Volume 4 Chapter 4.3
With the Strength of Our Bonds Part 3
Translator : PolterGlast
Unaware that his
friends were trembling with fear at the killing power of the [Core Piercing]
they were being exposed to, Nozomu simply let out a sigh of exasperation.
"He is unharmed,
huh?......"
Jihad emerged from the
dancing remnants of Qi and shattered pieces of metal. Although there were
numerous scratches and cracks on the greatsword in his hand, he himself has no
noticeable wounds.
Due to its nature, the
penetrating power of the [Core Piercing] was reduced when the Qi-Blade
exploded. In fact, Nozomu's[Core Piercing] exploded in front of the greatsword
raised by Jihad, and as a result, it was unable to penetrate his defenses.
"My shield was
pierced, and even my sword was shattered, huh? Looks like I'm getting
old."
Nevertheless, the
damage done to the greatsword was serious. The Qi-blade that exploded at close
range had deeply gouged its thick blade.
Jihad threw away the
greatsword, whose blade had been cruelly gouged out.
The blade, which had
reached its limit, snapped in half the moment it fell to the ground.
Jihad, who looked
apologetically at the now-shattered greatsword, suddenly looked down at the
armor he was wearing. The silver-white mithril armor had numerous scratches on
it caused by the aftermath of the [Core Piercing].
"Moreover, it's
been a while since someone scratched this armor to this extent."
With a wry smile on
his face, Jihad patted his armor. The clacking sound drifted through the quiet
Martial Arts Garden. Jihad himself probably did not expect to have his weapons
shattered and his armor scratched by a student. In fact, not only Irisdina and
the rest of her classmates, but also the distinguished guests in the spectator
seats, the upperclassmen, and even the teachers were not entirely prepared for
this outcome.
"I never expect
you to go this far......."
"Look, you're
totally unscathed, so what are you talking about? Aren't you being a little too
unreasonable?"
Nozomu, on the other
hand, was already using one of the most powerful techniques in his arsenal. He
had unleashed three different types of Qi-jutsu in a row, and yet Jihad was
able to survive unscathed. As expected, Nozomu was feeling a little depressed.
To make matters worse,
Nozomu had consumed a lot of Qi in the battle so far, and he was beginning to
feel a sense of weariness in his body.
He cursed in his mind
that it would be nice to at least inflict a scratch on his face, but then he remembered
that he was dealing with a master-class monster and let out another sigh.
"I'll have to
find a suitable weapon if this is the case......"
Jihad's gaze turned to
the huge black sword [Jaw Drop] that was thrust into the ground.
Shivers ran through
Nozomu's body. The sense of urgency that he felt in his body made him shake off
the weariness that enveloped his entire body, and he moved toward Jihad at
once. He then swung his katana without hesitation.
However, just when it
seemed that his katana would reach Jihad's body, his figure suddenly
disappeared from Nozomu's vision.
A flash cut through
the air.
"~, above,
eh!?"
Nozomu looked up and
saw Jihad literally leaping through the sky.
The destination of his
leap was his treasured sword.
For a moment, Nozomu
was transfixed by the impossible leap of a person wearing full body armor, but
quickly regained his composure and fired a Qi-blade toward Jihad's landing
point. The Qi-blade, which flew through the air, landed with perfect timing just
as Jihad was about to plant both feet on the ground.
"...... No good,
huh?"
However, Nozomu's
Qi-blade never caught Jihad's body. Although the timing was perfect, Jihad
grabbed the hilt of the [Jaw Drop] as soon as he landed, and slipped into the
shadow of the giant sword while pouring in his Qi.
The giant sword, which
has survived long battles alongside the heroes of past wars, easily repelled
Nozomu's [Phantom], which could easily cut through even steel, and stood tall
without a scratch on it.
"Hmm, you sure
are quick to react."
With an impressed
tone, Jihad haphazardly pulled the [Jaw Drop] from the ground and lightly swung
it as if to check its condition. With that alone, Nozomu felt the wind pressure
as if his body was being pushed.
"Alright."
The Qi went all the
way to the tip of the giant sword. At that moment, [Jaw Drop], which had been propped
up on the ground as if it were a spectator, became a definite participant in
this battle.
Jihad's gaze was
suddenly directed at Nozomu. His sharp eyes were reminiscent of a bird of prey
and along with the [Jaw Drop] in his hand struck Nozomu with a much stronger
sense of intimidation than before.
The fighting spirit
that incomparable to anything he had ever felt before. While cold sweat was
running down Nozomu's spine, Jihad suddenly lifted the giant sword in his hand.
The iron mass, which
was bigger than the user's height, was easily raised like a twig.
The scene was so
unrealistic that even Nozomu was momentarily taken aback.
"......Nnn!"
Jihad exhaled slightly
and activated his Flash Step. The speed of Jihad coming straight at Nozomu was
so fast that it was hard to believe that he was carrying such a gigantic sword.
The [Jaw Drop] was swung downward from overhead.
A sense of danger ran
down his spine, prompting Nozomu to jump to the side as quickly as he could.
The giant sword sliced
through the air and struck the ground with a thunderous impact. The impact was
transmitted throughout the arena with a deafening sound.
The pseudo-trees
shook, and a cloud of dust and smoke, blown up by the impact, engulfed Nozomu,
blocking his vision.
Having lost sight of
Jihad, Nozomu tried to focus his concentration and desperately tried to calm
his mind.
The flow of wind felt
by the hairs on his skin, the sound of the ground he stepped on, and the minute
changes in the dust and smoke reflected in his field of vision. Using all the
techniques he had cultivated in that forest, he searched for signs of jihad.
"............"
Without moving his
center of gravity at all and despite feeling his own katana, which was
gradually becoming heavier on his arm, Nozomu waited patiently for the moment
when his opponent would make a move.
Time passed quietly. A
buzzing sound rang in his ears.
The moment Nozomu's
foot on the ground slightly ruffled the scattered gravel, the wind shifted.
With the slight sound
of the earth being stomped on, a mighty Qi exploded behind him. Then, something
roared out and came at him from the side.
"Kuh!?"
Instantly, Nozomu
crouched so low that his body touched the ground.
Immediately after, a
huge iron mass passed over his head. The shredded air ruffled Nozomu's hair and
stirred it violently.
Nozomu looked up to
see Jihad wielding the huge iron block. A cold sweat broke out on his forehead
as he faced the crushing weight of the mass.
A blow swung with
enormous mass. A mere single strike made Nozomu, who was under the influence of
ability suppression, realize that he was not even allowed to confront it. Then
.......
"Haaaa!"
Despite facing Jihad's
crushing blows, Nozomu immediately took a step forward.
Given his inferior
physical capabilities, it would be impossible for him to escape from Jihad's
range of attack. However, it was also impossible for him to parry the blow as
he had done in the previous exchange of blows. If that were the case, he would
have no choice but to counterattack so as not to be swallowed up by his
opponent's momentum, even if it meant consuming what little Qi he had left.
"Hou~!"
Upon seeing Nozomu
step forward, Jihad's eyes lit up as he said, "As expected".
Most opponents falter
before the intimidation of [Jaw Drop] and lose their will to fight when they
witness its power.
But Nozomu, without
the slightest hesitation, struck back. How many people could actually do that,
even if they knew it was the only way?
With a smile on his
face, Jihad drew back the huge sword he had just swung and held it up like a
shield.
The huge black sword,
which had overcome hardships with him over the years, caught Nozomu's blade
unscathed.
"Damn it!"
Nozomu swung his blade
two or three times while swearing at the unreasonably sturdy[Jaw Drop].
Nozomu's blades,
infused with Qi, slashed at the giant sword, drawing trails of light, but the
[Jaw Drop], with its extraordinary weight and sturdiness, and also infused with
an enormous amount of Qi, repelled all of his attacks.
Still, Nozomu swung
his blade to stop Jihad from moving. He had no choice but to keep swinging.
"Hmm, I knew it
from our earlier exchange of blows, but your concentration is also
extraordinary by an order of magnitude. I didn't expect you to be able to
maintain this Qi-blade for such a long time...... mu!"
With a smile on his
face, Jihad took a surprising action after he peeked at Nozomu through the huge
sword he had raised. Nozomu's slashes kept on coming forth. In the midst of
these, Jihad chose one among Nozomu's many slashes and repelled it with a
Qi-infused palm strike. The powerful impact almost made Nozomu drop his katana.
(Ugh...... Is
this Steel Body Technique!?)
[Qi-jutsu・Steel Body Technique]. A Qi-jutsu that repels the
opponent's attack with reinforcement and impact by using Qi.
Jihad struck the side
of the blade, perhaps not wanting to risk being cut by the blade, but in the
normal course of events, one would not even think of using one's bare hands to hit
a blade that can easily cut even metal in two.
However, Jihad was
able to do so with the vast amount of Qi he possessed, his eyes and experience
on many battlefields, and his precise judgment. As Nozomu's eyes widened in
surprise, Jihad reached out, grabbed him by the chest, and threw him into the
air.
"Kuh!?"
Nozomu was left
defenseless in mid-air, and [Jaw Drop] swung right toward him.
With a spine-chilling
sense of intimidation, Nozomu frantically tensed every muscle and rotated his
body as the huge blade loomed in front of him. He then slammed his katana into
the side of the [Jaw Drop], as it was swung down with full force.
Sliding sideways due
to the recoil, Nozomu managed to escape the slashing trajectory of the giant
sword.
Immediately after, the
giant sword smashed into the ground, sending a shockwave that scattered in all
directions and blew Nozomu away.
"Ugh!"
Nozomu, without a
moment's pause after his successful hair's breadth avoidance, quickly stood up,
taking a defensive stance.
"Haa, haa,
haa......."
Rough breathing
escaped from his mouth. It was not from nervousness, but purely because his Qi
and body were approaching their limits.
"It's about time.
I should say that you've done very well, but it seems that you are nearing your
limit."
There was no way the
veteran warrior would have missed such an opportunity.
The [Jaw Drop], which
boasts of being bigger than Jihad's height, continuously attacked Nozomu.
There was nothing to
hold back now. Using the mass and inertia of the huge sword, he handled the
sword as if it were a part of his own body, and even if the sword slammed into
the ground, he would still be able to forcefully deliver a series of blows,
gouging out the ground as he did so.
This sword dance is
made possible by his extraordinary strength and Qi, as well as the vast
experience he has gained on the battlefield.
While Jihad wielded
the [Jaw Drop] sometimes like a beast, sometimes like a fluid dance, Nozomu's
movements were noticeably slower than in previous exchanges. His body was no
longer able to move freely. On the contrary, Jihad's slashes gained even more
momentum.
"Haa, haa......
kuh!"
Every time the huge
sword gouged out the ground, scattered stones and debris slammed into Nozomu's
body, and his breathing became ragged due to the rapid consumption of Qi. The
Qi-blade attached to the katana also began to flicker unsteadily like a
flickering torch.
Finally, his limit
arrived.
Suddenly, his knees
gave in, his body staggered, and his movements came to a halt. The next moment,
a huge black mass loomed in front of him.
"Kuh!"
Nozomu quickly threw
himself out of his crumpled position and rolled on the ground to duck under the
giant sword.
Jihad's [Jaw Drop]
passed above his head with a thunderous sound. Feeling the gust of wind that
the giant sword generated throughout his body, Nozomu managed to get to his
feet and tried to raise his katana.
But the moment Nozomu
looked upward, he saw Jihad's fist plunging deeply into his abdomen.
"Gaaah!"
Nozomu's eyes widened
and a muffled cry escaped his mouth.
The impact of the blow
to the abdomen caused Nozomu's body to momentarily lift off the ground.
Continuing on, Jihad infused his Qi into the striking fist and released it. The
Qi exploded in close proximity and blew Nozomu away.
Nozomu, who had blown
away through the air, was repeatedly slammed to the ground, and finally stopped
when he hit the magic barrier at the edge of the arena.
"Ga, ah, ugh
......."
Collapsing on his
face, grunting and groaning, Nozomu exerted himself with both arms in an
attempt to raise his body.
But against his will,
his arms trembled weakly like a newborn fawn.
"Haa, haa,
haa......"
He managed to raise
only his upper body, and his body was already at its limit. His breath was
ragged, and he could no longer even think properly.
And then, the worst
situation occurred.
A torrent of Qi
erupted in the arena like never before. Nozomu, with a look of shock plastered
on his face, saw Jihad staring at him with a huge sword raised in the air.
Both feet hammered
into the ground crushed it, and the bulging muscles of his entire body made a
creaking sound inside his mithril armor.
The huge sword he held
up was filled with an enormous amount of Qi that made Nozomu himself feel like
a grain of mustard, and it glowed with a dazzling light.
"!?"
Nozomu's instincts
rang a loud alarm, and his heart pounded so fast that it felt like it was about
to burst.
The Qi converging on
Jihad's huge sword, raised in the air, seemed to be surging as if it would
explode at any moment.
Faced with this
clearly abnormal sight, Nozomu put all the strength he had left into his legs
and tried to leap away from the place.
"Ah......."
However, Nozomu's legs
refused to move according to his will, and he fell to the ground, crouching in
place.
Then Jihad swung his
[Jaw Drop]. A huge Qi-blade, so huge that it completely enveloped Jihad's body,
especially for a heavy fighter, was released toward Nozomu.
[Qi-jutsu・Single Strike]
This is the only
technique that Jihad has named by himself. It is a simple strike of putting Qi
into the blade and swinging it down, but Jihad's strike with an extraordinary
amount of Qi transforms such a simple slash into an ultimate sword strike.
As if to say that no
need for any unnecessary tricks, the Qi-blade sped in a straight line, crushing
everything in its path into tiny pieces. It has a power that surpasses even
Tima's all-out magic.
"Crap......"
The moment the
Qi-blade was released, Nozomu knew that it was impossible to avoid it
completely.
The Qi-blade was
surrounded by surplus Qi leaked from the Qi-blade itself and a vacuum blade.
Even if he could avoid
the Qi-blade by a hair's breadth, he would still be torn apart by the swirling
Qi and the vacuum blades.
"Kuh!"
Even so, Nozomu tried
to resist, squeezing out his remaining Qi and focusing it on both legs in front
of the [Single Strike] that was already in front of him. He threw himself to
the ground, enduring the dizziness and weariness that assailed his entire body.
The next moment, a
shockwave struck him, blasting his body into the air.
‡
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