The Author's POV

I focused my attention on Suriol, who was currently emanating an inexplicable power from his body as he stood in the sky.

While I had my attention fixed on Suriol, I felt an immediate and significant shift take place within my body. Unbeknownst to me, a hazy tinge began to emanate from my body, and simultaneously, a sizable tear formed directly above my head.

Cra...crack!

What I was about to do now wasn't something I had ever done before, nor was I confident in performing.

In fact, I was currently taking a significant risk.

There were five distinct movements that comprised the Keiki style. Each movement was distinct from the previous one, and the level of complexity steadily increased from one to the next as the sequence progressed.

Prior to his passing, Grandmaster Keiki had only completed the fifth movement. That was his very last movement.

In the past, I had mentioned the possibility of there being a sixth movement to the Keiki style. One that Grandmaster Keiki, who had long since passed away, had not been able to find before his eventual death.

Over the course of the past few years, I had done everything in my power to try to feel that final sixth movement, but I could never, for the life of me, feel myself unearthing that movement.

I tried everything I could think of, but it was all to no avail.

It seemed as though it wasn't something I could perform with my set of skills.

I was still far too weak to sense it.

Of course, that was until I caught a glimpse of it.

'The memories of my other self is what is making this possible.'

It was during that brief period of time that I was able to witness the full extent of my other self's power, and it was from there that I caught a glimpse of the sixth movement.

There were many other things that I saw back then, but the sixth movement was the thing that stuck with me during that time.

I didn't really understand it back then, as I was still too weak, but things were different now.

Now that I had broken through to rank, as if all the pieces of the puzzle had been placed in the right order, it finally clicked inside of my mind and an image appeared within my darkened mind.

It was a single sword.

One bright and tangible sword that had a translucent sheen to it and appeared to hold some kind of unexplained power. One that appeared to be capable of turning the world on its axis with a single blow.

It was a sword with unfathomable power.

Still...

I could sense that the sword was not something that I could still wield with the strength that I possessed at this time.

It seemed so close, yet so far...

...I wanted to spend more time dwelling over that sword and study it better before using it, but, as I stared at Suriol who was currently taking the same fighting style as the other me, I knew that this was the only shot I had at victory.

'I can only beat him this way.'

The other me was simply too strong.

He was a being that I didn't think I could ever match up with in my entire life.

'Maybe, this weird sword is the only way that I can beat him.'

Suriol's ability only expanded toward what my body experienced while my other self took over.

Even though he had most likely caught a glimpse of the sixth movement from my recollections, it was impossible for him to perform because it was not something that could be accomplished with a mere glance.

If he had absorbed the memories of my alternate self, it would have been possible, but he had absorbed my memories, and I had no real knowledge of it.

Nonetheless, his fighting experience and his movements were the same as my alternate self. Thus, I knew that something that performing the sixth movement was the only way for me to win.

As I carefully pointed my finger in Suriol's direction, the image of the sword that had been floating around in my head started to become clearer, and the tear that had been standing directly above me started to gradually expand.

the vegetation that was located outside of the area of the land that had been

this? ...No, wait, what are

he stared at the large tip of the sword protruding from the

the sword above me completely obliterated any and all attacks

"No, what's going on!?"

the entire world, the clouds in the sky began to separate, and

went on, a sword began to emerge from the fissure, and the pressure that was squeezing the world to its

"Pfftt..."

tip of the sword emerged from the crack and revealed

remain standing on the ground, and the sword

my sudden attack had a sudden change in expression as the look of fright on his

body can't keep up with whatever you're trying

in his voice as he said those words. Clearly, he had been given a fright by

as a

that, he gradually extended his hand and opened the palm of his hand. A pitch-black spherical ball began to form directly in front of his palm as the world around

him was merging with him, everything within his immediate surroundings began to warp as an energy that was on

Cracka! Cracka!

lightning as the ground below was set ablaze, and the demons that were trying to aid their fallen comrades

is worse than I had

the move that Suriol was

actually was. I could hear a small cracking sound coming from the bones in my body while at the same time that I could also feel the muscle fibers in my

isn't about the strength of the move, but

to carry out a move that I had never practiced before and with which I had only recently become acquainted

was essentially trying to run without

of my mind for even

t-his is the only

only way for

to disregard the stress that my body was going through and instead maintain a singular concentration

body began to levitate in the air as my feet

"Khhh..."

Rumble! Rumble!

world shook as two energies secretly clashed against each other, causing my head to swell with heat and every part of my body

"Haaa..haaa..."

I was experiencing left me gasping for air and my eyes began to sting, tears began to form

down my wounds, and the tip that was hanging above my head finally revealed its body in all of its majesties as two gigantic ripples spread out in the sky, destroying everything within the immediate

in a gentle motion, the wounds on the rest of my body began to stretch, and the bones in my

Suriol who was gazing back at me with a maniacal

"Fucking, go!"

the sword poked out from the crack as the world around me lost

***

Give up and submit, and I will spare you. If you choose to attack, I

at him, Suriol's eyes narrowed and hardened into

direction. At the same time, he furiously circled the demonic energy

'Death.'

as he stared at the enormous sword that stood in

giving it a simple look, he was able to sense a penetrating force directed toward himself. At the same time, he unknowingly swallowed a mouthful

he unleash such an

to circulate the demonic energy

size over the course of a short period of time, and it wasn't

was emanating from his attack was just as

"Pfftt..."

like Ren, the move that Suriol performed took a significant toll on his body, as evidenced by the fact that he spewed a mouthful of blood and staggered around in the air as his

Crack!

cracking sound at the exact moment he

the sound reached his ears, and his face stiffened

"No!!!!!"

piercing scream as he stared at his

"No! No! No!"

his eyes became completely bloodshot while he glared at Ren with obvious intent to kill him. It appeared as though he had completely lost

you! It's

Prince rank.

which was considered