Sword Dance by the Waterfall
Arcana Academy's outskirts.
A beautiful forest of lush green landscaping.
Zien stood before the massive artificial waterfall there, sword in hand.
Roar!
The water crashed down fiercely.
Amid the roar, Zien was reinterpreting every sensation he felt: the warm sunlight, the scent of the forest, and the waterfall's thunder. Unlike Magic Tools that grew with their owners, skills strengthened as the owner's understanding reached its peak.
'Spirit's Blessing.'
The blessing bestowed by the World Tree Yggdrasil in a Rank 6 Gate. Its power grew the more one assimilated with nature, like an elf. Such knowledge demanded one find the answers themselves—a grueling process others had to piece together from fragments.
'But.'
Zien was different. All his skills came from his past life. Their understanding was already at its zenith. Repeating a process he'd once mastered was as simple as taking a test with the answer sheet in hand.
'Imbue that enlightenment into the sword.'
Whoosh!
A chill surged over him, turning Zien's body ice-cold. The cold, flowing along his mana, settled firmly into his sword.
Only one step remained.
'Just swing.'
Zien's blade traced a straight line.
Crack!
Ice crystals erupted from the ground, blanketing the waterfall. Frozen solid by the sword's chill, the falls stood still. Zien focused again on the blessing's power. This time, it enveloped him in raging flames.
A force beyond what Zien's mana alone could manifest. But with 97% Stigma assimilation and peak understanding...
In a short time, Zien had perfectly adapted to the skill.
Fwoosh!
As Zien's sword arced in a semicircle...
The inferno melted and vaporized the frozen waterfall. So intense was the heat that the water level dropped noticeably.
'Good enough.'
Now, Spirit's Blessing was familiar enough for real combat anytime. His ultimate technique, Moon Sword, overloaded his body the more power he poured in, but Spirit's Blessing consumed only mana—minimal burden.
'This should be fine for actual fights.'
Finishing his long training session, Zien wiped his sweat and called toward the forest.
"You wouldn't have developed a peeping habit, would you?"
Zien tossed the joke with a smile.
From the woods emerged a man with dazzling golden hair and golden eyes.
"As expected, you don't rest even on weekends."
"Leon, right?"
Leon had been the leader of the opposing team in the exam against Zien.
"For you to remember me—truly an honor, Zien."
Until Zien took it from him, Leon had held the top spot in the year rankings. A Saber with talent who trained harder than anyone. That was the Leon Zien remembered.
"I don't forget the strong ones like you. Come to challenge me, I assume?"
As Zien kindly raised his sword...
Leon's Stigma glowed, and he drew a radiant blade from thin air.
"Yes. I'd like to spar with you."
Zien was now Arcana's number one.
Moreover, the first student to clear a Rank 5 Gate. And his Magic Tool was a sword. For a fellow swordsman like Leon, it was an unmatched chance to improve. Zien felt the same.
'No reason to refuse.'
Zien gripped his sword and lowered his stance.
Not a verbal reply, but clear affirmation.
Thud!
Leon kicked off the ground.
Blinding light flooded from his sword. Zien, without skills or Magic Tool aid, swung at him purely.
Boom!
Their mana clashed, kicking up dirt everywhere. Swords locked, they faced off.
Cling! Clang!
The metallic ring of their power struggle was ferocious. Yet Leon smiled brightly amid it.
"Teach me a thing or two, Zien."
"As many as you want."
Zien grinned back, enjoying it too.
Amy Rose had returned to Arcana.
Using her keen instincts and mana traces, she tracked Zien down.
"Check this out! How'd you know where I was? We're not that close, so no more villain breakup rumors!"
But an unexpected variable arose.
'Sparring? With him...?')
Zien was dueling the former year rank one, Leon.
'Oh, this... could be fun?'
Amy seamlessly turned their spar into broadcast content.
"Hehe, you guys are in luck! Getting to see the party leader in action!"
The swordplay was beyond student level. Amy's jaw dropped in awe.
"Whoa, that's insane."
Blades clashed countless times in an instant.
As a former number one, Amy knew how sharp those strikes were.
'Swordsmanship etched into his body. Jackpot footage.'
While Amy inwardly cheered, viewers flooded the chat with hype.
Amy paid little attention to other families. Her interest was broadcasting alone. But Dennis's name changed everything.
"Wait, Leon's Dennis's little brother?!"
News to Amy, but common knowledge among students. Viewers found her reaction hilarious.
Watching Leon closely, Amy realized...
'Now that you mention it...'
His golden eyes did resemble Dennis's. As Amy got distracted by Leon, the duel raced toward its climax.
Boom!
Leon and Zien clashed.
Evenly matched for a moment, but Zien's fluid strikes—like a sword dance—pushed Leon back relentlessly. The skill gap was obvious even to novices. In the relaxed bout, viewers began comparing Leon to Dennis.
Leon, once year rank one prodigy, couldn't compare to Dennis's genius. And his opponent was Zien—perhaps even greater potential.
'As expected...'
Could he never win?
Leon felt Zien holding back to aid his growth, using only a fraction of his power.
'No matter how hard I try...'
His brother always miles ahead.
Leon admired Dennis, but the weight of expectations crushed him. Like living in his shadow.
Grit.
Clenching his teeth.
His Sun Sword blazed dazzlingly—like a flashbang from Zone 1.
But Zien calmly closed his eyes. Others might flinch, but not him.
'Vibrations.'
Reading Leon's moves from the ground's tremors.
'Sword.'
Predicting the trajectory from the air's whistle.
Swoosh!
Eyes shut, Zien swung.
Too fast for Leon's dynamic vision. The blade stopped at his throat.
"I lose."
"Great spar, Leon."
As Zien sheathed his sword...
Leon replied with a bitter smile.
"Great... Maybe that's my limit."
Turning away, Leon muttered softly.
"Perhaps you're closer to my brother than I am, Zien."
As Leon left...
Amy dashed from the woods toward Zien.
"Party leader!!"
"Weren't you out?"
Amy had returned because viewers hounded her to find Zien, but she spun it positively.
"Eh~ Once I went out, nothing to do. And leaving you alone..."
But viewers didn't buy her act.
The oblivious hologram chat popped up. Amy whistled and slyly dismissed it.
"Oh right! Party leader, you taking KS Channel's guest invite? Hehe, viewers are hyped for the Ragna Beach event too."
She deftly dodged with a question.
"Yeah. Principal wants it, so I'll go."
Amy beamed at his answer.
"Awesome! All academies' top swordsmen are joining. Hehe, KS gave seed rights, so you just need the finals."
Special guest.
Accepting meant commentator spot and finals seed from KS. Unrelated to G Channel, but proof they recognized Zien's prowess.
"Worried about commentary? I could tutor you personally?"
Amy's eyes sparkled at the debt idea, but Zien shut it down.
"Amy. You been training steadily without me?"
"T-training? Oh yeah! Sabers gotta train! Went to a dungeon zone today, cleared five monsters..."
Just content, but true. Pro streamer excuses flowed naturally. Zien chuckled.
'Plenty of time left, but...'
Sword tournament, sports festival, finals.
But next was a real Gate for his party. No slacking. Whips weren't just Amy's tool—Zien wielded carrot and stick masterfully.
"Big expectations for you."
Perfect carrot.
Amy's eyes widened at the unexpected words.
'Party leader! Expects from me?!'
Unable to hide her joy, lips quivering.
"Yes! I'll do my best!"
Confidence charged, Amy's eyes sparkled as she shouted.
'Surprisingly pure.'
Amy was subtly growing attuned to Zien's training.