For a moment, I forgot the figure before me was only a puppet and answered without thinking, "You're pretty skilled yourself."
Leone's smile deepened without a word.
Had she shown a more human reaction, my suspicions would have grown, but that ambiguous smile only left me guessing. Beyond her identity, a surge of defiance rose within me. Seeing someone smile with such confidence made me want to crush them, no matter what.
Sorry. Just hold on a little longer, I thought, silently apologizing to Seren as I swung my sword at Leone.
I tightened my forearm deliberately and struck with rougher force than usual. The blow felt more like wielding a club than a sword. Nevertheless, the Seven Sins Sword's durability was remarkable. Not a mark showed on its surface despite such rough handling.
Leone met my strikes with several quick exchanges. Gradually, she started tilting her blade and deflecting my attacks with ease.
I acted like a madman enraged by her defense, swinging wildly as if I had lost all reason to anger.
After several fierce attacks, faint scratches appeared on my body. Meanwhile, I could sense Leone's defense weakening little by little.
Clang!
The next time I attacked, Leone stopped angling her sword and thrust ahead, knocking the Seven Sins Sword clean out of my hands. With my weapon gone, my torso lay completely exposed.
Her sword lunged straight for my throat. Was she going to kill me? I pushed the question aside and shifted my stance immediately.
For the first time, Leone's expression changed. She seemed to realize too late that the opening was a trap.
It's too late, I thought.
The moment I relaxed my knees, my center of gravity dropped sharply. It looked more like collapsing than dodging, yet Leone's sword missed by a hair. Then I gathered strength in my loose calves and pushed off the ground. In an instant, I closed the distance between us, and Leone's jaw lay fully exposed. I wasn't sure if it was the right way to put it, but it looked like a delicious opening.
White Sun Style, 3rd Move, Rising Fire.
The strike landed cleanly. Even if her jaw were made of iron, I could have shattered it to pieces.
Yet something about the impact felt strange. It didn't feel like breaking bone. It was more like hitting a shield. The girl didn't stagger or fly backward either. She only tilted her head slightly.
At that moment, our eyes locked. Leone grinned before bursting into laughter. She extended her left hand toward me, her palm wide enough to block my entire vision. This was a capturing technique—hard to defend against and impossible to dodge in time. The only option was to counterattack.
White Sun Style, 2nd Move, Fire Wheel.
Leone's palm slammed into my fiery strike. The shockwave rippled outward, yet neither of us moved an inch. We traded blows in tight quarters, close enough to feel each other's breath.
I knocked aside her pale, almost luminous hand and followed up with a knee strike. She blocked it cleanly, lifting her own knee to meet mine.
At that moment, I couldn't help but laugh aloud, just as Leone had. It felt like facing a worthy rival.
Come to think of it, this might be the first time I've fought someone my age who doesn't rely on a weapon, I mused.
Whether she was a puppet no longer mattered. I welcomed this encounter, letting my excitement spill through my movements. Since our strengths were evenly matched, there was no need to waste time on trivial thoughts or complex tactics. I could fight as I pleased.
Of course, Leone could still be hiding her true power, just as I concealed the White Sun Eclipse while wielding the Seven Sins Sword.
However, when her face broke into a mischievous grin, all such worries felt irrelevant.
Bam bam bam baaam!
Fists, palms, hands, nails, fingers, feet, and bones—our trained bodies became deadly weapons.
At close range, Leone and I clashed with nothing but our bodies. We swung our fists like hammers, thrust our palms like shields, and stabbed with our fingernails like daggers. Her fingers reached for my eyes while my fists aimed to crush her ribs. We blocked and dodged in a seamless exchange.
Leone's martial arts mirrored mine closely. Every move she made held the potential to be fatal. Knowing the power behind her attacks, I could not afford to let any attack land easily.
Fifty seconds passed, then 100, then 150 without any decisive blows. By the time we reached 200 seconds, I realized that my vision was turning white. A pleasant heat surged through my entire body, and my sensory awareness expanded several times over.
I couldn't help but laugh. It had been a long time since I entered the White Flame state.
As soon as I noticed her movements slow down, I drove my fist into her face. Leone, who hadn't budged even after Rising Fire's earlier strike, flew backward, tumbling helplessly across the ground.
Of course, it wasn't a critical hit. She sprang up, spitting a thick spray of blood mixed with broken teeth.
Was she really a puppet?
Leone seemed to have doubts about me as well. Despite bleeding from her mouth and nose, her sharp eyes locked onto mine. "What was that move?"
I replied, "The martial arts I have learned."
"What?"
"It means that if we keep going, I'm the one who will win," I said matter-of-factly.
"Got it."
Did she really understand my reckless explanation?
Leone chuckled and reached toward me. "You are really interesting. Well then, I shall show you a little more sincerity."
She opened her palm again. Was it another capturing technique?
This time, it was different. We stood at least ten steps apart—too far for her to reach without extending her arm. She was trying some strange trick.
Dark Qi condensed in Leone's hand, and I flinched at the ominous aura. I recognized that power.
Dark Qi? Impossible. Humans can't wield it, let alone puppets.
A flood of thoughts raced through my mind when Alderson's shout echoed across the sparring hall. "Leone—!"
As if on cue, a fracture spread across Leone's palm. At that moment, I confirmed that what I'd been fighting was not a person, but a puppet.
Cracks spidered over her body like shattered porcelain.
Didn't it hurt?
Leone's indifferent expression held only regret. As her body collapsed, she looked at me and said, "That was fun."
Then, waving her hand casually, she added, "Say hello to Delac for me."
"What?"
Leone collapsed where she stood. For once, I couldn't hide my surprise. What the hell is this?
I glanced at Seren. She stood there, bewildered. The Iron-Blooded Lord puppet she had been fighting had not collapsed like Leone but lay sprawled in a grotesque pose, like a puppet with its strings cut.
" Um. " Alderson's somber voice broke the silence. "It seems the puppet went berserk. This is my fault. I apologize."
We didn't respond.
He went on, "That aside, you've both proven yourselves. You're cleared to pass the fourth floor."
A mechanical voice followed. "Congratulations. You have passed the Sparring Floor."
Alderson spoke once more. "I now grant you permission to re-enter the treasure trove."
***
"Climbers who clear the Sparring Floor gain access to the treasure trove once more. Please select one reward."
After clearing the Sparring Floor, we returned to the treasure trove. We could each claim one more reward, but my mind was elsewhere.
It was Dark Qi. I wasn't mistaken. I had seen demons, fought a priest, and ventured into Hell itself. There was no way I could mistake the presence of Dark Qi. This sinister power belonged only to demons and their worshippers. Yet I sensed a fragment of it in the puppet. Could Alderson be tied to the church?
I chuckled at the thought. If that were true, it would overshadow the true identity of Juan, a Great Master. The consequences would be far-reaching.
O' heavens, Alderson Marbour, one of the Seven-Colored Archmages and dean of the academy, might actually be a church member? I lamented inwardly.
"What are you doing?"
A voice snapped me back to reality.
Seren was watching me with a puzzled look. "Not choosing?"
"Ah, no."
"Why do you look like that? Was that Leone puppet really that strong?" she pressed.
If Seren was concerned enough to ask, my expression must have been more serious than I realized. I shook my head. "She wasn't weak."
"Really?" Seren was skeptical. "The Iron-Blooded Lord was more capable than I expected. Considering his age, he was insanely strong. Still, he couldn't use blessings, and it didn't feel like he could channel mana freely."
From her words, Seren hadn't noticed Leone's Dark Qi. Could the help she had mentioned have nothing to do with Alderson?
That did not rule out other possibilities. Even during the Badnikers' training camp, apart from glimpsing the future, Seren hadn't seemed aware of the priest's true identity.
I lowered my voice. "You know, maybe a puppet can also use mias—"
"Have you finished picking?" Alderson appeared suddenly, cutting me off.
Seren, who had been listening closely, turned to face him. "I have picked it."
"I see. So, how sharp is the eye of the young lady from Goodsprings?" Alderson eyed the black metal lump in Seren's hand and exclaimed, " Hmm. You picked this antique?!"
The metal piece fit in the palm of a hand. It was thin and elongated, crafted from a strange alloy I had never encountered before.
"I picked it up by chance at a black market twenty years ago. From the outside, it looks like a smooth, rectangular piece of metal, but inside, it holds a remarkably complex structure," Alderson explained.
Seren's expression hardened slightly. "By any chance, did you dismantle this?"
"Yes.," he replied. " Oh , don't worry. I restored it exactly as it was after taking it apart."
Seren fell silent.
"By the way, do you happen to know what this object is?"Alderson asked her.
Seren hesitated for a moment before answering, "I've been interested in lost technology since I was young, so I studied it a little."
" Hmm. That's fitting for a Goodspring." Alderson nodded, then asked, "So, what will you do next? Will you keep climbing?"
"No." Seren shook her head. "I'm exhausted from fighting that puppet. I don't have the confidence to face the next trial."
"I see. Then I'll send you out of the tower right away," he announced.
"What?"
"There are staff members waiting on the ground. Follow their instructions to stop by the accommodation building, then head straight to the banquet hall. Well done."
"W-wait—"
Suddenly, Seren's figure disappeared from the treasure trove.
I just watched quietly.
Alderson met my gaze with a complicated expression. "You didn't stop it."
"What do you mean?"
"You noticed, didn't you? That I forced Hero Disciple Seren to leave," he said.
"That's true."
"Why did you just watch? You could've forced her to stay..."
Was that really important right now? There was much to discuss, but Alderson seemed focused on his immediate question.
Therefore, I just answered honestly, "She's exhausted. I figured she wouldn't be much help if something happened. It's better for her to leave on her own. Besides, Seren didn't see anything. I am the only one you need to silence."
" Hah. " Alderson shook his head. "You talk like a mercenary who's been through war. What kind of life have you lived?"
I didn't bother to answer.
"No, that was just a mutter to myself. Sorry." Alderson pursed his lips, choosing his words carefully.
It was frustrating. I wasn't one for drawn-out conversations, so I cut straight to the point. "Dean Alderson, are you a member of the Dark Church?"
"How could that be?!" He sounded as if someone had startled him badly, his white beard trembling slightly.
That reaction made sense. If he really belonged to the church, there was no reason for him to be so nervous around me. I mulled over my thoughts and came to the same conclusion.
"Or perhaps there's another possibility." What I was about to say was pure speculation. "Have you been creating demons in this tower?"
Alderson fell silent. His expression was blank, but I caught a small, sharp breath. It felt like I had struck a nerve.
"Dean Alderson. As an aspiring hero, a member of the Badniker family, and above all, a citizen of the empire, I must ask—are you in your right mind?"
"We know very little about demons," Alderson replied softly, almost defensively. "Are you aware? To them, every intelligent being on this continent is simply human . The seven major races and their offshoots all count as humans to demons."
I let him continue.
"You probably think that sounds absurd. Grouping beings with entirely different appearances, traits, habits, histories, and cultures under one label is foolish." He paused. "Yet, we're guilty of the same mistake."
"What do you mean?"
"There are far more kinds of demons than there are races on this continent. The church worships only a tiny fraction of them. Most demons live in their own land. They couldn't care less about this continent, much less harming it." Alderson's voice gained intensity. "Still, we lump them all together and call them demons. Does that strike you as rational?"
I gave no reply.
"I've thought about it. If there are that many kinds of demons—if their numbers surpass the population of every intelligent race combined—then isn't it possible that some of them are good?" he reasoned.
I couldn't help laughing at the absurdity coming from an Archmage. Looking him in the eye, I said, "Excuse me, but are you messing with me?"
"I've spent half my life studying demons. No one in the empire knows more about them than I do," he said firmly.
"Is that so? But there's an old saying: seeing something once is better than hearing about it a hundred times. Dean Alderson, have you ever seen a demon king?" I asked.
"Of course not."
That made sense. If he had encountered a demon lord firsthand, he wouldn't be spouting nonsense like this.
"You said there are good demons. To me, that sounds as likely as cold fire or soft stones." I struggled to phrase it that way because part of me wanted to say, "Cut the crap," but there was nothing I could do when the other person was an Archmage.
Still, I couldn't stop my voice from dripping with sarcasm. "Do you want me to teach you exactly how they view humans? As equal beings? Of course not. At best, we're weaklings and prey. If it were otherwise, I wouldn't be speaking in such an extreme way."
What did demons truly think of humans? If we were not equals, not prey to be devoured or livestock to be raised, then what were we to them?
"We're toys," I said flatly. "Dull toys to pass the time. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Some children treat their toys like friends," he interjected.
His words made me laugh again, this time with far more open ridicule. I never expected an Archmage to come up with such a childish counterargument.
"So you think humans and demons can be friends? "I questioned.
"Why shouldn't I think that?"
"You are free to think whatever you want, but keep it to yourself. There'll be fools who get caught up in such insane ideas. Your position isn't a light one," I cautioned.
"Insane ideas..." Alderson let out a low chuckle this time. He fixed me with bloodshot eyes and said, "What if my thoughts are also the thoughts of the Iron-Blooded Lord?"
Come again?