Sir Hero, It’s Time to Train!

In the brief moment Riley inhaled and exhaled, he completed body activation and immediately swung his sword at Aira.

Among the visible indicators of a knight’s strength, the mana wave claimed the largest portion.

It involved how brightly the mana wave glowed on the sword, and how distinct its form appeared.

In that sense, the glow from the mana wave on Riley’s sword was impressive, even considering the support he received from the Miles Viscounty.

‘I’ll show the difference in skill for sure.’

This was a message directed not only at Aira but also at his father. Ultimately, it was a small rebellion against his grandfather, who orchestrated this gathering.

With resolve, he aimed his sword precisely at Aira’s shoulder, without a moment’s hesitation.

But then…

“…?!”

Just before Riley’s sword reached Aira’s shoulder, her figure became blurry and vanished like a mirage.

Riley was momentarily startled but quickly spread his mana around.

Soon, he saw Aira emerging swiftly below his right side, brandishing her sword, and he gritted his teeth as he swung his sword.

“Such a petty trick!”

“Tch!”

As Aira clicked her tongue at Riley’s descending sword, she quickly blocked his blade with her own. Riley’s responsiveness matched his quick judgment.

Ka-gaang—! Swoosh—!

As Aira intercepted Riley’s strike, she immediately changed her stance, aiming to sweep the floor, targeting Aira’s lower body with his blade.

Even though they were practice swords, if infused with mana waves and wielded by someone who had enhanced their body through body activation, even a glancing hit could cause a bone fracture.

‘No matter what you choose, I’ll end it.’

Undoubtedly, Aira had to dodge or block once more. Though she couldn’t refuse being the spectacle on this stage, ending it lay entirely in Riley’s hands.

He intended to decisively show his father and grandfather the dominance of his skill.

Hence, Riley’s determination contained no worry or hesitation about potentially harming Aira.

“Take this!”

Kaaang—!

As if sensing the determination, Aira grimaced slightly while striking Riley’s sword upward.

Even Riley felt admiration for Aira’s cleverness, using her sword to deflect such a precise attack that seemed inescapable.

However…

‘It’s over.’

Even though she deflected his sword and created an opening, Riley was assured of his victory.

He decided to use the force with which Aira repelled his sword to make a rapid half-turn, delivering an accelerated blow, confident this maneuver would finish it in one strike. It was the right judgment, indeed.

…if only his opponent weren’t Aira.

“What?!”

Riley, who had intended to exploit Aira’s force, suddenly found himself frozen in an awkward pose, his movement halted by an unknown force gripping his sword.

“What is this…?”

His sword fused with Aira’s sword, sticking together like a singular piece of metal, refusing to separate.

“Huhuhu. I finally get to use it in practice.”

“…”

Riley, who had been tense in anticipation of an attack from Aira, found himself unable to hide his shock in front of her composed demeanor.

“Hey! Christian! Did you see?! I can do this now!”

Furthermore, her behavior—turning around and shouting, ignoring him—snapped the last thread of his remaining rationality.

Kwaaang—!

“What?!”

Riley’s sword burst with an explosive mana surge, instantly severing Aira’s carefully connected adhesion.

“How did it break so easily?!”

Feeling unjust, Aira turned to Christian again, but he merely shrugged his shoulders in response.

Though Aira skillfully mimicked the adhesion, the issue of proficiency was significant.

Additionally, had she abandoned her sword and employed punches or kicks while temporarily holding him, the outcome might have been in Aira’s favor.

Despite sparring extensively with Christian in circumstances closely resembling real combat, her lack of experience remained insurmountable.

While Riley had been temporarily stunned, he quickly regained his composure and unhesitatingly thrust his sword at Aira.

Kang— Ka-kaang— Chaeng!

A flurry of quick strikes fell upon Aira, yet she blocked all of them.

Whenever the swords imbued with mana waves clashed, sparks of mana scattered, quickly filling the surroundings with mana fragments.

Even though his mana wave was evidently larger and more luminous, Aira didn’t falter at all.

Furthermore, she didn’t even suffer from the shockwave of the collision. After several exchanges, with Aira allowing not a single strike, Riley slowly started to realize.

If he didn’t, he would be a fool or an idiot.

‘Those eyes…’

Contrary to her previously unserious demeanor, Aira’s eyes were now fixed coldly upon him.

She blocked every one of his blows with a sword seemingly holding a flickering mana wave.

‘I’m stunned…’

Certainly, he was the one attacking while Aira was defending. Yet, why did he feel such pain in his hands?

It wasn’t just his palms.

‘The shock from the wave…’

Whenever their swords crossed and their mana waves met.

A wave isn’t merely a means to strengthen a sword with mana.

It impacts the opponent’s mana, invading their body, inflicting progressive internal damage due to the opponent’s mana—a phenomenon known as internal injury.

The drawback is, if the opponent’s mana and wave are superior, it proves ineffective.

Since the process involves infiltrating the opponent’s body with one’s mana to cause damage, if one’s mana is inferior, it finds no opening.

But right now…

‘Am I being overpowered by the wave? Is my mana being eroded?!’

This was impossible. The mana wave on his sword was distinct and emitted a powerful glow.

Even during his academy days, barely three individuals could match his wave. After graduating from the academy, he took pride in being comparable to any knight.

“How is this even possible?!”

Riley furrowed his brow, drawing more mana to imbue his sword with an intensified wave.

The previously brilliant glow of Riley’s sword now seemed to flare like fire.

Though he hadn’t reached wave transformation yet, even a wave infused with pure mana was a formidable weapon.

Meanwhile, the mana wave enveloping Aira’s sword remained a mere transparent haze.

For others, it seemed so insignificant that Riley’s overwhelming strike appeared excessively harsh.

Yet facing Riley’s fierce, mana-filled assault head-on, Aira showed no signs of being shaken.

Instead, she looked at Riley calmly and spoke.

“Your mana is indeed large and flamboyant.”

Aira quietly, yet firmly, gripped her sword. The wavering, heat-like haze of Aira’s wave gradually subsided.

Simultaneously, a faint red glow emanated from within Aira’s sword, reminiscent of a tiny fire captured within a transparent glass.

Raising her sword, Aira murmured softly.

“Wave Application – Overlap.”

This was the sixth iteration.

With the sixth wave suffusing her sword, it began to hum, almost protesting, signaling to its user it was at its limit.

The sword was neither a peerless masterpiece nor a superior weapon; it was merely a well-crafted practice sword. Enduring six overlaps was already considered impressive.

As Aira raised her sword, Riley sensed something familiar in her action.

While the observable difference in mana was notable, the mana emanating from Aira herself was minimal.

Especially now, even the wave resembling heat waves emanating from her sword had vanished.

But then, what was that? Riley’s instincts screamed at him to not approach Aira hastily despite holding the upper hand.

“…”

Thud—!

Yet Riley chose his pride over his instincts.

Raising his body activation to its limits, Riley launched himself, achieving his fastest possible speed.

Although he was performing high-speed movement at the cost of bodily strain, he ignored such concerns. His sole focus was reaching his target.

Quickly departing from his initial spot, Riley moved diagonally to Aira’s side, believing he had found an opening.

“…?!”

But then he realized Aira’s gaze was precisely targeted at him, feeling a chill run down his spine.

‘Can she react at this speed?’

When Riley met Aira’s translucent crimson eyes, he was struck with unease, prompting him to retreat suddenly.

However, Aira charged at Riley, who was retreating, knocking the floor aside.

Should he thrust his sword, or…?

Even at that moment, Riley’s thoughts were in turmoil.

Though he had retreated, should he attack Aira? Or should he move elsewhere again, or block Aira’s counterstrike and retaliate…?

“Damn it…!”

As Aira, with a faint smile, swung her sword, Riley instinctively tightened his grip, and the two swung their swords at each other simultaneously.

Riley’s sword, imbued with a searing mana wave, was imposing, while Aira’s sword held but a dim light, similar to a lantern’s glow.

Nevertheless, their expressions starkly contrasted each other. As their swords, encased in mana halos, swung toward each other.

Their targets were singular—the opponent’s sword, embodying all their learned experiences and mana waves.

And as the swords collided…

Kwaaang—!

A tremendous explosion resounded, unleashing a mana storm around them, centered on both individuals.