Diana's aura shinned like a red flame, covering her entire body.

"6th rank swordmaster," said Shiro in awe as he traveled a distance away from them, "at that age huh." He only knew one other genius who may match her, Ella, who's already an archmage.

"Your conviction made you hit a wall, your energy is already on par of that of a 7th rank. You need answers rather than a fight." Spoke Cayn coldly as he stared at Diana.

Her eyebrows twitched, of course he noticed.

"I wish to find my way throught ur guidance," she said.

"It will be different with you." Cayn answered as the air around him became different and his figure started fading.

"Huh?" she wondered in confusion.

"For you, who wanna rule, your path will be different. Merely strenght rivaling your peers is nothing but child's play." Cayn's bloody smile appeared, the villain spoke once again, "If you wish to rule, strength is all it takes, unrivaled strenght, so that your words could also be unrivaled. Tell me, criminals and outlaws, rebels in your kingdom, can your father win with no blood being spilled? Or can he at least win without suffering loses from his side? Don't get me wrong he may be a good ruler, ruling with compasion, justice, reason. But is that enough? humans in your kingdom still live afraid of invasion from other races, even its own kind. Is being a good ruler enough? Will it be enough to fight those crazy people in your own race? Or even worse, do you think your father can even make a move if the gods decide to turn against you? The sylvia kingdom already turned it's back on humanity, can your father stand tall in front of the demon kings and the Sylvia king at the same time? And who knows, they may have demon gods by their side already. Now tell me, what can one swordsaint with a little army do?"

Diana's eyes widened, she didn't know what to say back as she got immersed in her thoughts. Her kingdom was guarded from invasions? knights and commoners still died at the borders everyday fighting for their lives. Sheltered? no matter what they did to increase security criminal groups still formed as if they were playing cat and mouse. While crime rates decreased they still existed, what could she say to that one unlucky person out of a hundred who died at the hands of another unjustly. As their ruler, as the one whom they all bowed their heads to and served, what could she say. That crime was human nature? That a human's strenght was limited and she couldn't fight the gods to protect them? What about the angels and demons, why are they still taking her people's lifes everyday? What could she say to face them?

That was the first time Diana felt this weak. The thought that even if she achieved her father's prowess she will just be stuck at a desk, unable to even take part in the battlefield because of the threat from the other races if she left a key city.

"Diana, as a ruler you should understand what path you wish to walk. for Ella she only wished for strenght to protect her family and people. I think everyone makes these mistakes, but it's okay for her as she is not going to sit on the throne for now, before she can understand them."

"And what are her mistakes in wishing to protect her people?" she asked sincerely.

Cayn took a deep look at her, before he answered, "That the first step to protect, is to prevent."

Diana was surprised once again by how simple his words were. Like they always existed in her mind as a ruler but of never importance as protecting. Prevention was simply a big word.

He paused for a moment before he spoke again, "Then follows knowing your eternal enemy."

Diana looked at him in confusion, "What?"

"The roots, human nature itself. Before thinking about other races, do you think you can purge the evil out of everyone of your people?"

"I..." Diana was speechless for a moment, "but isn't doing so," she paused.

"Contradictory to life itself," he finished her sentence, "afterall if you take out their free will, make it that they could only make good choices, they would be as good as slaves. Then again, what is the judgement in the afterlife for?"

"So," she thought for a while, "you have to change the roots where they wouldn't even think of doing something that you don't wish for, make them commit to the way of love and nonviolence. That no matter how tempted they are, they will always try to find reason and sanity in things."

"They are not afraid of the eternal judgement in the afterlife, why would they be afraid of a mere princess?" Cayn was grinning as if he was waiting for something, watching Diana listening to him while swimming in her thoughts.

Diana pondered for a moment, the air around her started dancing, she spoke coldly as her eyes started shinning with aura, "Then I will become more generous than the gods," she started smiling, menacingly, "and more merciless, terrifying than them. As long as it's in my territory, i shall be the judge."

Her red aura started rampaging wildly, "to protect them, to prevent them from harm, even from themselves, i need strength." Her eyes breathed of life as she recieved enlightement. "I need power that can bend everyone to their knees, for my voice to be law." The mountain shook while the ground trembeled.

She sat down crosslegged, immersing herself, the rampaging aura slowly faded, entering her body, forming around her heart and belly, where her dantian was, the enegry formed a new path towards her mind, finally forming a connection. It gave birth to a shockwave that shook the threes of the forest. 7th rank swordsaint, age 22, the youngest to ever reach such a stage in this world, Diana.

She slowly stood, as if her every action weighed a thousand words, yet her eyes looked lifeless, she was still unconscious, yet her beastly nature didn't dissapear. Her body moved on its own, suddenly holding the swords tighly, charging straight towards Cayn.

he stood there, slowly evading everything that came at him with ease.

Suddenly he noticed something, he started laughing like a madman.

Diana not only achieved a higher rank, finally finding answers. But, she was, creating her own martial arts.

Cayn this time evaded, while also moving at a fast speed matching her movements, he moved her swords with his fingers as if he guided them, escaping to her blind spots showing her unconsious state her mistakes without saying a word and letting her body adapt to each movement he made.

This fight took hours, until Diana's body fell on its own.

Cayn moved and held her before that could happen. Taking a look around the forest and the huge sword cuts all around it, before taking her to the cave.