That very evening after Kahn and Ryuken’s fight, the former now sat along with Omega in the palace housing the Sword Saint’s remnant soul. At dusk, the Emperor of the Erdve Empire, Sakamoto Hideyoshi, also arrived. "What is it? Why did you request my presence, Hero of Darkness?" asked the Emperor in a regal and authoritative tone. As per his plans, today was the day Kahn would officially join the Hero of Space’s party and mingle with the rest of them. He had even helped weave a perfect background for Kahn as Masamune Byakuya. Kahn, who sat on a zabuton while peacefully enjoying a high-grade leaf tea, responded calmly. "It happened way earlier than I thought." "What do you mean?" asked the Emperor as Miyamoto Musashi’s specter was also present there. "Your main intention for me to join the Hero of Space’s party was for him to learn from me and also allow me to see what kind of person he was… Hoping that when the time came, we could join hands against the Demon God… was it not?" asked Kahn cordially. Both of them nodded. Experience more on freewebnovel.com Officially, this wasn’t part of the agreement because it was only a condition Musashi and Hideyoshi gave Kahn after they helped him achieve the 4th Enlightenment in the Space Law. Raum, the God of Space, was the one who gave the decree, but in the end, these two key figures of the Empire of Space made it happen. In the beginning, Kahn himself was skeptical of this condition but accepted it because he wanted to learn directly from the Sword Saint, and this arrangement allowed him to add Omega into the equation. So he didn’t feel like he was losing anything after hearing their proposition. "How long has it been since I arrived here?" Kahn asked, his eyes narrowing slightly as he contemplated the time that had passed. "Four months, to be exact," responded Hideyoshi, his majestic robes flowing as he stood with an air of authority. [Hmm... that leaves eight months before the Great War officially begins. In the original timeline, the Martial Emperor was still in the Beast Empire as Atreus Bellator. He hadn’t met the Revenant Sovereign nor Miyamoto Sensei or the Hero of Space,] Kahn reflected silently, his mind racing with the intricate details of past and future events. "Then I have already achieved the objective of joining the Hero’s Party... the objective you expected would take longer to fulfill," Kahn stated with a firm tone. "What?! Care to explain?" asked the Emperor, his interest piqued by Kahn’s sudden declaration. "Thanks to Miyamoto Sensei’s guidance, helping me achieve the 4th Enlightenment, I was able to delve into Ryuken’s past life before he was summoned. To be honest, there is much that even the two of you didn’t know about him. It was an overwhelming and emotional journey, even for me as a mere spectator. But finally, I found what was holding him back all this time," Kahn iterated with a concerned tone. "Wait, what are you implying?" the Emperor pressed, his curiosity turning into a need for clarity. "It means that Ryuken has broken out of his shell. The kind of person he will become from now on is unknown, even to me. But the burden he has carried all this time has been unearthed," Kahn explained. "Is it what I think it is?" asked Miyamoto Musashi, his spectral form shimmering with interest. "Yes, he has received the 3rd Enlightenment. As we speak, he is undergoing the same process we once did. Whether he achieves it within a day, a month, or a whole year is up to Ryuken," Kahn confirmed with a gentle smile. BOOM!! The Emperor accidentally leaked his aura, unable to contain his ecstatic joy. Even the usually cold and stoic-faced Sword Saint let out a content smile, followed by a sigh of relief. "But wait! You met him only for a few hours. Our predicted time was at least a few months for that to happen. We even planned a few expeditions for you two to go together. How could it happen so quickly?" the Emperor questioned, his voice tinged with disbelief. Kahn shrugged nonchalantly. "I guess someone got tired of the repetitive plots and wanted to wrap things up quickly before the story stretched out unnecessarily. It also saved me the trouble of acting weak or hiding my strength for an unhealthy amount of time, so I’m not complaining," Kahn replied, taking another sip of the fragrant tea. Both the Sword Saint and the Emperor exchanged confused glances, clearly not understanding a single word of Kahn’s cryptic statement. However, in an unknown dimension, a being lay down on a chair, revealing a sinister smile. ****************** Just like that, a few weeks passed quietly. Kahn and Omega remained within their palace, dedicating themselves to rigorous training under Miyamoto Musashi. Although both had previously mastered the techniques the Sword Saint had taught them to perfection, this round of training was vastly different. This time, Kahn and Omega sparred against each other instead of practicing in isolation. The intensity of their sessions was elevated by a strict rule: they were not allowed to use their mana, world energy, skills, bloodlines, or any special powers. This stripped-down approach forced them to rely solely on their swordsmanship. Both wielded ordinary katanas, akin to the samurais on Earth, making the sparring sessions more about pure skill and technique than overwhelming power. These matches weren’t battles between two powerful saints with godly destructive capabilities; they mirrored duels between human samurai masters, grounded in precision and mastery. "You can’t always rely on the laws of this world and the unique powers it offers. I didn’t become a renowned swordsman by just practicing with supernatural abilities," Musashi declared. His voice carried the weight of countless battles fought and survived. "Every duel I fought was a life-and-death situation. Often, I knew nothing about my opponent’s mastery level or unique fighting style. The principles and philosophies I’ve taught you both were forged in the crucible of these experiences, with my life on the line each time." Musashi’s gaze sharpened as he continued, "And remember, if your opponent can touch or injure you, even just a graze, that will be counted as your defeat." He paused, letting the gravity of his words settle before adding, "And the one who loses three consecutive times..." The room’s atmosphere shifted dramatically as Musashi’s murderous red aura erupted, a merciless and sinister grin spreading across his face. "Will have to face me." ****************** 1 Week Later… In an artificial realm, created solely for the purpose of holding matches between saints of various caliber and powers… A man revealing a violet aura around his body was floating just a few meters above the ground. The surrounding itself was actually just the center of a massive 500-meter-wide crater formed after the intense battle between two powerful saints. Sasakibe Ryuken was completely immersed in his meditative state, having no connection to the world. The radiating aura had isolated Ryuken but in a way, it was also a byproduct of his body going through a form of transmutation. Crack! Crack! Shatter! One after another, dozens of void cracks appeared around Ryuken as his violet aura kept rising out of nowhere. Soon, these void cracks that shattered the reality around the Hero of Space, started revealing a different scenery that didn’t belong to Vantrea. In one void crack, a young boy was playing with his sister, squeezing her plump cheeks. The second one had a dreary scenery of a castle burning while ginormous beings were fighting against a monstrous spirit. Meanwhile, the same boy saw this happening as he drifted off on a boat under the blanket of the night. The third one revealed a boy training in the mountains, his hands full of callouses and cuts over his arms. This boy had an intense gaze, filled with utter hatred towards the world… but more than that, his heart was filled with hatred towards himself. The fourth one revealed a scenario of a war where the same boy, now a fully grown man, led thousands of people in a war against the first enemy army. The fifth scenery consisted of the man’s regret as he walked among the streets, watching the horrifying aftermath of that very battle. The sixth scenery involved him sitting under the moonlight with a beautiful woman. The next one followed with that very woman dying in his arms. The snippets continued, recounting Ryuken’s life. However… Crumble! Crumble! Soon, all these void cracks started crumbling, falling like dust, and disappearing out of existence. BOOM!!! A massive 10-kilometer-wide violent explosion occurred as Ryuken finally opened his eyes. In the sky, all 7 of his contracted spirits appeared in gigantic forms. "So this is what it feels like… I wonder if it was the same for him." spoke Ryuken as the entire explosion that should’ve shattered everything in existence… disappeared, without even sending a shockwave. Sasakibe Ryuken had finally achieved the 3rd Enlightenment in the Space Law after being stuck in that stage for so many years. "Good. Now we can take our revenge against that Masamune bastard." spoke the leader of the divine spirits in a conceited tone. The divine spirits hadn’t forgotten their humiliating defeat against Kahn. However… "You will do no such thing. For he is not an enemy. Thanks to him, I have finally found my true self." declared Ryuken with a content smile. "For all I know…" spoke the Hero of Space with a grateful countenance. "He is now my sworn brother."