Then, as if to make Renya savor the fear, it advanced slowly, step by step…
"Elfie, stay back."
"Okay, got it. Leave the back support to me."
As Renya stepped forward, Elfaria moved back, switching places with him.
In Renya's empty right hand, as if materializing from the air itself, a single spear appeared and was gripped firmly.
This was one of Renya's Sacred Gears, "Demon Spear Creation."
It was a rare creation-type Sacred Gear, excelling in versatility and adaptability, capable of freely creating demon spears with any attribute, effect, or shape. In the hands of a skilled user, it displayed unparalleled strength, perfectly suited to Renya's fighting style.
Renya lowered his stance, gripping the spear with his right hand, placing his left hand on it as well, assuming a posture reminiscent of Cú Chulainn as he awaited the enemy.
Movement and stillness. It was when the distance between the two opposing forces had closed to ten meters.
Satsuki's figure vanished. The next instant, the combat magic insect was right before Renya's eyes. A speed that truly made one believe it had disappeared. It was God-Speed that would leave even a martial arts master exposed and defenseless.
However, Renya was now a spearman surpassing masters.
By the time Satsuki stepped into his range, Renya had already thrust his spear. Faster than the insect could get inside his guard, he intercepted the rising left fist.
A violent sound, unimaginable as merely a clash between blade and fist, echoed. A punch that equaled a thrust capable of piercing even a rocky mountain. Satsuki seemed to possess not only speed but also extraordinary power.
Starting with that single exchange of blows, the struggle between spear and fist continued.
As expected, Satsuki appeared to possess human-level intelligence, unleashing left and right punches from various trajectorieshigh, low, left, rightinterspersed with feints. A direct hit from those fists, carrying the force of the atmosphere itself, would undoubtedly break bones or send him flying dozens of meters.
Yet, Renya dodged every single one of these confusing, reality-blurring punches.
He wasn't fooled by the feints; he saw through the trajectories of the machine-gun-like punches, evading them with minimal movement, and deflected the unavoidable ones with a sweep of his spear. By focusing on defense, he was observing Satsuki's behavioral patterns.
However, Satsuki was a being in a class of its own compared to other insects... the ultimate combat magic insect.
In addition to its overwhelming attacking power, it possessed its own will and high intelligence. Furthermore, it combined movements more precise than any machine.
Extraordinary aggressive power, its own will, and high intelligence. Satsuki also boasted movements more precise than any machine.
That meant, just as Renya was observing its patterns by focusing on defense, Satsuki was also observing his patterns by aggressively attacking.
The change came suddenly and without warning.
Another downward right punch was dodged. At the same time, the clenched fist opened and grabbed Renya's left arm.
The hand's original function was to grasp. Satsuki had turned even its thrown punch into a feint, successfully capturing the young man.
It then began to apply force, attempting to crush his arm. Amidst the unpleasant grinding sound of bones, supposedly reinforced by magic, Renya, unable to use his spear at such close range, leaped and unleashed a kick aimed at crushing Satsuki's cheek with his right toe, but…
[You jumped, didn't you?]
That had been Satsuki's true aim.
To narrow Renya's options for counterattack, heighten the crisis of bone fracture, and rob him of time to think.
As a result, having been grabbed and then jumping, his movements were severely restricted.
A left hook swung through. Renya, struck on the cheek instead with a dull impact, was sent flying dozens of meters as Satsuki released his arm.
"Renya!"
Elfaria's worried cry, close to a scream.
However, Renya had tilted his head at the moment of impact to deflect the force, and being sent flying was also a way to secure distance to wield his spear.
Having minimized the damage, he got up and spat out the blood from a cut inside his mouth. He wasn't entirely unharmed, but the fact that his cheek and jaw weren't broken after taking Satsuki's punch was a testament to his masterful deflection technique.
Satsuki, for its part, had sensed the young man's safety at the moment of impact. Despite that, it didn't move from its spot, staring intently at Renya, but then suddenly opened its mouth.
At the same time, the aura around them trembled, and a high-pitched sound rang out.
The next instant, a flash of light was released from the depths of Satsuki's mouth.
Seeing this, Renya instantly moved to avoid whatever was coming. The errant flash scorched the ground diabolically, leaving a scar, and cut through thick standing trees in its path.
It was, in fact, a laser.
Wailing Flash.
It was ultrasonic waves amplified and focused within Satsuki's oral cavity. Transformed into a blade that could slice through any object, its sharpness might even surpass that of holy swords or demonic swords.
A laser made from focused ultrasonic waves. Indeed. That explained the strange sound. In other words, maintaining distance from Satsuki was also dangerous.
Yet, even witnessing this, Renya felt no fear. Without hesitation, he kicked off the ground and surged forward.
A footwork technique that compressed magical energy into his legs and detonated it to accelerateFlash Step.
A speed like a thunderclap, surpassing even Satsuki's reactions. By the time Renya transformed into a single bolt of lightning, he had already closed the distance and swung his spear.
But against the approaching silver gleam, Satsuki, in that instant, perceived the trajectory and attempted to escape.
However, the lightning-quick flash exceeded even the combat magic insect's speed, severing its right arm cleanly from the shoulder.
SLAASH!!
Even so, Satsuki's reaction speed was remarkable. It had managed to endure the thrust aimed at its center line by sacrificing one arm. If it had been any slower, it might have evaded completely.
"Damn it! You're supposed to be a mage, aren't you! Swinging around a barbaric weapon like that!"
At this, even the cursing rogue mage was breaking into a cold sweat. He couldn't see it at all, but even with Satsuki's speed, it couldn't completely evade that slash. It wasn't just magical reinforcement. The young man's pure spearmanship was also not to be underestimated.
Moreover, Renya seemed to have room to spare in terms of speed.
But, unconcerned with such things, someone else trembled with rage.
[Guh... You... bastard...! I'll kill you for making me look so pathetic in front of my master!!]
That someone was none other than Satsuki itself. Its gentlemanly tone shattered due to its loyalty to its master being wounded, its eyes glowing crimson red with fury.
[I'll kill you! I'll tear you to pieces, you damn brat!!]
Enraged, Satsuki stomped on its own severed right arm and kicked it towards Renya.
The young man, without using his spear, blocked it with a magical barrier and deflected it.
But that was only a trick. Its true aim was to charge the Wailing Flash. As Satsuki opened its mouth, the atmosphere trembled again, and the high-pitched sound rang out.
The next instant, a flash was released.
A laser of ultrasonic waves that could slice through all things. It seemed there was no way to deal with this except to run, but Renya stood his ground.
This made even the rogue mage question his sanity, thinking he had a death wish.
However, Renya naturally had no such intention. Facing the approaching flash, he held his spear horizontally, ready to receive it.
The spear, polished from tip to tip, was like hitting a mirror.
The laser, caught perfectly by the spear, was reflected back at Satsuki with a masterful movement. This left both Satsuki and the rogue wizard utterly astonished.
Even so, Satsuki, not wanting to be so pathetic as to be defeated by its own technique, snapped out of its astonishment and narrowly evaded the reflected flash.
However, the unexpected counterattack threw its stance completely off balance. Renya, closing in with the speed of a thunderbolt, approached, but…
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