In an instant, three of the Six Knights unsheathed their weapons and launched their attacks.

  I caught sight of blue lightning materializing near my position, its energy crackling dangerously.

  Reacting swiftly, I dodged just before it struck, leaving the floor beneath me shattered and charred.

  A quick glance confirmed my suspicion, the knight standing beside the Sky Empress wielded Mjolnir, the legendary hammer of Thor from Norse mythology.

  His eyes briefly widened in surprise, likely wondering how I had managed to evade his lightning strike.

  Unlike natural lightning, his lightning strike was controlled and predictable, so as long as I could see its formation, I could move before it landed.

  Annoying, but manageable.

  As I continued dodging the relentless barrage of lightning, I noticed Old Man Drei standing far from the center, looking concerned.

  To reassure him, I subtly signaled that I was fine.

  Seizing what he thought was an opportunity, the Ice Empress’s knight lunged toward me with remarkable agility.

  His sword gleamed beautifully as he delivered a swift downward slash.

  Arondight.

  The sword of Sir Lancelot.

  My grandfather once showed me a picture of it, but seeing it in person, it was even more stunning.

  Using my left foot for leverage, I pushed my body to the right, narrowly dodging the attack, then quickly stepped back twice to avoid another lightning strike.

  The knight looked momentarily startled by my movement but swiftly followed up with a wide, rightward slash.

  Instead of retreating, I closed the distance, grabbing hold of his sword-wielding hand.

  Unable to complete his attack, he was forced to retreat as yet another bolt of lightning crashed into my previous position.

  Although the hammer-wielding knight was starting to get on my nerves, I shifted my focus to the last knight.

  Unlike the others, he approached me slowly, as if measuring my speed.

  Then suddenly his image blurred.

  Five consecutive slashes flashed before my eyes.

  Severing Style Third Form: Fivefold Cleaver.

  Just as I thought, the Dragon Emperor’s knight was trained in the Severing Style Forms.

  But he failed to land a single blow.

  Using my footwork, I effortlessly slipped past him and tapped his back, nearly making him lose his balance.

  My gaze flickered to his weapon.

  Kusanagi no Tsurugi.

  The very sword my grandfather once protected, before he was slain.

  “Is jumping around all you can do, Sword Saint’s successor?” a middle-aged man sneered, clearly trying to provoke me.

  “Is that really all you learned from the Sword Saint?” he continued.

  “Or did you become this weak after joining Genesis?”

  I remained silent as he scoffed.

  “No wonder several of their members died after facing just one Sword of Sin,” he mocked.

  Then, with a twisted grin, he added, “I’m glad I gave them the information that the relic was in Iceland… but never told them that a Sword of Sin was also there.”

  So he was the informant.

  And not only that, he deliberately spread misinformation just to tarnish Genesis's reputation.

  Grandfather’s words echoed in my mind:

  "Don’t be angry when they mock your skills, your beliefs, or your achievements, because everyone has their own perspective. But those who mock the lives lost… they are the truest form of evil in this world."

  Those words had always kept me calm, anchoring me in moments of rage.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  But they also served another purpose, to help me judge whether someone was truly evil.

  A surge of anger and frustration swelled within me, and in response, the mystic glasses Old Man Drei had given me cracked.

  The floor beneath my feet splintered as I stopped holding back.

  The relentless lightning strikes ceased.

  The knight wielding Mjolnir was no longer a threat, his body was now embedded into the castle wall.

  I exhaled slowly, my glowing purple eyes meeting his dazed gaze.

  “Sleep for a bit, Sparky. You’re too annoying”, I said in a cold voice.

  With that, his grip on Mjolnir loosened, and the legendary hammer dropped from his hands as he lost consciousness.

  The three remaining knights moved in front of their master into a defensive stance, ready to protect their masters.

  Yet, two of them continued attacking, as if they hadn’t realized the charade was already over.

  I knew exactly why they insisted I come here unarmed.

  They wanted to see if I could wield the Severing Style’s Seventh Form.

  One of the two forms that Yui never learned to use.

  I opened my right hand, focusing intently on my surroundings.

  They had unknowingly given me time to analyze the area.

  Now, I had a clear perception of the entire venue.

  Unlike the previous forms, the Seventh Form required no weapon.

  Instead, it severed space itself, a translucent cube materializing in my hand, reflecting the enclosed area within it.

  Its reach extended as far as my Heaven Splitter technique could go, as long as my eyes could see it, it was within range.

  By simply slashing or tapping the cube, I could distort the space it projected.

  A perfect technique for locking onto a target.

  A technique required to perform the First Killing Art: Heaven and Earth Separation.

  In an instant, I enclosed three areas.

  With a mere flick of my left index finger, two of the translucent cubes vanished.

  The two attacking knights were sent crashing into the castle walls, their chest armor visibly cracked.

  Silence filled the hall.

  Everyone looked on, shocked, except for the Six Emperors and Old Man Drei.

  The middle-aged man from the Sun Emperor’s Circle was visibly shaken, his expression torn between surprise and terror.

  I took a step forward, my voice laced with sorrow.

  “One of the Genesis members that died that day… was my first friend when I joined.”

  “I was looking forward to having dinner with him once he returned.”

  The weight of my words hung in the air.

  Then, I smiled coldly.

  “Thank you for admitting that you were the one responsible for his death and for the deaths of hundreds of others.”

  The man didn’t move.

  He didn’t run.

  Instead, he simply stared at me with pure, unfiltered hatred.

  And spoke just one word.

  “Monster.”

  I looked at the remaining translucent cube in my hand.

  Severing Style Seventh Form: Divine Divider.

  I crushed the translucent cube in my hand.

  In an instant, his body collapsed inward, twisting into an inhuman shape.

  Blood pooled across the marble floor, his mangled corpse left utterly lifeless.

  I turned my gaze toward the Sun Emperor, my voice cold and sharp.

  "You're a terrible ruler. You couldn't even punish your own attendant for being a traitor."

  The Sun Emperor exhaled slowly, unbothered.

  "There's a world of difference between dying by my hands and dying by yours, young man.

  Now, you've gotten your revenge and upheld your beliefs.

  But if I had been the one to execute him, it would have seemed like I was merely silencing him", he stated.

  "As if that spares you from suspicion?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.

  He chuckled. "At the very least, I'm still alive today."

  I clenched my jaw, frustration bubbling beneath my calm facade.

  "Are you all satisfied now?" I demanded, my voice laced with irritation, referring to the charade that had just unfolded.

  The Ice Empress nodded, her expression unreadable.

  "Yes, this is enough to recognize you as the true successor of the Sword Saint", she stated.

  The Moon Empress spoke next, her voice thoughtful.

  "The Six Council may hold the highest authority in the world today… but even our power is nothing compared to the Sword Saint's legacy at its peak", she said.

  The Giant Emperor leaned forward.

  "And now, as his successor, you inherit an authority that rivals even that of the Six Council", he stated

  The Sky Empress gave me a solemn look.

  "Just as we once swore a contract with your grandfather, we now entrust you with the same duty to end our reign should we ever stray from the path and fall into evil", she said.

  The Dragon Emperor nodded in agreement.

  "Just as your grandfather felled countless tyrants and dictators who nearly destroyed the world, it will now be your responsibility to do the same", he said.

  Then, the Sun Emperor spoke again.

  "That is why, today, we will give you one of your grandpa’s lost and forgotten titles".

  He paused for a moment before finishing,

  "Carnifex, the Executioner of Evil", he added.

  The Moon Empress looked at me with a solemn expression.

  "May you never lose yourself as you walk the path of severing evil from this world", she said.

  The Dragon Emperor gave a slight nod.

  "You may leave now. Thank you for entertaining our little test, Asriel Kurokiba. May your eyes always guide you on the right path."

  I turned on my heel, walking away without hesitation.

  "May we never meet again in this lifetime," I stated as I strode toward Old Man Drei.

  A faint smile crossed his face as he patted my shoulder.

  "Great job controlling your emotions, Riel."

  He let out a tired sigh.

  "Let's go home."