Missio paused for a moment. He contemplated whether to tell the Saint about the flaws he had found in his technique. After a few seconds, his lips parted.
"I got it."
"Then, show me." Bellum sheathed his katana.
Missio gripped his longsword, pushing his thoughts aside.
'I'll talk with brother about this…'
He inhaled deeply, engaging his core. He swung his blade, exhaling at the exact same moment. He pivoted on his front foot and switched directions. He twirled his wrist, using a deflecting motion. He spun his longsword above his head and swung down again. Bellum watched Missio, crossing his arms.
'Good – Good, that's better… wait…'
Bellum's eyes widened, a smile tugging at his lips. He couldn't see any flaw in Missio's motions. Every step, every swing, every breath, every muscle engagement was… utterly perfect. As Missio sped up, Bellum's lips couldn't help but curl into a smile.
'This is not amazing talent… this is terrifying talent…'
The commander gulped. He had thought before that because Missio was an Augustus, he would have innate talent for his family's sword art but… the levels of proficiency he demonstrated exceeded Bellum's expectations by a large margin.
'Not a single flaw in his movement… almost no stamina waste…'
Missio entered another trance. His mind expanded outward once more, allowing him to see himself as an outsider. He flicked his body to the side, cutting down at an angle. He twirled his wrists, raising his sword. He swung to the side, pressing one foot farther off. He pivoted on it, bringing the longsword above his head. Then, his blade slashed downward. His pupils dilated, hot sweat flying off his face.
He watched himself as an outsider, trying to find any errors in his technique. However, there were none to be found as his mind raced with countless thoughts.
'Faster… more efficient…more precise…'
He continued performing Typhoon until he raised the sand. Gusts of wind shot out from his position as he circled around the beach. Eventually, he finished. He exhaled heavily, wiping the sweat off his face. Bellum uncrossed his arms – slowly. He began clapping, applauding his student.
"What the hell was that…?" Bellum muttered in awe. "Even I don't have that level of mastery."
Missio faced his master. "How did I do?"
Bellum paused for a moment. "Absolutely fucking amazing."
Missio smiled, raising a brow. "Really?"
"Definitely! I've never seen someone do that good – not even Dante."
"Bro… why am I catching strays?" Dante spread his arms.
Bellum ignored the supreme commander. "I don't think I have to teach you Form 6 any further… or do I?"
"Nah, you don't." Missio waved. "I've got the hang of it. You just tell me where I'm wrong."
"Very well then." Bellum clasped his hands. "Now, let's move onto–"
A small earthquake violently shook the ground, interrupting Bellum's voice. His eyes widened. A chaos fragment ripped the fabric of space-time, appearing behind the commander of the apex forces. Dante activated his meta glasses, scanning the chaos fragment. Mythos read the chaos around the rift and gave the supreme commander a result.
"It's just a Beta-class." Dante stood up alongside Victor.
Bellum's shoulders relaxed. "Oh… in that case, let's get outta here."
Bellum headed towards his friends. Missio followed behind them as chaos beasts passed through the void.
"Wait." Dante stopped Missio.
"What?" Missio blurted.
"Why don't you try out your new Ascendant form? It'll be good for your swordsmanship training as well."
"Good idea, Dante." Bellum snapped his finger. "Missio, get 'em."
Missio blinked. He rolled his eyes, groaning in annoyance.
"Fine! Master…" Missio hurled his sword.
"Yeah, keep talking." Bellum mocked, catching the weapon.
Missio drew his phone, throwing it at his big brother. Dante caught it and headed off with his friends. Missio heaved a sigh of relief, the roar of the chaos beasts resounding behind him. He faced the rift, his azure eyes shining with brilliance like that of the stars. He focused on himself and himself alone, releasing his restrictions. A wave of divine energy expelled from his body. Two pure white wings burst from his back, ripping his clothes apart.
A golden halo formed above his head. However, the next moment, Missio's pupils dilated.
'What the…?'
A divine armor seemingly made of gold manifested around him. It latched onto his skin like a parasite. After covering his entire being, another object forged itself before his eyes. A longsword made of the same material as the armor built itself from nothing. Missio reached his hand out, gripping the longsword. The light broke apart, completing his transformation.
The chaos beasts noticed his power, letting out a low growl. Missio stared at the sword in his hand.
"A sword…? Nice."
His head snapped upward, locking eyes with a beast. The monster swung at the transcendent, trying to kill in one strike. Its fist landed on Missio's head, picking up dust. The beast's pupils dilated as the dust settled. Missio stared at it with a stoic face.
"Not as much pain as I expected…" He mumbled, cutting the monsters arm.
The beast blinked. It turned its head towards its hand which had been cut off. Then, it let out a horrific howl that alerted its fellow beast's. Blood poured out from the wound, eroding the ground below. Missio panicked, stepping away from the blood.
"Shit – wait…"
He suddenly had an idea as all the chaos beasts rotated towards him. He bent down and touched the blood. He straightened as the monsters rushed towards him. He rubbed it between his fingers.
"It has anti-corrosive properties as well…?" Missio smiled – amused.
He locked eyes with the monster. He lifted his blade. The sword flashed across the monster's grey skin, slicing it's body into several pieces. Missio raised his sword once more. Another monster attacked the Ascendant. It's hand split into two halves simply by touching the edge. It roared in pain, alerting the others. Missio pulled his sword back, entering Form 1 – Foundational steps. He formed a path in his head and followed it.
He rushed forward, approaching the rift in less than a second. His sword sliced through another monster, spilling its blood. He transitioned into Form 2, spinning his blade above his head. He cut off another beast's head yet it didn't die. It began regenerating as Missio advanced to Restless. He placed his right foot ahead. His sword shot down vertically. Striking the regenerating monster's heart and stomach at the same time, he curved its path, raising it to another monsters torso. He split the other in half. He twisted his wrists, shooting his sword to the side.
He cut into another's heart, making its body go cold. Finally, as he pulled out, he entered Form 4 – Encompass. His attention enveloped the entire battlefield. He fell into another trance. Missio firmly held his weapon, swinging it diagonally. One strike killed two beasts. The war simulation flashed across his mind. He expanded his conscious outward, observing himself like an outsider. His lips couldn't help but curl into a smile as he tore through the battlefield like a demon.
His sword bathed in the corrosive blood of the chaos beasts. The only thing he could hear were their painful screams. He pivoted on one foot, spinning around. His sword sliced three monsters in a row. He twirled it above his head, cutting another's arm off. He stepped back and thrust into another's heart. The beasts didn't fall. He shrugged and dragged his sword to its stomach. The chaos beasts howled in pain; it's cold body falling with the others.