"Expanding consciousness domain is the first step. In most situations, controlling a larger space means more potential targets to dominate and compressing your opponent's options.

Erosion of the domain isn't always a strategy would use, especially between equally matched psychics. When consciousness is expanded, the mutually repellent domains will divide space according to proportion--this is what we call neutralization. If you can unilaterally erode the opponent's domain, it will bring an absolute advantage. However, this is based on an extraordinary level of understanding. It's not impossible, but extremely difficult. Considering it as a combat method is impractical.

Therefore, the most common scenario in battles between psychics is the formation of chimeric domains, with neutral domains appearing occasionally. The principles need to grasp don't change; just be mindful of the range you can operate within."

As the chimeric domain formed, Qana immediately attacked me with his consciousness before I had time to unleash a strike with the Snow stance.

He's so strong!

I'm pretty sure he's using his full strength this time. If I hadn't reflexively pushed back, my body would be shattered by now. I mustered an even stronger force, breaking free from Qana's influence, causing him to stagger slightly.

This is the first time I truly felt the strength of my own power.

I mimicked Qana's method, suppressing him with my consciousness, pinning the Sword Master in place.

"The second step involves using free-floating adamantite. Strictly speaking, you could substitute this with other materials, but adamantite's ability to enhance waves and interact with defense circle makes it the best choice.

Generally, the stronger the psychic, the more objects they can dominate simultaneously, though that's not always the case. Differences in proficiency with consciousness-union techniques create significant variations in the upper and lower limits. These free-floating objects can be taken over by the opponent's domain as soon as they enter it, so they are mainly used to interfere or overload the opponent's control.

This is the best chance for a weaker psychic to turn the tide, as precise manipulation relies on skill and practice, not just power."

Qana's muscles tensed as he resisted my suppression, his eyes glowing red.

It feels... strange.

Even though Qana had mentioned that I'm stronger in terms of psychic power, it still feels odd to truly experience it.

But the Sword Master isn't going to let me off easy. The waves he's channeling are difficult to control. My endurance has never been great, and if the same applies to willpower output, then this stalemate won't end well for me.

As I considered how to maintain my advantage, I sensed several objects flying toward me--Qana had reshaped the spheres into twelve blades aimed directly at my head.

I seized them with my willpower, only to realize that the adamantite spheres I had been controlling were being taken over. Hastily, I regained control, but one sphere slipped out of my grasp, forcing me to dodge to avoid getting hit.

After regaining my footing, I saw Qana dismantling the sphere into dozens of fine needles, launching them at me again. There were too many, and I worried that if I released my grip on the other adamantite pieces, Qana would seize them again. So, I combined all the floating adamantite into a unified structure, forcing them to stop.

Qana didn't waste the moment I was distracted. As my suppression weakened, the Sword Master leaped at me, sword raised for a strike.

I thrust all the adamantite I held toward him, forcing the Sword Master back beyond the range where his broadsword could reach me. I made sure not to injure him, avoiding any contact between the adamantite and Qana's blood.

With a wave of his hand, he swept the metal aside and charged at me once more.

"The third step is adamantite weaponry. Holding a weapon made from this unique material can have a profound impact on battles between psychics.

The basic application doesn't necessarily require the weapon itself. Adamantite can serve as a wave amplifier, enhancing various abilities. But if the weapon or tool is recognized as part of one's own existence circle, it becomes immune to direct internal interference from other psychics, including control snatches. This is crucial in combat against other psychics, which is why professionals in this field always strive to acquire adamantite weapons or at least carry gear they perceive as extensions of their body.

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Once an adamantite weapon is infused with a sufficient level of consciousness, it can resonate. That resonance, if it finds the correct frequency, can theoretically cut through any material at the molecular level. Beyond interacting with the physical space, it can emit inverse waves to weaken or counteract an opponent's waves, or even their domain.

So--a weapon that cannot be taken over, that can bypass defense fields, and that can interfere with the opponent's consciousness domain. To some extent, wielding an adamantite weapon forces combat back into the physical realm, leveling the playing field for psychics with a power discrepancy."

Just as I settled into the Frost stance, Qana had already closed the distance between us, delivering a swift and unhesitant strike. The broadsword's length gave him an advantage in reach, but in a battle with so many different methods of attack, that advantage wasn't particularly crucial.

I deflected the sword's trajectory while pushing Qana back, simultaneously pulling the blades formed from adamantine back towards him from behind. The swordmaster had to divert his attention to block the blades, preventing him from fully counteracting the force pushing him from the front. This destabilized his stance, and I seized the opportunity, stepping into his range and sweeping my blade in a wide arc with the Glacier stance.

With a sharp clang, Qana brought his broadsword down, stopping my attack. The collision sent a shockwave through the hilt of my sword, numbing my hand and nearly causing me to lose my grip.

I raised the hilt with both hands, retracting my blade while maintaining the lock between our swords, preventing his broadsword from breaking free. But Qana had no intention of letting me retreat. He took a step closer, maintaining the downward pressure with Winter Chill, while sending the blade-shaped adamantine back at me, circling around his sides in an arc.

Using his superior weight and strength, he gradually forced my defense to collapse, leaving me with no spare focus to wrest control of the adamantine from him. But that wasn't my true goal.

With a crunching sound, the ground beneath Qana's right foot shattered, causing him to stumble. I had spent considerable time studying the composition of this black material.

Qana's balance wavered, a look of surprise crossing his face. I twisted the hilt, successfully rolling my sword and breaking through his defensive stance, smashing the guard into his face. Simultaneously, I seized control of the flying blades, redirecting them on the shortest path back toward Qana in a near-perfect angular arc.

The swordmaster, struggling to regain his footing, managed to sweep his broadsword horizontally, generating a powerful wave that deflected all the incoming blades. Immediately after, I noticed dozens of additional slashing attacks, transformed into white streaks, rushing toward me. I quickly regained control of the adamantine blades, generating a resonant wave to neutralize all the threats.

Twenty-four blades orbited around me, each following its own trajectory. I programmed them to move in a satellite-like pattern, allowing me to control them with minimal effort.

Qana wiped the blood from his nose and grinned at me. I recognized that expression; it was one he showed only when he was in a particularly good mood.

"The forging of a complete adamantine weapon is no easy task, making those who possess one exceedingly rare. And those capable of awakening such a weapon are even fewer.

An adamantine weapon that hasn't been awakened is no different from an ordinary adamantine weapon in battle. The process of awakening, in essence, brings the adamantine into our dimension, allowing this special metal to truly interact with the world. In simple terms, this amplifies everything that an adamantine weapon could originally do--by a tremendous, almost unimaginable amount."

"Ukayok!" Qana shouted, wielding Winter Chill with one hand and drawing a circle with it.

In the next instant, our chimeric domain shattered--Winter Chill's resonance created a space that my consciousness couldn't reach.

This was entirely different from the last time Qana had awakened Winter Chill. Now, the broadsword in his hand didn't even look like a sword--it resembled something from a higher dimension, commanding its own independent space. I understood then that this was the true nature of an adamantine weapon, revealed only when it was awakened with enough willpower.

Qana must have been using some form of body-enhancing wave, for he closed the distance between us in a single bound, swinging Winter Chill at me. I narrowly dodged the blade, flipping backward while summoning my will to neutralize the shockwave and wind pressure generated by the strike. I also maneuvered the adamantine blades to block the slashes coming from beyond my conscious sphere.

Each swing of the sword was a confrontation both in the realm of consciousness and in the physical world.

This made me wonder--when I, too, can awaken an adamantine weapon, will the battle extend into a third domain? Is this what a battle between powerful psychics looks like?

But now clearly wasn't the time for such thoughts.

I clumsily dodged one attack after another, retreating whenever I could, seizing any chance to catch my breath.

I brought down half the ceiling, but Qana didn't even change his stance--the black boulder shattered into large fragments, and the swordmaster charged through the center. Winter Chill slashed through the air as if cutting through space itself, tracing a distorted light, and descended upon me with a glacial strike from above.

With my heel against the wall, I knew there was nowhere to retreat; I had to take this hit.

Is that even possible?

Winter Chill... I couldn't even be sure if what I was seeing was the broadsword itself, because the wave it was emitting now felt more like... a galaxy of countless shimmering silver lights.

But whatever it was, there was only one way to find out if I could withstand it.

I locked eyes with Qana, whose eyes glowed red, and gripped my sword's hilt tightly.

The swordmaster always claimed that he wasn't good with words, that he only understood things related to combat. But I think, in this unreserved battle, I finally understood what he was trying to convey.

Why does Qana care so much about me? Why is he so kind to me? Why... does he never clearly explain these complex and difficult matters?

There is no reason, nor is there any need for one.

I have to experience and understand it myself, because only I can give myself the answers I truly need.

I think, among all those grand questions I thought were impossible to answer, I finally have a clear idea about at least one of them.

I released my domain and poured all my willpower into my hand-and-a-half sword. Ignoring the piercing shriek and the intense vibrations that felt like they would shatter the weapon, I let the surge of power well up inside me, filling me... filling everything.

Qana and I clashed swords amidst the dazzling light and thundering sounds around us, and in that moment, I could clearly hear all the words he had been trying to convey.

"So, we now understand how psychics use their powers in battle: domains, domination, waves.

No matter which method is used, it all relies on understanding. Among the rules of psychic abilities, the highest, most important, and most unshakable one is understanding.

Understanding oneself determines the nature and strength of the domain; understanding things determines the effectiveness of domination; and all kinds of waves, whether in reception or construction, require corresponding knowledge to comprehend.

Doesn't that suggest something?

So, with that said, there's only one core question left about psychic combat--why do psychics fight?"