Chapter 30

AN: Well, we've hit 30 chs which isn't a huge milestone but it's longer than I thought I'd last. So yeah, thanks for being here my readers! Also, I'm gonna be trying to up the level of description from now.

Also potions won't just instantly heal now, but I've decided to make them so that things like damaged organs and whatnot take days to heal and that crushed bones will take several hours to heal. It's just that potions seemed too strong when I looked back on it.

***

I looked at the woman, she was scarily strong, even when she was sitting down, she did not leave a single opening. Even if we fought with equal stats, I'm not confident that I could beat her. Well, technically speaking she was older than me even if we added both my lives together, and that's including the years that I wasn't in Reinhardt's body.

She was 26 If my memory served me correctly, which was extremely young for a Saint. The Saints weren't the most powerful in their field unlike the names suggested, but they were still among the upper echelon of said field. But the Sword Saint was indeed the most skilled Swordsman of the era, but not the most powerful.

26 was rather young in a world where people could live for centuries, now, you might be wondering why I know so much about the Sword Saint. Well, it's because I researched her, I was aware that I would likely receive a high ranking Swordsman as my tutor so I took the time to study her.

"I'll let the two of you get acquainted, you can ask a maid to call for me if you need me."

We both nodded at Lucas' words as he left, closing the door behind him. I sat down on the sofa opposite her.

"I am the Sword Saint, Claire Darkheart. I'm a single attribute mage who has the wind attribute."

I smiled, 'Darkheart' they were a noble family who used Dark Magic as the name suggested. But she did not have the dark attribute, meaning that she was likely cast out. Yet she was still strong enough to climb her way and earn the title of 'Sword Saint.'

"I'm guessing the Darkhearts kicked you out?"

Her face twitched, that expressionless woman was surprised. She had likely not assumed that I would be this direct.

"Yes, I was cast out, is that a problem?"

She spoke in a monotone voice, but I could tell that she was somewhat annoyed.

"Not at all, I'm just curious as to why they would abandon their own so readily."

"Well, nobles care about their lineage more than their offspring. But it doesn't matter too much does it, since I came here to see what you were capable of. Take me to where you'd normally train, I am interested in your capabilities."

I nodded and took her downstairs to where I'd normally train with Aurora. We had a dummy set and ready for testing.

"A dummy? You won't be needing it, you're fighting me."

With that she drew her katana, it was a simple katana that was black in colour. I prepared to flow Mana through my body, but before I could do anything I felt blood drip down from my neck.

Her sword had reached me, beads of sweat dropped from my forehead. I looked at her, she was emanating a cold and precise killing intent. Her speed, it was monstrous.

I looked at her eyes, they were cold and calculating, but they bore a simple message.

'I can kill you at any moment.'

"Now then, let us fight. Don't worry though, I'll be holding back."

I flowed Mana through my body and created two black metal playing cards. I threw them at her but before doing so I attached a string of Mana to them. She simply dodged them, I sent a barrage of cards at her. She blocked some, deflected some and dodged the rest.

Snap!

Cards that were scattered around the room rushed towards her at break neck speeds. At the same time I dashed forward and summoned 'Edge Of Nightfall' and I enhanced my body to its limits.

"First Form, Hazy Moon."

My sword surpassed sound, she blocked it with her katana. Somehow her katana didn't shatter on impact, but unluckily for her, my sword still created those slashes that had been formed when it distorted the ambient Mana.

She somehow sensed those slashes and dodged accordingly, but they were never aimed at her. They hit the playing cards, some of the cards snapped while other changed direction and collided. She looked at the cards, analysing them, she blocked and dodged them once more.

I moved In, enhancing my leg and concealing it's presence, aiming for her solar plexus. She grabbed my leg and crushed it.

She then swung her sword down, creating a blast of air pressure that sent the cards flying. The cards dissapated into the nothingness they were born from and my body was simply waving around freely. I'd have been sent flying if she wasn't holding on.

She looked at me, but thus time she had a miniscule smile on her face.

"What was that?"

"What was what?"

"Don't mess with me. I'm asking about how you concealed the presence of your leg."

"Huh?"

I was genuinely confused, I hadn't done anything special. I simply erased the presence of my leg, this was just to catch her off guard as she would likely have noticed if my entire presence dissapeared.

"You mean, you concealed the presence of your leg and you don't know what that means?"

I looked at her with a blank expression and replied in a monotone voice.

"No."

"That shouldn't be possible, even I don't know how to do that? And seriously, how on earth did you even do that thing where you used the ambient Mana around us. And that thing where you distorted your slash and created more attacks. How?"

"It's a technique called 'Hazy Moon,' it's designed to use ambient Mana so I can achieve speed and power above what I can normally use. And it creates distortions in Mana and can create three or so extra attacks in places where attacks shouldn't be coming from, it essentially creates an impossibility."

She had a blank expression on her face, she had regained her composure.

"You're my disciple now, and get ready because in a few days time we're leaving. Get your things ready, but honestly I'd rather we left right now."

Then someone started clapping, I turned around and saw Lucas.

"You guys can leave right now, I've already prepared a driver and have told the servants. Go now before Charlotte and Lillian make a ruckus."

Before we left, I accelerated my healing by enhancing my cells and speeding up my cell replication, of course due to the 'Dragon Seed' in my body I already healed rather quickly. So when I drank a potion along with having those it only took a few minutes for my arm to heal.

I looked at her with a 'curious' face.

"Do you mind telling me where we're going?"

She looked at me calmly before speaking In her trademark monotone voice.

"The Aegis Empire, today, princess Iris Aegis will have her social debut."

We drove to the center of Avalon City where a gate was located. A gate was a portal, major cities were built around where the portals were found. We could have gone through the portal when we went to the Imperial Capital, but nobles weren't fond of public transport.

I entered the portal along with Claire, but before I entered I formed a plain black mask on my face. It had a rather interesting shape, it was disturbing to look at, I also formed a cloak over my body, it went all the around my body.

A/N- An image of the mask

"Master Claire, from now on, I am no longer called Reinhardt."

She looked at me as if she understood where I was going with this.

"I am simply, 'The Joker.'"