The clash of Aura Blades. The collision of two dazzling light swords emitted an excessive amount of light, heavily obscuring the field of view.
In the midst of the intense streaks of light that obscured the opponent’s movements, Kail attempted a sly maneuver.
Seeing the pitch-black Aura Blade in the monster’s hand, he tried to reclaim it, but it didn’t budge—already fully dominated.
‘That thing is mine though.’
Who would’ve thought there was this kind of downside to an Aura Blade? Then again, no one had ever faced an Aura Blade like this before.
Even the ancient dragons, peerless in their time, only blocked or evaded Aura Blades—they never attempted to grab one and make it their own.
And a technique that had never once appeared in the world always boasts its greatest power in its first moment.
‘I didn’t expect this kind of problem.’
Realizing the need to research countermeasures, Kail stopped trying to reclaim his Aura from the monster and distanced himself to observe.
Upon seeing the six arms grown on its body and its insane regenerative ability healing even after being cut by an Aura Blade, Kail realized who—or what—it was.
Hecatonchires. A chimera created by the Academy, and a monster he had killed before.
‘Was it alive?’
Seeing how its size had shrunk to a fraction of its former self, it must have shed much to survive.
Gone were the overwhelming vitality and strength capable of lifting mountains.
But Kail knew shedding wasn’t necessarily bad. After all, wasn’t that also true for Aura Masters?
By abandoning everything except the sword—family, lovers, friends, the world—one achieved mastery.
Having discarded his transcendent corporeal form, Kail wondered how Hecatonchires had evolved. With a racing heart, he unleashed his Aura Blade.
“What’s your name?”
—He, ca, te.
“Ah, Hecate.”
His signature move—manifesting an Aura Blade mid-air—was useless here. No point wasting Aura to give the enemy more weapons.
The mind-sword technique he used on demons wouldn’t work either. Demons weren’t Aura Users, and he hadn’t known until now—but using a mind-sword on a real-world entity required piercing their Aura from afar.
And Hecate was a monster emitting an Aura stronger than his own.
‘If I could pierce the Aura of someone like that from a distance, why would I be a Master? I’d just be a god.’
An impossible feat unless you’re called something like Grand Master or Aura God. Kail realized everything had come full circle.
The origin of an Aura Master.
The single sword he had trained with to the point it was engraved in his soul.
“I don’t know how you know this… but I am Kail. Kail Meyer.”
—Ka, iiiil…!
“You died once at my hands, right? Is that why you’re doing this? For revenge?”
—KYIEEEEE-!
“Guess we’re not communicating.”
But words weren’t necessary. Hadn’t they already bared their hearts?
Aura Masters didn’t need to speak to understand each other’s thoughts.
They simply gripped their swords
and swung.
—Kiyaaaaak!
Hecate, wielding an Aura Blade, charged forward. His pitch-black Aura Blade pointed straight at Kail, as if embodying his resolve.
Facing the pitch-black Aura Blade that was hard to look at even under the bright sun, Kail raised his azure Aura Blade to meet it.
The intertwined Aura Blades clashed fiercely, repelling each other with a loud noise. In that brief moment, Hecate realized his six arms were a disadvantage and began merging three arms into one.
“Oh.”
Watching the transformation of three pairs of arms into one, Kail muttered in admiration and kicked off the ground, soaring into the sky.
The next instant, Hecate’s blade strike, three times faster than before, slammed into where Kail had been.
—KWAAAAANG!
Even holding an Aura Blade, the clumsy strike swept across the earth, kicking up sand and dust. Kail frowned slightly as his vision blurred, scanning the surroundings.
‘Where is he?’
This was the problem with humans. How could they claim to see when their vision was obscured? Animals existed that used infrared or sound waves to navigate.
After scanning the smoke for a while, Kail noticed a spear-like object slicing through the haze.
More accurately, it wasn’t a spear but a bone. A long bone coated in black Aura.
“Wha-!?”
Kail swung his Aura Blade but was shocked to see his arm flying backward with a loud *PAANG*.
The kinetic energy stored in the bone was considerable. Even after canceling out the Aura with his Aura Blade, the impact remained.
But raw strength alone didn’t guarantee victory. If sheer power could defeat Kail, the far stronger Hecatonchires from back then would’ve left him a corpse long ago.
Not to mention, Kail had grown even stronger since then.
*Tak tak tak.*
Hearing the sound of Hecate’s bones clashing, Kail swung his sword toward the source. By then, Hecate had closed the distance and blocked Kail’s attack, thrusting his face forward.
—Kaiiiiiil…!
Just as Kail opened his mouth to comment on how grotesque Hecate looked up close, Hecate beat him to it.
Unlike Kail, who sought to attack with words, Hecate attacked physically. Acidic liquid spewed from his throat, drenching Kail’s face.
Reacting instantly, Kail shielded his face with Aura and headbutted Hecate. His skull, protected by Auror Armor, crushed Hecate’s head.
—Keeerk!?
Feeling his head being smashed, Hecate stumbled backward. Kail clung to him and raised his sword high above his head.
A bold stance that seemed to bet everything on this one strike. Yet, somehow, it was riddled with openings.
Hecate realized he could counterattack after parrying Kail’s sword. That was his plan.
*Pwuk!*
—Ke, eek…
“Careful now.”
Before that could happen, an Aura Blade flew from somewhere and pierced through Hecate’s lower back. Hecate felt the blade slice through his spine and burn his backbone as he glared at Kail.
—Ka, il Ma, ier…!
Hatred born from death doesn’t vanish even when witnessing another demise. Instead, it burns even hotter.
In that moment of neglecting life, Hecate conceived a way to take Kail down with him.
—Die, aaaah…!
The next moment, approximately 2,200 bones in Hecate’s body exploded. Using the Aura and gas filling his body as fuel, the exploding bones scattered like grenades in every direction.
There was no way Kail, standing so close, could dodge them. Hecate anticipated Kail’s death or a comparable injury.
However, Hecate was stunned to see Kail staring at him with a completely calm expression.
“—Phew, is it over? Ugh, I can’t breathe.”
Realizing he couldn’t breathe while using Auror Armor in the real world, Kail took a deep breath and looked down at the dying Hecate.
He didn’t know how the Hecatonchires he killed became Hecate, but the thought that sparing him again might lead to him growing stronger crossed his mind.
Determined to incinerate him completely without leaving even ash, Kail prepared to erase Hecate entirely when an Aura Blade from somewhere deflected his sword.
Recognizing the familiar shape of the Aura Blade, Kail swiftly turned his head to look in the direction the arrow came from. There stood Kaines, who had previously fled after losing to him.
“What day is it today?”
Academy chimeras, international terrorists, and mysterious organizations—such a bizarre combination gathering in one place at the same time was hard to believe, yet here they were, appearing simultaneously at the Academy.
“—Kail Meyer, and the monster too. What luck.”
Spotting Kail and Hecate collapsed before him, Kaines smirked. The two foes he had searched for endlessly were now gathered in one place.
Watching Kaines grin, Kail tilted his head in confusion.
“What’s so funny? Aren’t you running away?”
“Run? Why should I run? You’re the one who needs to flee.”
“What nonsense are you spouting…? You’re the one who ran last time. Did you train or something? This nonsense—”
Approaching Kaines, who exuded such confidence as if he’d consumed some miraculous growth elixir, Kail understood why when he spotted Kaines’ companions emerging behind him.
There was no need to grow stronger alone. Difficult tasks became easy when done together.
“Oh, so this is Kail Meyer?”
“They said you were a sword candidate, but I don’t see a sword.”
Observing the two men and women who revealed themselves, Kail sensed considerable power emanating from them.
Both were Masters.
And then he vaguely recalled Sera mentioning Kaines’ organization.
—The Iron Zealots. Every member is a Master-level madman.
“Damn.”
One versus three was tough.
Looking down at Hecate beneath him, Kail hoped for the cliché where someone who survived a near-death experience becomes an ally upon meeting another enemy.
—Ka, iiil…! Die, eeeer!
“Ah.”
Seeing this, Kail sighed.
One versus three. Add the guy collapsed in front of him, and it’s one versus four.
A team battle broke out at the Academy’s rear mountain. Where the hell are our Master allies?
