Whoosh!

Hm? Whoosh? Why was the sound of swirling air heard instead of flesh being cut? Also, I don’t feel any pain at all! What happened?

I shifted my gaze downwards to see why my neck hasn’t been rolled off. When I looked down, I instantly understood what had just transpired.

[Your pet has activated one of their Skills!]

[Gluttony Skill has been activated!]

“What a smart dragon," the first pupil murmured. "I was hoping to strike you down before it could activate the skill that can siphon mana…”

The mana that formed the blade was nowhere to be seen, and the weapon was returned to its original broken form- a hilt. Solgac let out a small burp as she licked her lips, content with the mana she just consumed.

“You know what? I can’t even be mad at you. You saved back there Solgac.”

While hissing, Solgac turned her small head away from me.

“Solgac, are you sulking?” I worriedly asked her. Solgac kept on ignoring me, still facing away from me. I could feel my heart splitting in half at Solgacs intentionally ignoring me. Is it because I forbid her from taking part in my fights? That’s the only thing I can think of, unless…

“Sorry to interrupt your little squabble, but you should focus on the fight at hand. That’s a little rude, don’t you think?” The red man whined.

“Hissss!” Solgac didn’t give two shits about the pupil’s feelings as she bared her fangs like an angry little kitten. I guess watching me almost die right in front of her has her worked up. I’m very touched…

“Are you even able to continue fighting without your weapon? The way I see it, you’re hopelessly outmatched. If I were you, I would forfeit,” I advised. To be clear, I’m hoping for him to forfeit and make my life easier, but we all know he’s not the type to give up easily.

“Hmm… I wonder about that. What shall I do…” He tapped his chin with the hilt of the broken sword.

“Hmm… I wonder about that. What shall I do…” He tapped his chin with the hilt of the broken sword. “My sword is broken, and I can’t use mana because of that dragon’s skill. What a predicament I am in!”

Uh, what the hell is this? Why is he acting like that? Every word that comes out of his mouth makes it sound like he’s sarcastic. Does he have a plan up his sleeve?

I summoned five katanas out of thin air and had them surround the first pupil. Instead of being worried about his current situation, he had a blank expression on his face as he studied each blade while whispering indistinct words.

“Assessment finished,” he declared. Without warning, he dropped the broken blade on the ground and went on to crack his neck.

“In the Demonic Dojo, all the pupils are martial artists and swordsmen. Not only do we train in the ways of the sword, but we also go through rigorous training with our bodies on the line. We also practice our fighting skills without weapons if we were to be disarmed, or the weapon is unusable. Do you know why I’m considered the first pupil of the Demonic Dojo even though I’m younger than the second and third?"

“Should I care?” I answered in a dry tone, the hovering katanas slowly inching toward the pupil.

“Still putting up a bold front I see.” He shook his head while smirking.

He shook his head while smirking. “Still putting up a bold front I see. No matter, I’ll tell you, regardless. I’m considered one of the rising stars in the Demonic Continent, so I’m kind of a big deal. The Demonic Dojo was fascinated with my monstrous growth in learning and my body's constitution. I’m able to master a skill in just a few weeks while it takes others months or years. Through the Demonic Continent, I’m what they call a hidden genius, or monster, depending on the person's view of me.”

…I do not like where this is going in the slightest. It’s almost like he’s stalling for time…

Wait a second!

Knowing what he was up to, I quickly brought the levitating weapons down on the first pupil’s head. The katanas zipped by with speeds rivaling that of a bullet. The man, on the other hand, wasn’t fazed by the constructs hurtling his way and simply took them head-on with a wicked grin.

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I let out an exasperated gasp at the scene that just unfurled. The first pupil stood tall, still in his original position. All five of my katanas were just a micrometer away from impaling the foe, yet no matter how hard I commanded them to push forward, they couldn’t make any progress. It was like an invisible wall was obstructing the weapons from impaling the man.

“As I said, whatever shall I do if I cannot use mana!"

Though faint, I can see a weird red energy wrapped around the man’s body. I could tell that it wasn’t mana since it's usually blue.

“What did you do?" I growled. "That red energy… it's not mana. Is this some new power I’m unaware of?”

I leveled my rapier right between the man’s eyes in a threatening manner. Annoyingly enough, he still had a calm look on his face even when there were five katanas a breath away from his skin.

“I don’t agree with your statement from before.” The pupil said out of nowhere.

I furrowed my brow at his weird sentence. “Hah? What statement?”

“The one about how the athios, demons, and humans are the same. Do you truly believe that? That’s only wishful thinking and ignorance on your part.”

“…”

“Life isn’t fair. Everyone is unique in their own way. Some are taller than others, bigger than others, more pleasing to the eyes than others, smarter than others, or even uglier than others. For us of different races, this is only more apparent. All four of the races, humans, monsters, athios, and demons have collectively agreed that humans are the weakest of the four. They have mana inside their bodies, but cannot harness that power like the other races. You, a human, are different for some cosmic reason, but I will not pry into why.”

This dude has been rambling on for quite a while now. I would love to run up to him and start attacking, but that red energy around him has me paranoid. I want to know what that power around him is. With how he keeps talking about how different the races are, he’s probably insinuating that the demons are vastly different from the others, and that probably ties into the power he wields right now.

“What I’m getting at here,” he continued, “is that all the races have inner energy inside of them, and we refer to that as Qi. That Qi works similarly to mana but is vastly different. If mana is the energy that is present in ALL living and nonliving things and is apparent in the air we breathe, the water we drink, or the food we happily consume, then Qi is an energy only present inside the bodies of living things.”

“Are you saying that the red energy around you is Qi and not mana?” I inquired, listening attentively.

The first pupil nodded his head and proceeded further. “Mana and Qi are both a form of energy, but the sources they come from are different. Qi is life force energy and originates from the body, while mana is plentiful in the environment. If your Qi is depleted, it is the same as your life force being depleted, and you succumb to the clutches of death due to Qi depletion.”

“Okay, but how are you any different from the other races? We all have mana and Qi, so what? I still fail to see the reason for telling me all of this.”

The man was quiet for a moment, still staring deeply at me with those dark eyes of his like he was leering deep into my soul. He then released a sharp sigh as he facepalmed.

“… Demons have the ability to cultivate Qi faster than any of the other races. Demons excel the most in Qi energy yet lag in the mana department, while athios excel in mana but are bad at utilizing Qi. Humans can’t wield or see the mana around them and are inept at controlling Qi. Monsters are about equal in both categories since they are more in tune with nature and energy.”

After he finished his explanation, I instantly understood what he was getting at. In our fight before, he was only using mana this whole time and neglected using Qi for whatever reason. Yet, from before, that huge wave of mana I felt when I entered the room…

The horrifying reality finally dawned on me after wrapping my head around this new revelation. I looked at the smirking pupil with my mouth hanging open as I could feel my nerves taking over.

“You finally get it, challenger. As of this moment, I will be using the energy I am most proficient in. Since I cannot use mana because of that dragon, I will use Qi instead. Also, the reason why they call me a monster is not that I can use mana as if I was an athios…”

In quick succession, the first pupil grabbed every single katana hovering near his body and crushed them into nothingness, the red Qi fizzling as it touched mana. My connection to the mana blades had been forcibly severed.

“It is because I am a first-rank warrior at such a young age. An unprecedented achievement that landed me in the Demonic Dojo, an esteemed dojo that shadows the others.”

When the first pupil took a step forward, the red Qi around his body grew in intensity and volume, like the flames of a bonfire. With every step he took and the closer he got, I could feel my body trembling at the sheer power. A step toward me, and I would unconsciously step back. I pointed my rapier at the man who had his arms wrapped behind his back.

“I know for a fact that the dragon cannot swallow my Qi energy. My Qi is a part of me, the same as I have arms and legs. After our fight, I was certain.”

“…!”

“Don’t get cold feet now, challenger," the pupil sneered. "I wouldn’t want the fight of our lives to end so early. As I said before, it is rare to fight one on equal footing as I, and I still believe that. You just have to showcase your full power. I know you still have a trick up your sleeve. If we aren’t fighting to the death, then are we really trying? Life-threatening battles make the man, and the remaining survivor comes out stronger than ever!”

The first pupil took another step forward, a villainous smile and a blood-crazed look were expressed. When I shifted my feet backward once more, I felt something heavy hit my back. Glancing behind me, I have found myself backed into a corner, literally and figuratively.

“Now then!” He screamed at the top of his lungs. “The final battle between Laila, the strongest human, and Luci, future God-Killer… will now begin!”