Fuu.

He slowly took a deep breath.

Rotating mana throughout his entire body, he activated the Stigma of the Hunting Dogs and observed his surroundings.

A spacious sanctuary shining with gentle light.

A silver werewolf stood at the center of the sanctuary.

Grrrr!

Blue lightning ferociously sparked between the gaps in the werewolfs mane and Riaks throat rumbled with a low growl.

Im starting, kid.

With his final warning

Baaaaang!!

the sanctuary trembled, and Riaks body shot high up in the air.

As he exceeded the speed of sound, a powerful sonic boom occurred, causing the surroundings to quiver.

Hmpf!

Ohjin took in a short breath and thrusted his spear forward.

Clang!

There was a fierce sound of clashing metal, and Ohjins body slid back.

The intense clash caused a tingling feeling to remain in his hands.

This is only the beginning!!

Riaks attacks poured down.

His bulging muscles swelled as blue flames engulfed his sharp claws.

Fwooosh!

Simultaneously, blue flames also started to spread to the spear in Ohjins hands.

A clash of Lightning Flames and Lightning Flames.

If Riaks flames were said to be vicious with the intent to devour all, Ohjins flames were sharp and precise.

Is this all you got?!?!

Riak easily deflected the spear as he lowered his body.

Rotating his body, he raised his leg and kicked with his heel.

Boom!!

Ugh!

With the sound of a large explosion, Ohjins body shot towards the ceiling of the sanctuary.

Bang! Bang!

Ohjin used wires in mid-air to twist his body and stood with both feet on the ceiling.

As always, the way you move is like a rat!

Riak looked up and pulled his right leg back. He lowered his body like a track athlete and roughly stomped his foot to shoot into the air.

Bang!

Before Riaks arrival, Ohjin fixed a wire onto the ceiling and sprinted across the sanctuarys walls.

You should already know that its no use!

Riak suddenly rotated his body in the air to face the direction of where Ohjin was sprinting.

Bzzzzt!

He turned his direction in mid-air by stepping on the blue lightning that appeared out of the air.

Thats seriously not fair.

Ohjin stuck his tongue out as he looked at Riak, who was moving freely through the air by stepping on lightning.

The moment one learned how to use Lightning Step, two-dimensional battles would turn into three-dimensional battles.

It was literally an overpowered skill that made it possible to utilize movements that were in another realm.

I wouldve helplessly suffered from that technique in the past, but

Ohjins eyes shone keenly.

After kicking off the wall back onto the ground, he moved by sliding across the floor.

Sprinting through the air while stepping on lightning, Riak dropped on top of his head as he swung his claws.

Now!

The stigma of Clepsydra gave off light.

A still world.

Inside the slowed world

Think

Ohjin didnt stop using his head.

He thoroughly analyzed and gauged Riaks movements that previously couldnt be seen by the naked eye.

Charge.

Bzzzzt!

Lightning gathered in his right hand.

Once, twice, thrice

The condensed lightning blazed fiercely.

Hmpf!

Avoiding Riaks precise attack with minimal movements, he rotated his body and swung his lightning-condensed fist at Riak.

Baaaang!!

Grrrrr!!

A perfect counter attack.

Riak was violently sent flying back from the punch.

Bang!

A wire wrapped around Riak as he was in the air.

Uaaaaaaaah!!!

Ohjin roared out and widely swung his arm.

Baaang!

Crack!

Thud!

Boom!

Doom! Bang!!

Riak, who was tied by wires, consecutively crashed into the sanctuarys wall and floor.

For the finale

Ohjins eyes shone.

Vrrrrrr!!

Riaks body drew near as the wire rapidly returned to its shooter.

Fwoooosh!!

Radiantly blazing blue flames.

The blade of the spear that shone with silver light pierced through Riak.

Clang!

Kuaaaahk!!

Despite piercing precisely through his stomach, the sound that echoed out was closer to that of a thick metal sheet being punctured rather than flesh.

Cough! Cough!

Riak took steps back and coughed up blood.

You couldnt call it a fatal wound, but hed succeeded in dealing enough damage to undoubtedly call it an injury on a powerful opponent who he couldnt even last five seconds against merely half a year before.

Kuuh! Kuhahahaha!!! Very good, rookie! Finally, youre a worthy opponent!

Riak laughed out loud and roughly stomped his foot.

Bzzzzzzzzt!!!

Lightning that was incomparably thicker than before wrapped around his body.

Argh!

Ohjins expression distorted due to the shocking energy that emitted out of Riak.

Huff, huff!

Pressure crushed his body.

His consciousness momentarily flashed from the sensation he hadnt yet experienced before.

Holy crap.

Ohjin looked at Riak with disbelief.

Riaks true, hidden skill.

A suffocating pressure tied Ohjin up.

The pressure made it hard for him to move his body properly, but

Its not to the extent I cant handle.

He took a step forward and raised his spear.

Grrrrr! Good! You cant call yourself the Heaven-defying Star if you arent able to hold your ground to merely this amount of pressure!

Riak smirked while looking in Ohjins direction.

Truly he is growing at a frightening pace.

When Riak had first met him, Ohjin was helplessly sent rolling across the floor in just five seconds.

However, how was it now?

Now I wont be able to face him while suppressing my true power.

A chuckle left Riaks mouth.

Monster

There was nothing that described him more precisely than that title.

Im going to lose face as a Star Spirit.

Existences that inherited a portion of a celestials soul.

They werent as powerful as celestials, but the Commandments Restriction was also applied to Star Spirits.

In other words, it meant that Star Spirits were Transcendents like celestials.

What Ohjin had done was cause a transcendent to use their true strength.

Who knows? Maybe that kid will catch up to me soon.

Ohjin was just growing at a speed that was that astonishing.

Grrr!

Riak let out a vicious growl and lowered his body.

However.

Bzzzzzzt!!

Currents of blue lightning swept across the area.

I wont let you catch up to me that easily!!

Booom!!

Exploding lightning.

A silver light burning with blue flames sprinted across the sanctuary.

Huh?!

Riak appeared in front of Ohjin in the blink of an eye.

A giant fist aiming for his head was swung.

Ohjin held his spear at an angle to deflect the force behind the fist away, however

BOOOOM!!!

Kuugh!!

Ohjins body was sent back like a bullet due to the frightening force, and he slammed into the ceiling.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

His body fell down from the ceiling and bounced back up from the impact when he hit the floor.

Fuck ing hell!

Averting the force?

Despite blocking the attack with all his strength, the remaining power behind the attack was enough to send his body flying like a rubber ball.

If it wasnt for Vegas barrier, his body wouldve already been smashed into a pulp.

Hmpf!

He zealously took a stance even while the insides of his head were shaking around.

Focus.

He used the stigma of Clepsydra once again and quickly reorganized his mana in the slowed world.

Owoooong!

Thick blue lightning coiled around his body as the dragon veins mana flowed out.

Bzzzzt!

Condensing lightning.

Three times isnt enough.

Not even five was close to enough.

But more than that that will put too much stress on my body

Ohjin, who sat down for a moment, soon raised the edges of his lips.

Since when did I care about things like that?

He was being protected by Vegas power inside the sanctuary anyway.

It didnt matter if he overexerted himself.

Bzzzzzzt!!

A terrifying amount of lightning condensed in each of his hands.

Arghhhhh!!

Crack! Crunch!

The sound of crushing bones rang out from his mana-condensed hands, and intense pain ran through his body.

Kuhaha!! Good! A true warrior does not worry about their body in combat!

Riak stared at Ohjin with eyes full of joy.

Each time he saw Ohjin try to exceed his limit, something inside his chest wriggled.

It was spurred on

The emotion of fighting spirit that hadnt made the slightest movement for several hundred years.

Come! Rookie!!!

Here I come!!

Boooooom!!!

Riak and Ohjin simultaneously rushed toward each other, their steps booming through the room.

The moment the currents of blue lightning were going to clash

[Stop.]

Vega snapped her fingers.

With that light action, the intense currents of lightning disappeared like dust.

L-Lady Vega?

Huh?

After suddenly losing their strength, Ohjin and Riak looked back at Vega with a confused expressions.

[Its gotten too intense for a spar.]

Vega sighed and stood between them.

She glared at Ohjin and placed her hand on her hip with a stern look.

[How long has it been since your body has recovered for you to go and overexert yourself again?]

Sorry. I guess I got a little excited.

Ohjin scratched his head and laughed awkwardly.

As she said, things had gotten a little too intense near the end.

* * *

Translator - Maccas

Proofreader - ilafy

* * *

[Haa. Youre so troublesome.]

Vega sighed and gently touched Ohjins cheek.

[Its nice that youve been staying in the sanctuary lately, but I think that youre straining yourself too much.]

It doesnt really feel right to do nothing while Ha-euns working hard to get stronger.

It had been a week since they had gone to Paradise.

Not wanting to live alone in his house without Ha-eun, he had just moved his accommodations to the sanctuary.

Im also planning to focus on training for the time being anyway.

He had drawn too much attention by eliminating both the 6th and 7th ranking Executors of the Black Star Organization in a mere month. Though the death of Sosuke was naturally announced to be the feat of Sakaki to the public, he couldnt let his guard down.

Staying in the sanctuary is the best way to avoid standing out to the Queen of Snakes.

Ohjin planned to stay hidden in the sanctuary while focusing on training until the Black Star Organizations movements became distinct.

There was no place safer than the sanctuary, where Vega could use her full power.

It was killing two birds with one stone as he just happened to need to get used to the new powers obtained from the Black Heavens sixth awakening.

There is also no better sparring opponent than Riak.

Ohjin looked around to find something to sweep the sweat off his forehead.

[Stay still.]

Vega quietly flew over and put her hand on Ohjins forehead.

Bzzt, bzzzt!

Small sparks instantly covered Ohjin, and in the blink of an eye, the droplets of sweat that drenched his body evaporated.

Something like this is possible with lightning?

Ohjin opened his mouth in shock.

He couldnt even imagine how much meticulous control was needed to evaporate the sweat on the surface of his skin.

Thanks.

[Here, come lay down.]

Vega sat on the floor and lightly patted her lap.

She told him to lay down on her lap every time he finished training to the point of exhaustion, but he couldnt help but hesitate each time.

[Didnt I tell you to lay down?]

Seeing Ohjin hesitate, Vega spoke with a stern expression.

He sighed like it couldnt be helped and placed his head on top of her lap.

[Fufu.]

Vega smiled faintly as she patted Ohjins head.

[......]

But suddenly, her expression stiffened as if shed remembered something.

Ohjin couldnt see her complicated expression from his angle, as he was laid on her lap, and Vegas hands stopped patting his head.

"Vega?"

When Ohjin tilted his head and was going to raise his it

"Hahaha!! Wow, the two of you really get along. Are you pampering him that much because he's your only apostle?"

A lively voice rang throughout the spacious sanctuary.

Looking in the direction of where the young voice came from, Ohjin saw a young boy with dark blue hair.

His outfit was so extravagant that it even looked bizarre.

He wore six necklaces made with gems of different shapes and colors. On each of the boy's fingers were two rings with large jewels, which meant that he wore twenty rings.

There was a reason the saying 'too much is as bad as too little existed. No matter how expensive the jewels were, wearing them barbarically around his body was bound to make him look unsightly. However, the boy's perfect looks as if a god had personally sculpted him erased even that unsightliness.

[...Deneb?]

The name flowed out of Vega's eyes as she looked at the boy in surprise.

He was the celestial of Cygnus, and one of three celestials known as a 'North Star'.

T/N: The Cygnus Constellation symbolizes a Swan and the brightest star in it is Deneb like other celestials in their own constellations.