Ex rank talent Awakening: 100\% Dodge rate-Chapter 133 - : CLASH OF WILL

Commander Joshua looked at the trio, his eyes filled with deep regrets. He didn't want to fight his student—or the princess, for that matter. These were not just faces in passing; they were people he had watched grow, people he had hoped would become pillars of the empire. But duty… duty always came first. That was the oath he had sworn, and he would uphold it even if it meant clashing blades with those he once held dear.

Unsheathing his sword, Joshua took his stance, ready to defend and stop the approach of Brian and company. His aura surged, heavy and resolute, weighing down the air around him like a storm about to break.

He waited for Brian to draw his sword, a small part of him—quiet but persistent—curious about how far his student had come. He wanted to see with his own eyes whether Brian had lived up to his potential. But the sight he anticipated never came. Instead, Brian raised his fingers with calm precision, as though tracing invisible lines in the air.

"Urgh," Joshua grunted as a sudden pain erupted in his shoulder, a shallow yet precise cut appearing without warning.

"What was that?" was the shared thought of everyone present, save for Brian.

"It seems you've improved more than I anticipated. What was that?" Joshua asked, unable to hide the curiosity that leaked into his voice despite the tension.

"It's the formless and invisible sword… wielded by me," Brian answered, his tone distant. He moved his fingers again, like a maestro conducting a flawless orchestra. His motions were elegant, refined—more like art than combat.

Joshua frowned. He couldn't perceive the blade at all. His instincts, trained through years of war, could barely keep up with Brian's finger movements. Even with all his skill, defending against an unseen attack was draining—and dangerous.

Tired of being on the defensive, Joshua shifted to offense. If he couldn't read the blade, he'd give Brian no room to strike. With a sharp breath, he closed the gap, chaining together the First through Third Techniques of the Grey Empire in seamless succession. He struck like a tempest, every move designed to overwhelm and suppress, never giving his opponent a chance to reset.

Brian, however, held his ground. His fingers danced like lightning, parrying every swing with surgical accuracy. He seemed almost detached—his body still, but his mind fully alert.

"Teacher, allow me to tell you this," Brian spoke between movements, his voice calm but firm, "my formless sword doesn't require my hands… my mind alone is enough. I call it the Heart Sword."

At those words, Joshua's eyes widened. His instincts screamed. Retreat! But his body, strong as it was, could not respond in time.

A sharp, invisible force tore across his chest, sending him stumbling back, pain flooding his nerves. A wide gash had opened along his armor, blood staining the fabric beneath.

Elizabeth watched in awe. Brian felt… different. Stronger. The gentle aura he once carried was still there, but now it was buried beneath something much more dangerous—something unfamiliar. She wasn't sure she could defeat him anymore.

"It seems you've gotten stronger," Joshua muttered, breathing heavily, "Sadly, I can no longer hold back."

His aura surged, his voice dropping into a soft invocation.

"Will Manifestation."

The world around them changed. The cold, damp dungeon faded, replaced by a vast landscape of molten hills and fiery mountains. The air sizzled with unbearable heat. The skies above burned like an eternal furnace.

"This is my manifested will," Joshua said. "A world forged from fire, burning away all impurity."

"Will manifestation…" Elizabeth whispered. "The barrier that separates the elite from the rest. Only one in a million can achieve it…"

Joshua nodded solemnly. "You both had potential—great potential. I once dreamed of witnessing your wills take form. But that dream is now dust. Flames of Heaven, purify!"

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At his command, the world moved. A flamy dragon, massive and furious, roared as it surged toward them, its maw wide and ready to devour them whole.

"I valued them," Joshua whispered, eyes shadowed. "But life moves in unexpected ways."

"Teacher…" Brian's voice broke through the flames, soft yet unyielding.

Joshua blinked. Was it a hallucination? Was his guilt taking shape within the fire?

"You don't need to worry, Teacher. I didn't disappoint. I'll show you what you wanted to see."

This time, the voice was unmistakable.

Joshua's heart skipped. "How are you alive?"

Within the flames, Brian, Elizabeth, and Stagnant Water stood unharmed. Around them, a three-meter radius remained untouched, the fire swirling but never entering. Upon closer inspection, one could see why—thousands of invisible swords spun in perfect synchronization, forming a barrier more precise than any wall.

[Tsk. This damn human… so arrogant. In the primordial days, a will this shabby wouldn't be manifested by even a newborn. How subpar can you be?]

The Concept of Sword grumbled with disgust.

Joshua stared in disbelief. "What do you mean?"

Instead of answering, Brian exhaled slowly and muttered, "Will Manifestation."

A shift. No—a collapse.

Like a celestial body pulling another into itself, Joshua's fiery world shattered. Cracked. Imploded. The sky above split, and fire crumbled like fragile glass.

A new world took its place—massive, vivid, and breathtaking.

A World of Swords.

The sun shone brighter, its light reflecting off glittering rivers. Trees bore blades as fruit, swaying softly in the wind. The ground was a field of countless swords, planted like grass, singing in harmony with the wind. The sky had blades floating like birds, elegant and deadly.

Joshua fell to one knee, overcome.

"What is this?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

It was the impossible. It was the dream he thought would never happen. And it was right in front of him.

[Welcome, humans. The one my host loves… the second, who no doubt advised him countless times against his naïve path… and the third, who calls himself teacher, yet chose duty over understanding. Blinded by loyalty, you now stand at the edge of your own demise.]

The voice echoed through the world—monotonic, yet rich, commanding, and profound. It was neither man nor god, neither cold nor warm. It simply was.

The Sword Concept had finally spoken aloud.