The Author's POV

"You're Ren?"

Waylan's eyes appeared to be squinting.

He examined Ren very carefully from top to bottom, and he had doubts about what he was saying. Even though he did look like Ren, the energy he was putting off was completely different... not to mention the fact that he appeared to be significantly stronger than he was before.

There was definitely something off about him. He just couldn't quite place his finger on it.

"I find that hard to believe."

"That's not something that I care about."

In response to Waylan's display of skepticism, Ren did not show any interest in defending himself.

In fact, he had no real interest in anything.

…He just wanted to get this done with already.

"What an annoying response."

The anger that was building up on Waylan's face manifested itself in the form of a rigid expression, and he rushed over to Ren. To protect himself, Ren quickly drew his sword from its sheath. At the same time, he directed the laws toward the body of the sword, covering it with them.

Only that…

The moment Waylan's hand came into contact with the sword, the laws shattered.

'This?'

Waylan smiled at it.

"Did you think you'd be able to control the laws better than me? Someone who's wielded them for centuries?"

Ren's brows furrowed slightly. This was proving to be more troublesome than he had anticipated.

Bang―!

Ren's body flew several meters back. When his body stabilized, Waylan appeared right behind him and pushed his only hand toward Ren's back. The space where his hand traveled fractured into several pieces.

"Whatever change you've gone through, it's far from enough."

As soon as the palm made contact with Ren's back, his body shot off into the distance once more.

While Ren's body was flailing about like a rag doll, there was no discernible expression on his face; however, there was noticeable blood streaking down the side of his mouth.

'Predictable.'

While in mid-air, Ren suddenly twisted his body and slashed behind him.

Clank―!

Waylan's body appeared as he blocked the attack, and Ren finally stabilized himself.

Extending his finger forward, the space around Waylan cracked apart, and golden streaks of tangible sword energy pierced at him like a porcupine.

They came at him in all directions and at speeds that left one unable to react.

Xiu! Xiu! Xiu!

However, just as they were about to pierce his body, they came to an abrupt halt.

Waylan broke into a grin as he took a closer look at the sword energies that surrounded him.

"How int―"

into a stone-like expression as his head shot

this precise instant, a powerful ripple spread across the area they were in,

space had deteriorated to such an extent that one could actually make out

Cr― Crack!

but as soon as the large

'It's that move again.'

that was no longer on his body. His internal laws surged to the surface in the form of golden runes, and

Ren's cold gaze paused

I've fought someone of this level. It seems like I'm still a

was behind him continued to take shape and grow both more distinct and more

Shhhh―!

his primary sword from its sheath as the second sword began

Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!

all of which became completely detached from one another as they rose up a few meters from each other. The blade that Ren held in his hand

the white film covering his

risky… If all goes bad, I

thoughts lasted seconds, and

'Sounds good.'

died? Wasn't that his

was obscured by a dark film

It was demonic energy.

wiggle, and a destructive power that was on par with the enormous sword in the

'I,impossible!'

was taking place

of building up took only

to defend the attack and then launch a counterattack shortly after when he

for him to

an

had been forming in

his back, he did not withhold anything. He clenched his fist tightly, gathered all the strength he could

"Don't push your luck."

Crack. Crack.

Everything shattered.

his fist, the space around him began to shatter, and the background

that were hung on the wall began to tremble, even if only

formed halfway, and he seemed

this, Waylan held his breath in anticipation,

I knew

eyes, which had been fixated on the sword, moved away from it as

area around him began to warp, and the vacant gray pupils in his eyes concentrated on the punch that was drawing near. His expression remained unchanged despite the fact that the fist was drawing closer to his

"Move."

word

fist and clamped onto it like a rope that pulled to

eyes widened, and just as he was about to take control of the laws, he felt something

of a sudden, everything came to

"A... ah... how?"

a ripple spread from the point of

"You fell for it."

so did the

'H,how.'

so fast that Waylan wasn't even able to react. And in that brief moment, time seemed to have stopped. Locking his eyes against the emotionless looking Ren, Waylan watched

"Boom."

far off

BANG―

"Huak."

let out a

surrounding area began

"Fool."

the wall of the building. Both his hair and the Akashic Laws on his body were a mess,