Noah awoke to the scent of fresh earth and flowing water.
His eyes fluttered open slowly. Overhead, the sky stretched wide and unbound—a perfect gradient of gold and lavender. Birds chirped in the distance. Wind caressed his face.
He wasn't in the academy.
He wasn't even near it.
He sat up slowly, his body still battered, but no longer breaking. The wounds had closed. The pain dulled. He was resting on soft grass, beneath the shade of a massive tree whose bark shimmered with veins of silver mana. A waterfall poured in the distance, feeding a clear, glowing lake.
This place… felt ancient. Sacred.
"This is the Sanctuary of Origin," Rein's voice came from behind.
Noah turned.
The Headmaster stood a few meters away, arms behind his back, wearing his usual dark coat—though without the cold fury he usually carried.
"It only reveals itself to those who've brushed against the edge of reality," Rein continued. "A place forgotten by time itself. You're the first student I've brought here in over a hundred years."
Noah blinked. "Why?"
"Because you're no longer just a student," Rein said. His tone wasn't kind, but it wasn't cruel either—it was… respectful.
"You've crossed the threshold. You created a skill the world had no record of. Without the anyone's guidance. Without divine intervention. Just… will."
Noah lowered his gaze." Chrono Severance". The memory of that final slash still lingered—how time itself bent to him, even if only for a second.
"You were never meant to survive that trial," Rein continued, walking forward. "But you did. And now, you've earned something I rarely offer."
He turned toward Noah, voice firm.
"A teacher."
Noah's eyes widened.
"No more torment disguised as guidance. No more testing if you'll break," Rein said. "From this moment forward, I'll teach you. Truly. The path of those who cut fate. The path of True Warrior … and those who defy time."
Noah stood slowly, his sword still sheathed at his back. "What do I have to do?"
Rein smirked. "Survive."
Suddenly—
BOOM!
The ground trembled. Mana surged across the lake, and from the mist emerged a monstrous figure—an ancient golem plated in obsidian and gold, its eyes glowing with celestial runes. It was at least five stories tall.
Rein didn't flinch.
"Lesson One," he said calmly.
"Control your power under pressure. Draw on your will, not your rage. Surpass your limits—without losing your soul."
Noah took a breath.
His heart pounded.
But for the first time in a while… he wasn't afraid.
Because he knew.
He wasn't just fighting anymore.
He was learning...
The obsidian golem's fist slammed into the ground, sending a shockwave through the sanctuary. Trees bent, the earth shattered—and Noah leaped backward, eyes locked on the titan before him.
"Don't run too far," Rein called out lazily, floating above the battlefield with arms crossed. "This beast is bound to your presence. If you flee, it follows. If you hesitate, it kills."
Noah gritted his teeth.
"Of course it does," he muttered, rolling his shoulders.
His blade hummed in its sheath, reacting to the pressure of the mana storm surrounding them. Every motion the golem made felt like it warped gravity. Its mana was thick, primal. Ancient.
"This is more than just a beast," Noah realized aloud. "It's… alive?"
Rein nodded.
"A Fragment of the First Era. Created by gods to test champions. It responds to willpower. Mirror it, and you'll learn control. Flinch—and it'll crush you like glass."
The golem charged again, surprisingly fast for its size. Noah instinctively kicked off the ground and swung wide—
CLANG!
Sparks erupted as his blade met its arm—but the impact rattled his bones. He was flung back, crashing against a mana-forged boulder that cracked under the force.
"Ugh—!" Blood trickled from his lip. "Its defense… it's like a mountain."
"Because you're swinging like a peasant," Rein snapped. "Tap into the will that made Chrono Severance. Stop using your blade like it's just metal!"
Noah staggered to his feet.
Rein's words echoed—"Add your will into the blade."
He exhaled slowly.
Around him, the sanctuary quieted for a moment—just enough to let him focus.
He wasn't just trying to win. This wasn't a battle to survive anymore.
It was a lesson.
He closed his eyes.
In his mind, he saw his past. The guilt. The anger. The helplessness.
The system.
The burning village.
Scarlett's eyes.
Charlotte's betrayal.
Olivia's guidance.
His blade pulsed. Mana surged from his core—not wild and desperate, but focused.
A silver aura bled from the sword's edge.
"Eclipse Blade Art… Form Three: Phantom Edge," he whispered.
But then—his aura shifted.
No new skill formed.
Yet his sword… felt different.
As if it now had weight beyond its metal. Like it carried something living.
Rein's expression changed.
"…You've begun to imprint your soul into the blade."
He floated down, eyes gleaming.
"Very few swordsmen ever reach that stage. It is the beginning of Sword Embodiment."
The golem charged again.
This time, Noah didn't dodge.
He stepped in.
And cut upward with a will-infused swing.
SLASH!
The golem's arm didn't just break—it erased. Vanished into motes of fading light, exactly like the swords from Rein's Domain.
"…It's not Void." Noah realized. "It's me."
Rein gave a single nod.
"And that... is how monsters are born."
He turned away, arms behind his back.
"Rest. Tomorrow, you'll learn to imbue your time affinity into your aura. We'll start with basic Time manipulation. After that—I'll teach you how to fold space with a blade."
Noah blinked. "You can cut space?"
Rein smirked.
"By the end of this training… you'll rewrite the rules of the battlefield."
To be continued…