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―"

his head shot up, and he looked at

instant, a powerful ripple spread across the area they were in, shattering the space

to such an extent that one

Cr― Crack!

but as soon as the large sword appeared

'It's that move again.'

body. His internal laws

the same time, Ren's cold gaze

since I've fought someone of this level. It seems

take shape and grow both more

Shhhh―!

his primary sword from its sheath as the

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

his main sword, a sudden

all goes bad, I

and he

'Sounds good.'

died? Wasn't that his goal

outer white layer of the sword was obscured by a

It was demonic energy.

the white film began to wiggle, and a destructive

'I,impossible!'

that was taking place

of building up took only a few seconds in

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

can't wait for him

was an

and the barrier that had been forming in

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

"Don't push your luck."

Crack. Crack.

Everything shattered.

around him began to

tremble, even if only very slightly, and

and held nothing back. The sword behind him had only formed halfway, and he seemed to still be struggling to control his main sword,

note of this, Waylan held his breath in anticipation,

knew this would

been fixated on the sword, moved away

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

"Move."

word

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

take control of the laws, he felt something touch his forehead, and when he looked up he saw two dull gray pupils staring back at

sudden, everything came to a sudden

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

Waylan's forehead, a ripple spread from the point of contact, which

"You fell for it."

disappeared, and so did the two energies around

'H,how.'

was 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,

"Boom."

vanished from view and then reemerged far off in the distance, slamming into one of

BANG―

"Huak."

out a

the distance, the surrounding area began to flicker, and the background of the office

"Fool."

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