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―"

stone-like expression as his

powerful ripple spread across the area they

had deteriorated to such an extent that one could actually make out Waylan's office

Cr― Crack!

quickly as it could, the space made several attempts to fix itself, but as soon as the large sword appeared above Ren's head, it was unable to do anything other

'It's that move again.'

no longer on his body. His internal laws surged to the surface in the form of golden runes, and a massive shield materialized in

Ren's

a while since I've fought someone of this

behind him continued to take shape and

Shhhh―!

sword from its sheath as the second sword

Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!

from one 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

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

goes

lasted seconds, and he put them into

'Sounds good.'

he died? Wasn't that his

obscured by a dark film that

It was demonic energy.

minutes of making its appearance, the white film began to wiggle, and a destructive power that

'I,impossible!'

everything that was taking place with a horrified expression

of building up took only

and then launch a counterattack shortly after when he was exhausted; however, he immediately

can't wait for him to

was an

in front of Ren, and the barrier that had been forming in front of him vanished. His eyes

he arched his back, he did not withhold anything. He clenched his fist tightly, gathered

"Don't push your luck."

Crack. Crack.

Everything shattered.

the space around him began to shatter,

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

fist was aimed directly at Ren's face, and held nothing back. The sword behind him had only formed halfway, and he seemed to still be struggling to control his main

note of this, Waylan held his

I knew

eyes, which had been fixated on the sword, moved

the vacant gray pupils in his eyes concentrated on the punch that was

"Move."

word

one word, but as soon as he muttered it, golden runes appeared from the area around the fist and clamped

saw this, his eyes widened, and just as he was about to take control of the laws, he felt something touch his forehead, and when he looked up he saw two dull

sudden, everything came to a

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

a ripple spread from

"You fell for it."

disappeared, and so did the two

'H,how.'

to react. And in that brief moment, time seemed to have stopped. Locking his eyes against the emotionless looking Ren, Waylan watched as Ren's mouth

"Boom."

and then reemerged far off

BANG―

"Huak."

out

area began to flicker, and the background of the office

"Fool."

the wall of the building. Both his hair and the Akashic Laws on