Birth of the Demonic Sword

Noah ended his meditation session and went through the mental messages accumulated in his inscribed notebook once his mind recovered.

The alliance claimed that King Elbas had left the surface for a few years already, and Noah agreed with the experts' conclusion once he inspected the clues gathered in that period.

Cracks appeared on the walls of his cave when his determination surged. Sharpness leaked out of his mind as a natural consequence of his concentration. The environment around him almost fell apart because of that.

Noah had never felt so in tune with his martial art before. His expertise had fused with the forms inside the ancient aura and had given birth to countless inspirations.

The inheritance was still there. Noah had yet to reach its end. He didn't test its effects, so he didn't know how strong he had become. However, he felt that he could express his new knowledge right away.

That confidence didn't come only from his body. The dark star pushed his learning capabilities to the limit during the meditation next to the Cut, but that alone wasn't enough to make him learn new techniques instantly.

The main reason behind that feeling came from the nature of the divine aura. Noah had to translate the forms before absorbing them, but they became part of him once his mind memorized them.

Noah spent a few months pushing his centers of power to their peak state and improving them slightly. He didn't want his existence to have any weakness before approaching the invasion.

Mental messages shot from his inscribed notebook as he came out of his cave. He was telling the Hive to prepare since he was about to make his move.

The light of the teleportation matrix shone in his eyes before the familiar environment of the separate dimension appeared in his vision. Noah had returned there after leaving the Council's domain, and he found an annoyed June waiting for him.

"You know that this isn't my fault," Noah said as he took her in his embrace and kissed her forehead.

"You could have put a bit more pressure on that old geezer," June complained, but her expression relaxed when she laid her head on his chest.

The couple remained in that position for a few minutes before moving toward the next teleportation matrix. The path leading to the Royal Academy was only a few hours from their spot.

Crowds of experts waited for them whenever they teleported in another area. They performed polite greetings and wished them good luck before they moved to the next matrices.

Noah saw his acquaintances and friends along the way. Chasing Demon didn't show his face, and the two Demons appeared only before the couple reached the last matrix.

"You aren't coming with me this time," Noah said when he gazed at the two Demons.

He was about to go all-out, and he couldn't let the couple be near him when that happened. He wasn't even sure if his new enhanced sharpness would spare their lives once he stopped holding back.

They couldn't go with June either. She had to make the trip alone, and no one could help her in the mission.

"We'll wait for both of you on the frontlines," Dreaming Demon said while wearing a warm smile. Flying Demon limited himself to wink at Noah before the couple sent them off.

Thirty-seven waited for the couple at the end of that corridor. He had created two exists toward the Royal Academy. One of them ended up inside the restricted areas, while the other teleported right at the structures' center.

June knew the Academy's basic layout and position, so the automaton had managed to be precise with his inscriptions. The exits were incomplete though. He had to place the last line before the arrays could activate.

Noah and June turned toward each other and exchanged a long stare. That could be their last time together. There were only two possible outcomes after they stepped on the matrices: A life together in the open or death.

"I remember the first time we fought," June said as she took slow steps toward her lover. "We have lived for five centuries, but that memory is still clear in my mind."

"You are speaking as someone who is about to die," Noah said while wearing a smirk and closing the distance to caress her face.

June showed a warm smile at their usual exchange of lines, but she soon lowered her eyes when painful thoughts surged in her mind. Noah lifted her face at that sight, and June's hand went on his chest to feel his burning core.

"Noah," June said as her eyes went down again, "You have given new life to two nations, and one of them has reached the peak of the Mortal Lands thanks to you. You have revived old monsters whose only fate was to die in a forgotten dimension. You have given flesh, muscles, and organs to ancient bones."

June's words felt like heavy hammers when they reached Noah's ears. He knew what she was trying to do, and it pained him having to hold back to let her finish.

That could be their last time together. Noah wouldn't dare to interrupt his lover at that moment.

June squeezed his robe, and her fingers pointed on his metallic skin in a desperate attempt to remain with him forever. However, her grasp soon relaxed, and more words came out of her mouth.

"I am the foundation of your life," She said, "But your creation is much more than that. It has already surpassed what a single death can affect."

"You don't have to say all of this," Noah said as he took her hand.

"Yes, I have to," June replied, moving her free hand on his face, "Promise me that you won't let a single death leave a crack in your individuality."

Noah could only stare at June in silence after her words. She was too important for him, so he had no confidence in promising that. Yet, he could see the anxiety in her eyes. It was as if she was begging for him to say that.

"I promise," Noah eventually said, "My creation won't stop even if you die. Still, it won't be the same without you."

Calm appeared on June's face when she heard that. She pointed her feet to leave a quick kiss on Noah's lips before battle intent filled her expression.

The dark matter came out of his body as her black sparks lifted Noah's restrictions. Her cultivation level exploded with power as she left her lover's arms and moved toward her designated teleportation matrix.

Noah followed her with his eyes, and he suppressed his feelings as he walked toward the other matrix. His eyes never left his lover even when the light of the teleportation engulfed both figures.

Thirty-seven inspected the exits after they disappeared, but his expression froze when he saw the condition of Noah's matrix. Deep cuts had divided all the lines of the array in half.