"Hmm?" Maximus's pupils dilated. He didn't expect Dustin to grab his sword with bare fingers. It appeared that he had underestimated Dustin's sheer talent and confidence. Still, he was unflustered by the strength of his opponent. Quite the opposite—the stronger the opponent, the more excited he felt. He was getting more belligerent as a result.

"Return!" With the wave of a hand, Maximus called his sword back from Dustin's fingers. The sword came flying back like a serpent.

"Oh?" Dustin was rather surprised by the move. Although he had reined in his capabilities to match his opponent at the earthly level, he acknowledged Maximus' talent from how Maximus managed to free the weapon from his grip.

"Look out! I'll show you my Illusory Sword Technique!" Maximus dropped a reminder before waving his sword again. In one move, his sword split into hundreds and thousands of different swords. The gleaming blades danced around, weaving a confusing web of swords within ten meters around them.