Kael narrowed his eyes, locking them on the man who had just delivered the killing blow. If he had to describe it in one word.
Excellent.
The movement had been clean, silent, like a rippleless breeze. No flash, no roar of aura, not even a proper draw of the blade. The man had only shrugged his scabbard forward—subtle, almost lazy—and that alone had done the job. The cut was clean, instant, and precise.
Few had noticed the execution and fewer even understood the technique. But Kael, a practitioner of the sword himself, recognized what he saw.
This was true mastery.
The man's swordsmanship in "The Way" was at least an A+ rank, and possibly just a breath short of S rank. He didn't rely on flashy aura or boosted stats from the Akashic Record. His strength came from rigorous training, solid fundamentals, and the calm confidence of one who had walked a long, bloody path with the blade.
