Chapter 100: [Chapter 100 ● The First Spar!]
Her eyes brightened as another thought occurred to her. "That way, even if one of you accidentally dies during the spar, nothing will actually happen."
The proposal was immediately met with several thoughtful looks. Considering the two people involved, it was actually a surprisingly practical precaution. Aezaleon frowned slightly. The idea certainly sounded good, but there was still one issue. "Is it safe, though?" he asked, turning toward Clementine.
Clementine hummed thoughtfully before answering. "Normally, it would not be. In a best-case scenario, death in such a state would only result in soul damage. In a worse scenario, it could damage one’s information, will, or even deeper aspects of existence. Depending on the severity, that could lead to all sorts of unpleasant and potentially life threatening consequences."
Then she paused; a brilliant smile suddenly appeared on her face.
"However, considering who our husband is, I don’t think something like that will ever become a problem for us." The confidence in her voice was absolute. "After all, healing a damaged soul or restoring damaged information would be child’s play for someone who is already perfectly capable of resurrecting us."
The moment those words left her mouth, the other three girls couldn’t help but giggle.
Meanwhile, Aezaleon immediately puffed out his chest. Naturally, he would never allow anything bad to happen to his wives—not under his watch. The smug look on his face made it painfully obvious that he was thoroughly enjoying the praise.
Seeing his reaction, Clementine merely shook her head helplessly. With a casual flick of her finger, she immediately materialized another illusory physical body, this one tailored specifically for Aphryne.
Aphryne wasted no time. The moment it was complete, she transferred her consciousness into it and opened her eyes. Almost instantly, her sparkling gaze landed on Aezaleon. At the same time, her original body entered a state resembling deep sleep and was gently moved aside by her sisters.
"Here, husband! I got a present for you as well." Auguszta suddenly appeared beside him, proudly presenting a sword: the Ironroot Blade. Or rather, what had once been the Ironroot Blade.
After being directly targeted by Nytherion, every karmic and causal connection linking the weapon to House Ironroot had been thoroughly erased. Its history remained, its craftsmanship remained, and its quality remained, but every trace that connected it back to its creators had vanished completely.
Even if a master craftsman familiar with the forgemasters of House Ironroot examined the blade personally, they would never be able to associate it with the house anymore. As far as reality itself was concerned, the weapon had become an originless existence.
Aezaleon raised a brow and accepted the greatsword from Auguszta’s hands. "So this is the Ironroot Blade?"
"Not anymore," Clementine corrected immediately. "You should give it a different name. A different identity."
"Ah..."
Aezaleon blinked at the suggestion. His gaze returned to the weapon in his hands as he began examining it more carefully.
Indeed, as his first true material weapon, he found himself agreeing with her. If the blade had been severed from its former origins, then perhaps it deserved a new name as well—a new beginning, a new identity.
Holding the greatsword before him, Aezaleon scrutinized every detail, hoping its appearance might offer some inspiration.
It was a massive single-edged greatsword with a dark, bark-textured fuller running along its length.
One side possessed a razor-sharp, katana-like curve designed for clean and precise cuts, while the opposite side featured a thick, blunt spine forged from dark iron veined like ancient roots. The charcoal-colored blade possessed an elegant finish despite its imposing size, combining the overwhelming weight of a giant weapon with the refined precision of a duelist’s sword.
For nearly an entire minute, Aezaleon remained silent. The girls waited patiently. Eventually, his eyes lit up slightly. "How about... Obsidian Edge?"
Only after speaking the name did he look toward his girls to look for their opinions. The four exchanged glances before offering their thoughts.
None of them found the name particularly extraordinary; at the same time, none of them found it lacking either. It was simple, clean, and easy to remember—a respectable name for a weapon beginning a new existence, neither too grand nor too ordinary.
With everything said and done, Aezaleon and Aphryne quickly took their positions. Upon the vast grassy plains, only a hundred meters separated the two of them.
Aezaleon slowly raised Obsidian Edge.
His eyes sharpened.
Imperceptible currents of gale began dancing around his figure—it was his inferior concept of Darkwind. At the same time, the surrounding temperature plummeted. Frost particles appeared throughout the air, drifting around him in slow, graceful patterns. It was Lesser Frost and Glaciomancer.
The energy gathered around Obsidian Edge as though resonating with the weapon itself.
Then, without warning, sparks of violet lightning erupted around his body. The next instant, he vanished.
A trail of crackling purple lightning was all that remained behind as Aezaleon crossed the hundred-meter distance in the blink of an eye.
The frost surged. His expression remained calm and composed as he activated Glacial Vector Impalement. Immediately, his speed climbed to an absurd level. Obsidian Edge swept forward in a precise horizontal arc, the massive blade moving toward Aphryne’s pale neck with frightening accuracy. Yet throughout it all, Aphryne never moved.
She simply stood there, watching her husband approach with sparkling eyes filled with excitement and anticipation. However, while Aphryne remained still, the darkwinds did not. The moment a command was issued, they responded. Dark currents erupted around her body, and her movement speed instantly reached maximum acceleration.
There was no buildup, no transition, and no visible resistance to overcome. It was as though the concept of acceleration itself had been bypassed.
Aphryne retreated just enough to slip beyond the reach of Obsidian Edge. However, Aezaleon immediately followed. The superior concept of Lightning Vector granted him extraordinary control over his speed, direction, momentum, and trajectory, allowing him to adjust his movements with frightening precision in the middle of an attack.
