A harsh slash came down toward Kayala's head.
She blocked it easily, more out of habit than effort. For a moment, she wondered if her senses were dulling. But what followed made her instincts spike with alarm.
The moment Vikram's greatsword met her axe, she felt something off.
The sword lingered.It clung to her blade.
It was a fatal flaw in battle—one that could get a novice killed, but there it was, pressing against her axe, refusing to disengage. She opened her mouth to warn him, but then she saw it.
Vikram, mid-air, spinning wildly.
His body twisted like a slanted wheel, like a child's toy, reckless and fluid. His form resembled a Beyblade hurled into the air. Yet it wasn't the absurdity of the movement that startled her.
It was the violence of it.
And then, the sword shifted.
For a split second, just as it came crashing down, it warped.
A dragon's tail, whipping through the air.
That's what it looked like. Not metaphorically. Not figuratively.
A shimmering illusion curled around the wooden blade, its tail lashing out in a feral arc. Though it lasted no more than an instant, both Kayala and Brunus saw it.
They didn't need to exchange words.They had seen it clearly.
It was faint, yes. Unformed. A shadow of something deeper. But it was unmistakable. The image had force behind it. Will. Intent. As though the sword was more than just a weapon, it was a beast, lashing out through Vikram's hands.
Kayala's eyes narrowed.
The clash sent a shock up her arm. Her feet shifted.
An inch.
Just an inch. But that was enough.
Kayala stepped back.
And in that moment, something unthinkable happened. Her retreat.
Brunus gasped softly, like his lungs had forgotten how to breathe.
It wasn't just them. Across the galaxy, whether demonic or righteous, anyone who had faced Kayala and survived, anyone who had heard of her, knew one thing.
Making her move even a single inch was impossible.
Yet Vikram had done it. With a wooden greatsword. In training.
He hit the ground hard, his legs folding underneath him. But he didn't bother to sit cross-legged or enter a proper meditative posture. He simply collapsed flat onto his back, gasping.
Vikram felt as though his body was not working as it was supposed to. His body felt as though he was missing something integral. Like something was supposed to happen at this time, but it didn't happen.
He stabilized his breathing and slowly stood up.
Slowly, deliberately. His thoughts quieted as the storm settled. What remained was something clearer, something deeper.
When he opened his eyes, Kayala felt it instantly.
Every strand of hair on Vikram's head looked subtly sharper.
His eyes were no longer dull. They gleamed with piercing clarity. Not spiritual, not divine, just cutting. As though they were trying to slice through flesh and peer directly into the soul hiding underneath.
Brunus took a step back, his face pale.
"Did... Did you just comprehend a Law?"
Vikram looked like he was having some difficulty with familiarizing with his body and slowly stood up, and looked at him. "I... I think so?"
Brunus's expression crumpled under the weight of shock.
Kayala nodded slowly, the puzzle pieces finally falling into place. "I always thought your rate of growth in Weapon Arts was suspicious. Now it makes sense."
She smiled. For once, there was no ridicule. No discipline. Only admiration.
"If I am not wrong, with all my experience, I can say for sure that you have comprehended three different Laws. One is Reincarnation, the second is Life, and the Third is Power."
Brunus's face turned bright red, as if blood had surged to his head. "He... he learned three different Laws at this age?" Brunus put his hands on his hair, his eyes almost bulging out. "Why didn't I sense it, then?"
His voice cracked on the final word.
Kayala's smile faded. Her expression turned grave as she recalled the consequences.
"Even I didn't notice it, Brunus. It's extrememly hidden. It's only at the final moment when he tapped into the Laws that I noticed it..." she sharply looked at Brunus. "Not even a fly leaves this room. I want this kept absolutely confidential."
Brunus nodded sharply and disappeared from the training hall. The mood in the room shifted from awe to silence. Then to something heavier.
Vikram frowned.
"Wait... why keep it secret? What difference does it make?" He gave a half-laugh, but even he could hear the doubt in it. "It's not like someone's going to kill me just because I have something valuable..."
His voice trailed off.
His heart sank as the realization dawned.
He had forgotten.
Forgotten the world's cruelty. Forgotten that strength, once revealed, became a target.
No, he hadn't truly forgotten. He had just... compartmentalized it.He had tucked the savagery away, placing it into the Game World where brutality was open, visible, expected.
But this world?
This world was quiet. Controlled. Deceptive.
The aggression was still there. It just wore better clothes.
He had simply met good people first.
"Who should I be wary of?" he asked, his voice lower.
Kayala hesitated. For once, even she didn't have a clean answer.
"There are noble families," she said carefully. "They operate within the Mother System. Some of them have autonomy... dangerous levels of it."
Her voice grew cold.
"And they'll do anything to make sure you are theirs."
Vikram's fingers curled into fists.
"They won't let you walk the next path unless you're under their thumb. They'll milk you for everything you're worth, and once that's done, they'll make sure you're never a threat to their bloodlines."
Silence lingered.
Vikram understood why she said all this. She didn't want him hesitating. She didn't want him to underestimate the storm he had walked into.
But Vikram felt strangly peaceful, even in this storm. He felt composed. Whatever came, he would deal with it, if God gives him the strength.