The famed sword schools of the Folk are as numerous as the leaves on a tree, each a unique and beautiful part of the overall picture.

Some focus on hard-hitting, heavy blows that crumple armour and shatter bones even as they cut. Others concentrate on speed, moving with light steps and attacking with hundreds, thousands of sharp slashes. And, of course, everything in-between is represented.

What gives rise to this diversity is, in my opinion, the nature of sword-light itself. I don’t know how those ancient people thought of the phenomenon at the time of the System Descent, but perhaps they simply thought of it as a way for weapon wielders to extend their range. Now we know it is so much more than that.

At first glance, sword-light is a simple thing. Slash your sword, activate the Skill, and your blade will glow bright with light. That light will then detach from the sword's edge and fly through the air to strike at your target in the distance. This can be done with any weapon, even fists.

Yet over the centuries, we have discovered so many factors that play into sword-light. The quality of the weapon has an impact. The condition of the edge has an impact. The nature of any enchantments on the weapon have an impact. The level of the Skill, obviously, has an impact. The condition of the individual making the swing has an impact. The quality of the sword stroke has an impact; this includes the speed, power and technique. Even the mentality of the person making the strike affects the result!

When all of these things are perfected to the highest, most extreme point, then you create a blademaster.

- Excerpt from ‘The Nature of the Sword and its Light’ by Snips

I may have been overconfident when I told Eran to negotiate at the arena. I’m pretty sure Grey knew what was coming my way, since he guided me to a fighting pit more than double the size of the last one, radiating smug energy the whole way.

My new guards, Poita and Phul, were apparently ninth swords, and they were keen for a bout, just as all my previous guards had been. Poita had a decidedly raccoon-ish kind of cast to him, but Phul was a straight up rhinoceros. I mean, the guy was abnormally huge, had grey skin, and a horn sticking up from his nose. Luckily, I suppose, he still had mobile digits on his hands rather than flat rhino feet, so he could wield a sword perfectly fine.

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

When we arrived, I was treated to the end of an entertaining fight between two high-level swordsmen employing techniques I hadn’t seen before. One, a dainty, fairy looking… fox-Folk(?) was sending out waves of lightning with each of her sword slashes, the crackling light and deafening booms rocking the arena every time she swung. Her opponent, a red-headed panda-Folk, was blasting back with thick balls of fire that shot from the tip of his blade as he executed piercing stabs.

[What the heck is going on here? I’ve never seen you guys launching magic from your swords!] I demanded of Grey.

[Just because you hadn’t seen it doesn’t mean we don’t do it,] he replied, as even-keeled as a lily pad.

[That’s obviously true, but I would have thought someone would have tried to roast me with fire or something by now. All I’ve seen so far is normal sword-light!]

He frowns and looks at me askance.

[What do you mean ‘normal sword-light’?]

The question is posed so casually, I almost didn’t notice the real curiosity behind it.

[Don’t play coy. You think I can’t sense what’s going on down there? They aren’t just flinging mana around. They’ve combined mana and sword-light.]

For once, Grey actually appears impressed.

[You are correct. The reason why none of your opponents have utilised the technique should be equally apparent to you.]

I look back at the area, confused, then it clicks a second later.

[There’s a barrier.]

[Of course there’s a barrier. If we want to fling around our most advanced techniques, then we can’t have the mountain getting cut in half or everyone in the audience being burned to a crisp.]

The only reason I got away with using my spells was because I had such precise control over the area affected by them. Whoops.

[Makes sense. We use a barrier for Tunnel Ball also. Need to keep the crowd safe and the matches exciting.]

[What is… Tunnel Ball?]

Although I’d love to start preaching on the great ant pastime, which I am the undisputed best at, I have another concern I would like addressed.

[Does this sort of… invalidate my wins?] I ask, feeling a little awkward. [I mean… I was using mana and such, but nobody else was?]

[Were there things you didn’t use because of the potential for widespread damage?]

Like a literal black hole?

[Yes.]

[Then I think it’s fine. Now that you’ve been seen here, I think I can move you to the front of the queue. We should get to see some interesting things now.]

Grey chuckles and it sounds suspiciously evil.

I get the feeling I’m not going to enjoy this.

Soon, I find myself down in the fighting pit, a much deeper one than before, with Phul the rhino-Folk standing on the other side, his oversized, overheavy blade in his hands, absolutely shining with sword light.

When the duel starts, he pulls back on that thing and, with a mighty roar, lets rip a blazing, blinding stab that takes the shape of a horn as it flies towards me, my danger senses blaring through my antennae.

Damn these sword-obsessed goons!