragments spread faintly like fireflies illuminating darkness and began to burn the sword strike that contained the universe.
Whoosh! Like small sparks causing a massive conflagration, the thin fragments of Fire Spirit each drew different movements and completely burned away the technique of Supreme Swordsmanship that Briana had unleashed with all her might, leaving not a single aura behind. Whoosh.
The flame fragments, as if having completed their task, withered into dry petals and faded away.
"Huh?"
Briana's jaw trembled as she looked at the dying embers on the floor, seemingly unable to believe that the Supreme Swordsmanship technique she had put all her strength into could be blocked.
"I-Impossible. How could this..."
She looked at Raon with eyes seeking answers, as if she couldn't understand.
"If you want the answer, get up and come at me again."
Raon pointed the still-hot blade of the Heavenly Drive at Briana.
"If you beat me, I'll give you the answer."
He curled his lips, using the same words she had.
***
Boom! Unable to deflect Raon's sword, Briana was pushed back, creating deep cracks in the training ground floor.
"Ugh..."
As she raised her stiff neck, she saw Raon standing in the same spot, not shaken at all.
'Is this even possible?'
Raon was clearly a swordsman who focused on the amount of aura and the power of swordsmanship rather than understanding forms. But as if he had some kind of awakening while fighting her, he was now perfectly embodying forms with only the necessary sword subtleties for each situation. She couldn't understand how such growth was possible in this short time.
-What are you doing! Why are you just taking hits!
Brigitte in her mind shouted at her to fight properly.
-You're not going to lose to this kid, are you!
'Shut up.'
She gripped her sword with trembling hands, erasing Brigitte's voice.
'I won't lose. Just watch.'
She didn't know how many times she had died to Raon so far. Though her strength was drained and her head was spinning, she couldn't collapse in defeat like this.
"Hah!"
Briana took a deep breath and thrust the essence of Supreme Swordsmanship towards Raon. Clang! But Raon, as if he had already figured out Supreme Swordsmanship, received her sword without the slightest tremor and counterattacked. Whoosh! Briana barely avoided Raon's sword and bit her lip.
'Damn...'
Unlike Raon who understood her swordsmanship, she still couldn't feel his sword. But that was unavoidable.
'Even I can't grasp all the swordsmanship in the world.'
Raon kept changing the subtleties of the swordsmanship he used. He was throwing new subtleties into the swordsmanship she had just seen, so even though she prided herself on her eye for swordsmanship, it was meaningless. It felt like all the countless hours she had poured into swordsmanship were in vain.
"Is this what a real monster is..."
Unable to contain her frustration, Briana unconsciously opened her lips.
"Talent that even ignores time."
"I told you."
Raon shook his head, looking at Briana's wavering eyes.
"I've also poured millions of hours into swordsmanship. If you look properly, you should be able to feel it."
He thrust his sword in front of her as if telling her to look properly.
'Properly?'
Briana swallowed dryly as she looked at Raon's sword extending straight like the horizon.
'Wait. That sword...'
It's not something made with simple talent. She could feel countless branches entangled in what looked like a single sword strike. This wasn't a sword drawn in one go, but the product of effort poured in over countless hours, just like herself.
'He's the same as me.'
This child was also a swordsman who had trained in the mental world like her. Feeling that someone similar to her had lived a similar life, the sense of powerlessness weighing on her shoulders turned into elation, filling her chest. Clang! Briana struck back Raon's incoming sword and curled her lips.
'This is fun.'
I want to keep fighting! Unlike when she swung her sword alone in the mental world, vitality and joy began to overflow from her whole body and mind. Meeting a comrade made this simple process of blocking and swinging swords feel so enjoyable. Whoosh!
Briana sank deeper into the endless world of swordsmanship with Raon before her.
***
"Huh?"
Raon blinked as he looked at Briana, who had frozen holding her sword, lost in a trance.
'Again?'
Just like the Thespian Emperor had fallen into a trance, this time Briana and Brigitte had entered a state of enlightenment.
'This is ridiculous.'
He came here to form an alliance with the Five Divine Orders, but he didn't expect to put their leaders into trances. It was something he hadn't anticipated at all, causing a wry laugh to escape.
-Puhehehehe!
Wrath suddenly burst into laughter, pointing at him.
-You actually do good things for others sometimes!
He giggled, saying he now understood his own heart.
'It's not just doing good for others.'
Raon shook his head as he lowered the Heavenly Drive.
'I realized something I had forgotten.'
Through the duel with Briana, he felt the joy of swordsmanship and gained the desire to create even better swordsmanship. Thanks to reawakening this sensation he knew but had forgotten, new vitality was rising in his mind.
'This will be more helpful than a half-baked realization.'
He had realized that he shouldn't recklessly add subtleties to swordsmanship, and that he should only push in what's absolutely necessary, but in actual combat, he didn't practice this realization and just used strong swordsmanship. That wasn't wrong, but it would have eventually appeared as a huge wall blocking his path.
But having realized this before hitting that wall, he was sure he could reach a faster and higher level.
'The Ten Thousand Swords have grown a level too.'
There were no visible changes to his body or aura, but he could feel that the achievement of the Ten Thousand Swords had greatly increased after using all the swordsmanship and subtleties he had learned while dueling Briana.
-Puheng!
Wrath twisted the corners of his mouth and waved his hand.
-The rise of the Ten Thousand Swords is bull! In the end, you're just a doormat who put others into a state of enlightenment!
'I'm not a doormat, I'm telling you.'
-Doormat! DOORMAT! Hahahaha!
Wrath stuck out his tongue teasingly. It seemed he really wanted to call him a doormat.
'Think whatever you want...'
Just as Raon was chuckling at Wrath's snickering, it happened.
[You have shown the mercy of the Sword God to those who walk the same path.]
[The achievement of the Ten Thousand Swords has increased.]
[All abilities...]
[Trait...]
[...]
Messages popped up in front of Wrath, who was sticking out his tongue.
-Urk...
Wrath's eyeballs trembled while frozen in his tongue-out pose.
'It seems...'
Raon grinned as he looked at Wrath, who was breathing roughly.
‘It seems you’re the only doormat here?’