Volume 6
Chapter 15
"He really went and did it..."
Mars's monologue
echoed in the silence. But there was no one who could reply to his words.
Everyone was at a loss for words at the indescribable scene in front of them.
What they were staring at in the dominant silence was the center of the arena.
Only the two swordsmen were standing there. Countless metal fragments were
scattered at their feet. They were the shattered pieces of the tower shield
that had been pierced and crushed by Nozomu's "Core Pierce."
Mars recalled the
powerful thrust Nozomu had unleashed earlier. Since Nozomu had little Ki, he
thought it was probably a technique like Phantom that efficiently dealt damage
with little Ki, but even so, the killing power was terrifying.
"Irisdina... Have
you ever seen that technique before?"
"No, I haven't.
But I remember that stance..."
Irisdina recalled the
time when Nozomu, who was being deceived by Tiamat, had turned his blade on
them. She remembered that when Tima had activated "Sand Castle Wall"
to block Nozomu's fierce attacks, he had a similar stance.
"Nozomu was in
that state at that time, so if he had unleashed his current technique..."
It was able to pierce
Jihad's tower shield even with the Ability Suppression state. If he had
unleashed that technique in the state of Ability Suppression release, they
might not have even left behind a single piece of flesh.
"It's a little
late to say this, but we were really in danger..."
"Y-yeah, it seems
so..."
Mars and Tima said
that with trembling voices. The other friends also didn't say anything, but
they were now recalling what had happened back then and breaking into a cold
sweat.
***
Unaware that his
friends were shaking in fear at the killing power of his Core Pierce, which
they might have taken a hit from, Nozomu was just looking straight ahead. In
his line of sight was the great man in the silver armor. Was it because he had
taken a direct hit from the Core Pierce that had pierced the tower shield? The
greatsword he was holding up had countless scratches on it, and cracks could be
seen all over it. Amidst the scattered remnants of Ki, Jihad, who was holding
up the greatsword, slowly lowered his hand.
What was revealed was
Jihad, who was completely unharmed and looked perfectly calm.
"I knew
it..."
Nozomu muttered to
himself as he looked at Jihad's unharmed face. He wasn't surprised that Jihad
was unharmed. He had indeed caught him off guard, but with the shield and
greatsword in between, it would have been difficult to pierce through his
opponent's defense. "Core Pierce" would lose its penetrating power
when the Ki blade exploded. In fact, the Ki blade that Nozomu had thrust had
exploded just before it hit the greatsword that Jihad had held up.
However, the
greatsword had suffered serious damage from the Core Pierce. The Ki blade that
had exploded at close range had deeply gouged the blade of the greatsword. It
was probably no longer usable.
"The shield was
pierced, and the sword was crushed. I must be getting senile."
Jihad dropped the
greatsword, whose blade had been ruthlessly gouged. The greatsword that fell to
the ground broke in two with a high-pitched "clink," as if it had reached
its limit.
Jihad, who looked
apologetic at the shattered greatsword, suddenly looked down at the armor he
was wearing.
"And it's been a
while since this armor was scratched."
With a wry smile on
his face, Jihad stroked his armor. The sound of his nails catching on something
reached his ears. If he looked closely, there was a small scratch on his white
armor made of mithril silver. It was a scratch made by the scattered Ki blade
when Nozomu's Core Pierce had exploded.
"I didn't expect
to be pushed this far..."
Jihad himself probably
hadn't expected to have his weapon shattered and his prized armor scratched by
a student. In fact, all the classmates around them, with the exception of
Irisdina and the others, seemed to be completely out of it.
That being said, Jihad
was saying that in an impressed tone, but Nozomu felt like saying, "You're
unharmed, what are you talking about?"
"This is just
ridiculous..."
Nozomu muttered that
in a bitter tone. It was a Ki technique that could be called his finishing
move. And he had used three different types of techniques in a row. If Jihad was
able to endure all that without a single scratch, even Nozomu was a little
discouraged. On top of that, perhaps because he had used up so much Ki in the
battle so far, he was starting to feel the effects on his body, and he was
beginning to feel a sense of fatigue.
He cursed in his
heart, "Couldn't you at least have a single scratch on your face?!"
but he gave up, thinking that this was what a monster of a Master's class was
like.
"If this can't
stop you, I guess I'll have to respond in kind..."
With those words,
Jihad glanced to the side. The moment Nozomu noticed what he was looking at, a
shiver ran down his spine.
"!"
Nozomu was urged by
the sense of danger he felt and suppressed the fatigue he was feeling in his
body and lunged at Jihad. The current Jihad had nothing that could be used as a
weapon. But that didn't mean he had no weapons in this place.
"Haaaah!"
Nozomu's slash, filled
with a sharp shout, attacked Jihad. What Jihad had been looking at was his
original partner, the giant sword "Jaw Breaker." Nozomu swung his
katana to prevent his opponent from picking up his weapon.
But the moment it
seemed that his katana would hit Jihad's body, Jihad's figure disappeared from
Nozomu's sight.
"What?!"
Nozomu let out a
surprised voice at his slash that had cut through empty air. He lost sight of
Jihad for a moment. Just as he was about to search for Jihad's presence, a dark
shadow covered his vision.
"! Above?!"
Nozomu, who had
immediately figured out where Jihad had gone to, suddenly looked up. There, he
saw Jihad, who had literally jumped toward the sky. He had leaped over Nozomu's
head and was heading straight for his partner.
"Damn it! This is
bad!"
Nozomu was momentarily
captivated by the impossible leap of a person who should have been wearing a
full suit of armor. But he immediately regained his composure, and as he turned
around, he swung his katana and shot a Ki blade at Jihad's landing spot. The
blade that flew through the air at an incredible speed landed with exquisite
timing at the moment Jihad was about to land.
"...Didn't work,
huh?"
But Nozomu's Ki blade
did not hit Jihad's body. The timing of the Ki blade was indeed in perfect sync
with Jihad's landing. However, he had grabbed the handle of the Jaw Breaker
before landing and had then hidden his body behind the giant sword while
flowing Ki into it. Nozomu's Phantom, which could even cut through the
Ki-infused tower shield, was vainly scattered in front of the giant sword that
was made specifically for Jihad.
"Hmm, your
response is quick as expected."
Jihad said in an
impressed tone as he casually pulled the Jaw Breaker out of the ground. He
lightly swung the giant sword as if to check its condition. That alone was
enough to make the wind pressure push against Nozomu's body.
"...Mmhmm."
With just that one
word, Jihad's Ki spread to the tip of the giant sword. The Jaw Breaker, which
had been stuck in the ground like a mere spectator, became a clear participant
in this battle at that moment.
Jihad's gaze was
directed at Nozomu. His sharp eyes, like those of a raptor, and the Jaw Breaker
in his hand, hit Nozomu with a much more intense sense of pressure than before.
The sword Ki from Jihad was incomparable to before. A cold sweat ran down
Nozomu's back.
Jihad slowly raised
the greatsword in his hand. The giant mass, which even a strong Cyclops would
probably not be able to lift, was swung by a single human hand. That sight was
enough to make even Nozomu, who was the closest to him, go blank for a moment.
"...Hmph!"
Jihad let out a small
breath and activated Flash Step. Jihad's speed as he charged straight at Nozomu
was so fast that it was hard to believe he was carrying such a giant sword.
"!"
Jihad, who had Nozomu
in his range, swung the giant sword down from above his head. Urged by the
sense of danger that ran down his spine, Nozomu instinctively jumped to the
side and got out of the Jaw Breaker's trajectory. Fortunately, Nozomu's evasion
was successful by a hair's breadth.
Jihad's greatsword,
which had cut through empty air, was slammed into the ground. The next moment,
an impact with a "thud" and a roar reverberated throughout the arena.
"Whoa!?"
The dust cloud that
was kicked up by the impact swallowed Nozomu and blocked his vision.
"This is...
bad..."
Nozomu, who had lost
sight of Jihad, desperately tried to calm his mind, which was about to be
swallowed by anxiety, and searched for his opponent's presence. It would be
extremely dangerous if he were to be attacked by that greatsword now.
"Hah..."
Nozomu, who could
barely see anything around him, quietly let out a breath and paid attention to
the slightest changes in his surroundings. The flow of the wind that the hair
on his skin felt, the sound of the ground he was stepping on, the subtle
changes in the dust cloud that was in his sight. He used all the techniques he
had cultivated in that forest to search for Jihad's presence.
"............"
Nozomu stood there
without moving a muscle, with his katana in a stance. He didn't move his center
of gravity at all, and while feeling his katana, which was slowly becoming
heavy in his arm, he waited for the moment his opponent would move. Time passed
with neither of them moving at all.
And the moment
Nozomu's foot, which was planted on the ground, made a slight sound on the
gravel, the wind moved. The sound of metal clashing reached Nozomu's ears from
behind. The next moment, a powerful Ki erupted from behind him. And then, he
sensed the presence of something roaring and approaching from the side.
"!"
Nozomu instinctively
crouched down so low that his body was almost touching the ground, and a huge
mass of steel passed right over his head. The air that was torn apart ruffled
and messed up Nozomu's hair.
"This guy!"
A cold sweat ran down
Nozomu's forehead in the face of the crushing pressure. A single blow from the
giant sword, which was swung with a huge amount of mass. Nozomu, who was under
the effects of Ability Suppression, was no longer even allowed to clash with
it.
Then...
"Haaaaah!"
Nozomu immediately
took another step forward in the face of Jihad's tearing attack. No, he
instantly understood that if he didn't counterattack, he would be swallowed. He
imbued his katana with a sharpened Ki blade and slashed at Jihad. Since he was
inferior in physical ability, it was difficult for Nozomu to escape from
Jihad's attack range. However, unlike their previous clash, it was also
impossible for him to offensively deflect his opponent's sword strikes. So,
even if it meant consuming his already small amount of Ki, he had no choice but
to counterattack so he wouldn't be swallowed by Jihad's momentum.
"Hou!"
Jihad let out an
impressed voice at Nozomu, who had stepped forward even in the face of his
original sword strike. Most opponents would flinch at the overwhelming pressure
of the Jaw Breaker, and most would lose their will to fight after witnessing
its power. But Nozomu counterattacked without a moment's hesitation. Even if he
knew that was his only option. How many people could actually do that?
While a smile formed
on his lips, Jihad pulled back the giant sword he had just swung and held it up
like a shield. The next moment, Jihad's Jaw Breaker received Nozomu's slash,
which was imbued with a Ki blade. Nozomu's "Phantom -Clad-," which
could even cut through steel, was deflected with a high-pitched sound. The
greatsword that had received the slash was not even scratched.
"Damn it!"
Nozomu cursed at the
Jaw Breaker's unreasonable toughness and continued to swing his katana.
Nozomu's blade, imbued with Ki, drew a trail of light as it slashed at Jihad's
greatsword two, three times. But in front of the Jaw Breaker, which had an
extraordinary weight and toughness, and was also imbued with Jihad's immense
amount of Ki, Nozomu's slashes were just repeatedly deflected in vain.
Even so, Nozomu
continued to swing his katana to restrain Jihad's movements. He had no choice
but to keep swinging.
"Hmm, your
concentration is also extraordinary. To be able to maintain a Ki blade of this
level for such a long time..."
Jihad said with a
smile on his face as he looked at Nozomu from behind his greatsword. But Jihad
immediately tightened his relaxed expression.
"Hmph!"
"What?!"
Jihad chose one of
Nozomu's slashes and deflected the swung blade with his Ki-imbued gauntlet.
Normally, no one would think of deflecting a blade that could easily cut
through steel with their bare hands. If he made even the slightest mistake in
timing, his arm might be severed. But Jihad's immense Ki and precise judgment
made that possible. Jihad's target was the side of Nozomu's katana. Blades, by
nature, are difficult to cut through an object without aligning the blade's
edge.
Nozomu's movements
faltered for a moment at the unbelievable event that had just occurred in front
of his eyes. The next moment, Jihad's fist was slammed into Nozomu's face.
"Gah!?"
Nozomu was punched
away. A pain like being struck by lightning ran through his cheek, and his
vision was filled with white. At the same time, Nozomu's back went cold from
the huge sense of pressure that was closing in on him.
"Kuh!"
A black mass filled
Nozomu's blurry vision from the pain. Urged by the sense of danger that was
ringing like an alarm in his head, Nozomu kicked the ground with his foot and
jumped backward from the spot.
Immediately afterward,
Jihad's greatsword passed in front of him with a roar. If he had been even a
little slower in jumping back, Nozomu's body might have been crushed into a
pathetic sandwich on the ground by the Jaw Breaker.
"Huff, huff,
huff..."
Nozomu had somehow
managed to evade the attack, but his breathing was already quite ragged. His Ki
was getting closer to its limit. His low stamina, due to his Ability
Suppression, was beginning to show.
"It's about time.
I should say you held on well, but it seems you're close to your limit."
"Ugh...!"
A veteran warrior
would not miss such an opening. The Jaw Breaker, which was larger than his own
height, attacked Nozomu in a continuous series of strikes. Jihad, with his
extraordinary muscle strength and Ki, and the immense experience he had
cultivated on the battlefield, was able to deliver a series of attacks with the
Jaw Breaker, which was not made for such attacks. He used the huge mass and inertia
of the giant sword and treated his own body as part of the sword. Even if he
slammed the sword into the ground, he would gouge out the ground and forcefully
continue his attack. Jihad continued to swing the Jaw Breaker, twisting his
muscles all over his body, sometimes like a beast and sometimes like a graceful
dance.
On the other hand,
Nozomu's movements were clearly slower than they had been in the first half.
His Ki was decreasing, and along with it, he was feeling a sense of fatigue,
and his body was becoming less responsive. Even so, Nozomu desperately
continued to dodge the fatal blows, as they were still incredibly powerful
attacks being swung at an unbelievable speed.
"Damn it!
Gah!?"
And every time Jihad's
greatsword gouged out the ground, the scattered rocks were slammed into
Nozomu's body.
"Huff, huff...
Ugh!?"
Nozomu's expression
was twisted in pain. Even so, he was focusing all of his attention on the
greatsword in front of him. While groaning in pain, he continued to move his
body with all his might. Nozomu was on the verge of his limit.
"Huff, huff,
huff..."
The rapid consumption
of Ki was pushing Nozomu to his limit all at once. Nozomu's breathing was
becoming ragged. The Ki blade imbued in his katana was also wavering like a
heat haze. Nozomu, who was beginning to run out of Ki for body enhancement, was
truly like a candle in the wind. And finally, his limit arrived.
"What?!"
Suddenly, the strength
in his knees gave out, and he lost his balance. Nozomu's body was swaying. And
before he knew it, a black mass was closing in on him.
"Ugh!?"
Nozomu instinctively
broke his already crumbling posture and rolled on the ground, passing under the
greatsword. The next moment, Jihad's Jaw Breaker roared as it passed over
Nozomu's head. While feeling the gust of wind from the swung greatsword all
over his body, Nozomu somehow managed to get up and tried to raise his katana.
However, the moment
Nozomu looked up, Jihad's fist was deeply buried in his abdomen.
"Ugh! Gah!?"
Nozomu's eyes widened,
and a silent scream escaped from his mouth. Nozomu's body was lifted up for a
moment by the impact to his abdomen. And then, Jihad slammed and released the
Ki in his fist. The Ki that had exploded at close range sent Nozomu's body
flying.
Nozomu, who was flying
through the air, was slammed into the ground multiple times before finally
stopping when he hit the magical barrier at the edge of the field.
"Gah, ah,
ugh..."
Nozomu lay face down
on the ground. While groaning, he tried to put strength into his arms to get
up. But his trembling arms, like those of a newborn fawn, were not listening to
his will.
"Huff, huff,
huff..."
Nozomu somehow managed
to get up, but the next moment, a torrent of Ki, more powerful than ever
before, erupted in the field.
"What?!"
What Nozomu saw with
an expression of astonishment was Jihad, who was holding up his greatsword and
glaring at him. His feet, which were planted on the ground, were shattering the
ground, and the bulging muscles all over his body were making a cracking sound
inside his mithril armor. And a massive amount of Ki, which made Nozomu's Ki
seem like a poppy seed, was being poured into the raised Jaw Breaker, making it
emit a blinding light.
"!"
The moment he saw that
sight, Nozomu's instincts let out a clamorous warning. Nozomu's heart was
beating like a drum from the tension. The Ki that was concentrated in Jihad's
raised greatsword was so high that it seemed like it was about to explode at
any moment.
Nozomu, in the face of
this clearly abnormal sight, tried to put all his strength into both of his
feet and jump away from the spot.
"Ah..."
However, Nozomu's legs
refused to move against his will, and he collapsed to the ground in a crouching
position. And then, Jihad swung down the Jaw Breaker.
Ki Technique, One
Slash.
It was Jihad's only
self-named Ki technique. A giant Ki blade, large enough to completely cover his
large body as a heavy warrior, was unleashed at Nozomu. It was a simple single
slash that just imbued Ki into the sword and swung it down. However, the
attack, imbued with an abnormal amount of Ki, changed such a simple slash into
a supreme one. The Ki blade, which was as if to say that unnecessary tricks
were not needed, charged straight ahead, pulverizing anything in its path. That
Ki blade held a power that surpassed even Tima's full-power magic.
"This is
bad!?"
The moment the Ki
blade was unleashed, Nozomu knew that it was impossible to completely evade it.
Even if he could move, it might have been impossible to endure it without a
scratch. The "One Slash" that was coming straight at him was
surrounded by excess Ki that had leaked from the Ki blade itself and a vacuum
blade created by the swing of the greatsword. Even if he could dodge the Ki
blade itself by a hair's breadth, he would still be cut apart by the Ki
swirling around the Ki blade and the vacuum blade.
"Kuh!?"
Even so, Nozomu tried
to somehow escape from the effective range of "One Slash." There was
no time to think about the consequences anymore. Nozomu began to concentrate
his remaining Ki into both of his feet.
"Ugh,
gah..."
The act of squeezing
out his little remaining Ki was putting a burden on Nozomu's body. He gritted
his teeth and desperately endured the sudden dizziness.
But it was too late.
The Ki blade that was closing in on him filled his entire vision. And the next
moment, an impact wave hit Nozomu, who had thrown himself onto the ground to
get even a little bit away from the Ki blade, and sent his body flying into the
air.
***
Everyone was staring
at the scene in front of them with disbelieving eyes. A single deep scratch was
carved into the field. The massive Ki blade had pierced through the magical
barrier that was set up on the field and had hit the arena's magical barrier.
Although no one was injured thanks to the arena's magical barrier, an impact
like an earthquake ran through the spectator seats. Countless cracks had
appeared in some parts of the Martial Arts Garden's spectator seats. And near
the scratch carved into the ground, there was Nozomu, who had been sent flying
and slammed into the ground.
"Ah..."
A dry voice escaped
from Lisa's mouth as she looked at his body, which was lying face down and not
moving a muscle. Her eyes were wide open, and her face was pale. Lisa's body
felt incredibly cold, but her heart was beating incredibly fast. Eventually, a
red stain spread on the ground where Nozomu was lying. Everyone immediately
knew that it was blood flowing from his body.
"A- ah..."
Her father's death
came back to Lisa's mind. Her mind went blank, and her body was frozen like a
wax doll.
"I-I have to help
him!"
"Lisa!?"
Camilla let out a surprised
voice at Lisa, who had suddenly started to panic. But Lisa couldn't hear her
voice. Lisa, who had completely forgotten what she had felt toward Nozomu until
now, was trying to run out in a fluster.
If I don't go
quickly, he'll die!
That was the only
thought in her heart.
However, the leg that
Lisa was about to take a step with was stopped the moment she took a step
forward.
"Nozomu!"
"Mimuru! Hurry
and get Norn-sensei!"
Irisdina's and Shina's
screams, which were more like shouts, pierced Lisa's ears. In her eyes, the
figures of Irisdina and the others were charging toward Nozomu.
"Ah..."
A voice escaped from
Lisa's mouth by mistake. The sound of it held a certain sense of loneliness and
emptiness.
***
On the other hand,
Irisdina and the others, who were trying to rush to the fallen Nozomu, were
blocked by the magical barrier that was set up on the field.
"Inda-sensei!
Hurry and open the barrier!"
"I know. Just
wait a little."
While being hurried by
Irisdina, Inda quickly ran her fingers across the magical barrier's control
panel and tried to release the barrier. Irisdina and Shina, who wanted to rush
to Nozomu immediately, were impatiently waiting for the barrier to be released
right next to it. Next to them was Norn-sensei, who was with Mimuru and the
others.
Was he okay? A groan
from Nozomu reached the ears of Irisdina and the others, who had hardened their
faces in tension. And what they saw was Nozomu, who was trying to get up
despite being covered in blood.
"Ouch!"
"...What?!"
Nozomu, who was
swaying but still standing on his own feet, made everyone in the arena unable
to look away. The clothes Nozomu was wearing were stained red in various places
from the bleeding all over his body. In particular, his forehead was cut quite
deeply, and a steady stream of red blood was still flowing from it.
"Even though I
missed, you shouldn't be able to move so quickly..."
Jihad's muttering
echoed in the silent arena. He had not hit Nozomu with the massive Ki blade of
his Ki technique "One Slash." That was because it was a Ki technique
that was too powerful to be used on a single person. The Ki blade had passed Nozomu's
side and had only served to blow his body away.
However, with a Ki
technique of this level, the aftershocks alone were more than enough to cause
damage. The vacuum blade that was attached to the Ki blade would also inflict a
certain amount of damage on the opponent. A normal person would not have been
able to stay conscious after taking that hit.
But Nozomu's danger
detection ability, which had been honed to the point of being called an
instinct, was able to move his body precisely even in the realm of reflexes
where there was no room for thought. In that short amount of time, Nozomu had
forcefully squeezed his body into the gap of the vacuum blade that was attached
to Jihad's One Slash. And the movements he had learned by heart minimized the
impact when he was sent flying and slammed into the ground.
"But you're
really tenacious. Even though I missed, I swung my sword with a considerable
amount of seriousness..."
"Huff,
huff..."
Jihad's words were a
mixture of surprise and exasperation, but Nozomu didn't have the luxury to
reply. It was due to the effects of the rapid consumption of Ki on his body.
Even though he wasn't deeply wounded, the blood in his body was slowly being
lost. His vision was becoming dark and narrow, and he couldn't hear well. In
fact, Nozomu had not been able to hear what Jihad had just said very well.
"The mock battle
is over. Jihad-dono, and Nozomu Bountis, please sheath your swords."
When Inda announced
that the mock battle was over, the underclassmen, who had been captivated by
the battle, let out a big sigh. They must have been completely engrossed in the
fight. That's how intense the fight was.
"............"
But even after hearing
Inda's announcement, Jihad was still looking at Nozomu without sheathing his
Jaw Breaker. Nozomu was also not taking his eyes off Jihad. While clutching his
blood-stained sheath, he slowly sheathed the katana he had in his right hand
and took a low stance.
"Nozomu Bountis!
The mock battle is over, retreat!"
Inda's scolding voice
echoed through the arena, but Nozomu couldn't hear her. Nozomu, who had an
outstanding concentration to begin with, had all of his senses focused on the
formidable opponent who was standing in front of him. Furthermore, the current
Nozomu was in an extreme state due to the rapid consumption of Ki. It was no
wonder he couldn't hear Inda's voice.
Even if he had heard
her, Nozomu might not have retreated. It wasn't because of the injuries he had
just sustained. In his training with his Master, getting beaten up was a
regular occurrence. He had been in life-threatening situations more than once
or twice, like having his joints dislocated or being left alone in a forest
infested with magic beasts.
But more than
anything, Nozomu didn't want to run away here and now. The things he had been
turning away from were not just Lisa and Ken. He had also been turning away
from this academy itself. That might have unconsciously made him hesitate to
use his Ki techniques. Even if he hadn't used them in a mock battle, he could
have fired them at scarecrows or other targets, and people could have gotten an
idea of how skilled he was.
But now that he had
decided to face Lisa and the others, he had to face this academy again. If that
was the case, he should stand proudly until the very end.
In Nozomu's eyes, he
saw the invisible chains that were wrapped around his body. He clenched those
chains once, but slowly let go. He could indeed fight Jihad if he released his
Ability Suppression. But Nozomu had no intention of releasing that power here
and now.
Outside the field,
Irisdina and the others were watching him with worried looks. While feeling
sorry for making them worry, Nozomu's heart was clear. Even though he was
manipulated by Tiamat, they were still accepting him, who had turned his blade
on them. That alone was enough to make power well up from the depths of
Nozomu's body.
The techniques he had
cultivated and the feelings he had received from the people who had supported
him. The way to repay them was not to use the violent power he had hidden
within him. At least not now.
Nozomu looked at Jihad
with the feeling of putting all of his feelings into a single katana.
"I see, it seems
your will to fight has not faded..."
Perhaps having
understood Nozomu's intention, Jihad casually held up his greatsword. With that
as a signal, Nozomu charged at Jihad all at once.
"Wait,
wait!"
Nozomu shook off
Inda's restraint and charged straight at Jihad. His speed was even slower than
before. It was because his body was not being enhanced by Ki. He couldn't even
waste a drop of his Ki now. He couldn't use any more Ki until the moment he
unleashed his final attack.
Jihad swung the
greatsword he was holding, as if to brush away the swaying Nozomu.
"Hmph!"
The greatsword, which
was swung to match Nozomu's charge, completely caught his body. Nozomu, who was
already at his limit, was swaying as he ran and looked like he was about to
collapse. On top of that, in a state where he couldn't use Ki, there was no way
he could use "Flash Step -Curving Dance-" to dodge Jihad's attack,
and Nozomu couldn't deflect Jihad's Jaw Breaker.
As everyone saw a
future where Nozomu would be blown away, he forcefully leaned his upper body
forward and threw himself forward with the momentum of his charge. The blade of
the greatsword that was closing in on him grazed Nozomu's hair. Nozomu, who had
successfully slid under the Jaw Breaker that had been swung at the last
possible moment, snipped the koiguchi
of his katana as if to show it to Jihad. At the same time, he slammed Ki into
his katana and compressed it to the limit.
The moment the
slightly peeking blade of his katana became imbued with light, Jihad
immediately pulled back the greatsword he had just swung and held it up like a
shield. In their previous clash, Nozomu's Ki blade, which boasted an
extraordinary sharpness, was deflected by the Jaw Breaker, which was imbued
with Jihad's immense Ki. And Jihad had also seen through that Nozomu's Ki was
already at its limit.
This was the end.
Jihad crouched down, intending to take all of Nozomu's attacks and let him give
it his all.
"Now, come! Show
me everything you have!"
Jihad's voice echoed.
Nozomu used the momentum of his slide to get up. Nozomu had Jihad in his range.
And the moment it seemed that Nozomu's blade would be drawn.
"Hmm?!"
Nozomu slammed his
fist, not his Ki-imbued katana, into the greatsword. The unexpected sight made
everyone in the Martial Arts Garden, including Jihad, widen their eyes. He
slammed his right hand, which had been on the handle of his katana, into it,
and then swung his left hand upward as if to strike it up. Furthermore, he
twisted his body with that momentum and delivered a roundhouse kick. Not only
that, but he also used every part of his body like a weapon, such as elbow
strikes and palm strikes, and attacked Jihad in a fluid motion.
"Hoh, that's
splendid."
To the eyes of those
who were watching this battle, it looked like a single dance. Nozomu's fists,
which were unleashed like the wind, connected movements that were based on a
circle, going up, down, left, and right. There was no stagnation in his
movements, and there was no hesitation in his dance. To the eyes of Jihad, who
had seen countless warriors, Nozomu's dance also looked extraordinary.
"But you're too
weak."
Jihad was impressed by
Nozomu's martial arts itself, but he judged Nozomu's decision in this situation
to be a bad one. It was true that in such a close range, it was difficult to
swing a huge, super-heavy weapon like the Jaw Breaker. That was why he had
judged that Nozomu would put his little remaining Ki into his katana and
unleash its blade. But what he actually unleashed was his own fists.
Considering that Nozomu's original weapon was a katana, he had clearly gotten
too close, even if he had approached him to deliver a more decisive blow.
"Did you make a
mistake in your judgment? Well, you're young. It can't be helped... What?"
Jihad, who had been
sighing while blocking Nozomu's fists, tilted his head at the strange feeling
his hand was conveying. The impact he had been feeling through his greatsword.
Although it was still weak, the impact was gradually getting stronger. The only
possible explanation was that Nozomu's attacks were gradually increasing in
power. But this attack was unnatural for Nozomu, who had used up so much Ki.
Jihad looked at
Nozomu, wondering what was going on, and saw Nozomu's figure, who was enveloped
in a swirling tail of light.
"This is magical
light... Could it be ritual martial arts?!"
Ritual martial arts.
It was a special magical technique that didn't belong to either the incantation
or the array formulas that were mainstream on this continent. It was a
technique that allowed for the manifestation of large-scale magic by making his
movements themselves a magical formula.
Ritual Martial Arts, Wheel
of Reincarnation.
The martial arts style
itself became a ritual magic, and it gathered the surrounding magic power to
endlessly apply enhancement magic to his body.
"...I see, I was
tricked."
Jihad judged that
Nozomu had intentionally taken another step closer from his katana's range to
use this technique. He had done so to block his opponent's attacks and buy time
for the ritual martial arts to be completed. The sparkling magical light, which
was like a fine snow, was very fantastical, and the sight of the magic power in
the arena swirling and converging on Nozomu was like diamond dust.
The strikes from
Nozomu that he felt through his greatsword were eventually becoming so powerful
that even Jihad couldn't ignore them. The light tapping sounds, like pebbles
being thrown at him, were now making a "thump, thump!" sound that
shook him to his core.
"But, that was a
close one."
However, Jihad's
expression was perfectly calm. Although the strikes had a considerable amount
of power, they were not enough to break through Jihad's defense. There was
nothing wrong with Nozomu's dance itself. The magic power that his body was
concentrating was on par with that of a first-class mage. But perhaps because
of the effects of Ability Suppression, the effect of the enhancement magic on
the gathered magic power was too low.
And Nozomu's dance,
which seemed like it would last forever, came to an end.
"Aaaaaah!"
With a sharp shout,
Nozomu twisted his upper body greatly and swung his roundhouse kick as if to
put all of his strength into it. This was Nozomu's last attack. If he could
block this, it would be over. Thinking that, Jihad instantly enhanced the Ki in
his entire body at the same time Nozomu twisted his body, and prepared for the
impact. Nozomu's leg, which was swung down, approached Jihad.
But Nozomu's leg was
not slammed into Jihad's greatsword, but into the ground at his feet.
"What!?"
The dust cloud that
was kicked up in front of him covered Jihad's vision. The moment Jihad's
concentration was broken, Nozomu took another step forward from the foot he had
planted on the ground. The two of them's gazes crossed at close range.
The magic power that
he had gathered with the ritual martial arts. Nozomu had put all of it into his
left hand. Compared to his Ki, which allowed for extraordinary control, Nozomu
was not very good at controlling magic power. His arm's skin tore and his
muscles were shredded from the excess magic power he couldn't control.
Even so, Nozomu
ignored the pain running through his arm and slammed his left hand into the Jaw
Breaker that Jihad was holding up with all his might, and at the same time,
released the magic power he had been holding back. The torrent of released
magic power swallowed Jihad's Jaw Breaker and finally lifted the rock-like
giant sword up.
"Nn!?"
Jihad's upper body was
now defenseless. This time, Nozomu snipped the koiguchi of his katana and was about to unleash a killing blow.
"Oooooooh!"
This was truly the
end. Nozomu released all of his remaining Ki and tried to draw his katana with
all his might. There was no way for Jihad, whose upper body was completely off
the ground, to dodge it. That's what should have happened.
"What?!"
The moment Nozomu was
about to draw his katana, Jihad's body was sent flying with a resounding
"bang!" Jihad had used the momentum of the torrent of magic power
that Nozomu had slammed into him to release the Ki he had been building up from
his feet. He had pushed his huge body diagonally backward all at once, as if to
escape from Nozomu's blade range. Nozomu's eyes widened at the impossible leap
of a person who was wearing a warrior's armor and was carrying such a
super-heavy weapon.
"Mm!"
Furthermore, Jihad
twisted his body in midair and slammed an immense amount of Ki into the Jaw
Breaker. And at the same time his body began to fall according to the wedge of
gravity, Jihad swung the Jaw Breaker down at Nozomu. The giant sword, enveloped
in a tearing light, fell like a comet from above Nozomu's head. Nozomu, who had
already stepped forward and was at his limit, had no energy left to endure the
"One Slash."
"Kuh!?
Ooooooooooooooooooh!!"
He couldn't block it
from the start. It was impossible to dodge it.
Then... he had no
choice but to meet it head-on.
He slammed highly
compressed Ki into his right foot and katana, and strengthened them to the
limit. Furthermore, he completely synchronized the Ki-based extreme
strengthening with the muscles of his entire body, as the movements were linked
from his knees to his hips.
Nozomu glared at the
attack, which was like a lightning bolt falling from the heavens and would make
all things submit, and he drew his katana all at once without backing down.
Ki Technique, Phantom
-Flash-
The unleashed blade instantly
clashed with the approaching greatsword. The unleashed "One Slash"
and "Phantom -Flash-" emitted a flash of light, dyeing the
surroundings pure white.
The next moment, along
with his vision turning black, Nozomu's consciousness was swallowed by the
darkness.
-----
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