Yuri and his group returned to Briol.
Near the royal palace, the guerrilla training grounds echoed with the haunting calls of owls.
“Waaaaah!”
“Kyaaaah!”
“Eeeeyah!”
Joachim had mentioned that when he was in danger, it wasn’t just knights who volunteered to come here—young men from the town often stepped forward as well.
It had been a while since Yuri last met the instructors.
“How’s it going?”
“Progressing well.”
“Isn’t it about time we started training the people of Briol, not just Joachim?”
“Yes. We’re already recruiting riders.”
Yuri believed Briol needed a special unit like this too. After all, the region had forests, and when war broke out, battles would be fought in many different ways.
With the wealth of data accumulated so far, they could now offer more systematic and efficient training to Briol’s soldiers.
“I’m counting on you.”
“Yes, sir!”
Watching the new riders crawling on the ground in the distance, Yuri smiled.
Soon, they would be reborn as true owls, strengthening Joachim’s forces.
Leaving the training grounds, Yuri entered the royal palace.
His destination was the sparring arena.
He had a prior engagement today.
“Phew…”
Arriving early, Yuri stood alone on the arena floor, spinning his sword as he contemplated the upcoming duel.
It wouldn’t be easy.
Just then, his opponent appeared.
“You’re early.”
“Yeah.”
It was Bernard.
Bernard had immediately recognized Yuri’s level upon his return to the palace and requested a sparring match.
They had once been master and student, but now the gap between them was much smaller.
Yuri thought that if Bernard could harness the chaotic power he’d gained by defeating Yalta, he might even be able to beat him.
“Your Highness.”
“Bernard.”
“It’s been a long time since I taught you. Throughout, you’ve always amazed me—trying unexpected tactics and growing rapidly.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
Bernard swung his sword through the air, his movements both precise and sharp.
“Today, you’ll have to show me that same brilliance.”
“And if I don’t?”
“You’ll get hurt.”
“I could say the same to you.”
Bernard smiled.
“Do you think you can handle that?”
“Of course.”
Though he said it confidently, Yuri knew it wouldn’t be easy. Bernard was a skilled swordsman, much like Jose, but their styles differed.
From Yuri’s perspective, Bernard was the more challenging opponent.
“Shall we begin?”
“Yes.”
They drew their swords and locked eyes.
Yuri clenched Guilty tightly in his hand, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Had he ever imagined he’d reach Bernard’s level?
In his past life, Bernard had been a master far beyond his reach.
But not anymore.
Feeling the energy of the Soul Piercer coursing through him, Yuri stepped forward.
Though there was still some distance between their blades, every hair on his body stood on end.
The space between them was still wide, yet he was already inside Bernard’s domain.
Yuri unleashed a sword aura with the Soul Piercer, expanding his own territory.
Their spaces overlapped.
Yuri circled Bernard, searching for an opening—but found none.
He truly was an incredible swordsman.
If Bernard was this formidable, how strong must Yuri’s father be, having defeated him so casually and worked alongside him for years?
Would he ever be able to spar with his father?
Yuri grinned.
“Here I go.”
He charged first.
Guilty sliced through the air, aiming for Bernard’s chest.
Bernard easily parried and counterattacked.
The clash of steel rang out repeatedly in a short span.
“Not bad.”
“You too.”
Flames of sword energy flared on Bernard’s blade, signaling he was going all out.
Yuri responded by summoning the Soul Piercer’s power.
Their energies collided.
Yuri slashed low.
Bernard moved strangely, dodging the attack and striking Yuri’s shoulder with his sword hand.
“Ugh!”
If it had been a blade, Yuri could have dodged, but the strike was too sudden.
Bernard seized the moment, shifting his stance and pressing the attack.
His sword moved faster.
Yuri increased his speed as well.
Though his shoulder throbbed, it wasn’t enough to hinder his swordplay.
As they exchanged blows, Yuri felt a surge of joy welling up in his chest.
Bernard’s understanding of the sword was not so different from his own.
Their tactical exchanges and clever maneuvers sparked Yuri’s excitement.
It also meant their skill levels were nearly equal.
If one were stronger or weaker, he wouldn’t feel this way.
Yuri laughed.
Bernard had always seemed distant, but now they stood shoulder to shoulder.
It was both thrilling and satisfying.
Thankfully, Bernard seemed to share the sentiment, a faint smile breaking his usual stoic expression.
“Your Highness.”
“Hm?”
“You’ve improved a lot.”
“Yeah?”
“I was getting bored sparring with Jose every day. It’s good to have a new opponent.”
A true swordsman’s response.
Instead of replying, Yuri created a swirling vortex of sword energy—a spinning tornado of blades.
He’d become skilled enough that forming it was no longer difficult.
Bernard didn’t advance but took a defensive stance behind it.
The spinning gears of sword energy merged into a whirlwind and surged toward Bernard.
At the last moment, Bernard slashed through it like a ray of light, intercepting the attack.
The gears, as if caught in an unbreakable force, stopped spinning and began to collapse.
Bernard’s sword energy had neutralized the spinning vortex.
“Ah…”
Yuri’s eyes widened.
What Bernard had just shown was an incredible technique.
It looked like a simple slash, but it wasn’t.
He’d found a tiny gap between the gears and slipped his blade through, synchronizing its movement with the vortex in an instant.
Yuri opened his mouth in admiration.
“Impressive.”
“Did you think I’d lose to you?”
“Yeah.”
Bernard smirked.
“That won’t happen.”
This time, Bernard charged.
Yuri blocked.
A loud boom echoed.
Bernard swung low at his legs, but Yuri leapt to avoid it and stabbed his sword toward Bernard’s throat to prevent further attacks.
Bernard dodged.
Landing on the ground, Yuri countered by slashing Bernard’s lower body.
Bernard jumped as well.
Yuri aimed to stab his stomach during Bernard’s airborne moment.
But Bernard twisted midair, deflecting the blade and countering with a spinning kick.
Yuri barely ducked, hair flying.
Both the jump and the kick were impressive moves, but their wide motions left Bernard exposed.
He used the kick to cover the gap from his jump, but that in turn opened him up to Yuri’s sword.
Yuri struck decisively.
Yet Bernard responded in an unexpected way.
“Huh?”
Instead of retreating, he bent toward the blade.
The angle was off, and only a shallow cut appeared on Bernard’s body.
He channeled mana into his gauntlet, knocking away the blade of Guilty, then landed and stepped forward, thrusting his sword.
Yuri missed two openings, and Bernard seized the initiative.
Yuri laughed.
He’d faced many strong opponents, but few had responded with such unpredictability.
When the skill gap was wide, he hadn’t noticed, but now he truly appreciated how formidable Bernard was.
Bernard smiled faintly.
Their swords clashed countless times.
Yuri felt himself drawn deeper into the duel.
When sparring with Jose or others, differences in strength or speed stood out.
But with Bernard, it was a pure battle of sword control.
Yuri spoke.
“Bernard, you’ll have to work harder from now on.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m going to get stronger. If you don’t hurry and catch up, you won’t get to enjoy sparring like this anymore.”
“Hahaha…”
Bernard laughed.
“That can’t happen.”
Then Bernard moved even more tightly.
His speed increased, and his rhythm quickened.
Yuri narrowed his eyes.
If he lost focus, he’d fall behind—and get hit.
To keep up, Yuri summoned the Soul Piercer’s power in full.
“Your Highness, show me more. This can’t be all you’ve got.”
“Is that so?”
Yuri grinned.
He channeled the chaotic power he’d gained from fighting Yalta into his sword.
Back then, it had been a momentary awakening, allowing him to surpass his true limits.
Now, it was a bit weaker, but still an astonishing force.
“This is…”
Bernard faltered.
He clearly sensed it immediately.
“A new sword style.”
“Not entirely new.”
Yuri was halfway into the Soul Realm.
The world’s scenery shifted, senses tangled wildly.
Within it, Yuri found chaos that could transform into anything.
His sword, charged with immense power, crashed down on Bernard.
A thunderous explosion echoed.
Someone watched Yuri and Bernard’s duel.
Moyongchan observed from afar, arms crossed.
His disciple was truly gifted.
In such a short time, he’d grown tremendously, now nearly matching Bernard’s level.
Moyongchan had never seen anyone grow so rapidly before.
[With talent from the heavens and effort to match, this is what happens.]
No matter how gifted, without effort, it’s all for nothing.
Moyongchan’s gaze deepened.
The two of them sparred as if they were dancing.
Both possessed a profound understanding of the sword, employing acrobatic techniques that made their movements almost beautiful to behold.
Even someone of Mo Yong-chan’s caliber found their duel a pleasure to watch.
“Impressive,” he murmured.
Then, suddenly, Yuri’s momentum shifted.
An unfamiliar energy began to emanate from him.
Mo Yong-chan’s eyes widened.
“That’s…”
The power behind Yuri’s sword surged unpredictably, and his speed surpassed all limits. The erratic changes in form and style, crossing all boundaries, seemed like chaos without order.
A low groan escaped Mo Yong-chan’s lips.
“The Heavenly Demon’s martial art…”
Bernard began to falter.
It was only natural. Who could remain composed against a sword that moved so wildly and without pattern?
No matter how skilled Bernard was, facing such chaotic swordsmanship for the first time left him at a loss.
Mo Yong-chan watched Yuri’s blade with a stern expression.
Perhaps still unfamiliar with the power, the intensity gradually diminished.
Bernard, who had nearly been defeated, managed to recover and once again matched Yuri’s balance.
In the end, neither could claim victory, and they lowered their swords.
It had been an excellent duel.
But Mo Yong-chan’s heart was uneasy.
There was a reason the Heavenly Demon’s martial art was shunned as heresy in the martial world.
Chaos could become anything.
If it willed, it could even become the most wicked evil.
Mo Yong-chan closed his eyes.
Perhaps it was inevitable.
History repeated itself, and the heights reached by one genius would inevitably be matched by another. No matter how much one tried to suppress it, it would never disappear forever.
Though Mo Yong-chan had never met the Heavenly Demon himself, he had encountered the cultists who pursued his path.
The Heavenly Demon’s martial art they sought was crude and malevolent.
But the chaotic power wielded by his disciple was different.
“It must be the fate given to humanity,” he thought.
Back then, the Heavenly Demon ruled with absolute terror. But then the legendary swordsman Paecheon appeared and stopped him.
If his disciple were to stray down the wrong path, someone would surely rise to oppose him.
Perhaps Yuri himself—the one who commands chaos—is the world’s own response, a wave rising to prevent an even greater evil.
This cycle of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis had repeated throughout human history.
Mo Yong-chan simply nodded.
“The endless tide of history flows relentlessly onward.”