Day 30: The Final Day
Caelrisu woke at dawn. She rang the bell once. The maids outside entered swiftly, bowing low.
"Prepare the bath," she said softly. "And breakfast. Something light."
"As you command, young lady."
As they left, she exhaled.
'Today... I will defeat him. No matter what.'
Her mastery over the Creeping Shadow set had reached the 8th level, one step short of perfection. Tens of thousands of bouts against Instructor Namgoong Gyo had burned his movements, his tempo, and even the rhythm of his breath into her mind.
But she knew today would not be like any other day.
'He'll fight with all his strength this time,' she thought. 'He'll unveil the full Sword Art of Unbounded Sky.'
Her brow furrowed slightly as she brushed her damp hair back.
'I've analyzed the first three steps... countering them should be no issue. But the fourth step... that's where the real storm begins.'
The bath was drawn, steaming, fragrant with crushed herbs. She slipped into the massive tub and sank into the warmth, her breathing deep and even. Even here, her Essence flowed ceaselessly, forming the silent rhythm of the Creeping Shadow Essence Technique.
No rest, no lapse, not even in peace.
After bathing, she dried herself, donned the tight, black training garb that clung to her figure, and stepped into the hall.
No maid greeted her. No servant met her gaze.
Not because of disrespect, but because none of them could sense her.
She walked as if she didn't exist.
Five days ago, she had asked Lunaris for a manual, something that could refine her concealment further. The day before yesterday, it arrived: Turtle Breathing Art, a basic third-rate martial art once used by assassins of the ancient Eastern Continent, like stab, diagonal slash, and vertical slash, learned by swordsmen as basic.
She had mastered it in just two days.
It's extremely effective and diminishes her presence even further.
When Caelrisu fully uses it, her metabolism slows to an imperceptible crawl, her body becomes cold and still, and her body merges with the environment so completely that she is virtually undetectable.
In fact, when she fully utilizes it, if a mundane human or even someone at Rank 2 Verdant Soul were to look at her, they would think she is dead unless or until it's a close inspection.
Now, as she walked toward the courtyard, the sky outside was pale silver. Mist coiled between the mountain peaks.
When she reached the training ground of her manor, Namgoong Gyo was already standing there with his sword in his hands. Unlike before, where he was not saying much, he had returned to his previous self from before the battle of that day.
"Young lady, today is the last day. I wonder if you will be able to defeat me today."
"Don't worry, I will."
"Hahaha… I look forward to it."
She took her stance, her body in a low, coiled stance. Her torso turned sideways before to present a minimal profile. When she took her stance, her existence became so dull and blurry that no one below Peak Rank could even sense her presence even if they were standing a few inches away from her.
1st Step: Casting the Shadow of the Lotus
Namgoong Gyo, also deciding to take the battle seriously, took his position. His body in a deep, rooted horse stance, he took a slow, deep breath, gathering energy and focus, as if becoming an unmovable conduit between earth and sky.
1st Step: Gathering the Heaven's Breath
'This is the foundational ready stance of the Sword Art of Unbounded Sky. I knew it; he is going to take this fight seriously.'
Caelrisu thought with a serene look in her eyes.
Namgoong Gyo changed his form as he transitioned from the horse stance into a deep forward lunge, putting his entire body weight and the powerful muscles of his back and shoulders into the downward arc.
His blade fell with the force of a collapsing cliff, possessing enough power to break guards and split opponents down the middle.
2nd Step: Cloud-Parting Stroke
Having already deeply analyzed this step, she pivoted smoothly on the balls of her feet and bent her knees. Her torso weaved and swayed in time with her sword, making her entire body a moving, defensive center.
Her broadsword moved in a continuous, horizontal figure-eight pattern in front of her body.
2nd Step: Weaving the Unfolding Petals
Neutralizing his strike with only a small cut on her arms. Although she wanted to leave some injuries on his arms and chest, she was unable to damage anything except for his robes.
Namgoong Gyo looked pleasantly surprised seeing her neutralizing his strike.
Not wishing to stay behind her, his body uncoiled like a spring, driving upward from the legs and twisting the core to power up his rising cut.
Following the downward chop, Namgoong Gyo used the rebound to swing the broadsword in a devastating, rising uppercut slash, aiming to cleave her from her hips to her shoulder.
Third Step: Heaven's Vaulting Arc
Knowing the danger of the strike full well, she stepped back using the swiftness of the Creeping Shadow Movement Technique and then, with the sudden whip-like flick of the wrist. She sends her sword's tip cutting through the air in a short, blindingly fast line. She targeted the edge of his blade, trying to break his momentum.
Third Step: Brushing the Dew from the Blade
'That was the extent of my knowledge of his art. Now, I don't know his next steps.'
Not wishing to give him time, she decided to step inside his guard and tried using the broadsword's quillon to hook his blade. Attempting the full-body grapple centered on the sword.
4th Step: Coiling the Vine's Embrace
But that was a mistake...
Namgoong Gyo pivoted on the ball of his feet, using the other for balance and push. His arms were fully extended, and his core rotated powerfully with each spin, generating tremendous centrifugal force. He did a continuous, flowing series of wide, horizontal spins.
He became a literal whirlwind of steel, creating a zone of death around him.
Fourth Step: Zephyr's Scything Dance
Knowing full well, Caelrisu will lose if she attempts to complete her 4th step.
She stopped it midway, leading to injuries all over her body.
Seeing that she was still within the danger zone, she pushed the Creeping Shadow Movement Technique to the extreme and then beyond that.
Full mastery of the Creeping Shadow Movement Technique!!!
Even then she barely escaped his blade.
Looking at her dodging from such a close range, Namgoong Gyo smiled with pride.
And then dropped into a deep, almost seated stance. He leaned back to maintain his balance while his other leg extended for a powerful, ground-hugging spin.
Fifth Step: Cyclone's Embrace