Explosions were heard in the distance.
"BOOM, BOOM, BOOM…"
The ground trembled beneath the endless roar of destruction. Flames licked the ruined horizon as clouds of smoke twisted into the sky like dark serpents. Amidst the chaos stood a man clad in black armor, his dark blue hair matted with dust and blood, his crimson eyes glowing with defiance. He gritted his teeth as he was pushed back by the force of a colossal being, a figure whose mere presence bent reality around him. This was no ordinary foe. This was the Black God, the bringer of ruin, whose name alone had shattered kingdoms.
The knight, Arthur Von Reinhardt, staggered but did not fall. His breathing was heavy, every inhale scraping his lungs like fire. He was searching, no, waiting, for that one perfect moment. One opening to unleash his final move, the ultimate technique he had honed through years of pain and sacrifice. Yet deep down, he knew: one mistake meant death.
"This is my chance!" Arthur roared, summoning the last of his strength. The air around him crackled with energy as he charged, his blade glowing faintly with the remnants of divine power.
Crack!
The sound was sharp, heartbreaking. His sword splintered, fragments of black steel scattering like shattered hope. His strike had failed. The god's laughter echoed across the wasteland, deep and thunderous.
"Arthur Von Reinhardt!" the deity's voice boomed, filled with disdain. "Your arrogance knows no boundaries. But I will put an end to it, here and now."
The Black God raised a hand, forging a spear of pure shadow, darker than the void itself. With a single motion, he hurled it forward. The spear pierced Arthur's heart before he could even react.
Arthur fell. The world around him faded, and memories began to surface, the laughter of his siblings, the proud smiles of his parents, the loyalty of his friends, and the rise of his once-small kingdom into a galactic empire. All of it flashed before his eyes like fragments of a dream slipping away.
Regret filled him. If only he had trained harder, taken better care of his body, perhaps he could have slain the Dark God. Before even reaching the age of twenty, he had already destroyed himself in pursuit of power.
As his body hit the ground, his soul drifted free, glowing faintly before being swallowed by a mysterious light.
And then, silence.
Arthur's soul was pulled backward through time, through endless darkness and forgotten ages, until he opened his eyes once more.
He was a newborn again.
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Arthur Von Reinhardt, the firstborn of King Marcus Von Reinhardt and Queen Eleanor Von Reinhardt from a small kingdom called the Zenon Kingdom from the central continent. The King and Queen had five children and ruled in a peaceful era. Before regressing, the second child, the second prince Aiden Von Reinhardt became the king because their parents and the council thought that Arthur would destroy the kingdom.
Two years after becoming the crown prince, tragedy struck the Reinhardt family. Arthur's older brother, the rightful heir to the throne, perished alongside all his younger siblings during a devastating terrorist attack. The explosion tore through the royal palace with such ferocity that even the stars above seemed to dim in mourning. Among the fallen were the gentle first princess, Sarah Von Reinhardt, whose kindness had touched every soul in the kingdom; Luna Von Reinhardt, Arthur's twin sister, known for her sharp wit and unshakable loyalty; and the spirited Roman Von Reinhardt, the third prince, still a child with dreams of adventure.
The loss carved a wound deep within Arthur's heart, one that would never truly heal. Overnight, he went from a prince of promise to a king burdened with grief and responsibility. The once bright halls of the royal palace grew cold and silent, haunted by memories of laughter that would never return. But Arthur was not a man to be crushed by sorrow. Instead, his pain hardened into determination. He swore upon the graves of his family that he would never allow such a tragedy to happen again.
Under his reign, the small kingdom of Reinhardt transformed rapidly. Arthur reorganized the military, strengthened alliances, and expanded his influence beyond his home world. His vision stretched far beyond the stars. Within a decade, neighboring systems bowed before his power, either through diplomacy or conquest. Some called him a visionary, others a tyrant. Yet all agreed that Arthur Von Reinhardt was unstoppable.
By the thirtieth year of his rule, he had achieved the impossible. The banners of the Reinhardt Empire flew across every known planet, uniting countless civilizations under one rule. He was no longer merely a king; he was the Emperor of the Galaxy.
Despite the weight of command and the endless wars that had shaped his destiny, Arthur found a brief peace in his personal life. He married a woman of unmatched intelligence and grace, her name lost to history but her influence eternal. Together, they had three children, each bearing fragments of their father's fiery spirit and ambition.
Yet even amidst glory, shadows lingered. Deep within, Arthur knew that the peace he had built was fragile, and that power, no matter how vast, could never erase the ghosts of the past.
***************************************************************
On the 23th of June 1782, you could hear a newborn baby crying in a giant beautiful palace.
Arthur was being held by his mother in bed. After some time he calmed down and saw his father standing next to the bed. He was crying tears of joy.
"Eleanor, what should we call him?"
"I think we should name him Arthur, because he looks like your father."
"Yes, he does."
After some hours when everyone except the guards were asleep Arthur woke up and looked at his body and tried to remember what happened.
'Ah yes, that stupid Black God had launched a spear into my heart, but how am I here?'
It took some time to process and to realize that he reincarnated to the time he was a newborn.
'This life I am going to make him pay for killing me. Let's start with forming a dantian.'
A dantian can absorb mana from the planet and strengthen the body. The dantian can also make an aura on the sword or on the owner's body. A dantian is divided in six stages: Expert, Master, Grandmaster, Transcendent, Absolute and Supreme Ruler. Each stage is also divided into four stages: beginner, intermediate, advanced and peak. The differThe last stage Supreme Ruler is a stage when you become a demigod.
Arthur sat down in his bed concentrated and started to absorb the mana in the air. All the mana in the surrounding entered his mana-veins and started to fill the dantian.
The next week they celebrated his birth with family and nobles from the kingdom and other countries.
***************************************************************
On the 8th of August, 1784, the palace of the Zenon Kingdom was filled with a rare sense of peace. The sunlight shone softly through the high windows, illuminating the marble floors and golden banners that bore the crest of the Reinhardt family. In one of the inner courtyards, a small boy with dark blue hair and sharp crimson eyes sat quietly, lost in thought. His name was Arthur Von Reinhardt, and though he was only two years old, his soul already carried the memories and wisdom of countless lives.
That very morning, Arthur had succeeded in opening his dantian, the spiritual core within his body. The flow of energy coursed through him like a river of light, marking his advancement to the level of a beginner Expert. It was a remarkable feat for someone so young, and it would not be long before he reached the rank of an intermediate Expert. Yet even in this moment of triumph, Arthur's mind was calm. He understood that true strength was not measured only by power, but by the will to protect.
While Arthur was deep in thought, his father, King Marcus Von Reinhardt, approached and gently lifted him into his arms. Marcus was a tall man with a strong build and kind eyes, his presence radiating both authority and warmth. "Come, Arthur," he said softly. "It's time to meet your mother and your new siblings."
Together they walked through the grand corridors of the palace, their footsteps echoing against the stone. When they reached the royal chambers, two guards bowed deeply and opened the heavy doors. Inside, the room was bathed in a golden glow. The Queen lay upon her bed, exhaustion and joy written across her face, while two newborns slept peacefully in her arms.
The child in her right arm was a boy, the second child of the royal family and the second prince of the Zenon Kingdom, Aiden Von Reinhardt. In her left arm rested a girl, small and delicate, her features calm and serene even in sleep. She was Sarah Von Reinhardt, the third child, the first princess, and Aiden's twin sister.
Arthur looked upon them in silence. Seeing his parents' gentle smiles and his siblings' peaceful faces stirred something deep within him. A single thought echoed in his heart, clear and unshakable: he would protect them all, no matter the cost.
A week later, the kingdom celebrated the birth of the royal twins. Nobles and envoys from across nations gathered in the grand hall, toasting to the future of the Reinhardt family. Music filled the air, laughter rang through the corridors, and for a brief moment, it seemed as though nothing could ever disturb their happiness.
***************************************************************
On the first of September 1787, Arthur, now 5 years old, became an advanced Expert and will become in the soon future a peak Expert. After reaching the age of 5 years old, his parents had paid a teacher for him to come four times a week to teach Arthur to write, read and do maths. Having reincarnated, Arthur already knew how to do all of this and had a lot of free time.
When he wasn't learning, Arthur was training his body by running for more stamina, squads, sit-ups, pumping and other exercises for more strength and a great physique. Now that Arthur got a second, he was going to optimize it by working his body down to the bone, so he chose to carry weights all the time when he was training.
"339"
"340"
"341"
"Good afternoon First Prince!"
While doing pull-ups on a tree branch, a young boy of his own age greeted him.
"Good afternoon Viktor."
Viktor is a young boy with blond hair and green eyes. He is the oldest child and son from the Vermius household, a dukedom. In my past life Viktor was able to become the 8th strongest being from the kingdom in the future, but he died in my galactical conquest.
Arthur let go of the three branches where he was doing his pull-ups and swept the sweat from his forehead with a towel, which laid on the ground. After wiping off his sweat he drank some water and took his stuff, as he was ready they began talking while returning to the royal palace.
"In exactly five years we will both be enrolling in the Royal Academy. There they will teach us a lot of things such as how to use multiple weapons, etiquette, how to control and use mana and other things."
"My father said that after I reach the age of 7, the Commander of the Royal Knights will teach me the Royal Swordsmanship at the palace until I enroll in the Royal Academy."
"Really, the Commander of the Royal Knights, Marquis Aegon Reddragon, the strongest sword of the kingdom and the tenth Sword of the central continent. Will he really be your teacher? I'm so jealous, I want to ask him to also teach me."
"Why do you care? I thought that your father would teach you the swordsmanship taught in the Vermius Household? Am I right?"
"You're right, but who wouldn't want the tenth Sword of the central continent to be your teacher and be taught some of his swordsmanship."
"My father said that his son is the same age as us and will be entering the academy with us, so he said that we should become great friends."
"Yes the King is right, if we become friends we will have some political advantages."
Returning to the Royal Palace, the boys kept talking and kept imagining how the academy would look like and how they would be living there even after entering the palace they kept talking and imagining.
As they both entered their respective rooms they both took a bath and put on their ceremonial clothes, because in the evening nobles entered the palace to celebrate the birth of Luna Von Reinhardt, the fourth child and the second princess from the Zenon Kingdom.
***************************************************************
On the 24th of June 1789, Arthur and Viktor wearing a black training uniform, were waiting in the Royal training grounds to receive swordsmanship training from the strongest sword from the kingdom and eight strongest sword from the central continent. In the past two years Marquis Aegon Reddragon had advanced 2 ranks with his own special swordsmanship move Galactical Drive.
In the meantime Arthur had kept repeating a routine of learning and physical training and aura cultivation, because of that he is now a beginner Master.
After ten minutes passed the Commander entered the training ground, wearing a blue uniform, red cape and a golden badge with 'I' on his left chest showing he was the commander of the army, stood before Arthur and Viktor and bowed.
"Greetings to the First Prince Arthur Von Reinhardt and first young master Viktor Vermius."
Looking at the boys he saw that the prince had already created a dantian of the Master level.
'How is that possible, how did the first prince reach a beginner Master? Even some beginner knights find it difficult to reach that level.'
Swordsmanship in the Zenon Kingdom is divided into seven stages: trainee, beginner, intermediate, advanced, high, upper and royal. Depending on your aura's purity and level, potential, loyalty and maybe age, you will be taught more advanced swordsmanship.
Arthur greeted him back as his mother had taught him in his both lives, but Viktor stumbled over his words and blushed because he was meeting one of the persons he admires in person for the first time
"Greetings Commander of the Royal Knights."
"Uuuh, greetitings Commander of the the Royal Knights."
"The King has asked me to train you in the basic Royal Swordsmanship of the kingdom. Is that right?"
The prince and young master directly answered in unison.
"Yes, commander!"
"That's the spirit. For the first half year you will be taught the footwork of the Royal Swordsmanship and the basic movements with the sword. Next you will be learning the Royal Swordsmanship up to and including the intermediate stage and now that the first prince dantian is open, I will help youngmaster Viktor try to open his dantian for the coming two years so that he also can start his aura cultivation."
'As expected of Marquis Aegon Reddragon, someone of his level must have seen that he reached the level of Master, he saw it directly even when I was hiding it.'
"First prince, how are you already a beginner Master?"
"How should I know, I only did my normal training."
"Please tell, how to reach it?"
"I already said that I don't know, maybe because that I always wear weights on my body and always ad more one's my body is adapt to the weight."
"You both stop talking, so that we can start the training."
"Sorry Commander."
"Sorry Commander, it won't be happening again."
"Okay, let's start. The Royal Swordsmanship footwork is about making difficult moves so that the opponent can't understand them, it's the same as fire becoming hotter, after it is put on. That energy you build up as flame will be used as a destructive, fast slash or stab like thunder. So both of you should try to copy my movements and try to memorize them. And first prince you should try to refrain yourself from using aura or it will hinder your progress."
"Understood commander."
After memorizing the first four parts of the footwork for six hours, Arthur and Viktor returned to their respective homes, their legs trembling from exhaustion and their arms heavy as lead. Yet neither of them complained. The training had ignited a spark within both boys, a sense of purpose and competition that neither wanted to lose. The next morning, before the sun even rose above the palace walls, they were already standing in the Royal Training Ground once more, their breaths visible in the cool dawn air.
For the entire week, the rhythmic sound of footsteps echoed across the field. The boys practiced the first four sequences again and again, each movement sharper, faster and more precise than before. Their instructor, Marquis Aegon Reddragon, occasionally observed from a distance, his sharp gaze silently measuring their progress. He rarely gave praise, but when he did, it meant more than gold. "Not bad, for children," he said once, a faint smirk forming beneath his stern expression. That single comment was enough to drive them both harder.
In the following four weeks, they began learning the remaining sixteen movements of the Royal Swordsmanship footwork. Each pattern was more intricate than the last, blending speed, precision and deception into a seamless flow. It was said that a master of the full twenty parts could move like lightning and strike before an opponent could even blink. For Arthur and Viktor, those words were not legend, they were a goal.
Day after day, the training ground became their second home. The soles of their shoes wore thin, the handles of their practice swords became smooth from constant use, and their muscles ached with a pain that was both familiar and satisfying. Viktor, though slightly less gifted in aura control, showed an unmatched endurance, refusing to rest until he had perfected every motion. Arthur, on the other hand, displayed uncanny precision and awareness. His movements were balanced, fluid and perfectly timed, as though his body remembered a discipline from another life.
By the fifth week, both boys stood side by side under the setting sun, their uniforms soaked in sweat and their hearts pounding. They moved in unison through the full set of twenty footwork patterns, their swords slicing through the air with quiet grace. The guards stationed nearby stopped to watch.
When they finished the final step, both boys lowered their swords, panting heavily but smiling with pride. They had done it. They had mastered the Royal Swordsmanship footwork, a feat that even grown knights sometimes failed to achieve.
That evening, as Arthur returned to his room, he looked out over the courtyard from his balcony. The stars shimmered above him, distant yet familiar. His hands clenched unconsciously around the hilt of his wooden sword.
"This is only the beginning," he whispered to himself. "If I want to change the future, I must first surpass everyone standing before me."
That night, while the palace slept, the faint sound of wooden swords cutting through the air echoed beneath the moonlight. Arthur's silhouette moved tirelessly, his eyes burning with resolve.