I flew straight into the Imperial Guards. This place served as the Emperor's private park. Yes, not garden. A whole damn park. You would think that me walking here was just a mere night stroll.

It’s quite beautiful. A shame it’s gonna be ruined soon.

Ah! Found him!!Uwaah...

I found Stahlin smacked right in the middle of the fountain. Well, that cooled things off for him (literally). He was already getting up. His flame arms was evaporating the water

“I don’t fancy that being a place to take a bath.”

I casually flicked my wand and Stahlin was shot out of the fountain like a geyser and collapsed into the stone pavement. Call it rough treatment but I have no qualms doing that though.

Coughing, Stahlin looked up at me and saw me.

“Y-You...what’s with that appearance?”

That’s the first thing that comes out of his mouth? My fashion statement?

“Like it? It’s formal but less gaudy. Just the way I like it. Plus, it gives me more freedom to move around without all those knickknacks hanging off me.”

Stahlin glared at me.

“Who are you?! The Wilthelm I know was never like this.”

“You still haven’t realized it, huh? The “Wilthelm” you knew served his purpose well. And he was exactly what you wanted him to be. Exactly what I wanted you to think.”

“Just what "exactly" are you saying? Just who are you?!”

“Me? I am Wilthelm-Nikolas Altair von Atlantasia. This is the real “me”. I was always like this. ”

“So you’ve been putting on an act the whole time! How long have you been fooling me like this?!”

“Well, you are partly right."

"Partly?"

I'm not going to elaborate for you.

"I guess my answer would be...since day one. It took a lot of effort to make you all believe I had been mentally broken from the sheer combination of drugs, dark magic, and the horrid amount of garbage lessons taught by those tutors? Think I wouldn't catch on that that was your aim? To turn in me into a broken person and a mere puppet?"

I shook my head and sighed.

“Tch! You were supposed to be my perfect puppet! Obedient to me! I raised you that way-”

I had enough of his dribble and released my bloodlust at full power. Stahlin flinched as he got the full brunt of it.

“Listen up. As*hole…”

Not exactly the most royal thing to say but I’m dropping all pretense.

“A-As-?!”

“Even the Gods have limits to their patience. And you’ve reached mine. You’ve toyed with the people of Atlantasia for far too long.”

I raised my wand. The tip glowing.

“And now...It’s high time you pay the price.”

“I beg to differ!”

Stahlin raised his flame arms again. I can see those flames forming into a pair of large claymore swords!

He then rushed towards me and took a large slash. I swiftly dodge him using Wind Magic to amplify my movement speed.

He didn’t stop as he kept on swinging his swords around and around trying to strike me while I kept dodging his attacks.

Doing some breakdance-like maneuvers while I am at it.

“Are you just going to keep dodging, boy?! What happened to all your bravado?!” Stahlin sneered. He probably thought I couldn’t respond quickly enough to attack.

Quite the contrary, I was appraising his skills.

Now that I think about it, Stahlin was lauded as a swordsman, as well as a mage. I even heard that he took down several strong and skilled knights which impressed the nobles. But…

In terms of creating flaming swords and arms that are moving with dexterity and control. I’d say there’s a lot of truth in his skill as a Mage.

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But as a swordsman...He’s pretty amateurish.

Knowing him, he probably did something to cause those skilled knights to lose underhandedly. It’s his nature after all.

Well, it’s time to fight back.

“Gale Palm”

I thrust my hand at the exact moment he left himself open and blasted him across the garden but managed to steady himself with his blade.

“This Magical Ability. To think you were capable of this the whole time?”

“Oh? ...That’s not the only thing you missed though.”

I say as I activated my Hammerspace Magic. I stowed away my Wand and its place, I pulled out my sword. It was a rather unique type of blade that few Adventurers and Knights in the Capital have seen. The ones who did, know that this type of sword originated from the Eastern Ryukyu Region of the Empire.

It was called a Katana.

I swung my sword as the blade glinted in the moonlight.

“A Ryukyu Style-Sword? It seems your tutors have failed to teach you how fragile those types of swords are!”

I raise an eyebrow.

“It seems you are the one who is naive when it comes to swords. The skill of the one who wields it is what matters. Contrary to what those trash tutors reported to you. I’m quite proficient with many types of blades but my preference is with this type.”

“Ha! Well, let’s see how good you are with that flimsy sword!”

Stahlin launched himself forward and swung his flame-constructed claymore sword at me.

This time I let it connect with me.

It sliced through me like butter. Stahlin had a look of triumph once more as he thought he bisected me. Then again, you may all be wondering...why am I still able to talk?

That’s because...

“Seventh Stance: Mirror Flower, Water Moon...”

This was a stance that deceives the enemy into believing they’ve attacked their target. But their target wasn’t truly there but rather was an afterimage.

It’s famously known as Kyouka Suigetsu.

Stahlin's eyes widened in bewilderment, realizing not only did his attack miss but it looked like he had sliced a ghost. And this ghost was readying its next movement. From right behind him.

I twisted my grip on the sword and struck Stahlin on the back with the flat edge of my sword.

“GUHAAAAA?!”

Stahlin made a weird sound as he was thrown away and rolled across the ground like a ragged doll. Well, that was quite funny.

I’m not sure he realized this from my punch to his jaw earlier but I do have a bit of arm strength despite my small frame...gah! I just called myself a pipsqueak!

While I agonized on my self burn...Stahlin got up again

“Damn you! Eat this!”

Stahlin came at me with his flame sword. I casually dodged again and again and again.

“Stop! Running! Away! You! Brat!”

“If you say so…”

I dodged another sword strike and attacked.

“Mizukaze Style: First Form - Sudden Squall!”

I slashed my sword at speeds faster than you can blink. From the very angle on which I swung my sword, it chilled the air forming frost and ice.

And then Stahlin was struck with a high-impact blade strike of wind, ice, and water.

“GAAAH?!”

But I’m not done yet! I propelled myself towards Stahlin.

“Mizukaze Style: Third Form - Meandering River!”

Moving like a flowing and bending river, I followed along Stahlin’s trajectory and released a volley of strikes at Stahlin every time we intersected. Stahlin attempted to block the strikes but eventually, I caught him off guard and sliced his flame arms off. The flame-constructed sword disappeared at the same time.

Before Stahlin could react to the second loss of his arms and his blades, I continued my follow-up of sword strikes.

“Mizukaze Style: Sixth Form - Blade Vortex”

As a finishing blow, I propelled myself with great speeds and laid several strikes on Stahlin from all directions. This was a technique that mimicked a Whirlpool, trapping your opponent in the middle and attacking them dead on with slashes.

And with one final strike, I smacked Stahlin with the flat edge of my sword once more and he flew straight to a stone statue of my mother.

“Guuuhhh….”

Stahlin groaned as he got up. Man, he’s sturdy.

“So...how do you like that?”

I say with a grin, tapping the sword on my shoulders. Stahlin looked even more battered than I ever saw him. To think...he was that guy who gave a lot of trouble to “him” too.

“Grrr...Lucky shot...”

His medallion glowed and flames gathered once more to recreate his arms. He then formed a ball of fire in his hands.

”But it won’t happen twice! Burn it all to dust! Not even ashes shall remain! Incineration!”

He thrust his “hands” forward (Oi...is he trying to launch that signature technique of that spiky-haired monkey man?) and blasted a thick beam right at me (ah, it seems I was spot on).

Well, it’ll be bad if I let that hit me so...

"Third Stance: Reflecting Pool..."

As the beam reached me, I swung my blade at the kam*ham*ha blast. The beam changed trajectory and instead blasted part of the surrounding walls.

Crap. More collateral damages.

Stahlin himself couldn't believe I easily swatted his magic like I was swatting a bug.

Well, to be honest. The pressure of the strike of my sword changed its trajectory.

“Impossible! Y-You deflected my Magic?!”

What? You thought I was going to let you flambé me?

“Hmph? Don't you have anything more original?”

“That was a High Tier Magic!”

“High Tier? That kam*ham*ha knock-off? Glad, they didn't put that into the game otherwise Dr*gon B*ll creators would sue."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Well, if you were a normal fighter, it’d be pretty bad but I faced much more dangerous things than that.”

“Damn it! DAMN IT!”

Stahlin roared in frustration. Er. throwing a childish tantrum like that isn’t going to...Eh?

All of a sudden, the massive heatwave washed over me. My mantle fluttered wildly.

“I OFFER MY SOUL AND FORM TO YOU! GRANT ME YOUR POWER! IFRIT!” He says in a loud voice, almost screaming.

Crap. He used a forbidden technique. He was willing to put his life on the line here.

Stahlin raised a guttural scream.

The flames that made up his prosthetic arms grew until they completely engulfed him. It would be very convenient if the flames roasted him to ashes but no such luck.

The inferno began to solidify and grow. Until before me, stood a monstrous creature made completely out of flames. Imagine a giant hulking ape with bat-like wings and a head that looked like one of those gargoyles from the cathedral.

It looked like a demon from hell at this point.

“I WILL BURN YOU TO ASHES BOY!!! YOU WILL EXPERIENCE HELL BEFORE YOU EVEN DIIIIEEEEE!!!”

Uwaaa....this is like the opening scene of a raid boss…