Flashes of light coiled around two blades.
Johanna began advancing toward the dark waves.
Each time the light traced its path, the dark waves helplessly dispersed.
The darkness dared not resist the radiance emanating from Johanna.
The trajectory Johanna carved grew increasingly stable and sharp.
The fragment of transcendence created a miracle that parted the earth and sky, forging a path forward.
Through the endless expanse of dark waves, Johanna sensed the ‘aberration’ beyond.
The power emitted by that aberration was not unfamiliar to her. It was an anomaly she had encountered before.
The first time she faced this aberration, Johanna had been forced to kneel in defeat and flee desperately for her life.
Even with everything on the line, she was utterly crushed, surviving only through the sacrifice of her comrades.
But now, it was different.
Now, with this brilliance in her grasp, Johanna felt a vague certainty that she could oppose even such an anomalous existence.
Step!
Walking across the battlefield where Harshia once stood, Johanna moved toward the first hybrid beyond the veil of darkness.
Cutting through the shadows, splitting apart the heavens and the earth, she pressed forward.
However, not long after, Johanna began to waver, nearly falling.
Her body, shattered earlier due to her inability to control the mana of the Spatial Blade, started crumbling into pieces under the strain.
Despite this, Johanna discarded the fragments of her collapsing form and continued stepping forward.
Step!
She had to move forward.
An impulse drove her onward.
To help you, to stop you from leaving alone—she had to move forward.
She didn’t want to repeat the regrets born of ignorance, arrogance, and weakness.
Thus, Johanna clenched her teeth, placed shards of a monster’s bone into her broken ankle as a makeshift support, and took another step.
But sheer determination wasn’t enough to create a miracle.
Her joints bent unnaturally, her spine curved, and her body finally succumbed, falling toward the ground.
As her body collapsed, Johanna dragged herself forward, reaching out her hand toward the distant horizon.
At that moment…
The illusion crafted by Resina dissolved from Johanna’s sight.
Aaaahh!!
“…!!”
Sensations returned.
The blackened earth disappeared, and her damaged body reverted to its normal state.
Though disoriented, Johanna remained standing despite the dizziness.
While struggling with confusion, she steadied herself, suppressing a headache and wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes.
Resina observed her and spoke.
“Remarkable.”
It was high praise indeed.
Throughout history, very few individuals possessed talent worthy of such commendation from Resina.
Resina paused briefly to allow Johanna to recover from the mental turmoil before continuing.
“Therefore, it simply won’t work.”
Inheriting the Spatial Blade is impossible.
Realizing the meaning behind Resina’s words, Johanna asked tersely.
“Why?”
“First, let me acknowledge your potential—it might actually be possible for you to inherit the Spatial Blade.”
Thanks to the data accumulated from past talents who perished, most of the trial-and-error processes were well-documented.
Johanna’s willpower and talent were undoubtedly exceptional.
This meant that, practically speaking, most of the prerequisites for inheriting the Spatial Blade were already fulfilled.
The one remaining issue was that Johanna was not of royal blood. She lacked both the dragon blood and the Dragonheart.
Dragon blood and the Dragonheart, while contributing to the shortened lifespans of royals, also served as mechanisms to mitigate the strain on the body caused by the core.
Without these, human hearts struggled to endure the core of the Spatial Blade.
In the past, the Empire attempted to solve this problem by creating a core within the womb but failed to produce a successful result, leaving the theory incomplete.
Of course, completing this unfinished theory wasn’t impossible.
Moreover, through Ray, Resina gained a clearer understanding of what problems needed solving and reinforcing for the Spatial Blade’s inheritance.
“There are still many issues remaining… but yes, they could be resolved.”
“But?”
“The thing that always holds us back is time.”
Resina chuckled softly.
“It would be too tragic to lose your talent due to rashness.”
“…”
“Don’t let arrogance cloud your judgment. Inheriting the Spatial Blade isn’t something that can be rushed. Your talent, though remarkable, doesn’t quite reach the level of Harshia. Compared to her, you and I are mere mortals.”
Under Resina’s guidance,
For Johanna to resolve all the issues surrounding the inheritance of the Spatial Blade, construct a core, and fully master the Spatial Blade… realistically, it would take a significant amount of time.
“Twenty years, at least.”
Resina declared confidently.
Twenty years isn’t a long time.
It was a span worth investing to recreate Harshia’s legend.
The fact that Resina mentioned “merely” twenty years was proof of how highly she regarded Johanna.
“If given twenty years, you could develop the strength to defeat hybrids in direct combat.”
Although it wouldn’t be easy since the opponent would likely possess the same caliber of talent as Speira, the possibility of a fair fight would exist.
However, this was a meaningless assumption.
“But child, this saga will conclude within twenty years.”
The saga Resina referred to was the ongoing great war.
Regardless of its outcome, this great war would end within twenty years.
That was Resina’s conviction.
By the time Johanna could recreate the Spatial Blade, everything would already be over.
What would be the point? Keeping the Empire’s most trusted blade locked away in storage throughout the great war would be no different.
“…”
Johanna did not arrogantly claim she could hasten the completion of the Spatial Blade.
Instead, she asked simply.
“Is there an alternative?”
“…”
Resina became contemplative.
Johanna was one of the Empire’s most critical cards.
For the sake of Resina’s aspirations, Johanna needed to fulfill her role.
Considering the urgency of enhancing Johanna’s capabilities, Harshia’s Spatial Blade was not an appropriate choice.
“…”
Johanna wasn’t alone.
Unlike Harshia, she didn’t have to stand alone on the battlefield, sacrificing herself for everyone.
Therefore, there was no need for Johanna to surpass the enemy’s unique abilities entirely. Being able to counter them sufficiently would suffice.
Even though this was almost impossible under normal circumstances, Resina had one option to offer.
“…Soul Weapon (Soul Weapon).”
“…?”
“This is a ‘concept’ I’ve theorized and proven.”
Not a weapon, but a concept.
Johanna looked at Resina with an inquiring gaze.
In response, Resina drew a hologram-like diagram in the air and began explaining.
“Humans’ souls, aside from being used as sacrifices or partial consciousnesses, haven’t had much practical application until now.”
Initially, directly utilizing the soul was considered taboo.
But Resina’s blind determination after losing someone precious transcended such prohibitions.
Through her research, Resina developed a method to harness the soul as a direct ‘power source.’
“The human soul exists beyond the fourth-dimensional spacetime continuum. Thus, the force generated using the soul as a power source has strong resistance against external interference.”
For instance, Resina’s manifested Soul Weapon was barely affected even within Ernst’s Absolute Domain.
“The downside is, it lacks immense power.”
Resina chuckled lightly as if making a joke, causing Johanna to frown.
Then Resina tapped her chest where a magic circle should be and continued explaining.
“After completing and verifying the concept of the Soul Weapon, I realized… this technique suits knights more than mages. It needs blending.”
The Soul Weapon couldn’t function properly when used independently.
Thus, it required fusion.
“A knight must achieve… complete harmony between spirit and flesh to use this power.”
Through this process…
“All techniques manifested by the body gain the robust resistance inherent to the Soul Weapon.”
Harnessing the soul as a power source would amplify the potency of all techniques.
Of course, using the soul as a power source was akin to suicide for most humans.
Handling the soul, which exists beyond the perception of the physical body, was almost impossible for humans.
“If you fail to control it, you’ll die. But you’ll succeed.”
Resina had clearly confirmed Johanna’s talent and determination.
With Johanna’s ability, she could master the Soul Weapon.
If she reached the stage of manifesting the Soul Weapon, that is.
“The real question is whether you can achieve the unity of spirit and flesh. That requires… a pact with your essence.”
You will face your own history.
Resina whispered softly, twisting her lips into a sinister smile.
Though ominous and meaningful, Johanna ignored Resina’s grin and asked succinctly.
“What’s the cost?”
There must be a price.
Miracles always come with a cost.
Both Johanna and Resina knew this truth all too well.
“…”
Resina slowly hardened her expression.
Then she moved her fingers to draw a circle in the air.
“The soul endlessly cycles. Of course, calling the soul immortal might sound overly grandiose. Souls separated from their bodies are easily damaged and destroyed.”
“…”
“Still, assuming great fortune follows… the soul might be called a persistent entity.”
As Resina rotated the ring in the air, she stared directly into Johanna’s eyes.
“When your life ends, your soul will embark on its next journey. For an extended period, until your luck runs out… you will cycle, existing perpetually. You are a persistent entity within this cycle.”
“…”
Johanna began to grasp what Resina was about to say.
Observing Johanna’s reaction, Resina stopped the rotating circle.
“To manifest the Soul Weapon, you must achieve unity between spirit and flesh. Do you sense the cost you must pay?”
“…”
“The end of the cycle.”
With a snap, Resina broke the light ring.
“On the day your life concludes, your soul will share the same fate.”
The cost of manifesting the Soul Weapon.
Ultimately…
“You must sacrifice… your immortality.”
