'His attack stings,' Julian thought, his arms trembling from the force of the parry.
'It feels like when he swings he's hitting the blade at full force...'
Riggs turned slowly to face Julian, his expression unchanged but his eyes assessing.
"Is that all you have, Julian? Soul imbuent is an impressive technique for a first-year, but I suspect you're capable of much more."
Julian felt a chill run down his spine. The challenge in Riggs's voice was unmistakable he wanted Julian to reveal his true capabilities.
But to go all out would risk his appearance changing, the divine eyes manifesting fully, perhaps even revealing abilities that would raise too many questions.
"I don't know what you're talking about," Julian replied, settling into a defensive stance and activating his Divine Eyes.
If he couldn't overwhelm Riggs with strength, he would have to rely on anticipation and prediction.
Julian lunged forward again, his crimson eyes tracking Riggs's form, searching for any signs of movent, the subtle shifts in weight or tension that would reveal his next attack.
But to Julian's shock, Riggs remained perfectly still, his posture betraying nothing.
There were no after-images, no flickers of potential movent, nothing for Julian's Divine Eyes to read.
'How is this possible?' Julian thought frantically.
'Even the strongest fighters show so indication of their next move.'
Switching tactics, Julian disappeared again, his speed carrying him to Riggs's blind spot in an instant.
'I've got him!'
He struck with precision, aiming for a point that even the most skilled fighters would struggle to defend.
SHING!
Yet sohow, Riggs's blade was already there, eting Julian's attack with such force that the impact reverberated through Julian's entire body.
The parry sent him flying backward, his feet scrambling to find the smooth stone floor.
Riggs hadn't even turned his head.
As Julian regained his balance, the realization hit him clearly.
Riggs Bourne was on an entirely different level from anyone he had faced before.
Not even Uzan with his amazing gift had anticipated Julian's movents with such abnormal reaction.
It was as if Riggs could see every move Julian would make before he made it… as if the future itself was an open book to him.
"Interesting," Riggs said, his voice casual despite having just demonstrated combat prowess that defied explanation.
"You rely heavily on your speed and the elent of surprise. Good instincts, but predictable patterns."
Julian gritted his teeth, reassessing his approach. Direct attacks weren't working—Riggs seed to anticipate them all.
He needed to be unpredictable, to break his own patterns.
"We'll see about that."
With a deep breath, Julian charged forward again, but this ti he feinted left before abruptly changing direction, spinning into a series of rapid strikes aid at different points on Riggs's defense.
BANG!
His blade beca a blur of motion, each attack flowing into the next with deadly precision.
But for Riggs he parried each strike effortlessly, his movents nothing short of perfect.
There was no wasted energy, no unnecessary flair, just perfect, efficient defense.
"Better," Riggs acknowledged, "but still too predictable."
In a move so fast Julian could barely track it, Riggs counter-attacked.
His blade sliced through the air, the tip stopping re centiters from Julian's throat.
Julian hadn't even seen him move.
"You're holding back," Riggs stated, withdrawing his blade.
"And I understand why. You're afraid of revealing too much."
Julian stepped back, his heart pounding. How much did Riggs know? Was he just fishing for information, or did he genuinely suspect sothing?
"I don't know what you an," Julian replied, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm giving this everything I've got."
"Julian, I've been teaching combat for nearly three decades. I can recognize when a student is intentionally limiting themselves."
He gestured around the empty training room.
"There's no one here but us. No audience, no judges. Whatever you show stays between us."
Julian hesitated, weighing his options.
Going all out would an potentially revealing abilities that could raise questions he wasn't prepared to answer. But holding back ant missing an opportunity to truly test himself against a master.
Before he could decide, Riggs attacked again, this ti with increased speed.
His blade beca a silver streak cutting through the air, and Julian found himself on the defensive, barely managing to parry the flurry of strikes.
BANG!…BANG!…BANG!…
Each impact sent shockwaves through Julian's arms, the force behind Riggs's attacks far greater than seed possible for a man his age.
'He's so damn strong…'
Heup!
Julian was forced to retreat, his breathing becoming heavy as he struggled to keep up with Riggs's relentless assault.
Even with his Divine Eyes, he could barely track the older man's movents.
"You're thinking too much," Riggs called out, his voice calm despite the ferocity of his attacks.
"Combat isn't just about technique or power—it's about instinct."
Julian narrowly avoided a thrust that would have disard him, countering with a desperate slash that Riggs easily sidestepped.
"Let go of your fear," Riggs continued, his blade dancing through the air. "Trust your instincts."
Sothing in Riggs's words resonated with Julian.
He had been so focused on concealing his abilities, on maintaining his cover, that he'd forgotten what it felt like to simply fight without restraint.
'He wants to see what I'm truly capable of, If that's what he wants then I guess it's the only way to fufill the quests conditions.'
With a deep breath, Julian stopped fighting against his instincts and surrendered to them.
He released the tight control he'd been maintaining over his abilities, allowing his power to flow freely through his body.
HWAM!…
The change was imdiate. Though his physical appearance remained unchanged, the air around him seed to distort with pressure.
A dark, nacing energy radiated from him, filling the training room with an almost tangible weight.
The practice blade in his hand began to vibrate, responding to the surge of power coursing through him.
Riggs paused, his eyes widening slightly.
It was the first genuine reaction Julian had seen from him during their entire match.
Even for him he had a slow smile on his face.
"There you are, I can finally see the real you."
He stepped back, adjusting his stance with a new respect in his bearing.
"Now that you've decided to take this seriously, I should match your effort."
With a fluid motion, Riggs channeled his own energy into his blade.
The transformation itself was srizing, the steel darkened until it was the color of midnight, but surrounding it was a brilliant blue aura that pulsed and flowed like living water.
The two energies coexisted in perfect harmony, neither overwhelming the other.
"What is that?" Julian whispered, genuinely awed by the display.
-That's Mana Armant, Vykekard's voice echoed in his mind, unusually serious.
-It's an advanced soul arts technique that few have ever mastered. He's using mana as a conductor to catalyze reactions with his soul arts energy.
Julian observed the technique carefully, noting how the blue mana seed to amplify and focus the black soul energy.
-The combination creates a massive leap in attack power, Vykekard continued.
-If he hits you with that, you'll feel pain ten tis more intense than a normal strike. It was one of the strongest techniques in my day, and it seems it still is.
"So all I have to do is not get hit, right?"
-It's as obvious as it gets, Vykekard replied dryly.
-Don't get hit by the extrely powerful attack that could potentially incapacitate you with a single blow. Simple.
Julian couldn't help but smile at Vykekard's sarcasm.
Without anymore hesitation, he activated his trinity trait, channeling his own soul arts into his practice blade.
The weapon responded eagerly, a crimson and black aura enveloping it from hilt to tip.
For a mont, they stood facing each other, two warriors surrounded by the manifestation of their power. Then, without warning, Julian charged.
As he closed the distance, Julian recalled one of Vykekard's most powerful techniques—a move he'd practiced in secret but never had reason to use in combat until now.
"Inertia Style: First Form: Crowned Cot,"
The soul energy surrounding his blade compressed, concentrating at the tip before extending backwards like the tail of a cot.
"…!"
The energy twisted and coiled, building montum with each passing millisecond.
As Julian swung, the energy was released in a single, focused projectile strike.
It was a crescent-shaped slash of crimson and black that cut through the air with terrifying speed.
"He's more than a damn genius."
Riggs's eyes widened in genuine surprise.
Without hesitation, he countered with his own technique.
"Imperial Arts: 77th Homing Force!"
His blade arced through the air, leaving a trail of blue and black energy that seed to bend the laws of physics as it tracked Julian's attack.
The two techniques collided in the center of the training room with catastrophic force.
BOOM!
A blinding flash of light erupted from the point of impact, the shockwave powerful enough to crack the stone floor beneath them.
Then, the air itself seed to shudder as the two soul arts techniques fought for dominance.
When the light faded, Julian and Riggs stood at opposite ends of the training room, both slightly disheveled but otherwise unhard.
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