[No title provided]

Some time ago, Luna had asked me,

"Mars. You're an Aura Lord, and the Count is an Aura Lord too. Who would win if you two fought?"

"Who'd win? Obviously me!"

It was a bold claim, screamed out without an audience or witnesses, but in truth, there was no winning or losing to it. Getting utterly demolished by him was just common sense.

Logically speaking, could some guy who barely touched the threshold of Lord rank through a lucky epiphany really beat a transcendent being who'd clawed their way beyond humanity through monstrous effort and experience? Sure, the enemies I'd faced so far had been sloppy or weak, making my strength stand out more than it should have. But compared to my master, that was all child's play.

Besides, Master had a style of training the talented even harder, and since he'd pegged me as his successor, he'd wrung me out mercilessly. Thanks to that, I'd reached where I was now—but scary was still scary.

It felt like just yesterday that I'd been thrilled at the thought of never seeing that damn master's face again now that I was at the academy. Even when I'd visited the Helios Count's estate recently over the saintess's disappearance, my hands and feet had been shaking like leaves. The situation was urgent, so I'd bolted the second it was handled without looking back. Had that pissed him off?

I stared blankly at my master standing behind me for a moment, then pinched my cheeks hard, desperate to wake from this ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠nightmare.

"Got a masochistic hobby or something? You into that?"

"H-How... how are you here...?!"

I wasn't the only one shocked. The heroines watching the match with me, along with the surrounding audience, gaped at the legendary Lord's appearance, buzzing like fans spotting their idol.

"You rotten disciple. Is my showing up here really that surprising?"

"Of course it is! You, the ultimate shut-in recluse who never leaves home for anything short of the apocalypse, actually walking here to the academy yourself—what else could be more shocking—aaargh!!"

"Haven't seen you in a while, and your mouth's gotten even fouler."

With a grip that could crush stone, Master seized my face and hoisted me up, squeezing until my head felt like it might burst while inspecting my body this way and that.

"Missed you for a bit, and you've slacked off on training hard. Tch... look at this flab. If you'd said you wanted to hit the dinner table, I could've bought a few pigs from Charles's farm."

"Aaaah!! Stop poking my belly with your fingers!"

I thrashed wildly in embarrassment as he prodded my stomach from every angle and lifted my shirt hem. It wasn't like I'd actually gained fat there, but Master could perfectly gauge my physical condition through aura, so he'd noticed I'd dulled a bit since the last time he'd seen me.

"Oh my..."

"...♡"

The heroines watching this farce blushed at the sight of my abs peeking out, but I had no bandwidth to care about their gazes right now. Barely escaping his grasp, I straightened my messy hair and yelled at him.

"Hang on! What the hell is this?! A public spar with you?!"

"A disciple... talking back?"

Master furrowed his brows at my outburst and shot me a look that said follow me. That gangster... what the hell. Not wanting to budge, I planted myself stubbornly, but then Luna piped up to him.

"Hello, Count. It's been a while."

"Oh, Luna. You've become a proper lady already. Haha!"

"Thank you. Actually, I've been curious about something for a while..."

She glanced at me briefly before continuing to Master.

"I once asked Mars who was stronger between you two, and he said he'd obviously win."

"Hooh...?"

"You little—! Luna, that was ages ago, why bring that up now—!"

"I'd obviously win, huh..."

If his eyes had been playful before, now they gleamed like a predator's.

"Kek!"

In an instant, he grabbed my nape, pressed a pressure point to immobilize me, and dragged me toward the arena. I later learned Luna had said it out of spite because I'd ditched her to hang out with the other heroines—pure pettiness to make me suffer. I'd never forget her sticking out her tongue and blowing a raspberry as I was hauled away.

-Woooaaah!!

I pursed my lips and vented nonstop about the situation as cheers erupted from all sides behind us.

"Brat. Dissatisfied with a rare spar against your master?"

"No mercy means no fun. Everyone's watching me get beat all day."

"Tch. Do you really see your master as that heartless and cruel?"

"Yes."

"...".

For a split second, a flicker of should I just beat this punk senseless? crossed Master's eyes, but he composed himself.

"Well, disciplining you was part of it. But that's not the only reason I'm here."

"Then...?"

"Heaven God Cult."

"!!"

I never expected those words from him, so I straightened my slouched posture.

"Why them...?"

"Word reaches me too. They're the culprits stirring up trouble lately."

Master glanced at the audience seats, then spread his aura to block any sound leakage.

"What...?"

"I know their true nature."

"!!!"

An unexpected bombshell. But more than shock, anger welled up at him for knowing and doing nothing.

"Then why—!"

"I can't move. There are constraints."

"Constraints...?"

To a Lord like Master, curses or spells were as trivial as swatting flies. What constraint could bind someone like him?

"Unless 'that' one steps in personally... otherwise, I can't intervene directly. So... you must."

"Master, what exactly do you...?"

"Want to know?"

He tilted his head provocatively.

Nod.

"Then beat me."

Forgetting my rising anger, a new fire—fighting spirit—ignited within me at his taunt.

"Fine. Don't cry when you lose."

"Heh. All bark, like a frog."

Preeep!!Thwack!!

"!!"

The starting whistle blew, and I spotted a glinting flash, raising my sword just ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in time to block the incoming light streak.

Clang—!

"Ngh!"

"Ho? Decent reflexes now. Used to get hit right at the start and fly off."

Sword Kinesis—like flying swords in wuxia ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠tales. A insane technique only Master could pull off, freely manipulating his aura externally to make blades dance independently. Deadlier than any normal sword since he wasn't even holding the hilt. I'd nearly gotten wrecked mocking it as "flying sword" before.

Clang!!Clang!!Shwoooosh!

The real terror was its superhuman trajectories—impossible to predict. I could only desperately defend as the flying blade slipped through at perfect timings.

Boom—!

I slammed my aura-charged foot into the ground, exploding the earth and momentarily blinding Master. Seizing the gap, I hurled my sword like a spear at him and charged along its path.

"Hmm?"

My blade flew right at his face, but he casually flicked it away with his flying sword, utterly unfazed.

As expected—!

Anticipating that, I snatched the rebounding sword midair and prepared a overhead smash.

Craaack—!!Krummble-crash!!

Lord clashed against Lord, turning the arena into utter chaos unlike ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠any prior match.

"Not bad. But... just that."

A mere first form, yet he blocked my overhead strike effortlessly. Some might think he was trying, but I knew—he was at maybe 10% power.

"Disciple... this isn't your limit, right?"

Aura orbs materialized behind him. From two, three... swelling to nine.

Shooo—

They morphed into aura-forged swords, joining his own for a total of ten blades aimed at me.

"With this... you can't save anything."

'Shut your trap!'

I mentally tackled the announcer's annoying commentary and prioritized obscuring his vision first.

Show me... your true power...