Extra's POV: My Obsessive Villainous Fiancee Is The Game's Final Boss-Chapter 20: The Bridge Between Thought And Action

Ren slid the helmet onto his head, and immediately, the world around him shifted.

The world was now... slower.

No, it wasn't that time had slowed—his body still moved at its usual pace—but his thoughts raced faster than he could keep up with, processing every detail, no matter how small.

He could see the way Darius adjusted his grip on his wooden sword, the slight shift in weight even as he stood, and even the faintest tensing of his muscles as he kept his grip on his sword.

It was too much information and at the same time, not enough information. It felt... disorienting yet exhilarating.

Darius watched him with a smirk. "Feels different, doesn't it?"

Ren nodded. "It's... strange. Everything looks slower, but I feel the same."

"That's because your mind is working faster, but your body hasn't caught up. That helmet speeds up thought, not action. You'll get used to it. Now, let's see if you can use it in a fight."

Darius tossed him a wooden sword, and Ren caught it, adjusting his grip till he was comfortable.

He could feel the energy within him reacting to the energy in the helmet and before he knew it, he was instinctively adjusting the passive enhancement. Just like Darius had said, he could feel the knowledge of how to blood bind build up instinctively in his head.

"Don't just think faster." Darius said, drawing his attention back to the present. "Think smarter. Predict me. Read me."

Ren nodded before taking a breath and calming himself.

Darius moved first, stepping forward with a quick horizontal slash.

To Ren, the movement looked sluggish. He had plenty of time to decide whether to block, dodge, or counter, but his body couldn't match the speed of his thoughts. He raised his sword, just barely managing to deflect the blow in time.

Darius smirked at the sight. "You saw it coming, but you couldn't act fast enough. That's the first drawback of thought acceleration. It means nothing if your body can't keep up."

Ren adjusted his stance, focusing on his movements. He needed to stop overanalyzing. He'd spent so much time wondering what to do that by the time he decided, the fight was already over.

Another attack came, and this time, he reacted more instinctively, dodging to the side and bringing his sword up for a counterstrike. Darius easily parried it, but there was a gleam of approval in his eyes.

"Better." Darius said. "Now, let's go again."

They continued to spar and Ren could feel himself adapting with each bout. His Gift was hard at work, enhancing him as he faced a much stronger opponent.

The helmet's effect allowed him to recognize patterns in Darius's attacks, subtle habits he hadn't noticed before. The way his brother shifted his footing when preparing for a heavy strike, the small flex of his fingers before feinting.

Darius suddenly picked up his pace, forcing Ren to process faster.

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A fast slash from above came toward him, and while he predicted it in time, his body still lagged behind his thoughts. He barely managed to dodge, but his footwork suffered, leaving him unbalanced.

Seeing an opening, Darius struck low, aiming for Ren's legs. Ren instinctively stepped back, adjusting his position, but Darius followed through with a powerful lunge, knocking Ren onto the ground.

"You lasted longer that time." Darius noted, offering a hand. "But you still need to work on closing the gap between your mind and your body. You're seeing what I'm about to do, but you hesitate trying to process it all."

Ren groaned as he took his brother's hand, standing up. "So, what's the solution?"

While he had Unfettered Enhancement, he was still a human from the 21st century. It wasn't as if he was a walking encyclopedia of swordsmanship.

Darius smirked. "You stop thinking so much. Or rather, you use your instincts more than your thoughts. Predict, react, but don't second-guess every move. If you take too long deciding what to do, I'll already have beaten you."

Ren wiped sweat from his forehead. "That's easier said than done."

"That's why we train."

Darius sheathed his practice sword. "Two main things. First, overthinking."

"When your thoughts move faster than your body, you end up second-guessing yourself, hesitating when you should just act. If you rely too much on analyzing every little thing, a faster opponent will overwhelm you."

Ren nodded, recalling moments in the previous bouts where he had gotten caught up in calculations instead of simply reacting.

"Second," Darius continued, "you don't have a vision yet."

Ren frowned. "A vision?"

Darius gestured to the helmet. "Bloodbinding isn't just about adding powers to objects. It's about creating a path. Creating an identity."

"Every great Knight builds a cohesive style with their Bloodbinding. If you just add whatever effects seem useful, you'll end up with a mess. A real Knight plans ahead. They think about what kind of fighter they want to be, and they bind accordingly."

Ren considered this. He had never thought about his fighting style before. He had been too focused on just getting stronger.

Darius continued. "That's why we started with this helmet. It's not about brute strength or speed. It's about perception. If you learn to read fights better, you'll have a foundation to build on. But now, you need to decide."

"What kind of fighter do you want to be?"

Ren didn't have an immediate answer, but as he stood there, breathing heavily in the training yard, he knew this was the first step to finding one.

Darius didn't let him rest yet. He grabbed another piece of Bloodbound equipment, a pair of gauntlets with a minor speed enhancement for stability, and handed them to Ren.

"Try wearing these while you move. They'll help you balance your thoughts with your actions."

Ren slipped them on, feeling the small yet noticeable shift in his stance. They grounded him, allowing him to bridge the gap between thought and motion more effectively.

They sparred again, and though Darius still won each match, Ren could feel himself improving rapidly. Now, he was sure that he could wipe the floor with Thorn if they sparred again.

"One more thing." Darius added, his tone turning serious. "I can see a... look I recognize all too well in your eyes, so I'll say this."

"I know Felix and I have joked about how weak you are and that was wrong of us. I am aware of how hypocritical this makes me but I'll say it."

"Bloodbinding isn't just about power, Ren. It comes with risks. Every enhancement you bind takes something from you. So, don't push yourself too hard. If you do, you'll quickly find out that your body won't be able to keep up."

"Some Knights have permanently damaged their muscles, their bones, even their blood."

Ren nodded. "So, overusing it could cripple me?"

Darius nodded. "Exactly. That's why you train not just to get stronger, but to understand your limits. A Knight who doesn't respect their own body is doomed to break themselves."

Ren let those words sink in. Fortunately for him, he had already had a Divine Gift that allowed him to progress quickly without any side effects.

"You're getting the hang of it, but we have a long way to go." Darius finally said, watching as Ren removed the helmet and gauntlets. "For now, rest. Tomorrow, we start refining your ability to act on your instincts."

Ren let out a tired chuckle. "Sounds like another painful day."

Darius grinned. "Oh, you have no idea."