Chapter 56: Holy Slash

    Arkanos met her gaze, his expression calm. "Well, let''s call it hell week," he said.

    Seraphine blinked, processing the words. "Hell week?" she repeated, her brow furrowing in confusion. "What does that mean?"

    Arkanos''s lips curled into a faint, dark smile. "Exactly what it sounds like. One week of nonstop hellish training."

    Seraphine''s eyes widened for a moment before she quickly hid her surprise with a composed look.

    Arkanos turned his attention to the forest again, taking a few steps forward. The knights behind him exchanged confused glances, whispers filling the air as they wondered what exactly their Emperor was planning.

    Arkanos reached out his hand, his fingers flexing as a small surge of holy power emanated from his grasp.

    His hand began to glow with a brilliant, almost blinding light. Slowly, the holy sword, Radiance of the Sacred Dawn, materialized, sheathed in his palm, its holy power swirling.

    Without taking his eyes off the weapon, Arkanos called out to the system in his thoughts. ''System...''

    ''I want to purchase the Holy Aura Slash skill from the shop.''

    The system responded with a soft chime, and a voice echoed in his mind.

    ? ? Holy Aura Slash B ranked ?

    Skill Price: 500 Upgrade Points.

    Would you like to confirm the purchase?

    ''Confirm,'' he responded.

    The system processed the transaction, and the skill was immediately added to his abilities.

    He then glanced at the sword in his hand, then called out to the system again.

    ''System...''

    ''I want to upgrade this skill to S rank.''

    The system responded.

    ? ? Upgrade to S Rank ?

    ? Upgrade Price: 2,000 Upgrade Points.

    Would you like to confirm the up— ?

    On his back, the scales representing the goddess of justice and purity shone brightly.

    For a moment, it felt as if the very air around him held its breath, waiting for his next move.

    Arkanos''s gaze sharpened, his green eyes glowing brightly as he spoke softly, "Goddess Pretoria, grant me strength."

    With that, he slowly began to pull the holy blade from its sheath.

    As the blade emerged, it let out a low, resonating HUMMMMM, its gradient glow spilling outward like liquid light. Energy crackled in the air, vibrating with intensity.

    Then, in one fluid motion, Arkanos unleashed the sword fully, swinging it with a sudden burst of speed in a massive horizontal arc.

    A thunderous VOOSHHHHHH ripped through the air as the sword moved, its sheer force creating a visible shockwave.

    The blade''s radiant light extended outward in a crescent-shaped beam, bright and sharp, slicing through the atmosphere with an almost deafening silence.

    For a moment, the world held its breath. Nothing stirred except the faint, lingering zzzzzzzzttttt of holy energy crackling in the air.

    Arkanos exhaled, his expression calm as he slowly guided the blade back into its sheath.

    CLICK.

    For a moment, nothing seemed to happen...

    The stillness shattered.

    BOOOOOOOM!!!

    The earth itself roared as an explosion of light and wind erupted outward. A blinding SHAAAAA

    illuminated the forest, and the resulting shockwave blasted through the landscape like an unstoppable storm.

    CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!

    Trees shattered as the wave struck them, their trunks splintering under the immense pressure before being hurled into the air.

    CAW-CAW-CAW!

    Birds shrieked as they took to the skies in frantic flocks, their cries drowned out by the deafening noise of the explosion.

    The knights braced themselves against the gale-force winds.

    WHOOOOOSH!