Turning Chapter 1010

Chapter 1010

The faint aura that had been condensed at the tip of her sword, which she had focused her entire mind on, exploded with tremendous strength in an instant.

"Everyone, be careful!" General Gino reflexively shouted as he quickly gripped the handle of his sword. Although he had decided not to use his aura for a while to allow his shaken vessel to recover from overexertion, in that moment, he could only think of defending those around him.

If Kishiar hadn't reached out and grabbed the general's elbow at that instant, he likely would have drawn his sword and used his aura.

'What...'

Boom!!

Before he could even pull his arm from Kishiar's grasp, a tremendous explosion erupted, and the resulting wind swept through the surroundings.

......!

Time seemed to slow down.

In the brief moment it took to blink, the old general felt the flow of an immense power emanating from within the dust.

Amidst the swirling winds, a wall of ice formed in the air like a shield, stretching out to block the spectators. Fragments of blue aura that had been deflected shattered mercilessly against the wall, unable to reach the onlookers. Some minuscule shards, like grains of sand, managed to slip through the gaps in the ice wall, still trying to pierce through toward the people, but they were instantly 'pushed back' as if hitting an invisible barrier and buried themselves in the ground.

What was that transparent wall? The moment he had that thought, time, which had seemed to flow so slowly, instantly returned to normal, and the general coughed as the wind sharply ruffled his hair, bringing him back to his senses.

"...Unbelievable."

The small training ground had been completely devastated by the momentary explosion. During the ongoing sparring, Yuder had already considerably torn up the ground using the power of the earth, but now, it was doubtful if restoration was even possible.

Yuder and Meghna stood in the center of it all. Yuder's clothes, which had been almost intact just moments before, were now tattered and filthy, and the practice sword he held had its blade completely shattered. Meghna's sword on the opposite side was also half-broken. Someone gasped at the sight of their arms and legs, drenched in red, covered in fragments of the immense aura that had burst out uncontrollably.

But anyone with a discerning eye would have realized that it was merely superficial cuts on the skin, not a severe injury. Compared to the explosive force that had just occurred, they were unbelievably unscathed.

And then there was one more person. Nathan Zuckerman stood between the two, though no one knew when he had intervened. The deep blue aura enveloping his drawn sword still shone vividly. The general noticed the pieces of Meghna's practice sword scattered beneath Nathan's feet. This meant that it was Nathan, not Yuder, who had shattered Meghna's sword.

In a moment as brief as the blink of an eye, one person had created walls of wind and ice to protect everyone, while another had fearlessly plunged into the storm of power that would have left no trace of anyone who mistakenly got caught in it, shattering Meghna's sword before more damage could be done.

And that wasn't all. Looking around a bit more, various defensive powers could be seen emerging here and there among the spectators. The Cavalry members had also instinctively used their abilities to protect themselves and others in that short moment.

There were hardly any who stood there dumbfounded, unable to do anything. Even if there were, they were mostly non-Awakeners or people who weren't part of the Cavalry.

And then there was one person who had watched it all unfold without batting an eye, preventing the general from using his power. The Cavalry Commander, Kishiar La Orr, released the arm he had been holding with a face as if nothing had happened.

"Are you alright, General? I stopped you because it seemed like you were about to use your aura."

"Ah... I'm fine."

The hand that had felt like a huge mountain pressing down on him just moments ago left no trace when it pulled away. It was an unbelievably incredible feat.

'To restrain me so easily... I wonder what method he used.'

If General Gino had to stop someone else like this, he wouldn't have been able to lightly grab them without leaving a single injury, especially not against another master.

As the general stood there in a daze, Kishiar spoke with a smile.

"And congratulations."

"Pardon?"

"It seems Adjutant Kurlieva has finally succeeded in overcoming the biggest wall that was blocking her."

"...Ah!"

The general finally regained his sense of reality.

"Meghna! Are you alright?"

The general rushed over and supported his disciple, who had been standing there silently, as if lost in a dream. Meghna Kurlieva blinked and looked at her teacher.

"...General?"

"Do you understand what just happened?"

"Yes...? What happened? I was definitely... the sword..."

As she answered slowly and looked down at her hands, Meghna opened her mouth at the sight of the broken sword and her blood-covered skin.

"Ah...!"

Until just now, Meghna had been completely lost in a state of ecstasy, facing a sword that constantly tested her, blocked her, and seemed to encourage her to go even wilder. At first, she had definitely held back from exerting too much power out of concern for those around her, but at some point, she had forgotten about that.

The long, agonizing times she had spent facing her teacher's sword, which she could never surpass, and the familiar sparring partners she had grown accustomed to over such a long time. Yuder's sword, the first she had encountered after escaping the stable environment devoid of any freshness, was truly a shock in itself.

She had felt a different sensation when facing the monsters that had surged over the sea this time as well. However, at that time, her purpose was to protect people, so she couldn't fully focus on the sword alone.

But this time was different. As unpredictable attacks poured out in various ways, Meghna could concentrate solely on herself, her opponent in front of her, and the sword she held, without worrying about anything else.

That new feeling. That freedom. That sense of liberation.

She had long dreamed of wandering freely like her teacher and training with the sword. However, as the Adjutant of the General in charge of the Southern Army, it was an irresponsible wish that she could never fulfill.

In fact, if she had said she wanted to leave, her teacher would have readily allowed it, but that was precisely why Meghna couldn't leave. If she vacated her position, the hyena-like Galexentre and the general's enemies would target him, and how could she leave knowing that? Moreover, she now had a family to protect, making her even more hesitant.

After the day of hail and the blue wall of despair, Meghna began to lean more towards the thought that her future path lay not in the sword but in other things. This realization came from understanding that her most respected master was, after all, a fallible human and feeling acutely aware of her own shortcomings.

General Gino Bordelli, who always seemed as permanent as a great mountain, had aged too. Even though she knew that an aging swordmaster could harm their body if they recklessly used their power like in their youth, as the vessel might not withstand the built-up aura, Meghna felt a deep sadness when that reality nearly manifested in General Gino.

Time waits for no one. Meghna had not yet become a master, and the number of people she had to protect had increased significantly, while her teacher had reached a point where he had to seriously consider retirement. Perhaps devoting herself to a sword that had long refused to give her answers was just childish stubbornness. She had thought that.

However, the sword and various means of attack Yuder had shown today reminded Meghna of the adventurous fantasy she had longed for but had buried. Directly facing the unknown she had always yearned for brought joy and exhilaration beyond her imagination.

A wall that seemed possible to overcome, yet impossible. When she overcame one, a slightly higher wall appeared, and when she thought she had overcome that with all her might, the next wall greeted Meghna again.

It was really... unbearably fun.

When she was consumed by the sole thought of overcoming that wall again and swung her final sword without any thoughts of reality, Meghna felt something burst out from within her, as if a blockage had been cleared.

The thing she had always desperately yearned for but never came out as much as she wanted, no matter how hard she tried. The thing that had always made Meghna anxious, even as she believed and followed her teacher's words that she should train with a relaxed mind. The very thing she had thought she should now accept as her limit and settle for.

It was none other than...

'...Aura.'

Meghna blankly looked down at her hands. They were covered in blood, but there was no pain. Her mind was filled only with the tremendous sensation she had felt the moment she exerted her power.