Chapter 5 - Anguish

After he said that, Byrael took a stance. With his upper body straight as a board, he widened his stance and brought his left leg forward. He gripped the wooden sword with both hands and slowly raised it straight over his head. Byrael performed each movement deliberately, ensuring that his son observed every detail.

Once he was confident that Azrael had seen all the movements, Byrael channeled strength into his abdomen. This strength quickly traveled to his chest and shoulders before he executed a downward slash. The speed and force of the slash made the wind howl as if it had been cut.

After completing the slash, he moved his lowered arms toward his left waist and stepped forward with his right foot. Once his right foot was planted firmly on the ground, he exerted force throughout his body and swung his upper body to the right, bringing the sword up in an upward slash.

Without pausing, he raised his shoulders toward his right shoulder, keeping his arms straight and parallel to the ground. He stepped forward with his left leg, planting his foot on the ground, and used the momentum to slash left, once again causing the wind to seem to howl.

From that position, he pulled his body back toward his right foot, releasing his left hand from the sword. Bending his right elbow, he suddenly exploded forward with the wooden sword thrusting ahead. Afterward, Byrael recovered and looked toward his son.

Although he had executed each movement slowly so Azrael could see them, the attack, though seemingly simple, had taken Byrael years to perfect. He didn’t expect much from Azrael at this stage, only that he understood the movements.

“So, Azrael, what do you think?”

Azrael was mentally reviewing the movements. He noticed that swordsmanship in this world seemed to focus more on fluidity and using the body’s momentum to add strength to the strikes, which impressed him. In his old world, swordsmen focused more on crude slashes and using mana to boost their strength and speed.

'Hmm… Even though the sword isn’t my weapon of choice, I could use this technique in my forms later…'

As he considered the differences, he finished analyzing the movements and stood up.

“Dad, may I try these out?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Byrael stepped aside, giving his son space. Internally, he approved of Azrael’s eagerness. It was best to memorize and practice new moves immediately to avoid forgetting them.

Watching Azrael assume the starting stance, Byrael prepared to adjust his son’s position but stopped, astonished. The form that had taken him years to perfect was now perfectly mimicked by his son after only one demonstration.

'…My son must have exceptional talent to imitate this stance so perfectly on his first try…'

As Byrael pondered this, he saw Azrael take a deep breath and refocus.

After releasing his breath, Azrael’s body sprang into action. He channeled strength from his abdomen to his chest and shoulders, slashing down with all his might. Though not as forceful as his father’s, a soft screech accompanied the wind as it was forced apart.

Using the momentum, Azrael brought his sword toward his left hip. Applying power through all his muscles, he pulled the sword upwards to his right. Although the swing was slower than Byrael's, it had a mesmerizing quality.

After completing the swing, he brought his arms downward toward his right side. With his arms still extended and parallel to the ground, he stepped forward with his left foot, using it as a pivot to slash horizontally to his left shoulder.

Releasing his left hand from the sword’s grip, he twisted his body toward his right foot, bending his elbow. Straining his muscles, he exploded forward with a thrust. After relaxing from the thrust, Azrael stood up and looked at his father to gauge his performance.

Byrael’s mouth dropped open in shock. Even though the speed and strength were not as impressive as his own, each form was executed almost perfectly, despite some awkward transitions. Such skill would be rare even among those who had trained for less than two years, let alone someone who was trying them for the first time. Could his son be one of those rare prodigies?

Azrael, eager to test his skills, asked, “Hey Dad, can we spar? I’d like to try out these moves in a real situation…”

“Huh? Oh, sure!”

Despite being surprised by the sudden request, Byrael agreed immediately. Although it seemed ridiculous to spar with someone wielding a sword for the first time, he was curious about his son’s battle instincts. There were tales of individuals born with an innate talent for combat.

They took their positions and prepared to engage. Byrael, while preparing, was mindful not to go all out. His son was still just six years old, after all. Despite this, Byrael was no ordinary sword instructor; he was a renowned warrior in the Baron.

Azrael, on the other hand, was excited. He had not used a weapon or been in a battle since arriving in this world. Though it was just a spar, it was a chance to let his body move freely and experience combat firsthand. He was also eager to test his skills against a real swordsman. As he prepared, he asked his father something he had always wondered about.

“Dad, what is your rank?”

“Ho ho, curious, are you? Be proud! Your father is a wind-element Emperor Rank warrior!”

'So he’s above average, huh? Stronger than I expected. Usually, sword instructors outside the capital are weaker. This will work to my advantage!'

With that thought, Azrael finished his preparations. Byrael, now ready, asked if his son was prepared.

“You ready, son?”

“Yes, Dad, let’s begin.”

With those words, Byrael rushed at him. His speed was incomparable to a year and a half ago when he first sparred with his son. Now, using his full strength and mana, he moved like a tempest. The Soldiers, seeing the sudden action, became alert and quickly drew their swords. Byrael didn’t hesitate; he plunged into their ranks and attacked mercilessly.

The Soldiers, though surprised by his tenacity, fought back desperately. Despite their numerical advantage, they could only defend against someone of Byrael’s higher rank.

“Sh…Shit! This guy is strong!”

“Why is such a strong person out here in the boondocks?!”

Amidst the enemy, Byrael seemed to be everywhere, darting between them and delivering slashes. As a peak wind-element Emperor warrior, he prided himself on his speed and used wind magic to aid him. However, his advantage was soon challenged when the mage began to act.

“…and bury the foe who dares to challenge you. Entrench!!”

As the mage completed his incantation, the ground around Byrael suddenly opened. Surprised, Byrael couldn’t evade in time. His legs fell into the opening, which quickly closed around them, trapping him. The Soldiers, seeing this, cheered and attacked with renewed vigor. Though Byrael fought fiercely despite his predicament, the Soldiers eventually found openings in his defense and began to land blows.

Byrael started to tire, wounds appearing all over his body.

'Haa… I guess this is the end for me. I’m just not strong enough. I need to make sure my family gets away…'

As he prepared to turn toward his family, a sudden wail of anguish and a massive burst of mana erupted.

“AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

The battle stopped abruptly due to the deafening noise and intense mana burst. Everyone, including Byrael, shivered with fear. The source of the burst was the child who had stayed behind. The sight of the child radiating pure silver mana made everyone tremble as if their bodies were in terror. The child, with a hollow expression, addressed the Soldiers with a chilling calmness.

“Die.”