Reincarnation Of The Legendary Sword Saint-Chapter 41: Mana’s Reckoning

Valzaha surged forward as Rowan matched his pace. Their swords clashed mid-air, metal ringing against metal in a relentless dance. They pushed each other forward, then backward, locked in a deadly aerial struggle, eyes never leaving one another.

"Yes! This... power... more power!" Valzaha shouted, his body burning from within. "It’s like I’m invisible! My blood... everything is boiling! This... this is amazing!"

"Are you done talking yet?" Rowan snapped, advancing as Valzaha paused for a breath. Instantly, they were slashing again, swords striking with a thunderous rhythm as they descended toward the ground.

Rowan read every movement, every subtle shift in Valzaha’s stance, every micro-motion of the air. Even after Valzaha absorbed his mana—making him ten times stronger—Rowan could anticipate his strikes, countering them with precision.

Boom! Valzaha attempted a powerful slash, and Rowan blocked it effortlessly, raising his left hand just enough to slide his sword aside. As Rowan bent his blade to strike at Valzaha’s neck, the demon leapt behind him in a blur.

"Too slow," Valzaha sneered, echoing Rowan’s own words back at him. Rowan pivoted, narrowly dodging a strike aimed at his head.

This is exhausting... Rowan thought. I’m the one keeping up. I could end this with any of my heavenly or divine skills—but it’s unnecessary.

They charged again, running toward each other, swords raised. Valzaha’s blade began to glow faintly, reacting to the mana coursing through him from Rowan. His strength... it keeps increasing. Every moment, he grows stronger, fitting my mana into his body... Rowan thought, sensing the dangerous escalation.

Valzaha moved faster, raising his sword in a deadly arc. Rowan noticed the change immediately. My mana in him... it’s still increasing. .

Valzaha slashed, and Rowan barely leapt backward, the blade grazing his chest and tearing his clothing. Blood ran down, warm and vivid. They landed, rolling and bouncing off the ground, Rowan inhaling and exhaling deeply.

It’s getting out of hand... temporary, but how long? The mana will eventually return to me. I need to recover, even if I don’t want to. I don’t need that mana... I just need to rest to regain my strength, Rowan thought, steadied by his resolve as his eyes locked onto Valzaha once more.

Valzaha smiled as he charged toward Rowan.

"Rowan... what the hell? Huh? Why are you talking so big?" Valzaha muttered, frustration and disbelief in his voice. "Can’t you push further?"

They clashed swords again, the sound of metal ringing sharply through the air. Rowan stepped back deliberately, giving Valzaha space, and then raised his hand. A surge of energy erupted, forming a powerful blast that surged toward Valzaha.

Rowan lifted the sword he still held, parrying the blast effortlessly. The energy collided with his blade and exploded upward, dissipating harmlessly into the air.

Valzaha advanced, aiming for Rowan’s neck. Rowan’s eyes widened for a brief moment—then he smiled.

"It looks like your time is up," Rowan said calmly.

As Valzaha’s strike sliced near Rowan’s neck, Rowan didn’t flinch; the smile on his face remained. Suddenly, Valzaha froze mid-motion, his body trembling violently.

"Aaah!" he screamed, the mana coursing through him—Rowan’s mana—overwhelming his body. "Aaah! Aaah!"

He collapsed to the ground, writhing as the raw energy consumed him. Rowan stood steady, his expression calm, watching as Valzaha struggled against the overwhelming force he could no longer control.

"Like I said," Rowan spoke coldly, his voice calm but heavy with pressure, "I’m far above you."

Valzaha trembled, barely able to stand. His body convulsed as dark veins pulsed violently across his skin.

"You’re acting proud because you absorbed my mana," Rowan continued. "Because you thought that made you stronger. But you’re wrong."

Rowan took a step forward.

"I could have killed you at any moment. I didn’t use my mana to fight you. I fought you with nothing but my body—my strength alone. I wanted to see how far I could go without relying on power."

Valzaha collapsed to one knee, choking violently.

"And now," Rowan continued calmly, "you absorbed something your body was never meant to contain."

Valzaha screamed.

"AHHH—! What is this?! What’s happening to me?!"

His chest convulsed violently. Cracks of glowing blue energy tore through his skin as the stolen mana began tearing itself free.

"My... my body—!" he screamed. "It’s burning! It’s tearing me apart!"

Blue light burst from his chest, pouring out like a flood and rushing back toward Rowan.

Valzaha fell to the ground, clawing at himself as the energy ripped through him.

"This can’t be happening!" he screamed, pain twisting his voice. "I’ve absorbed Demon Lord generals once... stronger than anyone! And yet... you—at your age—your mana might surpass even the Demon Lord?! Why... why is this different?!"

His body spasmed violently.

"Why is your mana doing this to me?!"

Rowan watched silently, his expression unreadable.

"Because," he said quietly, "my mana doesn’t belong to someone you can contain."

Valzaha’s scream grew hoarse as the energy ripped through him. His chest split open as the blue mana surged out violently. One of his eyes burst, dissolving into light. His limbs twisted unnaturally as his body began to tear itself apart from the inside.

"My body—! My body can’t hold it—!"

He collapsed, screaming as the last of the stolen power was torn from him and returned to Rowan.

Blue light surged back into Rowan’s body, calm and controlled—like a river returning to its source.

Valzaha lay on the ground, broken, trembling, barely alive.

Rowan looked down at him, expression cold and unwavering.

"You were never meant to hold my power," he said quietly. "And now you understand why."

"Well, you’re just pathetic. Looks like it’s your time to die," Rowan said, advancing steadily toward the ground.

Then it happened. A massive purge of energy erupted—Vroom! Dust rose in clouds, wind howled, and stars seemed to scatter across the sky. Rowan raised his hand, eyes wide, sensing a surge of mana and power unlike anything before.

A portal tore open—Vroom!

A violent crimson rift tore open before him—overwhelming force ripping the space apart. Heat blasted outward as the ground cracked beneath the pressure.