The clash continued.
**CLANG!**
Lían's sword collided with the copy's.
Neither retreated.
Their blades shifted almost simultaneously.
Lían twisted his wrist.
The copy did the same.
Both swords swept toward the other's body.
Lían lowered his shoulder.
The blade passed over him.
At the same moment—
his own sword slipped beneath the copy's guard.
**SHHK!**
A thin line of blood appeared across the copy's side.
The copy stepped backward.
Lían followed immediately.
He didn't give it time to recover.
His sword moved again.
The copy raised its arm to block.
Too late.
**SLASH!**
The blade passed cleanly through.
The copy's arm was severed at the shoulder.
It fell toward the water.
Lían froze for half a breath.
His gaze remained fixed on the severed arm.
Then—
his eyes returned to the copy.
It remained standing.
Blood flowed from the wound.
Yet there was no panic.
No hesitation.
Only a calm expression.
Lían tightened his grip around the sword.
*...I actually cut it.*
The copy glanced at its missing arm.
Then looked back at Lían.
The severed arm floated upon the surface of the water.
For several breaths—
neither moved.
Then—
the copy looked toward the wound.
"...Not bad."
Its gaze returned to Lían.
"It seems you're finally capable of harming me."
Lían's grip tightened further.
The copy lowered its blade.
The tip touched the surface of the water.
**Tap.**
A faint ripple spread outward.
"...Then..."
Its expression became slightly more serious.
"...We should step things up."
Lían's eyes narrowed.
"What—"
The copy suddenly swung upward.
Lían didn't even see the attack.
A thin line flashed across his vision.
Then—
half of his head slid away.
Darkness.
---
Lían reappeared.
He stood motionless for several seconds.
His breathing was uneven.
"...What?"
He instinctively touched his head.
Completely intact.
His eyes slowly moved toward the copy.
"...What just happened?"
He remembered the copy lowering its sword.
Then—
nothing.
He hadn't seen the blade.
He hadn't sensed an attack.
He hadn't even realized he had been struck until he died.
His gaze shifted downward.
The copy's severed arm was gone.
A new arm had already grown back.
Lían stared.
"...Your arm."
The copy casually moved its restored arm.
"Yes."
Lían's expression became confused.
*...How did it recover?*
The copy looked at him.
"You never wondered whether I could regenerate?"
Lían remained silent.
The copy continued.
"Or perhaps..."
A faint smile appeared.
"...You never considered that I could run out of energy."
Lían blinked.
"...I did."
The copy stared at him.
Lían hesitated.
"...I mean, I assumed you couldn't."
"Exactly."
The copy lowered its sword.
"Every time you die, everything is restored."
"It isn't only you."
"It applies to me as well."
Lían slowly understood.
"...So whenever I die..."
"Your body returns to its previous state."
"And mine does the same."
The copy nodded.
"Exactly."
"Your injuries disappear."
"Your energy returns."
"And so does mine."
A pause.
"That's why neither of us has ever truly exhausted ourselves."
Lían's eyes widened slightly.
"...Because I always die before that becomes possible."
"Correct."
Lían remained silent for several moments.
*So that's why...*
*No matter how long we've fought...*
*Neither of us has shown any real sign of exhaustion.*
The copy suddenly looked at his sword.
"Now."
Lían looked up.
"Why do you keep attacking with only your sword?"
"...What?"
"Why haven't you used your Water Element?"
Lían stared blankly.
"...Aren't you teaching me swordsmanship?"
The copy tilted its head.
"I never said you were supposed to use only a sword."
Silence.
Lían's expression slowly changed.
"...You didn't?"
"No."
"I attacked you with a sword."
"You assumed that meant you were supposed to do the same."
Lían stared.
The copy continued.
"That was your own assumption."
"It was never my instruction."
Lían's expression became slightly awkward.
"...Then..."
He pointed toward the spot where he had died.
"What did you use to kill me just now?"
The copy smiled faintly.
"Water Control."
Lían froze.
"...Water?"
"Watch."
The copy lowered its sword once again.
**Tap.**
The blade touched the surface of the water.
This time—
the surrounding water immediately responded.
A thin layer of water climbed along the sword.
It wrapped tightly around the blade.
Not thick.
Not violent.
Almost impossible to notice.
Lían's eyes narrowed.
The copy slowly raised the sword.
"The water itself isn't the weapon."
"It is the extension."
The blade swung.
**SHHHK—**
A razor-thin line of compressed water shot forward.
Lían's pupils contracted.
He barely had time to react.
The invisible edge passed across his body.
His vision tilted.
A moment later—
his body separated.
Darkness.
---
Lían reappeared.
He stood completely still.
His eyes remained fixed upon the copy.
"...I didn't see it."
The copy lowered its sword.
"That's the point."
"The water moves with the blade."
"The sword creates the motion."
"The Water Control Art carries it farther."
"And the water itself becomes the edge."
Lían slowly looked down at his own sword.
Then—
toward the endless water beneath his feet.
His expression gradually became serious.
*So that's how he did it.*
*He didn't simply attack me with water.*
*He used the sword to guide the movement.*
*Then accelerated the water along its path.*
*And condensed it until it became sharp enough to cut.*
The copy watched him.
"Now."
Its sword rose again.
"Try it."
The endless white remained silent.
Lían appeared once again.
He stood motionless for several breaths.
His gaze remained fixed upon the copy.
Then—
his eyes slowly narrowed.
*...Water Control.*
He looked down at the water beneath his feet.
*It used the water surrounding us...*
*...and the force generated by the movement of the sword.*
The copy calmly lowered its blade.
The thin layer of water covering it dispersed.
"...You've seen it."
Lían nodded slowly.
"...I did."
He stared at his sword.
*It wasn't simply sending water forward.*
*It compressed the water against the blade.*
*Then used the swing to accelerate it.*
*The water itself became the edge.*
The copy nodded.
"...That's one way to use it."
Lían looked up.
"...One way?"
"Yes."
The copy raised its sword.
"But before you learn another..."
It pointed toward the water.
"...Do it yourself."
Lían stared.
"...Now?"
Silence.
Lían looked at the water again.
He slowly lowered his sword.
Then—
he reached outward with his spiritual sense.
The water immediately responded.
A thin stream rose from the surface.
It wrapped around his blade.
Lían concentrated.
The water began rotating.
Then—
it slipped apart.
The stream collapsed back into the endless sea.
Lían frowned.
"...Too loose."
The copy said nothing.
Lían tried again.
This time—
he compressed the water tighter.
The stream became thinner.
It clung closely to the blade.
Lían's eyes brightened slightly.
*...I can feel it.*
*The water is moving with the blade.*
He swung.
**SHHK!**
A thin line of water shot forward.
It traveled several meters before losing its shape and falling back into the water.
Lían stared.
"...It worked."
The copy remained expressionless.
"...Barely."
Lían's expression froze.
"...Barely?"
"The water dispersed before reaching its target."
"...But I still did it."
The copy gave a slight nod.
"...Yes."
A brief pause.
"...That will do."
Lían blinked.
"...That's all?"
The copy raised its sword.
"...For now."
Before Lían could respond—
the blade swung.
A thin line flashed through the air.
Lían's eyes widened.
Then—
darkness.
---
Time passed.
The endless white remained unchanged.
But Lían had changed.
His movements had become far more refined.
He no longer watched only the sword.
He no longer relied solely upon his eyes to determine where an attack would come from.
He could feel it.
The flow of energy.
The movement of the surrounding water.
The subtle changes that occurred before an attack was released.
The sword in his hand moved.
**CLANG!**
He deflected a strike.
Another attack followed immediately.
Lían shifted sideways.
A nearly invisible slash passed beside his face.
His eyes narrowed.
He had barely seen it.
But—
he had felt it.
*...The water.*
His spiritual sense spread outward.
The surrounding water suddenly changed.
Lían's expression tightened.
He moved.
Several strands of water suddenly erupted from beneath the surface.
They shot upward like thin serpents.
One pierced toward his chest.
Another wrapped around his leg.
A third curved around from behind.
Lían twisted his body.
The first passed beneath his arm.
He stepped over the second.
Then—
he spun.
The third strand narrowly missed his back.
He landed several meters away.
His feet touched the water without sinking.
He immediately turned.
More water gathered around him.
Not merely flowing.
Moving with purpose.
Each strand was controlled by the copy.
Lían's gaze sharpened.
*...I can feel them.*
The water moved again.
Several thin streams shot forward from different directions.
Lían moved between them.
One passed beside his shoulder.
Another swept across his waist.
He lowered himself beneath a third.
Then—
a nearly invisible blade of compressed water suddenly formed behind him.
Lían's expression changed.
He sensed it before it moved.
His body immediately shifted.
**SHHK!**
The water blade passed through the space where his neck had been.
Lían stared at the fading edge.
His breathing remained steady.
*...I didn't see it.*
*I felt it.*
The copy stood in the distance.
Its sword remained lowered.
"...Again."
The surrounding water moved.
Lían tightened his grip.
His eyes remained focused.
He no longer watched the copy's sword alone.
He watched everything.
The water.
The energy.
The flow.
The slightest disturbance.
Another attack came.
Lían moved.
Then—
another.
He dodged.
Another.
He blocked.
Another—
he countered.
His sword swept outward.
A thin layer of water wrapped around the blade.
Lían swung.
**SHHK!**
A compressed edge of water shot forward.
The copy tilted its body.
The attack passed beside it.
The copy's gaze remained calm.
"...Better."
Lían didn't answer.
He was already watching the water again.
Because—
the next attack had already begun.