Raon touched his sword's sheath, facing Rimmer at the center of the training ground.
"What made you want to do that? You couldn't even be bothered to spectate the matches."
"I have to warm myself up from time to time to avoid getting rusty. And…"
Rimmer grinned and unsheathed his sword.
"It saddens me to see my student being so dejected from having all his sparring partners run away."
"I see."
Raon nodded and drew his sword.
'He really has a pure heart.'
Rimmer certainly disliked annoying things, but he cared for his students more than that. It seemed like he was there to help him with pure intentions, without any second thoughts.
'This is an opportunity to greatly raise the proficiency of the Fangs of Insanity at once.'
Rimmer was at a way higher level than him as a swordsman. Sparring against him would not only allow to greatly raise the proficiency of the Fangs of Insanity, but also increase his overall abilities.
"It's a shame that we have only one spectator, but shall we start?"
"I agree."
They both looked at Runaan, who was standing in the middle.
"Begin."
Upon registering their gazes, Runaan nodded and raised her hand then lowered it.
"Haap!"
Raon grit his teeth and kicked the ground. Surrounding his body with the energy of Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, he applied the principles of the Fangs of Insanity to swing his sword.
It cut through the atmosphere like a sawtooth cutting into a tree.
"Wow, you've gotten a lot better."
Rimmer had admiration in his voice as he slashed. The green energy spread out in a round shape to decorate the air.
Clang!
The ferocious strike of the Fangs of Insanity and Rimmer's soft energy clashed against each other.
'This is…'
Raon narrowed his eyes. Rimmer was subduing the power of his attack without deflecting or blocking it.
It was really outstanding how he managed to subdue the ferocious strike of the Fangs of Insanity.
"Are you curious?"
Rimmer smiled, swinging his sword shining in dark green.
"This swordsmanship controls the opponent's attack by spreading out a bunch of thin aura blades. There are many ways of facing a sword with a sword. You can think of methods using the opponent's sword instead of your own."
"I see."
Raon nodded and sharpened his blade containing principles of the Fangs of Insanity even further and thrust.
At the same time, he prepared for the next technique. It was the fifth form of the Fangs of Insanity, Flowing Stab.
A series of powerful attacks were directed at Rimmer.
Slam! Slaam!
Rimmer lowered his posture and held his sword diagonally to focus on defense.
'That's convenient for me.'
Light sparkled in Raon's eyes. Since the Fangs of Insanity was extremely good at dealing with a defensive opponent, he had a fair chance of winning the match.
Clang!
He used every technique of Fangs of Insanity in order to pierce through Rimmer's defense.
Powerful attacks exploded like a huge wolf gnawing on its prey, but Rimmer's defense was like an unbreakable iron wall.
"Tsk!"
Raon bit his lip. He couldn't find any openings despite having used every technique.
"Does it feel stifling?"
Rimmer's smile could be seen between the clashing swords.
"The Intuition Sword you've learned is extremely powerful. It can easily break through other swordsmanship despite the low proficiency you have. However, it's too biased!"
"Keuh!"
Rimmer twisted his wrist. The powerful reaction bounced Raon backwards.
"Hmm…"
Clearing up Rimmer's energy that was entwined with his sword, Raon regained his posture.
"An intuition sword is a technique relying on intuition, just like its name implies. However, that doesn't mean that you should stop thinking. It's especially important to keep thinking as you swing your sword with your technique. Try thinking about why it's named like that."
"Name? What do you mean?"
"I've told you enough. You shouldn't ask me to feed you everything."
Rimmer shrugged his shoulders.
"Haa…"
Raon exhaled roughly and nodded.
'He is right.'
If he kept relying on his teacher, he wouldn't be able to do anything on his own. Since he already received a hint, he needed to think and act by himself.
'Name, Name…'
Even though the power grew stronger and stronger as he used the Fangs of Insanity recently, he felt like his thoughts kept getting simpler.
He was full of desire to stab his sword through his opponent's opening.
'It was the same just now.'
The spar ended while he was trying to thrust his sword at the opening Rimmer had created. He wouldn't be able to grow like that.
"I think I need to try a bit more."
"Alright, come at me."
Rimmer smiled and wagged his four fingers.
"Haap!"
He inhaled deeply and kicked the ground. He thrust his sword at Rimmer, who was still maintaining his defensive posture.
Clang!
The intense sound of clashing steel resounded throughout the training ground.
Swoosh!
Raon flipped the sword that bounced back slightly to slash once again. Rimmer's sword turned to the right. It was a perfect defense, leaving him no choice but to try to pierce it like before.
Raon used the Ring of Fire. The swordsmanship remained fierce, but his mind calmed down.
At that instant, Raon—who had only been thinking about offense—noticed the left side of Rimmer's waist. It wasn't an opening, since it was firmly defended.
'However.'
He had a premonition that he could create an opening.
Woosh!
Raon slashed his sword diagonally. Rimmer smoothly straightened his shoulders to meet the fierce attack like a waterfall.
Clang!
The moment his wrist bounced off because of the clashing swords, an opening was created at the left side of Rimmer's waist.
Raon immediately turned his ankle to change the sword's trajectory. Using the rotation coming from his calf and connecting to his thigh, he swung his sword.
"Gasp!"
Panic appeared in Rimmer's eyes for the first time. He stepped backward and quickly turned his sword.
Clang!
Unable to withstand Raon's powerful strike, he took three steps backward.
"Wh-what was that just now? Why did you change your trajectory…"
"I saw it."
"You saw it?"
"Yes."
After relaxing his mind, which used to be buried in the offensive part of the Fangs of Insanity, he could see his opponent's opening.
No, rather than opening, it was the way to create an opening. In other words, he became capable of reading the next move.
"How?"
"I can't tell you all that."
He smiled while returning exactly what he had told him.
"I wasn't teaching you how to speak."
"Kids learn whatever they see."
Raon tapped the ground with his feet, then dashed towards Rimmer, who hadn't regained his posture yet.
"I'm coming again!"
* * *
Rimmer whistled, looking at Raon charging at him, swinging up his sword.
"You still have a long way to go."
As he was ready to perfectly defend by holding his sword horizontally, Raon's movement changed. He raised his waist to twist the sword that was about to rise, aiming at his left wrist.
'Damn it!'
Rimmer frowned and turned his body. He defended by creating aura at the tip of his sword, preparing for a counterattack.
Clang!
However, Raon's sword was falling already. It wasn't just an instinct—it looked like the movement of a trained beast that looked for its opponent's openings through experience.
'Seriously, this guy…'
He had only given him a small hint, yet he was already starting to realize the true form of the Fangs of Insanity. He was so surprised that his hair was standing on end.
Whoosh!
Rimmer violently slashed his sword. The green energy on his blade spread out to defend all directions from the front, except for one invisible opening.
Raon's eyes shone crimson. He twisted the ferocious blade to aim for that unique opening.
'He did it!'
He could only laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. Raon had understood the true 'Fangs of Insanity' during the short time that they had been sparring.
'Then I shall help him walk that road even faster as his teacher.'
Even though it was his first time being an instructor, every single moment had been enjoyable thanks to Raon and the other trainees.
"Fine, keep coming at me!"
Rimmer continuously swung his sword and created a unique opening that could only be found by experts.
And Raon ferociously stabbed through that small opening, as if he had read his mind.
'It's crazy.'
He couldn't keep himself from gasping. The ferocious attack was coming from an intricate trajectory. Once he completed that swordsmanship, an average warrior wouldn't be able to even face him.
"But it's not fun if it's too easy."
Rimmer removed the opening. He swung his sword in a way that Raon wouldn't be able to pierce through in his current state to pressure him.
He was superior both in terms of power and precision, yet Raon didn't give up.
He kept swinging his sword with savage eyes, and he started creating the openings instead of looking for them.
'That's right.'
Rimmer nodded. The enemy on a battlefield doesn't create an opening for you, you have to find one instead. And the Fangs of Insanity was the best swordsmanship for creating it.
Slam! Slaam!
Rimmer and Raon endlessly swung their swords at each other at point-blank distance.
'He is getting stronger and stronger.'
The attacks were getting stronger, and his flow had no opening. His proficiency was increasing tremendously.
"Haap!"
Raon swung his sword with a war cry. As soon as he took a defensive posture, Raon's attack tried to twist his defense. It was a frightening speed of transition.
'What is this guy…'
He was going easy on him, yet chills still ran down his spine as he pierced through his defense over and over.
However, it was too early to let him experience victory.
"Come back after you grow up more!"
Rimmer surrounded his sword with a stormy wind and shot the aura concentrated on the blade. It was his great technique, Wind Spirit Stab.
'How are you going to react?'
The technique was still too powerful for Raon. Rimmer licked his lips in anticipation over how he was going to handle it.
Whoosh!
Raon came running at him with his sword hanging behind him. He swung his sword without minding his clothes getting ripped apart by the wind from the Wind Spirit Stab.
Slam!
The Wind Spirit Stab stayed intact despite the powerful slash. However, Raon didn't stop. He used footwork to step back and kept swinging his sword.
Cracks appeared in the Wind Spirit Stab little by little, and it eventually started breaking down, showing him the opening.
Slaam!
Raon exhaled a long breath as he swung his sword. A red light shone like the scorching sun, and the Wind Spirit Stab melted away in the air.
"Huh!"
Rimmer's jaw dropped.
'What did he just do?'
He wanted him to improve his Fangs of Insanity from witnessing the Wind Spirit Stab, yet he actually managed to shatter it. He couldn't believe how crazy he was.
Whoosh!
Raon was standing confidently in the middle of the training ground, where dust was rising fiercely in the air.
"Hey, you…"
"Don't do it."
As he was about to approach Raon, Runaan came up to him and grabbed his arm.
"What?"
"Don't do it yet."
Rimmer looked ahead and noticed Raon's pupils were dilated.
'Trance?'
It looked like he received enlightenment while fighting against the Wind Spirit Stab.
'What the hell…?'
He couldn't understand how he was getting enlightenment so often when it was something one was supposed to get only once or twice in their entire life.
Runaan released Rimmer's hand and went outside the training ground. It looked like she was intending to stop people from coming in.
'How did she see it?'
Rimmer himself hadn't noticed Raon's trance. He couldn't understand how Runaan had noticed it despite being further away.
"He really is a lucky guy."
Rimmer shook his head and sat down on the spot. It looked like he had no choice but to guard him.
"I was planning to go out and drink after finishing this quickly."
He licked his lips, looking at the setting sun.
***
"Haaa."
Raon opened his eyes, exhaling deeply. It was dark. The sun that used to be in the sky had become the moon, but he wasn't too surprised.
'I fell into a trance.'
He was enlightened upon facing Rimmer's extremely powerful sword at the end.
He had a choice between advancing even further ahead and keeping the enlightenment he received. He decided to advance in that situation and managed to obtain an even greater enlightenment.
"It must be nice."
Rimmer frowned, lying on the ground.
"Thank you."
Raon sheathed his sword and bowed politely.
Despite his relaxed appearance, Rimmer's energy was covering the area. He must've been guarding him so far.
"You should say that to her, too."
Rimmer raised his finger to point behind him. Silver hair was fluttering by the training ground's door.
"Are you finished?
Runaan opened the door and entered.
"She noticed your trance before me."
Raon nodded and stood in front of Runaan.
"Thank you."
"Did you become stronger?"
"Yes."
"So, we don't need to spar anymore?"
Raon nodded with a smile and Runaan's expression brightened slightly.
"You must've received a good enlightenment since you said you got stronger so confidently."
Rimmer stood up and shook off the dust and dirt from his clothes.
"Yes. Fangs of Insanity can be a crazy beast's fang, but it also can be a moment of enlightenment. Fangs of Insanity is actually a beast with a serene mind."
Fangs of Insanity wasn't an intuition sword with only ferocity and violence as its characteristics. It was a special swordsmanship that created an opening in the opponent's guard through experience and the mind.
He still had a long way to go, but he felt like he took the first step for the true Fangs of Insanity.
"It was worth my time. The liquor is going to taste great today."
Rimmer smiled and started walking towards the training ground's exit.
"Thank you."
Raon expressed his gratitude once again, and Rimmer waved his hand and left the training ground.
"Raon, let's train."
She came next to him and drew her sword. She wasn't talking about sparring but training their swords.
"Okay."
He was indebted to Runaan once again. He was fine with helping her train as much as she wanted.
Raon observed Runaan's swordsmanship. Thanks to having learned the Fangs of Insanity, he could tell at a glance what she was lacking.
"During your second technique, extend your feet around one knuckle's length, and straighten your knee a bit more."
"Mhm."
Runaan's sword became sharper and more intricate. Her talent was indeed at the continent's scale, considering how she was changing from a single piece of advice.
Raon gave her a few more pieces of advice before raising his head. He nodded slightly, looking at the large moon shining upon the training ground.
'I'm almost ready to leave.'
Except for one thing.
____
A/N: Hey Readers!!!
Make sure to add this book to your collection and vote with your power stones to show your appreciation for this work.
Reviews and comments are truly appreciated.