A few hours ago...

Eliron’s Constance, his inner world, was far different than he remembered, actually, it was so different that it seemed foreign.

In the past, Eliron believed the green grass he sat on would one day fill the entirety of the world, a sign of growth, of progress.

But it turned out to be the reverse. Green had completely vanished from the landscape, even the gray grass had changed, a strange mix of colours, grey at the steam, a tint of purple at the tips.

It made the world look... ethereal. Some crumbled buildings seemed to have reconstructed themselves, standing like sentries lost to time, while others remained in shambles.

Staring at them, Eliron felt there was something unique about their origin. Could this place really be a seed born from his imagination?

The runic symbols etched on the doors, the cracked stone paths, the purple, veiled sky. and the once crystal clear lake—now turning red. It seemed just a little too detailed to be imagined...

Eliron glanced at the sword demon who was standing next to him. He yawned, despite never growing tired.

"What is Constance, really?"

Satoru shrugged, tugging his hands into his large robe. "I doubt anyone knows. All I know is that it is definitely not what you think..."

Eliron stared at the place for a little longer, at the stillness of everything, and the eerie feeling that hung at the back of his throat like a bad cough.

Then he shook his head. "Shall we?"

Satoru smirked. "Noe you’re talking." He suddenly pulled a sword out of mid air, the demonic blade. "Enough with the boring stuff!"

A cold chill spread through the space as snow swirled around him, hugging tightly to his body like an obsessed lover.

Constance was like a dream state. Since the ex-demom was tied to him he could freely visit this place if he wished too.

And since they were both here, Eliron figured out that it would be possible to train together, since it was not possible in the physical world.

Eliron pulled out the exact same blade from thin air as well, they are nothing but mere imitations, but in this world, they might as well have been the real deal.

He took in a deep breath and felt his body, his core, everything. He was somehow different, the mana he had absorbed had changed something in him.

His understanding, his feel for mana had become so much more profound. Eliron wanted to see just how much it had affected him.

How did it translate to actual battle performance?

Thankfully, just like Satoru’s Constance, any damage to this world would heal over time.

They could let loose.

Satoru slowly stalked him like a wild beast, his black blade glinting dangerously. They held the same blade, yet Eliron could not help but feel a little cautious.

He held his sword tighter, his eyes firmly fixed on Satoru.

And then they both vanished.

Clang!

Their collision created a shockwave so large that it rattled the waters and caused the grass to bow, just before the earth was overturned.

They crossed blades a number of times, their figures a blur of motion. Satoru was just as immovable as Eliron remembered, and his snide remarks stung more than Eliron’s aching fingers.

But their exchange was very different from the last time they fought.

Eliron ducked under a slash so fast that the wind became as sharp as the blade itself, parts of his hair sliced cleanly off.

Satoru swung his blade back, but Eliron blocked with the blunt side of the sword. He moved his body, twisting his legs in the air as he jumped over another slash, bringing his sword down in a clean, ruthless arc.

Clang!

Their blades sparked. Satroru gritted his teeth, an amused smirk on his face.

"Not bad kid! I had to use thirty percent of my strength just now!"

Eliron remembered how he had almost been decimated by just twenty. Thrifty percent was good progress, but it was not enough, not when he thought of what was coming.

"Let’s push that up to fifty." He said coldly, his blade still flashing violently as their mana collided like ice and fire.

"Make me."

Eliron sword flashed a bright golden light, sending Satoru back, his feet skidding through the grass.

He grabbed the scruff of his shirt, tugging at it as his fire and light mana surged around like a tempest. Lightning sparked within the gnarly mess, his eyes gleaming like polished stone.

Satoru smirked, and out of his body came a gust of snow and wind so great, that the entire world was blanketed in a layer of white.

Out of the mess, he pounced like a rabid beast.

’This is just thirty percent?’ Eliron smirked.

This was where the real battle begun.

Eliron did not know how long their battle had lasted, all he knew was that he had run out of steam a very long time ago.

His inner world was in shambles, broken, ancient blocks lined the streets, the grass tinted red by the crimson waters, the long pillars split apart like popsicles...

He was laying flat on the wet grass, his chest rising and falling, his heart pounding like war drums.

It was strange, even in this spirit state, he felt nearly every feeling he did as a human, albeit, an altered form.

Satoru walked up to him, a wide grin on his face. His clothes were in shreds, courtesy of Eliron’s stellar swordsmanship, although it apparently was not enough to wipe that smugness out of his face.

"What did I expect? Of course a student of the great Winter Shogun would be a natural born genius."

How was he somehow using Eliron’s accomplishments to bolster his ego?

"You’re getting closer..." Satoru tucked his hands into his robe again.

Eliron gave him a blank stare. He could not have been more vague if he wanted to. "Closer to what?"

Satoru’s smirk deepened. "Awakening."

Eliron immediately sat up straight as his inner world began to crumble apart, although it was his, it was a little unnerving.

His real body was also alone outside, guarded by Tsukiko. But knowing her, it was likely that she was asleep, nestled in her own soft fur.

His eyes snapped open a second later and he glanced at Satrou who appeared beside him.

He was about to speak when a wave of vertigo hit him. His muscles contacted, his senses flared.

It was almost as though the hours of training were being drilled into his muscles, into his very being.

After a few seconds, the sensation began to fade.

"Woah..." he breathed out. "That was a first..."

"Wait, is this the first time you have trained in your Constance?" Satoru asked.

"Yes?"

Satoru had a look of disgust on his face. "What have you been doing all your life?"

"It’s only been like... three to four months?" It was easy to forget that normally, he shouldn’t even be a knight trainee, much less the level he was at now. 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎

"Forget about that. Awakening, what do you mean by ’I have almost attained it’?"

Satoru stared at him for a moment longer then said...