"I don't need magic to deal with you."
As soon as these words left Riezel's mouth, the atmosphere in the training field grew even more intense, even heavier.
"...You're even more arrogant than I imagined."
No longer maintaining his composed demeanor, Raven, like a sword drawn from its sheath, spoke in a voice so cold it could pierce straight into one's heart.
In response, Riezel remained as indifferent as ever.
"I just don't want you blaming magic for your loss instead of admitting you got beaten by a so-called younger, less-experienced swordsman."
At this, Raven's gaze turned just as cold.
"I'd like to see how long you can keep that attitude, kid."
When these words dropped, Raven began channeling power into his entire body, and soon, dark energy surged from him, seeming to devour everything around it, crushing the scattered stones at his feet into dust.
At the same time, streaks of lightning crackled around Riezel's body—thunder rumbled as lightning flared from him, dyeing the patterns on his sword a deep azure.
"Until the moment you lose, of course."
Riezel's powerful words echoed not just in Raven's ears but in the ears of everyone present.
Lightning Sword Saint Riezel Brynhart, who wielded lightning, and Guardian Sword Saint Raven Mavros, who wielded dark energy, fell silent.
One took a stance to draw his sword while the other raised his greatsword.
"..."
A suffocating aura filled the entire training field, making everyone present hold their breath, not daring to exhale too loudly.
Riezel and Raven locked eyes, neither moving an inch, the mysterious phenomena surrounding them only growing stronger.
*Whoosh—*
At some point, a gust of wind swept through the training field, lifting a cloud of dust into the air, but in that very instant, two of the strongest swordsmen in the kingdom finally moved.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!*
With simultaneous explosions, the sword-wielding young man and the greatsword-bearing man shattered the ground beneath them as they charged at each other.
*DING!*
In the next second, a bell-like clash rang out as the two figures collided amidst the swirling dust, their swords meeting in a fierce impact that sent violent shockwaves through the air.
*BOOM!*
At that exact moment, the terrifying pressure that had been held back until now erupted, unleashing a storm of fighting intent and murderous intent.
Under the watchful eyes of many people, Riezel, the Lightning Sword Saint, and Raven, the Guardian Sword Saint, clashed in a sudden and ferocious battle.
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
Sharp metal clashes rang out one after another as the scorching, red-glowing sword collided with the greatsword, which shimmered with a dark aura.
As soon as the fierce battle erupted, the two overwhelmingly powerful weapons slashed toward each other's master like a raging storm, unleashing countless vivid slashes at their opponent.
Riezel's slashes burned red as the blue lightning flickering around him seemed to be drawn into his sword, transforming into crimson lightning bolts that rained down upon Raven.
Raven's slashes, in contrast, were black as the dark energy coursing through him took on a tangible form, clinging to his greatsword with every swing—each strike carried a crushing pressure as it cleaved toward Riezel.
Red and black slashes collided, filling the air with an intense clashing sound—lightning bolts and dark energy expanded outward, swirling with the wind and tearing through the surroundings.
Eventually, the sheer force of their battle shook the entire training field, causing the ground to tremble and crack.
"Thunder Breathing - Second Form - Rice Spirit!"
As Riezel unleashed a flurry of slashes, he suddenly used the second sword form of Thunder Breathing, creating five lightning-shaped slashes that tore through the air, seamlessly blending into the barrage and striking toward Raven's neck, abdomen, thighs, chest, and head, aiming to take him down on the spot.
"Petty tricks!"
Sensing the danger, Raven didn't hesitate to raise his greatsword and swung it fiercely, summoning a curtain of darkness that surged forward like a pitch-black wave.
*BOOM!*
In that instant, the lightning-shaped slashes crashed into the pitch-black wave, erupting in a thunderous explosion that sent both Riezel and Raven flying backward.
"Thunder Breathing - Fifth Form - Heat Lightning!"
Still in midair, Riezel swung his sword toward Raven once more, unleashing a high-temperature lightning slash that cut through the air and hurtled toward Raven.
"Hmph!"
Raven dug his heels into the ground, tearing up dirt and rubble as he steadied himself before swinging his greatsword at the incoming slash without a second thought. In the next moment, a mysterious halo pulsed along the greatsword's surface, causing its blade to glow as it cleaved through the scorching lightning slash.
*BANG!*
Riezel's slash shattered on impact, scattering arcs of electricity in all directions, but at that very moment, a flash of lightning tore through the air at blinding speed, appearing right in front of Raven just as he finished his swing.
"Thunder Breathing - Fourth Form - Distant Thunder!"
Lightning erupted from Riezel's body as he charged forward at electrifying speed—the instant he closed in on Raven, he swung his sword, unleashing a blisteringly fast slash at point-blank range.
"?!"
Raven's pupils contracted, and without thinking, he let out a low growl as the dark energy around him surged, colliding with the incoming strike.
*BANG!*
A muffled impact echoed as lightning and darkness canceled each other out, stopping Riezel's slash in its tracks.
Before Raven could react, however, Riezel transformed into a flash of lightning once more, charging straight at him again.
"Thunder Breathing - Third Form - Thunder Swarm!"
Riezel turned into a lightning bolt, spinning rapidly around Raven while slashing in a wave-like pattern along his own movement trajectory—one after another, arcs of lightning slashes rained down on Raven.
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
A series of violent metallic collisions echoed from Raven's body, causing him to tremble all over.
However, even though Riezel's wave-like lightning slashes struck Raven relentlessly, with several even landing directly on his unguarded head, all they did was produce sharp metallic sounds. Aside from making Raven's body shudder slightly, every single slash was deflected and blocked without exception and failed to have any other effect.
"Oh?"
Realizing his attack had failed, Riezel shifted his gaze, eyeing the armor Raven was wearing.
Subtly hidden beneath the dark energy Raven controlled, the armor emanated a mysterious aura—though faint, it couldn't escape Riezel's now-transparent eyes.
"Not bad armor. Pretty tough."
Riezel's calm voice carried a hint of mockery.
"Hmph!"
Raven's expression darkened slightly before he snorted coldly.
Ignoring Riezel's taunts, Raven lunged forward and swung his greatsword at Riezel, one slash after another—each strike carried immense force, so powerful that the sheer wind pressure from his greatsword hit Riezel before it even reached him, making his clothes flutter violently.
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
Riezel met Raven's attacks head-on with an unwavering expression, his sword crackling with lightning as he struck back and blocked Raven's mighty blows, causing the sound of their clashing weapons to ring out endlessly.
At the same time, Riezel's glowing, transparent eyes remained locked onto the man before him, scanning his entire body for any weaknesses.
Over time, the battle between them only grew fiercer as their swords flashed and clashed, lightning and dark energy erupting chaotically.
Like blurs of light—chasing, colliding, and crossing paths—their figures streaked across the battlefield, making the fight more intense, sending shockwaves rippling outward, leaving behind a breathtaking scene of destruction across the training field.
As Riezel's sword and Raven's greatsword carved deep scars into the earth, lightning and dark energy surged wildly, ravaging everything in their wake. In the end, the shockwaves caused by their colliding weapons turned into howling storms, kicking up dust and debris and transforming the training field into a disaster zone.
Everyone watching the battle gradually had their expressions turn blank with shock.
*Gulp!*
Someone gulped nervously, though no one paid them any attention since everyone present was completely consumed by the earth-shaking battle before them, unable to focus on anything else.
"I-Is this a battle between Sword Saints...?"
One of the knights, who had never seen such an overwhelming sight before, said in a trembling voice.
"Master!"
Lizbeth couldn't help but call out.
"So this is Sir Brynhart's true strength?"
Nibald, seeing Riezel holding his own against Raven, had his eyes light up, while the helplessness that had always lingered on his face faded without him even realizing it.
As for the Mavros brothers, their initial composure and confidence in their father gradually turned into tension.
"You kidding... He... can actually go toe-to-toe with Father...?" Diego said, his expression shocked.
"Evenly matched? No way..." Axel was just as shocked, his mind thrown into chaos.
In their expectations, Raven, who had already equipped two of his renowned treasures, should have been able to completely overpower the newly ascended Sword Saint like Riezel and teach him that there was always someone stronger out there.
Yet, the battle between Riezel and Raven was completely deadlocked now, leaving Axel and Diego in disbelief.
Kaiser, however, observed more carefully than his younger brothers, making him realize that while Riezel couldn't seem to do much against Raven, who wore Moniz, Raven also couldn't do anything to Riezel either.
Raven's attacks, in both strength and intensity, far surpassed Riezel's, but Riezel's speed, explosiveness, and reflexes were on a whole different level, making it so Raven's attacks never landed.
Riezel's attacks, on the other hand, struck Raven again and again—if not for Moniz's defense, Raven might have already been cut apart by Riezel's lightning-fast, terrifying strikes long ago.
'Could it be... Father is actually weaker than Riezel Brynhart?'
As Kaiser thought this, a shiver ran down his spine.