“It is real visualization... isn’t this the realm of a Sword Saint?”
The Dragon Killing Sword and Kraugel’s Heart Sword contained the same concept. This meant that by learning the Dragon Killing Sword, he was qualified to be a Sword Saint. Grid wasn’t happy. He felt uncomfortable. He was worried that he would take away Kraugel’s pride and self-esteem.
Hayate laughed as he read the complex emotions on Grid’s face. “As expected. In the present era, you are filled with misunderstandings about the Sword Saint.”
“Huh?”
“Heart Sword isn’t the measure of a Sword Saint. It is just one of the numerous swordsmans.h.i.+p that a Sword Saint can create.”
“...?”
“Even if Dragon Killing Sword contains the same concept as the Heart Sword, it doesn’t mean you can enter the realm of a Sword Saint just by learning it.”
“......”
“In this day and age, the weight of the name Sword Saint is too light. Perhaps it is because Sword Saint Kraugel of the current era is still in the development stage.”
Hayate smiled. It was because Grid’s eyes had become a bit fierce. “Don’t get me wrong. I don’t intend to demean Kraugel.”
“What are you saying... I’m not misunderstanding.”
‘Do you know what type of expression you’re making?’
Hayate vaguely inferred the relations.h.i.+p between Grid and Kraugel and smiled. “Bluntly speaking, Dragon Killing Sword is different from Heart Sword. You are misunderstanding the concept of embodiment and willpower. Willpower is the heart trying to accomplish something while visualization means expressing the state of the mind. It is about the image encompa.s.sing the will.”
“If it encompa.s.ses it... are you implying that the Dragon Killing Sword is a higher level of swordsmans.h.i.+p than the Heart Sword?”
If Hayate was a normal person then he would absolutely say no. However, Hayate was a Dragon Slayer.
“Yes.”
“Pant...”
“Just, it is still incomplete. Since it is affected by the user’s state of mind, sometimes it can’t exercise its power. Strictly speaking, it is a skill that requires a higher level of difficulty than the Heart Sword.”
“...!”
It was like a bolt from the blue to Grid. It was more difficult than Heart Sword?
‘How can I learn that?’
Grid was at least intelligent enough not to overestimate himself. He was convinced that his talent wouldn’t allow him to learn the Dragon Killing Sword.
“Don’t worry. As I said, I’m not trying to pa.s.s on the Dragon Killing Sword. I just want to teach you infinite sword energy.”
Infinite sword energy was only one of the conditions for gaining the Dragon Killing Sword. Hayate’s finger pointed at Grid’s chest. “There is a limit to the vessel of human beings. Even if they build up their energy for thousands of years, it can’t be infinite.”
Hayate’s finger pointed to the air this time. The elegant hand gestures were impressive.
“On the other hand, the universe is infinite and the energy that exists in all of it is infinite. However, it is impossible to borrow all of them. It is because the size of a human is smaller than dust compared to all things and they are bound by the concept of s.p.a.ce.”
Grid recalled Piaro’s Natural State and Braham’s Mana Drain. Piaro drew the energy of nature from the surroundings while Braham took the mana of all things around him and made it his own. They didn’t exert influence over the entire world.
“I understand. You’re saying that it is impossible to achieve infinite sword energy in the usual way.”
“Yes, this is why even legends or transcendents can’t cut the scales of a dragon. Well, the ordinary legends or transcendents, anyway.”
Hayate recalled the distant past. It was a green dragon that simmered with rage. The appearance of the relatives who died from the one who devastated his hometown and turned it into scorched earth was now forgotten. Only the affection they gave him still remained.
“When I first met the dragon... I used all sorts of means to cut him. I stabbed, wielded all types of weapons, and bombarded him with the magic power I was proud of, but it was useless. The attacks I trained all my life in only left scratches on the hard scales.”
There was hope. The scales of the place where the enemy was bitten by another dragon was rotten and couldn’t regenerate. The dragon was exhausted and most of his magic power was used to protect and recover his wounds. His struggle-filled attacks failed to put an end to Hayate. Hayate had a chance to fight back.
“Once I realized that I couldn’t cut the dragon with the physical concepts I knew, I craved a stronger power. First, I discarded the mold of skill. I just had the idea of cutting him down so I acquired the Heart Sword.”
‘Is this a true story...?’
The body of a superhuman, the magic power he was so proud of, and finally Heart Sword...
Hayate was already the strongest before he became a Dragon Slayer. Grid gulped as in his mind, he saw Madra rather than Hayate. Undefeated King Madra—even Hayate had given him the evaluation of the one with the most talent from the east to the west... the more Grid discovered, the greater Madra became.
“My will was to cut him, cut him, and cut him again.
“......”
“Nevertheless, it was lacking. Just the willpower to cut him couldn’t drive the mythical dragon to death. It was a frustrating situation. My already exhausted body and mind stopped working while the dragon was recovering in real time. I had to watch his scales recover and my emotion at that time was...”
A pure white s.p.a.ce—the unidentified s.p.a.ce that had been stirred by Hayate’s sword energy calmed down. The sword energy wasn’t gone. It flowed quietly like a shallow river and Hayate’s sword energy didn’t dry up.
"...It was interesting. I had already lost and wasn’t aware of what I experienced or saw. I just moved like a machine. I took a step in order to reach something in front of me and ended up swinging my sword.”
His body was already a mess but he didn’t realize it because he felt no pain. He could move because there was no pain. It was a completely unconscious state.
“This was the image that dominated me at that time. All the wishes engraved in my heart—the desire for greater power, the obsession to cut him, and the hope to end this disaster—they awakened me to a new world.”
That world was...
“This... place?”
The power needed to cut a dragon. The infinite sword energy existed in this pure white s.p.a.ce. Grid got gooseb.u.mps.
"Correct,” Hayate replied positively.
The incandescent sword was imbued with immeasurable power.
“Biban’s Matchless Heart Technique is to ‘continuously recover’ sword energy while the Dragon Killing Sword is to establish a sword technique that ‘never dries up.’”
“......”
“The method Sword Saint Muller used to suppress fighting energy was to lock it in his mana core. He placed the water called fighting energy into the well called the mana core and covered it with sword energy.”
It wasn’t a fusion, but merely a balance created according to the rules set by Muller.
“On the other hand, your fighting energy will be in your mental world. The infinite sword energy hovering in your mental world will eventually merge together with it, becoming one. That is true fusion, a harmony.”
Hayate was insistent that the direction he presented would produce better results than the direction Muller pursued.
“......”
Grid’s body trembled. Sword Saint Muller was always mentioned when discussing the greatest legends of all time. Grid couldn’t help s.h.i.+vering when he saw the possibility of transcending Muller in some way. Of course, it was only a moment. Grid’s face that was red with excitement soon cooled down. “There is one more thing I hadn’t confessed.”
“...?”
“I... I am lacking talent. Hayate, I won’t be able to learn it even if you teach me.”
Even the yangban Garam hadn’t properly realized a mental world. If he had been able to embody such a mental world, he would’ve completely isolated Grid from the world without using shortcuts such as amulets to separate the s.p.a.ce. As far as Grid knew, Braham and Hayate were the only two people able to create a perfect mental world. They were all geniuses of the century. He was a stupid person with no talent. How could he open up the mental world...?
Hayate’s fingers appeared in front of the frustrated Grid’s eyes. Hayate’s finger was pointed at Grid’s heart. No, to be precise, he was pointing at the red phoenix’s heart that overlapped with Grid’s heart. “You have more than talent.”
“...?”
“It is the power of a G.o.d. Look back. You can create another s.p.a.ce that is already isolated from the world.”
“...!”
The red phoenix’s heart. The power of a G.o.d. A s.p.a.ce isolated from the world.
A skill flashed in Grid’s mind as he listened to Hayate’s words. ‘Storm of the Fire G.o.d!’
It was field magic that maximized the presence of the caster. It was clearly a s.p.a.ce that was completely different from ordinary s.p.a.ce. Grid realized why field magic was rare. Field magic was also a type of mental world. No, to be exact, it was a mental world. In any case, there was a reason why not everyone could use it.
“B-But to call this my mental world...”
“To be exact, it is the mental world of the red phoenix.”
“...?!”
“It is the mental world of a G.o.d. It might be just a piece but its function is certain.’
Hayate’s finger pierced Grid’s chest.
“Uh!” Grid groaned at the strange sensation.
However, Hayate didn’t care. Grid quickly turned red but Hayate ignored it and injected more magic power into his finger. Then the infinite sword energy that flowed inside Hayate’s mental world started to be sucked into Grid’s heart, no, the red phoenix’s heart.
Hayate was smiling. “The easier it is to study, the better.”
“Ah...! Ack...!”
The absorption of the sword energy was still progressing. Grid forgot to breathe as the peak experience he had never felt before flowed into his body. The heart of the red phoenix was making a difference.
[The power of the Absolute is flowing into the Red Phoenix’s 9th Heart.]
[A new field effect, ‘Infinite Sword Energy,’ has been added to Storm of the Fire G.o.d.]
“...Absolute?”
Grid’s spirit awakened from the pleasure. His trembling pupils saw a golden light s.h.i.+ning around Hayate’s body. Hayate’s expression was bitter like he had taken strong medicine.
“There are no records in the world about me killing a dragon. It is because all the witnesses are dead.”
“......”
“It is the dragon race, not the human race, that keeps speaking of me. I am cursed due to the dragons’ terrible words of contempt and hatred toward me. So put away your envy. It is you, not me, who deserves to receive that look.”
“...!”
Perhaps it was because they were connected by sword energy? Grid gritted his teeth as he felt Hayate’s terrible pain and grief. His eyes became bloodshot.
[An unknown person is writing the sixth epic.]
[The beginning of the narrative begins with the confession of a lonely Absolute.]
“I... I got to know you.”
[He dared to comfort the one who stood higher than himself.]
“That lizard b.a.s.t.a.r.ds who cursed you, I will surely destroy them someday.”