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It had been a while, and Ian was surprised to find that Ariana's swordsmanship had improved drastically.
When she raised her sword, her posture was upright and vigorous. Her eyes were sharp and unwavering, seemingly able to pierce through all illusions and strike straight to the heart of her opponent. Her blade sliced through the air with a clear and crisp whistle.
Her swordplay was smooth yet forceful. Every movement struck the perfect balance, fully displaying the essence of swordsmanship. Whether it was a fierce thrust, a sweeping slash, or a subtle parry and counterattack, Ariana executed each technique with impressive mastery. Her style was powerful yet agile, adapting fluidly to the opponent's rhythm.
There was a pressure to it, something that made even Ian feel like he'd never be able to defend against it.
"Nice!" Ian couldn't help but applaud.
He felt Ariana's sword performance was like a visual feast. Though she remained focused, a soft smile appeared on her face in response to his praise.
Of course, Pandero just couldn't help himself.
"What exactly was so 'nice' about it?" He grinned, clearly trying to bait Ian into embarrassment.
"…"
Ian turned to see Pandero watching him with a mischievous look. Clearly, he wanted to see Ian fumble. But Ian wasn't about to let Pandero's evil little scheme succeed.
"It's a perfect harmony of strength and grace, thunderous as a storm, gentle as spring rain. Fluid and unpredictable, it's a form of swordsmanship destined for victory, tinged with a transcendent elegance."
Ian didn't understand swordsmanship. But he absolutely understood how to give a good compliment.
"I-I'm not that amazing…" Ariana was now a bit flustered by Ian's high praise, and the intensity of her strikes softened slightly.
Before Ian could say more,
"No! That's exactly it! Unstoppable! Transcendent! That is my swordsmanship! Sure, those words are kinda empty, but they're true!"
Pandero instantly switched into full narcissist mode.
If he had a tail, it would've been wagging in the air with pride. But of course, Ian wasn't going to let him stay smug for long.
"Your swordsmanship is impressive," Ian said coolly, eyes narrowed as he looked sideways at Pandero, but I've seen swordsmanship that's even more powerful."
Just as Ian expected, Pandero immediately became agitated.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"
It was unclear whether he was denying Ian's "experience," or just refusing to believe that any swordsmanship in the world could surpass his own.
"Tch, you haven't seen it and you're already calling it impossible. That's just low."
Ian deliberately mimicked Snape's speaking style, slow, sarcastic, and deeply annoying.
Pandero's face turned red, like a slab of liver.
"Bring this person here to spar with me, then I'll believe you!"
Sometimes, Pandero acted even more childish than Ian, especially when it came to matters that touched his pride.
Ian didn't reply directly.
Instead, he calmly continued, "I won't even mention sword techniques that can pierce through galaxies, bypassing all obstacles and striking a target from across the void. I won't mention the Celestial Emperor Sword Style that slices through time and space, cutting past, present, and future alike. Let's just talk about something simple, like Sword Twenty-Three, which I've seen used at least twenty times."
"That was a truly divine technique, revered by swordsmen everywhere. One slash, and all of creation halts, left at the mercy of the blade. Tell me, how many more years do you think you'd need to reach that level?"
Ian described it slowly and clearly.
"Swordsmanship like that really exists?!"
Ariana's clear eyes widened in amazement. She didn't doubt him at all. Even Pandero seemed a little taken aback.
"It has to be fake…" Though doubt still lingered on his face.
"I swear on my wizard's heart," Ian spoke firmly, his gaze unwavering, causing Pandero's confidence to falter.
"What's a wizard's heart?"
Pandero's voice lowered, full of confusion. Despite all his dealings with wizards, he'd never heard of such a thing. If Ian hadn't spoken with such conviction, he might have assumed he was making it up.
"Obviously it's the heart that craves magic. I swore on my wizard's heart! I saw it with my own eyes, how could it be fake?" Ian recalled his past life, watching countless TV shows and novels.
He had seen it. Literally.
"Tch…"
Seeing Ian's growing confidence, Pandero sucked in a breath.
"You're saying this is still swordsmanship?" He remained deeply skeptical, after all, he did have a swordsman's basic instincts.
"Let's talk about this another time. My time's up, I've got to go." Ian had timed his time perfectly, leaving Pandero with just enough mystery to lose sleep over it.
He knew this guy's personality all too well.
"You're insufferable!" Pandero, of course, saw right through Ian's little scheme.
As Ian's body began to fade into the air, Pandero could only sigh and give him a final, low-voiced reminder: "Once you step into the Legendary realm, there won't be so many troublesome limitations anymore."
There was a certain certainty in his voice, like he knew something Ian didn't.
"Are you trying to make me lose sleep tonight?"
Ian, ever gifted at "projecting his own mindset onto others," shot back.
"…"
Pandero was speechless.
"It's like a child wielding a greatsword. The power you possess far exceeds what your current tier can handle. I'm not as evil as you are." He explained seriously.
And with that, Ian's figure vanished completely from the Twilight Zone.
The peaceful town remained, now only with Ariana still daydreaming about Ian's "fantastical tales"…
…And Pandero still muttering to himself nonstop.
"Slicing through time… through space… cutting past and future… sounds like something out of a fantasy novel." He probably wasn't truly shaken in his sword heart.
He was just annoyed that he had no way to prove Ian wrong.
"If you added some magic to swordsmanship… could those kinds of effects be possible?" Ariana's imagination kicked into overdrive. Her words caused Pandero to pause for a moment.
"Who knows? I'm not a wizard… everyone walks a different path. I'm just laying your foundation; the road you take next will be your own."
Whether it was meant as encouragement or not…
Ariana fell into thoughtful silence.
"Keep practicing. Your swordsmanship still has a lot of room for improvement." Pandero continued urging Ariana. Once Ariana snapped back to focus, she immediately resumed training with complete concentration.
Sword techniques.
Footwork.
These were what Ariana was practicing, intense enough to count as serious physical exertion. As time went on, beads of sweat began to appear on her forehead. Her cheeks turned slightly red, and her breathing grew rapid.
Yet, she didn't stop swinging her sword; instead, she focused even more intensely on the training.
(To Be Continued…)