chapter 46: The Asura Within: Unveiling True Power

“Hmm…this doesn’t feel right…”

“Are you saying that after beating me to a pulp?”

Simon grumbled, rubbing his bruised forearm.

Of course, the bruises were already gone, healed by me, leaving no trace.

But his pride wouldn’t be so easily appeased.

I glanced down at him.

“Ah, now I’m even losing in pure physical combat. And to my Apostle?”

“Sigh…why is our god so foul-mouthed…”

Simon chuckled, rising to his feet.

His body was still poised for battle, but I had no intention of fighting again.

It wasn’t just about fighting…I needed enlightenment.

I quietly looked down at my dagger.

‘Is this enough?’

Until now, I’d focused on efficient combat. Swiftly and decisively neutralizing the enemy, mastering the most practical methods of subduing my opponents.

But after fighting Valentina, I realized.

‘I’m not strong yet.’

I could move quickly and strike powerfully, but that wasn’t enough.

I knew how to survive on the battlefield, but I didn’t understand the true meaning of combat.

“…That wasn’t a fight.”

“What?”

Simon frowned, questioning my words.

I slowly stood, looking at my bloodstained hands.

“My battles were just…efficient exercises.”

“What’s wrong with that? Being efficient is enough.”

I chuckled and shook my head.

“It’s not that simple, Simon.”

I thought of Valentina.

Her swordsmanship, even in her madness, was beautiful.

Her blade carried more than just killing intent.

‘Who am I?’

She was defining herself through battle.

Her swordsmanship contained rage and pain, and the things she had to protect.

Compared to that…

“I was just…optimizing for victory.”

I knew how to win a fight,

but I didn’t know why I fought, what my blade should be pointed towards.

What is true strength?

“…So, what’s your point?”

Simon stared at me intently. I sheathed my dagger and said,

“I need to understand.”

“Understand what?”

“Why I fight. And…the essence of the sword.”

Simon sighed and chuckled.

“Seriously? You’re going to study philosophy now?”

“Combat isn’t just a simple calculation, Simon.”

I opened and closed my hand, feeling the lingering tingle in my fingertips. Not just fatigue…something deeper.

‘What is true combat?’

“I’ve been focused on winning and surviving.”

“Isn’t that a good thing?”

“No. I know how to win, but I don’t know how to fight.”

Simon pondered my words, then nodded slowly.

“Alright. Then try to understand, oh god.”

“Yeah.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

‘I need to understand the fight itself, not just victory.’

 

***

 

And for that, I needed a suitable place.

I packed my belongings and boarded a ship.

My destination: a remote island, said to be at the edge of the world.

An uninhabited, untamed island, where I would find myself.

The sound of waves crashing against the shore filled my ears.

A gentle yet powerful rhythm. The sea breeze whipped at my clothes.

The small wooden boat sailed for days, finally reaching its destination.

“Finally…”

I slowly stepped onto the island.

A pristine white sandy beach stretched beneath the azure sky.

Behind it lay a dense forest and towering cliffs.

There’s no one here.

An island untouched by human hands.

Now, I’m alone.

I climbed to the highest peak of the rocky mountain.

Below, the endless expanse of the ocean.

Gentle waves crashed against the horizon.

I sat down on a rock

and closed my eyes.

‘Now, let’s think.’

Why do I fight?

Why do I wield a sword?

Just to win?

To survive?

Or…

To understand the true meaning of combat?

Time passes.

The sound of crashing waves.

The whisper of wind against my ears.

And…

The beating of my heart.

I slowly regulated my breathing.

I’ve fought so many battles.

Thinking only of victory, of subduing my opponent.

I thought that was all there was.

But after fighting Valentina, I realized,

a fight isn’t just about winning or losing.

There are emotions, convictions.

Every sword strike holds philosophy, meaning.

I’d been ignoring that.

I thought it was enough to just fight quickly and efficiently.

I believed that was strength.

But I finally understood that I was wrong.

“I…am not strong yet.”

I slowly raised my hand.

The dagger held in my grasp.

Is it merely a tool?

Or a means of expressing myself?

What is a fight?

What is a sword?

I will find the answer on this island.

Time passes.

Sunlight warms my skin, the wind whips my hair.

But I don’t move.

I simply meditate.

I simply think.

Eyes closed, I retrace my steps.

Countless battles.

Countless victories and defeats.

What have I seen, what have I missed?

What is a sword to me?

A mere weapon, or an extension of myself?

Time passes.

Morning comes, and night falls.

I remain seated.

The sound of the waves grows deeper.

The beating of my heart grows stronger.

My mind empties.

And finally…

I dream.

I stand alone amidst a vast ocean.

A bottomless abyss stretches below.

I look at myself.

Until now, I’ve only fought.

But now I must understand.

What is a sword?

At that moment, something emerges from the depths.

‘Myself.’

What rises from the sea is me.

But different.

If the path I walked, the choices I made, were different…

such a ‘me’ could exist.

And…

that ‘me’ holds a sword.

I will fight her.

I must defeat myself.

Here, I will achieve true enlightenment.

“…Here I come.”

I draw my sword.

Before me stands myself.

But it’s not just a reflection.

A perfect ‘me,’ a ‘me’ who chose a different path.

Master of all magic and authority, a perfect swordsman, the ‘best me.’

If I can’t win, I can no longer move forward.

The ‘me’ that emerged from the sea silently observes me.

Her eyes are calm as the deep ocean, her presence imperceptible.

But…

Rumble…

“…Holy sh*t.”

Overwhelming magic power crackles at the tip of her sword.

Not mere mana.

Authority.

The power to command the world itself.

The dagger in my hand feels heavy.

My heart pounds.

I am not yet perfect.

But here, now, I must overcome.

“Good. Come at me.”

I take a step forward.

Instantly.

Crackle!

Crash!

Space distorts.

Even though she hasn’t swung her sword, everything around me crumbles.

Not a physical attack.

A sword strike that negates existence itself.

‘My’ sword holds the complete, compressed power of all magic and authority.

Swordsmanship beyond comprehension.

That is the power of ‘myself.’

I grit my teeth.

“I have no choice but to dodge.”

I throw myself backwards.

As I try to retreat with the wind,

Crack!

Bang!

Time twists.

The space where I intended to move vanishes.

No, the moment I try to move, that space ceases to exist.

‘Deletion of Choice.’

That is her power.

Erasing the possibility of my movement.

“Ha, what a crazy b*tch.”

I click my tongue and charge forward.

If there’s nowhere to retreat, I must break through.

Clang!

Our daggers clash.

An immense shockwave rips through me.

Not a simple contest of strength.

This is the collision of worlds.

If I’m pushed back, it’s over.

I instantly draw my second dagger and counterattack.

But…

‘I’ snap my fingers.

And my dagger vanishes.

“…What?”

I turn around.

The dagger I didn’t throw flies through the air.

She read my intentions, reacting before I even moved.

Ha… seriously…

This is f*cked.

I swallow my sigh and lower my stance.

Fighting head-on is impossible.

But…

“I’m also a warrior who’s trained his body.”

There’s no need to fight with only swords.

I kick off the ground and charge.

In this space filled with magic, I attempt a purely physical breakthrough.

Clang!

‘I’ raises her sword to block.

But instead of slashing,

I use her sword as a stepping stone and leap upwards.

My knee flies towards her face.

But.

‘I’ effortlessly tilts her head and dodges.

“Gah…!”

I lose my balance and tumble through the air.

But this is a calculated move.

Twisting in mid-air, I extend my hand.

Magic power erupts from my fingertips.

Rumble!

I use authority, not a sword.

I can’t defeat her with mere swordsmanship.

Then…

“Paradise Lost.”

I extend my right hand.

And in that instant, the entire space begins to rot.

‘I’ looks at me with an emotionless face.

Then,

utters a single word,

“Indeed.”

At that moment,

Bang!!!!

The entire island, centered around me, collapses.

As our swords, our authorities, collide,

even the ocean churns.

“Haha… now I understand.”

That’s me, who never joined the academy.

The Asura, who lived, wielding my true name and power without restraint.

If I can’t win this fight, I can’t move forward.

And…

finally,

“Come at me, you f*cking whore of a Saintess.”

the real fight begins.