Episode 23 — Fade The Swordsman Master
The announcement DRAKO VS. RAIZEN remained on every tournament screen throughout Astra Academy.
By morning, students were already arguing over who would win.
Drako had become famous for his strange dual energy, rapid growth, Dragon Blood Vision, and unpredictable combinations.
Raizen was different.
He rarely showed anything.
He didn’t have flashy transformations or enormous explosions.
Most of his matches ended before spectators understood what he had done.
That mystery made people even more interested.
Drako found Raizen sitting alone outside the arena with his sword across his knees.
“You planning my murder?”
Drako asked.
Raizen didn’t look up.
“Considering it
.” Drako stopped.
“See, that’s why quiet people can’t be trusted.”
Raizen smiled slightly.
“Nervous?” “Absolutely not.
” “Your heartbeat increased
.” Drako stared at him.
“That’s my thing.
Stop stealing my thing.”
Raizen stood and attached his sword to his waist.
His eyes were covered by the same dark cloth he sometimes wore during serious training.
Drako had always wondered why Raizen fought like that.
“You’re really wearing the blindfold?”
“Yes.”
Drako waved a hand in front of his face. Raizen grabbed his wrist instantly.
“Do that during the match and you’ll lose the hand.” sive this morning.”
The others were waiting near the entrance.
Adrian immediately started giving Drako advice.
“Raizen favors counterattacks, so don’t attack first.”
Mira interrupted.
“He also waits for hesitation, so don’t wait too long.”
Draxen added, “His sword range is longer than it looks.”
Teck opened a hologram.
“Based on recordings, his reaction time—” Drako raised both hands.
“Everybody stop helping.
You’re making it worse.”
Kaien smiled.
“My advice is simple.”
“Finally.” “Don’t lose.” Drako stared at him. “Thank you, flaming chicken.”
Phoenix fire appeared around Kaien’s shoulders.
“After Raizen beats you, I’m beating you again.” Mira laughed.
Raizen walked past them toward the arena.
Draxen looked at Drako.
“You know he’s probably been hiding more than Mira, right?” Drako sighed.
“Why can’t I have normal friends?” Teck answered without looking up.
“You aren’t normal.” “Nobody asked you, calculator.”
The Grand Arena erupted when they entered.
Raizen stood calmly on one side, blindfolded, hand resting near his sword.
Drako stood opposite him. The referee looked between them.
“Remember, defensive shields determine elimination.
Excessive force after shield activation results in disqualification.”
Drako called across the arena, “You hear that? Don’t kill me.”
Raizen answered, “I’ll try.”
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The audience laughed.
Drako’s smile widened.
“That’s not comforting.”
The referee raised his hand.
“Begin!” Drako immediately activated Blood Step.
Crimson light flashed.
He appeared behind Raizen without attacking, wanting to test his reaction.
Raizen’s sword was already against Drako’s neck.
Drako froze.
“Okay.” Raizen hadn’t even turned around. “That’s creepy.”
The blade moved.
Drako ducked and jumped backward.
Raizen slowly faced him.
Drako activated Blood Sense.
Raizen’s heartbeat was calm.
Dragon Sense followed. Something was strange.
Energy surrounded Raizen’s sword, but almost none leaked from his body.
Drako activated Dragon Blood Vision.
Gold and crimson filled his eyes.
The arena sharpened. Raizen’s blood circulation appeared perfectly controlled.
His energy traveled through narrow pathways toward his hands, feet, and sword.
No wasted movement.
Drako smiled.
“You’ve been holding back.”
Raizen lowered his stance.
“So have you.”
Drako rushed forward using Blood Enhancement.
He threw a normal punch. Raizen moved his head slightly and avoided it. Drako followed with a kick.
Raizen stepped aside.
Dragon Scales appeared across Drako’s forearm as Raizen’s sword came toward him.
CLANG! Drako immediately used Dragon Strength.
Raizen’s blade redirected the punch rather than blocking it.
Drako stumbled forward.
Raizen’s sword tapped his back.
His shield flickered. “Hey!” Drako jumped away. “Was that necessary?”
“Yes.”
“Starting to understand why you don’t talk much. You’re rude.”
Drako became more serious.
Blood Flow Control accelerated circulation through his legs.
Dragon Density increased inside his feet.
He charged again, changing speed unpredictably.
Raizen blocked, redirected, and avoided everything.
Drako used Blood Step midway through an attack and appeared above him.
Dragon Density increased through Drako’s descending leg.
Raizen finally moved quickly. His sword flashed.
Drako felt something strike his ankle and his balance disappeared.
He crashed into the floor. Kaien burst out laughing.
Drako looked toward the stands.
“You’re supposed to be watching quietly!”
Kaien shouted, “You looked majestic!”
Even Mira laughed.
Drako stood and brushed himself off.
“I’m changing factions before I even have one.” Draxen shouted, “We’ll follow Raizen!”
Drako pointed at him. “Traitor!”
Raizen attacked while Drako was talking.
Drako barely blocked with Dragon Scales.
“Cheap shot!” “Tournament.” “Still cheap.”
Raizen’s sword accelerated.
Drako’s Dragon Blood Vision followed it, but Cassian’s warning suddenly became real.
Seeing an attack didn’t mean Drako could always react.
Raizen’s technique was too precise. Every movement created the next attack.
Drako blocked one slash and exposed his ribs. He avoided another and lost his footing.
Raizen wasn’t faster because of raw speed.
He was faster because he never wasted movement.
Drako used Blood Step to create distance. “How are you seeing me?” Raizen stopped. “I’m not.” Drako’s smile disappeared.
The arena became strangely quiet.
Raizen touched the cloth covering his eyes.
“I haven’t been able to see normally since I was young.”
Drako stared at him. “You’re actually blind?” Raizen nodded.
“Then how the hell have you been judging my clothes?” Raizen’s expression remained perfectly serious.
“Mira tells me when they look bad.” From the stands Mira shouted, “Which is often!” The crowd laughed.
Drako shook his head.
“I walked into that one.”
But underneath the humor, his mind was racing.
Raizen had been fighting all this time without sight.
Blood Sense showed his heartbeat remaining perfectly calm.
Dragon Blood Vision finally noticed something else.
Tiny energy waves continuously left Raizen’s body and returned to him.
They touched the floor, walls, Drako, even particles moving through the air.
“You feel everything around you,
” Drako whispered. Raizen raised his sword. “Something like that.”
Drako moved again.
This time he stopped trying to overwhelm Raizen.
He watched.
Raizen’s mysterious energy spread around him in a radius.
Every time Drako entered it, Raizen reacted instantly.
Drako picked up a broken piece of arena stone and threw it.
Raizen cut it without looking. Another. Cut. Drako threw three.
Raizen sliced all three.
Drako smiled.
“Found something.”
Raizen tilted his head.
“Did you?”
Drako activated Blood Step and simultaneously kicked several pieces of debris into the air.
Crimson flashes, stones, dust, and energy moved through Raizen’s detection field at once.
Raizen’s sword moved rapidly, but for the first time he hesitated.
Drako appeared on his left. Raizen blocked. Drako disappeared again.
More debris. Another direction. Another Blood Step.
“He’s overloading his perception,” Teck said.
Draxen smiled. “That’s actually smart.”
Kaien crossed his arms. “Don’t sound so surprised.”
Drako appeared behind Raizen.
Blood Flow Control surged through his arm while Dragon Density increased through his fist.
The developing hybrid technique began forming.
Golden and crimson energy wrapped around his hand. [Hybrid synchronization: 74%.] Drako attacked.
Raizen turned.
His sword moved once.
The golden and crimson energy around Drako’s fist split apart.
Drako stopped.
A shallow cut appeared across his scales.
“What?” Drako whispered.
Raizen’s sword was surrounded by a thin silver-black energy Drako had never seen before.
The System immediately reacted. [Unknown sword energy detected.] [Warning: Energy capable of disrupting ability synchronization.] Raizen lowered his blade. Drako looked at him.
“There’s your secret.”
Raizen said nothing.
Drako smiled. “Finally.”
He activated Dragon Blood Vision at maximum focus.
Raizen’s strange sword energy became visible,flowing from somewhere deep inside his body.
But the moment Drako tried analyzing it, his System flashed again. [Analysis blocked.] That had almost never happened.
Raizen suddenly appeared in front of him.
Drako barely activated Dragon Density before the sword struck.
CLANG!
The impact pushed him backward. Another slash came. Dragon Scales. Another. Blood Step.
Raizen followed the movement.
Drako realized Raizen had stopped holding back. His sword attacks became faster, cleaner, and more dangerous. Drako’s shield flickered twice.
Then Raizen’s sword stopped beside Drako’s chest.
Drako’s scaled fist stopped beside Raizen’s shield.
Again.
“Why does this keep happening?” Drako complained.
The referee checked the recording.
The screen slowed the final exchange.
Raizen’s blade had touched Drako’s shield first.
WINNER: RAIZEN.
The arena exploded.
Drako stood completely still.
His first major tournament loss.
Raizen sheathed his sword. “Good fight.”
Drako looked at him for several seconds before smiling. “I want a rematch.”
“Expected.”
“Tomorrow.”
“No.”
“Tonight.”
“No.”
“Right now?”
Raizen walked away.
Drako followed. “You’re really going to beat me and then ignore me?”
Mira was laughing when they reached the others. Kaien looked happier than anyone.
“This is a beautiful day.”
Drako pointed at him. “Your turn is coming.” Kaien smiled. “Good.”
But Draxen wasn’t laughing anymore. He was staring at Raizen’s sword. “That energy,” he said quietly. “I tried copying it.”
Raizen stopped.
Draxen’s expression became serious. “I couldn’t.”
Drako looked between them. First Draxen couldn’t copy Drako.
Now he couldn’t copy Raizen’s mysterious sword energy either.
Before anyone could ask more, Teck’s wrist device suddenly sounded an alarm.
A holographic warning appeared.
UNAUTHORIZED ENERGY SIGNATURE DETECTED BENEATH ASTRA ACADEMY.
Drako’s smile disappeared.
The location was directly beneath the ancient ruins.
And this time, whatever was down there was moving.