33 Risen#re

During the battle Edith didn't sit still, she knew that there wasn't much she could do in terms of helping Lirian, so she slowly retreated behind the cover of a tree that was closer to the river and hide there.

She knew that it was only a matter of time before the group reneged on their promise, and it wouldn't be difficult for them to throw a spear her way while Lirian was distracted, if such a thing happened she knew that she needed to find cover and right after that Lirian would use storm caller.

It was mainly because of the storm caller ability that she hid as she was uncertain as to how much Lirian would be able to control its destructive power, if he wasn't able to handle it properly she knew that he'd hesitate to use it out of fear of harming her.

The tree was the perfect spot for her to hide because she could use it as cover, and if the power of storm caller was too much she'd be able to escape in the river and get washed up down the river.

Just as the students tried to rush at her a loud shout echoed and Edith recognised Lirian's voice.

"Bastards who don't know how to appreciate my grace," Lirian roared loudly, as he shouted the centre of the silver dome started to cave in and the energy of the dome quickly rushed down towards Lirian.

The energy rushed down in the katana illuminating in a glow of blue sliver, Lirian held it above his head and spun it around.

It spun once and the feeling of death quickly reached them all, it spun a second time and they saw sparks of blue with a black edge radiating from the blade.

Then Lirian spun it one final time and the lightning emerged like a carrousel of shining death.

It shot out in a circle spinning wildly none of the students managed to get close to Edith when the lightning swept through them like an arc blade performing a full circle and sweeping all of them to their deaths

The lightning didn't simply cut through them, rather the extreme voltage incinerated them into mounds of ash and those that weren't incinerated exploded on the spot.

Edith looked around and felt a little embarrassed as she realised that there was no need for her to worry about Lirian's control because there were two figures still alive from the group.

Pollock and Hinata were still alive and it was apparent that the only reason they were alive was because Lirian had refrained from killing them, both of there faces were completely pale as they looked at the remains of the dead students.

It was needless to say that not a single corpse was whole, and they could feel Lirian locking his focus on them, they had come with a group of over 80 yet now it was only them that remained while Lirian stood firmly.

It was clear to them that that last move had taken an even greater toll on Lirian, but it didn't stop them from shaking as they felt Lirian's killing intent.

Lirian took slow steps towards them but each step sounded like a war drum being violently struck, each step brought them closer to their deaths and they had no way to avoid what was coming.

"Ahhhhh!" Pollock who was standing in front of Hinata as if he was her bodyguard suddenly screamed and ran towards Lirian wildly, as he approached a forcibly pushed his body to use free striking as he swung his sword at Lirian.

Lirian merely sighed at his attack, Pollock might have thought himself brave but it was pathetic in Lirian's point of view.

Lirian effortlessly blocked the attack and chuckled at how weak it was, even if Pollock had used an ordinary strike it would have been stronger than the one he just delivered.

That was the sad reality for those that try to use free striking before attaining mastery of the forms, if they force it their attacks will end up weaker despite them using more strength and stamina behind every attack.

Lirian however wasn't so merciful as to allow Pollocks attack to just be weaker, he forcefully deflected Pollock's attack in a way to increase the tension on his muscles, for someone with as much experience in combat as Lirian such a feat was extremely easy for him to pull of against seasoned warriors let alone an amateur like Pollock.

Pollock let out a guttural scream of pain and his sword fell from his hands as his muscles began to spasm violently.

"Y-Y-You what… did you do… to me?!" Pollock cried as he got used to the pain that was filling his body he could feel it several of his muscles completely tore as soon as Lirian deflected his attack, in fact, it was more like Lirian's deflection was a direct attack on those muscles that he used in his attack.

"Kakaka," Lirian chuckled, "I told you that you weren't capable of using free striking, the effect of free striking is no miracle that one is able to achieve simply because they want to or because they try really hard,"

"The simple truth is that anyone and everyone is capable of using free striking, however for it to be used effectively one has to temper their body through training that would break your weak mind, but the most important part is to have a powerful mind, to be able to select your muscles with precision and use them effectively, it takes a strong mind to do something like that and that's something you lack," Lirian explained to him in a ridiculing tone.

"What did you do to me?!" Pollock shouted repeating his question, however, this time his voice held less pain.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," Lirian clicked his tongue in annoyance, "You really are an idiot did you not understand me when I said free striking requires one to temper their body, when I was six I had my mother tear every muscle in my body, then when my body healed I had my mother do it again and again, for eight months straight,"

"Do you understand now, I tempered my body to be able to utilize free striking, something that someone as weak-willed as yourself is incapable of doing, your body is too weak so all your attempts to use free striking are detrimental to your body,"

"I simply released a wave of pressure onto the muscles you tensed up to use free striking and once the wave reach the point where your muscles held the most tension it ripped your muscles apart," Pollocks eyes shuddered as he heard what Lirian told him.

In fact, it wasn't just Pollock he was looking at Lirian in disbelief, even the zealots and elites were in complete disbelief, they knew the method that Lirian spoke of to temper his body, but it was a completely unorthodox method, that practically always ended in the death of the person undergoing it.

The thing that really took them aback however was Lirians mastery of free striking to be able to accurately determine the muscles his opponent used and deflect his attack with the perfect method to tear his muscle, even old monsters who created their own forms would struggle to have such mastery yet Lirian was able to do it with such ease.

At that moment however a strange look flashed in Pollock's eyes and he started to laugh, it was a lamenting laugh of someone who was unwilling to accept their loss yet had no choice but to accept it.

"I see, it's all because you're the empress's son that you got such an opportunity, if it were me in your place I'd have done the same… I'd have done the same," he repeated his words and sobbed at the unfairness of the world.

However, before Lirian could say anything a laugh was heard and as Pollock turned to look he saw Edith laughing at him and her laugh was clearly a mocking one.

"You are just a country bumpkin, how have you never heard of the method that Lirian spoke of," she spoke ridiculing words.

"Free striking is the method of combat used by those of the third-grade, because once they reach the reach the third-grade their bodies able handle it, however the method that Lirian used is an unorthodox method that only people of the second-grade who are desperate to increase their fighting ability use,"

"However, no one uses that method anymore because of how low the survival rate is, now listen carefully because I'll say this only once and hopefully it will get through your thick skull,"

"Amongst peak second graders the survival rate is less than 1%, and that's with the aid of some of the best healers in the world constantly attending to the person, and you think that you would be able to handle it don't make me laugh, not even my father the lord of Eden was able to handle three rounds of tempering, let alone a thrash like you that cried out in pain after having a few muscles tear," Edith's words were as sharp as blade's ripping into Pollock's mind and Lirian praised her for it.