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 crack, the vegetation that was located outside of the area of the land that had been leveled began to sway in the direction of the tip

wait, what are you

as he stared at the large tip of the sword protruding from the small crack that had just appeared directly

attack me, but the pressure from the sword above

"No, what's going on!?"

the sky began to separate, and a domineering aura began to descend upon

time went on, a sword began to emerge from the fissure, and the pressure that was

"Pfftt..."

mouthful of blood at the exact moment that the tip of the sword emerged from

while I tried to remain standing on the

was bracing himself for my sudden attack had a sudden change in expression as the look of fright on his face quickly faded and he regained

was, your body can't keep up

in his voice as he said those words.

then, I'll take your actions as a refusal

began to form directly in

began to warp as an energy that was on a level comparable to the tip of the sword

Cracka! Cracka!

was set ablaze, and the demons that were trying to aid their fallen comrades

than I had

when I realized just how powerful the move that Suriol was about to

addition to this realization, it dawned on me just how powerful the move that I was attempting to perform actually was. I could hear a small cracking sound coming from the bones in

isn't about the strength of the

very moment, I was attempting to carry out a move that I had never practiced

was essentially trying to run without knowing how

out of my mind for

t-his is the only

only way for me to win

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

in the air as

"Khhh..."

Rumble! Rumble!

shook as two energies secretly clashed against each other, causing my head to swell

"Haaa..haaa..."

air and my eyes began

was once again subjected to inhuman like pain as blood poured 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

on the rest of my body began to stretch, and the bones in my

Suriol who was gazing back at me with a maniacal look, I clenched my teeth and continued to

"Fucking, go!"

shout, half of the sword poked out from the crack as the world around me

***

will spare you. If you choose to attack, I will

squarely at

run down his spine as he stared at the tip of the sword that was aimed in his direction. At the same time, he furiously circled the demonic energy that was contained within his body as he prepared to unleash his most powerful

'Death.'

he stared at the enormous sword that stood in

simple look, he was able to sense a penetrating force directed toward himself. At the

he unleash

furiously continued to circulate the

over the course of a short period of time, and

was emanating from his attack was just as menacing as the one that Ren was preparing

"Pfftt..."

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 eyes turned white for

Crack!

cracking sound at the

sound reached his ears, and his face stiffened in

"No!!!!!"

scream as he stared at his hand, which was covered

"No! No! No!"

at Ren with obvious intent to kill him. It

you! It's all your

Prince rank.

the King rank, which was considered to be impossible to achieve, with only one precedent in the