In the tranquil snowy embrace of the Southern Continent's mountain range, two figures found themselves standing face to face in a lockdown.
It was a showdown.
A man, his fiery red hair neatly tied up in a high bun, locked his intense gaze with the individual standing before him.
The one who stood before him was none other than his own disciple.
The young man swept back his silver hair and summoned a crimson spear with a gleaming crystal blade in his hands.
"I can use anything, you said?" The silver-haired boy spoke, his voice hoarse and exhausted.
But in contrast to his exhausted demeanor, there was an unmistakable feeling of dread surrounding his figure—an aura of power and danger was constantly being exuded from him.
Leo nodded. "Yes," he said, his voice steady. "Not only that but if you impress me with your performance, I will also let you hunt that pack of Ice-Claw Bears again. So if you want to eat something, come!"
Upon hearing Leo's response, something snapped inside Lucas. Light returned to his previous hollow eyes.
He can finally eat something?!
The agonizing pain he's been experiencing in his belly will go away?! Will he be able to eat again?!
Without a moment's hesitation, he bent his knees and let out a mighty roar, "Mana Burst!"
A small burst of mana explosion erupted beneath Lucas' feet, propelling him forward like a speeding bullet, aimed directly at Leo.
In the blink of an eye, Lucas appeared before Leo with startling swiftness.
Without missing a beat, he unleashed a furious onslaught of spear thrusts towards the red-haired instructor.
Swish, Swish, Swish—!!
However, Leo dodged every single one of his strikes skillfully and placed his hand on the hilt of his Katana.
As soon as he got the chance, in one fluid motion, Leo unsheathed his Katana and used the swinging motion to carry out a slash towards Lucas.
Cling—!!
Lucas was quick to block Leo's blade with his spear.
From that position, Lucas deftly circled his spear around Leo's sword and executed a rapid thrust towards his opponent's chest.
Leo swiftly sidestepped, evading Lucas' spear thrust with a calculated movement.
He countered with a lightning-fast spin, using the momentum to deliver a powerful roundhouse kick aimed at Lucas' side.
"Arghaa!"
With a frustrated grunt, Lucas managed to deflect the kick with the shaft of his spear, but Leo didn't let up.
He regained his footing and raised his other leg in the next moment only to land a powerful front kick to Lucas' chest.
The impact of the kick sent the silver-haired boy stumbling back several steps, clearly feeling the force behind it.
However, Lucas quickly composed himself, standing upright and tightening his grip on his spear.
It's just as he thought, he couldn't find an opening in Leo's defense. It's impossible to land a strike at him.
Well, if he couldn't find an opening, then he would just have to create one!
With that thought in his mind, Lucas locked his gaze on Leo and chanted, "Rillis Lancea!"
In an instant, around five blazing lances made entirely of scarlet flames swiftly materialized above Lucas' head.
Their scarlet flames flickered with intense heat and crackled the cold air in the atmosphere.
A glint of insanity flashed in Lucas' eyes as the blazing lances launched towards Leo like missiles locked onto their target.
"Nice one!" Leo commented with an approving tone, impressed by Lucas's attack.
Reacting swiftly, he shifted his weight and willed mana into his legs.
With swift jumps and agile movements, the red-haired swordsman ran around the snowy meadow, deftly evading the fiery projectiles.
Kaboom, boom, boom—!!
Three of the lances harmlessly met the ground and detonated upon impact, creating blasts akin to missiles exploding.
But the assault wasn't over. There were still two flaming lances remaining.
Without delay, one of the lances shot towards Leo at breakneck speed, leaving him with no time to catch his breath from the previous dodge.
In a display of agility, Leo calmly leapt over the incoming lance, allowing it to meet the ground with a resounding explosion.
Boom—!!
However, just as Leo was in mid-air, he spotted another lance speeding towards him, aiming to catch him off-guard.
But without any hesitation, Leo channeled mana into his sword and swung his blade with precision.
Shing—!!
In that fleeting moment, darkness momentarily shrouded the surroundings, and a single red line appeared, tracing a crescent arc that perfectly followed the path of Leo's blade.
Boom—!!
In a split second, when the light returned, Leo's blade had already sliced through the flaming lance that was coming at him.
With a firm descent, Leo landed on the snow-covered ground beneath him, his footprints leaving imprints on the snow.
However, once again, before he could even get a chance to breathe, another attack was launched at him.
"Arghhaaa!"
This time, it was Lucas himself who surged forward, his body and weapon enveloped in a brilliant azure aura of mana.
Without wasting a breath, Lucas quickly started attacking Leo with combinations of spear thrusts and slashes, swiftly transitioning between them.
Swish, Thruck, Swish—!!
However, Leo continued to sidestep or twirl his body to avoid the incoming attacks.
However, amidst the intense flurry of attacks carried out by his disciple, Leo couldn't help but notice a pattern.
Lucas seemed to be using his spear thrusts as a setup. He was using them to create openings for his slashing attacks.
Moreover, the force behind Lucas's slashes was immense.
Even when Leo managed to dodge, Lucas would continue his follow-through, the blade of his spear striking the ground with tremendous impact.
Thruck, Thruck, Thruck—!!
The earth quivered beneath the force of Lucas' attacks each time his spear blade struck the ground.
But why? Leo couldn't help but wonder. He was certain that he had taught Lucas the proper way to harness his power.
He had taught him the importance of control and precision rather than using all his strength in a single attack like a barbarian.
Maybe he was becoming desperate? After all, Lucas had been hungry for weeks.
If Leo had even offered a glimmer of hope to him, it was only natural for Lucas to grow desperate.
If that were truly the case, then Lucas had failed Leo's test.
With a disappointed sigh, Leo dodged one of Lucas' horizontal slashes by crouching under it.
From that low position, Leo stepped in and delivered a forceful punch to Lucas' sternum.
"Argh!" the silver-haired boy gritted his teeth and staggered back in pain.
But before Lucas could recover, Leo capitalized on the opening.
Using the blunt edge of his katana, Leo struck Lucas in the abdomen with precision and strength.
"Khuuak!" Lucas violently coughed up blood, unable to withstand the impact. He buckled under the force, collapsing onto his knees.
"Your technique has become more refined," Leo acknowledged. "But you're still relying too much on blunt force. It's fine, we still have two more days. I will beat this habit out of you. Unfortunately, you're not getting any food today either."
"...Of course I planned this from the start! This is my clear path to defeating you!" Lucas roared.
"....?" A confused frown appeared on Leo's face as he heard his disciple talk. Did he break him? Has he gone insane?
Concern filled Leo's voice as he spoke, "Lucas, are you okay–"
However, before Leo could finish his question, a sudden thought infiltrated his mind, causing him to look around his surroundings in a state of realization.
Whipping his neck side to side, he saw craters and massive holes had marred the ground, remnants of Lucas's strikes and the impact from his flaming lances.
Moreover, he noticed that both of them were dangerously close to the edge of the mountain cliff too.
"....Wait!" Leo's eyes widened as the pieces of the puzzle fell into place, his gaze returning to Lucas.
However, by then, the silver-haired boy had already let out a heaven-defying roar, "Mana Burst!"
A colossal, bright azure explosion erupted, its sheer force reverberating through the surroundings.
The ground beneath them trembled violently, as if unable to withstand the impact.
The once-stable terrain cracked and fissures formed, before long the ground itself shattered and Leo and Lucas found themselves free-falling.
The rubble and debris of the shattered terrain cascaded around them, falling down with them.
Trapped in an unstoppable descent, Leo's eyes met Lucas's as they both plummeted down dangerously.
"Did you plan this all from the start?!" Leo inquired, his clothes, tattered from the previous explosion, fluttering in the air.
"...Of course I planned this from the start! This is my clear path to defeating you!" Lucas roared.
"Heh!" A grin spread across Leo's face, a mixture of surprise and amusement.
This was the moment he realized that his disciple was insane! Downright insane!
Lucas tightened his grip on his spear, channeling mana that swirled from the shaft to the tip of its blade.
He knew that under normal circumstances, finding an opening in Leo's impregnable defense was nearly impossible.
The skill difference was simply too huge.
That's why he devised a plan—a desperate gambit to create a moment when Leo couldn't counterattack.
He chose to engage him in mid-air, during their fall. Lucas knew that Leo would never let him die.
Leo would catch him before they reached the ground. In that moment of catching him, Leo would be vulnerable.
That is when Lucas would strike! This was his complete victory!
Leo also understood this. And he couldn't help but feel exhilarated. After all this time, he was finally experiencing a thrill in combat.
Of course, he was holding back almost all of his strength, but this was fun! This was so much fun!
"Ha!" Leo scoffed as he used a fallen chunk of shattered ground to propel himself forward towards Lucas and catch him safely.
"I win!" Lucas exclaimed triumphantly as Leo closed in to catch him. Without a moment's hesitation, he thrust his spear toward Leo.
Swish—!!
"....Huh?!"
But Lucas could only widen his eyes as Leo kicked the air and changed the direction of his fall.
"You can walk on air?!" the silver-haired boy exclaimed in surprise.
But before Lucas could react, Leo kicked the air once again, swiftly circling around him while still falling down in mid-air.
"Aakh!"
Coming behind him, Leo hit the back of Lucas' neck with a chop, striking him unconscious as the latter could only gasp.
Quickly, Leo then grabbed Lucas by the waist with one hand and kicked his legs again and again as if walking on air before landing on the ground beneath them.
With a safe landing, he evaded the perilous debris that rained down from the shattered landscape over them from above.
