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―"

as his head shot up,

powerful ripple spread across the area they were in, shattering the space around them into a number

such an extent that

Cr― Crack!

made several attempts to fix itself, but as soon as the large sword appeared above Ren's head, it was unable

'It's that move again.'

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

same time, Ren's

a while since I've fought someone of this level.

him continued to take shape and grow both more distinct

Shhhh―!

primary sword from its sheath as the second sword began

Pak! Pak! Pak! Pak!

from each other. The blade that Ren held in his hand grew in size as a

white film covering his main sword, a

all goes bad,

lasted seconds, and he

'Sounds good.'

he died? Wasn't

the sword was obscured by a dark film that emerged from within Ren's body and

It was demonic energy.

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

'I,impossible!'

that was taking place with a horrified expression on

of building up took only a few

attack and then launch a counterattack shortly after

for him

an obvious

Ren, and the barrier that had been forming in front of him

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

"Don't push your luck."

Crack. Crack.

Everything shattered.

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

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

had only formed halfway,

note of this, Waylan held

I knew

the sword, moved away from

on the punch that was drawing near. His expression remained unchanged despite the fact that the

"Move."

one word

but as soon as he muttered it, golden runes appeared from the area around the fist and clamped onto it like a rope that pulled to the left, and the trajectory

about to take control of the laws, he felt something touch his forehead, and when he

sudden, everything came to a

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

right on Waylan's forehead, a ripple spread from the point of contact, which expanded all throughout

"You fell for it."

disappeared, and so

'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 parted

"Boom."

Waylan's body vanished from view and then reemerged far off in the distance,

BANG―

"Huak."

out a pained

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

"Fool."

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