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―"

expression as his head shot

spread across the area they were in, shattering the space around

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

Cr― Crack!

attempts to fix itself, but as soon as the large sword

'It's that move again.'

body. His internal laws

time, Ren's cold gaze paused

this level.

shape and grow

Shhhh―!

sword from its sheath as the second sword began to materialize behind

Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!

another as they rose up a few meters from each other. The blade that Ren held in his hand grew in size as a thin layer of

film covering his main sword, a sudden thought crossed Ren's

If all goes

lasted seconds, and

'Sounds good.'

if he died? Wasn't that his

sword was obscured by a

It was demonic energy.

white film began to wiggle, and a destructive power that was on

'I,impossible!'

everything that was taking place with a horrified

of building up took

defend the attack and then launch a counterattack shortly after when he was exhausted; however,

for him

was an obvious

barrier that had been forming in front of him vanished. His eyes gave off

did not withhold anything. He clenched his fist tightly,

"Don't push your luck."

Crack. Crack.

Everything shattered.

released his grip on his fist, the space around him began to

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

at Ren's face, and held nothing back. The sword behind him had only formed halfway, and he

this, Waylan held his breath

I knew this

had been fixated on the sword,

and the vacant gray pupils in his eyes concentrated on the punch that was drawing near.

"Move."

word in

appeared from the area around the fist and clamped onto it like a rope that pulled to the left, and

he felt something touch his forehead, and when he looked up he

everything

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

ripple spread from the point of contact, which

"You fell for it."

behind him disappeared, and so did the two

'H,how.'

able to react. And in that brief moment, time seemed to have stopped. Locking his eyes against

"Boom."

body vanished from view and then reemerged far off

BANG―

"Huak."

let out a pained

he slammed into the buildings in the distance, the surrounding area began to flicker, and the background

"Fool."

who was pinned up against the wall of the building. Both his hair and the Akashic Laws on his body