Liam was thrown upward. He immediately stepped on the ceiling and pushed off, gaining speed using feather magic. The zombie's head spun, and Liam's body grew heavier, slowing him down. He was then struck by a headbutt and pinned to the wall.
A few steps back, Kai seemed to calculate the distance.
"Six meters… Just like Enrico said, since it's a Level One Zara, it doesn't have much range. The problem now is how to hit it."
"Crescent Slash!"
A slash aimed for the zombie's back but was deflected upward. The zombie then charged toward Kai, who backed away to gain distance, giving Liam time to recover. Liam realized the zombie had limits and got back up.
Assuming a stance for a thrust, he advanced using feather magic. As the zombie spun its head to make the area heavy, Liam stepped back—stopping exactly at the six-meter mark. Kai, aware that the area was heavier, forced his body to resist and quickly cut off the zombie's arm. The zombie grabbed its arm and retreated.
Liam switched his spear to his other hand, as the injured one trembled, and began healing it using feather magic.
"Angel's Feathers."
"We finally landed a hit, but it doesn't seem like it feels pain. Actually, none of them seem to."
They prepared to continue the assault, but suddenly, the air around the Jupiter-headed zombie shifted. It began to change. They tried to stop it, but the pressure increased, forcing them to their knees.
The zombie's head dissolved, and dust swirled around its waist. Its body grew bulkier, and the core appeared in the center of its chest.
Kai sensed danger. Noticing the gravity vanished, he grabbed Liam and jumped away—just as a hole formed beneath them.
Gravispecter had reached its complete form, just like Crimson.
"What… is that?"
Kai backed up further with Liam, surprised.
Liam was drenched in sweat.
"His ability is gravity, right? If he can make areas heavy and light… what do you think happens when he combines both?"
Gravispecter was applying gravity in one direction and lightness at the center, creating a reverse mass wave that caused massive damage.
Liam stepped back again.
"That must be just a fraction of what gravity magic can do. We're lucky it's a Level One Zara."
Gravispecter raised both hands and then slammed them down where the two stood. Kai kicked Liam aside and dodged. Two 1.5-meter-wide holes formed in the wall behind them.
Liam noticed something and sighed in relief, shouting
"KAI! Looks like he's sacrificing both magic types to create a stronger one, but it takes two seconds to activate!"
"Damn it, I wanted a proper rematch. Why can't I awaken the sword like Enrico said?"
Gravispecter raised a hand, aiming it at Kai. Kai raised his sword to defend, but it only held for a second—enough time for him to duck. The sword broke.
"My father's sword…"
Kai looked at it for a moment before being struck by Gravispecter and slammed into the wall. Liam appeared, striking Gravispecter's hand to stop the finishing blow.
Blood dripped from Kai's mouth. 'Looks like it's physically stronger too…' He began to close his eyes, and a memory flashed.
"Kai, you really can defeat him alone—but not yet"
Enrico had said,Kai looked to the side.
"But I want my rematch."
A finger tapped his forehead. He winced, rubbing it.
"Ow, why?"
"Your father didn't think like that at first,"
Enrico said, lying on the ground.
"You knew my father?"
Enrico turned, eyes closed
"Yeah. Let's say I learned… a lot during those two weeks before our duel—about myself and others."
"What does that have to do with my dad? He always said he was just—"
"A warrior doing his job, right?"
Enrico finished the sentence, and Kai fell silent.
"Not surprising he abandoned everything to live a normal life" Enrico stood up.
"Your father was the former great hero who defeated the Demon King of that era. And you… you carry his sword."
Kai stared at the sword, shocked.
"I know you're different from him—he hated fighting but was chosen to wield the Holy Sword from a young age. You, on the other hand, like to fight."
Enrico pulled a notebook from his bag and began sketching.
"The name of this sword is Hero of the Moon Blade. It's the sword your father carried his whole life, developing his own techniques—even after gaining the Holy Sword."
He showed a drawing of a man standing on the moon, holding a sword aloft like he was declaring victory.
"This sword evolved with your father, gaining his unique magic—Hero's Magic. When it faces hardship, it grows stronger and can transform up to three times."
Looking seriously at Kai, he added
"This sword will evolve into a different form depending on its wielder. You won't be like your father—because you love battle, don't you?"
Kai looked at the sword and finally said
"You know more about my father than I do."
Enrico looked surprised.
"Of course. He hid himself well—even changed his name. But me? I was just a fan who wanted to shake his hand."
Kai fell silent for a few minutes, processing everything. Then he asked.
"I know he was a hero… but is that the only reason you admired him?"
Enrico looked away, thinking, then smiled.
"Because he showed me what a real father should be."
Kai wanted to ask more, but at that moment, the staircase appeared. Both stood up.
Returning to the battle, Kai opened his eyes just in time to see Liam's arm ripped off by the pressure.
"Gaaaaah!"
Liam fell backward, saw a foot incoming, and gritted his teeth. He spun his spear in hand, refusing to give up.
Gravispecter used its claw to pierce Liam's stomach. Coughing blood, Liam lifted his spear and stared seriously at Gravispecter.
"Haa… Thanks to you, I got something new."
The spear seemed to gain weight and pierced Gravispecter's thigh, pinning it to the ground. He grabbed the claw still in his stomach.
"Feather Magic: Extra Weight. It's not as good as yours—but it works, don't you think?"
Liam looked behind Gravispecter. Kai had stood back up, holding his sword and assuming a stance.
[Hero of the Moon Blade] has awakened. Rank upgraded to Rare.
[Skill: Magic Slash] — This sword's slash can cut through magic of equal or lower level than the user's.
Raising the sword overhead, Kai recalled how—even though his father was a warrior—he never trained. He had picked up the sword only once: to save the village where Kai had gone to play with friends. He sacrificed himself by jumping in front of an attack meant for Kai—and then killed every demon in that place to make sure his son would survive.
"Live your life however you want, son. Your father will always be watching from the sky."
Those were his final words. That was the worst day of Kai's life—but he kept going.
"If I made it through that day… then this is nothing."
He brought the sword down and cleaved Gravispecter in half. It had tried to raise a remaining arm but failed in time. The magical core was also cut.
No one recognized his father that day. Everyone simply forgot he was the only one who died. After that day, Kai never returned to that town.
With determined eyes, Kai watched Gravispecter disappear. 'Thanks for telling me about my father, Enrico.'
Liam collapsed backward. Kai rushed to him.
"We should stop the bleeding first."
Liam raised a hand to reassure him, then got serious.
"No—you need to go help the others. They might be in danger."
"But—"
"Don't worry. I can heal myself with my magic. The only problem is… I won't have any mana left for anything else."
Kai hesitated, then nodded. He hid Liam behind some rocks and ran ahead while Liam began healing.
"I'll definitely pass out after this. Hope the professors get here soon…"
Liam started to lose consciousness but stayed awake long enough to heal.
Meanwhile, Kai sprinted through the hole he'd been thrown into, as fast as he could.