He turned back toward the group, his gaze meeting theirs. The expressions on the knights' faces ranged from shock to reverence, their eyes fixed on Cyrus and his shimmering blade. It was clear that they had never seen such power wielded in this way. To them, aether was an incredible force, but it always required a conduit—a sword, a staff, something tangible to channel its energy. The idea of someone summoning a weapon purely from aether itself was unfathomable to them.
Athena stood silently at his side, unsurprised, her eyes calm as she observed the reactions around them. To her, this was nothing new; she had seen Cyrus do far more than this before.
Sylus, however, was perhaps the only one who wasn't completely shocked. Though impressed, he wasn't caught off guard like the others. He knew Cyrus wasn't ordinary, and this display only further confirmed that. He gave a small, knowing smile but said nothing, allowing the moment to hang in the air.
