Chapter 21: The Final Lesson

The [Unmoving Bright King Dharma Aspect] was, in essence, not a purely martial arts technique. It was a secret method that combined rune magic, synchronizing mana with the body to achieve maximum efficiency. With proper preparation, it could elevate one’s physical capabilities to an extraordinary level, granting the power to split mountains, shatter rocks, and sever metal.

The golden light of mana was the manifestation of that synchronization.

That was precisely why Liya had just displayed strength beyond ordinary limits. With a single punch, she had shattered Annie’s fierce assault. That was power—the answer Liya had delivered.

On the other side, though Annie was not privy to Liya’s methods, her keen intuition and the exchange from moments ago allowed her to guess the truth.

‘That golden mana is incredibly dense… it feels like a mountain. So that’s the source of Liya’s abnormal strength? Interesting, but that power…’

Suddenly, lightning burst from Annie’s entire body. Beams of thunder spread from behind her like a peacock’s tail, then coalesced into spears of lightning that shot toward Liya!

Lightning was the fastest attack, and a long-range magic at that. For martial artists, the most troublesome aspect of mages was their powerful, long-range spells. Without a way to close the distance, dealing with a mage was undoubtedly difficult—that was beyond question.

But…

‘Why is Annie using magic?! And so powerfully?!’

Liya amplified the golden magical light surrounding her—the full expression of her mana, enough to block lightning. Yet the power of the lightning spears shocked her deeply.

Conventionally, a martial artist and a mage could not coexist. A master of martial arts could not achieve high proficiency in magic; likewise, a mage could not master martial arts. This was absolute, immutable… But why? How could Annie, a martial artist, unleash lightning of such formidable might?

“Why is this happening?! Teacher Christie?!”

Outside the arena, as Liya scrambled to dodge Annie’s lightning strikes, Cecilia lost her composure first. Flustered, she turned to Christie.

“…Actually, it’s nothing, really. While it’s true that a martial artist cannot use powerful magic, that’s just theory. And any theory has loopholes to exploit. These lightning bolts are, in fact—”

‘Is it that sword?!’

In her constant evasion, Liya saw the truth.

The source of the lightning mana did not come from Annie herself but from the blade in her hand! It was a magical weapon—could it also assist in releasing pre-set spells? That had to be it!

“…And that is why Magical Severance has become Annie’s sharpest tool.”

The tide of battle shifted. Forced to flee from the long-range lightning bombardment, Liya dashed across the battlefield. But lightning was too fast; despite her efforts, she took several hits. Only the golden magical light bolstering her endurance allowed her to withstand the lightning’s power.

But this couldn’t go on. The balance had been broken. At this rate, Liya would be drained of stamina and die.

This was Annie’s second lesson—theory is not absolute. Battlefields are ever-changing. Faced with unexpected developments, how should one respond?

Well done! As expected of a teacher!

“Strange! Just moments ago, Liya was evenly matched with Teacher Annie, but now she seems to have lost the means to counter! She’s being forced into a corner by Teacher Annie’s lightning! A gap has appeared between their abilities!”

The commentator made the call, and the audience reached their conclusions.

“She’s probably going to lose. There’s no way to fight this.”

“The teacher is just too strong. Even though they’re both martial artists, Teacher Annie can use such powerful lightning.”

“The transfer student is impressive too, but she’s no match for the teacher. Maybe when she’s an upperclassman, she’ll find a way?”

“Yeah, it’s too early now. Look at how young she is—probably younger than my sister…”

The winner was already determined; that was the atmosphere.

How foolish.

They didn’t realize that now was the time for a counterattack! When a martial artist fights a mage, they lack long-range attacks. Could she have not accounted for this? In her past life, she had battled many mages and had developed a martial art to overcome this very weakness!

A second secret art, besides the Unmoving Bright King Dharma Aspect, was now time to be unsealed!

Liya stopped running. Looking at Annie in the distance, she opened her mouth.

BOOM!!!!!!

The atmosphere quaked, the ground groaned. In an instant, an invisible sonic wave swept across the entire battlefield. The formerly noisy arena plunged into dead silence.

“Lin Bing Dou Zhe Jie Zhan Lie Qian Xing——!!!!”

A simple rune condensed before Liya, its meaning:

[Amplify Sound]

A string of syllables, uttered with focused energy, each word roaring like thunder, spreading in all directions. Everyone who heard it felt as if a hammer had struck their heads—painful, unbearable. Liya’s voice echoed repeatedly in their minds. Some with weaker constitutions fainted on the spot. Liya’s attack engulfed the entire arena.

The True Word—a vocal technique she had once demonstrated to Christie, a secret method specifically designed to counter mages. No matter what magic one cast, it required mental calculation and communication with nature at a proper frequency to borrow nature’s power. But the True Word’s sound perfectly disrupted nature’s frequency, completely confusing the flow of elements, thereby preventing mages from using magic. Without some special means, this technique was virtually unbeatable against mages.

Moreover, because sound was so penetrating, if used correctly, it could also severely damage the opponent’s spirit.

By leveraging her enhanced physical abilities and the Amplify Sound spell, Liya unleashed the True Word nine times in succession, forming a cycle. Each word resonated with the next, enhanced further by the amplification, producing a power where the mere sound could summon shockwaves and gales. This was her proudest second martial art from her past life—

[Dao Zang Liu Jia Mi Zhu]

As Liya had anticipated, the storm of lightning ceased.

“Haha…”

Without hesitation, Liya laughed and charged toward Annie. The shock must still be reverberating in her mind—now was the perfect moment to decide the match!

“Don’t even think about it!!!”

A flash of the blade. Liya’s advance was repelled again. Annie, drenched in cold sweat but with eyes still resolute, had fully tracked Liya’s movements… Though affected by the True Word, Annie, with her terrifying willpower and ability to multitask, had not let her guard down.

“Tch.”

Unable to settle the match in one go, Liya felt a twinge of disappointment. The Unmoving Bright King Dharma Aspect and Dao Zang Liu Jia Mi Zhu—those were her two trump cards, both now revealed. But who knew what other tricks Annie had up her sleeve? The surprise attack hadn’t finished the fight…

The battle from here on would likely become extremely difficult. Liya acknowledged that.

“…Amazing, Liya.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

The second lesson—another perfect answer. Liya was confident.

But the effect of the True Word seemed to have passed. As expected of a teacher, her ability to readjust was top-notch. Liya observed Annie, whose complexion had returned to normal, and began planning her next attack… However.

“But this is it. I concede this match.”

“…What?!”

“Because your strength has fully reached the level of the top twenty, even enough to rank in the top ten. With those two moves alone, it’s sufficient.” Annie smiled, especially when she saw no joy on Liya’s face—only anger.

“Of course, I know you won’t be satisfied with that.”

“You’re right, Teacher. I was still looking forward to the third lesson.”

“…Mm, I don’t want to end it like this either. So, next, let me show you my trump card.”

Liya narrowed her eyes. The moment Annie finished speaking, she sensed it—killing intent.

Unlike Annie’s attitude thus far, what she now revealed was the ultimate killing intent that only those who had walked through a hellish battlefield could understand. It was concentrated into a single point, making one’s skin crawl, fear bloom, and blood rush… exhilarating.

Basking in that killing intent, Liya smiled. Then, her entire body blazed with dazzling golden magical light—the pinnacle of the Unmoving Bright King Dharma Aspect. Annie could even see a magnificent golden statue behind her.

Truly remarkable.

Just as Christie had said, this young girl was an extraordinary genius.

“I have nothing left to teach you.”

Unlike before, Annie’s heart was now filled with satisfaction. It was like watching a graduating student leave—a sense of fulfillment from having taught this student. Though the duel was brief, Annie felt enriched and truly sensed the bond between teacher and student.

Very good.

In that case.

“This is the final lesson.”

Its content was neither combat theory nor technique, but a very common maxim in the world of martial artists—

The principle that there is always someone stronger, and always a world beyond.

Though Liya was a genius with outstanding ability, being undefeated at this age was not necessarily a good thing in Annie’s eyes. So, for the last lesson, Annie would teach Liya not victory, but defeat.

Calming her heart and steadying her breath, Annie gazed at Liya before her, gripped the sheathed Magical Severance, and smiled.

“…Magical Severance.”

This was the secret art named after her beloved blade.

The next moment, the sword was drawn. A gentle breeze became a strong wind, then a gale, then a hurricane, finally coalescing into a visible air bomb that illuminated the entire arena.

BOOM!!!!!!!

With that single slash, a crater appeared in the center of the arena, as if a meteor had struck. And in the very center of that crater—

Liya lay unconscious.

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