Isaac stood in the center of the arena, with the six others gathered on the opposite side. Faithless sat on a broken tree stump, his eyes fixed on Isaac's terrifying aura.
Isaac spoke in a loud, deep voice, his hands clasped firmly behind his back:
"Training is the foundation for becoming someone others can rely on in battle."
He continued in the same tone:
"We have six months, a good amount of time to refine our strength—and bring down the infrastructure of the Kingdom of the Mother of Kings. Leave that part to me… These people possess power capable of crushing anything in their path."
"But today, I want each of you to teach Faithless your unique technique."
Marceline let out a slight laugh and spoke in a somewhat mocking tone:
"I'm sorry for my strange laugh, but is there really anyone in the world who can learn every technique? I think that's an extremely rare case… Judging from Faithless, he doesn't seem to have those qualifications."
Faithless looked at her with cold eyes and remained silent. Erik, who was sitting up in a tree, spoke in a mysterious tone:
"Marceline's words are true. No one can learn every skill, especially when they're from different individuals."
Tawakizra, who had one hand over the other, opened his yellow eyes and stepped toward the center of the arena. He spoke in a deep voice:
"Excessive talking is forbidden. That's one of Saint Sin's teachings in his book… We won't know until we test it. Isn't that right, Faithless?"
Faithless's eyes widened as he muttered to himself quietly:
"That sentence… I've heard it from Saint Sin himself! It seems Tawakizra is a wise man, not one who acts on impulse."
Faithless stood up and walked toward the center of the arena, stopping a short distance from Tawakizra. He smiled and spoke in a calm tone:
"Wise words from you… Unlike some who think so superficially."
Tawakizra returned the smile, then spoke in a deep tone:
"No need for useless words… I'll show you the technique I've learned. You'll simply see my sword heading toward your stomach—but in reality, it's aimed at your head. Two blades will appear before you, and you must avoid the real one."
'What a complex and amazing move… I really want to learn it,' Faithless muttered quietly.
"Now, I'll show you how it works using this wooden sword."
Tawakizra swung his sword, murmuring a faint word that couldn't be heard. Suddenly, two blades appeared before Faithless. He was shocked, unable to distinguish which was real and which was an illusion.
'What a move… How am I supposed to dodge it in this situation?'
Faithless quickly retreated, but Tawakizra advanced with speed. Faithless tried to throw off his movement, but Tawakizra had his eyes closed.
Suddenly, he appeared behind Faithless and struck his back with the wooden sword. Tawakizra smiled and said calmly:
"Do you have eyes on your back, Faithless?"
But the wooden sword hadn't hit Faithless at all. Instead, he had placed his own sword almost upright and at an angle to block the real blade.
Everyone was stunned—even some of them murmured among themselves…
"I've been with Tawakizra for a long time, but I've only managed to block his sword a few times," said Marceline, astonished.
"I expected this guy to be strong from his muscles. Meow," said Jolin confidently, crossing her arms with a smile.
Lady Marian, however, watched with one eye, utterly indifferent, her gaze cold.
Faithless gave a mysterious smile and spoke in a deep tone:
"Is this the art of the Inverted Cross Blade, passed down from the Forgotten King, Pantry Eston…?"
Tawakizra set his sword aside and replied with a cold smile and mysterious tone:
"Seems you know something about the Inverted Blade Art… Impressive. Just so you know, some can summon a hundred illusionary blades. So far, I've only been able to create one."
"I saw your lips move. What were you saying before you swung your sword?" Faithless asked in a calm tone.
Tawakizra was slightly surprised, then responded firmly:
"You're quite observant. I uttered the incantation that summons the blade. Anyone who learns this art must think of a word that carries a majestic and ancient essence… And not everyone can master it."
He paused briefly, then continued in the same tone:
"But you? I'd bet you can pull it off… Before you swing your sword, say the word two seconds in advance, and an illusionary and a real blade will appear. But your opponent won't be able to tell them apart."
Faithless looked at the wooden sword, thinking of a profound word echoing in his mind… until he remembered a name—majestic and terrifying at once.
He swung his sword quickly, muttered softly to himself, and two blades emerged: one illusionary, the other real… Everyone was shocked.
Isaac watched in silence with a smile. Tawakizra was also amazed, trying to discern which blade was real. But the enchantment soon faded.
Faithless stared at the wooden sword in surprise. Tawakizra spoke in a stunned tone:
"I don't know what to say… You've really surprised me. But you'll need to practice the move repeatedly. Seems the word you chose was truly powerful."
Faithless smiled and replied calmly:
"Thank you for teaching me this sacred art. With time, I'll refine the move… As for the word, yes—it's heavy and mighty."
'Archimedes… the king who died standing, and whose soldiers feared to approach him for a hundred years,' Faithless whispered to himself.
Tawakizra turned around with a smile… Before Isaac could speak, Marceline stepped forward and stood in front of Faithless, lowering her head toward his face, as she was taller than him.
She spoke in a beautiful, teasing tone, her hands on her hips:
"You really impressed me with your abilities, Prince Faithless… How about I show you my skills—can you learn them like you did the Inverted Cross Blade?"
Faithless replied with a cold tone, smiling at her beautiful face:
"I love challenges, especially when they come from a beautiful lady like you."
Marceline blushed like a rose, then turned away and smiled brightly.
"This first move… I still haven't fully mastered it myself. It's called Royal Guard. You have to block the enemy's strike at the perfect moment—and if you succeed, a red aura will appear and reflect the blow back at the attacker."
Faithless placed his index finger on his chin and spoke in an astonished tone:
"Royal Guard… Sounds like it carries a noble legacy. And it does seem like a perfect technique."
Marceline put her hand on her hip and spoke with confidence:
"Correct. It originates from the Kingdom of Van Bersan. My father learned it there and passed it on to me… Now I want to see—can you learn it too?"
Faithless smiled and answered calmly:
"I don't mind giving it a try."
Marceline smiled and placed her right hand in the shape of an "L", then aligned her left hand horizontally near the right one. She slightly lowered her body, her right foot stepping forward ahead of the left.
"This is the Royal Guard stance… Now, I want you to strike me with your sword."
Faithless raised the wooden sword and swung at Marceline—but she failed to block it the first time.
"You see? I have to activate it just a fraction of a second before the blade hits me. That's why I have so many scars on my body… though I hide them well," Marceline said with a steady voice.
"Try hitting me again."
Faithless swung again, but she didn't manage to block it. After four more attempts, on the fifth try, Marceline perfectly parried the strike, triggering a red aura.
The blow was reflected back.
Faithless was thrown backward, shocked by what happened, and just before he collided with a tree—Marceline caught his body.
"You see? It takes a lot of time to master this… Do you want to try the move yourself?"
Faithless nodded, then stepped to the center of the arena and began practicing the Royal Guard stance. After several attempts, he managed to form the stance correctly, though not yet with proper speed.
"That's good. You've learned the stance. Now let's see if you can block an attack perfectly," Marceline said with a steady tone.
"Now I'm going to swing my sword, and I want you to block it at the perfect moment."
Marceline swung the sword for the first time, but Faithless failed to block it.
"No worries. The first time rarely works out. Let's try the next ones."
She struck Faithless again—a second, third, and fourth time—until the fifth attempt, when a red spark briefly appeared, but it quickly faded because he had moved from his standing point.
Marceline was astonished and spoke in a stunned tone:
"You're quite the fast learner… I bet the next try you'll manage to—"
She didn't finish her sentence. Someone grabbed her shoulder.
It was Lady Marian.
She walked past Marceline, heading toward Faithless. She stood in front of him and spoke in a sharp tone:
"It seems you have talent, son of the Emperor… How about a light duel—between you and me?"
Everyone was shocked. No one said a word. But Marceline spoke in an angry tone:
"Marian, can't you see we're in a training session?"
Before Lady Marian could respond, Isaac gently placed his hand on Marceline's shoulder and spoke in a heavy tone:
"Please, dear Marceline. Would you return to your place?"
The anger vanished from Marceline's face, and she stepped back to her position. Jolin whispered:
"Are they really going to fight?"
Kaidos replied while reading a book, a piece of dried meat in his mouth:
"Yes. Looks like Lady Marian wants to test the handsome prince."
Isaac then spoke in a deep and calm voice:
"Looks like Lady Marian wants a duel. What do you say, Sir Faithless?"
Faithless smiled, sweeping a strand of hair back, and replied in a mysterious tone:
"No problem. If Lady Marian wants a duel… then so be it."
Lady Marian smiled faintly and spoke in a cold tone:
"You have a lovely smile, Faithless one."