《Legend of the Sword God》


 Prologue

    Prologue


    It was late in the night, and a dull red moon can be seen glowing clearly in the sky. A young man, dressed in leather armor, cape and carrying 2 swords sat silently in front of a flickering campfire. As he silently watched the flickering campfire, he recalls that nightmare from his childhood. The night when all he saw was fire. The night where blood rained all around him. The night that he lost everything he cared for.


    It was the same night sky, where the dull red moon glowed clearly in the sky. Under that glow, was a large estate. To its people, such a peaceful dull red night meant that it¡¯s time to sleep. While the people started to blow out their lanterns and snuff their glowstones one by one, the estate guards continue to maintain their vigilance. Even of such a night, the guards never relaxed.


    However, as the time to change shift came, a few silent arrows pierced through the heads of the changing guards. Immediately thereafter, a group of people wearing entirely black outfits quickly scaled the walls and caught the falling dead guards. These men quickly moved on and silently eliminated the remaining guards around their objective: the estate¡¯s front gates.


    Everything proceeded to quietly that even the lord of the estate who was sitting in his studies did not notice anything, for he can see the gates from there. Out of habit, he glanced at the gate, to check if the night guards were slacking off. Upon seeing that there were people in black rather than the usual grey, he knew something was off.


    ¡°Theodore! Rouse everyone! I will get my family!¡± the lord shouted. Theodore, the elderly butler who was standing guard outside the study affirmed his orders and dashed off at a speed not befitting his age. The lord has already reached his own room and roused his beloved wife.


    ¡°What happened, Janus?¡± the beauty asked. She was already awake from his shouting and seemed prepared to take action.


    ¡°It seems that our enemies have decided to destroy us tonight, Miyuki.¡± Janus replied hurriedly while he quickly put on his equipment. He quickly put on every piece of his armor with the ease, as he had worn this suit of armor ever since his younger days.


    After putting on his helmet, he nodded to Miyuki, showing her his resolve and determination. Miyukiran towards the rooms of their three children after seeing this, knowing that she would probably never see Janus anymore. While she ran, Janus brandished his sword, and rushed to the front of the large manor.


    Here all the brave men and women of the estate are gathered, all fully equipped to the teeth, ready to fight to the death. There was a total of 3561 people here, ranging from simple warriors to mages and even a single lich. This estate accepted all sorts of people as long as they follow the laws, which were effective, as various residents offered their services to Janus in return for a nice home to return to. Janus was satisfied that there were many who have come to his aid.


    ¡°My friends! The enemy of my clan have come forth in great numbers to destroy us, for they see us as a threat. They believe I will cower and surrender to them with such a show of force! However, I will not yield! For generations, our clan has upheld the principles of our ancestor, the Supreme Sword Saint Valius Glavo, and never held any wild ambition. However, it seems that our strength and influence have made them fear us to the point of wanting to destroy us! So my friends, if you wish to flee, go on. For all of you were never part of the clan!¡± Janus spoke loudly to all who were present.


    ¡°For Lord Janus who treated us well, we would be willing to die!¡± a man is his 40s wielding a trident shouted out. This was followed by all others, for they have lived a good life here and had known that the Glavo Clan were upright and honorable.


    Upon hearing and seeing this scene, Janus laughed and brandished his sword, letting them know that the time for battle is nigh.


    This entire band of brave souls stood in front of the manor, waiting for the enemy army to come. Janus could only offer prayers to the poor residents who were being slaughtered as the enemy armies make their way to the manor. However, he still stood straight with his sword out, ready to slaughter all before him.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Soon enough, the ground rumbled as a large cavalry troop appeared in front of the group, stopping far enough for a charge. Heavy infantry surged from within their formation, forming a wall in front of the cavalry. It is apparent that their commanders are no fools to send the cavalry to death. Even so, more troops have arrived, including mages and small siege weapons. A man in golden armor riding atop a great warhorse appeared and spoke.


    ¡°Janus Glavo, Head of the Glavo Clan! I am General Ju Hwang Geum of the Baedal Kingdom and Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Alliance! Here and now, you and your clan shall be executed for conspiring against the various sovereign states and for blasphemy and heresy against the Great Holy Church of Eternal Light. Surrender peacefully and your executions will be quick and painless. Resist and you shall suffer torturous death!¡± Hwang Geum said in a loud and dignified tone.


    Hearing this, Janus smirked and looked back at his friends. All of them showed that they are ready to die, for they knew that just by being associated with the Glavo Clan meant that they would be killed in the end. Seeing this, Janus roared loudly, shocking the Alliance troops and shaking their spirits. Even General Ju Hwang Geum was stunned by this form of reply, as he never thought that the Head of the Glavo Clan is a man unafraid of such pressure and threat of the Alliance and the Church of Eternal Light.


    Janus charged forth and cut through the heavy infantry with ease, proving his strength and skills as a descendant of the Supreme Sword Saint. All the others followed suit and began their attacks in earnest. The close range adventurers charged with no hesitation, the mages began casting various spells one after another, and the lich kept summoning one undead after another to even the odds. This caused the soldiers to feel some dread and panic, especially when they see how Janus easily sliced through them like butter.


    Hwang Geum frowned and ordered all units to attack, while he fired off a magic orb into the sky. In a short while, more reinforcements arrived and began bolstering the weakened formations to prevent the entire group from breaking through. This was all they need to do, as their respective champions have arrived and began to ferociously attack the group.


    The champions quickly gained upper hand on the ragtag group, as they themselves have been equipped with various rare artifacts provided by their respective countries and the Church. However, despite this, Janus managed to kill 3 champions before being fully tied down. Soon enough, he was restricted by various means, be it physical or mental. This signaled the end for the ragtag group, as the champions proceeded to either kill or bind them.


    While Janus fought off the Alliance army, Miyuki ran with her three children. Hearing the shouts of the Alliance men, she knew it would be a matter of time that they were caught. She looked at her beloved children and hardened her heart.


    ¡°Children, run ahead while I distract those soldiers! Julius, you are the eldest, you must take care of Irene and Kensei!¡± Miyuki whispered to them. The three of them showed faces of despair and sadness, as they knew clearly how it would end. Seeing this Miyuki could only cry in her heart, knowing full well she would probably never see them again.


    Miyuki dashed in another direction as fast as she could, and started shouting to attract the pursuers. The three children also started running when they heard her shouting, and ran as fast as they can. However the pursuers were clearly professionals, as they split up into 2 groups and began the chase for both Miyuki and the three children. Sure enough, Miyuki was caught and bound, and brought back to the Alliance camp.


    The children kept running, but they can hear the pursuers getting close. It was then that Julius and Irene looked at each other and nodded, with Julius proceeding to knock out Kensei. They placed him in a hole that would not be noticed unless it was bright and ran off to fight the pursuers. They might be young, but they are trained in the sword by their elders and father, and are more than capable. Needless to say however, more pursuers had joined and were able to capture the two after some casualties.


    By the time Kensei woke up, it was daytime, and the Grand Alliance have dispersed, returning to the Holy Church¡¯s headquarters. Kensei climbed out of the hole and understood what had happened. Realizing he is the only one left, he started to walk calmly and swore that he shall have vengeance.


    After this, he found a cabin in good condition and lived there alone. He also found that there were a village and town nearby and traded with them by hunting down beast and monster parts. None thought to question him much since he was always stating that his father was always out training or hunting. He also saw the magic screen in the village showing the public execution of his family and friends. Although he showed nothing on his face, his fists clenched till they bled. As he looked at the screen, he remembered every single face of the perpetrators, marking them for death in the future.


    And now five years have passed, Kensei, the young man staring at the campfire, was fifteen now. He have grown stronger, and adopted a different name to hide from the world. He stood up, put out the fire and begun walking in the direction of the nearest town.


    It is time to begin.


    It is time for vengeance.

 Chapter 1: Ultima Academy

    Chapter 1: Ultima Academy


    It was still early in the night, when Kensei reached s small town. He immediately headed towards a relatively cheap inn and rented a room to stay the night. There was only a small problem in which the owner was suspicious of how 14 year old would roam about in the wilds, but decided that earning more money was important.


    Kensei entered the average looking room and removed his cloak. Sitting down, he touched an unremarkable black ring on his left index finger, from which a gray book appeared. The black was was actually a rare World Dimension Ring, of which is said to contain a small mini world of it¡¯s own. It is capable of sustaining life, and a small number of people can live in it for their entire lifetime without any danger. It was given to him by his father, since he was the most talented out of his generation. He had always tried to give it to Julius or Irene, but both rejected, saying he would need it the most. Looking at the ring now, he believed they had great foresight to force him to keep it.


    Now he turned his attention to the unassuming gray book, which was titled ¡®Divine Speed Style¡¯. Though the name seems lacking, it is the original swordplay style created and used by the Supreme Sword Saint Valius Glavo, his ancestor. It was a style that emphasizes on using speed and perception to kill the enemy in the fastest way possible. However, as it has various skills and stances unique to it, Kensei had to rework the every single thing he learned into a different style. This was done to hide the fact that he was the last remaining descendant of the Glavo Clan.


    As he flipped through the book, he continued to memorize important points of each and every single move, training his mind at the same time. After awhile, he closed the book and kept it in the ring and began practicing. He trained the unarmed techniques that were brought in from his mother¡¯s clan, as the room was too small for sword training. These techniques were apparently one of the few techniques that were considered important for building a strong and solid foundation for both the body and manipulation of energies. He never really knew the clan his mother had come from as he was just a young child, thus he never knew how important these techniques were. Even so, from the time he could start practice, both his mother and father drilled the basics of both the unarmed and sword techniques into his mind.


    At first, he had no idea why his mother emphasized on sensing his own body every time he trained. He never knew until four years ago when he actually felt faint traces of energy moving within him according to his techniques. Excited by such a mysterious change, he went on to practice the techniques more intensely and actually gained a basic understanding of energy manipulation. It was only a year ago after reading through the manuals stored in his ring, that what he manipulated, was called inner energy. It was recorded that grandmasters can even go as far as manipulate the inner energy of other people with ease, either harming or helping them. However, most users can at most use it to increase their combat abilities, by hardening their bodies and be used as a form of air cannon and so on.


    This has led to him wondering if it can be applied to weapons, and he tried many a times on his sword, with each time ending in failure. Thus he had given up on inner energy infusion until he was able to grasp a more deeper understanding of this mysterious ability. As of now, he can sense that his inner energy has synchronized with hi body, as he can see his own body glowing faintly in the dim room. After going through the techniques a few more time, he decided to go to sleep.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Morning came and Kensei went down for breakfast. After a plain breakfast, he went on his way and walked north. As he walked on, he began to sense several killing intents forming ahead. Soon enough he saw a group of rough men hanging about the road waiting for someone to come. He walked on without any regard to their glares and as he tried to walk pass them, a burly man steps in front of him.


    ¡°Brat, what are ya doing out here all alone? There are bandits all over the place who will just gut ya and take ya stuff. So for your sake, give me all your stuff for safekeeping!¡± the burly man said with a sneer.


    ¡°If you wanna live, better let me move on. I am in a hurry.¡± Kensei replied in a rather threatening tone. This made the burly man and his gang laugh.


    ¡°Alright then!¡± the burly man shouted as he swung his axe horizontally. Kensei jumped before the axe made contact and landed shortly behind the burly man. Angered, the man turned and raised his axe for another attack, but he suddenly stopped. His fellow bandits looked at him in confusion and his head suddenly dropped down with no warning. This shocked all the bandits, as they could only stare at the now dead burly man.


    ¡°Kill the brat!¡± one of them shouted and charged towards Kensei. Kensei drew his sword and began to unleash incredibly fast slashes, instantly killing 3 bandits who were charging at him at the same time. Another 3 more surrounded him and and charged at him from three different directions. Kensei jumped up at the last moment and killed all 3 by slicing their heads before landing.


    ¡°Brat! Looks like you are some genius, but against me you will just die!¡± a tall bandit who have been watching from the side said. He thrust a spear out at Kensei aiming for his heart. Kensei deflected the spear and slashed the tall man¡¯s stomach. The tall man clutched at the wound with surprised and fell on his knees, looking at Kensei. Kensei immediately decapitated him and kept the tall man¡¯s head.


    Kensei recognized this bandit, as his wanted posters were everywhere. Vignor Mares was his name, and he was a deserter with 7 others. They deserted the army and became bandits in this area, as the kingdom have not been able to maintained peace due to ongoing wars. After he cleaned himself up at the nearby river, he continued on until he reached a city.


    The guards stopped him and asked to check his identity. Kensei frowned ans showed the head of Vignor, to which the guards showed surprise. One of them led him to their captain.


    ¡°Well done lad! I was hoping to catch the bastard, but looks like you got there first!¡± the captain exclaimed.


    ¡°I just happened to run into them. Thought I was easy prey.¡± Kensei replied.


    ¡°And they paid the price for it. Well, here is 25 Gold for killing his entire band and getting his head.¡± The captain said as he handed over a small bag of gold. Kensei took the bag carefully as he has only enough money to last him for a few weeks. The captained suddenly gazed at Kensei with interest.


    ¡°How old are you lad?¡± he asked.


    ¡°14 this year, and I am also an orphan.¡± Kensei replied.


    ¡°14 years old and already this strong! You are talented for sure, and my condolences for your loss. Must have been hard.¡± the captain said with a tinge of sadness.


    ¡°Not at all, I have always been independent.¡± Kensei replied quickly.


    ¡°I see. However, are you interested in going to Ultima Academy?¡± the captain asked with curiousity. Kensei did not reply, showing a confused expression.


    ¡°Looks like you really have no idea. Listen, Ultima Academy is a large academy north of this city, 2 weeks away by carriage. It is larger than this city and is also a neutral location. Everyone is allowed to study, though their status sort of determines what is available to them. However, exceptional talents are granted scholarships, more than enough to cover the tuition costs of almost any courses they have there. With your talent, I am sure you can get in easily. So, are you interested?¡± he explained and asked. Kensei pondered for a bit and seemed to be enlightened.


    ¡°Guess I will go there and try it out.¡± Kensei said. The captain nodded, a smile appearing on his face.


    ¡°Good, you can rest in a spare room on the 2nd floor tonight. Tomorrow, one of my men will bring you to the caravan headed towards the academy at the North Gate. Oh, and welcome to the city of Bose.¡± the captained said. Kensei replied with gratitude and went to sleep in one of the spare rooms.


    Tomorrow, he will begin a journey, one where he would meet new people who would stand by his side. This will be where his legend begins.

 Chapter 2: Shocking Entrance Exercise

    Chapter 2: Shocking Entrance Exercise


    The next moring, Kensei woke up early and did his routine morning training. Shortly after, he took a quick bath and made sure he had everything on him. Soon, a guard came to escort him to Bose¡¯s North Gate. Upon reaching the North Gate, Kensei noticed a that the caravan was relatively large, at least 200 people can be seen waiting around. The guard let him know which carriage he will be in and returned to the South Gate.


    Kensei went to report to the caravan leader, a man in his mid-forties, and settled down in his carriage. The carriage was only average, but comfortable enough for a long journey. It was large enough for 4 people to sleep with some extra space, providing some degree of comfort for sleeping. As Kensei observed the insides of the carriage, he noticed that there was only one other person, a young girl who looks to be the age of fifteen.


    She had clear green eyes which were neither large nor small, and her skin was pearl white, as if she has never been in the sun before. Kensei was surprised for a bit before he simply sat down and begin to meditate. The girl, who was reading a book, looked up and took a short look at Kensei before returning to her book. Both of them did not say anything as they waited for the caravan to set off.


    One hour later, the leader announced that the caravan shall move on to Ultima Academy, which would take 2 weeks. Having just left the city, the road was peaceful. Despite this, it is known that some monsters and beasts roam about in the lands surrounding the great academy city, which in turn provided an ideal location for training the future generations of adventurers and soldiers.


    After three days out from the city, the caravan guards began to maintain a strict routine of scouting for enemies, to ensure that no monsters and beasts threaten the safety of the caravan. The caravan leader, whose name was Volk as Kensei heard during the previous night, was a veteran soldier. After he retired, he decided to work as a bodyguard, and ended up becoming a caravan leader due to his experience and knowledge. Throughout the trip he maintained his own vigil, and has thus far yet to sense any threat.


    For the past few days, Kensei has been either meditating or training his sword. Though he had modified how the Divine Speed Style looks like, he also trained in another style, handed down from his mother¡¯s clan. Kamikaze Oni-ryuu, a powerful style that emphasizes on being fast and accurate, was a style that his mother told him that could help him in further understanding inner energy infusion. Training in this style has given him additional insights in using inner energy for his body, allowing him to have a physical advantage.


    A week out from Bose, the caravan had actually encountered a few monsters. As there were few, they posed little threat to the guards, thus there was no danger. As they continued on, the howl of a wolf could be heard, making the guards feel more alert. Volk shouted for the guards to ready their weapons, as he felt that howl he head was familiar. Soon enough the caravan stopped suddenly.


    Those who were in the carriages were curious and looked out. Most of them wished they hadn¡¯t, as they saw a large group of black wolves. The wolves are large, on par to that of an average human adult. Their leader the alpha was even larger, with scars over his body as proof of his strength. He barked out three times and even more wolves came out from the sides and the rear of the caravan.


    ¡°Damn it! It¡¯s Black Dire Wolves! Looks like 500 of them!¡± Volk cursed in frustration. He had encountered these wolves before while still serving and knew that the wolves while still amongst the weakest of beasts and monsters, are still terrifying when they come in large enough numbers. He drew his great sword and shouted to the guard to prepare for battle.


    Some of the passengers came out and drew their own weapons, while others took out their stave or staffs to prepare magic. The green eyed girl took out a stave and prepared to chant her magic, while Kensei prepared a katana, as he decided to use the Kamikaze Oni-ryuu to minimize any chances of people knowing his true identity. The rest of the passengers hid in the carriages as they could not fight and have no way of supporting these brave men and women.


    The alpha gave out a large howl and all the wolves started charging at the caravan crazily. Spells were chanted and flew towards the wolves killing several of them, while some arrows also hit their mark. Soon the wolves reach melee range and the melee fighters were engaged. As the battle dragged on, a few of the guards and passengers began to suffer injuries, and 3 of the guards have been killed. Volk took noticed but could not do anything as 7 wolves engaged him, forcing him to be on the defensive. The alpha wolf suddenly let out a loud howl and the wolves by his side also charged in. Volk¡¯s face paled, as these wolves are the next strongest ones after the alpha, and knew that he end would come.


    Suddenly a small figure appeared out of nowhere and kill 4 wolves that were engaging Volk. Stunned, Volk took a look at who it was, and it was Kensei who he picked up at Bose. Kensei moved very quickly, and slashed at the wolves before they could even make their attacks. He had actually killed his way from the right flank, cutting through the wolves there and flanking the wolves in front of Volk. Due to this, the right flank of the caravan was out of danger, and all the fighters were able to focus more on the rear and left flank.


    The beta wolves closed in on Kensei, who faced them with his katana out.Seeing this, Volk quickly killed off the wolves attacking him and ran to the youth¡¯s aid. As he ran, he saw Kensei dodging the beta wolves¡¯ attacks and killing them while doing so, making him surprised. Kensei was dealing them in an efficient manner, as he accurately slashed the weak points of the wolves. Soon enough, the beta wolves were no more, every single one of them have been killed by Kensei¡¯s katana.


    The alpha, seeing this was angered and howled loudly, which prompted the remaining wolves to stop attacking and back off. Everyone was surprised at this sudden movement, and looked at the alpha. The alpha wolf walked and stopped a few meters away from Kensei and growled a challenge. Kensei understood what the alpha wolf meant and sheathed his katana, shifting into a drawing stance. The alpha wolf shifted into position and prepared to charge towards Kensei, killing intent shining in it¡¯s eyes.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The atmosphere became even more tense as both of them stared at each other, waiting for the right moment to attack. By coincidence, a leaf fell in between them and caused them to charge at each other at the same time. In that instant, they passed each other with blade and claw out. A claw mark appeared on Kensei¡¯s right arm, prrof that he could not fully evade this attack. Blood suddenly spurted out from the alpha¡¯s neck and the alpha fell down, nothing more than a corpse now. The remaining wolves immediately began to run away, seeing that their leaders have died.


    The remaining members of the caravan heaved a sigh of relief, having managed to have escape such a dangerous situation. Everyone rested for a few hours to patch up and make sure that everything is accounted for. Volk had the slain guards¡¯ bodies stored in a special Dimension Ring meant for bodies, which was a common practice all over the world. Once everything was settled they continued on their way to Ultima Academy.


    For the rest of the way they had no further encounters, as they neared the academy city. Finally the caravan saw that Ultima Academy was in sight. Everyone could see that the academy city was incredibly large, the walls alone were 60 meters tall. The gates were golden in color, runes can be seen lining every inch to further reinforce it¡¯s integrity and the guards were all heavy armored knights in employment of the academy itself. Pass the gate, most of the passengers gasped as it was their first time here and they could see how beautiful the architecture used for the academy was. Some of the more scholarly ones were able to discern that some building were a combination of the various countries or culture present in the world.


    Soon, they reached an inn that was prepared for the youths in the caravan to stay in, as they would be going through the entrance exercise. The academy knights took note of every youth that entered and halted Kensei, as he was not on their list. One of them touched Kensei¡¯s arm and could tell that he was within the eligible age, as many people have tried to bluff their way in for various reasons.


    ¡°Lad, since you aren¡¯t on the list, you have to pay 10 Gold and 10 Silvers for both the inn and the entrance exercise.¡± The knight who checked him said. Kensei sighed at this, as this was almost all the money that he have on him. He took it a small bag and handed it to the knight, who then instructed the others to deliver the money to the respective parties involved. The knight asked Kensei for his name, to which he replied Ken Masamune. The knight wasn¡¯t surprised as this name, as there were many Far Eastern clans that even operate here. He led Kensei in and told the innkeeper about this and went out to continue his duties. Kensei settled in his room which was actually a lot better that the one he stayed in Bose. He decided to meditate and get ready for the entrance exercise the next day, as he wanted to be in the best condition to get the scholarship. When night, he went to sleep with a peace of mind.


    As the sun rose up, Kensei woke up and prepared himself for the entrance exercise. Leaving the inn with the other youths, a group of knights brought them to a huge plaza. Within this plaza, one can see all the various testing tents set up in a neat and orderly manner. There were easily more than 200 of these tents, as there were a few thousand people who seek to enter this prestigious academy. As the participants waited for the exercise to begin, an old man walked up a platform that was in front of them.


    ¡°Welcome to Ultima Academy, you young children, hopes of the future. Today is the day where you will all get the chance to join this academy to learn from some of the best in the world. Today you will see if you have the talent to join this academy and grow. With that being said, every single one of you will take every single test here, for you may have talents that even you nor you family knew. So I wish you all the best!¡± the old man said in a not so loud voice.


    Soon the exercise began and everyone milled about that the tests. As for Kensei, he also took all the tests, and the first test was magic affinity. In front of him was a translucent orb, and the middle-aged mage in front of him told him to simply touch the orb and try to infuse it with his mental energy. Kensei replied that he could not and asked for the mage to help him, as he never had any sort of training for mages. The mage wasn¡¯t surprised and instead guided his mental energy, which he made neutral, through Kensei¡¯s left shoulder. The orb began to glow and something was formed inside. One could see a golden lightning raging in the orb, threatening to actually destroy it. The mages seeing this were stunned and prepared to stop their colleague when the lightning changed to a great wind. At this point, they were shocked, as they realized that this kid has a double affinity. The orb glowed various colors that indicated average affinity for the other elements and types of magic, and became translucent once more.


    After the mages quickly recovered from their shock, they wrote down the results and told Kensei to move on to the next test. Kensei was puzzled as to why they did not tell him his results and took a peek at the paper handed to him. It stated that his Lightning affinity was grade S, Wind affinity was grade A and the rest were C. This actually made him surprised, as he never knew he had such potential. He closed the paper and moved on, handing the paper to the next examiner.


    This test was for mental energy, the examiner told him to relax as he will need to actually probe into his mind to test out his mental energy. Kensei frowned, but the examiner assured him that no memories will be read, as that requires a grandmaster level of mental energy and training to do so. Kensei relaxed and subconsciously entered into meditation, and the examiner begin to check his mental energy talent. As he entered Kensei¡¯s mind, he saw an incredible whirpool of mental energy, along with a vast ocean of it, shocking him out of Kensei¡¯s mind. The amount of mental energy he saw, was probably accumulation from that whirlpool, meaning that it has been building up until now. This was a rare talent in mental energy! The examiner marked his paper and sent him to the next test without saying his results. Kensei looked at the paper and it stated grade A talent, which made him wonder.


    Before he could ponder, he reached to next test, which tested the combat talent with weapons. The examiner was a knight, who told him to choose a weapon. Kensei simply took out his katana and entered into a ready stance. The knight was surprised and smiled, readying his sword. Both sides attacked at the same time, and clashed their blades into each other. Within 10 seconds, both of their blades have clashed at least 20 times and stopped short before each other¡¯s vital areas. The knight was stunned, his eyes wide open at this young boy.


    ¡°You are a true talent! Needless to say, I would give you a S for this test! Carry on!¡± the knight spoke happily. Kensei bowed in gratitude and moved on. The last few tests showed his talents in other areas to be either average or just above average. By the end of the day, Everyone has been through the tests and it could be seen that some had not made it, as they were showing depressed faces. The old man from earlier had all of them return to their inn, as tomorrow will be their admission day.


    Upon returning, Kensei washed up and lay on his bed. He wondered about the results he had seen, and wonder why he has talents that he did not think would be related to his clan. However, fatigue washed over him and he fell asleep. Tomorrow is another big day.

 Chapter 3: Generation of Geniuses

    Chapter 3: Generation of Geniuses


    It was the day after the exercise, and Kensei woke up early to head for the administration office. Upon reaching there he saw that there were at least a few hundred other boys and girls like him going through the admission process. When his turn came, he was able to finish the forms provided quickly, as he has nothing much to write as an orphan. Once completed, a pretty cat-girl led him to his living quarters.


    It was located only 10 minutes away from the main campus buildings, and looked like a work of art itself. His room was at the 3rd floor at the end of the hallway, and was marked with a purple crystal. The cat-girl gave him his room key and reminded him that he could always call the administration at any time for help. Kensei nodded and entered the room, only to be stunned by it¡¯s appearance. It was a private room with it¡¯s own facilities and was furnished with furniture that you would only expect to find in manors of high nobles. From this he could tell that he was getting special treatment, and that he even probably gotten the scholarship.


    Course registration will begin tomorrow, so as to allow all the new students to settle. Kensei decided to use this time to think through on how he should proceed from here on out as he knew that he was showing how much talent he has. Having gone through the extermination of his clan, he understood how dangerous those with supreme talent can be. With this in mind, he has to tone down in his talent for the sword, since he might reveal that he was a survivor from that fateful night.


    With nothing much to do now, he decided to just explore his surroundings. He noted that his dormitory is mainly catered for male geniuses, and was as high as five story. And jus nearby was the main campus building, which was majestic. It was practically a castle, with large windows at regular intervals for the corridors. There was another castle next to it, slightly smaller in size and have smaller windows. This was the main library of the academy, containing thousands of books, scrolls, maps and even poems. This massive collection is heavily protected by many layers of securities and various types of defenses. One can see that there are guard statues and sigils all over the main campus area, protecting all within.


    Kensei sighed at seeing all this, as such protection could have allowed his clan to survive. However, such thoughts are useless as he walked towards the library. Casting aside these thoughts, he entered the library to see what it has to offer. Seeing him wearing a student badge, the guards let him pass through. He marveled at the large size of this library, and see hundreds of people, young and old, moving about. He found a catalog and looked through to see what books he could find. Much to his delight, he was able to find books pertaining to mental energy and basic magic. If he wanted to be more stronger, he would need to use whatever he has at his disposal. He went around and managed to gather a stack of six books which he have decided on. He decided to borrow these books for three months as he believed he would need only that much time to at least read finish them all. Once done, he returned to his dormitory to start reading.


    Reading until it was dark, Kensei decided to turn in for the night. As he slept, he continued to dream of that bloody night, as it will continue to haunt him until he finally gets vengeance. As soon as the sun rose up, Kensei woke up with a cold sweat. After washing up and wearing his clothes, he headed for the administration building straightaway. Entering the building, he found an open counter to begin registering for courses that he could take. He noted that there were a few courses that are mandatory, while the rest are up to him. The choices given to him where very much tailored to his talents, showing how the academy nurture its students.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Aside from the mandatory ones, he signed for a few courses. They were ¡®Advanced Swordsmanship¡¯, ¡®Basic Thunder and Lightning Magic¡¯, ¡®Basic Wind Magic¡¯ and ¡®Foundational Mental Energy¡¯. He has little worry about swordsmanship, as he wanted to make less impression with it. The other three were for him to build up knowledge and learn more skills that he could use in the future. Especially mental energy, as he has no inkling on how to use it. With his courses chosen, he went off to check out all the other facilities.


    After an hour, he managed to find the training grounds and decided to start practicing his sword skills. Practicing the Kamikaze Oni-ryuu, allowed him to further understand inner energy infusion and control. As he continued to practice, he became more and more immersed in the movements. Soon, people who came here to practice or were just simply passing by, saw this young boy practicing peculiar movements with his sword. With each and every move, a gentle breeze would come out and pass through those nearer to him. He suddenly stopped, as he suddenly understood something from this trance. He immediately ran back to his dorm, startling everyone present. Discussion flew everywhere about Kensei, especially the youths from the Eastern Region. They felt that his sword moves were infused with some concepts that were common in their Eastern style of swordplay. Before long, Everyone went back to what they were doing.


    Kensei locked the door after reaching his room and began to meditate. After 2 hours of meditation, he opened his eyes, and smiled. He had began to grasp what he believes to be an understanding of energy flow. He felt that he had actually, for that period of time, managed to use the energy of nature around him. After feeling that moment of clarity, he looked at the time and realized that it was late. He quickly washed up and went to sleep as tomorrow is the first actual day of the first semester.


    On the next day, Kensei got everything ready and went for his mandatory courses. Upon entering his classroom, he saw that there were 35 boys and girls of the same age as him engaged in all sorts of interaction. What surprised him was that the girl with green eyes was in the same class as him. Seeing as the seat beside her was empty, he simply sat down and started reading a book on magic.


    ¡°Hiya, I¡¯m Souji Shimazu, pleased to meet ya!¡± a boy with black hair approached him and spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m Ken Masamune, and am likewise pleased to meet you.¡± Kensei replied.


    ¡°What about you miss?¡± Souji inquired the girl.


    ¡°Sheryl Glace¡± she replied with a rather cold tone.


    Unable to make her talk any further, Souji made conversation with Kensei. Shortly after, the bells rang, signifying the first lesson. A gaunt man in his forties enter and addressed the class.


    ¡°Boys and girls, welcome to your first day of the first semester here in Ultima Academy. I am the teacher who will be in charge of this class, Abraham Ghent. For the entirety of your first year, I will be teaching all your mandatory courses. All classes are arranged by age and talent, meaning that all of you are of the same age here. However, in terms of talent, your class is the top of your age! Thusly, you are all known as Fourteen Alpha, Fourteen being your age and Alpha being your talent rankings. With all that said, we shall begin our lessons for the day!¡± the man spoke in a scholarly tone.


    After hearing what the teacher said, Kensei decided to be more careful in interacting with others. He definitely wouldn¡¯t want to be targeted and killed just because he made friends with the children of those from the Grand Alliance. He sighed inwardly, as he knows his days are gonna be rather chaotic in the foreseeable future.

 Chapter 4: The beginnings of friendship and enmity

    Chapter 4: The beginnings of friendship and enmity


    After the mandatory lessons have ended, Kensei went to the training hall for his swordplay lessons. Upon arriving, Kensei went towards the advanced swordplay class, to which made several heads turn. Some sneered at him, while some looked at him with disdain. No one said anything as the instructors are around.


    The instructor for this class was a well-built man in his early 40s. He has a sharp gaze and aura, making people around him feel like he was a sword rather than a human. When his gaze landed on Kensei, he actually smiled. Unlike his students, he can see that Kensei has already surpassed most of his peers here, judging by the way Kensei moved. As an instructor, there is little that he could teach Kensei, as he guessed they were on par. Without waiting any further, he decided to start the lesson.


    ¡°Alright brats, welcome to the advanced swordplay lesson. Here we will learn more advanced techniques used by swordsmen and there will be more mock duels. These mock duels are to train your reflexes further and let you hone your skills. For today, you will all be having mock duels, so pick a partner and start. The duel ends if one submits, or have been injured. So you may now begin!¡± the instructor spoke loudly.


    As everyone started to find a partner to duel with, Kensei saw a girl who seemed lost and went to ask her. Before he could reach the girl however, he was blocked off by a 16 year old young man. One can tell from his bearing that he was a young noble, especially with the way he held his head high. Some snickered at his action, while others only sighed. The instructor watch with some interest, as you wants to see how Kensei would deal with this situation.


    ¡°Hey brat, you sure you are in the right class? You look like you have never even held your sword before. How about let me teach you?¡± the young noble asked in an arrogant tone.


    ¡°No thanks.¡± Kensei replied coldly, as he knew this young noble probably want to teach him a lesson. As he turned around, the young noble suddenly slashed his sword forward at Kensei. Even though this attack was sudden, Kensei was already well-trained, and instinctively drew out his katana to block the move.


    When both blades meet, the young noble was surprised. He never would have thought that a brat younger than him by 2 years would have such instincts. The young noble quickly regained his composure and launched a flurry of slashes at Kensei, hoping to overwhelm him with both speed and strength. Kensei only smirked seeing this, as he quickly parried every single slash without missing a single one. This time, not only the young noble was shocked by this, even the surrounding students and staff have all been stunned by this scene. One has to know that the young noble was quite accomplished for his age in swordplay, and that few of his age could match him.


    ¡°Wolf Fangs!¡± the young noble shouted out his move, as he has now been angered by being unable to teach this brat a lesson. His came down quickly like a pair of wolf fangs, aimed at Kensei¡¯s shoulders. In that single instant, Kensei had suddenly disappeared in front of the young noble, only to suddenly appear behind him. The instructor¡¯s eyes became wide, as this was a rarely used skill in swordplay. The young noble realized he missed and suddenly fainted. Some of the students and all the instructors saw that very move, and were stunned, as that was a move that no novice can pull off.


    Kensei sheathed his katana and checked that the youth did not receive any another injury other than some bruises from the blunt edge. Satisfied, he went to the instructor, as he believed that he has broken some rules.


    ¡°Ken, from today on you have no need to participate this class. I will look for a better instructor for you.¡± the instructor told Kensei with a grin. Hearing this, Kensei was at a loss and wondered if this was a good thing or a bad thing. He left the grounds as there was no longer any need for him to be taking part of the lessons anymore. Returning to his room, he decided to try and read finish all the books that are still lying about.


    Meanwhile, the instructor knocked a gray door. The door opened and and lady who looked to be in her 30s came out dressed in a casual attire. She was a raven-haired beauty, with her hair reaching her shoulders, and her eyes were sky blue in color.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    ¡°What is it, Castor?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I found a genius for you to teach, Marianne¡± Castor the instructor told her in a happy tone.


    ¡°Really!? How young is he or she?¡± Marianne inquired.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t believe it, but he is only 14 and he just managed to defeat a relatively talented young noble 2 years his senior!¡± Castor exclaimed. Marianne was surprised at this piece of news and her eyes glimmered.


    ¡°Interesting. Castor, what¡¯s his background?¡± Marianne asked after thinking for a bit.


    ¡°As far as I know, he is an orphan with no known connections to anybody or any where.¡± Castor replied without hesitation. This put Marianne into thinking a bit more, before she looked up with a resolute face.


    ¡°I will train this kid. He will inherit my schools anti-magic swordplay!¡± Marianne said in a serious manner, her eyes glimmering with determination. Castor nodded and went off.


    Kensei attended the remaining lessons for the day and turned in. The next day he woke up and saw a letter in the rooms letter box. After opening and reading the content, he was pleasantly surprised that he will be having private lessons with an esteemed instructor, and he will report to her after lunch. Part of him felt excited, while another part felt cautious, as he have no idea if the instructor have served in the Grand Alliance before. He headed to class as per usual and ate lunch after the lessons. Afterward, he headed to the second floor of the training hall. As he walked to the second floor, the young noble saw him.


    ¡°Just you wait brat! I, Tiberius Decimus, will take care of you in the future!¡± the young noble said loudly enough for Kensei to hear. Kensei simply ignored him and went up to the second floor and entered one of the training rooms. The young noble was livid with hatred and went off to train with the class.


    After entering, Kensei saw that his instructor was a raven-haired beauty. He could tell that he was definitely not her match at all, especially since she was releasing such a sharp aura. He bowed respectfully to her, a reflex taught in his early childhood. Marianne was a bit startled by this gesture and smiled warmly, knowing that Kensei has actually shown her such deep respect.


    ¡°Hello, Ken. From today onward, I will be your master. My name is Marianne Arc, the current and only Grandmaster of the Reaver Sword School.¡± Marianne said in a warm tone.


    ¡°Reaver Sword School? What does it teach, Master?¡± Kensei asked with a confused expression.


    ¡°This school teaches a rare type of swordplay known as anti-magic swordplay. Currently I am the only member remaining, as the school has fell out of favor with the changing of time.¡± Marianne replied with a tinge of sadness in her voice.


    ¡°Why? What happened for such a powerful school and swordplay to decline?¡± Kensei asked, shocked from hearing her answer.


    ¡°There are a few reasons. Firstly, only those truly talented with the sword can have a hope of learning this type of swordplay. Secondly, back in the past, rogue mages were common and the Inquisition of the Eternal Light had yet to be formed. After their formation, anti-magic swordplay and it¡¯s companions began to decline, as the Inquisition proved their efficiency and ease of dealing with rogue mages. And the last reason was that rogue mages are sparse these days. The Inquisitions apparently has eyes and ears everywhere to find and root out these troublemakers. As such, our anti-magic styles have almost become non-existent.¡± Marianne explained meticulously, wanting to ensure that Kensei would understand what he learn may end with him.


    Kensei only had to think for a short while and looked at Marianne. To him, this was akin to finding a kindred spirit. This had deepened his respect for her even more, as a woman her age has to bear this sort of sadness and pressure for all this time. Kensei suddenly kneel and kowtowed to her three times, showing that he has accepted her as his master. Marianne was stunned at this sudden gesture and realized it meaning. She also had friends from the Azure Dynasty Empire and the Empire of Yamato, which gave a extensive knowledge on their culture. Seeing this, she vowed that she would teach Kensei everything she knew.


    ¡°Master, I will do my best to learn everything from you. I will remind the world that our Reaver Sword School have yet to go extinct!¡± Kensei exclaimed with fervor. This startled Marianne and she could only helplessly sigh. She felt like he had adopted a son rather than a disciple, and a rather hot-blooded one at that. From then on, all his advanced swordplay lessons have been replaced with this private lesson. When Kensei told her he lost his family to those who were jealous, greedy and feared them, she felt sadness for Kensei. This further steeled her resolve to teach and train him, to care for him until it is time for him to spread his wings.


    Other than Marianne, there were Souji and Sheryl in his class. Everyday, the three of them could be seen talking with each other and trying to understand the lessons, with Sheryl giving explanations for things that the other two could not understand. This attracted a High Elf to their group, who noticed that they were always discussing the lessons right after they end. She introduced herself as Freya Fantasia and that she is interested in discussing the lesson contents with them. During their combat lessons, both a Dwarf, Bihorn Krossfang, and a Cat-Woman, Regina Ferin from the Beast Race also joined their clique, interested in their fighting techniques, as both were born fighters. This group of people will be friends for life, for they will go through all sorts of challenges in the future, but, that is for later.

 Chapter 5: Anti-Magic Swordplay

    Chapter 5: Anti-Magic Swordplay


    Everyday, Kensei would go for private lessons on anti-magic swordplay with Marianne. It was an ancient way of fighting magic with physical weapons. The main focus was using one¡¯s mental energy to cut through the opponent¡¯s mental energy. However, this means that one must have a very fine control his his mental energy and be able to both see and feel the weakness of the opponent¡¯s mental energy. This is one reason why, only those who have great talent in both weapon and mental energy can learn anti-magic weapons techniques.


    Mental energy is the basis of all magic, as it means the willpower and mental capacity of the user. Despite that, there are many other ways to use magic, such as through mediums or catalysts. However, no magic used with those could compare to the true might of magic used and created by mental energy, for using one¡¯s will to subvert the heavens is the the strongest form of power. Everyone is born with differing quantity and quality of mental enegy, which usually means how much magic can one use. Despite this, thousands of years of research into magic has allowed the creation of various methods to cultivate and strengthen one¡¯s mental energy.


    Some of these techniques can be in the form of meditation or breathing, much like martial arts. Kensei¡¯s technique would actually be a higher tiered technique that involves meditation, breathing and control of one¡¯s body. Hearing all this explanation, Kensei secretly wondered about his mother¡¯s background, having so many high level skills and techniques at her disposal.


    ¡°Master, since mental energy is the basis of magic, wouldn¡¯t that mean we are using magic to cut magic?¡± Kensei asked with a puzzled expression.


    ¡°In a way, yes it is using magic. However, the difference is that instead of willing the surrounding elements or energy, you are using raw mental energy at it¡¯s finest to cut through the enemy¡¯s magic. Simply put, you will overwhelm the enemy¡¯s already weakened mental energy, which has been weakened by controlling the magic, and cut through the magic, thus negating it.¡± Marianne explained.


    ¡°If that is the case, wouldn¡¯t we also received some damage too? Since we will be using only mental energy to cut through magic and overwhelm the enemy¡¯s mental energy.¡± Kensei continued.


    ¡°Although you are using only mental energy, you won¡¯t really feel any damage, as your mental energy is meant to disperse magic. This is because you are basically dissipating magic back into a neutral state as opposed to trying to take control of it.¡± Marianne explained with a pleased expression.


    Thanks to this, Kensei had a better understanding of the principles behind anti-magic swordplay. However, before he can even truly begin training in the techniques, he need to learn on controlling and cultivating his mental energy. Marianne taught him the basic cultivating mental energy techniques first, and instructed him to listen carefully in his magic classes, so that he would have a better understanding of mental energy and its relation to magic. When Kensei couldn¡¯t understand what the teacher was saying, he would turn to Sheryl and Freya, as they had learnt and understood mental energy and magic from young.


    One month after he began learning from Marianne, his training began to include all of the basic forms of swordplay, which he practiced diligently. What surprised Marianne was that he actually became one with the sword, which proved that he was truly suited for swordplay. With this, she instructed him to try and put his mental energy into his limbs while practicing the basic forms. As Kensei tried, he realized that he could not move his mental energy at will easily, as this was a different form of energy which was linked to his mind.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    With each passing day, Kensei began to be able to move his mental energy with more ease, as he had practiced and meditated everyday without fail. As long as he had time, he would jus practice no matter where he is or what is happening around him. This had also earned the moniker of the Fool, as his movements and expressions are strange whenever he was practicing around others. Even so, his efforts are starting to pay off as he could feel the strands of mental energy slowly flowing into his limbs, strengthening his muscles. This strengthening effect only lasted as long as mental energy is supplied to the intended areas, meaning that it is useless for long sustained fight, and should be used in bursts. With this understanding, it meant that ans anti-magic fighter must fight while thinking well ahead of the opponent.


    ¡°Master, since it is exhausting to move mental energy about, does it mean that we coat our weapons with mental energy at the last moment before contact?¡± Kensei asked Marianne.


    ¡°Yes, even the most talented anti-magic warriors must quickly react when to use his mental energy, as you are using your mind to direct it. This means that you are multi-tasking your mind on mental energy usage, fighting the enemy and thinking ahead of the enemy, which is not easy compared to others.¡± Marianne replied.


    An anti-magic warrior has to multi-task in the heat of battle, which in turn led to me fact that most, if not all, anti-magic warriors are intelligent and adaptable. Marianne went on to explain that due to multi-tasking their minds, anti-magic warriors have a tendency to develop a habit of thinking a few trains of thoughts at a time. This has also caused people to have a perception that anti-magic warriors are either aloof or eccentric. It has been known that some have truly gone insane and had to be killed, lest they massacre the innocents.


    After two months of starting his training, Kensei have begun to infuse mental energy into the sword. It was many times more harder, as he have to move his mental energy through his arms and hands onto an object. For the first few times, he actually fell unconscious from exhausting his mental energy, as he had never done external infusion before. Though minimal, the successful infusion meant that his training had paid off, and that what he needs to do is to increase both the quantity and quality of the mental energy infused into the blade. This also marked the beginning of him learning the techniques of the Anti-Magic Swordplay from Marianne.


    For starters, she had him simply slash while infusing mental energy to the blade in the shortest possible time. She would then cast a very weak wind magic, Wind Arrow, for him to try to cut through. It was casted at the weakest possible strength, causing only a bit of a pain to Kensei. This has also caused him to start having bruises all over, but he paid no mind to this as he trained diligently so as not to fail his master¡¯s expectations.


    And soon enough, four months have passed since he entered the academy and within this four months, he had experienced many things. He gained friends, made some enemies and even got a master. However, as he laid on his bed, he thought back about the day he last saw his family. That thick stench of death and blood that filled the air. The more he thought on that day, the more restless he became. Kensei stood up from his bed and went to the training halls and started to practice his anti-magic swordplay drills, hoping to calm and still his mind from that day.


    Unknown to him, someone was also there in the training halls, staring at Kensei¡¯s training. It was Sheryl Glace, who was simply taking a walk, taking a break from studying. As she looked on, she could see restlessness and a tinge of sorrow in his eyes. This made her wonder if this guy had a tragic childhood, or that he had just lost someone dear to him. Even if she didn¡¯t know, she could only stare at him.