Vol 7 Chapter 52

"...I'm not sure if it will work but... I think it probably will."

"What are you talking about?"

When Kapros asked back in surprise at the sudden statement, Superior scratched his head and answered.

"Since nothing much should happen while you go to find Kor, I'm saying I'll be gone searching for other information related to my past self during that time."

"Is that possible?"

"I'm not completely sure, but there are some methods. For example, if I combine familiar magic that takes animals as partners with possession-type magic, it might be possible somehow..."

While muttering, Superior saw Kapros's expression and slightly hunched his shoulders.

"Why that look?"

"No..."

Kapros couldn't say it was because he felt foolish for having assumed Superior obviously couldn't leave this staff until now.

"Anyway, let's try the details after leaving here."

"Alright."

"Then..."

"..."

"Back to sword training now?"

...How could he talk about sword training so soon after such a serious conversation? When Kapros looked at Superior with a dumbfounded expression, he grinned while patting Kapros's back.

"This is my job, isn't it? Helping you. I'm just being faithful to my duties."

Though dumbfounding, it was an irrefutable statement.

'Is this guy really okay?'

Superior's expression, which Kapros looked at suspiciously, was only bright as if all the previous seriousness had never existed. Kapros sighed while dusting off his robe and stood up.

'Well fine. I was planning to do it anyway...'

"Don't make that expression, just draw your sword. You should consider that after this time passes, I might not be able to help you at all for a while."

'That's true too.'

As Superior said, if he became able to leave this staff through magic, training in the mental world would be impossible during that time. Then it would make sense to learn as much as possible while he could.

Kapros changed his mind and drew the Superior staff from his waist, infusing it with magical power. Seeing the transparent trembling blade rise while distorting space, Superior smiled and manifested a long black sword by releasing a swirling mass of magical power in his hand.

"How far have you trained in Ma-Rakian?"

"I've almost mastered Magic Sword Mastery."

"Hmm... then just a bit more should do it."

Superior spun his sword once and raised it while gripping it tightly with both hands.

"Good. I'll be your opponent until you master it. Here I come!"

While hearing Superior's battle cry, Kapros also firmly gripped his sword and took his stance.

Bang!!

Because magical blades collided, an explosion sound burst out instead of a metallic sound.

Kapros quickly twisted his wrist while jumping sideways to deflect the strongly pressing force. Superior's gaze following immediately to not lose track of his movement felt vividly electrifying throughout his whole body.

As he had felt when sparring for some kind of test when first meeting Superior, he was absolutely not an opponent to be taken lightly. In the instant they had exchanged several attacks, they had somehow moved to near a rather large tree.

When obstacles appear near a fighting area, significant differences in the battle situation can arise depending on how they are used. Superior seemed to notice that tree too as he smiled slightly with curved eyes before suddenly striking down at Kapros's sword with even more force.

Pop!!

'Damn.'

Then while Kapros momentarily paused from being pushed back by the explosive force, Superior ran behind the tree. Though very brief, it was a situation where they could not see each other.

Kapros poured magical power into his sword as if it would burst forth while keeping his eyes wide open to defend from whichever direction Superior might appear.

'Right side? Or will he change direction and appear from the left?'

Crash! Crack!

However, Superior's choice was to charge straight at him while splitting the tree.

"Ugh...!"

Though momentarily surprised, Kapros calmly kept both the falling tree and Superior in his sight while steeling himself and swinging his sword down widely. Perhaps due to his extreme concentration, the speed of the tree falling toward him, Superior's sword, and his own sword all appeared extremely slow.

'Slow... too slow...! If the sword were just a bit longer it would reach faster...!'

Flash!

At that moment, as if by magic, light burst from his sword and its length visibly grew by more than a hand span. Soon after, he felt through his hands the sensation of his sword cutting through the tree, slicing once more to the other side to cut another tree, and barely managing to receive Superior's sword that had come within arm's reach with a battle cry - at that moment everything that had appeared slow suddenly normalized.

Bang!!

With a massive explosion, Superior and Kapros's bodies were pushed in opposite directions, wildly sweeping away the grass on the ground.

"Huff... huff...!"

Though he felt his whole body's muscles panting as if about to burst, what concerned him more was his lengthened sword that had appeared before his eyes.

Ding, ding!

- You have mastered Magic Sword Mastery!!

'What?'

- You can now learn Ma-Rakian Style 2, Sword of Fire!

- You can now learn Ma-Rakian Style 2, Sword of Frozen!

- You can now learn Ma-Rakian Style 2, Sword of Lightning!

- You can now learn Ma-Rakian Style 2, Sword of Wind!

- You can now learn Ma-Rakian Style 2, Sword of Gravity!

"What, you mastered it?"

Superior asked while lowering his sword.

Kapros nodded after reading the notification windows that had appeared and turned around.

"...Yeah."

"Then Style 2 must have opened up too."

"Yes. But more than that..."

Superior whistled with a playful expression as he looked at the lengthened sword Kapros was looking down at.

"What? You didn't know how to make that?"

"..."

How was he supposed to know that without any explanation?

"I thought you'd naturally know that once you learned how to infuse magic into a sword. Magic has the property of moving according to the user's will, after all. Anyway, congratulations on mastering Style 1."