"I will always stand ready by your side to fight the dark forces, Lord Advisor," Nora declared. "It has been my solemn vow since childhood, and I have trained every single day to uphold it."

Securing a spot in the elite ranks of the Sky Squad was no simple feat. Nora had pushed himself through relentless conditioning to master his massive broadsword, anchored by the promise he made back when Alex actively spearheaded the campaign against evil.

Though years had passed, Alex secretly carried a heavy, silent sorrow regarding the path ahead—a burden he bore entirely alone.

"Well done, Nora. Carry that passion forward," Alex replied, a warm smile touching his lips as he nodded approvingly at the young warrior. "The world desperately needs warriors like you to stop the dark army from plunging everything into chaos."

Nora offered a confident grin. "No matter what comes, I will honor my vow, Lord Advisor. I will stand against the forces of darkness through any trial!"

"Remember one thing, Nora," Alex cautioned, his tone suddenly turning remarkably serious despite having long forgotten the young boy's face. "If you ever find yourself facing anyone aligned with the Demon Lord, you must strike them down without hesitation! It matters not if they hold high office—or even if it turns out to be someone like Dasatama himself. You must have the courage to fight them!"

A sharp gravity underlay Alex's words, almost as if he foresaw a grim future where the coming war turned inward, pitting righteous martial artists against one another in a tragic civil conflict.

"I don't fully understand, Lord Advisor..." Nora pressed, trying to decipher the true meaning behind the elder's cryptic warning.

Alex smiled softly, seeing his own youthful passion mirrored in Nora's eyes—a reminder of a time when he fought relentlessly for the innocent, unburdened by the complexities of the world.

"Would you care to spar with me, Nora?" Alex offered, smoothly steering the conversation away from dangerous topics. He wanted this reunion to linger in their minds as a pleasant memory, gesturing toward the open-air training field where his young students were practicing.

Nora bowed respectfully, unable to decline. "It would be an honor, Advisor Alex. Please guide me."

Leading the trio toward the training ground, Alex walked alongside Nora while Aji and Barsha followed quietly behind. To any casual observer, Nora and the former grandmaster appeared like an old master and student catching up.

Underneath the friendly surface, however, Aji and Barsha maintained a watchful eye. Their primary mission remained unchanged: to verify whether Advisor Alex was secretly aligned with the dark army as a Mondu operative. They had to observe his every movement without breaking their cover, maintaining the illusion that they were merely escorting Nora to visit his childhood benefactor.

Reaching the open field, the young students paused their drills to greet Alex and bow respectfully toward the visiting Sky Squad members. The children’s eyes lit up with excitement at the sight of the legendary squad—the heroes celebrated across the continent as humanity's shield against the dark army.

After a brief, cheerful exchange where a few enthusiastic children even asked to test their skills against the squad, Alex called for order, asking the students to gather around the perimeter to observe his exhibition spar with Nora.

Alex introduced Nora to the young class, explaining that the broadsword warrior had once been a student under his care years ago. Thrilled by the prospect of watching a duel between two formidable martial artists, the forty children seated themselves quietly around the ring. Aji and Barsha took seats among them to watch the match unfold.

Taking their positions on opposing sides of the arena, Alex and Nora locked eyes and dropped into their respective battle stances. Alex unsheathed a sleek arming sword, while Nora unslung the massive broadsword from his back.

The young students let out a collective cheer as Nora hoisted his oversized weapon into position, awed by the sheer physical strength required to wield such a massive blade with ease.

"Make your move first, Nora!" Alex invited, leveling the tip of his blade.

Nora took a deep, measured breath, centering his focus. He was determined to demonstrate the fruits of his relentless training, refusing to disappoint the man who had sponsored his martial education so many years ago.

Sprinting forward with his broadsword raised high, Nora enveloped both his body and his steel in a dense layer of internal energy. He regulated his breathing with precision, maintaining a tight, flawless offensive form that left no obvious openings for a counter-attack.

Steel clashed against steel in a rapid flurry. The intensive conditioning Nora had undergone under Warrior Jiro was evident in his fluid footwork, allowing him to maneuver his heavy weapon with remarkable speed and efficiency. Having trained with oversized blades since childhood, the massive broadsword felt like a natural extension of his limbs.

Exerting heavy pressure, Nora drove forward with the full weight of his cultivated strength. Secretly, he hoped to force Alex to unleash his true limits—testing if any trace of dark magic would surface under pressure. If dark energy manifested, it would serve as definitive proof; if not, it would suggest Nasura's intelligence was entirely fabricated.

CLANG! BOOOOMMM!

Executing a fluid spin, Nora swung his broadsword downward with explosive force. Just before the heavy edge made contact, Alex vanished into thin air, causing Nora's strike to smash violently into the earth and kick up a dense cloud of dust.

Capitalizing on Nora's downward momentum, Alex reappeared beside him, thrusting his sword toward Nora's exposed flank. Expecting the counter, Nora instinctively kicked the pommel of his broadsword, using the kinetic recoil to snap the heavy blade back up into a high guard.

The clever maneuver allowed Nora to intercept Alex's strike just in time. The two blades locked in a heavy test of strength, but the sudden downward pressure from Alex's sword pushed Nora back several paces.

Nora anchored his rear foot firmly into the dirt to absorb the momentum, preventing himself from being thrown off balance. Channeling a fresh wave of internal aura along his broadsword, he braced his stance against Alex's relentless force.

"Hold the line with everything you've got, Nora!" Alex called out.

Suddenly, an explosive wave of pressure erupted from Alex's frame, multiplying the force bearing down on Nora's blade several times over. Nora felt his defensive aura groan under the terrifying weight.

Is this... dark energy?! Nora gasped mentally, his eyes widening in shock.