It was a transformation that was both exhilarating and terrifying.
At that moment, I knew I had been chosen for a great purpose, and I was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
"Those eyes, I see so you finally made your move Frost k-"
With lightning speed, I cut off the demon's words and borrowed Aurora's divine aura, molding it into an icicle and unleashing it upon my enemy in a burst of power.
The attack was enough to halt the demon's ultimate move, but I didn't lower my guard for a moment. I summoned a sword made of the same divine aura and focused the rest of my power on my legs, allowing me to move with incredible speed, faster than the blink of an eye.
With a powerful slash, my sword managed to slice through the air and land on the demon's head. The divine aura coating my blade burst into a brilliant display of light, freezing the demon's body in its tracks.
The final attack had been enough to bring the fierce battle to an end.
As the dust settled, I felt the weight of exhaustion weigh heavily on my body.
It seemed that even the divine aura of Aurora was too much for me to bear. I collapsed onto the ground, my breaths coming in ragged gasps.
In that moment of weakness, Mae stepped forward, putting aside her fears to come to my aid.
Just as I felt myself slipping away, my mother's voice reached my ears.
"If it's you I know you can do it, son. Please take care of Mae, Sean."
It was a distant sound, almost like an echo, but it gave me the strength to hold on just a little longer.
~
~
After three long days, I finally regained consciousness. My vision was blurry and my head was pounding, but I was relieved to be awake.
Mae, who had been by my side the whole time, quickly filled me in on what had happened that day. She had reported the incident to the professionals and they were on their way to investigate.
Not long after the fight, the investigators found out that this demon was behind the disappearance of students in our school, but it was too late the demon brutally killed the missing students after the revival ceremony made by the demon.
Therefore, Mae request to hide what really happened here in the media.
And here I am, sitting down to have a conversation with my grandparents, I couldn't help but feel anxious about the information I was going to share with them.
It wasn't something that I could have imagined discussing with them ever before. I took a deep breath and began to inform them about the demon's plan to revive the demon god.
"To think the demons are planning to revive that god,"
Grandmother exclaimed, clearly taken aback by the news.
"Are you going, Sean? To the other world, I mean,"
Grandfather's words, while his eyes are serious fixed straight on my eyes
His question caught me off guard. I had never considered traveling to the other world, but with the demon's plan to revive the demon god, it seemed like the only way to stop them.
"No, not yet."
I could feel my resolve slipping away as the realization of what was at stake sunk in.
As I stood there, facing my grandfather, his serious gaze bore into me like a piercing arrow.
My heart raced, and my palms grew sweaty. It was as if he was silently conveying a message to me, asking me to follow him.
Without uttering a single word, he turned around and started walking.
As we walked, I realized that he was leading me towards a forbidden area in the house. The memories flooded back, and I knew that this was not a place I was supposed to go.
Despite my apprehension, I continued to follow my grandfather, my curiosity getting the better of me.
As we entered the room, I couldn't help but gasp in awe at the sheer size of it.
It was spacious enough to fit a helicopter inside it.
My eyes roamed around the space, taking in every detail of the room. I noticed a variety of weapons, each one looking more intimidating than the last.
The room was also equipped with tools for training martial arts. It was like stepping into a time machine that transported me back to a different era.
As I was taking in all the artifacts in the room, my grandfather beckoned me over to the sparring area.
He had a serious expression on his face as he spoke,
"Pick your weapon, and let's see if you have what it takes to live in that world. This is where I trained your mother, and I'll be the one to test your strength."
The way he spoke made me feel like I was about to embark on a life-changing journey.
"Test me?"
I asked with a confident grin, my eyes shining with excitement.
"Yes, and I think it's time to pass it on to you Sean. Our martial arts technique that demons once feared in Ethereal,"
Grandfather replied with a stern expression.
"Huh? Techniques, What do you mean?"
I asked, my curiosity piqued.
"You heard it right, the Elrod clan martial techniques. Your mother's technique is also from our clan but it's not exactly the same because she has a hobby revising our technique that results in her own technique now,"
Grandfather explained.
I had heard that my mother was called a genius in her generation, but to think she could make her own technique was something else entirely. I hoped I could also learn one of her techniques too, but it was a shame she wasn't here right now.
"I know what you're thinking but it's not right to learn her techniques because we don't know what exactly is going to happen if you learn her techniques. Your mother's techniques were developed by your mother only for your mother, which means she's the only one who can use her techniques, but who knows if you can manage to learn them as well. You're her son after all,"
Grandfather cautioned me.
Despite my grandfather's words, I felt nothing but excitement after hearing how capable our techniques were. I wanted to see how far I would go under the master of my genius mother who recently achieved the "Spirit Ascendant" status in the previous war in Ethereal, five years ago.
Grandfather seemed to notice the fire in my eyes, the eagerness to learn the clan's martial techniques.
"Good, I like it. Here's a sword. Give me the best shot you have, and you're allowed to use any method to beat me!"
Grandfather said with a smile, ready to face his grandson in battle.
I took the sword with a grin, feeling the weight of the weapon in my hand. I was ready to show my grandfather what I was made of.
With trembling hands, I obeyed my grandfather's command and picked up the sword he had thrown at me. I assumed a stance, ready to face him.
He stood there calmly, but I couldn't shake the strange feeling that had come over me. Was it fear? No, it was more like a heavy pressure that weighed down on me.
Despite standing right in front of me, I couldn't even sense his presence.
This was the true strength of my grandfather, and I couldn't help but feel awed by it. I wondered just how strong he really was.
This encounter had left me with more questions than answers, but one thing was clear - my grandfather was not to be underestimated.
With a determined look in my eyes, I followed my grandfather's advice and made the first move.
I swung my sword with all my might, hoping to land a hit. But to my surprise, my grandfather didn't even blink.
With ease, he dodged my attack without leaving a single trace.
I repeated the same move over and over, but my grandfather was like a child playing a game of tag. He effortlessly dodged my every move, not even breaking a sweat.
But I refused to give up. I kept attacking, hoping to land even a single blow.
The hours passed, and exhaustion almost caught up with me.
My grandfather was undeniably strong, and I couldn't help but wonder how strong my mother was.
They say that she managed to surpass my grandfather long ago during her peak. The thought of her strength filled me with awe and admiration.
Grandfather's imposing figure towered over me as he brandished his sword, ready to strike. I braced myself for the impact, knowing that I stood no chance against his years of experience and skill.
As his sword came down towards me, I felt a strange energy emanating from it.
It was as if the very air around me was being compressed, the pressure building to an almost unbearable level. I knew that this strike could end me.
But just as the sword was about to make contact, my grandfather stopped his attack, freezing in place mere inches from my face. I was stunned, unsure of what had just happened.
"Were you about to surrender right now? You're weak; even if you surrender I won't spare you even if you're my daughter's son. Stand up! Come at me again! Don't even think of ascending to Ethereal if you're that weak!"
As I stood before my grandfather, his words rang in my ears, taunting me for my weakness. I had been ready to surrender, but he refused to let me off the hook so easily.
With a newfound resolve, I charged at him once again, determined to prove myself.
This time, however, I could feel a difference in the air.
Grandfather had unleashed an aura that was palpable, and his body began to react to his sword movements.
He took on a stance that was both intimidating and awe-inspiring, and I knew that he was taking this sparring match seriously.
"Watch closely," he said.
"This is one of the qualifications you must possess if you wish to learn our techniques. If you can master this, it means you have been acknowledged by our ancestors and have the potential to surpass the Creator himself. This is the Elrod clan's own version of the aura sword - El Uara."