Entrance Exam (10)

'Heavenly Flow 4th Form - Flash...!'

If the Heavenly Flow 1st form - Truth (彰), focused all its overwhelming power on destructive force, then the 4th - Flash (閃), was a technique that focused entirely on overwhelming speed.

—Squeeze!

Charlotte clutched the hem of her skirt and nervously chewed her lip.

'T-That's impossible to block, even for Ian! There's no way he can handle it!'

She didn't know Ian's real, hidden strength, but no matter how talented he was, for a fourteen-year-old boy to withstand the Heavenly Flow 4th Form was out of the question.

'That's a technique that even master-rank knights barely manage to react to!'

Surely, he hadn't reached master rank at just fourteen.

'Unbelievable... Heavenly Flow 4th Form is only usable by someone at late-stage Expert rank... How is Yuria already...?'

Heavenly Flow 4th form - Flash, required an immense amount of aura to support its overwhelming speed.

That was why reaching late-stage Expert was the bare minimum.

But a late-stage Expert at age fourteen?

That was an achievement far surpassing even the heads of the five great Heavenly Sword clans, renowned as the greatest swordsmen of all time.

It was something beyond talent—utterly impossible by common sense.

To use an analogy, it was like a five-year-old running 100 meters in eight seconds; simply nonsensical.

"Huh..."

Darkan, the Heavenly Sword Lord, also let out a low exclamation as he watched Yuria preparing the Heavenly Flow 4th Form.

"Yuria. Don't tell me..."

In fact, Darkan had known for several months now that Yuria was adapting the Heavenly Flow 4th Form to suit herself.

He had, however, been privately skeptical about what she was doing.

'I thought it was impossible to adapt it.'

The art of Heavenly Flow could be called the very essence of Hisperion.

From the founder, revered as a deity, to the past 5th Heavenly Sword Lord, famed as the strongest swordsman, all the way to Darkan, one of this era's strongest.

It had continually evolved through countless master swordsmen refining and adapting it, reaching the very pinnacle of ultimate technique.

Thus, mastering Heavenly Flow perfectly was said to raise one to the rank of a sword god.

But, for all its heights, to try and adapt it recklessly could only diminish its power, not elevate it.

Even so, the swordmaster didn't stop Yuria.

She was a child with talent surpassing even his own.

He believed even her trials and errors would be good experiences for her, so he let her be.

But to think, she would suddenly display the Heavenly Flow 4th Form here and now.

'She's not the type to use an incomplete technique in a real fight...'

There was no way Yuria could have attained late-stage Expert at this age.

Even by Darkan's standards, it was impossible.

Ragnarr Hisperion, called the greatest swordsman and who ascended to sword godhood before he was even elderly, hadn't reached late-stage Expert at fourteen.

So, only one possibility remained.

Yuria had successfully refined 4th Form to the point where it could be used even at the entry-stage of Expert rank.

'Ha, haha... Yuria, you're rewriting history again.'

Swordmaster Darkan's intuition still predicted Ian's victory, but with things like this, he wondered if his instincts might be proven wrong for once.

'Ian. If Yuria is using Heavenly Flow 4th Form, then even you must not let your guard down.'

With the techniques Ian had shown so far, he could not withstand the fourth form.

To counter 4th Form, he would have to show something even greater.

Ian was thinking the same as the swordmaster.

'Neither Frenzied Insight's Reversing Heaven nor Extreme Point can stop Yuria's Heavenly Flow 4th Form.'

Reversing Heaven, which reverses the opponent's aura, was far too slow to react to the fourth form's speed.

Extreme Point (尖尖), which gathers aura to one point for tremendous speed and power, might be able to counter if focused and timed perfectly, but that would be as reckless as catching lightning with your bare hands.

Even the slightest lapse in timing or focus, and his defeat would be certain.

'But... It's not as if there's no way.'

Yuria's Heavenly Flow 4th Form was a technique that had tormented Ian endlessly during their sparring matches in his previous life.

Of course, he'd thought hard about ways to counter it.

Ian had once devoted a great deal of effort solely to neutralizing this technique.

His Frenzied Insight Style - Extreme Point was a byproduct from that research.

He had developed Extreme Point after being inspired by Yuria's efficient aura control when she adapted 4th Form.

And the technique he designed specifically to counter the overwhelming speed of 4th Form was Frenzied Insight Style - Extreme Sense (羅流羅).

The principle behind Extreme Sense was similar to Extreme Point.

It also involved focusing aura in specific places.

But it didn't compress aura to a single point like Extreme Point.

Instead, to every spot where tactile sensation existed—fine hairs, skin, nerves—a practitioner poured aura into all their sensory receptors to the very extreme, so as to perceive even the slightest movement or change in air currents, environment, and the world around.

At first glance, it sounded simple enough for anyone to try, but to execute it actually required immense study and training.

To focus aura perfectly on tactile sense, first, one needed to know every location of their sensory nerves with the precision of someone who'd dissected their own body.

Second, it required ultra-high concentration to evenly distribute aura to every tactile point and maintain that balance.

Thus, while performing Extreme Sense, a swordsman fell into a semi-unconscious state of total focus on aura control.

In that borderline-unconsciousness, you reacted to attacks purely by reflex.

'A technique that relies solely on conditioned reflexes to counterattack.'

So, the effectiveness of Extreme Sense surged the more combat-hardened the swordsman was.

Those well-versed in battle had bodies that reacted faster than thought, and could counter more appropriately.

And at present, the soul inside Ian's body contained the countless experiences he had accumulated across many wars and over a long life.

'My body may be different, but my conditioned reflexes are intact. I can feel it.'

The moment he faced 4th Form.

He felt goosebumps all over his body, and realized his fingertips and toes twitched instinctively.

'Come, Yuria.'

He was sure he could respond perfectly to her Heavenly Flow 4th Form.

Frenzied Insight Style

Extreme Sense (羅流羅)–!

—Shuuuuuuk!

In an instant, Ian's atmosphere subdued, as if it were a tranquil lake.

'... What!?'

Yuria, who'd been tensed and timing her charge with 4th Form ready, almost lost the strength in her legs at the sudden change.

'Wh-what is that...?'

The aura Ian emitted felt so unfamiliar.

Outwardly, it looked as if he was just lowering both arms limply, but his aura was reminiscent of a calm, still lake.

Only, it was a lake of unfathomable depth—like an abyss.

A sense of foreboding told her that if she threw herself in recklessly, she'd be swallowed whole.

'Ugh... This, this is no joke.'

Yuria felt an instinctive fear towards that endless depth.

But.

'Ha, haha...'

Along with the fear, she felt exhilaration and delight.

'This is fun. Really fun! Ian Greysel!'

A broad smile bloomed on Yuria's lips before she realized it.

'You just casually reveal such amazing techniques, don't you! Are you saying you can easily counter something like my Heavenly Flow 4th Form?'

Her whole intuition was warning her.

Throwing herself into that vast, deep lake would be basically suicide.

But.

'Fine...! I won't disappoint you! Ian!'

A genius could sense it in another.

A prodigy of that caliber could only have lived a proud, lonely life.

Only he could see and understand what he did; no one else could share his vision—

So whatever he pursued, he had to do alone; whatever he discussed, he had to reason with himself.

'Is that why you've been hiding your strength so far...?'

A genius no one could understand anyway.

No matter how much he revealed himself, he could never truly share understanding or empathy with another.

He must have concluded that it was meaningless.

'And now, the reason you're revealing your strength at last...'

It must be because he's finally encountered a true genius like himself.

He's sending a message to her, the greatest prodigy of this age, the one called divinely gifted.

Let's clash, and see if we share an understanding—if the worlds we see from the same height can overlap.

'Of course.'

That was why, all the more.

Yuria could not help but throw herself into that lake.

'I can understand you. I'll prove it here. We can truly understand one another.'

Her Heavenly Flow 4th Form, imbued with all her genius and realization.

And Ian's mysterious, unknown technique.

The two secret arts would clash, and maybe they could glimpse the worlds they saw, and meet at eye level.

'Then here I go, Ian...!'

Yuria concentrated her aura to its very limit in her toes and the edge of her hand.

Ordinarily, using 4th Form from entry-stage Expert would be impossible.

With the amount of aura at that rank, you couldn't produce the overwhelming speed of Flash (閃).

But that was a limitation only for an ordinary Hisperion.

Yuria's birth had gifted her with a plethora of special talents and miracles, and for her, it wasn't impossible at all.

As for lacking aura?

She could make up for it with the overwhelming explosive power of the celestial energy, a trait only a select few Hisperion possessed.

If even that wasn't enough?

She'd use her innate genius to pinpoint only the most essential parts of 4th Form and maximize efficiency at every step.

Moreover.

The blood flowing in Yuria's body was especially remarkable, even among the direct line of Hisperion.

She possessed the True Heavenly Blood (眞天血), inheriting the founder's blood more purely than anyone.

If she used 4th Form with a body empowered by True Heavenly Blood,

even with entry-stage Expert aura, she could easily produce power surpassing late-stage Expert.

—KWAANG!!

Yuria kicked off the ground.

With a sonic boom, the air itself was ripped apart.

For a moment, she felt all sound in the world vanish.

She'd surpassed the speed of sound, leaving all noise behind.

—SHWEEE-EEEEK!

In just 0.02 seconds, Yuria reached Ian.

A moment too brief to even allow the simplest thought.

In that instant, her body repeated the motions it had practiced countless times, purely by reflex.

Her hand became a blade, swung at her opponent.

But.

Yuria's white 'blade' never touched Ian.

Frenzied Insight Style - Extreme Sense (羅流羅).

Ian's fist was already at Yuria's solar plexus.

Frenzied Insight Style - Extreme Point (尖尖).

Just like a monster lurking at the bottom of a black lake snatching at a bird flying overhead.

The instant Extreme Sense detected Heavenly Flow 4th Form, extreme Point revealed its fang.

There was not a shred of thought or hesitation in the process.

Too brief to even savor thought—

In a fraction of a second, in the moment split into a thousandths,

A counterattack made entirely of reflex.

—JJAEEEOOOONG!!!

Yuria took the blow to her solar plexus,

"... Kuh, kuh!"

Her own momentum, augmented by the power of Extreme Point, sent her flying—

—KUDUNK! PUHUK! PUVUK! CHIIIK...

She was mercilessly flung across the floor, and unable to get back up.

Just two exchanges.

In merely two exchanges, the greatest prodigy of this century had been decided.

"WOOOOAHHH!!"

"Y-Yuria lost?"

"O-Oh my god! I never expected this!"

"A new legend is beginning!!"

The stands erupted.

The warriors and swordsmen leaped to their feet in awe at the birth of a new genius.

"H-How could this be..."

"Is this really possible!"

"... Once again, another stone is cast into the already chaotic succession race."

Meanwhile, the scholars and political nobles on the other side exchanged glances and whispered frantically.

"Send people to Greysel."

"Puhat! Yuria actually lost?"

"What an interesting child. Churrup."

"Investigate everything about Sir Ian's background!"

"H-How... I-Ian Greysel... W-what a monster! What in the world is he?!"

The direct descendants of Hisperion began full-scale investigations into Ian.

"Kuhahaha! The Heavenly Sword Lord has found a truly fascinating child!"

"Hmmm... A treasure in human form. Honestly, I'm jealous."

"To have hidden such talent this whole time—surely his mind as well as his skills are extraordinary."

"W-We must take that child into our Elder Council and raise him ourselves!"

"The Elder is old and should enjoy his remaining years peacefully. By the way, I have a daughter about Ian's age—wouldn't they suit each other?"

"Nonsense! That talent must not fall into any of your hands! No! I must have him!"

"...?"

The elders of the Hisperion branch families and heads of vassal clans flaunted their greed and interest toward Ian without trying to hide it.

"Hmph."

Heavenly Sword Lord Darkan could only let out a dumbfounded chuckle.

"He's a rough gem I already had my eye on. Why are so many trying to lay claim to him?"

He grumbled, but the smile on his lips was bright and pleased.

"I have to hurry, Ian. Quickly drink my blood and become my blood child."

Now that victory was decided, only the reward for the top rank remained.

It was time for Ian to consume Darkan's Heavenly Blood Pill—containing the blessed pure essence of Hisperion blood.

Darkan's Heavenly Blood Pill was made with the blood of a demigod, and even a mere ordinary person who ingested it would gain a superhuman body.

His bones would grow hard as steel, his skin tough as leather armor.

Right now, Ian already commanded everyone's attention, but when he grew wings as well, the world would truly focus on him.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

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