Chaos Heir

Khan and Alexander discussed the other six Excellencies for a while before duties requested their presence elsewhere. Alexander was a jack-of-all-trades in politics, so he went wherever the planet needed him. Meanwhile, Khan had more specific tasks to attend to.

A lesson with Moses, Roger, and Professor Parver unfolded. Khan kept hammering down the fundamental theories of his alien arts, gradually starting to accept questions to clear eventual doubts. The trio was nowhere near understanding those explanations, but Khan had never expected the process to be easy.

The lesson was long, but an even longer procedure followed. Khan met with Prince Thomas again to settle all the details related to Moses and Roger's early departure. That part was still manageable, but things became complicated once the topic moved to Khan's eventual disappearance.

Of course, Khan didn't plan on leaving, but his main goal could force him into making reckless choices. Also, war was still war. Much could happen on Senerth or other battlefields, and Baoway had to be ready for his eventual absence.

The meeting stretched until past dinnertime, and Khan left it with a piercing headache threatening to rise into his brain. He knew he had to relax and blow off some steam, and Monica immediately popped into his mind. However, someone else intercepted him, changing his priorities.

Khan noticed the invisible and silent presence before turning the corridor corner. He knew who was waiting for him, and advancing eventually put him before him. Bruno was sitting on the metal floor, seemingly waiting for Khan.

"Young Prince," Bruno called, keeping his head lowered and hidden by his greasy hair. "Was I mistaken thinking you wanted to test yourself again?"

Khan didn't need to reply. The rising battle intent in his aura gave Bruno the answer he needed, and the two soon left the building, heading for a different isolated area at some distance from the city.

Explosions immediately resounded. The barren ground shattered under the destructive power of the exchanges, generating tremors that threatened to reach inhabited areas. The quadrant's scanners picked up the disturbance, but those in the know forced the soldiers to ignore those red flags.

After a few exchanges, Khan found himself sitting on the ground. He had preemptively put the red cape aside, and his mostly missing clothes confirmed the wisdom behind that choice. Dirt also covered his body, but he only scratched his head, immersed in something only he could see.

"Is something wrong, Prince Khan?" Bruno asked, standing a few meters from Khan. Unlike the previous sparring session, his military uniform was still intact.

Khan ignored the question and closed his eyes. He almost cut himself off from the symphony, replaying the previous exchanges and focusing on his body. Something wasn't right with his execution, and he wanted to fix it before his departure.

"I thought you had understood something yesterday," Bruno continued. "Was I mistaken?"

"Shut up, old man," Khan cursed. "I'm thinking."

"Think all you want, young Prince," Bruno responded. "I'm but a servant of the Nognes family. However, I'm afraid you aren't ready for an evolved Master yet."

"You aren't my Master," Khan stated, opening his eyes and standing up. "You are a resilient punching bag."

"Anything you say, Prince Khan," Bruno said, his honest smile increasing Khan's annoyance.

Khan loudly exhaled, fixing his bright eyes on Bruno. The scene in his vision grew blurry, almost changing into something different. Khan still saw Bruno, but something ethereal had taken form around him, seemingly highlighting the true nature of his existence.

Khan blinked a few times before explosions unfolded in his legs. His figure disappeared, materializing right in front of Bruno with a stretched leg. A flying roundhouse kick was about to land on Bruno's head, but the evolved warrior barely cared about it.

"Predictable," Bruno muttered, time seemingly slowing down to allow him to finish the word before the kick landed. Meanwhile, his left hand rose, ready to intercept the attack. Nevertheless, Khan suddenly disappeared, and even Bruno showed some surprise at that unexpected event. He lost track of Khan only to experience an unstoppable force landing on his lower back. Khan had materialized behind him, completing the roundhouse kick.

The kick carried the best Khan's body and expertise had to offer. It was one of his best physical attacks, and Bruno felt it. His figure didn't move, but the ground around him directly shattered, turning into dust and forcing him to fall into that newly created hole.

Bruno's aura also shook but quickly stabilized. He didn't move, but Khan still felt an invisible wall slamming on his figure, flinging him away. He had tried to escape it, but the attack was simply unavoidable. It didn't need to arrive. It had always been on him.

Khan flew away, rolling on the ground but quickly stopping, restoring a foothold. He straightened his back, but one look at the new hole made him shake his head. The Transcendent Step was powerful enough to shock evolved warriors, but something was still lacking.

Bruno calmly walked out of the hole and fixed his calm eyes on Khan. The surprise had disappeared from his face, but its scent still existed. Khan could smell it, but the feat still didn't satisfy him.

"It seems I've been tricked," Bruno announced. "You have been holding back, Prince Khan."

Khan didn't address the matter but rolled his eyes. He wished the last kick was him holding back, but the reality was different. The previous attack probably was his best execution of the Transcendent Step yet, but its strength had paled before an evolved warrior.

Yet, Bruno was partially correct. Khan was refraining from using spells and his violent aura. He was relying on his body's partially evolved nature and sheer physical might to ignore Bruno's innate pressure while focusing on perfecting his martial arts.

Of course, the Transcendent Step needed no perfecting. It wouldn't have earned ninety points otherwise. Khan had even mastered the foundation form, leaving no room for mistakes. Yet, his attacks had room for improvement, mainly in their uses of his mana's true nature. 'Simply sending mana forward just doesn't work,' Khan thought. 'It doesn't matter if that mana shows the chaos element's true face.'

"I didn't realize you could display such flexibility while deploying so much strength," Bruno praised. "Your fighting skills are truly exceptional."

Khan didn't care about the praise. He had kept his attacks simple and straightforward until now, avoiding showing off their flexibility. Truth be told, the Transcendent Step didn't have techniques for walking into the air, but Khan's expertise with the Lightning-Demon step had naturally fused with his new martial art. Still, catching Bruno by surprise had never been his goal.

"Do evolved soldiers use martial arts?" Khan decided to ask since the question had grown too loud inside his mind.

Bruno knew Khan was up to something, but his role was clear. He served the Nognes family, and as a Prince, Khan deserved an honest answer.

"Rarely, Prince," Bruno revealed. "The evolution puts us closer to our element, which often conflicts with our martial arts. However, this is only a partial truth."

Khan focused on Bruno, crossing his arms to convey his willingness to listen to him.

"You are aware of the martial arts' proficiency levels," Bruno explained. "The advanced level already shows a hint of personal approach, which often has something to do with the warrior's character, which is linked to the warrior's element."

Khan couldn't deny that point, even if he had walked a different path. He had developed his complete mastery through the Nele and Niqols arts. His ability to fly still had some connection to his element's desire for freedom, but he had gotten there through the opposite

route.

"While most warriors abandon martial arts after the evolution," Bruno continued, "Some manage to turn specific attacks into spells. For example, moves that embody the unique use of the element can easily become higher techniques in the hands of an evolved warrior." Since martial arts mastery required a personal approach, some evolved warriors could elevate the moves that highlighted that feature to spells. It wouldn't even be complicated for soldiers at that level. They were already one with their mana, so recreating attacks they had learned would almost feel natural.

Khan tried to apply that reasoning to himself. His ability to fly obviously was his most iconic move, and he had even connected it to his element's freedom. Yet, elevating it to something closer to spells sounded hard, especially since agility didn't necessarily turn into sheer power.

'Though that's only a consequence of another ability,' Khan realized. 'It's not the flight per se. It's the ability to interact and step on the air.'

Khan scratched his head. Stepping into the air required immense dexterity and grace, but Khan didn't know how to apply it to actual attacks, especially since the Transcendent Step differed from the Lightning-Demon style. Yet, his vast battle experience came in clutch,

giving him a few ideas.

Khan looked at his feet and lifted his right leg. He stomped it, creating a foot-sized hole in the barren ground. The attack had merely relied on his physical strength, but he needed to see

it to experience it.

Afterward, Khan lifted his right leg again but lowered it slowly. The movement appeared

forced and restrained, but Bruno still focused on it. He knew that descending speed was deceitful. Khan wasn't holding back. He was pushing his feet down, but an invisible force

seemed to oppose him.

Then, the foot's tip touched the barren surface, and a mana wave spread underneath it. Everything stayed still for a few seconds until tremors unfolded underground, and the ground around Khan caved in, revealing a vast and deep hole.

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