Upon seeing Ethan collapse to the floor covered in blood, the King's rage dissipated instantly. He dematerialized his silver spear with a fluid motion and walked slowly back toward what remained of his destroyed throne. Inspecting the deep gouge the sword strike had carved into the structure, he nodded, a clear gleam of interest showing in his eyes.
"So you awakened the Heart Sword Dao..." the King murmured in an imposing voice, looking down at Ethan. "There are very few people capable of achieving such a thing... The finest swordsman in the Golden Dragon Empire possesses it as well, and it is said that no one at his level can withstand two strikes against him. They know him as the One-Strike Swordsman."
Ethan coughed up a bit more blood, gritting his teeth as he attempted to channel his energy to stabilize his meridians.
"Thank you... Your Majesty..." Ethan said with difficulty, struggling to recover from the suicidal backlash of the technique.
