'Utilize everything at my disposal!'
The rhythm of his breathing, the bend of his bones, the flex of his muscles... everything. He needed nothing else, just to focus entirely on speed, to make this strike faster!
'It's getting faster again?'
Ryoji's gaze intensified.
The blade in Kurogane Ikki's hand was visibly accelerating at an alarming rate!
'Could the overwhelming pressure I'm applying be driving him to evolve?'
'But something feels off…'
A flicker of doubt crossed Ryoji's mind.
Yet his expression remained impassive as he continued to engage Kurogane Ikki in a relentless dance of Ayatsuji Ittou-ryuu's reactive, counter-attacking style.
"Amazing! He's wielding Ayatsuji Ittou-ryuu even better than me... no, even better than Father!" Ayatsuji Ayase exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement.
'This is unbelievable!'
My father, who had devoted his entire life to mastering Ayatsuji Ittou-ryuu, was being so easily surpassed by a junior he had only crossed blades with once!
The ultimate counterattack, perfectly deflecting Kurogane Ikki's lightning rays every time.
"What an intense exchange! Since the Hagun Academy selection matches began, we've never seen such high-level sword technique combat! It's truly an eye-opener! But unfortunately, I can't understand it at all anymore. Yuri-chan, could you please explain?"
"Mhm! It's even more incredible than I imagined! Both their sword techniques are terrifyingly powerful, far surpassing my own. So what I'm seeing might not be entirely accurate... but Kurogane contestant is evolving rapidly!"
"Indeed, his speed seems to be increasing!"
"Not just that, the number of steps he's retreating is also decreasing... cough hack bleh!"
"Yuri-chan, hang in there! What does all this mean? I'm completely unable to understand!"
"Alright, I'll endure with sheer willpower!"
Oreki Yuri suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood at the commentary booth. His face grew even paler, but his expression burned with unprecedented intensity.
"Though I can't pinpoint how he's doing it, Contestant Nangou's counterattacks seem to be inflicting damage on Contestant Kurogane each time. That's why Kurogane keeps being forced to retreat. But after over a dozen exchanges, his retreats have shrunk from more than ten meters to less than five, proving he's gradually deciphering this technique, or perhaps his defensive strategy is evolving!"
"Is that how it is?"
"Are you asking me?"
"Isn't Kurogane Ikki kind of amazing?"
The crowd in the stands roared with excitement.
Ninety-nine percent of the spectators had completely lost track of the battle, and most of the rest were only vaguely following along. It was only thanks to Oreki Yuri's commentary that they finally grasped what was happening.
"This Sensei's got a keen eye!"
Nangou Torajirou squinted, his keen gaze fixed unblinkingly on the arena.
"To be precise, it's both. Kurogane is indeed on the verge of seeing through Ten'i Muhou, and his energy-dissipating technique is evolving as well, allowing him to continue fighting this long... Aiya, watching them reminds me of when the Old Man and Ryouma were young and brimming with vigor! Ngu-haha!"
"To my shame, I can no longer comprehend their sword techniques," Shinguuji Kurono admitted with a wry smile, his expression filled with admiration.
"Eh? Kuu-chan, you can't understand it either?" Saikyou Nene sat regally in her chair, blinked, and suddenly broke into a radiant smile.
"Hahaha, actually, this one can't understand it either!"
Ordinary students couldn't even follow the battle's trajectory anymore.
Even though they could still follow the flow of the battle, they could no longer comprehend the sword techniques being exchanged.
"Hahaha, perfectly normal!" Nangou Torajirou roared with hearty laughter.
"To be honest, even Old Man is struggling to keep up! These two brats' sword techniques have nearly surpassed Old Man's and Ryouma's!"
"They've actually reached that level?" Shinguuji Kurono couldn't help but be deeply moved.
"Wait a minute... Didn't Little Junior Brother start learning the sword just a few months ago?" Saikyou Nene blurted out, unable to contain her shock.
"To be precise, it's been about four months," Nangou Torajirou replied with a grin.
"Four months?!" Shinguuji Kurono's eyes widened in disbelief, his face conveying utter astonishment. Don't tell me you're joking!
"Four months," Nangou Torajirou confirmed, his smile unwavering.
"Just as the Old Man always said, this little whelp would surpass Xiao Ai sooner or later!"
Ryoji was his favorite disciple.
For him, he had been running around tirelessly for years.
Moreover, Ryoji was also the disciple he held in highest regard!
His innate talent was unparalleled in the world!
His mental fortitude was unwavering!
With such gifts, surpassing Saikyou Nene was inevitable!
Surpassing the world's strongest was only a matter of time!
"...Haha, Kurogane has truly gone up against an extraordinary opponent!"
Shinguuji Kurono let out a dry, awestruck laugh.
In her eyes now, Ryoji on the arena was no longer the weak Student Knight she remembered, but the future world's strongest!
'So, throwing the match against him back then was actually quite a legendary tale!'
She suddenly felt that her defeat before the start of the school term had been rather romantic.
Whether Kurogane Ikki facing this guy was fortune or misfortune... who could say?
"That pig over there seems to be trembling now?"
Saikyou Nene glanced sideways at the figure below.
The short, stout man named Mamoru Akaza had been eavesdropping on their entire conversation. His face was now a mask of panic and unease.
'Four months?'
'His sword technique already surpasses the Great Hero Kurogane Ryouma's?'
He had merely completed a routine Quest. How could he have been so unfortunate as to encounter such a monstrous, once-in-a-millennium prodigy?
Clang!
His cane slipped unconsciously from his grasp and clattered to the ground. Mamoru Akaza frantically bent down to retrieve it, but found he couldn't lift it no matter how hard he tried.
His hands were trembling violently.
"Let's put the pig aside for now," Shinguuji Kurono said, casting a contemptuous glance at the red-skinned pig. A cruel smirk played on his lips as he turned his attention back to the ongoing match.
"Don't you find it odd? Why is Kurogane Ikki repeatedly using the Lightning Ray technique? His speed is indeed increasing, but that's completely ineffective against Ryoji, isn't it?"
For Ryoji, who possessed Absolute Speed, speed was the least threatening thing imaginable.
"No, Kurogane-kun has thought this through carefully," Nangou Torajirou said, shaking his head with unusual seriousness.
"This is indeed his best strategy against that brat!"
"Is that so?" Shinguuji Kurono exclaimed, astonished.
'I've fought Ryoji myself. How could I not know that speed could defeat him?'
"However, whether this tactic will succeed ultimately depends on what happens next," Nangou Torajirou said, his expression grim.
Using this strategy against Ryoji was undoubtedly the best approach. But whether Kurogane-kun's plan would succeed hinged entirely on his own raw strength!
In the arena, as Kurogane Ikki gradually saw through Ayatsuji Ittou-ryuu, Ryoji abruptly shifted his style.
One blade strike after another!
The sword flashes surged forward like a torrential storm, moving with blinding speed that blurred the eye.
"Completely flawless!"
Kurogane Ikki struggled desperately to defend.
(End Of This Chapter)
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