"Congratulations! Now you have gained another trump card against the youngest prince." Damien congratulated Roy before saying to him, "Using the special effect of your physique, you will be able to thwart his authority. And with your sword force, chances are that you will be able to strike him down when he starts using his soul-herding ability against you."
Roy turned to look at him questioningly and spoke.
"You know what type of soul herder he is?"
Damien gave him a head nod: "His soul-herding ability is spectacular. It allows him to become an element that is impervious to magical and physical attacks."
"It's quite similar to mine," Roy uttered under his breath.
Arlo had told him about Roy's special ability, so Damien knew what he was talking about.
"Soul herders that can transform into something such as an element or beast are called shapeshifters. You and the youngest prince both fall into this category. They are troublesome to deal with because it's impossible to injure them using normal means. You have already experienced it. But if you think you can't be hurt when you are in your mist form, you are wrong. The truth is, a sharp sword force can cut them, and an overpowering fist force can crush them."
A glint flashed in Roy's eyes.
Arlo had told him that he would realize the weakness of his soul-herding ability when he met his cousin.
After hearing Damien out, the gap in his knowledge was filled.
He understood himself better.
Due to this, he felt thankful to him.
Damien continued speaking to Roy, "And since you have learned Sword Force, you have gained an advantage against him."
"You mean..."
"The prince was still ignorant about it the last time I saw him. It's been a few years since then, but I believe he is yet to master it. Not everyone is like you. They don't have a special physique that allows them to master techniques in minutes and refine them to perfection in some hours or days."
Arlo had passed his misunderstanding to Damien, and thus he believed that Roy's special physique allowed him to master techniques, no matter how complex, in a short time. Otherwise, how could he master sword force just because he said it's easy to learn or become a proficient swordsman in less than two months? They had no choice but to believe their conjectures.
Roy: 'I have such a special physique? Why don't I know?'
It's just that they were both wrong about him.
He didn't have anything grand like that. He depended on his system to master techniques instantly. He indeed has a special lord-rank physique, but it only allowed him to have massive energy reserves and control over the world's energy.
"I see." Roy bit his lips and decided to play along. After all, that's how he was. He has always found explaining the truth and clearing up misunderstandings than telling a lie with a straight face. "Anyway, they aren't my only weapon against him."
"Huh?" Damien's eyebrows raised. "What else do you have?"
Roy smiled, "Something like Aura Force and Sword Force."
Damien was taken aback by his words. He thought about it himself for a few seconds and thought that it couldn't possibly be possible. How long has it even been since Roy came to know about Force? Just two days! Even learning two types of force in that short amount of time was nothing short of amazing. If he had learned more than tao, then he was a monster, a tiger in pig's clothing!
"I don't believe you."
"Then see it for yourself."
Roy's eyes widened, turning red, and his killing force manifested under the night sky. It looked like countless red threads. They were razor-sharp, possessing incomparable destructive power.
Damien saw a mountain's tip being reflected in Roy's red eyes. He turned toward it just in time to see a line being drawn across it, causing dust to rise. In the next second, it was detached from the rest of the mountain and fell downwards, landing on the ground. Thankfully, it was an abandoned site as it was close to the Ashen Land. So no one was hurt.
"And I also have this," Roy said as his True Magic Magic Model started revolving, sucking in thousands of units of mana rushed into it. According to his desires, two gigantic hands shaped like the claws of a dragon manifested overhead and fell on the mountain.
Boom!
The poor mountain that has never troubled another soil in its life and has only ever helped life grow was flattened.
"After seeing that, what choice do I have but to believe you." Seeing is believing. Since Roy had shown him what he was capable of, Damien could disbelieve him no longer. "With this much strength, you can defeat Victor and suppress the younger generation. Promise me you will."
"I promise I will get the no.1 spot this year and bring honor to our clan."
A promise was made between the two dragonkin in the depth of the night.
"The person who taught you sword force, was it Arlo?" Roy asked after a moment.
Damien shook his head, "No, it was someone else."
Roy saw a smile appearing on his face. This was a genuine smile. It came straight from Damien's heart.
'Just talking about that person is enough to brighten up his mood and make him feel happy. That person must mean a lot to him. Who could it be, and... exactly what relation do they have?' Roy's eyes narrowed down in thoughtfulness.
Damien saw the expression on his face and asked, "What's troubling you?"
Roy raised his head and looked at him, asking, "Who exactly taught you sword force?"
"The strongest of the three heavenly knights." Damien casually answered.
His words shocked Roy so much that his sword force dispersed into clouds, disappearing for good. But that was not at all. His reaction to his words was far greater than that. Damien saw his mouth opening wide to the size of an egg.
