In the new ALO, when the Original Sword Skill System was introduced, Rozen once created seven original sword skills entirely his own.
These seven original sword skills enjoyed unparalleled fame in the new ALO, hailed as the strongest Original Sword Skills.
Players referred to them as — The Big Dipper.
Since leaving the world of Sword Art Online, Rozen had never used these Original Sword Skills again.
But now, these original sword skills once more shine brilliantly in another world.
"Zing!"
The Galantine in Rozen's hand burst with starlight, illuminating the surroundings.
"Dubhe."
The starlight on the holy sword transformed into two sword beams, crossing paths like twin galaxies and slashing toward Raishin.
"...!"
Raishin's heart was startled, but without hesitation, he shifted his footing and followed the route revealed by his Mind's Eye, darting left and right to dodge the incoming twin beams.
"Merak."
At that moment, starlight flared again, and four galaxy-like slashes flashed past like two crosses, cutting down upon him.
"This sword skill...!?"
Raishin dared not be careless. With a tiptoe leap, he retreated violently. His body swayed like a leaf in a typhoon, narrowly dodging once more.
"Phecda."
However, as another burst of starlight rose, the four beams became six, spiraling like a nebula as they flew toward him.
"I can't dodge this!"
Raishin instantly realized this and gritted his teeth. Raising his demonic blade, he moved it with the shortest path possible, parrying all six strikes.
"Megrez."
The nebula faded, replaced by a massive star ring greater in size, trailing eight tail-like arcs. Like a whirlpool of eight flowing silks, they spun toward Raishin.
"Ugh...!"
Raishin desperately retreated, frantically slashing to fend off the eight successive blows, cold sweat forming on his brow.
"Alioth."
The star ring vanished, replaced by ten star streams erupting simultaneously, interweaving to form a rising star that exploded, engulfing Raishin.
"Aaaaaah...!"
Raishin finally cried out, his demonic blade slashing furiously, piercing through the stellar explosion, striking its core, and shattering it.
"Mizar."
By then, a new sword skill burst from the holy sword. Twelve strikes completed in an instant, forming a constellation—the shape of the seven stars—shooting forward, stabbing at Raishin.
"Haaaahhhh...!"
Raishin fully unleashed his strength. The crimson wings on his back spread wide, and the magic swirling around his demonic blade transformed into Magic Resilience, empowering the blade. With a single slash, he cleaved the starlit constellation in half.
"Alkaid."
A faint voice echoed. Raishin felt darkness engulf his vision, day turning to night, and light vanishing. A starlit sky suddenly unfolded, shining brightly.
Then, like a meteor shower, countless falling stars descended.
These "meteors" were slashes—ferocious, storm-like sword strikes raining down like a meteor storm.
Thirteen in total. Each one deadly.
In the game, sword skills couldn't be chained due to post-move stiffness. But in the real world, that limitation didn't exist.
Rozen's Seven Star of the Big Dipper wasn't truly seven distinct skills, but one—an original sword skill broken into seven components.
Now, Rozen executed them in seamless succession—essentially recreating the true form of the skill:
"Polaris."
Meteors cut through space like crashing meteorites, striking toward Raishin.
A full 55-hit combo Original Sword Skill, now truly and completely unleashed.
Facing this onslaught, Raishin finally realized—he had to go all out.
"I didn't think you'd have such swordsmanship, Narugami!"
Raishin acknowledged.
But—
"In pure swordsmanship, I will never lose to you!"
Because swordsmanship was all Raishin had.
The strength he used to compensate for his lack of magical talent, the belief he relied on for vengeance, the power that brought him here—it was not so easily broken.
"Let me show you my secret art!"
From Raishin's body, sword aura surged—the same aura that once earned Rozen's praise.
Raishin raised his demonic blade high, pouring all his mana into it, reinforcing it with Magic Resilience.
He had mastered two sword styles taught by his master:
——Sannou Ittou-Ryu.
——Koga Mushin-Ryu.
He was licensed in both—having attained full transmission and their secret techniques.
Now, what he unleashed was one of them:
"Hiiragi Tachi Kage!"
Raishin swung his demonic blade.
"BOOM!"
In the next moment, a blazing white storm burst forth.
A windstorm surged upward, stirred by the blade as if it were slicing into the heavens.
The blade-light within the storm crushed the floor, severed stone columns, unleashing unparalleled might toward the falling meteor storm.
At a glance, it looked like a comet shooting skyward to meet the meteor shower—an awe-inspiring sight.
The comet and meteors collided.
Then—blinding light flashed, flooding the surroundings.
"—!"
Both Rozen and Raishin retreated at once. Rozen flapped the feathered robe on his body, gliding back, while Raishin spread his crimson wings and dashed back with explosive speed.
Almost simultaneously, amidst the blinding radiance, countless sharp gusts of cutting wind swept in all directions.
"BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM...!"
Explosive echoes resounded in the sanctuary.
The slashing winds carved into the ground, toppled stone pillars, shaking the cathedral-like sanctuary to its core, as cracks spread everywhere.
"Yaya! Komurasaki!"
Irori, who had been battling alongside her sisters, was the first to react. She pulled her younger sisters close, conjuring frost to raise towering ice walls from the ground, shielding the trio.
"Master!"
The automaton girls swiftly responded. With Kamakiri's magic, they teleported to Magnus's side, hugging him tightly as they vanished.
The storm of slashes continued to rampage through the sanctuary, destroying everything, unraveling everything, filling the air with the sound of shattering.
The sanctuary quaked repeatedly, as the barriers around it began to disappear one by one.
Rozen and his group each used their own means to evade or defend.
But deep within the sanctuary, in a pitch-black space, a single eye slowly opened.