NOVEL WEB chapter 316 - Father vs Son
The sun was not at its highest point yet, casting a warm golden hue over the vast training ground.
The wind was still, as the son and father duo stood face to face with weapons in their hands.
The spectators watched while holding their breath as if anticipating the clash that was about to occur. Caldwell and Amanda stood at a distance, their gazes fixed upon the duo father and son preparing to engage.
On one side stood Taufik, Whose skills are beyond question because even the Gods were made to submit, his katana resting lightly in his grip, The black blade of the Katana emitted an aura of sharpness that seemed like it could cut through space itself.
Opposite him was Aksara, his son, A person whose skills are still unknown, though still in the shadow of his father's greatness. In his hands, he held the Ninjato, a weapon forged from both sunlight and moonlight, its blade flickering between fire and ice, pulsing with raw energy.
Aksara took a deep breath and charged forward, The ground beneath him cracked from the sheer force of his movement.
The Ninjato blade ignited in crimson flames as he slashed diagonally toward Taufik.
*Clang!*
Taufik deflected the attack effortlessly, his katana glowing faintly with a purplish light. He twisted his wrist, redirecting Aksara's momentum and forcing him to stagger back.
"... Didn't I say you do not have to hold back, Aksa, come at me with all you got"
Taufik said, his voice calm yet firm.
Gritting his teeth, Aksara steadied himself. Without hesitation, he pivoted and unleashed a second attack; this time, ice-blue energy surged from the Ninjato, making the ground frost as he aimed a precise thrust at his father's chest.
Taufik's eyes glowed with admiration but showed no sign of underestimation. He stepped aside at the last moment, his katana sweeping in a precise arc to counter. The force of the deflection sent a gust of cold air whipping through the training ground.
Aksara didn't stop. He pressed on, blending fire and ice in rapid succession in every attack he made.
The ground burned where his blade struck, only to freeze moments later. His footwork became more refined, his movements sharper.
While fending off Aksara's attacks, Taufik smirked, seeing how much his son had grown.
"... Not bad, Aksa… But... Can you handle this?"
Said Taufik, and then with a single movement, he swung his katana downward.
A brilliant aura of wind energy erupted from his blade, splitting the ground apart and sending shockwaves through the air.
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*Swoosh!*
It moved at a speed the eye could not follow, heading straight for Aksara.
Aksara barely had time to react.
Instinct took over. Aksara crossed his Ninjato in front of him, channeling both fire and ice at once.
*Boom!*
A massive explosion of steam erupted as the opposing elements clashed with Taufik's attack.
For a brief moment, everything was silent. Then, the dust settled.
Aksara remained standing, panting heavily, but his eyes burned with determination.
Seeing this, Taufik let out a grin. Then said.
"... You've improved... So... Done testing that Ninjato?"
Hearing that, Aksara, who was breathing heavily, suddenly stopped. Then he looked at his father with the same grin as his father.
"... This is a Good weapon, Father... And as a thank you... Let me show you how strong I really am now"
"... Heh~ Let me see it then"
With his father's words, Aksara then brought the Ninjato in front of his face.
Aksara's eyes closed, and then, the Ninjato blade that was originally white showed a change. Showing colors that continued to change every second, it continued to happen for several seconds, until at one moment, a very bright light was created from the Ninjato blade, the light was so dazzling that Caldwell and Amanda who watched on the sidelines, had to close their eyes because of the exposure to the light.
After the light dimmed, Aksara was still seen in the same position but the Ninjato in his hand now looked different.
The Ninjato blade now looks dark with twinkles that make the Katana blade look like a night sky filled with stars.
"... After I felt that I couldn't develop the SwordMagic Technique any further... I hated myself because, with my power, I couldn't protect Mother, couldn't stop her from sacrificing herself... I was desperate because of it... But one day I found a way... A way that made me who couldn't develop the SwordMagic Technique any further... Become a new technique... Witness it, Father... This is the result of my hard work all this time... The name of this technique is SwordMagic: Cosmic"
Taufik's eyes widened at this sight, the only hint of surprise in his calm expression.
The aura surrounding Aksara had changed, no longer was it the raw, untamed energy of a warrior still finding his path. This was something refined, something profound.
Aksara opened his eyes, and for a moment, it seemed as if galaxies swirled within them.
His Ninjato, now resembling the endless cosmos, hummed with a power that transcended the elements itself.
It was no longer bound by mere fire, ice, or the energies of the physical world that Aksara showed this far; it was something different, something that resonated with the very essence of creation itself.
Taufik tightened his grip on his katana, feeling the changes that occur here.
He had faced gods, he had conquered legends, but this… this was something new.
Aksara took a step forward. The air around him warped slightly as if reality itself bent to his presence. Then...
*Shing!*
Aksara vanished.
Not speed. Not teleportation. It was as if he simply ceased to exist in that moment.
Taufik's instincts screamed at him. He spun around, his katana coated in golden flames as he slashed behind him.
*Clang!*
The clash sent a shockwave rippling across the training ground.
Taufik felt his own energy shudder as the force of the impact reverberated through his arms. Aksara was there, his Ninjato locked against the katana, his expression unreadable.
"...Interesting"
Taufik muttered behind his breath with the grin still stayed on his face. Then said again.
"... You're not just manipulating elements anymore. You're manipulating…"
"Matter and energy… at their foundation"
Aksara interrupted, saying what his father wanted to say, with a smirk on his face.
Then... Before Taufik could respond, Aksara twisted his blade.
Reality distorted.
The very space around Taufik rippled like a disturbed pond.
A force unlike anything he had encountered pressed against him, warping gravity, bending light.
His body felt heavier, then lighter, then as if it were dissolving into particles.
For the first time in his life, after he got the system, Taufik had to retreat.
He leaped back, swinging his katana in a wide arc. A wave of pure elemental force. Fire, water, wind, earth, light, and darkness burst forth, stabilizing the space around him.
Aksara stood his ground, his Ninjato absorbing the attack effortlessly as if the universe itself refused to let anything harm him.
Caldwell and Amanda watched in stunned silence.
This was no longer just a spar between father and son.
This was a battle between two forces of nature.
Taufik exhaled slowly. Smiled as he felt proud of his son.
"... Well then… You surprised me a bit there... It's not that you didn't master the SwordMagic Technique, but created something new... You surpassed it... If you've surpassed SwordMagic technique…"
Taufik said, then raised his katana, and suddenly, the very sky seemed to respond to his will.
"... Then let's see how long can you maintain this power of yours... Because looking at your current expression... You haven't fully mastered that technique, right?... As your father, I will help you find out what your limits are..."
Hearing this, Aksara, who was now covered in sweat, tightened his grip on his Ninjato.
But, just as the tension between father and son reached its peak, a sudden shadow loomed over Taufik.
Taufik, who was too busy fighting with his son, was unaware of the presence of that person, and...
*Plack!*
Without warning, a fist came crashing down on Taufik's head with enough force to send a shockwave through the ground.
Taufik fell to the ground hard, creating dust around the area.
Aksara blinked in shock. Caldwell and Amanda froze. The sheer presence that had just arrived dwarfed the intensity of the battle in a completely different way.
When the dust disappeared, a figure appeared above Taufik, who was lying face down on the ground.
"You guys are too loud!"
Said the figure, who turned out to be Rani; her hand had become a dragon's hand, clenched into a fist, with an angry expression, looking at her husband, Taufik, who was below.
Taufik rubbed the top of his head, looking at her with a sheepish grin.
"Ah~ Rani... Did we make too much noise?"
"Of course, You guys are making the babies restless... If you want to do it again, do it somewhere far away from here!"
"Ahaha~ Sorry, I got too carried away by the atmosphere, I won't do it again"
"*Sigh* It's good if you understand... remember don't make too much noise, I'll go now"
Rani said and then immediately left.
Meanwhile, Taufik and the others could only watch Rani leave in silence.
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