(Ruby's POV)

SWIISH–

ZOOOOM–

B Z O O O M!!!

As my <Ice Spears> collided with Raven's <Lightning Spears>, the shockwaves rippled through the entire training ground.

Tiny pebbles and loose dirt were hurled in all directions, leaving shallow marks on the stone floor. The sheer energy of their magic crackled in the air, making the hairs on my arms stand on end.

BAM-

T I I I N G—!

Raven rushed forward with unrelenting force, his sword aimed directly at me with deadly precision. The impact of our blades meeting sent a reverberation straight up my arms, forcing me to tense every muscle to keep control.

"[Vicious Lightning Sword Technique—]"

"[Dance of the Lightning God]"

Then I heard Raven say those words, each syllable carrying the weight of power and purpose.

SWOOSH~

He spun his whole body to the right in an instant, a movement so fluid it could have been mistaken for a single flowing motion rather than a series of rapid rotations.

And after that—

SLASH-

The spin converted into a 360-degree horizontal slash, his blade carving a wide arc toward my right shoulder!

The wind from the swing brushed against my face, carrying a faint scent of metal and the electric charge lingering in the air.

'He's really great at utilizing his body weight to make his attack stronger.'

I thought, analyzing his stance calmly while adjusting my own posture. Every rotation, every inch of movement seemed calculated to maximize the force behind his attacks.

FWIP-

I shifted my sword slightly to my right, intercepting his slash.

TIIING—

My blade met his with a resonating clang, a sound that echoed through the ground and rattled my teeth. Despite his speed and power, I noticed a slight decline compared to the furious pace at the start of our spar.

The clash of steel rang in my ears again.

'This attack isn't any special compared to his other attacks.'

I mused, steadying my grip. But then, at that moment—

BZZT-

'Huh?'

A strange, high-pitched buzzing noise emanated from Raven's sword. My eyes flicked toward it, trying to decipher the source, but before I could analyze further...

B O O M—!

"Ugh?!"

An explosion detonated against my right side, sending a shockwave through my entire torso! The impact felt like someone had thrown a full-strength punch directly into my ribs.

SHIING-

The force of the explosion sent my right hand and the sword flying backward, nearly slipping from my grip. I stumbled involuntarily, stepping back to regain my balance.

But as if he had anticipated my reaction—

TAP-

Raven advanced in perfect synchronization, closing the distance between us in a heartbeat with just a single step!

And before I could even respond immediately—

S W O O S H—

His sword came down in a soaring slash, faster than my eye could follow!

Pain still tingled in my right hand, so I instinctively shifted to using my left.

SHHH~

I summoned a concentrated ice shield just in front of my open palm, bracing against the strike.

T I I I N G—

Raven's blade collided with the shield, sending sparks flying outward, but my ice magical barrier held on.

Though, before I could even feel relieved—

BZZT-

The same ominous buzzing resonated again, sharper and more insistent this time!

And this time, before I could even look at the source of it...

BOOM!

A blinding flash of white light erupted the instant the energy from Raven's sword discharged! The explosion pushed me backward again, making my legs buckle slightly under the force!

"UGH...!"

I grunted, tasting a bit of blood at the corner of my lips. The damage was worse than before. My left arm went numb, just long enough to feel a creeping panic.

"?!!"

I was confused at what was happening. But before I could even try to figure it out—

S W I I S H—

Raven immediately followed up with another attack, this one a vertical downward slash!

"Seriously?"

FWISH-

I mumbled through gritted teeth, raising my sword above my head to brace against the incoming strike.

TIIING–

Our swords clashed again, the ringing of metal cutting through the tension in the air.

BZZT-

The electric hum returned, and once again— a small explosion erupted after that!

BOOM—!!

This one was noticeably stronger than the previous two, rattling my arms and shaking the ground beneath us!

"KRGH...! Fuck..."

I cursed under my breath, feeling the first true sting of pressure from his attacks.

'So that's what's happening.'

I realized finally, my mind racing to keep up. Each time Raven's sword struck, electric particles gathered around it, pulsing and raging.

Then, almost immediately, a strand of lightning shot outward from his blade, aimed directly at me!

That's what causes the explosions and what caught me off guard!

'Just blocking his sword is no good. I need a different strategy.'

I thought furiously, analyzing the dangerous destructive power of the lightning. The problem was clear: his attribute was rare, lightning, and I had never faced anyone wielding it this way. My usual defenses were useless.

Especially that my main elements are water and ice.

But I knew at least one thing for now—

'Raven's lightning can easily pierce through half-assed mana shields.'

So with that in mind, I dashed back to create space, forcing myself to think fast.

BAM-

"?!"

But then, in a shocking revelation— I finally saw Raven fully. I was so focused on his sword earlier that I didn't really notice him or even looked at him.

"Wha..."

My eyes widened.

Drip- Drip-

Blood was streaming down from Raven's eyes, ears, and nose!

"Haaa... Haaa.... Ha aaa ahhh..."

His breaths were ragged, uneven, each one drawn with visible effort!

The majestic wings on his back had vanished completely, leaving only his battered frame exposed.

BZOOM!

BOOM!

Even his <Lightning Spears> had decreased in both number and power, flickering weakly in the air as if struggling to maintain form.

"RAVEN!"

I shouted, concern overtaking my battle instincts. I cancelled all of my <Ice Spears> and ran toward him without hesitation, calling out his name as my mind raced to assess the damage.

"Haaa... Haaa..."

He didn't answer, only continued panting heavily. It was impossible to tell whether he couldn't hear me or simply couldn't form words.

And soon enough, I reached him.

"Raven!"

Fwish~

I immediately supported his body, holding him up so he wouldn't collapse.

"Are you okay?! What happened to you?!"

The worry in my voice was unmistakable. I was panicking a but as well.

Though, in that moment—

"Obviously, no... I'm not okay."

Raven's blunt answer came. It made me unconsciously frown momentarily.

That's when I noticed that Raven was reading my lips, unable to hear my words properly due to the overwhelming strain his body was under for some reason.

He wasn't looking at me, he's looking at my lips.

"It feels like my head is cracked open and someone's punching my brain."

Raven continued speaking, every word deliberate and coherent despite his battered state.

(Raven's mind, sharpened by <Calm Thinker>, allowed him to process the situation rationally even under extreme pain.)

Hearing this, I immediately extended my mana throughout his body, scanning carefully for injuries.

And after just a few seconds...

'His whole body is beat up, especially his arms.'

I successfully got his condition in my head.

'His mana is practically drained, yet he's still conscious…'

I thought as I was sending an emergency message to a healer from the Lunar using an artifact given to us professors.

We just need to insert mana in it to make it work.

Anyway, looking back at Raven—

"Someone specialized in healing will be here soon, so you can rest now."

I said that slowly, so he can read my lips more clearly.

Raven gave a tired but sincere smile.

"Thank you."

He spoke quietly.

And after saying that... His eyes started closing in exhaustion.

But with a barely audible mutter—

"Fuck rank limit... I wasn't even able to use... A quarter of the potential of my strongest skill..."

He declared that. Probably unconsciously out of spite or frustration of his weakness.

And then he lost consciousness immediately after that, the weight of his injuries finally catching up.

"..."

I stood there, speechless as I was holding him in my arms.

Raven's words just now echoed in my mind.

Then opening my mouth—

'[Vicious Lightning Sword Technique]...'

"Where the hell did you learn that?"

I asked aloud, my voice tinged with awe and disbelief. I never heard of that sword style.

"..."

But of course, no answer came from Raven.

I never saw such techniques in my life, and I'm a sword user as well, I know a bunch of swordsmanship.

I know a lot of swordmaster.

But never had I encountered someone with that style, or even something similar to it...

It was strong and violent, just as the name suggested.

'There's no way I would forget it if I encountered it before.'

I thought to myself.

A lot of questions lingering in my head now as I looked at Raven.

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