The crisp morning air was broken only by the sound of Saturu's controlled breathing and the rhythmic strain of his body.
"…198, 199, 200… Done."
He lowered himself from the hanging bar, landing softly on the ground.
"Ahh, that's better."
The light exercises Kayon recommended were effective. His body needed movement to increase his physical strength, though he couldn't afford to strain it too much—that had led to his unconsciousness before.
He flexed his previously injured hand. The wounds were healed. The bones were knit strong.
"The wounds seem to be healed…" he muttered, a frown etching his features.
His body was at a third of its peak condition compared to his past life. As he gazed into the nearby stream, he observed the subtle changes in his form. Before, Saturu's body had looked like that of an eighty-year-old woman—his limbs thin, trembling under their own weight. Even drawing breath had required effort, his chest rising unevenly as air scraped through unused lungs. Now, the body had returned to a semblance of normal.
He scooped a small amount of water from the stream and stared at it intently.
This time, he knew he had transmigrated into the body of Saturu, the Knight of Vermillion, who had been sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit. The previous owner of the body had fought until his last dying breath. I vowed to take care of everything.
He let the water slip from his hands back into the stream.
"This is a waste of time. If I want to remaster my full power, I need to learn how to use mana. For some reason, I can't connect to my mana flow."
Frustration propelled him across the training grounds toward Kayon.
Kayon sat in deep meditation, floating a few inches above the ground, surrounded by a faint, shimmering aura.
"Hey," Saturu called out, breaking the silence. "When are you going to show me the spiritual manifestation technique?"
Kayon ignored him, eyes still closed.
Is he ignoring me? No, he wouldn't… Saturu thought.
Kayon's voice was calm, infuriatingly even. "You failed before. Why would I waste time teaching you again? For all intents and purposes, you're already far stronger than most."
"What does he mean by that?"
"I will teach you the technique only if you defeat me." Kayon descended and walked to the center of the training ground.
"Very well. If I defeat you, you will show me the technique," Saturu said, his voice deceptively calm.
"The first move is yours—but know this, I won't show mercy."
Saturu drew his sword and charged, his body blurring forward without hesitation. Kayon stood unfazed, watching the approaching attack.
The moment Saturu struck, a shockwave erupted, tearing through the forest. Debris spiraled into the air as the blast ripped across the training ground.
..!? A chill crawled up Saturu's spine.
He hadn't heard it—no footsteps, no shift in air. Too late, he realized the presence behind him.
In an instant, they moved in a blur of motion. Kayon was a step ahead. With a mere thought, he activated his earth manipulation.
The ground beneath Saturu shattered, upheaving and throwing him off balance.
Saturu reacted instinctively. He drove his sword into the broken earth to anchor himself. Using the leverage, he swung into the air. But Kayon had already prepared his next attack.
Lightning forked from the clear sky, streaking toward the airborne Saturu. He twisted, using his blade as a conduit to deflect the first few strikes. A powerful bolt slammed into his shoulder, sending him crashing to the ground in a shower of dirt and sparks.
Seizing the moment, Saturu used the dust cloud for cover. This guy is not holding back.
He pushed his spiritual energy to its limit, moving at blinding speed toward Kayon.
KABOOM!
Their clash was titanic. Sword met hardened air, cracking the ground beneath them and sending shockwaves through the training grounds.
Kayon, a master of countless battles, noted Saturu's reliance on the blade—a swordsman's greatest weakness. In response, he manifested a sword of pure, solidified mana.
The weapons met, leaving deep gashes in the earth and stone. Saturu's relentless assault forced Kayon to create distance.
Heat pulsed through Kayon's body, dense and overwhelming. With that power surging through him, he thrust his hand forward without hesitation.
"Fire Manipulation: Dragon's Breath!"
A torrent of flame, shaped like a colossal dragon's maw, roared toward Saturu. There was no time to dodge. He crossed his arms, bracing against the blast.
But from within the inferno, a new power surged as Saturu stepped through, his clothes half-burned. His sword emitted a violent purple energy, cutting through the flames. He emerged singed but unbroken.
A flicker of surprise crossed Kayon's face. Respect followed.
Then, deciding not to hold back, he released a wave of power. His form became more youthful, his movements impossibly fast. He speed-blitzed forward, grabbing Saturu and hurling him toward a stone fountain.
As he flew through the air, Saturu reacted. With a powerful kick, he launched his physical sword toward Kayon like a missile.
The sorcerer casually deflected it, but the blade nicked his forearm, drawing a thin line of blood.
Instantly, Saturu struck. He drove a knee into Kayon's gut, sending him plummeting into the fountain.
But Kayon was an elf. Even submerged, he fused with the water. A giant crystalline hand erupted from the fountain, aiming to crush Saturu.
He has higher mastery of the elements than anyone, as expected from an elf. But this is nothing I can't handle.
Saturu's body emitted purple energy as he made a wide arc that overwhelmed the giant crystal hand. He instantly teleported behind Kayon.
The sorcerer was shocked. "Impossible… no one has ever…" Kayon began, but Saturu interrupted.
"You have mastered elemental techniques," Saturu said. "But how advanced is it? Activating it again will cost you your weakness."
Kayon's eyes widened, recognizing the warrior before him. "It can't be…"
He dodged, but Saturu was relentless.
"Ice Prison!" Kayon commanded.
The water droplets from the destroyed hand froze and became shards of ice that shot toward Saturu.
Saturu leaped backward, his sword enveloped in mana, parrying the attack and shattering the ice into a thick, freezing mist. His sword did not survive the attack; deep cracks webbed across the blade.
Blinded, he closed his eyes, relying on enhanced hearing. Concentrated energy blows erupted from his position, forcing Kayon on the defensive.
From the chaos, Kayon formed a divine arrow of restraining energy.
"Restrain!"
Saturu sensed it and cut it in two with a precise flick of his Solar Edge.
"Let's see if you can handle this." Kayon's voice boomed, charged with immense power. "Fire, Water, Earth, Lightning Elements… combine! Flow of Natural Order!"
Primordial green energy swirled around him. The weather responded. Dark clouds gathered, and rain filled the sky.
I need to move quickly, Saturu thought.
Energy erupted from him. His eyes glowed solid red.
"Behold the Natural Course of Heaven: Celestial Judgment!" Kayon launched himself forward, a beacon of green energy.
Saturu countered with his ultimate technique, his sword engulfed in purple energy. He vanished, reappearing behind Kayon. But it was too late. The slash connected.
CRACK!
The sound was not flesh tearing, but pure shattering power. Saturu's sword shattered from the intense force.
"Not now…!" Saturu gasped, his momentum broken, his ultimate technique incomplete.
"It's too late!"
Kayon closed the gap, forming a blast of pure gold mana as he crossed the distance.
BOOM!
The blast connected with Saturu. A memory slipped past his mind like a scene from a revolving lantern… the memory of the time he was stabbed to death by his betrayers.
What is this?
The energy from the explosion shot into the sky, ending the storm.
Silence fell, broken only by the rain. From the dust, Saturu lay unconscious.
Kayon, his youthful form returning to normal, rubbed his back with a wince.
Phew… that was close. If that sword hadn't broken at the last minute, who knows what would have happened.
He looked at the boy, still standing but vacant. "His sword mastery… beyond any grand swordsman. Battle instinct like his…" Kayon shook his head, a faint, proud smile touching his lips.
"It looks like I can never surpass you," he said, staring at the sunset.
A memory flickered. A figure once told Kayon, "You've done well. In a few years, you might be one of the strongest."
---
A carriage passed through the edge of the forest.
"How long will it take to get there?" the young boy asked.
"Don't worry, we're very close," the woman assured him as she looked at the younger girl sleeping peacefully beside her older brother.
She had known the trip to Skyridge would be long, but she just wanted the children to arrive safely. The sun was setting.
The carriage suddenly stopped. The two men driving it had spotted a person crawling on the ground. The person was covered in injuries, missing a leg, with a blood trail behind him.
The driver went toward the person as the injured man lifted his head. "Run… away…"
Thud. His face lay down on the ground. The driver could not comprehend what was happening. Instantly, his sight was facing the sky, almost as if he were floating.
"Huh?"
Blood sprayed from his neck as his body fell to the ground.
Kyaaa!
The other driver screamed as the horse, terrified, disconnected from the carriage and ran away.
The woman inside looked out and asked the other driver with concern after she heard the scream. "What's going on out there—"
Before she could understand what was happening, something crashed through the carriage in a blur.
Crash!
The carriage was destroyed. From under the pieces, the young boy saw the woman who had been with them being devoured by a monster.
"Help me…"
The woman's last words echoed through his mind. His hands were shaking. He held the young girl's mouth, preventing her from screaming in fear.
The moonlight illuminated the monster as it looked in their direction with its red, predatory eyes.