Magister Insanity

The reinforcement power of the Soul Devouring Shadow was nothing to scoff at. When it enveloped my whole body, my physical prowess were enhanced twofolds of its original power.

To a certain extent, It was even possible that my body could withstand the blows of a Waking Terror. Not to mention, Kael memories contained his entire sword teaching, sword forms and progress in swordsmanship.

There was a vast difference between a novice and one who held such experience. Even if I had never practiced the blade myself, I carried the memories of a soul who had.

For that reason alone, I had grounds to believe I could endure the might of the Mirror Bond.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

With three explosive step, Starfallen closed the distance between us and swung the sword in a powerful arc without a hint of hesitation. I barely had time to react. The longsword hummed through the air, slicing with a force that seemed to warp the very space around it.

Gritting my teeth, I moved the longsword defensively.

The first strike collided with my blade, sending a shockwave down my arms and sparks erupted where metal met metal.

However, the assault didn't stop there.

Seeing his strike deflected, the Mirror Bond didn't hesitate. His next slash came in a vertical arc aimed at my shoulder, followed instantly by a low sweep toward my legs.

I barely managed to twist my body, parrying the descending blow with the edge of my blade while hopping back to avoid the sweep. The force rattled my arms and sent vibrations up my spine.

Clicking my tongue, I forced myself to counterattack, swinging toward his torso. He met it with ease, redirecting my force and pushing me backward. My boots skidded across the floor.

Without giving me a moment to recover, the Mirror Bond advanced relentlessly. His next strike came from above, a crushing vertical slash aimed at my head.

I barely brought my blade up in time. The impact reverberated through my arms and shoulders.

Then, in the next instant, he followed up with a horizontal sweep, tracing his longsword in a perfect arc toward my midsection. I twisted sharply, letting my blade ride the edge of his strike.

He was impossibly fast.

Despite having my physical prowess boosted by the shadow, I was still being overwhelmed! None of this made any sense. How was he able to bypass the shadow reinforcement?

Goddamn it. I should have given him a wooden sword!

At the very least, the impact of the wooden sword would only be painful. That was preferable rather feeling I was fighting for my life.

But there was nothing one could do except endure.

Taking back a step, I evaded by letting the momentum of his sweep slide past. Simultaneously, my mind began to analyze every one of his moves.

Like in a video game, every attack followed a pattern. The same applied to swordsmanship, spearmanship or any form of combat.

Once an opponent's rhythm was understood, there was bound to be repetition.

As a result, their movements would become predictable and easier to counter. Normally, analyzing a moveset in the middle of a fight would be an almost impossible task.

But in my case, my mind could process multiple streams of information at once.

All I had to do was survive and not make a single mistake.

I shifted my stance, lowering my center of gravity, and waited. The Mirror Bond circled around, probing for an opening, patiently, unbotheredly.

Eventually, he struck again;

A diagonal slash from left to right, followed by a feint aimed at my legs. This time, I anticipated the assault, sidestepping the feint and countered with a swift thrust toward his midsection.

Starfallen deflected it with a sharp twist of his blade, the force pushing me backward, but not unbalancing me completely. I adjusted, planting my feet firmly, ready for the next exchange.

...At least, I thought I was.

The Mirror Bond didn't waste a moment. His stance shifted fluidly, and in the blink of an eye, he unleashed a deadly assault with renewed vigor.

The first strike came down like a guillotine aimed at my neck. I twisted instinctively, parrying with the tip of my blade, feeling the shock reverberate up my arms.

Before I could recover, the second strike carved across my chest in a diagonal line, forcing me to step back and angle my blade to absorb the force. The longsword's edge grazed my skin, sending a sharp pain along my torso.

The third and fourth strikes came almost simultaneously, sweeps aimed at both arms. I crossed my blades, blocking the attacks, but the impact nearly knocked me off my feet. I staggered, forcing my body to adjust mid-motion.

Following that came strike five, a low slash toward my waist. I twisted instantly, letting the blade scrape against mine, narrowly avoiding a clean cut that would have divided me in two.

The sixth strike targeted my right leg, a precise downward slice designed to cripple. I leapt back, feeling the wind from the sword whip past, and barely avoided being disarmed.

Finally, the seventh strike completed the form, slicing toward my left leg, forcing me into a half-crouch as I redirected the blade and planted my feet to stay upright.

A total of seven deadly flashes.

This was the exact technique "He" had used to dismante the training dummy into seven equal parts.

"Tck."

I clicked my tongue bitterly.

My hands trembled, yet my grip on the longsword remained firm. Even with Kael's memories and the enhancement of the Soul Devouring Shadow, this assault had pushed me to my absolute limit. Were I relying solely on my normal strength, I would have already been defeated.

That much was certain.

Still… I had gained something from this brief skirmish.

The patterns in his strikes were becoming clearer, bit by bit, even if my analysis was still crude and incomplete. It was a small step, but a step nonetheless.

Let's go. One more time!

As if reading my thoughts, Starfallen lunged towards me.

His movement was fluid, almost unnervingly precise, calculated to maintain perfect distance. The longsword glinted in the dim training hall, cutting a clean line through the air.

The first strike came down in a powerful diagonal arc, aimed squarely at my shoulder. I met it with my own blade, letting the impact slide along the edge rather than trying to stop it outright. Sparks erupted, but my feet stayed planted.

He followed immediately with the second strike, a horizontal sweep at my torso. I twisted at the waist, redirecting the blow and barely avoiding a painful gash. The wind from his strike whistled past my ears.

The third and fourth came together like twin hammers. One targeted my left arm, the other my right. I crossed my blade to intercept with enhanced strength, but the force still pushed me backward. My boots scraped against the floor as I stumbled but did not fall.

Strike five came low, aimed at my thighs. I ducked, letting the sword cut through air mere inches from my knees. Strike six sought my right leg with deadly accuracy. A hop backward was just enough to avoid a crippling blow.

Finally, the seventh strike lashed toward my left leg, forcing me into a half-crouch. My grip tightened as I redirected the edge, planting my feet firmly.

Seven strikes. Seven motions executed with deadly rhythm.

The Mirror Bond repeated the same seven forms over and over, gaining momentum with each cycle. His posture was simultaneously sturdy like a mountain and flowing like a river, his movements calm yet destructive, rigid yet everchanging, predictable yet elusive.

It was as though Starfallen was being guided by the lyrics of an inaudible song, perfectly in sync with a melody only he could hear.

A song of the fallen.

Ah... so that was what it was. Is this the true face of Song of Requiem?

With that thought, realization struck, and my eyes opened to the truth. In that fleeting moment, I lost focus.

It was a costly mistake.

Seizing the opportunity, Starfallen brought his sword down in a lethal arc. I barely raised my own in time to block it, but before I could recover, he stopped the blade mid-swing and slammed a devastating punch into my gut.