During an Academy class, the cadets began to panic upon hearing a loud warning alarm that could deafen one’s ears.
─Intruder alert! Intruder alert!
─All cadets are to gather in the auditorium. I repeat, all cadets….
At first, the instructors stared blankly at the speakers just like the cadets, but soon they changed their gaze and started issuing orders to the cadets.
“Did you hear the announcement? Let’s head straight to the auditorium.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Don’t run or push anyone. In an emergency, losing your cool is the end.”
Under the excellent guidance of each instructor, all the cadets gathered together in the auditorium. Even at this point, there was not much concern about the intruder.
A common intruder could be easily repelled by the Academy’s security force alone. And even if the intruder was strong enough to overpower the guards, the Academy still had hope.
The hero of the Empire, a living legend.
Aura Master Gawein!
Knowing this fact, the cadets began to gather in the auditorium without any tension, chatting noisily. Sensing the noisy atmosphere, the instructor slightly frowned and tried to control the cadets.
“All of you, stop talking so much and wait until the emergency situation is over─.”
BOOM-!
At that moment, the barrier and walls of the auditorium shattered as someone flew inside. The Academy instructors who swiftly caught the incoming figure looked at him with quite a perplexed expression.
“Ugh…”
“G, Sir Gawein?”
“Everyone, run…”
With severe injuries, Gawein couldn’t continue his words and collapsed right there. As the hope of the Academy crumbled before their eyes, the instructors felt a dark despair slowly creeping up.
“What on earth is…”
“Who could have possibly defeated an Aura Master…”
While trembling at the thought of the intruder who made a superhuman figure look pathetic, someone far away boldly opened the auditorium door and walked in.
Tall and masculine appearance, yet with unmistakable rage hidden in his face.
The moment everyone in the auditorium realized he was the intruder, the raider who invaded the Academy spoke.
“Is Kim Sera here?”
“……”
“No response.”
“She’s not here! Not here!”
As the raider’s expression slightly twisted, one of the cadets reflexively responded. Upon hearing that Sera wasn’t present, the raider turned to look at the cadet who answered from afar.
The cadet who unknowingly betrayed a fellow Academy student trembled with shaking eyes as he stared at the raider.
“W, Will you spare me…?”
“—No.”
I hate betrayers. As those words were muttered, the head of the betraying cadet began to swell up. Like a broken 3D graphic, the cadet’s head swelled up and then exploded, leaving behind remnants that draped over the bodies of the children inside the auditorium.
As the cadets suddenly found themselves wearing the corpse of their peer, their mental states shattered into pieces. Amidst this chaos, the unscathed raider stepped forward.
“If Kim Sera isn’t here, then there’s no reason for me to deal with you lot-.”
“—Komm, süßer Tod!”
“Huh-!?”
The moment the voice rang out, the raider felt an unbearable urge to commit suicide and twisted his own neck to death.
Aria, who sang the song that made the raider commit suicide, screamed while trying to calm her wildly beating heart.
“Everyone, get out of hereeee─!!”
Hearing what could either be called her shout or her song, the cadets began to quickly exit the auditorium like robots being controlled by something, devoid of life in their eyes.
Following the flow, she quickly escaped from the auditorium too, but upon hearing a crackling bone sound, she slowly turned her head.
The raider who had twisted his own neck to death was slowly standing up again. His twisted neck returned to its original position, and with a frown showing how annoyed he was with such a trivial ability, he stared at her.
“Mental manipulation? No, it’s more like hypnosis. Either way, it’s an annoying ability.”
The raider muttered as he began inputting something into thin air. Aria started to feel something within her being pulled out.
“Huh?”
“—You took my life. This is a fair price.”
Instinctively, Aria realized she could no longer use her powers, at least not while that man was alive.
The Force ability that had been with her for half her life was gone.
She couldn’t understand how such a thing was possible or the mechanism behind it — even after experiencing it, she still couldn’t grasp it. But one thing was certain.
“All of you, die.”
This guy was tone-deaf.
“…He can’t sing at all.”
“You guys~ all die~ laaa↗↗!”
“If you’re going to suck at using it, just give it back.”
Clicking her tongue, Aria fled far away from the auditorium along with those who had fallen victim to her power.
Left alone, the raider watched the fleeing cadets with disbelief.
“What kind of lame ability is this… geez.”
Scratching the back of his head, the raider grumbled about having stolen such a useless ability. He had taken it because it seemed cool, but in reality, the effectiveness depended on the user.
That’s why it’s better to just stick with the abilities you usually use instead of stealing others’ abilities just because they seem good.
Letting out a sigh, the raider decided to revert to his original ability.
“—Stat adjustment. Speed 999.”
After adjusting his stats, the raider instantly exited the Academy auditorium and blocked the path of the cadets fleeing far away.
Unlike before, there was no trace of Aria’s power to stop him now.
“Strength 999.”
Crack-! The physical limit of strength achievable in the material world squeezed the space. The power capable of effortlessly pushing away a mountain ridge was directed straight at the cadets.
Seeing this, Aria sensed death and tightly shut her eyes. The wind pressure was so intense it felt like her body would tear apart.
“……?”
When the pain of her body tearing apart didn’t come even after a long while, Aria cautiously opened her eyes and saw Kail standing in front of her with a sword, her eyes widening.
“Kail!”
“—Aria. Take these guys and go somewhere else.”
“No, I can’t! My ability has already been taken away…!”
“Taken away? Is that what your ability does?”
Not understanding the meaning of “taken away,” Kail tilted his head and approached the raider. Without Superior Blade’s negation, they would have surely died from that overwhelming strength which clearly surpassed human limits.
There were only a few who could wield such power. Inhuman strength and a reckless intent to kill without hesitation.
Having assessed the situation, Kail quickly figured out who the opponent was.
“Evil God Cult?”
“—To recognize us so quickly, you must know about us.”
“You guys talk big and act dumb. Are you serious?”
Though the raider didn’t know exactly what Kail meant by “serious,” he realized it definitely wasn’t a compliment. Frowning slightly, he raised his hand.
And scanned Kail standing in front of him.
“You seem confident. I wonder what will happen when that confidence disappears.”
The moment the raider said that, the aura on Kail’s sword vanished completely. Trying several times to emit aura, Kail realized the aura within his body wouldn’t leave his body.
Right after losing the superhuman power capable of cutting through anything, the raider, seizing the moment of Kail’s confusion, adjusted his speed and swiftly charged towards him.
‘Die!’
But as the raider approached Kail, he was struck in the face with the flat of the blade and rolled on the ground.
“—!??”
Holding his cheek with an expression of disbelief, the raider stared at Kail, who simply shrugged.
“What? Did you think increasing your speed blindly would make you dodge everything?”
“How did you….”
“Seems like you don’t know what an Aura Master is.”
Kail drew his sword and pointed it at the sky.
“—They’re madmen who’ve spent their entire lives researching nothing but beating people up.”
Masters of martial arts.
Madmen who have agonized their entire lives over how to kill people more effectively. Beings who spare no means or methods to become stronger, faster, and more agile to kill superior opponents.
Even among such beings, reaching the level of an Aura Master was a feat few could achieve.
Though there are countless renowned swordsmen, only a handful among them are Aura Masters.
“If you thought we’d become powerless just because we couldn’t use our Aura Blades, you’re gravely mistaken.”
Aura Blade was a divine blessing bestowed upon Masters who reached the superhuman level. It adorned their status, making it even more noble.
Many misunderstand this, thinking the Aura Blade itself is the essence of the Aura Master. But that’s not true.
Their lifelong accumulation of martial arts. And the killing techniques engraved into their corporeal forms.
That was the true essence of an Aura Master.
“Is that all you’ve got to show?”
At Kail’s words, the raider bit his lip hard. He needed to kill Sera as quickly as possible.
Trickling blood down his lips, the raider clenched his teeth and spoke.
“—Even as we speak, our followers in the Evil God Cult are dying.”
“What does that have to do with me?”
“At this very moment─ fifty percent of the sect’s followers have perished.”
Click.
The Apostle of Greed opens his eyes.
An immense aura begins to emanate from his entire body.
“Second Liberation.”
Aura Master unlocked.
A new superhuman charged towards Kail.
