MTLNOVEL Chapter 7: "Unleashing the Storm"
The world around them crackled with tension. Ryoshi's chest rose and fell in heavy breaths, his sword trembling in his grip—not from fear, but from something new coursing through him. A silver-blue glow pulsed along the blade, dancing like embers caught in the wind.
His master remained still, watching him with an expression Ryoshi had never seen before. It wasn't anger. It wasn't disappointment. It was curiosity.
"That power..." His master finally spoke, his voice unreadable. "That is not something I taught you."
Ryoshi tightened his grip. "I don't know what it is. It just… awakened."
His master's expression darkened slightly. "Power without understanding is a blade without a hilt—it will cut you first before it harms your enemy."
Before Ryoshi could react, his master moved.
A blur of motion—and suddenly, his master was upon him.
The attack was impossibly fast.
Ryoshi barely had time to react before a searing force slammed into his sword, sending him skidding back. His feet barely managed to hold their ground as the sheer impact rattled his bones.
"Your instincts saved you," his master remarked, already closing the distance again. "But instincts alone will not win this fight."
Another strike—he barely blocked it. Sparks flew as their swords met, the force of the clash sending out a shockwave that rustled the trees.
Siren, watching from the sidelines, clenched her fists. She could feel it—Ryoshi was changing.
"Ryoshi!" she called out. "Use your energy—don't hold back!"
Energy?
His gaze flickered to the glow surrounding his sword. What if… he let go of control?
His master struck again, a downward slash so fast that Ryoshi didn't have time to think.
So, he didn't.
Instead of blocking, he let the power flow.
At that moment, something deep inside him snapped open—and the energy surged.
A radiant shockwave of silver-blue light erupted from his blade, intercepting the attack. The sheer force of it forced his master to leap back, landing gracefully a few feet away.
For the first time, his master hesitated.
"You're finally touching your true power," he mused. "But can you control it?"
Ryoshi's breathing was ragged, but his heart pounded with exhilaration. For the first time, he wasn't just defending—he was pushing forward.
But the battle wasn't over.
His master straightened his stance. A different kind of energy radiated from him now—something heavier, something crushing.
He was done holding back.