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Chapter 288: The Essence of the Sword

The essence of the sword lies not in mindlessly swinging it.

One must clearly understand what they are wielding and how to wield it for form to manifest along the sword’s path.

Only by knowing why they swing the sword and where their heart is drawn can intent be infused.

With a perfected form and a righteous intent, what follows is certainty. One could speak of yin and yang, the three dimensions, four thoughts, or five elements, but Ray wasn’t particularly fond of such archaic explanations.

After all, the sword is merely a weapon meant to take lives, a sharp blade. No matter how much meaning Ray tries to ascribe to the sword, it remains nothing more than a weapon.

‘Not a disciple for nothing.’

Ray, observing this young Yeon-woo, couldn’t fathom what she wished to cut, but it was undeniable she wasn’t at a level where she couldn’t slice something when she thought about it and swung her sword.

There are no disqualifications, one might say. Although it’s not the sort of sword Ray prefers, it certainly gives off an aura of ideal completion.

However, sometimes such completeness can trip one up. Yeon-woo was exactly in that situation.

She knew she was strong but wasn’t sure how strong. Her skills were high, yet her confidence in herself was lacking.

Yeon-woo was staring intently at the sluggish broad sword unfolding at Ray’s fingertips.

But it was all an illusion. If one thinks carefully, there is no fixed form in the flow; so why should the sword adhere to any particular shape?

‘Will she notice?’

She lacks the assurance that, transcending the form and intent infused in the sword, she can indeed strike true.

If she had entered the realm of an Aura Expert, she would need a powerful ego to match it, yet it seemed this girl lacked that very aspect, perhaps due to some insecurity.

‘If she notices, she’d earn her qualifications.’

If she doesn’t, well, even if she dedicates her life to it, she would never break through the wall. She wasn’t her caretaker, nor did she plan to coddle her.

*

Ray was demonstrating various sword techniques, and Yeon-woo was watching in rapt attention. He said that’s how one could cut. Yet, a nagging doubt lingered in her mind.

‘What is it? What’s bothering me so much…?’

Like when training with Claire, she used the principle of the broad sword to completely sever the flow of time.

While her reason was stating that Ray, the Sword Saint, lacked nothing, something deep inside couldn’t accept that.

The disparity between reason and instinct. In the midst of hesitation, Yeon-woo made a snap decision.

To begin with, logical reasoning had rarely helped in the process of cutting time. Quite logically, one shouldn’t be able to cut time, and one might say that prejudice blocked the path.

If that’s the case, it’s better to trust her instincts, to believe in the sensations imprinted in her body. There was no reason to cling to logic in a situation where it didn’t apply.

Once she adjusted her thinking like that, she felt a certain intent behind Ray’s every action.

What’s the point of swinging a broad sword? Why wasn’t he using the Aura Blade from the start? When everything about his actions became suspicious, only then did she finally see Ray’s gaze.

For some reason, it wasn’t directed at the sword’s tip but rather at Yeon-woo herself. From behind his impassive demeanor, she sensed a gaze as if they had encountered something before.

That gaze startled a memory; it was reminiscent of the time she sparred lightly with Raymond.

Simply put, it felt as if she was being critiqued, as though she was being tested by those eyes.

Everything was pointing to something; while she did not yet understand what that was, it was clear that what she lacked wasn’t something as physical as strength or swordsmanship.

What she thought was a drained focus suddenly surged back like a fountain. What was she missing now?

Each time she swung her sword, something that slipped away between her fingers seemed to have entered her line of sight, and her eyes deepened, coloring like the abyss.

“Whoa?”

As Yeon-woo began to immerse herself in her own world, Ray couldn’t help but exclaim.

Has she realized something? No, she hadn’t fully grasped it yet. She was likely in the process of finding something within her actions.

“Well, I think this demonstration is enough. Just mull it over in your head now. You probably can’t hear me anyway.”

Saying so, Ray loosened his stance and waved his hand. He then turned his body towards the city center. Ain, who had been observing the entire scene from nearby, gasped at what she saw.

“Are, are you perhaps going to see the Demon King?!”

“How often does one get to meet such a rare fellow? It’s a good chance to see him.”

“Going alone is a bit….”

Ray raised an eyebrow at Ain’s words. Upon realizing how that sounded, Ain gulped nervously.

“You’ve got some awareness. I’ll let one slip this time. Anyway, there’s no one worthy of accompanying me, so I’m going alone. Don’t mind what I do, just focus on your own tasks.”

“Ugh….”

Ain was crushed under an overwhelming pressure. Like a primal instinct screaming that moving even a little would cost her life, a dreadful killing intent wrapped around her neck.

When she thought the pressure had dissipated, Ray was already gone. Ain plopped down on the ground, exhaling sharply.

“Haah, haah….”

Though she had heard plenty of stories, seeing it for the first time made it all too easy to grasp why he was exceptionally strong yet not regarded as humanity’s trump card.

“How the heck did she manage to have a normal conversation with someone like that…?”

She mumbled while looking at Yeon-woo, who remained standing like a statue, seemingly unfazed by the killing intent.

*

“Should I start cleaning up soon? Is that what they mean by leaving bugs alone…?”

“The King of Bugs, here I come~!”

At the Demon King’s murmurs, Ray chuckled and shouted back. Climbing up had been tough, but seeing this elusive Demon King was worth it.

As tentacles flew towards Ray, who was tapping his stiff neck with the dagger’s hilt, the speed was more than double that from when he was fighting Yeon-woo.

The moment he thought it had pierced him, Ray’s figure became faint.

Having suddenly lifted off into the air, Ray swung the dagger lightly, unleashing an enormous slash that not only cut the tentacles but also engraved a massive scar on the ground below.

Clang!!

“Oh, damn. That’s right.”

With the sound of shattering glass, the dagger in Ray’s hand broke apart. Staring vacantly at the remaining hilt, Ray lightly sliced towards the severed tentacles blocking his path.

Although the tentacles struggled not to be pushed back, Ray poured his mana into it, overpowering it with overwhelming output.

“…Hey, pretty good.”

“Thanks for the compliment, but rather than praising me, step out front and clash fists with me.”

Shoving the remaining dagger hilt into his pocket, Ray raised his hand. The Demon King, staring at his bloodied hands, slowly began to rise.

“This might be just right for a post-meal workout.”

*

“Wh-what’s happening…?”

A thunderous explosion erupted from above. Knowing full well what sort of beings were fighting up there, she still couldn’t bring herself to look.

What was unfolding above was a battle beyond the comprehension of ordinary folk, a clash of monsters.

While some battles are surely beneficial merely by watching, that one was likely dangerous enough to kill even the onlooker.

Clouds were shattered into dozens of pieces, and hundreds of tentacles fell like debris to the ground. If all these fell and transformed into the Demon King’s Snake, it would honestly be a nuisance.

However, Ray cared little for causing trouble to others. He had intended to lend a helping hand, but time and again the results led to nothing but negative outcomes.

“I wish they would wake up soon.”

How long do they plan on spacing out like that? Because of that, aren’t they supposed to protect them from the approaching Demon King’s Snake?

Ain, grasping a spear made of aura, forced a sheepish smile. To be frank, close combat wasn’t her forte. She typically excelled at ranged combat, taking advantage of good visibility.

Confirming the positions of the Demon King’s Snakes swarming from all directions, Ain swung her arm wide and launched her spear.

With fierce speed, the spear tore apart the body of a Demon King’s Snake, burying itself into the ground and pinning the snake in place. Even if it regenerated, it would stop them from advancing.

If she eliminated them one by one, she could delay the onset of close combat as much as possible. That was the mindset she held.

Thirty minutes later, Ain was gasping heavily. She had torn through countless Demon King’s Snakes and had to engage in close combat.

It was a challenge not only due to unfamiliarity with the fight but also because, objectively, her combat instincts had diminished.

“Have I been a Student Council President too long…!!”

Just as she thought this wouldn’t be too bad, her processing speed began to lag behind the number of creatures still falling from above.

‘Damn it!!’

She wanted to vent her frustrations with a good curse, but the thought of anyone hearing it terrified her. As she had those thoughts, one snake leapt up.

Caught off guard by the sudden assault, she turned her gaze hurriedly.

Too late. It wouldn’t be a fatal blow, but she was surely going to get hit.

However, when she raised her guard to brace for the impact, the body slam she expected never came.

As a swish brushed past her ear, a sound akin to slicing rang out, and she turned her head.

“Are you finally awake, sleepyhead!!”

“Thank you for saving me, Senior!!”

With a lightened expression, Yeon-woo swung her drawn black sword, unleashing the Aura Blade.

The sword, resembling a long sword, swept across the area in a beautiful arc, as if all hesitation that had once clung to her sword path had vanished.

It seemed she had successfully realized something.

(To be continued in the next episode)

 

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