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Fifteen minutes earlier...
"Alright."
The moment Allen spoke, Rudeus turned his head in surprise.
In his line of sight—
Allen's fingers lightly traced the hilt of his sword at his waist.
And its owner was now looking at Ghislaine with keen interest.
Rudeus gulped as he recognized that all-too-familiar motion.
Allen had the urge.
His hands were itching—the same expression he wore during his two years of sparring with Paul in Buena Village.
Why did Rudeus know this so well?
Because, at first, Allen's target had always been Paul. But once Paul started issuing formal challenges, everything changed.
From "only Sword God style," to "only North God style," until Paul finally realized he couldn't even touch Allen's shadow no matter what he tried.
In the end, the pragmatic Paul chose to focus on babysitting instead.
He decisively redirected Allen's urge toward his own son.
Thus began a series of duels where Allen and Rudeus would start at a distance, engaging in deadly skirmishes.
The gap between them widened—from 300 meters, to 500, and recently, even a full kilometer.
The result?
Rudeus lost.
Every. Single. Time.
He retained the tactical approach from their first battle two years ago, refined his magic, honed every beginner and intermediate spell, and set up even more obstacles to mislead Allen's senses.
His magic had evolved from simple ice blades shot from his palms to nearly imperceptible earth spikes.
The battlegrounds shifted from hillsides to open wilderness.
Yet—
None of it worked.
Allen's Flow Sense had become something incomprehensible.
He could flip the ground beneath him the moment before a mud swamp formed, exposing the bedrock beneath to neutralize Rudeus' spells.
Then, he'd casually stroll through every magical "obstacle," watching Rudeus struggle for ten full minutes before leisurely walking up to him—
And flicking his forehead with a grin.
"Your head's off."
It was that absurd.
Because Allen could see the flow of mana.
This was the most difficult of the Water God Style's Five Secrets—Flow Sense.
And Allen…
Had started with the hardest one first.
Snapping back to the present, Rudeus glanced at the neatly paved stone floor and the meticulously maintained grass beneath him, recalling the torn-up earth from their past duels.
"Is Allen about to wreck his own house? Wait, his opponent is Ghislaine—she'd stop him, right?"
He quickly looked at Ghislaine.
Only to find—
Her expression mirrored Allen's.
The same burning desire…
To swing her sword.
Rudeus' jaw dropped. He frantically scanned the area, realizing Sylphie—the usual peacekeeper—wasn't back yet.
His face paled.
"This is bad. Sylphie, hurry back!!"
"This is perfect! Why isn't Sylphie here yet?!"
Eris, uncaring of her skirt, flipped up from the ground with a nimble twist, her legs kicking high.
Her steps were unsteady from mana exhaustion, but her eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Allen, are you gonna wait for her? Or start now?!"
Allen gave Rudeus a reassuring glance and waved his hand.
"Now's fine. I've been curious about Ghislaine's strength as a long-reigning Sword King."
"And… I want to see how long I can last against her with my current Water God Style."
Last—not fight evenly. Because…
Allen's gaze shifted to Ghislaine, who was now gripping her own sword's hilt, her tail flicking eagerly.
She—
Ghislaine.
The Sword God Style's sole Sword King.
The gatekeeper of the Imperial-tier.
"Most importantly…"
Allen's voice was calm.
"I want to see it for myself—"
"The Light Reaper."
With that, he rose and walked toward the open courtyard.
Ghislaine drew her blade, her dark golden pupils narrowing as she watched his back.
A smirk tugged at her lips before she followed.
The two faced each other.
Ghislaine hadn't forgotten her role as an instructor.
"Since this is a swordsmanship lesson, let's make it a demonstration. I'll attack with Light Reaper, and you defend with the Water God Style. That way, Eris can clearly see the difference between our schools."
"Fine by me." Allen nodded.
The moment he agreed, Ghislaine slowly unsheathed her sword.
A thin, resonant hum filled the air as the blade slid free.
A beautiful arc traced through the air—
A slender, crimson longsword.
One of the Seven Swords of the Sword God Style—Heijou.
"Ghislaine Dedoldia, Sword King of the Holy Land of Swords. Let us begin."
Her stance tightened, power surging from her feet.
The blade split the wind—
And halted.
A simple middle guard, the tip pointed straight forward.
Yet the pressure was overwhelming.
Because—
This was one of the three stances of Light Reaper.
Hearing the formal pre-duel declaration—something he hadn't heard in a long time—Allen grinned.
He drew his sword.
Raised it.
The blade trembled, distorting the air!
"Allen, of the Water God Style's Main Dojo. Let us begin."
Ghislaine eyed the ordinary straight sword in Allen's hand.
"Why not declare yourself as Water Saint?"
"Water Saint doesn't sound impressive. Besides, they never officially granted me the title to my face. Why bother?"
Allen tilted his blade, his smirk fading.
"Next time I return to the main dojo…"
"That title—"
"Will need an upgrade."
Eris, watching from beneath a tree, hopped in place, eyes wide.
"That sounds so cool!"
Rudeus sighed.
But then, Eris frowned.
"Wait… Water God Style's Main Dojo… Where have I heard that before?"
Her eyes widened.
"Isn't that the one in the capital?!"
Rudeus quickly cut in.
"Yep! Most skilled Water God swordsmen in Asura come from the main dojo in the royal capital."
Eris blinked. "So Allen trained with that Allen from the capital?!"
Rudeus shrugged, silently grateful for Eris' simple-mindedness.
"Who knows? Maybe they were classmates?"
Eris scowled.
"Hah?! Classmates?! Then who's stronger?!"
Rudeus chuckled.
"Well, obviously—"
"This Allen is stronger."
Before Eris could retort, Ghislaine's voice cut through.
"Allen will defend. I'll attack. To make it clear—"
"This strike…"
"Is at the Sword Saint level—Light Reaper."
"Eris."
"Watch closely."
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 205 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 45 power stones I will publish the next chapter.