Legend had it—There were many famous swords in the world, but only one bore the name Dragon Sword.
There were many holy swords, but only one bore the name Dragon Sword.
There were many demon swords, but only one bore the name Dragon Sword.
To wield the Dragon Sword, one had to possess the title of the strongest.
Thus, in this world, only the Sword Saint could wield the Dragon Sword.
And only an enemy worthy of the Sword Saint would ever be allowed to witness it drawn.
Once the Dragon Sword left its sheath—Defeat was no longer permitted.
There was no logic behind it.
Yet for countless generations, that absurd rule had continued to be passed down as an undeniable "truth."
"Hah!"
"Reinhard" raised the Dragon Sword high above his head as Shiro rushed toward his side.
The mana of the entire world seemed drawn toward it.
Power surged into the blade of its own accord, condensing into a massive azure beam of magical energy.
The motion itself was nothing more than an ordinary downward slash.
But what it produced had long since surpassed conventional [Swordsmanship].
It had entered an entirely different realm.
At the same time—Dozens of new Divine Protections suddenly appeared upon "Reinhard."
Without exception—Every single one increased the power of this strike.
Dark clouds instantly blanketed the sky.
Violent winds began raging around the two combatants.
At this moment—The radiant "Reinhard" and the Dragon Sword in his hand had become the center of the world itself.
'No.'
'I can't clash with that head-on.'
Shiro understood immediately.
What he was facing was no longer an attack that Reinhard himself could normally unleash.
The being controlling Reinhard had exploited his ability to draw upon surrounding mana—And was now creating the strongest slash possible by draining practically all the mana in the surrounding world.
Judging from how quickly ambient mana recovered, an attack like this could probably only be used once today.
But one thing was certain.
Nobody in this world could withstand it head-on.
Not even Reinhard himself.
Crack... crack... crack...
As the light on Dragon Sword Reid gradually condensed into a pillar, Shiro heard something resembling glass beginning to fracture.
The next instant—The world in his vision shifted.
Everything became black and white.
"I do not know how you arrived here."
"Reinhard's" voice came from ahead.
"But if I completely seal the surrounding space, you will no longer have anywhere to escape."
Just as he said—In the instant before the attack descended, he used several newly acquired Divine Protections to completely seal the space surrounding both himself and Shiro.
For that brief moment—Unless an ability could overpower the one imposing the seal, any technique capable of crossing space would become useless.
Human eyes could normally perceive only objects manifested within three-dimensional space.
The black-and-white world Shiro now saw was the result of the surrounding space being completely locked.
"Farewell, outsider!"
The words fell.
An overwhelming torrent of azure light roared straight toward Shiro.
He had already been targeted by "Reinhard" wielding the Dragon Sword.
The surrounding space had been sealed as well.
There was nowhere to retreat.
Nowhere to dodge.
Yet—Faced with what should have been an absolute dead end—Shiro suddenly smiled.
"I see."
"Then I really should thank you."
"You've shown me something I normally never get the chance to see."
Crack, crack, crack—!
The sound of shattering glass rang out again.
But this time—It did not come from the space surrounding Shiro.
It came from his sword.
Facing the roaring torrent of light, Shiro held his Device diagonally before himself.
Wherever the blade passed—Space fractured like a shattered mirror.
It was precisely because "Reinhard" had sealed the surrounding space that Shiro could accomplish this.
At this moment—What Shiro's sword and the mana flowing through it severed...
Was space itself.
Light began gathering.
Shiro understood one thing clearly.
"Reinhard" alone was already troublesome enough.
With only his own mana, Shiro could never match the combined quantity of mana possessed by "Reinhard" and the world itself.
That amount had already surpassed the limits of humanity.
Even Reinhard, if he were controlling his own body, could not accomplish this.
So—
Shiro did not need to overpower the attack.
As long as it failed to hit him—That would be his victory.
Admittedly—
"Reinhard" possessed numerous Divine Protections granted by the world, several of which made this strike nearly certain to hit.
However—Reinhard was not the only person here who possessed a blessing.
[Celestial Star Spirit's Protection]—
When confronted by danger, the user's abilities are adjusted according to the severity of the threat.
At this very moment—That blessing awakened.
The mana inside Shiro's body began boiling violently.
Facing the incoming azure torrent—He swung his sword.
Crack, crack, crack—!
In an instant—
Pure-white mana covered in countless spatial fractures erupted from the blade.
The next second—
BOOOOM—!!!
A thunderous explosion shook heaven and earth.
The instant white mana collided with azure mana—The blue torrent behaved as though it had encountered a black hole.
It was continuously dragged into the spatial fractures surrounding the white energy.
As the two attacks struggled against one another—Most of the azure mana was gradually swallowed by the cracks in space.
Its trajectory slowly began to shift.
Then—
BOOOOM—!
The terrifying torrent of mana followed the Dragon Sword's slash and crashed into the earth.
The ground split apart along the path of the attack.
Everything it passed was reduced to shattered ruins.
And even then—
The destruction did not stop.
The crack extended farther and farther into the distance.
The aftermath traveled for dozens of kilometers—
Only finally stopping when it reached the royal capital.
"Waaah! Lady Crusch!"
"Run, nya!"
"Leave this place to Ferri-chan and Old Man Wil!"
Seeing the massive fissure extend all the way to the Karsten estate, Felix immediately abandoned the task the Royal Guard had assigned him—Searching for the missing Reinhard.
He grabbed Wilhelm and hurriedly knocked open the door to Crusch's bedroom.
"Calm down, Ferris."
Crusch crouched beside the fractured ground and carefully examined the mana lingering within it.
"Look closely."
"This attack was not aimed at us."
Compared to evacuating—Crusch was far more interested in what kind of person could unleash a slash this terrifying.
After all—The White Whale subjugation was already imminent.
They were only waiting for information regarding the White Whale's next appearance.
If Crusch could recruit someone capable of producing this level of destruction before that battle—It would be excellent news for both herself and every soldier under her command.
After observing the lingering mana for a while—
Crusch finally turned toward Wilhelm, who had remained standing silently nearby like a statue.
"Old Man Wil."
"Do you think it could be that person?"
"Mm."
Wilhelm nodded.
An indescribably complicated emotion filled his expression.
"In this world, there is only one person capable of creating a scene like this."
"The [Sword Saint]..."
"Reinhard."
…