Overwhelming Firepower

Cael had met many strong people in his life: his invincible older brother, his Father, and even the strongest mage in the Kingdom, Sir Thelwin.

Each one had a certain presence. His older brother, whom he believed was invincible, had a confident presence as if everything was going on just as planned.

His Father’s presence was like a steady mountain that would not move, no matter the elements that came his way, as befitting the shield of Norvaegard.

Sir Thelwin’s presence was one filled with wisdom, as expected of the oldest and strongest mage in the kingdom.

Yet the two before him had dwarfed the presence of all of those he had met. The one standing in an upright manner with his hands behind his back had a presence like a mountain peak, in which one could see no end.

The other one, who was sitting down with an amused smile, also had a powerful presence; it was like millions of blades pointed at you, one wrong move and you’ll be cut in two.

Cael did not know which of the two was more dangerous. The standing man felt unreachable, like a path that continued beyond the sky. The seated man felt closer, but only because the blade was already at one’s throat.

Alexander, who was standing beside Cael, was also having a similar thought, but because of this, he became even more determined to pass whatever test they were going to make.

If he could learn even a tiny bit from them, Alexander believed that he would be able to gain the strength he needed to achieve the things he wanted.

The seated man looked at Alexander first, then at Cael. The man simply lifted a finger; he didn’t even point it at them, but it was at that moment that something incredible happened.

Cael saw his body from a third-person perspective, which was when he noticed that his head was falling, and he was looking at his body as his head was falling.

He had been cut, yet he felt nothing. His head fell toward the floor, and in that short moment, Cael saw Alexander beside him in the same state. Alexander’s head had also been severed.

They were killed without being able to do anything. It was then that moment everything returned to normal.

Cael and Alexander stood there with their heads still intact. Both had unconsciously grabbed their swords and tried to defend themselves, but were unable to move.

The two were now sweating quite a bit; they felt their knees bending, but then they gritted their teeth and did not allow themselves to kneel.

They then drew their weapons and got into fighting stances. Even though they understood they were no match, they would at least try to struggle until the end.

”Hoh, rather impressive for some brats. Hmph, I guess they’re barely passable to try the test we’ll give them.”

”Do not toy with them too much,” the standing man said calmly. The seated man scoffed when he heard those words.

”Who’s toying with them? I just wanted to see how desperate they are. You can see what kind of people they are when faced with death. These two barely qualify as martial artists, as they never let go of their weapons and even dared to think of baring their fangs against me.”

The man once again smiled as he looked at Alexander and Cael. He then shifted his attention to Lucen.

”I guess you at least brought suitable replacements for yourself. Their bodies might not be a match for yours, but their talents in the way of the sword are acceptable compared to your dismal talent.”

”It is an honor to hear such high praise from the Heavenly Demon.”

”Hmph, still have that silver tongue of yours.”

Lucen placed his left palm over his right fist and gave a small bow. ”I am merely speaking the truth.”

”Enough with the flattery already, introduce these two.”

Lucen turned around and gestured at Alexander. ”This one is Alexander Wyrd, a student from Norvaegard’s Royal Academy. I believe his potential is the highest of everyone I know.”

Alexander was surprised to hear those words. This was the first time he heard what Lucen thought of him. To think Lucen, known as the ever-victorious, had such high expectations of him made Alexander feel both honored and pressured.

”The one beside him is my younger brother, Cael Thornehart. This might sound like I’m doting on my little brother, but I truly believe he is someone who is worthy to hear your teachings. Among all that I know, Cael is the most talented in the way of the sword. It’s as if he were born to hold the sword.”

”We’ll be the judge of that.” The man who was sitting down spoke.

”Alexander, Cael, the two before you are the strongest martial artists. The Martial God and the Heavenly Demon.”

The moment Lucen introduced them, Alexander and Cael immediately understood why Lucen had called them the strongest.

There was no doubt in their minds.

Even calling them powerful felt insufficient. The two in front of them felt less like people and more like the end point of a path no mortal could see.

Alexander and Cael quickly lowered their weapons. They then copied Lucen’s posture, placing their left palms over their right fists before bowing.

”Greetings, Martial God and Heavenly Demon,” Alexander said.

Cael followed a moment later. ”Greetings.”

The Heavenly Demon’s eyebrow twitched. ”Why did that brat greet him first as well?”

Alexander froze. Cael remained silent, unsure if he had done something wrong.

Lucen coughed lightly. ”It might be because I introduced the Martial God first.”

The Heavenly Demon looked at Lucen. ”Tsk, even back then, you greeted that guy first. Why does that guy, who stays silent all the time, seem more like a master than me?!”

A bit of the Heavenly Demon’s killing intent leaked, which made Alexander and Cael nearly faint, but before that happened, the Martial God intervened.

”Settle down, Heavenly Demon. What kind of adult reacts in such a way to children?”

”Tsk, fine.” The heavenly demon stopped.

The pressure that had almost crushed Alexander and Cael disappeared as if it had never existed.

Alexander let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. Cael did the same, though his expression barely changed.

The Martial God looked at the two of them in silence. That silence was different from the Heavenly Demon’s pressure. It did not threaten them. It did not try to frighten them. Yet somehow, it felt even harder to endure.

It was as if the man was not looking at their bodies, but at the path they had walked and the path they would one day choose.

After a while, the Martial God finally spoke. ”Before we test your bodies, we will test your hearts.”

The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue. ”You always start with boring questions.”

”A sword without a heart behind it is nothing but sharpened metal.”

”Hmph, and a heart without strength behind it is just noise. Still, I am curious what kind of answer these two will give.” The Heavenly Demon shrugged his shoulders.

The Martial God did not respond to that. His gaze remained on Alexander and Cael.

”I will ask one question, and I want you two to answer honestly. There’s no need to say any grand words. Only tell me what is in your hearts. You don’t need to answer immediately; you can take as much time as you want to answer.”

Alexander and Cael both straightened their backs. The Martial God stared at the two for several seconds in silence before continuing.

”What is the sword to you?”

The question itself was simple, but the answer to that question was harder to say than one could imagine.

Normally, others would say things like the sword is just a weapon meant to kill, or that it is something used to protect others, but it felt like answering like that would make you fail in the eyes of these two masters.

Alexander lowered his gaze toward the broadsword in his hand. It was the sword his father had given him. A sword bought with money saved little by little, not to make him famous, but to send him forward with something sturdy enough to protect himself.

Like others, he had thought this sword was just a weapon to use on monsters to protect those around him, but those thoughts were just superficial.

Alexander closed his eyes as memories of his encounters flashed before his eyes. He then opened his eyes and tightened the grip on his sword as he answered.

”To me... The sword is a promise.”

Hearing Alexander’s answer, the Martial God and the heavenly demon remained silent as they waited for him to continue.

”It’s a promise that I will not turn away when someone needs help. A promise that I will stand in front, even if I am afraid. A promise that the strength I gain will not be used only for myself. It’s a promise that I will surely walk my own path forward!”

The Heavenly Demon stared at Alexander, his amused smile still present. ”A promise, huh? How righteous, how heroic, how boring.”

”How about you, child?” The Martial God did not care about the Heavenly Demon’s side comment and asked Cael.

Cael looked down at the sword in his hand. Unlike Alexander’s broadsword, his blade was not something filled with sentimental meaning. It was just a sword that he used; once it broke, he would use another.

So the answer could not be found in the sword itself. Cael copied what Alexander did and closed his eyes.

He remembered the first time he had held a sword. He remembered how natural it had felt, as if his body had already known the shape of the weapon before his mind understood it.

He remembered his Father’s back, unmoving like the walls of Ironhold. He remembered his brother’s back, always walking forward as if defeat had never been an option.

He remembered all the times he had swung his sword, not because someone ordered him to, but because the path in front of him seemed to demand it.

Yet that wasn’t the entire picture. In truth, he loved the way of the sword. He liked seeing himself get stronger with every swing.

At first, he was trying to reach the backs of his Father and his older brother, but later he figured that was a foolish thing to do. He was not his Father nor was he his older brother; he was just himself.

The joy he felt upon each swing, the excitement he got every time he saw a new horizon with sword at hand, was unparalleled.

’I see... So that’s what it was...’

Cael opened his eyes and looked directly at the eyes of the Martial God as he answered. ”To me, the sword is my guide towards the path I seek.”

After saying those words, Cael, for the first time, felt something deep within him stirring violently.

”Oh, then what is that path?” It was the Heavenly Demon who asked this question.

”It is the path to be able to cut through everything, the earth, the heavens, fate itself!”

Cael had his heart racing as his usual stoic face began changing. A look of crazed excitement appeared on his face as he spoke those words.

”Kehahahahaha!!! That’s more I like it! That’s an answer I can get behind! A sword exists to cut. If it is the sword I carry, then it must cut earth, heaven, fate, and anything foolish enough to stand before me!” The Heavenly Demon spoke with equal excitement.

The Martial God watched Cael in silence, then glanced at Alexander. ”One binds his sword to a promise. The other follows it toward the impossible.”

The Heavenly Demon grinned. ”Good. Then let us see if you two have the talent to back up those words of yours.”