The training grounds fell into a tense, suffocating silence.
All eyes were fixed on the three figures at the center.
Valdis.
Silas.
And the instructor.
The instructor stood calmly, a wooden weapon resting lightly in his hand, showing no sign of being bothered by the two individuals before him. While he looked completely Valdis, Silas was extremely focused because, although they had a numerical advantage, it meant nothing against someone on the instructor's level.
Seeing their focused stance and expressions, the instructor smiled and said
"Begin."
The word had barely left his lips when the ground beneath Silas shattered, and Silas's body blurred forward
He moved first, trying to immediately close the distance between them
A burst of raw power exploded from his body as he shot forward, his saber cutting through the air with terrifying speed. The strike was direct, heavy, and filled with overwhelming force.
At the same time, Valdis also moved but unlike Silas, there was no explosion, no sound.
Just a blur.
His sword came from the opposite angle, silent and precise, aiming for a perfect opening.
A pincer attack.
The crowd reacted instantly, although this was their first time fighting together, they moved in sync as though they had fought together once before
Seeing this, the instructor moved.
Not much.
Just a slight shift of his body.
A small step.
Clack!
And both attacks were blocked effortlessly.
Silas's saber met an immovable force, while Valdis's blade was redirected with minimal motion.
And yet they didn't stop
They continued their relentless assault using every technique and skill they had as they tried to break the instructor's tight defenses, but nothing worked as the instructor calmly blocked all their attacks with ease
As all this was happening, Cassian, who was watching the match, thought to himself
'I can see why he said that they were too powerful for the rest of us, but I still can't see why he couldn't pair them together.'
The instructor, who was being assaulted by his two students, looked at them with his eyes, analyzing each movement
Silas, who had been attacking nonstop, finally got frustrated and created a slight distance between them, leaving Valdis and the instructor alone for a few seconds before he attacked again.
But this time, something changed as a heavy, oppressive force pulsed from his body.
It wasn't visible to everyone, but those with sharp senses felt the change immediately.
His muscles tightened, veins faintly surfacing as his power surged through him
The air around him seemed to thrum in rhythm.
He had awakened his physique known as the Heavenly Wind Emperor Physique,
A body that amplified strength, speed, and impact in violent, rhythmic bursts—each movement feeding the next, each strike stronger than the last.
His wooden saber vibrated as that force coated it, turning even a practice weapon into something dangerous.
The instructor's gaze sharpened slightly before he smiled wildly
"…Good."
Silas struck again, but this time his attacks were faster, heavier, and more brutal
And this time
The instructor took a step back.
Seeing this the crowd erupted
"He pushed him back?!"
"That's insane!"
The twins grinned widely.
"Now that's what I'm talking about," Thorne said.
Tyras nodded, eyes gleaming
"He's finally fighting seriously."
Cassian folded his arms, a slow smile forming as he said
"That physique is no joke."
Luminara said nothing, but her gaze sharpened as she watched everything that was going on with rapt attention.
While Silas tried to overwhelm his opponent with force, Valdis adapted.
His strikes became sharper, cleaner, and more refined.
Where Silas was raw power Valdis was precision.
Every movement had a purpose and every swing sought an opening.
Together, they formed a seamless rhythm.
One pressured.
One exploited.
The instructor moved more now.
Blocking.
Redirecting.
Countering.
But he no longer stood still now
Silas's aura surged once again, this time stronger and faster
His saber cut down with crushing force
CRACK.
A faint sound.
The weapon was beginning to give.
And at the same time, Valdis's blade followed, slicing through the air with terrifying sharpness.
The pressure increased.
The instructor noticed immediately that their weapons were deteriorating with every clash.
Silas's overwhelming force and Valdis's cutting precision were both too much for simple wooden weapons.
"They're going to break them," Cassian muttered.
Then, it happened.
Silas launched another full-powered strike, his aura surging violently.
At the same moment, Valdis moved.
But this time, something felt different about this strike as his grip tightened around the wooden sword
Noticing the abnormality, the instructor's eyes sharpened as he glanced at Valdis sword
The air around his sword shifted subtly, but unmistakably.
A presence.
A cutting intent that extended beyond the blade itself began to manifest itself
And seeing this, the instructor's eyes widened.
"That's...."
Valdis didn't give him time to speak as he swung his sword.
And for the first time since this battle began, his attack carried something beyond technique.
Sword aura.
Although still in its embryonic form still carried lethal power
The moment it appeared everything changed.
"…Impossible."
The instructor reacted instantly as aether burst from his body, coating his weapon in a dense, refined layer.
CLANG—!
The impact rang out like thunder and the ground beneath them cracked.
Seeing the new development the crowd exploded in shock.
"Was that sword aura?!"
"At this level?!"
Cassian's eyes widened as all the answers he had been searching for finally arrived
"…That's insane."
Even the twins were stunned.
Luminara's gaze as she looked onto Valdis changed, and for the first time since they met
There was clear interest.
Silas didn't stop his attacks even as Valdis unleashed something monstrous; he continued pushing forward
His Physique surged to its peak, his speed increased again, and his strikes became relentless.
The saber in his hand cracked further with every swing.
Valdis advanced as well.
His sword aura flickered violently.
Unstable,
But deadly.
The instructor began taking each attack seriously as these boys had just found different ways to convert two wooden swords into lethal weapons
Aether coated his body completely now his movements sharpened and his presence deepened.
For the first time since this match began, he treated them as real opponents.
Their clashes intensified.
Wood struck wood, Power met precision, Speed collided with control and every exchange became a blur.
CRACK.
Silas's saber shattered.
At the same moment, Valdis's sword fractured creating an opening in their defenses
And the instructor who had seen all he wanted to see wasted no time attacking.
He moved at speeds faster than either of them could react to.
His weapon stopped inches away from their throats.
Silence.
"This should be enough for the day."
The pressure immediately vanished.
Silas exhaled heavily, dropping to one knee.
"…Damn…"
Valdis stepped back, his breathing deeper now, though still controlled.
The instructor lowered his weapon slowly.
His gaze still lingered on both of them.
"Monsters."
The word came out quietly.
But everyone heard it
The crowd erupted.
Cassian shook his head slowly.
"…Both of them are ridiculous."
The twins grinned.
"I like how they fought simply and directly," Thorne said.
Tyras nodded.
"Yeah… they're real fighters."
Luminara remained silent, but her eyes never left Valdis.
The instructor turned slightly and said "That was fun"
Looking at both students who looked extremely tired he sighed and said
"You all should return and rest, we will begin training tomorrow." After speaking he turned to leave
The trainees on the other hand stared at both Valdis and Silas in shock