Mushoku Tensei: Reincarnated as a Beast Race-Chapter 129 - The Peacock Sword and Reida Reia

POV: Rygar Adoldia

I was standing still.

Eyes closed. Just one hand resting on the sheath. Slow breathing, regulated beats. The world around me disappeared as I delved into my thoughts.

In my mind, I replayed the scenes.

The subtle movements of the Dragon God. The wrist twist that paralyzed Eris. The blow that pierced Eidar.

Gall Farion's impeccable stance and the speed with which he wielded his sword. Every detail was engraved. Every gesture, every breath, every murderous intent. I saw and rewatched them, like a movie that never stopped.

After training for six months under the tutelage of the Sword God, one truth became clear to me: Mastering the sword is difficult.

When I was younger, I thought fencing was simpler than magic. Magic had forms, variations, incantations, and transformations. The sword, I believed, was just brute force and speed using Touki. A childish illusion.

In reality, the sword demanded something that magic did not require to the same extent: complete surrender.

In some respects, fencing was even more complex and difficult to master than magic. The complexities that each tiny movement of your body could generate were endless.

So I trained. Again and again. I raised and lowered the sword in repetitive, exhausting movements.

And each day, I improved a little. One more step. A cleaner cut. A more efficient twist. Each day, my speed increased. Each day, my control of Touki refined. But also, each day, I saw how much was still missing, how far away I still was.

If it were just in terms of Touki, Ghislaine was faster.

Timothy was faster.

Larax was faster.

The Sword God was faster.

And Orsted, the Dragon God... he was on a completely different level. So distant that I didn't even know if he was reachable.

I recalled the teachings of the Sword God.

This chapter is updat𝙚d by freeweɓnovel.cøm.

"You already know... if you want to surpass me, you cannot do the same things I do. I will teach you everything I know, but you must interpret these techniques in your own way. You're already creating a style, right? Just swing the sword without thinking about anything. When you get tired, think. When you're tired of thinking, get up and start swinging again."

And that's exactly what I did.

I frequently trained with the Sword Emperors and with the Sword God, and he taught me everything about the Sword God Style.

And after learning several things, I would go far away and swing the sword.

I kept swinging.

Up. Down. Faster. Cleaner. Firmer.

I did ten repetitions. Then a hundred. Then a thousand. Ten thousand. A hundred thousand.

There were days when I just kept swinging the sword. I didn't eat. I didn't sleep. My body, without me realizing it, unconsciously activated my self-regeneration magic, allowing me to continue.

I entered a kind of trance, a mental zone where nothing existed except the cut. Only the sword, cutting through the air.

The last time, I went on like that for twelve days.

I only stopped when I collapsed from hunger.

My physique was strong. I didn't need to eat as frequently as others. This allowed me to push my body beyond human limits.

When I stopped, idle thoughts returned. Doubts. Fears. But also, ideas.

I ate. I rested. Then, I returned to training.

I knew I couldn't expect a miraculous leap like when I achieved synchronization between body and soul.

That was a turning point. But now, it was different.

My skill would not increase with a divine revelation. It would grow through repetition. Through sweat. Through pain. Through constant learning.

Repeat. Learn. Perfect.

Until each technique became part of me.

Until my sword cut through everything in my path.

---

As I walked back toward the Sanctuary, I felt something strange. A sound cutting through the silence of the forest, the sound of battle. I stopped.

My senses sharpened immediately, Touki flowing naturally through my veins to enhance my senses, like a living current.

I focused. The sounds were coming from the direction where Ezkalor and Skoll were.

My red dragon and the black wolf had developed a strangely efficient cooperation over time.

I made constant visits to ensure that Ezkalor did not forget who the true master was, but this was the first time I heard a fight happening there.

Without hesitation, I dashed toward the location, at extreme speed, but with a calm mind. Jumping between the trees and cutting through the wind, I reached the top of a hill.

And then I saw.

Ezkalor and Skoll were engaged in combat against a man I had never seen before — an impressive man, by the way.

His robes were dyed in iridescent tones, like a liquid rainbow. Underneath, he wore only high boots that reached his knees.

Four swords were strapped to his waist. His face displayed a vivid peacock tattoo on his cheek, and his hair was tied up in a peculiar way, flaring out at the top like an inverted parabola.

At the exact moment I arrived, Ezkalor exhaled a powerful burst of scarlet flames toward the stranger. And, before my eyes, the man... disappeared.

In the place where he had been, only white smoke remained and when it dispersed, I saw a log.

"What...?"

My eyes widened. The only person who had managed to hide his presence from me in recent years had been Hasjulian, the North King, but not even he could vanish right before my eyes. That was very rare.

I immediately activated my eyes to the maximum, scanning every magical nuance and movement in the environment. Then I saw him — the man was in the air, falling precisely in the direction of Ezkalor. Even the dragon seemed confused about his position.

I didn't hesitate. I leaped using the Longsword of Light in my hands, propelling my body with an explosion of speed.

The blue blade cut through the air, gleaming, and struck the man before he could complete his movement. He twisted his body and blocked with two of his swords, yet he was still thrown far by the impact.

Since I didn't notice any killing intent on his part, I didn't attack with killing intent either. Gall Farion had mentioned that he would call other warriors to teach me new techniques. Perhaps... this was one of them.

I landed softly in front of Ezkalor and Skoll, between them and the intruder. My gaze was as sharp as the blade I wielded.

"Who are you... and why are you attacking my animals?" I asked in a low, but firm voice.

"Keep in mind that your answer may decide whether you live... or die."

I released an intense wave of bloodlust, dense like a storm about to break. The ground beneath my feet cracked. The man visibly trembled... but smiled.

Calmly, he sheathed his swords, one by one, and raised his hands in a non-threatening manner.

"Who would have thought it was true... you really tamed a dragon. Impressive, Lightning Emperor."

His tone was light, almost amused. "You may refer to me as Auber, the Peacock Sword. A North Emperor."

He made a brief, exaggerated bow.

"I had no intention of killing your animals. When I saw them, I suspected they were yours... after all, few pairs of wolves and dragons roam around without devouring each other. I just wanted to test my skills against a dragon, since I had never fought one before."

I continued watching him in silence. My eyes analyzed every detail: the tone of his voice, his breaths, the vibration of Touki.

No hostility. No lies. But still...

Something about that man bothered me.

There was something in him that reminded me of Hitogami. That treacherous aura, of course, on a smaller scale. An unsettling presence.

"Hmph..."

I pushed away some of the bloodlust, but remained alert. I did not trust him. But for now, I decided not to insist.

And I wanted to know more about this "Peacock Sword."

-----------

Walking along the snowy road that led to the sword sanctuary, two visitors of a rather unusual type were approaching its main hall.

One was an elderly woman, perhaps in her sixties. The expression on her face suggested that she was somewhat petty; otherwise, she would have been the picture of a kind and harmless lady.

At that moment she was dressed for travel, but it was easy to imagine her in more casual clothes, reclining in an armchair while knitting something with wool.

Only one detail seemed incongruous: The old woman carried a slightly short sword at her hip.

Seeing that, a skilled swordsman could have noticed that her relaxed posture was merely a facade, and that even her fastest attacks wouldn't be able to touch her.

But enough beating around the bush. The woman's name was Reida Reia, and she was the reigning Water God.

She perfected the ultimate technique of her style, the Blade of Deprivation, and ranked among the strongest warriors of her generation.

Accompanying Reida was a young woman with light blue hair, perhaps about 15 years old, whose face bore some resemblance to hers. She, too, was dressed for travel and also carried a sword at her hip.

"Is this the Sanctuary, Mistress Reida?"

The elderly woman replied, "Yes, my dear. Take a good look, this is the den of beasts you've been so eager to visit."

The girl seemed nervous, "Oh, now I'm getting nervous..."

"Have some confidence in your abilities. Unless they pit you against the Sword God or one of the Emperors, you'll do fine. Of course, if the story of the Red Wolf is true, against him as well, but we still have to confirm that..."

"Thank you, Mistress Reida,"

Speaking softly to each other, the two set foot into the Sword Sanctuary.

At first glance, this "sacred" place looked like an ordinary city. There was an inn, a weapon shop, and an adventurers' guild.

On the streets were the usual adventurers and merchants, hurrying about their various tasks.

However, there was one unusual thing in this town.

Practically everyone who resided here was trained in the Sword God Style.

In this place, a skinny village girl was sometimes stronger than the bulkiest of adventurers, yet not everyone trained daily in the sanctuary.

"Should we book a room at the inn first?"

"It won't be necessary. We'll stay at Gall's house."

Reida advanced with difficulty, making a shortcut to the other side of the town.

After a certain point, the adventurers and merchants became less common and more people in martial arts uniforms carrying wooden swords began to appear.

At the same time, the shops gave way to training rooms.

Reida's young companion looked around at all this with obvious curiosity. She seemed particularly intrigued by the fine uniforms many wore, despite the biting cold.

"Mistress Reida... everyone is dressed in light clothes, even though it's so cold."

Reida said, "Well, the folks of the Sword God style have to be agile in combat, or they become easy targets. They don't like wearing anything that slows them down, no matter how cold it is."

The young woman made a surprised face, "That's exactly the opposite of us! We bundle up even when it's hot, right? How curious!"

But the old woman seemed uninterested, "If you ask me, I don't see anything curious about it."

Without even glancing at the various training rooms, Reida moved on.

In no time, the houses, training rooms, and uniformed novices disappeared completely.

The only thing ahead of them now was a vast snowy plain with a single road running through it like a valley.

At the end of the road stood a single, considerably sized building surrounded by a wall. In front of it, as soon as Reida and her young companion reached the entrance of the complex, a young woman appeared by chance from inside.

The young woman looked to be about 13 or 14 years old and had a strong, dignified face, and her long dark-blue hair was tied in a ponytail; she was heading to the dojo, probably to train.

However, upon seeing Reida, she quickly turned and placed her hand on her sword.

"Do you have any business with our hall, ma'am?" she asked, her tone openly cautious.

Reida studied the young woman's face closely. And after a moment, the grumpy expression on her face softened significantly.

"Oh my. Is that you, Nina? Look how much you've grown."

The young woman only looked at her doubtfully, keeping her hand where it was.

"Ah, you don't remember me, do you? Well, I suppose you don't. You were very little the last time I was here..."

There was a nostalgic glimmer in Reida's eyes, but the young Nina Farion had no memory of her. The only thing she was sure of was that this old lady was a terrible threat.

The girl by her side wasn't sloppy either. Nina noticed that she was at least on the same level as her.

"Well, I'm here because a friend sent me a letter about a young man named Rygar Adoldia; he said he was coming to the Sword Sanctuary. Besides, I intercepted a letter from Gall calling me to come train some of his students along the way. Dear, would you mind taking me to him?"

Nina was surprised by these words.

Many came to this place seeking Gall Farion, but specifically seeking out Rygar was a first.

But most were presumptuous fools who convinced themselves they could take the title from their master.

Shooing these people away was one of Nina's responsibilities along with her training colleagues.

"First, would you be so kind as to tell me your name?"

"My name is Reida. Reida Reia. I don't think I need to say more, do I?"

"M-My apologies. Please, come this way."

The moment Nina heard the old woman's name, she bowed respectfully and invited her into the complex.

Only one person in the world could present herself as Reida Lia. It was a name reserved for the leader of the Water God Style. No one else was permitted to claim it.

For a brief moment, Nina considered the possibility that this woman was an imposter.

But she felt, on an instinctive level, that the placid surface of the old lady hid unfathomable depths, so she pushed that thought from her mind.

Even if the woman wasn't who she claimed to be, she was undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with.

Reida and her companion followed Nina into the Sword God Style complex.

Nina led them straight to the main corridor, where they had to go upstairs to enter — a common feature in most buildings in this snowy region.

At the entrance, they stopped to brush the snow off their clothes, then proceeded along the creaking wooden corridor.

Watching Nina from behind as she walked, Reida spoke in a thoughtful voice:

"I must say, dear, you are quite smart for your age. And well-mannered, by the way! Have you already reached the Sword Saint level?"

But Nina replied, "No, I still have a long way to go, unfortunately."

"Really? I'm sure you're one of the strongest among the young ones, at least. No need to be too modest."

The girl thought for a moment and said, "Well, I think I'd take 3rd place, there are two people stronger than me of my age, one of them even younger..."

Reida was surprised, "Oh! Is one of them by any chance this Rygar Adoldia?"

Nina replied, "Yes... he is one of them, but it's not fair to compare us..."

The old woman looked confused and said, "What do you mean?"

And Nina answered, "You'll see..."

As they spoke, the three arrived at the Ephemeral Hall.

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