<h4>Chapter 70: Synchronisation (3)</h4>


    Amon and Carmen''s duel started light. Neither of them used their all as they were gauging each other with each strike. That was more true for Carmen. As a super-inheritor, one punch from her dragon-blessed body was enough to cripple even the toughest of Knights. Hence, she was careful to hold her punches, afraid that one mishap would send her precious heir straight to the hospital.


    However, it quickly became apparent that such prudence was unnecessary.


    The eighteen-year-old showed staggering poise, withstanding and deflecting all of Carmen''s punches as if he were sparring with a peer. Not to mention, his facial expressions hardly changed even after shing dozens of times. Which implied he was still holding back some of his strength.


    That calmness turned a switch in Carmen''s mind, and her clenched fists tightened.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    ''This brat! How much more can he surprise me?!''


    The Grand Commander of the ck Order couldn''t hold back her excitement. She had never seen such a talent, and neither could she fathom Amon''s existence. Granted, Carmen didn''t use the full extent of her abilities; for a True Knight with merely Three Suns condensed to exchange blows with her was beyondprehension.


    ''His mana control and swordy improved yet again! Rotten brat, are you the reincarnation of a martial God?''


    Carmen didn''t know that her wild conjecture wasn''t too far from the truth. Regardless, now that she could roughly gauge Amon''s capabilities, she was ready to up the ante. Conjuring a fireball to cover her fist, the Grand Commander raised the temperature of thebat arena. Sweat began pouring like rain, and Amon and Leon had to cover their eyes at the ring light.


    Rather than a fireball, Carmen created a Sun and stored it in her fist. It wasn''t a Sris Mystic Art, and neither was it magic... It was just pure Sr mana condensed into a single sphere.


    ''... she''s lost her mind.''


    Amon instantly assumed the worst. While he had more than enough power to withstand and even dismiss that attack, the rest of the world only knew him as a Three Sun True Knight. He must reveal the rest of his cards if he wished to take on Carmen''s strike. But fortunately, he had an alternative.


    Twirling Nyx like it was weightless, he decided to trust his partner. Amon mustered up the strength to reveal Nyx''s unique abilities by fully pushing three Suns'' worth of Sr mana into the ck katana. Almost instantly, a heavy pressure weighed down on Carmen''s shoulders. Not enough to lower her fist, but enough to make her raise an eyebrow.


    Transcendent''s Authority was evoked.


    As a Heroic-grade de that crossed dimensions, Nyx was an artefact with few peers. Soulbound to Amon alone, just by having the sword in his hands, was enough to intimidate weaker minds. And when he so desired, he could use the memory of the Fable he created that was etched deeply into the godlike de.


    The authority to dominate.


    Based on the amount of mana Amon channelled into his sword, he could force those weaker than him to surrender without a fight and beg for his leniency. But for stronger enemies like Carmen, while it may not be able to bring her to her knees, but it would at least give her constant difort.


    "Interesting... You''ve already assimted well with your sword."


    "..."


    Amon didn''t bother answering. He couldn''t tell her that Nyx would never reject his touch, and their assimtion rate was nearing a hundred percent.


    "But that''s not enough!"


    Carmen roared and flew over at breakneck speed. It was so fast that even Amon could barely follow her movements. Instinctively, he swung Nyx in an attempt to stop Carmen''s charge. The ck katana met the Grand Commander''s fists in an epic explosion that sent shockwaves strong enough to split the clouds. Wind currents gushed into an updraft and knocked Leon off his feet. The only reason why he wasn''t sent to the heavens was because Ascalon was lodged firmly into the ground, giving him enough weight and bnce to withstand the st.


    Leon had to take a few seconds to wipe the dust from his eyes. And when he recovered, all he could see was a broken tform with crumbling rock. The aftershock was still sending billowing winds, and at the centre of it all was a tall youth whose top had been badly tattered and burnt.


    Amon''s upper body was unveiled for the world to see, with only a sleeve and bits of his shoulder pads remaining. His physique was carved out of marble, and his abdomen showed a well-defined, symmetrical eight-pack. This was all to support his broad chest and well-developed shoulders.


    Athletic would be a poor word to describe such a perfectly trained body. There wasn''t a single wasted muscle, and all excess fat had been trimmed off long ago. It was a physique of legends, and even Leon had difficulty believing his eyes.


    But it wasn''t just the obscene body frame that caught Leon by surprise.


    After withstanding a forceful punch from the Seven Sun Carmen, there wasn''t a single injury on Amon''s body. Let alone injury, there wasn''t a scratch or abrasion... not even a mark.


    "Phew, I knew you were chiselled, but you''ve trained even further! Is it because of your little wife?"


    "... Commander, what''s the meaning of this?"


    Amon ignored Carmen''s taunts and cut straight to the point. While he could begrudingly ept a sparring session with a Knight of Carmen''s calibre, using high-level techniques like the punch she threw was clearly crossing a line. If Yval hadn''t blessed him, Amon would have been hospitalised by that single attack.


    "Oh, don''t be a crybaby!" Carmen scoffed andughed off his protest. "I know you''re much more capable than that."


    "... before we continue, I want to ask... what''s your goal?"


    "My goal? Haha, you can''t guess it by now?"


    Carmen cracked her fists and bared her fangs. "You''ve summoned a new sword, so you must synchronise with it. And what better way to synchronise with a weapon... than to use it in battle?"


    "..."


    "What fun would it be if we only used martial arts and Aura? As Sris, we should fight the Sris way."


    The Grand Commander took one step forward and summoned four Suns. However, even with just four Suns, it was enough to melt the ground and send pulsating waves flying throughout the arena, causing anyone weaker than her to experience a throbbing pain engulfing everything.


    Amon''s face visibly tightened, and his golden eyes now stared at the draconic woman, wary not to let her out of his sight.


    "Don''t worry! I''ll limit myself to the same amount of ''Suns'' you have! So don''t hesitate and throw your ''everything'' at me. I promise no one else is here to spy on us."


    "..."


    Carmen''s words hinted that she knew Amon''s hidden strength well. However, judging from how she only summoned four Suns instead of Six, she seemed under the same misunderstanding as Alrock. But at the same time, it appeared that she was also aware of Amon''s extraordinary mastery of the Sris Mystic Arts.


    s, it was a bait that Amon had to bite.


    "Leon... I hate to act as your master now, but... This is my first order to you."


    Before answering Carmen, Amon shouted to Leon, who was still ckjawed at the sparring duel. Almost instantly, Leon clicked his feet together and gave a firm salute. Without missing a beat, Amon barked his order:


    "Don''t tell anyone what you''re about to witness."


    "Y-yes, sir!"


    "... Grand Commander Carmen."


    "Hoh?"


    Bemused by the turn of events, Carmen couldn''t help but break into a wide grin. It was the first time since Amon called Carmen by her full title, and the connotations it brought sent shivers down the seasoned Sun Knight''s spine. All these years in the ck Order, Amon had never shown the true extent of his talent to her and the thought that she would be finally unveiling the mask behind the enigmatic troublemaker...


    "I will be giving my all... So please take care of the aftermath."


    It was all Amon needed to say. Four Suns orbited around the young man, enough to draw gasps from the two spectators. However, it was only the beginning.


    ''Well, I guess it works out... I''ve been using Nyx with my Lunar mana and have yet to test its limits with Sr mana. So...''


    Amon''s golden eyes sparkled with the dazzle of a shooting star. Mana surged from his inner core, and his mind focused on the Sris Mystic Arts that he had honed into his bones.


    Unaware of what wasing, Carmen could only watch Amon''s golden eyes ring at her like a falcon stalking its prey. Pointing Nyx at his boss, Amon cracked a thin smile before dering the familiar word Carmen had spouted to all her enemies.


    "Dawn."


    ???


    Four hourster.


    Carmen sat on herfy lounge chair, kicking her feet up while emptying a gourd of the world''s most aromatic wine. Staring out at the darkened sky with a rxed body, her mind wandered into the abyss, unaware that a foreign presence had entered her chambers.


    "Carmen? Carmen!"


    "Hmmm? Ah, Oswin. You''re here."


    It took a shout from her Vice-Commander to break Carmen from her daydream. Darting her eyes to the side, she gestured for herrade to take a seat, but she didn''t bother to get out of her chair. Still in between thoughts, she ignored the wizened gentleman as he made himselffortable.


    "It''s unlike you not to notice me..."


    Contrary to his alcoholic boss, Oswin preferred spicy tea. After pulling a swivel chair over, he sipped his freshly brewed tea and remarked: "Did the boy''s growth surprise you that much?"


    "..."


    The Grand Commander didn''t answer. Her golden eyes never once left the brilliance of the Moon, as if its beauty enamoured her. Oddly, she couldn''t take her eyes off the lonesome celestial body... as it reminded her of the young teen she''d just faced.


    "Oswin, you know... I''ve always thought I was born in the wrong generation."


    "Hmmm?"


    "My strength isn''t suited for an era of peace. Not to self-indulge myself, but I believe that given enough time, I would beat anyone. That monster on the throne, those bastards in white and gold, and even foreign adversaries. I believe I would defeat all of them."


    Carmen was forty-six this year and just hit her prime as a Sris Knight. Leading the ck Dragon Order, one of the most prestigious Knight Orders of the Sris House, at such a young age was a testament to her talent. Condensing Seven Suns in her forties was also a staggering aplishment, so much so that the entire Sris House eagerly hoped she could break the Eight Suns barrier that had eluded them for generations.


    "But I now realise... What a fool I was... There''s always a mountain higher."


    ''Amon... that boy... What did he do?!''


    Oswin was smiling on the outside, but internally, he was panicking. To make the arrogant Carmen Sris, the most talented and mighty Knight of his generation, admit defeat!


    "I''d thought I would be helping him synchronise with his sword... but as it turned out, he was helping me instead. I still have much to learn as a Sris Knight."


    "... much to learn?"


    "That brat, he mastered all nine Mystic Arts."


    CRACK!!!


    Oswin dropped his piping hot teacup and saucer on the floor, causing it to shatter into dozens of pieces. Yet, neither Carmen nor Oswin reacted. Carmen stared nkly out the window while her Vice-Commander froze on the spot with tea dripping down his fingers.


    There were nine publicly known Sris Mystic Arts, each with unique capabilities. Some specialised in offence, others in defence, and some were purely auxiliary.


    It wasmon for a Sris Knight to master one to three. A good one could learn up to four. An excellent one may master five to six. Masters such as Carmen and the other Grand Commanders would, at best, master seven or eight of the Sris Mystic Arts.


    But to master all nine?


    It was nigh impossible.


    Learning was one thing, but mastering a Sris Mystic Art took decades. It was like learning multiple subjects in school. Learning them at the base level was simple, but as the level increased, so did the difficulty. Eventually, Sris Knights would choose which Mystic Arts to specialise in, and that alone was an admirable feat.


    As for mastering all nine Sris Mystic Arts?


    That was only reserved for the best of each generation. Alrock was one exception, and his son, Lucas, was another. And now... there came another.


    "T-T-That''s... impossible... Isn''t he eighteen?"


    "..."


    No answer came. The silence in the Commander''s office was deafening, and it was only broken after Carmen heaved out a huge sigh. She raised her right fist over her face and watched it tremble, not by excitement or fear, but due to the injury, she''d sustained sparring against a mere True Knight less than half her age.


    Cracking into a smile, she said:


    "That''s why I''m d... d to be born in this era."