The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

Klaus followed Ryo out of the mansion and up a certain peak.

The air wasn’t too dense with tension, but Klaus could tell something was on Ryo Hiroshi’s chest he most certainly would want to let out. Even so, he didn’t say much and followed his father-in-law up the peak.

A kettle of hot tea was already waiting for them when they arrived.

“Sit down,” Ryo said, and Klaus did as he was told.

A couple of seconds later, Kenji also arrived and sat down opposite Klaus. Under normal circumstances, this would have been the moment Klaus should have felt intimidated. However, it wasn’t like any of them could kill him.

In fact, Klaus, being Klaus, had already calculated 12,009 ways he could take them out and make it look like an accident.

So being worried was the last thing on his mind.

Ryo looked at him for a few seconds, then a sigh escaped his lips.

“To think the boy who was here less than two years ago for the regional trial of the Celestial Mountain Academy has already become a key figure everyone looks up to.

Good job, kid.”

Contrary to what Klaus expected, Ryo actually praised him, which didn’t seem or sound like him at all. If anything, Klaus expected him to throw a tantrum and complain about how he didn’t even bother to ask for his permission before taking his daughter’s innocence.

However, this was a different time. This was the apocalypse, where the rules were different, so perhaps he had adapted as well.

“I guess time flies faster than we expected,” Klaus answered, and Ryo nodded. Time does fly faster than one expects.

Even his baby girl had already become stronger than him. If that isn’t an indication that time is moving faster than expected, then there is no other evidence to support it.

“I know you expected this conversation to be about Aoi; however, I know you both are adults and know what you want, so relax. I called you here for something else.”

Klaus smiled upon hearing that.

Kenji, who was seated beside his brother, also smiled. He already knew his brother’s temper, so just like Klaus might have thought, he also thought the same thing.

But now, it seemed he wouldn’t have to worry, for the sword king had no issue with him. If anything, this meeting was something he never expected, for what came next was something he hadn’t expected his brother to do.

Ryo took something out of his space ring and handed it to Klaus.

It was a tablet-like metal slab, about the size of an adult palm. It felt like metal, but upon touching it, Klaus knew it wasn’t. If anything, it felt more like sand. However, it was much heavier than sand should be.

It had some writing on it, and the moment Klaus saw it, he knew it was a technique. However, it wasn’t the traditional sword technique with many forms.

This one was just a single sword technique with no forms. It lacked the formality of other sword techniques. However, instead of limiting it, Klaus saw something in the text that made his brow rise.

“I guess you can read and are even able to see the true form of the technique,” Ryo asked, and Klaus nodded.

“This is just too good to be true,” Klaus thought, unable to believe his eyes. The technique in his hand was a sword technique tailored specifically for cultivating a particular aspect of swordsmanship, known as “Sword Aura.”

In the path of swordsmanship, there are many aspects. Sword Aura is one of them, and perhaps, in the long run, it is the path most swordsmen struggle to comprehend.

Aside from sword intent, the sword aura is the true intent of every sword move. It is what gives every move its sharpness and Lethal edge.

Sword intent is basically the manifestation of the swordsmanship belief. However, the sword aura is their weapon. The sword they wield is but a slab of metal, but with a sword aura, it becomes a weapon capable of slaying gods. And in the right hands, it can cause great calamity.

What Ryo had just given Klaus was a cultivation path for sword aura called Furious Sword Aura.

“This is a sword aura technique passed down through generations of my family, the Hiroshi sword family. It is passed down from father to son, and the tradition continues every generation. I am the current holder of this legacy.”

“Does this mean your family has been practising the sword since long before the apocalypse?” Klaus asked, and Ryo nodded.

“Indeed. My family has walked the path of the sword for thousands of years. Though not common to the outside world, Japanese culture is mostly centred around swordsmanship.

My family is one of the few that saw the secret behind the sword, and over thousands of years, they have developed countless sword moves and techniques. This is one of them, developed by one of my great-grandfathers.”

Klaus was taken aback by learning such a bizarre thing. It wasn’t that learning the sword before the apocalypse was nearly impossible; it was just not plausible.

Mastering the sword is possible, but using sword intent and aura just doesn’t seem possible. However, it seems things aren’t as simple as Klaus thought.

‘This is an eye-opening experience. To think a family could have created this path long before the spiritual reached this world. They are geniuses.’

It is impossible…

However, the Hiroshi family had been doing so long before the air changed into spiritual qi, setting everyone on the path of evolution.

And if that wasn’t already shocking enough, they had even developed a technique for cultivating sword aura. And it wasn’t anything simple.

The technique was profound, one that would require thousands of years to fully comprehend.

Not even Klaus, who had 68 minds, was able to pierce into the deeper secrets of the sword technique he was holding.

That alone told him everything he needed to know. The technique was something he could not take for granted.

“Why give me something this priceless?” Klaus asked, and Ryo sighed.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve spent the past two years debating whether or not to give this to you. After all, it is my family’s inheritance, something meant to remain within the family.

However, after a couple of back-and-forths, I knew keeping it would be selfish. I myself had only made small progress despite spending the last 45 years learning it, and Kenji here is also not having a good time.

So, then, why limit the technique when it can be given to those who have already proven to have a good grasp of things?

I saw you fight that spider demon, and while I could be cocky and say my understanding of the sword surpass yours. I think we both know it’s a lie.

Take this technique and learn from it. When you’re done, you can share it with all those you deem worthy of learning it, too. You and Aoi are already ahead, so this will be a good way to grow even more on the path of the sword.”

Kenji nodded in agreement to his brother’s words.

He had already planned to let his brother share the family technique with the younger generation. After all, everyone was after the same thing: the protection of Earth and everything it contained.