Daniel looked around. It was a large, tiled arena, with an open ceiling where the sky was visible, though the entire perimeter was enclosed by walls.
"Everyone who wants to join must show their abilities and power. But in your case, the question is whether you’re worthy of being protected by one of the strongest men in this country or not."
"So, show me, young man. Show me that you’re worth going to war for."
Daniel glanced at Schneitz. Before coming here, he had already assumed he would need to display his power and skills.
He didn’t mind doing so, but the question was how much of his power he should show. Normally, he’d reveal half and keep the other half hidden.
But with his current situation, the more he showed, the better.
Daniel let out a sigh, then summoned his Fallen. Suddenly, blood spread from beneath his feet, flooding the ground.
"What the hell is this?"
From the blood, majestic and terrifying creatures began emerging, radiating overwhelming, suffocating auras. Their numbers quickly reached fifty.
"What is this place, China now?" Schneitz muttered in awe and disbelief. Lana nearly drew her weapon, but seeing the creatures didn’t attack, she held back.
"They’re my summons," Daniel explained.
"But August told me you’re a magic swordsman."
"Well, I can do that too."
Schneitz blinked at Daniel’s words, then burst into laughter, a deep, hearty laugh.
"So you’re a mage, a swordsman, and a mancer? You’re a damn monster, kid."
Even Lana couldn’t believe what she was hearing. For the first time in her life, she felt a pang of inferiority.
"Two A-ranks and six peak B-ranks? Am I dreaming?" she murmured to herself.
Daniel shrugged. Not his fault he was this good, right?
"Alright, you can dismiss them. It’s a little unnerving having them here," Schneitz said, glancing at the summons.
Their auras were far too intense, especially with two A-ranks among them.
In fact, those two A-ranks and the peak B-ranks were what had truly shocked him. With such a force, this boy could easily crush almost anyone in the new generation.
Perhaps only that girl Diana could stand against him.
Daniel nodded and dismissed his Fallen summons.
"Now tell me, how strong are you yourself?"
"Well, to be honest, I’m not entirely sure of my full limit right now," he lied naturally—not to hide, but to prove himself through action.
He didn’t want to just talk; he wanted to show his power. That would make him stand out more in their eyes.
"You don’t know, huh? How about sparring with Lana?" Schneitz suggested with a smile.
"Grandfather, this...?" Lana began with a faint, uneasy smile.
"Don’t worry, just make sure you don’t hurt him," Schneitz said casually. After all, Daniel was only a B-rank, and no one knew what his combat power was like. He didn’t believe there was any way Daniel could defeat his granddaughter.
Still, he wanted to see this boy’s personal combat ability—was it as fearsome as his mancer side?
"I don’t mind," Daniel had no reason to refuse. In fact, he was curious to see the strength of one of the strongest of the younger generation.
"If that’s the case, fine. I don’t mind either," Lana sighed, agreeing.
The two faced each other while Schneitz stood outside the arena as referee.
"Injuries are fine, but no killing each other. Of course, I don’t need to tell you that."
Both nodded and drew their weapons, which, unsurprisingly, were swords.
The moment The Heavens Honor appeared, Lana’s eyes lit up. Even though she didn’t recognize the blade, she could tell at a glance that it was easily one of the finest swords across both worlds.
"How the hell did this guy get a sword like that?" She couldn’t help but feel a little envious.
"Are you ready?" Schneitz’s voice echoed.
Lana moved first, as fast and nimble as a cat, activating [Moonlight Dance] and denying Daniel the first move.
She always preferred to attack first, and she went in with full force right from the start.
Her body blurred like a silver shadow in the crystal light, and in a fraction of a second, she reappeared at Daniel’s right side.
Her sword, Lunar Fang, darted toward his left shoulder at blinding speed. Daniel reacted instantly, raising The Heavens Honor to block.
Sparks of black and silver erupted into the air, the force of the blow rattling his arm.
He channeled Death Energy into his blade, a dark aura wrapping around it, and counterattacked with a full-force strike toward Lana’s chest. Lana responded with [Full Moon Shield].
"Death Energy? This kid is cultivating the Law of Death?" Naturally, Lana recognized it and was visibly surprised.
She wasn’t the only one shocked—Schneitz was stunned by Daniel’s Law of Death, and Daniel himself was surprised to see that Lana was cultivating two Laws.
The Law of the Moon and the Law of Destruction.
A radiant silver aura surrounded Lana, absorbing Daniel’s heavy strike and reflecting a wave of moonlight back at him.
The wave slammed into his chest, knocking him back several steps and stealing his breath. A faint pain spread through his chest, but he smirked.
Lana’s eyes gleamed as she unleashed [Devastating Crescent]. A massive arc of black and silver energy shot from her blade, tearing through the stone floor with a thunderous crack, rushing toward Daniel.
He leapt aside to dodge, but the edge of the crescent grazed his thigh, tearing a small rip in his clothes.
With a shout, Daniel funneled Death Energy into The Heavens Honor, swinging a heavy strike toward Lana’s arm. His blade descended like lightning, but Lana spun with agility, parrying with Lunar Fang.
The impact was so strong it sent both of them skidding back several steps, cracking the tiles beneath their feet.
They exchanged glances, both frowning. This fight was proving tougher than either expected.
Lana, as an A-rank and one of the best in her tier, had assumed she could easily overwhelm Daniel.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the case. And Daniel was annoyed that he couldn’t use any skills because of that cursed restriction—
Not to mention he couldn’t even use Eternity Energy anymore.
So far, it was a draw, but neither of them was willing—or planning—to leave it at that.