Outside the Frenzel residence, on the main road, Lizbeth jogged over and soon spotted the carriage that picked her up every day.
After seeing the carriage, she slowed down and immediately boarded when it arrived beside her.
At the same time, the flickering shadow that had appeared behind her last time reappeared.
"So? Did he agree?"
Rohm asked as soon as he appeared.
Apparently, the news that Riezel had taken Lizbeth into the mansion for a talk had already reached his ears.
Since Riezel hadn't hidden it either, the fact that he brought Lizbeth into the mansion in front of so many people meant that those with sharp ears had surely heard about it through various channels.
Aside from discussing the attendant contract, he couldn't think of anything else the two of them could talk about, so he asked Lizbeth directly, causing her to shrink her shoulders slightly.
Nevertheless, Lizbeth still answered honestly.
"He asked me to go back and wait for the news."
Lizbeth informed Rohm of the situation.
'Wait for the news?'
Rohm mused to himself.
'Seems like he's already considering it.'
Even though Riezel didn't agree right away, this was undoubtedly a very good sign.
"Your Highness, you—"
As Rohm was about to tell Lizbeth to push a bit harder to seal the deal, he suddenly fell silent before he could finish his words.
In the next second, the flickering shadow behind Lizbeth began emitting a gloomy, cold aura.
"W-What's wrong?"
Lizbeth was startled by the sudden gloomy and cold aura.
"...It's nothing."
After a moment of silence, Rohm replied and withdrew his gloomy and cold aura.
"Since he asked Your Highness to go back and wait for the news, let's just wait for now."
After saying this, the flickering shadow behind Lizbeth quickly disappeared.
Only Lizbeth was left in the carriage, her face still showing signs of doubt and confusion.
===
At this moment, instead of returning to the royal palace, Rohm left the carriage and headed toward the outskirts of the royal capital.
Even though it was still broad daylight, his form seemed to blend into the darkness as if it were night. Only a faint shadow remained, silently gliding toward the outskirts of the royal capital, crossing the city walls, and leaving behind the city called Yeluvia.
After a long while, he finally came to a stop in the middle of a desolate wilderness.
"Come out."
Rohm exclaimed to the desolate wilderness, his voice cold and clearly echoed.
"I know you've been following me. No need to keep hiding."
A few seconds later, a faint voice responded.
"I completely sealed off my aura, yet you still noticed me... Looks like I'm not that good at this whole hiding thing, huh?"
With these words, a figure suddenly appeared behind Rohm like a ghost.
Who else could it be but Riezel?
"..."
Rohm was silent for a moment before speaking unemotionally.
"You hid well, completely sealing off your aura, lowering your presence to the minimum, almost turning yourself invisible. If it were any other Sword Saint, they might not have noticed you."
"Unfortunately, when it comes to hiding, I'm confident no one in this world can surpass me—not even Jinas's so-called strongest, Old Sword Saint, can compare."
In short, what Riezel had done was like showing off in front of a true master in this field, so being detected was inevitable.
Riezel gave a faint smile.
"As expected of the leader of the royal family's assassination unit, Shadow, the rumored Shadow Sword Saint... You're quite impressive, huh?"
As Riezel casually revealed Rohm's identity, Rohm turned around and looked at him.
"I'm a bit curious..." Rohm said in a deep voice. "Judging by your demeanor, it seems like you knew about my presence from the start. How did you discover me?"
He believed that his concealment abilities were unmatched in the world and was confident that even a Sword Saint of the same caliber would have a hard time seeing through his concealment.
Up until now, he had hidden himself well from the other Sword Saints, and of all the Sword Saints in Jinas, only one had ever noticed his presence while he was still in concealment.
Now, knowing that Riezel had seen through his concealment, he was naturally puzzled and surprised.
In response to Rohm's question, Riezel simply raised his eyelids slightly.
"Nothing special. It's just that the world I see is different from the one others see."
As Riezel said this, a thick, transparent light gleamed in his eyes.
Seeing those suddenly transparent pupils, Rohm realized that this young man possessed some kind of very special ability, one that could see through all deceptions.
For Rohm, whose main combat methods relied on assassination and stealth, this ability was nothing short of a natural enemy.
"I see... so you had already noticed my presence when you met His Majesty in the throne room?" Rohm asked pensively.
"Pretty much..." Riezel replied with a half-smile. "At least, I clearly saw and felt the murderous intent you showed when I flat-out refused your king's offer."
"..."
Rohm fell silent, and after a moment, he spoke in a low voice.
"So, you secretly followed Princess Lizbeth, led me here on purpose after I noticed you… Was it all to get back at me for that murderous intent?"
Upon hearing this, Riezel scoffed, his lips curling into a smirk.
"Getting back at you? Nah." Riezel clenched his hand, and a sword instantly appeared in his grip. "I'm just curious to see what the Shadow Sword Saint can do. Think you can show me?"
*Bzzz—*
In the next second, his body crackled with lightning and thunder.
A surge of energy locked onto Rohm, making it clear that Riezel wasn't planning to let him leave.
Seeing this, Rohm's gaze turned cold.
"Do you really think you're invincible just because no one could handle your strike in that arena of yours these past few days?" Rohm sneered. "Kid, don't get too cocky. In the circle of Sword Saints, you're still a rookie."
What he said made sense.
In many people's eyes, Riezel was indeed a new Sword Saint and had no problem crushing ordinary swordsmen or even Sword Masters, but when it came to facing other Sword Saints, no one believed he could take them on easily.
"A flash of lightning means defeat? Sure, that kind of rumor might scare some people, but you shouldn't try that in front of experienced Sword Saints, or you might end up ruining the reputation you just built."
Rohm's words weren't exactly malicious, but they definitely stung.
It was clear that Rohm had been provoked by Riezel's attitude.
Riezel, still wearing a calm expression, looked at Rohm indifferently.
*BOOM!*
Without warning, a lightning bolt exploded, like a thunderclap tearing through space, shooting toward Rohm at incredible speed and crackling through the air as it went.
"?!"
Rohm's eyes narrowed, and the moment the lightning bolt surged, he instinctively transformed into a shadow as dark as black water and darted to the side.
*Swish!*
As the lightning bolt grazed the shadow, it triggered a lightning-encased slash that struck empty space, slicing through the air with a high-pitched sound.
Needless to say, Rohm had clearly dodged Thunderclap and Flash.
Since Riezel returned to the Akasha Continent, Rohm was undoubtedly the first to dodge his Thunderclap and Flash perfectly.
"Do you really think this move will work on me?"
Rohm's gloomy, cold voice reached Riezel's ears.
"For so many days, I've seen you use this move a thousand times, so it definitely won't work on me."
If it had been Rohm's first time seeing Thunderclap and Flash, he would have found it a bit tricky to handle, but after seeing it repeatedly, he could easily counter this superfast iai slash.
Since even Sword Masters like the Letto brothers had identified the flaw of Thunderclap and Flash and developed countermeasures after seeing it twice, it was even less of a challenge for a Sword Saint like Rohm.
During this period, Riezel had used Thunderclap and Flash countless times against many challengers in the arena, so it was no surprise that Rohm had completely seen through it.
"Whenever you use this move, there's always a thunderous roar first, and once you perform it, you can't change direction or alter your move. In other words, as long as I dodge the attack path the moment the thunder roars, there's no way this move will hit me."
Saying this, Rohm drew his sword.
Like a formless black liquid swaying, the sword in his hand looked as if it were made entirely of shadows, its blade as black and ethereal as the darkness itself.
"Let me show you, even though you've become a Sword Saint, you're still just a rookie and no match for an experienced one."
As soon as Rohm finished speaking, his figure vanished, and all that was left was the shadow sword, seemingly floating in mid-air.
In the next moment, as if manipulated by an invisible force, the shadow sword suddenly slashed toward Riezel.
*BOOM!*
A thunderous roar echoed around Riezel's body again as he shot toward the shadow sword.
However, Rohm's shadow sword was like a ghost, first vanishing and then reappearing suddenly in another position—this time, right in front of Riezel.
"Black Sword - Shadow Slash!"
Rohm's gloomy and cold voice echoed.
In an instant, black light seeped from the shadow sword and slashed toward Riezel from mid-air.
*BOOOM!*
For the third time, a thunderous roar rang out, but this time, the sound wasn't from thunder but from the ground being sliced open.
A black light, like a sword beam, cut through the earth and wilderness, leaving a massive, deep chasm in the ground.
Rubble flew into the air, a sandstorm stirred up, and the shockwave exploded outward, blowing away rocks, rock plates, and everything else in the surrounding area.
With just one sword slash, it felt as if the world was shaking.
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*Crackle!*
A lightning bolt flashed, revealing Riezel's figure amidst the world-shaking destruction.
Staring at the earth split by a single slash, Riezel braved the sandstorm and dodged the flying debris.
"With all this commotion, how is he supposed to be the best in hiding?" Riezel muttered speechlessly.
However, he would soon realize why Rohm's concealment ability was indeed the best.
*Whoosh!*
Rohm's shadow sword, glowing with a dark light, suddenly appeared in front of Riezel, slashing down at him again and releasing a black sword light.
*BOOM!*
With a thunderous roar, the ground shattered once more as the black sword light carved a deep trench and ravaged the earth.
Seeing this, Riezel steadied his breathing, pushing the speed and power of his Thunder Breathing to the limit.
Like lightning, he flashed and darted several hundred meters away.
Nevertheless, even with his incredible speed, the shadow sword kept appearing out of nowhere, relentlessly slashing at him, each time sending out a wave of black sword light.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
Continuous explosions echoed as the ground, torn by the black sword light, erupted again and again, kicking up waves of sand and transforming the area into a battlefield.
If not for the fact that this place was far from the royal capital, the city would've been in an uproar from the sheer destruction and noise.
Riezel flickered back and forth among the roaring black sword light as if he were being chased by an invisible ghost, not daring to stop for even a moment.
In fact, it wasn't far from the truth.
He had to admit that the shadow sword, glowing with dark light, was like a true ghost—always vanishing after a strike, only to reappear silently right in front of him next, making it impossible to defend against.
If it weren't for his ability to perceive through the Transparent World and the aid of Fast Attack, which boosted his reflexes, he wouldn't have been able to dodge all these terrifying attacks.
Soon, as Riezel dodged another oncoming slash of the shadow sword while using his transparent, glowing eyes to scan the surroundings, the glow in his eyes suddenly flared up.
'Found you!'
Riezel suddenly dashed in a certain direction, his form turning into a lightning bolt as he shot toward a corner of the wilderness.
"Thunderclap and Flash!"
*BOOM!*
Riezel's lightning slash burst forth, generating intense heat around his sword blade as it clashed violently with the air.
Unfortunately—
"Useless."
Rohm, in the form of a shadow as dark as the void, flickered to the side of where Riezel had just struck as if teleporting.
"I told you, I've already seen through this move."
As Rohm spoke, he gestured, causing the floating shadow sword to tear through the void and aim at Riezel.
Riezel, still in his lightning bolt form, didn't slow down but instead sped up.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
*BOOM!* *BOOM!* *BOOM!*
With thunderous sounds echoing, the lightning bolt ricocheted off the ground and rocks several times.
"Thunderclap and Flash - Sixfold!"
Six lightning bolts merged together, surrounding Rohm, before darting toward him, aiming straight for his head.
"I've seen this move too."
Saying this calmly, Rohm adjusted his stance and positioned the shadow sword in front of himself, perfectly intercepting the incoming lightning bolt.
*DING!*
Amid the metallic collision, the lightning slash struck the shadow sword, sending it flying.
However, Riezel's slash missed Rohm and merely grazed past him.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!*
In the next second, the lightning bolt ricocheted twice, shooting back once more.
"Thunderclap and Flash - Eightfold!"
What Riezel used was the enhanced version of 'Thunderclap and Flash – Sixfold', a move originally developed by Zenitsu in the original work of Demon Slayer.
Riezel had successfully recreated it, along with Sixfold.
Although Rohm hadn't seen this move before, he didn't panic.
"Even though I haven't seen this move before, whether it's six or eight, they're basically the same."
Rohm called back his shadow sword, which had been knocked away, making it appear before him as if by teleportation.
*DING!*
Just like before, Riezel's slash was once again blocked by the elusive shadow sword. Although the shadow sword was knocked away, the slash was still deflected by the block, merely grazing past Rohm's side again.
'In that case...'
Seeing this, Riezel's expression hardened.
'Let's see how long you can keep blocking.'
Instead of stopping, Riezel accelerated further.
"Thunderclap and Flash - Tenfold!"
Yes.
Tenfold.
It was a move that didn't even appear in the original work.
Zenitsu had only developed Thunderclap and Flash up to Sixfold and Eightfold, with Eightfold being the limit.
However, as Rohm had said, whether it was six or eight, they were essentially the same—just different versions of Thunderclap and Flash, with the only difference being how many times it could change direction.
Sixfold was six directional changes.
Eightfold was eight directional changes.
Theoretically, as long as it could keep changing direction, Thunderclap and Flash could continue endlessly.
Zenitsu had stopped at Eightfold because, first, he developed an even stronger technique, and second, his physical limitations prevented him from continuing further, as his body wouldn't be able to handle it.
Riezel, however, didn't have these worries.
Having reached Level 6, his body far surpassed Zenitsu's, making Eightfold nowhere near his limit.
In fact, Tenfold wasn't even his limit.
*BOOM!* *BOOM!*
As the sound of thunder echoed across the wilderness, Riezel, in the form of a lightning bolt, ricocheted off the ground and rocks like a laser hitting mirrors, continuously bouncing around.
Each time the lightning bolt bounced, it would end up in front of Rohm, slashing at him, sending chills down his spine.
Rohm could only hold his breath, fully concentrating on tracking the lightning bolt's path, repeatedly summoning his shadow sword to block Riezel's lightning slashes.
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
*Clang!* *Cling!* *Clang!* *Cling!*
While the crisp sound of blades clashing echoed constantly, the shadow sword, glowing with dark light, was knocked away repeatedly, causing Riezel's lightning slashes to graze past Rohm each time, never landing a direct hit.
Even so, with Riezel's sword edge scraping his side repeatedly, Rohm was starting to get irritated.
"I told you! It's useless!"
Rohm snapped and controlled his shadow sword, releasing a black sword light from above toward his own position.
*BOOOM!*
Instantly, the black sword light shattered the ground, blowing away both the lightning bolt and shadows in the shockwave.
"Heh..."
Riezel finally stopped and emerged from the lightning bolt with a chuckle.
*BANG!*
With an explosive sound, the sword in Riezel's hand could no longer withstand the repeated use of Thunderclap and Flash, shattering into pieces.
'Perfect chance!'
Seeing this, Rohm's eyes shined, and he quickly controlled his shadow sword, slashing fiercely at Riezel.
*Swish!*
With a sharp sound, the shadow sword tore through the air and appeared in front of Riezel in the blink of an eye, like the scythe of a grim reaper.
However, just as the shadow sword was about to hit Riezel, his entire body began to glow with crimson waves.
'What is that?!'
Seeing the translucent crimson waves, Rohm's pupils shrank, and he hastily recalled his shadow sword, making it disappear from in front of Riezel and reappear by his side.
Gripping his shadow sword, Rohm finally halted his attack, landing on the ground and glaring at Riezel with a dark expression.
"Oh?"
Riezel landed on the ground as well, raising his eyebrows while looking at Rohm with a half-smile.
"Seems like you recognized the magic I'm using right now."
"Marquis Frenzel's Decomposition Magic..." Rohm said with a cold expression. "I see... so she even taught you that?"
"Why's that so surprising?" Riezel replied casually. "I'm a magician too, y'know? It'd be a real problem if the esteemed Shadow Sword Saint forgot that."
"No doubt, if anyone remembers you only as the youngest Sword Saint in history and forgets you're also a Tactical-Class Magician, they'd end up in a really bad spot."
Rohm admitted honestly, and his expression became calm.
"Since we've come this far, you should be satisfied, right? Let's end it here."
Seeing Riezel use Yuri's Decomposition Magic, Rohm knew his plan to give Riezel a scare, or at least a lesson, was probably doomed.
Yuri's Decomposition Magic was undoubtedly terrifying.
Even if most people didn't know it, the higher-ups in most countries definitely did.
It was an incredibly fearsome magic that could decompose and destroy anything material upon contact, even reducing it to nothingness—a truly terrifying power.
Since Riezel could use this magic, continuing the fight would probably mean losing his shadow sword.
It couldn't be helped, as the shadow sword he used was an extremely valuable magic weapon. Losing it would strip him of twenty to thirty percent of his combat power, or even more.
No choice.
Since he was more of an assassin, specializing in stealth and assassination, and his swordsmanship also focused on these areas, he was a bit lacking in direct combat.
It was precisely for this reason that the royal family had spent a fortune on this magic weapon for him—to compensate for his shortcomings in direct combat. Without it, he wouldn't be able to unleash those ground-shattering slashes.
Because of this, as soon as he became aware that Riezel was using Yuri's Decomposition Magic, he didn't hesitate to recall his shadow sword to prevent it from being destroyed.
With that kind of magic in play, recklessly attacking Riezel was out of the question, so he decided to back down.
However—
"Nope, it's way too early to call it quits."
Riezel stared directly at Rohm, calmly stating his intent.
"Wait until you see this next move of mine."
After saying this, a sword appeared in Riezel's hand—a sword radiating intense heat.
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