Chapter 14

### Reincarnated as the Sword Emperor in the Sword Family (14)

A chill ran down his spine.

Instinctively, Number 1 looked at Leonard's wooden sword, feeling as if the blunt edges of the wooden sword had momentarily flashed like a real blade.

It couldn't be.

Clearly, it couldn't be.

'Close combat must be avoided.'

The senses of the direct descendant of the Cardenas family were already approaching the realm of intuition. Even if Number 1 didn't know the reason, he was certain that he shouldn't enter the range where Leonard's sword could reach.

At the same time, the psychokinetic force that had been swirling around Number 1 began to coalesce into dozens of clumps.

An application of his unique ability that he had never shown to anyone.

This was the first technique Number 1, as a direct descendant of the Sword Family, used, despite his reluctance to rely on abilities other than swordsmanship.

Bang!

As Leonard took a step to the side, the psychokinetic clumps shot out and gouged the ground.

They were no different from stones thrown with all one's might.

Even a well-trained body would bruise if hit directly, and movement would be hindered. Moreover, even if one could withstand a single hit, dozens of hits would certainly lead to serious injuries.

"...This is a fresh approach."

It was a method not seen in the martial arts world.

Leonard praised the creative idea and compared it to the psychokinetic techniques he knew.

Even if it was an inefficient and crude method, it could potentially open new horizons in martial arts.

Although he had not seen it himself, there was a rumor that a one-armed swordsman had reconstructed his lost arm using psychokinesis and struck his opponent's weak point.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The psychokinetic clumps shot out by Number 1 increased in number and speed, reaching a level where Leonard could no longer dodge or block them while standing still.

If the trajectory of the clumps was not straight, it would have been several times more difficult to dodge.

The memory of facing the hidden weapons of the Si Chuan Tang Family came to mind.

'If he had compressed the clumps into needle-like projectiles and fired hundreds of them, even I wouldn't have been able to dodge them all.'

Area-of-effect attacks, while reducing the density, completely block the opponent's evasion.

This is why hidden weapons that sweep a wide area can slaughter martial artists below the first-class level, as those who cannot handle protective qi have no chance of survival.

"Well, you dodge well. How about this technique?"

Thinking that simply shooting psychokinetic clumps wouldn't work, Number 1 created a whip connected to his body.

It was visibly denser and more powerful than the psychokinetic clumps.

'A whip.'

Whips, as a type of mysterious weapon, are known for their difficult usage and rarity, making them hard to counter.

The principles of whip techniques are so swift and unpredictable that all high-level martial artists are recorded as significant figures in the martial arts world.

Whoosh!

The psychokinetic whip that cut a few strands of Leonard's hair left a deep mark on the ground.

The force was enough to tear flesh and muscle!

"Tsk."

Leonard clicked his tongue, having easily dodged the trajectory.

The whip that extended from Number 1 was not a single strand but three.

Even if the technique itself was crude, with three strands, the area that could be dodged was extremely limited.

Considering the psychokinetic clumps, it was literally a needle in a haystack.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Dodging the rain of psychokinetic clumps and evading the whips aimed at different targets, Leonard leaped and rolled.

His movements, like those of an acrobat, gradually revealed to the children who had not yet understood Number 1's ability.

"Could it be that Number 1 can control transparent force at will?!"

"That's cheating, isn't it?"

"...But our team leader is dodging or blocking all of it. It's not clear who will win yet."

Number 2 finally realized the unseen force, and Number 4 understood why Number 1's left arm was intact.

The shoulder that seemed injured was likely protected by his ability. If it was a sudden strike, it might have been different, but if it was a deliberate opening, it was entirely possible.

Number 3's fighting spirit burned, knowing that neither of them could win, and the other children, mesmerized by Leonard's performance, forgot to blink.

"The distance is closing."

Bruno, who noticed it first, said.

"A trainee who hasn't even entered the aura stage is dodging and blocking all those attacks while advancing."

"Yes, Senior Instructor. It's a shame we can't show this to those who aren't here."

The level of the confrontation was hard to believe as a match between trainees.

It was incomparable to the clumsy knights who claimed to be knights without proper training.

It was a high-level exchange of techniques.

Compared to Number 25's artistic movements, Number 1 was a bit behind, but he pushed forward with his overwhelming ability. A battle of skills where one hit could end it, and advancing without being hit.

Crack! Whoosh!

Parrying the whip coming from above and dodging the one aimed at his calf by standing on one leg.

'One more.'

As if taking advantage of the unstable posture, or rather, as if it was planned, a follow-up attack was launched.

A push rather than a strike.

To increase the distance that had started to decrease slightly, he held back a faster and more powerful move. After all, a whip is most dangerous when it uses centrifugal force to strike.

The third attack was slightly slower than the previous two.

Leonard didn't miss the small time difference.

'A mistake, Number 1.'

And as Leonard, standing on one leg, leaned to the side to dodge the psychokinetic whip, he seemed about to fall.

The children watching all raised their voices in surprise.

Whoosh!

A large amount of dirt flew up from under Leonard's foot.

"Fast...!"

Someone gasped in amazement.

It couldn't be helped.

The agility, balance, and courage to turn danger into opportunity, from a position where he seemed about to fall, were impressive to anyone.

The distance, which was about 10 meters, quickly closed.

'Two steps.'

If he could take two steps, Leonard's wooden sword would bring down Number 1.

Everyone was certain of it.

Ironically, Number 1 was also certain.

"Got you, Number 25."

Number 1's ability was undoubtedly powerful, but his long-range proficiency was too low, and he would soon be forced into close combat.

Number 25 was undoubtedly a formidable opponent who would force him to take risks.

So, Number 1 suppressed his instincts and lured Leonard in.

"The closer the distance, the more powerful the force, not just for you! Number 25!"

Roaring, three more psychokinetic whips shot out from Number 1's body, adding to the three he had already manifested, making a total of six.

A number that could crush several meters with a single swing. One above his head, one on each shoulder, one on each hip, and one sweeping his legs.

The Six-Whip Strike.

Leonard took a deep breath and thought.

This attack couldn't be broken through with basic techniques alone.

Right after that.

Whoosh!

Maintaining the momentum of his rapid advance, Leonard charged forward as if glued to the ground.

Like a worm crawling on the ground.

The psychokinetic whip aimed at his knees was so low that it barely grazed the back of his head, and he moved with incredible speed.

The 10-meter gap was reduced to 2 meters in an instant.

The distance of a sword.

"——Here I come."

Surprisingly, when Number 1 saw Leonard appear right in front of him, he showed no signs of panic or stiffness.

His prediction was accurate up to this point.

He believed that no matter what trick the opponent used, he would eventually appear in front of him. Number 25 had always been a presence that exceeded his imagination.

'Up to here, I read it!'

The six consecutive strikes of the psychokinetic whips he had unleashed earlier were actually a feint.

They only looked formidable; if they had hit, they would have crumbled without a trace.

A deliberate opening to lure Leonard into this situation.

Just like when he had defeated Number 2 and Number 4 in one go.

Rumble...!

The final blow.

The psychokinetic force Number 1 focused on his wooden sword was so intense that it lost its shape and was enveloped in a mist.

The wooden sword, now possessing destructive power and appearance akin to sword qi, aimed at the upper body. It was an attack that Leonard, lying on the ground, could neither dodge nor block.

"If you can withstand this, it's your victory!"

The wooden sword, aimed vertically from above, fell with an invisible shockwave around it.

It could be fatal.

Even the instructors, who thought it might be deadly, tensed their bodies, ready to intervene at any moment. In the slowed-down perception of time due to intense focus, Number 1, with his eyes wide open, thought.

'Don't die, Number 25.'

And.

'The best, but the worst move.'

Looking at the sword falling towards his head, Leonard accepted the challenge from Number 1, who had confronted him head-on.

Since the moment he was called the Sword Emperor, perhaps even before that, no one had faced him with a sword.

Some were afraid.

Some were cowardly.

Some fled.

Even the friendly matches that decorated the end of his life would not have been possible if he hadn't insisted on them.

'Good.'

Even a naive child, looking him straight in the eye and striking with all his might, brought back a long-forgotten sensation.

Sword against sword.

The moment two blades of steel proved themselves without hesitation.

Leonard's eyes, now called the Sword Emperor, became transparent and weapon-like.

Body and Sword as One.

Leonard, who had prepared this technique in advance, manifested it.

Inspired by the techniques used by an unknown assassin during a life-or-death confrontation.

A sword that rises from the ground to the sky.

The Dragon Ascends to Heaven and Destroys.

A bolt of lightning shot out from Leonard's hand as he flipped like a swallow.

It was so sharp that the instructors momentarily thought Leonard was wielding a real sword.

Bruno, who witnessed the conclusion, sighed in admiration.

"......"

The wooden sword, split in two from the middle, fell to the ground.

Number 1, looking at the cross-section of his wooden sword, felt blood trickling down his neck as Leonard's wooden sword approached.

'Can a wooden sword cut this deeply...?'

Even stopping just before contact, it was sharp enough to cut the skin.

It felt as if his head had been severed.

Swallowing dry, the remaining half of the wooden sword rolled out of Number 1's hand. The last flash he saw, which his talent could not explain, was the mark left by the cut.

At the moment of his first defeat by a peer, Number 1 was not dominated by feelings of inferiority or jealousy.

"My defeat, Number 25."

The authoritative and arrogant boy smiled and raised his hands.

Even the strict education from his father and the belief that being anything but the best was meaningless were light in comparison to this sense of relief.

The moment Number 1 of the training facility was newly decided.

"““Wow! Wow! Wow!””"

As the trainees surrounding the two erupted in cheers, the instructors, without exception, applauded.

The outdoor training ended like that.