Divine Sword Art System

Chapter 5. Proof Of Capability

[Sacred Sword Skill: 24-Rib Piercing]

Tobias pointed the tip of his sword blade forward, similar to a fencing technique, in contrast to Giselle, who was already doing her best to withstand Tobias' sword attack.

The young man stabbed into Giselle's defensive wall, the first stab was at a slow speed, but it increased until the 24th stab. Tobias' fast hand movements overwhelmed Giselle to the point that she created more than two defence magic to stop Tobias' attacks.

"What the hell is this power you have, Tobias?" asked Giselle. She, who had been trained in magic, could be pushed into a corner like this just because of Tobias' sword skills.

Tobias smiled. The two had practised several times, and Tobias had won almost all of them. It came to the last thrust of his Sacred Sword Skills, the 24th piercing.

He drew his sword again and took a short stance. The blade tip was pointed forward, with Tobias' eyes squinting strongly. Giselle, behind her defensive magic wall, saw a white dragon figure behind Tobias' back.

"Ah, I get it now," Giselle said, closing her eyes with a raised lip line in a smile.

Just as Tobias was about to launch his final attack, the young man was surprised by the wall of defense Giselle had created beginning to fade away, leaving her alone without any defense.

To Tobias, what Giselle showed was nothing but a sign of surrender. The young man immediately turned off the fourth technique of his sacred sword skill and returned the condition of his sword, which continued to be shrouded in a black aura, to normal as before training.

"I won't be able to beat you, not if you use the sword skills you have," Giselle replied, walking over to Tobias as her right hand continued to rub her brother's head.

Tobias sheathed his sword in the sheath at his left waist. He also praised Giselle's skills which he thought were already at a different level, even though the young man did not know much about magic.

"Looks like the Archibald Family has another talented one," replied Giselle.

"Who was it before?" asked Tobias.

"Me, of course," Giselle replied, bragging to Tobias as she laughed out loud.

Tobias was happy to see that Giselle could laugh like that. The woman didn't even feel rivalled by her brother's skills. However, for Tobias, the sword he was using was still not perfect.

The grip was loose, the blade quite heavy, and every swing of the sword required extra effort. It was only natural, considering this katana sword was the first of its kind.

"What about Darwin and Luke?" asked Tobias about their abilities.

"Darwin can also use magic, but he's better at managing a territory. While Luke is still young, he's still learning how to use magic properly," said Giselle, rubbing her younger brother's head gently.

"But it's different between you and me. We have an advantage in one thing: me with magic and you with swords," Giselle continued.

"You have to be good at socializing. They often underestimate swordsmen," Giselle said.

Tobias smiled and nodded his head. The young man was eager to show everyone that he was the best swordsman in the country, all the while searching for Lady Akihiko's whereabouts.

Giselle said goodbye to the two of them, Tobias and the maid who was always with him. However, Giselle's steps were interrupted again when Tobias asked about his post-coma state.

To some people, what happened to Tobias might sound strange, someone who was previously a magic expert, but after coming to his senses, he became the best swordsman in his family.

"There are people who experience something similar to you, their personality changes as if your soul was switched with someone different," Giselle replied, turning her head slowly back to look at Tobias.

"But it's rare. The ratio is between 1:1000 people," the woman replied.

Tobias still didn't know where Akihiko was, but the young man was pretty sure that Akihiko had been transported to the same world as him. The only way to find her was to go on a journey.

"Why do you ask that, Tobias?" asked Giselle, starting to seriously question Tobias' reasoning.

"Just a normal question, not something you need to worry about, Giselle."

***

The next day.

The battle day had come, held on the main field of the Archibald residence, witnessed by Tobias' mother, Darwin Archibald, and a man in a military uniform.

The three of them were important people who would watch Tobias' skills. On the other side, a smiling Giselle stood outside the field next to Luke. All the maids and soldiers of the Archibald Nobility were eager to watch this rare battle.

Tobias had arrived at the main field, wearing long sleeves and a katana sword around his left waist. The man in the military uniform looked at the sword Tobias was using; it had a strange shape with a small blade, different from a normal sword.

"A sword like that would be useless in battle," said the man, Tobias guessed that he was the Commander of the Atrea Border Force.

"Really?" asked Darwin. He didn't know much about swords.

"His sword would be broken if it clashed with mine. I don't know why he would prefer such a sword," the man replied.

"That could be an excuse for Tobias to go back to learning magic instead of swordsmanship," said Lussie, Tobias' mother.

"That can be decided after their fight ends," Darwin replied. He didn't want to force Tobias. He instead wanted to prove to his younger brother that magic was better than swordsmanship.

After waiting ten minutes, Thompson arrived at the main field. He was dressed in his noble suit with a furry coat on his back. The man still wore a sour face, not pleased at the presence of a sword beside Tobias.

"I will reduce my seriousness. You may attack me with killing intent," Thompson said, speaking so because he knew that swordsmanship would never be able to hurt a magic user with its magic.

Darwin, the first son of the Archibald family, was the arbiter of the fight between father and son. The man was seen standing, holding a tissue. He flew the tissue, and the fight started right when the tissue was stuck to the ground.

Tobias prepared by using the stance from Mount Myurajin's moon sword technique. Seeing Tobias' stance made Thompson squint his eyes. He had never seen such a stance in his life.

Not only Thompson but the Commander of the Atrea Border Force was also confused by the stance Tobias was showing. Not long after, the flying tissue fell to the ground.

Thompson immediately cast a fire defense spell, just like the magic spell cast by Giselle yesterday.

[Magic Skill: Fire Dome of Protection]

Instantly the flames from under the ground immediately wrapped Thompson's body tightly, forming a dome of considerable size. They were impressed to see the magic that Thompson appeared, but not Tobias, who was still unmoving where he was.

"I guessed he cannot do anything with that sword," said one of the maids.

They started talking about Tobias' swordsmanship, and many maids and soldiers doubted the young man's ability. However, it was different with Giselle, who kept silent because she already knew her younger brother's strength.

"Attack me, Tobias! Attack with the best you've got," Thompson said.

Tobias began to dash while both hands gripped his sword tightly. The distance between the two was close enough for Tobias to prepare to cast the Myurajin technique he would use.

[Myurajin Moon Technique: Crescent Moon Round]

Tobias jumped forward with his sword held above his head. He swung the blade in a perfect circle, aiming it at Thompson's dome of fire.

Just as Tobias' sword collided with the dome's wall, Tobias' body was knocked away by the shock of the flames. The incident didn't surprise many people, but not Giselle.

"What a strange move. Where did you learn that?" asked Thompson, confused.

The young man saw that Thompson's fire dome could not be destroyed easily using his Myurajin Moon Sword Technique. If that was the case, then there was no other choice but to use his sacred sword skills.

"I told you he won't be able to destroy Master Thompson's fire dome," one of the maids explained.

Tobias stood back up, his right hand gripping the katana sword at his right side. The young man was ready for the consequences of this fight.

He ran fast for the second time. He continued to pace while pronouncing the name of his first holy sword technique.

[Sacred Sword Skill: Fading Art Style]

Tobias' sword blade began to glow brightly in white. Giselle, who saw it, was amazed and happy. She remembered very well that attack made her magic fade away.

Tobias swung his sword diagonally forward. A confident Thompson thought his son's attack would be in vain. However, the facts said otherwise.

One swing of Tobias's sword shattered Thompson's dome of fire, putting a great deal of distance between himself and Thompson.

"What?!" asked Thompson, shocked.

Not only the man but also the other people near the battle arena were as well. They widened their eyes, unable to believe Tobias' ability to destroy Thompson's fire dome.

[Magic Skill: Blast of Fire]

A burst of bright red flames was directed at Tobias from the two hands that Thompson stretched out. However, the young man again managed to beat it easily. The blast of fire that Thompson spawned instantly became a breeze blowing into Tobias' face.

"It's impossible!"

Tobias walked back towards Thompson until the tip of his sword blade was pressed against his father's neck. The fight was over and won by Tobias.

There was no applause, only silence due to the shock of the few people who saw Tobias' sword skills. To them, his strength was something different from before.

"How did you learn such sword techniques?" asked Thompson, falling to his knees with his eyes fixed on Tobias.

"Something you won't get if you keep studying magic."