Gozine

It seems necessary to briefly consider the concept of the Spatial Sword.

What does it truly mean to split the space?

I’ve reached my own conclusion.

It involves cutting space to emit a wave imbued with a kind of mana to attack.

‘That’s probably about half right.’

But the number of people capable of such a feat can be counted on one hand.
Because it’s not just about cutting space, it requires an incredibly delicate control over the mana derived from it.

Thus, I activate [Genius’s Time] and reach a conclusion as I face my opponent.

It’s certain.

Ru is a crazy bastard.

“So this is the Spatial Sword.”

By cutting through space, one creates a sword strike imbued with mana and launches it. That’s the basic principle. As I nod in understanding, Ru gives me a strangely intrigued look.

“You’re the first since the Sword Emperors to grasp the principle of the Spatial Sword.”

The Three Sword Emperors.
Here, too, I am growing by inheriting the swords from the two of them.
The Black Sword from Theo von Reinhaver, and the Moonlight Sword Luna.
These figures, each representing their own unique swordsmanship, have become my greatest assets.

This is something that would be impossible without innate talent.
It also serves as proof that, at least until now, I’ve been doing well.

“Yes. Though I haven’t grasped everything yet.”

I reply modestly.
Ru continues to stare at me as he swings his sword.

Effortlessly.
But it’s different from the first time I faced it.
The moment I think that, Ru speaks again.

“I thought you might be hiding something, but I didn’t expect this. The power to face the present as if time has stopped.”

My brow furrows as I adjust my grip to prepare for an attack.

Ru.
He already knew what card I was holding.
He grasped the nature of my skill in an instant.

“…You have sharp eyes.”

“Living in these snowy plains tends to do that. There are times when you must hunt prey from afar, and moments when you must control the variables of countless situations. If you don’t give it your all, you’ll easily collapse.”

Chaeng!

In an instant, I deflect an incoming sword strike with perfect timing.

‘More troublesome than I thought.’

The timing of launching the strike and the timing of deflecting it must align perfectly to enter the range where I can attack Ru.

If I only focus on defending, thinking I’ll lose, I’ll learn nothing.

‘At the very least, I must take as much as I can from him.’

Dash!

I leap, gauging the timing of his sword swings and the movement of his blade.
I ignore the wound on my shoulder.

Fortunately, it was my left arm, so it wasn’t a major hindrance.

“Fast. For fifteen… this is impressive.”

“You could’ve done the same.”

“I’ve never seen anyone else do it.”

It’s an arrogant statement, but it’s also a moment that reminds me just how monstrous the man before me is.
Ru could probably do something like this without breaking a sweat.

A foe even I, with the cheat-like skill [Genius’s Time+], struggle against.
Perhaps he could even stand against the Three Sword Emperors.

‘Focus. Spread your mana wide. That way, you can track where Ru’s Spatial Sword strikes are coming from.’

After spreading my mana thinly, I weave it like threads across the surrounding terrain.
Why is this process necessary?
To prepare for Ru’s invisible sword strikes.

Chaeeng!

“You’re blocking them well now.”

“If you’re just playing around, you should stop there.”

My competitive spirit ignites.
No matter how strong Ru is, I too am a knight and mage with the [Genius] trait.
Nox, the man who has lived a life unaccustomed to defeat, though it hasn’t even been a few years, how many times has my sword thirsted for the enemy’s blood? In life-or-death battles, I’ve continued to survive and grow stronger. His existence could never be a threat to me.
Didn’t I foresee this situation and step into this fight for this very reason?

Ru.
He was an opponent I wanted to test myself against anyway.

‘Though he probably feels the same.’

“Do you have a reason for being interested in me?”

A somewhat rude question, but Ru doesn’t seem to think so.
He sheathes his sword slightly and speaks.

“I wanted to fight you. You have a special talent.”

“If it’s just about being a genius, there are countless others. You were one, and so was your master, Glint von Zehard.”

“You know of my master.”

“The master of the Spatial Sword and the former knight’s captain of a ruined kingdom.”

It’s lore I read back when I played the game.
Unlike some ashen-haired lunatic, Ru answers with surprising civility.

“My master was extraordinary. For some reason, even though I’ve completed the sword he wielded, I still haven’t reached his level.”

“I’ve heard you’re planning to leave on a journey.”

“…Sharp, aren’t you? You should be careful. Those who know too much are perfect targets for death.”

“I often hear that. That I have the appearance of someone who looks sickly.”

Ru lets out a chuckle.
It was a rare expression.

“Hmm. There’s much I want to hear and say… but let’s set it aside for now. Knights, after all, speak through their swords.”

I nod slightly.
At the same time, Ru leaps forward, and I capture his movement clearly with my eyes.

A motion so transcendent it seems to surpass humanity.
The sound of wind splitting.
A sword imbued with mana and Ru’s indifferent gaze fixed on me.

It feels like my entire body is burning, an unbearable sensation.
I realize it instinctively.
Here, I must lay bare everything I have.
Ru is a warrior on a completely different level.
Compared to the Grand Duke-class demons like Belial and Paimon, whom I fought with assistance, he is incomparably stronger. Even if weakened, facing them was no easy task.

Haa.

The cold of the snowy plains pierces my bones.
At the same time, I begin drawing out my mana to its absolute limit.

Ru, perhaps sensing my shift, raises the edge of his sword.
Then he waits.
Just as I had done earlier to read his Spatial Sword.

I open my eyes after a brief moment of closing them and leap forward.

The first move is simple.

Black Sword, Initial Stage. First Form.
Black Blade Flash.

A single slash arcs toward Ru’s neck.
I judged that I’d need to commit to killing intent to reach him. As expected, Ru blocks it effortlessly and counters with a cold thrust.

I quickly tilt my head back.

Whoosh!

The sound of air being sliced.

‘If not for [Genius’s Time+], I’d definitely be bleeding by now.’

Then I can’t hold back either.

Black Sword. Initial Stage. Second Basic Form.
Black Blade Chain of Flashes.

Multiple slashes fly toward Ru.
But Ru blocks every single one with precisely the necessary force. Good. This is right. This is the Ru I imagined. The thought dominates my mind, and dopamine surges through me.

I continue.

Black Sword, Initial Stage. Third Basic Form.
Black Blade Falling Petals.

Like dead petals scattering chaotically, sword strikes swirl around Ru.
This time, Ru seems genuinely intrigued, gripping his sword properly, dodging some and parrying others.

Feeling exhilaration, I reveal my final card.

Theo von Reinhaver.

I still despise him, consider him an object of utter contempt, but I acknowledge that his swordsmanship is the real deal.

I’ll show it here.

Black Sword, Middle stage. First Basic Form.
Black Blade Fire Mirror.

Darkness seeping from a massive sword crystallized into a mirror.
Unlike ordinary swords that reflect humans and objects, this sword peers into the depths of the enemy, into the abyss of their being. It was one of the secret techniques of our family.

Drrrr.

As the ground trembles, Ru’s sword points toward me.
Then he freezes, halting his movement. He must have sensed the unusual mana.

Fire Mirror.
For the briefest moment, Ru is caught off guard. I grin.
With that, I pour strength into my sword arm, ignoring the stinging pain in my shoulder, and swing fiercely toward the mirror.
Then, a massive black fragment, as if torn from the abyss, shatters like glass, weaving between my enemy and me. It resembles the night sky.

The Black Sword rushes toward the enemy.

Ru’s eyes narrow sharply, and I can be certain.
For the first time, my sword has reached Ru.
From now on, this battle will be one fought with his full strength, or something close to it. A duel between knights staking their lives.

**********

Del.
The vice-captain who has served Ru for a long time.
Now, he is gripped by an overwhelming terror he cannot resist.

His master (teacher) and a genius, Ru.
But for the briefest moment, someone has displayed power on par with his.
Just fifteen years old. Though rumors spread across the continent of him slaying demons, Del never imagined he could be this strong.

That’s why, he flares up in frustration.

Honestly, he didn’t think there was any other reason beyond Ru’s words.
Ru is a man whose exterior matches his interior.

So if he believed Nox was stronger, there must have been a reason.
Innate talent?

Perhaps that played a part. The difference between commoners and nobles might also matter.

He had considered this much.
That Nox might be stronger than him. But he reassured himself that he could still learn something from this spar. That way, even if Ru were to leave, he could protect these snowy plains.

But what is this?

A massive black mirror and the beautiful swordsmanship that shatters it.
It draws him in.
His pupils darken, his eyes narrowing.

Thump. Thump.

His heart pounds madly, as if blood is rushing backward.

‘…Does an unreachable realm truly exist? No matter how much I pour into this, can I never wield a sword like this?’

Doubt blooms.
A fundamental one.

The kind anyone feels when faced with an insurmountable wall—despair.

But he had always told himself he was different.

‘It’s merciless. It feels like it’s crushing me.’

Now, the massive mirror engulfs his master. Fragments of the shattered mirror rain down on Ru like meteors in the night sky.

Is this the Black Sword, worthy of the name of the Reinhaver family, one of the absolute powers?

“My master was right. I…”

He can’t continue.
He wonders if he says it aloud, it’ll become true.
He was afraid.

That he might never even get a chance to reach that height.

Del bows his head.
Then quickly leaves the training grounds.

All he wants is to vent this pounding sensation somewhere.

**********

“…Monster.”

Amid the floating fragments of the mirror, Ru has suffered shallow wounds on his shoulder and abdomen.
Blood. It’s blood.
How long has it been since he last bled?

This searing pain, fighting a human who stares at his neck with chilling intensity?
When was the last time his heart raced like this?

“This is fun.”

Ru smile.
He doesn’t hide his expression.

A true monster.
Though he was the one who first called the young Nox a monster, the faint competitive spirit sprouting within Ru could now overturn the tide of this battle once more.

“Let’s start once again.”

“Of course.”

Nox smiles boldly in front of him.

Nothing could make him happier.

‘Forgive me, Master.’

It seems I’m just this kind of person.

Ru concentrates his mana into his sword in an instant.

The spar was now entering its second chapter.