The Anomaly's Path

I swear to God, life is entirely about the food. Anyone who tells you otherwise is either lying or trying to sell you something useless.

You should never waste food. You should respect it, worship it, and most importantly, eat it in absolute peace.

The freshman ceremony dragged on after my speech. More ranks flashed across the holographic screen. Names I didn’t care about. Numbers that meant nothing to me. I sat in the back, stomach growling, watching the sealed food tables like a hawk.

Julia Moss took Rank 18 with around 3,200 points. Solid for a support mage. Lyssaria Sol-Valis took Rank 15 with 4,100 points. Not bad for a healer.

But what shocked me the most was Marius Valmont.

Rank 20.

A great score for someone who had been kneeling in the dirt just days ago. I already knew he was an Elite High-rank fighter, but seeing it for real hit me in a strange way.

How did a guy this monstrously strong never appear in the original game’s story? I thought, my eyes narrowing. With a score like that, he should have been a major character. Did he die in some future event before the main arcs even started?

Then, finally, the ceremony ended. The shimmering barrier over the food tables dropped. Students rushed toward the buffet like starving animals.

That was exactly why I had grabbed a seat near the food tables. The moment the ceremony ended, I ran. My plan was perfect. The buffet was packed with good food — roasted meat, glazed pork, and special drinks to help heal tired bodies.

I sat down with a mountain of food, finally experiencing true happiness after the nightmare of the Sealed Valley. I picked up a beautifully roasted leg of meat, completely ready to dig in.

...Or so I thought.

Before I could even take a single bite, a heavy hand grabbed the back of my collar. With a hard yank, my feet left the floor, and my plate of food quickly got farther and farther away.

”Huh?!” I gasped, waving my arms in the air.

I gave a death glare to the person walking directly in front of me, who was casually dragging me away like a sack of laundry. I really, really hated being parted from my food. To think I finally got a chance to eat, and it was entirely ruined because of this old man.

My grandfather, Zephyr von Celestial.

”Stop giving me that glare, kid,” Zephyr chuckled without even turning his head, his long, dark blue coat swaying with an easy, terrifying grace. ”A Sovereign doesn’t walk across the world just to watch his grandson look like a starving squirrel.”

As I was being dragged out without my permission, I really felt like shit. I wanted to go back, but hey, it’s not like I could fight that old monster, could I? He could kill me with a flick of his finger.

Haa... I really hate him.

I watched the old man’s back as he continued walking, my thoughts drifting.

How long had it been since I last saw him? I couldn’t even remember properly. In my memories, his face was just a distant blur — sharp features, dark hair, ocean-blue eyes that looked right through you.

Maybe ten years? Maybe more. He had disappeared when I was still a child, vanishing into some Forbidden Zone without a word. No goodbye. No explanation. Just gone.

I thought he would at least bring Sylvia along for whatever this was. But when I asked, he just laughed and said she was busy with her duties and he didn’t want to disturb her.

Well, that made sense. She also had to clean up the mess I made during the ceremony. I kind of felt bad for her. Just a little.

What kind of figure was he, really?

A Sovereign. A legend. The monster who fought a demon prince and walked away. The grandfather who abandoned his family for over a decade. A man who could crush mountains with his bare hands but still dragged his hungry grandson across a dining hall like a sack of potatoes.

He was impossible to read and predict and somehow, impossible to hate completely.

I shook my head, clearing my thoughts.

”Ahem,” I cleared my throat, forcing my thoughts back to the present as the old man finally dropped my collar. I quickly adjusted my uniform jacket. ”So... where exactly are we going... Grandpa?”

Zephyr abruptly stopped in his tracks. ”We’re here.”

I stopped beside him and looked up.

We were standing in front of a massive, heavily reinforced detached building deep within the restricted northern wing of the academy. The architecture was ancient, built from dark, shock-absorbent alloy and reinforced with layers of glowing Grade 6 sealing arrays.

”This is Headmaster Vega’s personal training and sparring place,” Zephyr said, a dangerous grin breaking across his sharp features. ”...And personally, I think talk is cheap. What better way for family to catch up than with the sword?”

I gave him a completely deadpan look.

Just how crazy is this old man? I thought. I had just survived a damn entrance exam, insulted the entire first year batch, and threatened the Astra Union officials, and his version of ’quality family time’ was a physical beatdown?

I let out a long, exhausted sigh. ”...Fine.”

_

We entered the hall.

The interior was vast, an entirely empty arena with walls lined with runic inscriptions designed to absorb world-shattering impacts. The heavy metal doors sealed shut behind us with a thud, cutting off all outside sound.

Zephyr walked to the center of the arena, turning around to face me. We stood front-to-front, the pressure in the room instantly dropping as his, ocean-blue eyes locked onto mine.

”Before we start this little spar,” Zephyr began, his voice echoing smoothly. ”I heard from Noah that you’ve created your own personal sword art. Is that true?”

I blinked, genuinely surprised. He met my father recently? I pushed the thought aside and nodded, my expression turning serious. ”...Yes. I created my own sword art.”

Zephyr’s grin widened, a flash of genuine approval crossing his face. ”Impressive. To forge a personal sword art at your age... it’s like walking on your own path before the world can force you into theirs. It takes a ridiculous amount of comprehension.”

He chuckled, resting his hand on his hip. ”...You know, I also created my own style. I threw away our family’s traditional forms centuries ago.”

”You did what...?” I muttered, my lips twitching. A main family member throwing away the main Celestial techniques was practically heresy, but then again, he was a Sovereign. Who was going to stop him?

”Don’t look so shocked, brat,” Zephyr said.

”I realized that creating your own art is better than inheriting one, but of course you need talent for it, real talent. Noah also had talent, but he kept himself low and didn’t go on that path. Your uncle is on the path of creating his own sword art.”

My eyes widened. Did Uncle really have that kind of talent? No, I knew he was amazing, but still...

His ocean-blue eyes seemed to pierce right into my chest, his gaze locking onto my soul.

”You... you’re already building your Soul Dominion, aren’t you? Your soul space is very small, breaks easily, and is barely a tiny speck right now, but I can feel the foundation forming underneath.”

My heart jumped. He can feel it?

A Soul Dominion is a special space where you are in complete control. Normal fighters can’t even try to make one until they reach a much higher rank. For someone at my level to even be working on it is unheard of.

”Who told you that you could do that?” Zephyr asked, his voice low and curious. ”You shouldn’t even know that kind of thing exists yet.”

”...I learned it from my master in the trial,” I answered, keeping my face blank.

”He told me to start building the foundation from the very beginning. He said not to be fooled by thinking I couldn’t handle a soul domain early, and that making the space strong from the start prevents it from collapsing later.”

Zephyr stared at me for a second before letting out a booming laugh. ”Your master sounds like an absolutely incredible, reckless psycho. I like him!”

He continued.

”Creating or building the foundation and walking on the path to create your Soul Dominion will help you. If you are building the foundation from the start, that’s good. At my realm, you don’t get stronger by swinging a piece of metal every day. I battle right here, in my mind space, every single second. It is your will, your mind space, and your pure intent that dictates true strength. Which brings me to my next point...”

His laughter stopped right away, replaced by a heavy, crushing wave of power that made the hair on my arms stand up. ”Now... get ready. Come at me with everything you’ve got. And you little shit, don’t you dare hold back just because I’m your grandfather. I know you aren’t the sentimental type.”

I gritted my teeth, struggling to breathe as the heavy weight of his presence crashed over me. Looking into his eyes felt like staring at a huge, unclimbable mountain that reached the sky.

”...Of course I won’t hold back,” I muttered, a cold rush running through my blood.

I took off the platinum Primus badge and tossed it onto a bench by the wall.

Then my long black cloak, then my uniform coat, leaving me in just a black shirt and pants. I slowly rolled up my sleeves and held my katana loosely. I let out a long breath and dropped into a relaxed, unreadable stance.

My eyes darted to his bare hands. ”You don’t even have a sword.”

Zephyr didn’t speak. Instead, he simply swung his right hand through the empty air with a casual flick.

Vrrr—

The space around his hand rippled. A wooden sword flew off the weapon rack on the wall and landed perfectly in his palm. It wasn’t anything special — just a simple training sword. A piece of wood.

He didn’t take a fighting stance. He just stood there, holding the wooden stick loosely in his right hand, like it was nothing against a real blade.

”...Come,” he said softly.

_

[Zephyr von Celestial POV]

The boy didn’t hesitate.

As soon as my words left my lips, Leo’s eyes changed. Those ocean-blue eyes became completely focused. It wasn’t the look of a student having a friendly spar with his grandfather. It was the cold, steady stare of a hunter who had found a target.

Good, I thought, a warm pride swelling in my chest. The main family’s spoiled kids look at me with fear or fake respect. This boy looks at me like he’s trying to figure out how to tear me apart.

Crack!

Suddenly, thick, wild arcs of black electricity burst from his skin, crackling against the floor and leaving black burn marks.

Black lightning? I raised my eyebrows. Interesting. Very interesting. Noah never mentioned this.

Leo moved.

He didn’t just run. He shot forward like a bolt of lightning, black lightning trailing behind him like a torn cloak. In a split second, he crossed the whole arena, his katana leaving its sheath with a sharp, ringing hiss.

The blade came from a vicious, low angle, aimed precisely at my hip. The strike was rapid, quiet, and fast.

I didn’t move my feet. I didn’t shift my weight. I simply brought the wooden sword down, catching the edge of his steel blade with the flat of the wood.

Clang!

The impact rang out through the hall. Leo didn’t try to lock blades with me. The moment he felt my block, he smoothly changed direction. He twisted his wrist, pulled the katana back just a tiny bit, then thrust it forward at my throat.

Clack!

I tilted the wooden sword upward, deflecting the point away from my neck.

But Leo was already gone from my line of sight.

He spun into my blind spot, his blade weaving through the air like a fast snake. One strike to the ribs, a fake toward the knee, a sudden chop down at my shoulder — he kept changing his angles in a wild, unpredictable, chaotic rhythm.

Each time I brought the wooden sword to parry, he would twist his swing mid-air, leaving the blocked path to find a new opening.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The wooden stick in my hand met his steel over a dozen times in one breath. Yet through it all, my boots stayed stuck to the same spot on the floor I had started on. I hadn’t moved a single step.

As I casually turned my wrist to block another blinding slash, my mind began to study his movements.

His sword foundation is fascinating, I realized, watching the smooth flow of his shoulders. It’s rough around the edges, lacking the polished forms of traditional noble sword arts, but it carries a terrifying purpose. It’s built for speed. It’s built to be swift, light, and completely silent.

More than that, it was built to kill. There was no fancy moves. Every swing was designed to bypass armor, to slip between ribs, to destroy an opponent’s core and completely dismantle them. His sword was hungry.

...And then, I felt it.

Mixed into the wild black lightning covering his blade was a faint, heavy killing intent.

It was hidden under his calm face, but it was there. The kid probably didn’t even realize he was doing it unconsciously, but his pure aura and dark will were leaking directly into the steel, sharpening the edge of his weapon with malice.

A natural-born killer, I thought, a dangerous smile touching my lips. He isn’t fighting to score points. He’s fighting to survive, even against his own blood.

”Is that all you’ve got, kid?” I called out, letting a sudden burst of power explode from the wooden sword.

Boom!

The shockwave hit Leo in the chest, breaking his attack and pushing him back across the floor. His boots scraped against the metal, leaving trails of smoke, until he finally stopped about twenty steps away.

_

[Leo’s POV]

I wiped a thin line of blood from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand, my chest heaving as I stared at the old man. He hadn’t moved an inch from where he started. His dark blue coat wasn’t even wrinkled.

”...Of course not,” I spat, my voice dropping into a low growl.

If normal swordplay and black lightning couldn’t even make him take one step, then it was time to get serious.

I took a deep breath, pushing my mana to its limit. The black lightning around my body tightened into a vibrating shell. The space around my boots began to ripple and twist like a shaken pool of water.

Zephyr’s ocean-blue eyes went wide. His relaxed stance broke for the first time as he stared at the spinning storm of elements around me.

”Black lightning... and space. You little monster...” he muttered.

I didn’t give him time to think.

Boom!

I used First Form: Fractured Eclipse.

The space under me folded like paper. In one moment, seven copies of me appeared in a perfect circle around Zephyr. Each copy moved at the same time, striking from every blind spot — his left, his right, above, and behind. Black lightning crackled along every blade.

”Hahaha! Splendid!” Zephyr roared, his shock turning into wild excitement.

His body became a blur. The wooden sword in his hand turned into a shield of pure, crushing force. He didn’t just dodge anymore.

He swung back.

The wood hit my space-cutting strikes, and the force of his movements broke the space back to normal, making my copies disappear one by one until only the real me was left, stuck in a hard clash of strength against his wooden stick.

The black lightning crept up his training sword, trying to destroy the wood, but an invisible, unbreakable layer of his will kept the fire from touching it.

With a brutal twist of his torso, Zephyr deflected my blade downward, his face inches from mine, his eyes gleaming with a terrifying light.

”Let’s end this farce now, Leo,” he whispered, his voice cutting through the roaring sound of my flames.

”You’ve shown me what your sword is. You’ve shown me your brilliant talent. But you haven’t shown me your second form. I heard from Noah that you’re stuck on the third. Am I right? And I haven’t seen your black flames yet. You’ve been holding back. Don’t, if you want to grow, you need to show me everything.”

My teeth gritted together so hard.

Zephyr suddenly leaped backward, creating a massive gap between us.

He raised the wooden sword, holding it vertically in front of his face. The casual, playful demeanor vanished entirely. The pressure in the hall dropped to nothing, making it feel like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

”...I am going to give you a single choice here, brat,” Zephyr announced, a mad, grin breaking across his sharp features. ”Devour my next strike, block it, or die.”

A cold sweat broke out on my forehead. The power coming from that simple piece of wood was changing, turning into a huge, invisible wall of pure destruction.

”If you manage to block it, you might just find the missing path for your next form,” Zephyr roared, his voice echoing like thunder inside my skull. ”But if you fail... you will genuinely die. Don’t disappoint me, kid!”

He raised the sword high above his head, and the world went completely silent.