The Exalt [Cultivation Fantasy]

The air was stifling as Oscar sweat from his brow despite not having started the fight. Heck, he was not on the stage yet. It felt like dropping into the opening of a volcano.

'Shape up! Don't falter!' His feet regained their bearing and steadily stepped forward. Oscar preemptively equipped his buckler and stepped onto the stage.

A few minutes passed, and an eye-catching figure made his way through the crowd. The crowd slowly parted to allow this person through. The man had beautiful rosy hair with shining purple eyes that shone with power and confidence.

The girls in the crowd blushed at seeing his handsome face. He resembled the carving of a statue or a beautiful painting. He was Phillip Raeven.

The Raeven Duke Family, one of the highest authorities in the Brilliant Drake Empire that had existed since the Empire's birth, is a military family that fielded generals and commanders that fought for the Empire in numerous wars. They were one of the primary bulwarks from its expansion to its defenses.

Every family member was noted for their prowess in swordsmanship, utilizing the unique Raeven Sword Techniques. From the moment they could properly grip an object, a member of the Raeven family started their sword training. Perhaps the strangest aspect of this family was the refusal to use armaments such as armor or weapons.

Oscar read up on the Raeven family and watched Phillip's matches repeatedly. In Phillip's previous matches, Phillip only wielded his sword anima to defeat his opponents. The only information Oscar could find on this subject was that the Raeven family allowed armaments once they reached the Knight Exalt realm.

"Good afternoon." Phillip politely said. At last, Phillip propped onto the stage.

"Good afternoon." Oscar responded.

Phillip looked at Oscar with a hint of interest. His opponent was only a Grade Four Exolsia, and his Anima was a soft-looking deer. But he managed to defeat two people to reach this point.

However, none of this registered as a threat to him. Phillip was confident in stopping any of Oscar's strategies and moves. His sword was not that lacking to falter here.

On the other side, Oscar clenched his hands with a serious face. He wished he hadn't shown all his powers in the previous rounds.

One of the major reasons Oscar won his battles was the element of surprise. After all, as a Grade Four, the best option was to catch the enemy off-guard and finish it without giving them a chance to retaliate.

Against Mary, he displayed his 'Stone Gaze' and physical power.

Against George, he showed his 'Steel Scales' and buckler's range.

Phillip must have seen his recordings, so any attempt at a surprise was gone.

'If there is no option for tricks, then I can only move on with brute strength.' Oscar took up his stance and prepared for an all-out fight. He had belief in his master, Draven's, teachings. All the suffering in that prison was not for nothing.

Phillip smiled a little at Oscar's resolute stance. He preferred straightforward duels with nothing held back. His opponents constantly scurried and made nervous attacks which bored him. 'Will you make this interesting? Let's see!'

Phillip's Ein spiked. It was a strange appearance with a slightly transparent color like a white veil, but its edges flamed with rainbow colors. The Ein focused on Phillip's hands and condensed into a sword.

The sword was beautiful, with various colors constantly shining on its edges as it moved through the sunlight. Its features were like a prismatic crystal.

Oscar tensed up. Although it was an Anima, it was unbelievably sharp and tough.

The proctor brought his hands up and was about to start the fight.

"Wait a moment please." Phillip interrupted the proctor with an apology and pulled out a sheet of cloth from his pocket. Under Oscar and the proctor's stunned faces, Phillip tied the cloth around his eyes as a blindfold.

"Explain."  Oscar felt insulted by Phillip's actions. Was he so weak that Phillip decided to give him a handicap?

"Forgive me. I do not mean this as an insult. Contrary to that, it's a form of respect." Phillip said.

"Respect?"

"I dare not underestimate my opponents. The spell you used against that brown-haired girl was 'Stone Gaze'. You displayed expertise in its use, from its timing and duration down to the letter." Phillip's magnetic voice continued as he poured compliments on Oscar.

"A single instant is crucial in battle. I'd rather shut my eyes than give you that advantage or chance."

Oscar could not deny the conviction and sincerity in Phillip's words. Strangely it made him smile a little, knowing that this great genius regarded him seriously. "I'm grateful to be respected by someone like you."

"You made it here as a Grade Four. That's something worthy of respect and cannot be underestimated." Phillip swung his sword into position, holding it with two hands as its sharp tip reflected a rainbow of colors.  He grew tired of words and eagerly waited for the battle to start.

"Begin!" The proctor declared the start of the match.

Despite the match having started, Phillip and Oscar remained where they were. Neither rushed out toward the other.

Oscar held his shield close to his chest; there was no point in being aggressive here and leaving openings for Phillip. It had to come down to Oscar's defense and whether he could weather through Phillip's onslaught. The question is whether he will crumble first or Phillip will show an opening.

Excited, Phillip moved closer to Oscar. He wanted to find out what gave Oscar such confidence. Phillip's feet tapped on the stage step by step before they stopped only a foot away from Oscar, yet Oscar did not move.

In a blink of an eye, Phillip's sword clashed with Oscar's buckler.

Oscar felt the immense weight behind Phillip's sword but blocked well. The sword could not break through or move forward.

Under his blindfold, Phillip's eyes widened. Looking back at all the opponents he encountered since entering the Pavilion, none of them could fully defend against his sword. His sword usually sliced or tore through their defense or flung them into an unfavorable position with sheer strength.

But Oscar did not move a single step and his hands still firmly grasped his buckler. What shocking strength! Phillip retracted his sword and quickly unleashed another slash from another angle.

Once again, Oscar blocked it head-on with his feet firmly in place. Below his feet, the stage cracked.

Feeling his sword unable to advance, Phillip grinned and fell back. He looked deeply at his Anima and then at Oscar. His curiosity grew evermore. "Incredible physical prowess. What kind of training have you done?"

"The usual." Oscar replied dryly with no intention of telling. Part of the reason he could effectively block Phillip's overwhelming strikes was the incredible physical power that he never ceased to hone. The other part was his use of 'Reis Awaken'.

Before Phillip's strikes landed, Oscar used 'Reis Awaken' to gather the Reis by striking his feet against the ground and funneling it to his shield, resulting in a sturdy block. However, Oscar did not let himself get carried away since Phillip was only using his physical power. The true battle would begin when Phillip uses his Ein and techniques.

Phillip changed stances and grasped his sword in front with both hands. His eyes changed, and the air grew deathly silent around him like the calm before the storm.

'Raeven Sword Technique'

He closed the distance in a single step and unleashed his family's sword techniques. These techniques were similar to spells but were specialized for swords.

'First Step'

Philip's sword, coated in tremendous Ein, performed four consecutive diagonal attacks from each direction. The slashes almost came together like a square.

Oscar unleashed his Ein and rose to block the first strike with a mix of his Ein and Reis. The blade was heavier than before, and its deadly Ein made it sharper. Oscar's Ein was almost sliced cleanly through and nearly broke his defense.

Fearing the next set of attacks, Oscar took in the Reis from Phillip's slash and readjusted it through his body and back to his buckler. Supplemented by Phillip's physical power, the buckler moved to block the next strike with ease. This motion continued for the rest of the four strikes of the 'First Step'.

With Phillip's attacks deflected, Oscar slammed the buckler at his foe.

Phillip was surprised once again that Oscar could block his 'First Step' and even counterattack. He swung his sword fiercely to stop Oscar's blunt buckler.

Oscar was forced back several feet while Phillip only took a few steps back. The difference between them was evident. Oscar had Reis and physical power, but his Ein was incomparable to Phillip's.

A cut formed on Oscar's forearm, and blood dripped onto the stage below. Oscar groaned in pain but quickly maintained his defensive stance. He did not even realize when Phillip injured him.

On the other side, Phillip pondered on Oscar's strengths. Each successive block was stronger, and the final attack was the most powerful. It was confounding that Oscar somehow became more powerful with each blow.

It was not enough. Phillip gripped his sword tighter. He felt grateful for this chance to improve his swordsmanship. His handsome face did not stop smiling at Oscar. 'Faster. I need to be faster and attack from other angles.'

"Here I come!"

'First Step!'

The four slashes flew out again, but Philip curved his attacks instead of straight diagonals. It was similar to a whirlpool.

Oscar blocked each one. He knew Phillip would go up a notch this in the next exchange and prepared himself.

'Steel Scales'

Oscar invoked his spell, and a sudden strike scraped off his reinforced skin. Unlike before, Phillip's attacks did not wound him.

Phillip was undeterred and did not give Oscar a chance to breathe.

'Second Step!'

…….

The terrace above the stadium.

Margaret sipped some tea with a soothing expression. Her eyes were closed under the pleasant calm feeling.

"It's not nice to show up without an announcement." Her eyes opened to see the Warden of the Abyss Prison, Draven, sitting across from her. The attendants around her were astonished. One moment, the seat was empty, and suddenly the Warden was in it.

Draven had helped himself to some of Margaret's tea. His helmet-covered face looked straight at Margaret as he sipped from his cup.

"Why are you, Draven? I did not think the Warden was interested in students' external affairs." Margaret chewed on a cookie, seeming quite indifferent to Draven's presence.

Draven shook his head and said, "My dear, Margaret. You haven't aged a single day. How are your soldiers?"

Margaret's face twitched in irritation, and her icy voice said, "I have no time for your jokes. Are you here to watch your disciple?"

"Disciple? Who are you referring to?"

"Oscar Terr." Margaret stared deeply at Draven.

"You mean my temporary disciple? I only taught him for a week; he's no longer my student." Draven dismissed Margaret's words.

"He knows 'Awaken' and Reis. Explain why you would teach that to a temporary disciple."

"What does it matter? He's won two matches so far."

"The 'Reis Awaken' is dangerous. You willingly taught him a double-edged technique. If it were 'Ein Awaken', then I wouldn't take it so seriously." Margaret scolded.

Draven rubbed his chin and complained, "If someone learned the 'Reis Awaken' on their own, you would care less."

"That's because those people had chosen that path on their own. Their consequences are theirs to handle. But this boy is influenced by you to learn it." Margaret raged.

"True, I did initiate the boy into it, but he chose to remain. Don't downplay his resolve and decision." Draven's voice lost its elegant tone and replaced it with anger.

Margaret tensed up in her seat. She never thought he would speak up for another like this.

"However, you are right. I will take responsibility if the boy is broken apart by the 'Reis Awaken'." Draven continued sipping his tea and pulled up a live image of Oscar's fight against Phillip. "Isn't this your grand-nephew? The boy has the features of the Raeven family."

Margaret looked at the live feed and nodded. Her sister married into the Raeven family long ago and mothered some children. Phillip was the most talented out of her sister's progeny.

She had a great relationship with her sister and her family. But she never gave them special treatment, nor did they want any. Margaret thanked heavens her sister did not marry wrongly.

"Your disciple is struggling." Margaret's attention was on the wound on Oscar's forearm.

Draven tapped his finger on the table. "I wonder how far he can take this."