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.

tip began to surface from behind 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

this? ...No, wait, what are you

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

me, but the pressure from the sword above me completely obliterated any and all attacks

"No, what's going on!?"

of energy began to spread throughout the entire world, the clouds in the sky began

and the pressure that was squeezing the

"Pfftt..."

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

erratically while I tried to remain standing on the ground, and the sword

bracing himself for my sudden attack had a sudden change in expression as the look

what it was, your body can't keep up with whatever you're trying to

could feel the relief in his voice as he said those

actions as

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 began to gradually lose

immediate surroundings began to warp as an energy that was on a

Cracka! Cracka!

with lightning as the ground below was set ablaze, and the demons that were trying to

than I

realized just how powerful the move that Suriol was about

was attempting to perform actually was. I could hear a small cracking sound coming from the bones in my body

it isn't about the strength of the move, but my

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

essentially trying to run without

my mind for even trying

is

only way for me to

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

the air as

"Khhh..."

Rumble! Rumble!

against each other, causing my head to swell with heat and every part of my

"Haaa..haaa..."

for air and my eyes began to sting, tears began to

my wounds, and the tip that was hanging above my head finally revealed its body in all of its

on the rest

with a maniacal look, I clenched my teeth and

"Fucking, go!"

half of the sword poked out from the crack as the world around me lost its

***

warning, human! Give up and submit, and I will spare you. If you choose to

squarely at him, Suriol's eyes narrowed and hardened into

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

'Death.'

stared at the

directed toward himself. At the same time, he unknowingly swallowed a mouthful of saliva

unleash such an

as he furiously continued to circulate the demonic energy

began to grow in size over the course of a short period of time, and it wasn't long

as menacing as the one that Ren was

"Pfftt..."

fact that he spewed a mouthful of blood and staggered around in the air

Crack!

sound at the exact moment he spat out a mouthful of

as the sound reached his ears, and his

"No!!!!!"

piercing scream as he stared

"No! No! No!"

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

dare you! It's all your

Prince rank.

that a demon could achieve outside of the King rank, which was considered to