The Return Of The Exiled Villain

Aurora stood across from him on the ancient stone battlefield, her red dress fluttering lightly in the breeze.

The vast training ground stretched around them.

She held her elegant sword in a relaxed guard, her red eyes glowing with excitement and a hint of challenge.

”Remember,” she said softly, ”only the first three moves. No other techniques. No raw power. Pure sword art.”

Gray nodded, rapier held loosely at his side.

”Then let’s begin.”

The moment the words left his mouth, Aurora moved.

First Step: Approach.

Her left foot glided forward with effortless grace, Soul Chasing Qi flowing smoothly through her meridians.

The movement was light, almost weightless, yet carried undeniable intent.

Gray mirrored her instantly.

First Step.

He stepped forward, his body lowering slightly as the qi circulated perfectly.

He had already internalized the feeling from her demonstration, whether that was the anchor, the resonance, or the weight shift.

Aurora smiled, clearly pleased.

Second Step! Pursuit.

She exploded forward, right foot surging as the pursuit qi locked onto an imaginary trail.

Her sword flashed in a clean arc, executing Soul Binding Trace followed immediately by the beginning of Soul Reaving Pursuit.

A golden thread of soul energy extended from her blade, aiming to bind and then reave Gray’s soul aura.

Gray responded in the same breath.

Second Step.

His right foot surged forward with controlled explosiveness.

The pursuit qi locked on, and he thrust his rapier with perfect timing. A sharp golden blade of soul energy shot forward, clashing directly with Aurora’s technique.

Clang!

The two soul threads collided in mid-air, golden sparks exploding outward. The impact sent a shockwave across the stone floor, cracking the reinforced ground beneath them.

Aurora’s eyes widened with delight.

”Good!” she laughed, already moving again.

She circled to the side, using the first two steps in rapid succession to reposition, then thrust once more.

This time, her Soul Reaving Pursuit carried a sharper edge, aiming to cut through Gray’s defensive soul thread.

Gray didn’t retreat.

He advanced, executing the footwork flawlessly. His body moved with unnatural smoothness, with the first step anchoring, the second step pursuing.

His rapier met hers in a precise clash, the golden soul energy from both techniques intertwining and trying to overpower the other.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

They exchanged several rapid strikes, each one a perfect execution of the third move.

The air hummed with golden soul qi as their blades danced.

Aurora’s attacks were elegant and experienced, flowing seamlessly between binding and reaving.

Gray’s were sharper, and more efficient as he had already begun refining the technique in real time, making small adjustments to the qi flow and intent that made his strikes slightly more direct.

Aurora noticed immediately.

”You’re already improving it mid-fight?” she exclaimed, a thrilled laugh escaping her as she parried his thrust and countered with a sweeping reaving slash.

Gray didn’t answer with words.

He stepped forward again, executing the footwork with even greater precision. His rapier thrust carried a cleaner, more concentrated soul thread.

The golden energy sliced through Aurora’s binding attempt and grazed her defensive aura, forcing her to twist her body gracefully to evade.

Sshiiing!

The clash sent sparks flying. Aurora’s eyes burned with excitement.

”Magnificent!” she praised, her voice husky.

”Again!”

They continued like this for several intense minutes.

Clang!

Clang!

Baaaang!

The battlefield rang with the constant sound of clashing soul energy as golden threads of light wove through the air like living serpents.

Aurora pressed with the experience of a master, using subtle feints and changes in rhythm to test Gray’s adaptability.

Gray responded with pure genius, analyzing her every move, refining his execution on the fly, and countering with increasingly sharp and efficient strikes.

At one point, Aurora executed a beautiful combination: first, a step to close the distance; second, a step to accelerate; then a thrust that carried both binding and reaving intent at full power.

Gray met it head-on.

He stepped forward with perfect timing, his rapier thrusting in a straight, uncompromising line.

BAAAANG!

His Soul Reaving Pursuit clashed directly with hers, the two golden energies struggling for dominance. For a brief second, they pushed against each other in a deadlock.

Then Gray’s intent sharpened.

His soul thread cut through hers like a hot knife through butter, the reaving edge slicing cleanly through her binding and forcing Aurora to leap back with a surprised but delighted laugh.

”You’re already surpassing my expectations again,” she said, breathing slightly heavier, cheeks flushed with excitement.

”Come on, Gray. Show me more.”

Gray’s lips curved into a faint smile. He raised his rapier once more.

The duel intensified.

They moved across the vast training ground like two golden blurs.

Footwork clashed with footwork, and multiple soul threads intertwined and severed.

The stone floor cracked further with every powerful exchange.

Aurora’s experience gave her an edge in creativity and rhythm, but Gray’s monstrous comprehension allowed him to adapt and refine faster than she could anticipate.

At one moment, Aurora tried to bind him from behind with a clever angle.

Gray used the second step to pivot instantly, then countered with a reaving thrust that forced her to block with both hands on her sword.

BOOM!

The collision created a small crater beneath them.

Aurora’s eyes were shining with pure joy and pride as she looked at him. But instead, her smile turned sharper, more challenging, as she raised her sword once more.

”Very well. Let’s see how well you can handle all three moves together.”

She moved first.

Severing Pursuit.

Her left foot glided forward in the signature first step, Soul Chasing Qi flowing smoothly.

The second step exploded with pursuit intent as her sword lashed out in a clean, horizontal slash.

A sharp golden arc of soul energy shot toward Gray, aiming to sever any lingering soul connection or defensive aura he might have.

Gray responded instantly.

He executed the same footwork with flawless precision, first step anchoring, second step pursuing. His rapier met her slash head-on.

Clang!

The two golden arcs collided, sending sparks of soul qi exploding outward.

Gray’s Severing Pursuit clashed directly with Aurora’s, the techniques canceling each other out in a brilliant burst of light.

”Not bad,” Aurora praised, already circling to his left.

”But let’s add the second move.”

She flowed seamlessly into Soul Binding Trace.

Her footwork shifted subtly, the golden thread from her blade extending like a living vine, attempting to bind Gray’s soul aura and restrict his movements while she closed in with another Severing slash.

Gray’s eyes narrowed. He felt the binding intent trying to latch onto him.

He countered with Soul Binding Trace of his own.

His rapier thrust forward, releasing a golden thread that met Aurora’s mid-air. The two binding techniques tangled, struggling for dominance.

Shingg!

The clash created a brief stalemate before Gray’s thread, sharper and more refined, cut through hers.

He immediately followed up with Severing Pursuit, forcing Aurora to leap back gracefully.

”Impressive control!” she laughed, clearly enjoying herself.

”Now... the third.”

She combined all three moves in a single fluid sequence.

Approach... and pursuit!

Her sword thrust forward, executing Soul Reaving Pursuit at full power, a golden blade of soul energy that carried binding, tracking, and reaving intent simultaneously.

Gray met it without hesitation.

He executed the full sequence on instinct now.

First step... second step!

His rapier thrusts out, releasing Soul Reaving Pursuit. The two golden soul blades collided violently in the center of the battlefield.

BOOOOM!

The impact created a small crater beneath them, golden sparks raining down like fireworks.

Aurora’s eyes widened with delight as Gray’s technique held its ground, even pushing back slightly.

”You’re already combining them naturally,” she breathed out, clearly impressed.

Somehow, Gray just kept shocking her.

”Most students need months to reach this level of fluidity.”

They continued like this for a long time.

Aurora would attack with varying combinations, sometimes starting with Severing Pursuit to test his defense, then layering Soul Binding Trace to restrict him, and finishing with Soul Reaving Pursuit to deliver the real threat.

Gray responded with perfect adaptability.

He analyzed her rhythm, predicted the transitions, and countered with increasingly precise and efficient versions of the same moves.

At one point, Aurora tried a clever feint, pretending to use Soul Binding Trace only to switch into a powerful Soul Reaving Pursuit mid-motion.

Gray saw through it instantly.

He used Severing Pursuit to cut the fake binding thread, then immediately chained into his own Soul Reaving Pursuit, forcing Aurora to block with both hands on her sword.

CLAAAAANG!

The collision sent her sliding back several meters across the stone floor, her heels leaving deep grooves.

Aurora laughed breathlessly, her cheeks flushed with excitement.

”Phew! I think we’re done for today... I’m not going to teach you the fourth move of the Sword Art since it’s required to be at the Sovereign Ream.”

Her eyes narrowed slighly as she walked towards Gray and suddenly adjusted his collar, then she bit her lower lip, her eyes locking onto his lips before returning to his eyes.

This was all done in a very tantalizing, seductive way.

”Now~...” her voice trailed off.

”It’s time for you to reward me, no?”

Her lips curled up seductively.

Her intention was so damn obvious that Gray couldn’t even try to act oblivious, and instead, he directly picked her up in a princess carry.

”Kyaa!”

Aurora shouted in delight.