Klaus exuded confidence, drawing from the wealth of experience and knowledge acquired in his past life and the extensive manuscripts he had devoured in Ludovic's library. As one of the greatest geniuses of his time in his previous existence, the Zagerfield family spared no expense in fostering his prodigious talents, ensuring his growth knew no bounds.
DING
[Do You Want To Seal the Bet?]
'Oh! It can even facilitate something like this. How intriguing,' Klaus contemplated as the message notification materialized.
"So, Greed, is that a yes?" Klaus inquired.
{Of course,} Greed replied eagerly, anticipating Klaus's potential failure.
"Yes," Klaus affirmed, a crescent smile playing on his lips.
*DING
[The Bet Was Successfully Sealed]
A peculiar rune manifested on Klaus's left hand, mirroring its appearance on the eccentric sword hilt.
Klaus scrutinized the rune with a perplexed look. {It's called a 'Celestial Vow.' It ensures both parties uphold their end of the bargain,} Greed explained, noticing Klaus's curiosity.
"Good," Klaus responded with a grin, now confident that Greed would be obligated to keep his word.
"Shall we commence?" Klaus asked, impatience evident in his tone, eager to delve into the teachings of a formidable swordsmanship from Greed.
{Haha, let's start! I can't wait to witness your expression when you realize the magnitude of the challenge,} Greed chuckled, equally eager to see Klaus potentially falter.
"Okay," Klaus said casually, closing his eyes. He took a deep breath and assumed a fighting stance, holding Greed with two hands in a stab-like position, his left leg forward.
Intricately weaving the Ten Eyes Mantra within his mind realm, Klaus began chanting a spell. Each revolution of the circles in his mental eyes marked a delicate dance with magic, the spell initiated and then promptly canceled. Mana coalesced around him, a vibrant force that he deftly redirected toward Greed, allowing the energy of the canceled spell to take shape within the eccentric sword.
The process unfolded with a mesmerizing rhythm. Klaus refined the redirected mana, rendering it more palpable. With eyes now open, Klaus thrust Greed into the air, initiating a graceful rotation, transforming the movement into a slash-like motion. A crescendo of power surged from Greed, a radiant blue energy cascading onto the training dummies.
'Comparable to Arcane energy, yet distinctly lacking,' Klaus mused, surveying the modest damage inflicted on the training dummies.
{Just what are you!?} Greed stammered, astounded by Klaus's unprecedented success on the first attempt.
DING
[You Won The Bet!]
"I told you it was easy," Klaus remarked with a confident smile.
{For heaven's sake, you tricked me. You already knew how to do it. You're even worse than this diabolical Gluttony!} Greed raged, his voice vibrating with anger.
"Worse than who?" Klaus asked curiously.
{The...} Greed began but stopped, unwilling to reveal his frustration in front of someone weaker than him.
"Never mind. Now, keep your promise."
{Grrrr.} The eccentric sword vibrated again, the decorative red line from his hilt to the edge of the blade glowing red, emanating a hint of killing intent. Klaus experienced goosebumps as the intensity rose.
To counter the escalating killing intent, Klaus opened his three-mind eyes, disrupting the oppressive atmosphere. "How can someone as great as you be a sore loser?" Klaus teased, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.
{You cheated!} Greed accused, his voice filled with anger. Klaus was relieved that only he could hear Greed's voice, preventing others from thinking a demon spoke.
The rune on Klaus's hand shone briefly before vanishing, and the one on Greed's hilt glowed ominously.
{Wait, wait! Arrrrarggrgrrggg!} Greed started to scream in pain, leaving Klaus bewildered.
'Is it because of this strange mark?' Klaus pondered, observing the rune shining in purple.
'I almost feel pity for him,' Klaus thought, watching Greed scream in agony for almost five minutes
***.
{I will keep my word,} Greed said, his tone now respectful.
"I know you will," Klaus replied, laughing internally.
{Hmm, you better memorize it perfectly. I won't show it to you ever again,} Greed said before the red line that was rushing from his hilt to his tip started to shine in blue color.
Sword movements and footwork started to appear in Klaus's mind. The ephemeral spectacle lasted only a few seconds, yet Klaus felt as if he had been immersed in it for hours. A grey silhouette held Greed inside a pitch-white space, executing extraordinarily powerful sword movements that left Klaus in awe.
"Powerful," Klaus muttered before the angelic ding snapped him back to reality.
*DING *
[You Have Successfully Learned 'The Sword Ink Of Destruction']