Lindwan no longer dared to underestimate the Silverhaired Maiden.

He took a deep breath, focused entirely, and lunged forward with his sword.

The clash between the branch-sword and steel blade sounded dull.

Heavy impacts echoed relentlessly.

High-speed footwork. Movement. Evasion.

The two figures became locked in combat.

Suddenly—

Lindwan’s body refracted like light, dodging Verlith’s thrust.

“Openings!”

The instant he believed he’d found a weakness—

He raised his sword, slashing sideways at Verlith’s shoulder.

In that split-second of attack—

The Silverhaired Maiden before him vanished like a gentle breeze passing by. Gone. Truly gone!

Not a cross-step evasion. Not a counter. Simply—vanished!

“WHAT?!”

Shock ripped through him.

The next second, a branch-sword slashed from behind. Lindwan instantly understood.

He dropped his sword and rolled forward desperately.

*Shhk…*

But he was too slow. The branch-sword tore a long, gruesome gash across his back, blood soaking through his clothes.

“Hurts…”

“Oh? You actually dodged that?” Verlith had struck with a flourish, fully expecting victory. Yet Lindwan had anticipated an attack from behind. Sensing danger, he’d moved without hesitation.

Lindwan crouched low, blood tracing down his spine. He looked back at the Silverhaired Maiden, shock blazing in his eyes.

“Y-you… that move! It’s the forbidden technique of the Heartmind Style—the Divine Wind Dance Steps!”

“Oh? Knowing its name confirms you’re a true disciple of the Heartmind Style! So it’s become ‘forbidden’ now? Heh heh heh…”

“What’s so funny? Why do *you* know this technique?!”

“The Heartmind Sword School originated from the Cross-Slash Style! Its current master is a woman in her thirties named Heartmind, correct?” Verlith tapped her chin, arms crossed, utterly composed.

“Correct. Master Heartmind once trained at the Cross-Slash dojo. But years ago, the entire school was wiped out by a powerful man. The sole survivor, Master Heartmind, traveled to many dojos, blending their strengths to create the Heartmind Style.”

“Do you know *how* that man destroyed the Cross-Slash Style?!”

“Master Heartmind never spoke of it, but others whispered… Back then, the man rescued women being trafficked by the Cross-Slash master and his disciples. He punished them, earning their wrath. When they plotted to kill him, Master Heartmind—unable to bear it—secretly warned him to flee. The master’s ambush failed. Discovering her betrayal, he vowed to flay her alive before the crowd.”

“At the execution site, that man appeared alone. He slaughtered the master and every disciple seeking vengeance. The Cross-Slash Style was extinguished that day.” Lindwan spat the words, fury thick in his voice.

Verlith shrugged, taking over. “That man’s name is Longya. A swordmaster who mastered techniques from every school. He wandered like a cloud, free as a wild crane. He and Heartmind developed the Heartmind Style together. Truthfully, *he* taught her what true swordsmanship meant.”

Longya—the unreliable swordmaster Verlith often mentioned. His bond with Heartmind went beyond mentor and friend. As Verlith knew, Heartmind had always loved him. But Longya, widowed young and burdened by grief, was past fifty. How could he accept Heartmind, vibrant and barely twenty?

He’d even briefly taken her as a disciple. Heartmind was, technically, Verlith’s senior martial sister.

Their generation was steeped in the Eastern Pearl Empire’s strict codes. Master-disciple romance was forbidden.

He could never accept Heartmind’s feelings. So he vanished without farewell, wandering from the Empire’s south. By chance, he later took Verlith as his disciple, passing on a lifetime of swordsmanship forged from countless schools.

“How do you know this? What’s your connection to Longya?!”

*Should I tell him his ‘Master Heartmind’ is my senior sister? Make him kowtow to his ‘martial aunt’ and reward him with candy?* Verlith thought. *Impossible!*

Even if he believed her—which he wouldn’t—she’d never even met Senior Sister Heartmind. No way was she claiming this random disciple!

“My relationship with him is none of your concern.”

“You know where he is, don’t you? Master Heartmind waited over a decade! Did he never consider returning?”

“Their matters are complicated. But it’s not your place to interfere. Right now, you should worry about *yourself*.”

“Hmph! Swordsmanship is nothing against an Elven Sorcerer. Earlier, I merely honored a swordsman’s duel and refrained from using the Tree Spirit’s Nature Energy. But now—”

“Fight if you wish. The battle never stopped.” Verlith’s gaze turned icy. She gripped the branch-sword, ready to strike.

“I *will* fight—but let me finish first!”

“Speak.”

“I ask you: Did Longya abandon Master Heartmind over a decade ago because he found a new lover? Calculating the years since he left… your age matches that timeline!”

“Huh? What are you implying?!” Verlith stared, baffled. Lindwan seemed to be piecing together a wild theory.

“I mean—Longya is your *father*! You’re his daughter!!”

“Pfft—HEY! That old man could *never* be my father!”

“Longya betrayed Master Heartmind for another woman. That woman bore his child—you! And by sheer coincidence, I found you here. I’ll capture you. Force Longya to face Master Heartmind!”

“Hah?! Lind-something, you’re the king of wild fantasies! Control that overactive imagination!”

“Hmph! Your mastery of the Heartmind Style’s forbidden technique is proof enough! Master Heartmind refused to teach it. Its presence in you means only one thing: Longya taught you. Such secrets are only passed to blood relatives! Deny it all you want. Let’s see if Longya emerges when his daughter is gravely wounded—or killed!” Lindwan snorted sharply.

“So a single sword technique proves blood ties?! That’s absurd! And you can’t even beat me!”

“Who says I can’t? Elven Sorcerers surpass swordsmen.”

“If you compare the peak of swordsmanship to the peak of sorcery, yes—a swordsman’s flesh is weaker than a sorcerer’s supernatural power. But! Before you stands a swordsman nearing the absolute pinnacle. How close are *you* to the peak of Elven Sorcery?”

“Enough of your sharp tongue!” Lindwan gritted his teeth, pushing through the pain in his back to stand. The spirit glyphs on his body flared violently, pulsing with energy.

He was gathering power.

Verlith sensed the danger. Her small frame blurred into motion, becoming a gust of wind. She closed the distance in an instant, raised the branch-sword high, and brought it down with all her strength.

*Crack…*

A branch-sword was still just branches. Useful for finesse, useless for brute force. Lindwan’s spirit glyphs erupted with Nature Energy, shattering the weapon into splinters that scattered like dust.

Verlith flipped backward, putting distance between them.

“Earth Glyph: Anti-Gravity Domain!” Lindwan roared.

Gravity vanished within a five-mile radius around him.

The attack’s scale was immense. Verlith’s body shot upward, hurled by invisible force. Trees and boulders ripped from the earth, floating skyward.

Verlith’s expression tightened. She grabbed a thick tree branch, anchoring herself against the chaotic pull.

Things just got serious.