>WHUUUUSSSHHHH!!!<
The area around Edward erupted in an explosion as immense power covered him.
Dark whirling energy surrounded him, enough to send shock to the faces of both Aloe and Anabelle. However, before they could say anything, the boy vanished…
>BOOOOOMMMM!!!<
… Leaving a trail of debris in his wake.
******
Edward steeled his resolve as he made his move toward the enemy.
His movements made everything irrelevant, and the whole world became a blur.
Only three things existed in Edward’s current state. Himself, his blade… and the opponent!
The stifling air rushed to him, but he ignored it and tightly ripped his blade to perform the dance he developed himself.
The Martial Blade God Technique had nine foundational forms known as the 9 Fundamental Precepts.
However, as their name implied, they were basic moves–not meant for serious battles against powerful and seasoned opponents.
Unfortunately, Edward had only started properly training in his family’s Martial Arts, and his level of mastery couldn’t allow him to advance beyond the basic stage. This feeling of powerlessness choked him to the point of frustration.
As a result, he racked his brain to figure out an alternative–a way he could use the basics he had to become even more powerful.
Just like Jared always emphasized, he decided to be innovative and let go of his rigid mentality. And after contemplating so hard, Edward finally obtained enlightenment.
Combination!
He would combine all nine moves and perform them in succession until they could be compressed into one..
“HAAARHHHHHH!!!” The boy cried as he approached the enemy.
It was hard.
Going through all that training felt pointless.
‘I can do it… I can reach!’
He felt like giving up so many times, but how could he? After seeing Jared and Ana improve by a large margin, how could he afford to be left behind?
The one-week break that everyone was given to rest was spent on nothing but honing his skills. However, after trying and failing many times, Edward came to the realization that it was impossible to achieve his desired result… at least not with his current strength.
However, with the aid of his Familiar, that was a different matter entirely!
‘I can only do this once, because of the strain, but… I can do it… I MUST!’
Tightening his grip even more, while gritting his teeth, the boy closed the distance between himself and the Shadow Demon.
From 1 to 9
From REND to ANNIHILATE.
He converted those moves into one dance–a beautiful, uninterrupted flow that took the form of a dance.
That was his Form #0: Martial Blade God Dance!
>WHOOOOSSSHHHH!!!<
“$#@@@$%%!!!”
>FWISH<
The harsh winds blew.
>SWISH<
Space warped.
>FWOOOOSSSHHH<
Thunderous echoes rang out.
>BOOOOM<
An immense surge of power burst wide.
>SWUUUPPP!<
A recoil of unimaginable speed was released.
>CLANG!<
Two equally opposing blades met.
>KRIIIIIIII!!!<
Sparks flew.
This exchange continued at a phenomenal rate.
A total of nine strokes formed the Martial Blade God Dance, requiring the utmost concentration and precision. All focus was spent on offense, and Edward’s defenses were left wide open.
The Shadow Demon attempted to take advantage of that weakness, but Edward wasn’t alone in this fight.
His comrades–Ana and Aloe–provided constant support, using barriers to shield his blind spots while also attacking the flank of the Shadow Demon.
This teamwork was what allowed Edward to exchange blows with the Shadow Demon on equal–no, superior–grounds.
It was obvious to all the witnesses. Edward had the upper hand in skill and precision.
After a few strikes, the young boy was in the lead, gaining more speed the further down he went in the dance.
By the seventh strike, he was already suppressing the enemy, enough that it retreated.
‘YOU’RE NOT GETTING AWAY!’
The eighth move closed the distance in a flash and Edward once again suppressed the enemy, throwing the limbs he used to defend itself into disarray. The opponent was flustered and wide open, glaring at Edward who didn’t flinch and simply prepared the next blow.
“@$$#%%^^!!!”
Multiple spikes proceeded from the Shadow Demon in a last-ditch attempt to impale the superior swordsman, but Ana and Aloe got in the way, pouring all their energy to ensure they created the perfect window of opportunity for Edward.
And they did!
Their joint efforts were enough to deflect the hurriedly made spikes… giving the boy his golden chance.
More power than what he had displayed earlier manifested. The aura he exuded increased dramatically, and it was clear that he had reached the precipice–the critical point of his attack.
‘I… CAN… REACH!!!’
“RAHHHHHHHH!!!!”
His blade descended.
And… as the arc formed, a blast surged from the point of impact.
>BOOOOOOOOMMMMMM!!!<
Everything around them was engulfed in darkness, and the pressure was enough to nearly blow Ana and Aloe off their feet.
The wind howled, and the tempest oppressed the witnesses.
Swirling and turning and twisting, the darkness ascended and spread apart… until finally, it climaxed!
Finally, after reaching its crescendo, everything scattered apart, nullifying the harsh pressure as though it was never there. Such was the conclusion of Edward’s dance.
It was beautifully executed, an epitome of both grace and savagery.
However, the question that rang in everyone’s mind was the same.
“WAS IT EFFECTIVE?”
For a moment, a hollow silence permeated the area…
… And then a dense, oppressive aura was ignited.
“Haa… @#[email protected]@! #$%^ @#$%%^ ^^&&@”
Anabelle and Aloe’s eyes widened as the harsh night breeze took away the smoke so they could witness the aftermath of Edward’s struggle.
“N–no… way…” A voice leaked out.
“E–Ed…” Another slowly came forth.
The boy in question was on the floor, completely spent and out of energy. He groaned, but there was no luster in his tone.
“@#$% @#%%^ @#$^& (&^%%$”
No one could understand the Demon’s words, but it was clear to everyone that he was gloating.
Evident to that was the fact that he raised his sharpened limb and prepared to stab Edward–resulting in instant death.
Ana tried to help, but she was out of Mana.
Aloe reached out, but she wouldn’t have enough time to cast the Spell.
Tears fell from Edward’s eyes. He seemed to curse his powerlessness as he lay on the cold, hard ground.
This was truly the end.
Until…
>BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!<
A bright light ascended into the heavens, splitting everything apart.
Night turned into day, and the giant dome seemed to expand with every second.
Everyone–human and Demon–turned to look in the direction of the brilliant explosion.
And miraculously…
“@#$%^^^%$#@!!!”
… Thanks to the golden eruption., the Demon vanished.
No one knew why and how, but… the witnesses instinctively had the assurance that they had been saved.
They weren’t going to die.
Help had come!
Everything would be fine!
And so, while looking at the brilliant fireworks, a girl’s voice echoed in the bright night.
“… Jared…”
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