'Second Step!'

Phillip released the 'Second Step' of the Raeven Sword Techniques. The Ein surged and enveloped the prismatic sword. The blade gave off an oppressive pressure that bore down on Oscar like a waterfall.

Oscar smelled the stench of death closing in as the sword swung in from below. He forcibly canceled his 'Steel Scales' to move right before the sword drew closer. The buckler in his hands held most of his concentrated Ein and clashed against Phillip's devastating sword.

In the instant his buckler touched the sword, Oscar felt his instincts screaming. His instincts, honed from Draven's deadly punches, sensed something ominous about to happen despite having blocked Phillip.

Oscar instantly kicked backward and activated his 'Steel Scales' again. However, before the 'Steel Scales' could fully form, Phillip's blade suddenly slashed in from the opposite direction above.

Blood spurted out from Oscar's shoulder, making him wince in pain, but the 'Steel Scales' came through in time to prevent further damage.

Phillip looked at the blood on his sword and swung it to blow off the blood. His blindfolded face slowly broke into a small smile.

On the other hand, Oscar's face was grim as his right shoulder was bleeding. His mind was in disarray from Phillip's sudden attack. If he hadn't retreated in time and used 'Steel Scales', he certainly would have lost the match.

By focusing the Ein in his hand, Oscar cauterized the shoulder wound shut. He could deal with the forearm wound, but his shoulder was losing too much blood.

But the blood loss was not important. His thoughts focused on Phillip's 'Second Step'. At first glance, it was a simple diagonal slash from below, but it suddenly shifted to an attack from the opposite direction above.

When the first slash came into contact with his buckler, there was no strength or sharpness behind the blow, contrary to its overwhelming appearance. It was a feint, an excellent feint.

Not only that, Oscar was shocked at how fast the sword transitioned into the second slash. Its speed and the way it flexibly moved to the other side. One moment it was near his buckler, and the next, his shoulder was bleeding.

"Again!" Phillip said with a tinge of excitement. His previous bouts had been lackluster. He respected his opponents for trying their best, but none of them were capable enough to make him use his techniques.

To him, Oscar was a rare opponent for him to test out his abilities. Without any more delay, he rushed in.

One more time, his 'Second Step' technique hacked at Oscar, starting from above. The 'Second Step' was a versatile technique that started from any angle and direction.

"Not this time!" Oscar wielded his buckler and put it in the sword's trajectory, but it did not contain his usual Ein and power. When the sword flashed instantly into its deceptive second strike, using the first as a feint. Oscar quickly and easily switched his stance to block the true strike of the 'Second Step'.

The 'Second Step' was halted in place.

Phillip was once again shocked yet tremored in excitement.

Oscar smiled defiantly at Phillip. From what he gathered, Phillip's attack could only manifest the second strike in the opposite direction, making it child's play to know where it would transition.

The issue was speed and positioning. The sword had immense weight behind every blow, stronger than Emily's staff and speed surpassing Frederick's 'Wind Steps'.

Thus, Oscar did not put all his efforts into the first defense. Using Ein and 'Reis Awaken' to block Phillip's feint was detrimental to the attempt to follow up in time for the second strike.

"Incredible!" Phillip took a step backward and readied for another strike.

The battle continued in a fierce onslaught. Fierce sparks and loud scarping of metals endlessly resulted from Oscar and Phillip's exchange.

Oscar was able to keep up with Phillip's strikes by constantly eyeing out the first feint and blocking the true strike from the opposite side with Ein and 'Reis Awaken'. Part of his mind was concerned about Phillip mixing in his 'First Step' technique, but Phillip never did despite the several dozen exchanges. Was Phillip unable to use it?

His suspicions were, in fact, true. Phillip was unable to use the 'First Step'.

Although Phillip was a genius of the Grade Seven Exolsia and trained in the Raeven household, he was not yet at the mastery of flowing his techniques without pause. The transition from one technique to the other was a complete shift in stance, position, grip, and Ein usage. Phillip was still unable to make the transition seamlessly and quickly.

Yes, he had no issues using the same technique repeatedly, but the small moment of transition was an obvious opening for his enemies. Perhaps against some other opponent, Phillip would have no issue switching between techniques. Still, Oscar had proven himself to be observant and quick to act on an opening during this fight and the previous ones.

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"I won't give you any chance." Phillip's 'Second Step' strikes became more overbearing, leaving Oscar to clench his teeth and weather through this.

The fierce melee seemed as if it would never end.

Oscar had gotten accustomed to blocking Phillip's 'Second Step' and moved his buckler almost naturally to defend effectively. But Oscar was not happy, rather confused.

'Is he trying to finish me off with only his second technique? No. He is planning something.' Oscar kept waiting for Phillip's game-changing move.

Phillip, while blindfolded, kept his attention on Oscar and waited patiently for the best opportunity.

And the moment finally arrived.

'Second Step'

Oscar moved to block the feint while readying himself for the second strike. Once his buckler made initial contact with the first strike, Oscar switched to block the second as he usually did. But the second strike never came.

To Oscar's horror, Phillip's sword did not switch to the opposite side where his buckler was waiting. It slashed along its original path to Oscar's now exposed body.

"Damn!"

"I got you!"

With a burst of veins on his arms and forehead, Oscar forcibly pulled his buckler back to block. But this hastily made defense was late and not as sturdy because of going against the momentum of his Reis.

'Steel Scales'

The sword easily blew back Oscar's unstable buckler and cleaved into Oscar's body. Although his 'Steel Scales' was active, the sword still sliced through it.

In a groan of pain, Oscar canceled his spell and retreated. He threw his buckler like a spinning top at Phillip to prevent him from pursuing.

Phillip deflected Oscar's buckler with ease but did not give chase.

Oscar pulled back his buckler and knelt on one knee from the pain. His chest was cut badly and bleeding like a fountain.

"It's a shame. If you were a stronger Middle Apprentice Exalt, your 'Steel Scales' might have deflected more of my blade. But right now, my Ein is superior to yours." Phillip said.

Oscar could barely pay attention, thanks to the blood loss. His face was increasingly pale, making the proctor think if he should end this match. Before the proctor could come to a decision, Oscar burned his chest wound shut with Ein and stood up firmly.

Astonished, Phillip could not help but ask, "You've done enough and shown your strength. I acknowledge that. You know there is no chance of victory, so why?"

"You're right. Rationally, I should surrender before I suffer more injuries that may impact me later." Oscar said while breathing heavily.

"Then why?" Phillip asked again.

"I don't know. I always say I don't like killing and unnecessary battles. But right now…I want to fight to the end. So don't pity me."

He wanted to know the gap between him and a genius. Oscar drew in a deep breath and shouted, "Face me! Put everything you have into this!"

Phillip was silent. Oscar's undaunting words piqued his fighting spirit. "I apologize for disrespecting you. I did not take into account your resolve. It was rude to suggest surrender. Let's settle this like warriors, not students."

…….

Margaret tapped her teacup on the table. "Phillip should have just ended it. There is no room for words in a true battle to the death."

"Hmmm, is someone getting worried for their grandnephew now? I thought you were the beacon of neutrality." Draven said in amusement.

"I'm not favoring him. I can be worried for my family if I want to, but I won't intervene like some unsavory fools in the past." Margaret despised the blatant favoritism if a student was related to an elder or staff. Before she came to power, the Blue Ocean Pavilion was already good at handling such cases.

But, she made sure to engrave the belief that doing so would result in horrific punishment resulting in many elders being cautious about favoring their families.

In the past, she executed elders and staff who tried to hide their bullying and killed off potential talents that opposed their children and relatives. Her crusade did not end there; she destroyed their families' foundations, leaving their statuses in the dirt. "However, this boy truly is your disciple. He's stubborn, just like you."

"Temporary disciple." Draven sipped from his tea. "Robert seems to have a mild interest in him from how he passed the trials. It was quite an entertaining show."

Margaret pulled up a stone tablet and found a recording of Oscar's enrollment trial, conducted a year ago. She watched expressionlessly at Oscar in the video. Her eyes focused on Oscar hanging down from the mountain and propping up his friend.

"This boy is going to break down sooner or later. It might even be now against Phillip. His mind seems rational and calm, yet why does it steer towards drastic measures and wild plans?"

"He is only Grade Four, after all. There can only be unusual and radical actions in the face of such a gap against his peers. Besides, there's a stubbornness that runs deep in his bones. If he keeps growing, he'll be a powerful Exalt." Draven answered.

"If he lives that long."

"Oh, looks like they're about to start." Draven ignored Margaret's remark and focused on Oscar's battle.

…….

"To make up for this. I will strike you with my most powerful attack." The Ein dispersed from Phillip's prismatic sword anima. It was eerily calm as if the fierce clashes had never happened.

Then the very tip, the sharpest point, of the sword was gathering all the Ein. The Ein collected and condensed onto this single point like Oscar's 'Stone Gaze'. But unlike Oscar's spell, this Ein was for destruction.

Phillip lowered his stance, bending his knees, and held the sword back horizontally to the stage, pointing at Oscar. Instead of two hands, he only gripped his blade with one and palmed his free hand forward.

Oscar let out a large breath in a sigh. With a serious face, he lowered his knees and held his buckler back like Phillip's sword.

On the terrace, Margaret's expression did not change but inside, she was bewildered by Oscar's move. Abandoning his defense like this was not rational.

Draven, however, looked with interest behind his helmet. 'If my guess is correct, my little disciple has a crazy plan. Even I wouldn't be this reckless. But that is interesting. Go forth, Oscar, and show me how far you've progressed.'

The two on the stage, Oscar and Phillip, remained silent. The two were preparing themselves to start in their best condition.

"This is the 'Third Step' of the Raeven Family Sword Techniques. It is my most powerful attack. Receive it." Phillip said proudly.

The Raeven Sword Techniques were divided and had three techniques for each Exalt realm. The Apprentice Exalts had the First, Second, and Third Steps, with the last being the most powerful. The Elite Exalts had Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth.

It continued until the Marshal Exalt with the Tenth, Eleventh, and Twelfth Steps. No King Exalt techniques existed because no one in the Raeven Family had stepped into that realm.

"I don't have a name for my attacks. I'll say that this next one is what my current self is capable of." Oscar's eyes were brimming with his resolve to win.

Their last clash was at hand.