CLEAVER OF SIN - Chapter 276

Chapter 276: Unknown Mountain
Both Asher and Jane stood still, both staring at each other without a word, but a faint smile could be seen on Asher’s face, the same smile he had given her earlier when he had forced her to cheat. And just like earlier, he had forced her to cheat once more. The smile was not one of arrogance, but rather a quiet acknowledgment, a silent declaration that he had achieved what he intended. He stood there, chest heaving, sweat matting his hair to his forehead, yet his eyes gleamed with that calm, unsettling confidence.

Jane stared at Asher with a calm and apathetic face and eyes, but in her mind, she wondered where this monster had come from. His talent did not scream; it whispered in a subtle, terrifying manner. There was no grand announcement to his skill, no flamboyance, only precise execution and efficiency. In a world where many sought to display their power with grandeur, Asher simply was.

At the last moment, Asher had copied her own attack, using it against her in the perfect moment. He had adjusted the trajectory of his own strike at the exact instant she moved to block. While Jane was still midair, her center of gravity shifted and limited. If he had done it while she was still standing, with her feet on the ground, she could have easily dodged. But she couldn’t dodge midair, not at the level she had limited herself to. That limit, that self-imposed restriction meant to handicap herself for the sake of fairness, had become a chain Asher wrapped around her neck with surgical precision.

She had fallen directly into the Tenth Sun’s trap.

Although she could have simply tanked the injury, it didn’t sit well with her. An Instructor being injured by a student would turn her into a laughingstock, not just any student, but a first-year, in their first lesson. That would stain her record, tarnish her name among her peers. Besides, it wasn’t as though she had gracefully defended the Tenth Sun’s last attack on her own terms. Her reflex had kicked in at the last moment, parrying the thrust away from her lungs.

Reflexes were not something one could control. If it was something that could be controlled, it would no longer be an involuntary reaction, it would no longer be instinct, but calculation. And Jane, bound by her own promise to fight within restricted parameters, had been forced to break it twice.

Jane stood like a war goddess, her form pristine, perfect, her breathing calm, her black hair still neatly arranged as though even the wind did not dare disarrange it. Not a single scratch marred her appearance. She looked untouchable, divine, an untarnished blade untouched by mortal hands.

But Asher was the opposite. He was panting, the sound of his heavy breathing resonating in the air, his chest rising and falling rapidly as he struggled to draw breath. His clothes were dirty and had a few cuts where Jane had landed her blows. Sweat poured from his skin, soaking through his garments, his boots caked in dust from his relentless footwork. He looked exhausted, mortal, worn, but alive in a way that only those who danced with death could be.

Virelass remained in his arm as he panted. The blade hummed faintly, clearly not in a pleasant mood. This was the first time she had been utterly dominated in a spar. Her pride as a conscious weapon flared faintly, but even she could not deny the brilliance displayed in these exchanges.

Jane’s eyes stayed on Asher for a moment. This was the second time her reflex had been used against her, forcing her to go above the limits she had placed on herself. Although she had decided to continue the sparring session after the first time, she couldn’t continue now, not after she had been forced to cheat again. To proceed would be to lose control of the balance she had imposed on the match.

With that decision, she sheathed her sabre at her waist with the effortless grace of a swordmaster. The metallic click echoed like a verdict.

“The Tenth Sun, Asher Wargrave, wins this round,” Jane’s voice echoed through the air.

Her words struck the students like a thunderclap. Their eyes snapped toward Asher, then toward their Instructor. The difference between them was jarring. Instructor Jane stood immaculate, untouched, while the Tenth Sun looked as though he was seconds away from collapsing, yet he was declared the winner. They couldn’t comprehend it.

Seeing the confusion in their eyes, Jane spoke again, her tone even.

“The Tenth Sun used my own strength against me at the perfect moment. He forced me to break the limits I placed on myself by triggering my reflex during his first attack, and again during his last.”

Some still wore confused expressions, but Jane did not bother explaining further. Understanding was not something she would spoon-feed; it was something they would either grasp or be left behind. The smarter ones among them already understood, their eyes shifting toward Asher with a hint of respect, or perhaps fear.

The tactic was simple in theory: If you cannot defeat your opponent, force them to defeat themselves.

“Asher Wargrave will be rewarded two thousand points,” Jane announced.

Heads turned sharply toward Asher again. They understood what two thousand points meant. He had done the impossible yet again, for the third time.

First, during Instructor Melissa’s class, where he had pulled off something beyond comprehension and earned a reward. The second time during Instructor Hale’s class, where even without points, his feat had left them stunned. And now, during their third class with Instructor Jane.

None of them dared doubt the Tenth Sun’s abilities any longer. They had seen him spar. They could not even follow the movement speed between him and Jane. They had witnessed something that surpassed mere training, it had been a glimpse into a world far above their own.

As though uncaring for their thoughts, Jane continued, “I have seen the level many of you are at. Starting next class, I will begin correcting your mistakes, your postures, and your foundation. I will teach you many other things concerning the art of weapon. If you have any questions regarding the weapon at any time, feel free to seek me out. I do this on my own whim and time. I will only entertain and answer questions concerning weapons, nothing more, nothing less.”

She paused, letting her words settle. The students remained silent, processing everything.

Some of them smiled faintly, hope flickering in their eyes. To them, Jane was overwhelming, a force they could not even begin to comprehend. If she was willing to teach them beyond class hours, then they stood to gain more than they had ever imagined.

“The class ends here. Head to the Healing Department to receive treatment before returning to your rooms,” Jane declared with finality. With a wave of her hand, space tore open, forming a portal. Without sparing them another glance, she stepped through it, disappearing from sight as the portal sealed shut behind her.

Silence lingered for a moment. The students remained seated or sprawled on the ground, thinking about what they had just witnessed during Instructor Jane’s class. The atmosphere felt heavy, marked by awe and disbelief.

A gentle wind blew, brushing against their skin, carrying the scent of pine and cold air. It felt strangely refreshing, washing away the tension that had clung to them. But as the breeze passed, a collective realization dawned on them at once.

Jane had left them on an unknown mountain, in an unfamiliar forest, with no return portal in sight.

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AUTHOR’S NOTE: Hey everyone, I’ve decided to continue my usual Super gift for bonus chapters. Now, a Magic Castle would grant 2 bonus chapters. A Spacecraft would grant 5 bonus chapters. A Golden Gachapon would grant 10 bonus chapters.

Feel free to work me to the death for your absolute pleasure.

Also, it seems we won’t be making it to the top ten ranking, since the month is about to end. We might as well get to one thousand golden tickets.