SSR - Book 2 Chapter 80: One Down

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Rylan could feel it – his Aura growing in real time, faster even than the green-haired man could cast.

A power he recognized. One that he had become intimately familiar with over a century of endless training and battles. A power that he had absolute control over, as its ruler. The awakening hadn’t ended.

At the same time, he pushed his concentration to its newfound limits. All that existed were the enemies in front of him and the two types of energy within him. His Aura was as hot as lava, veritably burning within his body, while his mana was as cool and orderly as a stream of ice-cold water. The two kinds of energy made contact, but despite their opposite natures, they didn’t clash or push back against each other. They coexisted in the small realm that was his body. For a few precious instants, Rylan was lost in their movements, in the way they reacted to each other, and how wonderful it was to finally have Aura again.

Then, he readied himself, grasping Silver Twilight’s hilt with both hands.

This Aspect…

It was the culmination of everything he’d been struggling to build. Beyond that, it was also the result of his past life’s experiences. While it wasn’t as combat-focused as Ultimate Severance or Perfect Flow, it was the perfect Aspect that not only passively increased his abilities, but also provided him with a glimpse of the path he would now take.

Aether.

Keeping his smile, Rylan willed for both his Aura and mana to merge. The command was borderline instinctive, as if he had been born knowing how to do it. He could feel his body heating up as the cold blue mana and the white, hot Aura resonated with each other, singing a hymn that only he could hear.

His Aura Heart and Mana Core throbbed in the same rhythm. Then, the two energies melted into each other to create a pure golden light. Rylan shivered. It was unlike anything he’d ever felt or perceived, including in his past life. It was both hot and cold simultaneously, as light as a spring breeze and as heavy as a stormy sky. In addition, he could feel the seed of ‘possibility.’ The possibility of becoming greater than anything he had ever been.

To think there are things that even Roland hadn’t experienced.

His smile got wider. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the time to bask in the feeling or analyze Aether thoroughly. He lowered his center of gravity. Aether flooded his entire body, mind, and soul, allowing him to perceive it to its utmost. It felt almost ethereal and unlike both Aura and mana. The feeling was faint, but it was as if his soul were rising to another realm of existence, beyond the plane around him. It was both incredibly clear and utterly fantastical.

Five seconds is my limit.

He couldn’t bear to keep the energy active for more than that, but it was enough. Finally, he was whole – with Aura to empower his swordsmanship, mana to strengthen his spells, and Aether to bring him closer to the ‘truth,’ he could at last exert his full potential. He let out a breath.

In the next moment, Rylan shot forward with Snowstorm, far faster than before. The Aether within him rumbled and crackled as it enforced itself upon the world. Even though it was intrinsically different from both Aura and mana, which he was already familiar with, wielding Aether was simplicity itself. It was as if he had been reunited with something he’d always had. There was no need for practice.

I can do it.

Rylan kept his eyes fixed on the green-haired Mage, whose eyes had widened.

Now.

Stormcaller Sword Style, Final Movement: Storm’s Descent.

Aether flooded the world around him to create white clouds tinged with gold, where golden lightning crackled powerfully. The clouds roiled in a maelstrom, making strong winds fill the room. In a stormy sky of his own creation, Rylan’s blade turned into a lightning bolt itself, empowered by the storm. It reached the green-haired Mage in a moment. The man’s eyes got even wider, mana crawling over itself around him to create a shield, but it was too late. He had taken too long to try to cast a defensive spell. Rylan smiled with a savage edge.

The golden lightning bolt reached the man’s neck. The skin and throat were sliced through before the blade even got close to them, and the spine followed suit, but that wasn’t all. Before the Sword Art’s power, the man’s head veritably disintegrated, alongside his upper body. The energy continued downward to envelop the Mage’s lower body, turning it into fine dust. Finally, Rylan kept going and rushed past the space where the Mage’s body had been.

One down.

He immediately twisted his body to turn around and face the other two Mages, but all he could see was an incoming giant spear of pure navy-blue mana. He had less than a second to react. Rylan breathed in and swung his sword once more, still empowered by the storm. The golden edge met the tip of the spear in a heartbeat, Aether against Sixth Circle mana. The clash sent waves through the entire floor as Rylan tried his best to push forward. The bookshelves collapsed, and Damian’s barrier shook like a flame in the wind. The floor and walls cracked, the windows shattering like mundane glass. Golden energy filled the space.

Rylan widened his eyes. His senses could perceive two more spells coming at him. He only had two seconds left of Aether. He narrowed his eyes, filling the clouds and lightning with even more energy. It was as if the entire floor had turned into a miniature storm where only he could rule. His sword became a golden lightning bolt once more. The navy-blue spear cracked and crumbled, but behind it were twin floods of mana that covered the room from ceiling to floor, without leaving even a single centimeter of space for him to dodge. Rylan swung the sword vertically.

The clash between the waves and Silver Twilight cracked the floor around them even more, making Rylan glance at Damian and his loved ones, then back at the Sixth Circle Mages, through the waves. Both the navy-blue-haired man and the woman were covered in layers upon layers of shields, looking shocked out of their minds. The fact that they had managed to react to his movements at all was wondrous by itself.

Rylan sliced downward. The blade forced the waves to split in half. The white-and-gold clouds flooded the space that had been created, tearing the waves apart with sheer power. Once the waves collapsed, Rylan’s time ran out. The golden energy surrounding him came undone, turning into white Aura and blue mana. The clouds and lightning shimmered, then disappeared.

Rylan narrowed his eyes at the two enemies, keeping his position. Now that he couldn’t use Aether, he needed to be as careful as possible. Still, he couldn’t forget the feeling of finally pushing his sword styles to their limits. He felt like he had just been reunited with an old friend after decades of separation, which wasn’t too far from the truth.

My swordsmanship was created with Aura in mind.

And now, he could wield it properly.

It was as if the room had frozen in time. The two Sixth Circle Mages stared at him, and he stared back. Apart from them, he could feel the piercing gazes of his family and friends. None of the Fifth Circle enemies moved a muscle, sweat dripping down their chins.

“You,” the blue-haired Mage finally said through gritted teeth after several seconds. “What are you!? This is impossible!”

Rylan cracked his neck.

“Rylan Flameheart,” he replied. “The man who’s going to kill you.”

“You fucking monster! How did you kill him!? There isn’t a single person in the Fourth Circle on this continent capable of—”

The man stopped talking once Rylan looked at Damian, who was staring at him as if wanting to pierce a hole through him.

“Damian. Keep the woman busy. I’ll take care of the other one.”

Damian blinked twice, still looking out of it. Then, he smiled widely.

“I’ll do it,” Damian replied. “Even if I die in the process, I’ll do it no matter what.”

Rylan frowned at him. At the same time, the blue-haired man’s mana flooded the ruined floor.

“All Mages!” the man shouted, his voice rumbling throughout the floor. “Kill Rylan Flameheart, no matter the cost! This is an imperial order! Even if you die in the process, the monster must die alongside you!”

Rylan let out a breath and readied himself. Both his mana and Aura circulated through his body and spirit at unprecedented speeds.

Let it flow. You already know how to use both of them.

From above, he could perceive several Fifth Circle spells coming at him. Storms of fire and enormous boulders that had appeared out of thin air. Dozens of shards of ice, each with enough power to pierce through a Fourth Circle Mage’s utmost defenses. They joined to become an overwhelming onslaught that targeted the entire floor. Among them, Rylan could sense a strange strand of mana. He furrowed his brow and looked up.

That was when it happened. The incoming spells, which he could so clearly perceive, suddenly tripled in number out of nowhere. Rylan widened his eyes and recognized the situation for what it was in an instant.

An Illusion spell.

That was what the strange strand had been. It was his first time facing one in battle at all. He pushed his senses into overdrive. Which spells were real and which ones were fake? They all had mana signatures, as if they were all real, but there should be a way to distinguish them. As if time had slowed down, he continued to stare at them. That was when he noticed it. Most of the spells rippled and shimmered slightly, like a mirage. Rylan smiled.

My Trait grants me resistance to Mind and Illusion spells.

He hadn’t known how large the boost was, but it seemed to be just enough. He held his sword.

Stormcaller Sword Style, Fourth Movement: Tempest Break.

His Aura rumbled within him. There wasn’t a great amount of it, since he’d just awakened it. Compared to his reserves in his past life, it was like comparing a firefly to a blazing inferno. But it was enough. He’d spent a century honing his mastery of it, and so, he could easily handle any amount efficiently.

He was the Sword Saint.

The pure white energy crawled over his sword to create a solid blade around it, both wondrous and ethereal. Strong winds encircled him in a single flow as his Aura rapidly circulated throughout his body with every heartbeat. The white Aura turned into lightning and pure energy, then dominated the surroundings. It was as if the entire floor had been placed in the eye of a hurricane. The power of the storm filled his body, strengthening his muscles, bones, and organs to a much greater extent than his mana circulation was able to.

Then, he swung the weapon.

With the power of a storm’s wrath, the Sword Art sliced upward. The flames were cut through and severed, while the boulders and ice were split into minute pieces. The winds were forcefully split apart, as were the waves of mana. In the end, the illusions landed upon him harmlessly, all true spells having been destroyed. Rylan turned to look at the two Sixth Circle Mages. The woman was running around, bombarding Damian’s barrier with spell after spell. Meanwhile, Damian himself held his staff and fired back. Attacks of pure mana and elemental magic collided in mid-air, making the entire floor vibrate and crack even further.

The blue-haired man was staring straight into Rylan’s eyes with gritted teeth, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

“You discovered a new way to use magic, didn’t you, monster?” the man said, his voice almost entirely drowned out by the fight between Damian and the woman. “Somehow, you did it. Damn it all.”

Rylan shrugged and pointed his sword at him.

“You will die here, soldier,” he replied. “You should never have targeted my family.”

The man scoffed.

“They’re unharmed. The Commander doesn’t enjoy killing innocents. But you’re right. Eventually, they would be targeted. And I wouldn’t have spent even a second dwelling on it. Someone like you needs to die regardless of the cost.”

Rylan narrowed his eyes.

“So, as a soldier,” the man continued, taking a deep breath and raising his staff. “All I can do is fight to fulfill my mission.”

His mana resonated with the world around him, but Rylan only shook his head.

“How pitiful. Fighting for a warmonger. As I said, I will kill you.”

The man smiled.

“Go ahead and fucking try.”

They moved at the same time.