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I am a sinner, a wretched man who had brought disgrace upon his family…

“Though I did learn some swordsmanship as a member of the Valenti family, I never trained as intensively or professionally as Carl. So, there may be aspects of a warrior’s nature that I don’t fully understand.”

Marghetta said softly while sitting in a chair. Despite her gentle words, my head bowed lower and lower.

Just because she was speaking gently now didn’t mean that Marghetta’s anger had subsided. While I had managed to calm my panicked lovers before being summoned by the Crown Prince, all I’d done was bring them out of their initial state of shock. Emotions like anger typically came after the initial confusion, didn’t they?

So if I were to say something like ‘Thank you for understanding!’ at this moment, I might end up receiving a slap across the face. It probably wouldn’t hurt physically, but I’d die mentally.

“But Carl…”

Marghetta gently got down from her chair and and knelt before me, carefully taking my hands.

“You’re not alone anymore, are you?”

After holding my hands in silence for a moment, Marghetta finally spoke in a voice that sounded like she was about to cry. The guilt that surged within me at her words was overwhelming.

“I’ll graduate from the academy next year. And then… then we’ll get married, and we’ll have children…”

A sniffle came from the side. I couldn’t see who it was since my head was still bowed, but judging by the direction, it was probably Louise.

“So, is it selfish of me to want Carl to take better care of himself?”

“No, not at all.”

I hurriedly raised my head to see Marghetta smiling sadly.

This was driving me crazy. I had thought everything was resolved after returning safely from the Crown Prince, but now I wished I’d just been punished instead. This wasn’t anger—it was tender-hearted pleading, and anyone with a conscience would crumble under it.

“I suppose I should say something too.”

The second wife (to-be) spoke up after the first wife (to-be). Even the Mage Duchess, who usually embraced everything I did with a motherly heart, was looking at me with an unusually cold gaze.

“Baby. What were you planning to do if there hadn’t been a priest available?”

I bowed my head again at her words that cut straight to the core—

“Raise your head. We’re not scolding you; we’re asking because we’re worried.”

So, I lifted it again.

“Besides, not just any priest could have healed a severed arm on the spot. If the future Saint hadn’t been there, you’d have had to live as a one-armed man for days.”

“I’m sorry…”

I could only apologize as every word was correct.

Honestly, I attempted Sky Cleaver because Tannian was there, but I couldn’t say I had it all planned out while being scolded. They’d probably scold me even more for doing it while knowing I could get hurt. After all, a mistake and intentional action were fundamentally different issues.

As I suffered through Marghetta’s emotional appeal and the Mage Duchess’s factual assault, I discreetly looked to the side.

Damn those guys.

I saw Erich and Rutis sitting silently in a corner as if this had nothing to do with them.

However, those two weren’t entirely innocent in this mess. Erich asked me to teach him, and Rutis requested to at least see my sword techniques if a sparring match wasn’t possible. In other words, they were the catalysts for this incident.

But considering the club members’ defense that no one could have imagined I’d cut the sky when asked to show a sword technique and the fact that everyone wanted to see me swing a sword and not only didn’t try to stop me but watched as a group, those two weren’t held responsible.

Their instincts are good, at least.

That said, while no official blame was assigned, that didn’t mean my personal feelings were unaffected. After all, human logic and emotions rarely aligned perfectly.

Had either Erich or Rutis said the wrong thing in this tense situation, they’d likely have become targets for everyone’s frustration. But those two clearly understood that silence was their best strategy and wisely kept their mouths shut. It seemed their instincts had told them this was a time to stay quiet.

If only that bastard Rutis was always this quiet—

“Um, oppa.”

“Huh?”

I hurriedly turned at Irina’s sudden voice.

“The Imperial Family didn’t reprimand you or anything… right?”

Irina, who had been patting the sniffling Louise, asked with anxious eyes.

It was a valid question. Cutting the sky in the middle of the academy wasn’t an ordinary occurrence, and Irina had already witnessed me being put under detention and imprisonment. It was only natural for her to worry if I might be punished this time too.

“It’s fine. They actually said I’d brought honor to the Empire and asked me to continue guiding future generations.”

The Crown Prince didn’t say it exactly like that, but it was roughly the same meaning. I proved that the empire had a warrior who could cut the sky, and all sorts of swordsmen would flock here as they did with the Mage Duchess if that warrior was at the academy. Pretending to teach them would bring substantial benefits to the Empire.

“Does that mean you’ll tear the sky open again?”

However, Irina was worried about my well-being, not the empire’s gain.

“I won’t need to teach everything, so it probably won’t happen unless absolutely necessary.”

“That means you might do it again!”

I tried to reassure her, but my choice of words unfortunately backfired.

Damn, should I have said ‘never’ instead of ‘probably’? Then again, realistically, I might end up doing it a few more times. I didn’t want to make a promise I couldn’t keep.

“…I’ll try my best not to use it.”

“Oppa!”

I deliberately ignored Irina’s shriek.

A civil servant didn’t make promises they couldn’t keep.

***

There was someone who always seemed to take joy in my messes as if they were his own victories.

— Hey, I heard you split the sky?

After escaping from my worried lovers, who were on the verge of stripping me to check for additional injuries beyond my arm, I finally made it back to my lodgings. As soon as I entered, I received a call from the Minister.

“You’ve already heard?”

— Of course. Since yesterday, I’ve been bombarded with calls from retired folks.

I instinctively lowered my gaze at those words. It seemed like there were more retired officials living near the academy than I thought.

— What’s gotten into you? You barely used it even during the war.

“That’s precisely why I couldn’t use it during the war. Who would wait around while I prepared a technique that could kill me if I got hit?”

— That’s true.

I sighed at the Minister’s chuckling.

A few people besides me and Dorgon could use the downgraded version of World Destruction. But even then, it was more of an intimidation tactic used to crush the enemy’s morale before a fight began—not an actual attack. In fact, it was safe to say it was almost never used offensively.

Why? Because if people were in a situation dire enough to use World Destruction, then it meant they were facing an absurdly strong opponent in a battle of life and death. And how were they supposed to charge their energy in front of such a foe? The idea of enemies politely waiting for people to finish powering up only existed in magical girl cartoons.

“Carl Krasius, you and I are evenly matched! How about we each unleash our strongest blow and end this?”

“You crazy bastard.”

Of course, the world was full of people who seemed to live in their own bizarre reality. Take Tala, for example. When our fight dragged on with no end in sight, he actually suggested we both unleash World Destruction and call it a draw.

It was an incredibly stupid idea. So, I did it immediately.

— Anyway, what really happened? Did you have a lovers’ quarrel with Her Grace the Mage Duchess?

“Well…”

Admitting that I did it to show off for my younger brother required more courage than I thought.

***

I lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. My head hadn’t been working properly since yesterday. To be precise, my thoughts were consumed by hyung’s insane display, leaving no room for anything else. If Sarah hadn’t spoken to me from beside me, I might have become one with the floor, stuck there like dust.

I had asked hyung for guidance because I wanted to learn from an excellent teacher and to confirm if I was on the right path, and also to see the destination I would eventually reach.

“If you keep working hard, you’ll reach my level. If I could do it, you can too.”

“…Ha.”

A hollow laugh escaped me as I recalled hyung’s words. I could do what he could do if I kept working hard?

Nonsense. Progress through effort was a given, but effort didn’t solve everything. People were also bound by the limits of their innate talents.

World Destruction.

I couldn’t stop laughing hollowly. Hyung called it Sky Cleaver, but it was also known as World Destruction, the technique that defined the Defier’s legend.

World Destruction was truly an intuitive name. Not simply because it cuts the sky—it felt like there was more to it than that.

How many people’s worlds must have crumbled?

In a war, countless swordsmen would have gathered. Soldiers who trained in swordsmanship, commanders who practiced as a hobby, and knights who devoted their lives to the blade. So many would’ve seen it.

At that moment, how many swordsmen must have despaired and lost hope? How many broke under the realization that, no matter their skill or effort, they would never reach that realm without being reborn? Their worlds must have shattered after seeing a gap so vast it felt shameful to call themselves human in comparison.

That was why the name World Destruction was chillingly appropriate.

What do you mean I can do it, too?

The same went for me. Unless I was reborn or something, I wouldn’t reach hyung’s level either. How could someone who couldn’t guarantee a clear victory against his own peers ever hope to cut the sky?

It’s impossible.

Setting goals was important, but setting unrealistic, out-of-reach goals would only lead to losing your way. So, I gave up. I accepted that I couldn’t become like hyung.

Instead, I needed to set a goal that made sense. Hyung and I were siblings with the same parents and learned the same swordsmanship. If hyung cut the sky with his incomparable talent, since I shared the same blood—

Maybe I could cut a mountain?

I might not be able to destroy the world, but perhaps a city was possible?

Oddly enough, seeing hyung’s overwhelming pinnacle of achievement had brought me some peace. I knew there were differences in talent among humans, but now I knew there were no limits. If someone could cut the sky, what was a mountain in comparison?

Let’s do our best.

I tried to steel my resolve. Instead of despairing at hyung’s feat, I would create my own achievement.

…But honestly, I still felt envious.

I want… to split the sky, too…

A swordsman cleaving the heavens with a single blade. Wasn’t that every man’s dream at least once?

***

Slicing the sky really was a man’s ultimate fantasy.

“Should we ask the Advisor to show us one more time?”

Seeing Rutis speak with a serious face confirmed my suspicions. He had been captivated by Sky Cleaver, too.

“Go ahead and try if you think you can convince Her Grace the Mage Duchess to let it happen.”

“Ugh…”

But he gave up with a bitter expression when I mentioned the realistic barrier. Unfortunately, cutting the sky was no longer something hyung could do on his own will.

He’d have to persuade his would-be wives—all four of them. And if he tried to pull it off without getting their approval first, he’d likely be kidnapped by an enraged quartet before the sword even left its sheath.

I guess we’ll never see it again.

And while I could imagine convincing the others, I couldn’t picture persuading the Mage Duchess at all.

“Why doesn’t Armein have someone like this…?”

I almost shook my head at Rutis’s regretful mutter.

If people like that existed in every country, then wouldn’t that be a sign of the /genesisforsaken