Bolt of Sharpness was a manifestation of Razmund's awakened mana. Shaping up any move that worked entirely on following the principles of his Path was much stronger than simple slashes. These always followed the creation process set by a predecessor, the one who was worthy of being called a Sword Sage.

Most of such techniques, or swordsmanship moves had complicated processes, and some were clearer than others. They demanded precision, care, and power. It required not only a sword but also body and proper footwork or momentum.

Razmund's Dances were one of the most intricate points under his powers. It was the core of his Path after all. Each was a partial manifestation within the in the Sword Sage Path. It required everything in him to feel and touch them, but as with many things, they had their limits. And he wasn't afraid to become brutal or crazy to touch the untouchable or come to terms with his choices.

Zao looked in utter bewilderment at the raging current of a sharp mana storm. Its appearance and threat were not only made of mana, twisting and flowing like a current of Stormy Sea at the edges of the Somalis continent.

Under a breath, it shook his closest blade aside as if it was made of paper, and even his left blade was momentarily unable to come close to defense. His body didn't listen to his commands when meeting an incoming attack that didn't feel to be in line with the past Challengers. It was strong, savage, and piercing. The sight of this storm almost touched on some swordsmanship from legends and twisted and powerful Paths that Zao heard about.

He knew of many extravagant examples and even their depictions, or direct sights. Most Goldsteel Titans held the Skies as their main residence, but not a home. Nothing was their home. Never been. Only temporary places that may desire. Those were enough for most of them.

Their greatest motivation was to follow their Pride or the purpose of their contracts. Those factors were their masters, albeit those had many forms, reasons, or worthy individuals behind them.

Everyone had the price for anything. That was a popular phrase across the Skies.

Countless Extremes performed all kinds of miracles, hoping to reach those heights. But Gods were not void of the past, or deep currents to get stronger. In fact, they were more savage than what mortals made them to be. It was a matter of expectations and exposure. Gods simply didn't offer the same validation to mortals, while mortals viewed Gods in different colors. Their miracles and descends did leave their mark. That was the difference mortals couldn't deny.

Descending from their lefty thrones or deep Depths when their time or War had arrived, ushering the world and many powers under their Paths, the world changed.

From the stories Zao heard from his elders and siblings, many Paths lacked certain edges and descriptions, similar to the one he was seeing right now. He had no clue about a Sword Sage Path. Unless one knew those powers oneself, or if it left a clear picture before it shifted to void, knowledge about special Paths was abysmal. Comprehending the Divides was complicated, and powerful Pathways with their respective Paths always ruled above anything else.

Gods ensured it.

Unfortunately, Zao wasn't alive when the original Titans battled and carried chaos, directing many cycles worth of time.

Those times were long gone, replaced with a multitude of small and intricate problems that held some touch of that past. Differences between these passing times and lost histories weren't simple, but this world and the current universe were never meant to be simple.

In the Divine Wars set up by Gods, Goldsteel Titans merged with many forces, and by what or why? Powers? Rules? Excuses? Zao saw the heights of many Gods with his own eyes, felt their power with his skin, and saw their light or lack of it. From far away, he watched, but that still counted as a great experience since he would've become obliterated by any Extreme, let alone a God.

Extremes were monsters that Divine War hardly lacked, and every being worthy of touching such wars had to effectively go against a God. Or Gods fought against other Gods. That was also a possibility, right beside a power that set their sights on a God.

Extremes were the bare minimum to not fear certain repercussions of rules. The mere presence of Gods shouldn't wobble their legs. Zao was far from an Extreme, so there were fears in his head since he was a youth, unable to be of proper service. Being a trophy and occasional help were all he had under his Pride, and Levandis had no shame in handling gifts like toys. He was a prize, and it may not be prideful to be like this, but the rules and honor of his clan ran deep.

Goldsteel Titans were just a relic of the past, fighting for glory or hope, so Pride counted for everything in their heads. It was for them alone, but Zao had no shame in that. Past was often mesmerizing motion, and while history was often underappreciated, it wasn't overexaggerated in his mind.

Seeing the power of Razmund's unfathomable thrust, his eyes saw nothing but light alone. No Razmund. Just light.

And unfathomable Sharpness.

Zao didn't consider he had time for his left blade to move, so he focused all he had on the right one. Puzzled and focused, he was like Razmund who was briefly taken aback by his attack. In this surge of power, he felt no weakness as two Dances went back to back like he wanted. Momentum, a surge of One Sword, and a Bolt of Sharpness followed the effects of Heartsear Potion's doubled effects.

It was only the second strike he pushed against Zao, yet he felt as if he fought against him for hours. This was all thanks to Heartsear Potion. It sharpened one's mind and readied the body and mind without fatigue. It will have some backlash later, but it will be a minor problem at most. His body can take worse beatings than just a combo of potions.

It had vast benefits, but also a problem. He had already fought many fools before coming here, yet those felt like child's play compared to Zao. The last time in this temple was like this too. Guardians were the true problems of this Gate, leaving the journey here in a different light. 3rd-time visitors were prone to intense challenges, he knew and felt.

Razmund wondered what the next Gate would be like, but he didn't think of it at the moment. Before him was no Murai. The only challenge was to kill Zao.

He didn't know what Zao was capable of, and that was a pain. A joke too, if his master was here, complaining and looming behind his back. “Nothing that a brute force can't do, right? Perhaps you should think before you swing that long sword of yours.” His words whispered in his head from countless bits of his mocking lessons. Memories and lessons were fine to remember since the actual fight to the death was different.

Holding his claymore far before his chest felt like drawing an outlet to a massive flood out of his Core.

2nd Dance was called a Bolt of Sharpness. It had a simple premise to work with. Affinity of Sharpness was one of the prerequisites to the Path of a Sword Sage, and this Dance played a part in its layered structure. Awakened Mana helped massively, but that held a different kind of concept of power. 2nd Dance didn't require it, but stronger mana sure empowered everything to new and grand heights. Any upgrade to his swordsmanship or mana elevated One Sword, causing each Dance to become more potent. It was how his Path should look like.

Because of it, he had no doubt he was powerful right now, and he could rise much higher than this. His Mana Core was currently at the peak of the Revolving Core and provoking the Path Core which should be incredibly strong. But that one required Laws, and that wasn't up to his standards no matter what his Dances or Path held. It wasn't his time for that yet.

His age was a limit, as he was human through and through. His Physique wouldn't change it, nor his choice of a Path. The following stages required more things than brute strength, and everyone around level 60 slowed down significantly. Humans had their limits too, albeit in a different vision than those of beasts, demons, or devils.

Luck, prizes, and understanding one's Path. That was what Path Core signified along with worth and talents. And no matter what, anyone who accumulated such a high level should already carry some Path under their grasp. Following it meant an essential foundation, solving smaller problems from before, and time. Accumulation of everything was what Paths were, a certain road that one had to follow to the bitter end. If they won't, they go against their Path and no one should want that.

Razmund cherished his Path since the sword was in his grasp. It was an unfamiliar feeling to use multiple Dances one after the other. Both of them worked seamlessly, folding over one another and moving as if he had used it in the past. But he didn't. This was his first proper follow-up of the 2nd Dance after the 1st, with little to no delay.

Stressed and huffed, his Core was squeezing its Sharpness out, but he still moved it without a care for any repercussions.

It birthed a powerful attack upon his mind. Such seamless usage of Dances should had a specific name under his Path, but he can't remember what it was like. He had no Will to think of it for now. He just wanted to see what he could do with it.

The claymore's tip cleaved the air, reaching the edge of the incoming sword that Zao forced down. His body convulsed and shined in golden veins, visibly shuddering out of his cracks. He activated some technique and got hold of his sword after he almost lost it. Swinging it like a guillotine against the light storm, the sword's mass and weight worked surprisingly well, making this attack a true Guillotine Chop.

Both attacks clashed against one another, leaving only a single clear winner. It wasn't the claymore by itself, but the light and its power were the sole survivors of this rough momentum. It barged against that mountain-shattering Chop, unleashing countless little sword slashes, but most of those were thrusts of thousands of little swords. They overflowed Zao's sword with an absurd amount of Sharpness, obliterating the curved blade, and cracking it into a thousand pieces.

Those pieces of stone-like metal exploded, leaving marks on the ground, and even in Zao's face. His blade left him... More than half of it was now gone, yet it wasn't over. The lights sough their next target, and a powerful push of the mana traveled forth, reaching Zao who was wide open. It was too late to do a thing, but unlike what he anticipated, Razmund didn't expect this sort of offense over his storm.

Not one bit.

He didn't even expect the effectiveness of his 2nd Dance to be this long-ranged and unyielding. 2nd Dance alone normally lasted much shorter and had less mass.

Was it the effects of his current One Sword, or was it the Dance Layering under his Path Manual? He wasn't sure, but there were many feasible ideas. One was clear. Dangers stimulate potential, bloodline, talent, and many other things. His body moved on his own, mana followed suit, and his mind didn't even comprehend the changes. He was improving in lightning speed, and fighting strong opponents helped with it.

Or was it because of those effects this temple gave him like the last time, improving his mana like a curse?

Mana Flow was savage in this place, but his Core consumed it all up under his Grade B Mana Devourer just fine. It was a variant of Mana Replenishment, with a unique twist in its evolutionary pathway and countless variants of mana-related techniques and abilities. It was different from the regular growth because it was a modification occurring from his Path.

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How? The Breathing Technique under the Path Manual created many things, like what many Mana Tomes did through countless years.

Will of the Battleworld cherished such changes and even encouraged them if the individual wanted them, or could have them. These changes were a great idea that turned options into accomplishments. Especially when one was a Blessed.

Following the leveling process altered Razmund's Mana Replenishment to correspond with his Path. It happened at Level 20, right after he got better in his Path. It was a factor that could change the person forever, and even demons, beasts, or devils were no different. They can make their own choices, while this world will cherish them the same.

Razmund didn't even breathe when he watched how his 2nd Dance beamed forth like a thick storm thrust. It looked large, but it was a single surge of mana. Dances were one of the hardest power systems to progress with, as they didn't rely on or work well around the Boosts and Will of the Battleworld. They required experience, rather than cheap gifts. Because of this, all technically advanced Paths were deemed more respectable, since anyone great with them was prone to more troubles than the one who had chosen an easier Path.

Bolt of Sharpness formed a long beam at its core, traveling from his claymore for dozens of meters, obliterating all on its way. It was terrific, but can it do something against the bloodline of those lofty and ancient Titans? Answers weren't needed, since it went right against Zao.

A wave of crimson and radiating light scrambled toward Zao's chest, and his Goldsteel Eyes watched thousands of straight swords under his eyes, bearing their weight and sharpness into his cracks. At that moment, he felt an unfathomable pushing force, but not the greatest amount of Sharpness. Each small sword wasn't powerful in its own mass. But they still cracked his blade apart, bleeding his heart.

When he viewed them as one entity, it felt like the Mountain Blade of Origin Titan pinched his chest, pushing his body dozens of meters away like a toy.

Zao lost his weight and mass, traveling on his feet that scratched the floor. That went on until he stopped and dispersed the mana with a flex of his back and a twist of his legs. He flexed his entire body, and a surge of mana shattered the ground as if the power he endured moved to the ground instead. His back bent, so he faced the ceiling as he did so, but he didn't fall to his back, unwilling to create an awkward stance.

The vest around his chest crumbled apart, revealing his well-defined, yet cracked muscles filled with golden liquid. There were clear bruisers and much wider cracks, but nothing indicated any blood loss. Any Godlsteel Titan held their body to the highest standard. It was what life meant for them.

Power meant many things to many races. The defense was often great offense and vice versa. In terms of defense, the first ambush on his legs was healed before Zao even walked to this Chamber of Battle. As he fought, he had no fear of injuries, similar to Razmund, who came to this realization as well. Zao's defense was not one bit lower than his own, but they were of a different kind.

The Bolt of Sharpness came to its end, dispersing after losing its edge after traveling dozens of meters away. The residual attack dispersed into thin air, leaving Razmund's arms holding his claymore pointing at Zao. He let the point hit the ground, feeling a tinge of exhaustion and some disappointment, but Heartsear Potion moved it all away under a few breaths.

A sudden recollection entered his mind. He remembered the name of what Dance Layering mentioned, but only for a little moment. The battle was hardly over. Zao kicked the ground, turning serious after taking a hit that damaged his Pride. One of his blades was gone too... That was the start of something savage. Titan Engine began to rumble.

This Dance held some power for sure, but what was Zao again? A Guardian for those that could touch such a race? Challengers who would get him wouldn't walk away that easily.

Upon clearing his throughs, Razmund felt his mana core. It underwent quite a deep dip. Almost 20% of his pool was gone in an instant.

Oh well. It was worth the experience. I need to utilize the Layering more and use it to gain a better affinity for Sharpness. It is difficult. No doubt. Sword Sage mentioned it in the hints and sides. Layering is what makes the Combos shine. If I master this one Combo alone, I will be one step closer to going over level 70, and achieving better power over my Dances is also great. It is mana that makes my body boil, and One Sword will last for more.

But if I was closer, It should've been deadlier... I was quite a long distance away, which caused Bolt to lose some of its Sharpness over time. That's what I get when my standards are too high, and who am I attacking again? Titan Physique... I should take this as a powerful indicator of what a Combo can do, so what if it traveled towards his body and dispersed? I obliterated the Blade too, which I am unsure how good it is. Considering it is common for Titans to care less about anything but their Body, I guess it should be cheap like their armor? Razmund deducted, thinking of the exchange in a mere moment.

Zao looked up in his weird stance, glaring at the ceiling with a wonderful glint in his eyes. His Engine Flex seized a lot of damage, obliterating a great deal of the floor, but creating no hole in it. This room can take much more than those hallways, so it was no wonder. Zao straightened his back and met the eyes of his enemy. “How is this move called?” He asked.

“Does it need a name?” Razmund asked back, aware of its name, but he didn't want to speak of it. Every swordsman had their pride, and indulging in unnecessary information in this temple wasn't fine.

As far as he knew, his Path was kind of rare, since it came from a very remote Remnant Dungeon that no one had visited in who knew how many centuries. His Swordsmanship had no names for the combos of the Dances. It wasn't something that the maker of this technique deemed worthy.

“No need, human. Names are there for many. Seeing and using it is already magnificent enough, and my eyes etched it into my memories.” Zao said, sighing, pulling his right arm toward his face. His right arm held the cracked blade, which lost more than half of its mass and weight. It ruined his swordsmanship and even his Pride took a hit. “Twin blades shouldn't become one. It's a shameful way to be unable to protect their way, but as a Prided warrior, I shall fight with the remaining one and make the end of this battle! For the sake of the End of my right blade. That shall be its Pride!”

Zao let go of the destroyed blade as if it were his kindest and most prized possession. With reluctance and an almost teary expression on his face, he let the blade fall to the ground, not so far away from the metal pieces of its former body. By the lack of surprise, there weren't even that many pieces left of it.

Most of it was just crashed cracks, and any additional hit would obliterate it to countless little metallic pieces. Having it in his hand was unfit, and useless, yet he let go of it with heavy heart.

Considering its weight and mass, one would wonder how could a metal blade explode in such a manner. After all, if such shattering happened to a sword, it usually meant that the metal wasn't forged that well. It would have quite a clear problem when it came to forging, quenching, hammering, and so on. It depended on the maker, a blacksmith who crafted them. They would be the ones to blame.

Alas, that wasn't the case here, as Zao's blades were fine in all regards. It was just the material that wasn't the usual kind, with properties that went outside of the norm. It cracked because of certain brittleness caused by its mass, and meeting a powerful force that made its internal structure obsolete.

Razmund made it crack and he didn't care about it. One blade less to worry about was the advantage he was accepting without any shame. He looked toward his enemy, clutching his claymore with new confidence. A duel was always his cup of tea, but fighting against Titan's Physique was an unexpected harvest.

With a heavy thud, as if hundreds of kilograms of steel hit the ground, Zao buried his sword. He changed in an instant. His right arm went below his left, clutching the remaining blade. He was feeling imbalanced in this way, as he wielded the twin blades all his life. For him, this loss was a loss of his Pride, but it was more than that.

Like Razmund, Zao had his own Path.

Seeing the perplexion on his face, Razmund returned to a fighting stance. This time, he pointed his sword forward with an obvious intention of getting this battle to the last part. Zao saw his action, his claymore that remained pristine and without any mana. He figured there must be some limit and delay between his previous attack. But deep intent was traveling through that claymore, readying the mana in a heartbeat.

No further words were needed when it came to the fights of the warriors.

Without much regard for ploys or ambushes, there were no hiding or crafty moves. Razmund barely used a proper stance and danced with his claymore without much qualms about powerful moves. He had to know what else Zao could endure. Then, he will finish him in one swoop.

His Physique took care of most troubles one would see when met with such an enemy. Both of them clashed together, arriving and clashing head-on. Razmud used his Flying Steps, flashing and swinging his claymore against a large sword that wanted to smack at him like a mountain.

Every attack that either of them did, reverberated throughout the Chamber of Battle, overseen by few hidden Wills and one clear Guide. Small cracks spread on the already damaged floor when either foe struck the other. Each moved fast, making their different figures rather unnatural. Especially Zao seemed weird. His speed and reflexes were faster than one would guess from his stature, and every swipe of his sword touched and halted Razmund's advantages.

Considering his huge body, he moved no worse than Razmund, which was impressive.

Dozens of clashes went left and right, missing the bodies, hitting the swords, or striking the floor and the air alone, shuddering it for dozens of meters. More often than not, Razmund was the one in defense. He took each exchange with a worse kind of attitude but didn't lose either. His Flying Steps worked even with a single step, while his swings carried enough momentum against a single Zao's blade.

The physical strength that Zao held was larger than his, but he had better flexibility and reflexes, and his claymore should be able to cut him. He already tested it, so he should find a way to cleave his body properly and work around his Physique and a large blade. That was a problematic part.

There wasn't much he could figure out with clumsy methods such as quick exchanges. He was only looking for an opening and more knowledge of his enemy, but the enemy was doing the same. Hence, he should act faster, or he will lose.

Using more powerful methods over his claymore would do the trick since his Path had plenty of methods to shatter high defenses. But he had limited time to figure them out.

Zao turned into an utmost freak after getting serious, striking and following Razmund without a care for a time, or his defense. Restless and nonstop attacks went from both of them, and Razmund tried to back off to gain momentum, but Zao already figured out his Flying Steps. He kept pestering him with wide and quick slashes with his remaining blade. His long reach over his enemy helped a lot, giving Razmund very few chances to use more than 2 Flying Steps.

His remaining blade had the same appearance as the lost one, albeit, it wasn't shattered and betrayed on the floor.

Razmund had enough flexibility and reactions to follow this fight. All thanks to his high Dexterity, a combo of potions, and proper footwork. His eyes worked to his advantage, making all of the chops, slashes, and stabbing motions clear for him to dodge or deflect on time. He couldn't dodge most of them, but deflecting them was fine too.

Bearing the other deflected half of his momentum with his Physique was a passable result, even though Razmund disagreed. He felt every inch of his body tense up after each passing clash. And this continued to drag on since neither upped the other. Razmund tried, but couldn't find the right way to get out of Zao's continuous barrage. Hundreds of quick exchanges ate his stamina, while Goldsteel Titan was a menace that seemed to have endless stamina.

Heartsear Potion had a few minutes left.

It almost seemed that Zao was in a Bloodrush, with all of the highlighted cracks of brightening golden liquid, but it wasn't the case. Zao was simply going all out, while his core worked to his advantage.

Path of the Turbulent Engine was the pride of all males in Goldsteel Titan clans, and his Physique worked overtime. His eyes were pristine in gold, making it clear that his bulging muscles were working at their highest capacity. His mind wasn't. It was relatively blank, focused on this fight as if it were the most important thing in his life.

In this sense, Razmund had no choice but to go all out with his body.

He activated one of the Secret Biddings under his Path.

Mana flared up from his chest as if a flame lit his body, bathing him in the azure light of his unawakened mana. Raging Bull was light in colorful azure shade, traveling around his body and making waves an inch above his body. At its core, it was one of the more common types of enchantments, but like Mana Devourer, this one was a variant that accommodated his Path to create something different.

It moved along the enchantments that Lisa was familiar with as Morghoth Succubus. She would recognize his potency right away, as well as the dangers and how it worked. At its core, it was a strengthening spell known to protect and handle the body like a puppet, amplifying the flesh on all fronts.

But Razmund was a unique case since it was under the Secret Biddings. it had similarities to many other spells and enchantments, but at its core, it was much better.

Body Enchantment was the most common name for any mage. Raging Bull was much stronger. It was way more other, but still under the mana, so Shaping it was possible. Shaping could strengthen each use of the Raging Bull, and empowering one particular part of his body was also possible. It was a simple ability at the price of some mana.

In Razmund's case, Raging Bull was covering most of his body, because his Physique could take it all in even if it was savage in its flow. He could focus on his torso, hands, or feet, but for now, he needed everything, since its sole purpose was to twist his body for additional power. Not defense.

The color of the azure radiance represented this spell, and he had yet to Shape it. He just pulled the savage power of Raging Bulls from him, letting it go free in its basic flow.

It enchanted all of his Attributes by dozens of points, empowering his Physique to another level. His physical senses tensed up, but his strength twisted under the flowing azure waves of his mana. He wasn't sure how strong he was with it, but the cost was clear.

Raging Bull growled out of his core, turning his mind up a notch. It was hard to tame, and his bloodshot eyes looked on the verge of exploding. It was harder to focus when his Mana Devourer acted against Raging Bull, and the battle against Zao won't help either.

Thus, it was most important to have a clear mind, and Heartsear Potion nursed his mind under a few breaths. It was as if a drunk person sobered up in an instant.

It was time to counter and shatter this Goldsteel Titan.