Reginald couldn't move an inch as he was being pushed down by a very intense and horrifying level of mana that crashed onto his body. He tried his hardest to lift his head but no matter what he did he couldn't even lift it by a centimeter. He tried to unleash his mana to counter but that proved useless as well.
At that very moment, his very being was telling him to flee, yet how could he do that if he could not move?
"Who... Who are you?"
"Oh, you don't know who I am? Weren't you trying to kill me by gathering a bunch of foolish nobles together?" When Reginald heard Ren's response he was stunned.
"Y-y-you're the false king?" Reginald gritted his teeth as he spoke each word.
"I don't really like you calling me that, but yes I am the current ruler of the Serbek Kingdom," Ren responded in a nonchalant manner.
Hearing that answer with that tone coming from Ren's mouth, ignited a wave of deep anger from within Reginald. Even though deep inside he knew that Ren outclassed him in every way possible he would never accept it to be the truth. How could he accept such a thing? Ever since he was a child he was always believed that those of noble birth were superior. Seeing two people subverting that one truth he truly believed in made him mad beyond words. So with his sheer willpower, Reginald forcefully stood up from the ground although a little wobbly he was able to stand up with sword at hand. He glared at Ren with eyes full of hatred.
"A commoner like you! A commoner like you dare to call yourself the ruler of the mighty Serbek Kingdom how outrageous! You're nothing more than a thief that stole the position from me!" Reginald shouted at Ren, and despite his wobbly stance he still pointed his sword at Ren.
Ren was rather impressed to see Reginald stand up. Just moments ago this very person was about ready to cry from fear, from his young disciple, yet now he was standing up to Ren himself even while knowing the disparity of their power.
"It seems I was mistaken about you, your pride is so big that it can actually force you to stand up against me. I applaud you, Duke Reginald, despite knowing the difference in our strengths you still choose to fight against me." Ren smiled at Reginald like he was looking at a child who had accomplished some mundane task. He even clapped his hands as he praised Reginald. Seeing that smile of his and the action Ren took made the Duke infuriated.
"How dare you look down on me, a great noble! You are nothing more than a filthy commoner who doesn't' know anything! In front of a noble such as I, you should be prostrating and begging for mercy, so that I won't kill you for Lèse-majesté!" Ren looked at Reginald who was screaming his lungs out as if he was looking at a strange creature.
"Did your brain fry from the fear? Also, aren't I the one who is supposed to kill you for Lèse-majesté?"
"As expected talking to a fake king, who is nothing more than a filthy thief commoner, you know absolutely nothing! I am the brother of the former king! I am a Sword Saint renowned throughout the land! I am the rightful heir to the throne! I am the great and powerful Duke Reginald!" Hearing Reginald proclaim all of his titles made Ren sigh.
"Why do you talk so much. If you want something then take it! Come I'll even allow you to get a free hit." Ren pointed at his neck as he signaled Reginald to come at him.
"You dare look down at me to this extent!" Reginald screamed as he held onto his sword and slashed at Ren's neck. Ren didn't move at all and allowed the strike to hit him. Yet the moment the blade of the sword hit Ren's neck it made a weird sound. Ren's neck did not even sustain a tiny cut, on the other hand, Reginald's sword seems close to breaking.
Reginald was dumbfounded by the sight. He knew that Ren didn't do anything not even summoning a mana shield. He simply took the strike with his own physical body.
Unkown to Reginald, Ren was indeed not using mana, but instead was using Spirit Aura to envelope his body. He was doing this unconsciously, it was so natural for him now to use Spirit Aura that it became something akin to breathing for him.
"Is that all you got, it isn't right? Come I'll give you another free hit. The same as before I won't move at all. This time you better go all out or else you'll regret it later."
When he saw how miserably he failed, Reginald's anger had subsided and he was finally at a state of calm. He needed to use everything he had in this next strike, he needed to put his very own life on the line.
Reginald closed his eyes and became one with his sword. As he was concentrating his power to the limit, he received an epiphany. He understood that to become one with the sword was simply restricting, he needed to become one with the world itself.
Ren was amazed by what he saw next, Reginald's aura changed. 'Oh, he has been enlightened. Well, to power up before death is something very normal, most heroes back in the day could do it.'
Reginald could feel himself and the sword becoming one with the world around him. It was at that moment he could finally sense the true horror that was Ren. The world Reginald could feel was distorted in front of Ren's mere existence. Still, despite now fully understanding how vast the gap was, Reginald did not back down.
Reginald lifted his sword up and with everything he had he slashed at Ren's neck. The same as before, Ren did not move an inch but fully utilized all of his Spirit Aura to guard his neck. This time unlike before the blade actually penetrated through Ren's Spirit Aura, and it even penetrated a bit of his skin.
Yet in the end, the blade could not go any deeper, as it broke in half. Ren laughed a hearty laugh as he removed the blade from his neck and looked at Reginald. He then showed that vicious smile of his.
"Hahaha! So you can do it if you tried. Well, you were more powerful than I thought. If you used the same technique on my disciple over there, you would've actually won. I guess that pride of yours got in the way."
"I guess it did." In the end, Reginald who had gained enlightenment finally understood many things. Yet even then, he did not regret a single thing. Ren struck him down in a swift manner, and Reginald fainted.
"Destroying your body would be a waste." After saying that Ren went into his soul realm. Once in his soul realm, he asked for the three Primordial Demons to meet with him. Nyarlom, Hako, and the new tenant Kolur came before him. Seeing that all the Primordial Demons were present Ren went straight to the point.
"So do you guys want to have a new body?"