You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
Ryoji cautiously attempted to make a new setting, choosing the Twin Wings' sword speed as the target he would surpass.
But shortly afterward…
"What?!" Ryoji was shocked.
'What was going on?'
The target was clearly right in front of him, and he had successfully set it several times before. So why had it failed this time?
That's right, the setting had failed!
The moment he decided to designate the Twin Wings as his target, his special ability suddenly failed to activate.
It wasn't due to a lack of magic power. He had already used it multiple times before, though the consumption was heavy, his reserves were definitely sufficient. The speed of the Twin Wings' sword hadn't exceeded the upper limit he could set.
The reason for the failure was that the target had disappeared!
Yes, even though the Twin Wings was standing right in front of him, it felt as though she were impossibly distant, making it completely impossible to designate her as a target!
It was as if she had slipped out of his setting.
She looked like she could be grasped, yet like a slippery eel, she effortlessly slipped free from his targeting, causing his special ability to fail naturally!
"Is this her Blazer's special ability? Did she use her ability to cancel out mine?"
Ryoji's expression turned extremely grave. The Twin Wings' swordsmanship was simply too powerful. Even world-class experts, using Noble Arts, could not overcome her blade. Because she could defeat any opponent with a single strike, people rarely paid attention to what kind of Blazer ability she possessed, resulting in her ability remaining completely unknown!
No one knew what her special ability was. Naturally, Ryoji didn't know either, and whether it had ever been explained in the original story, he had long since forgotten.
For now, he could only assume that her ability could negate others' abilities.
But if that was the case, then his situation had become dangerous.
Without his special ability, he was completely outmatched by Edelweiss in every aspect.
How could he possibly win?
Ryoji glanced at the Spiritual Item (Device) in his hand.
He slowly closed his eyes, his thoughts racing, and quickly decided on his next course of action.
"Not coming?" While he was thinking, the swordsman opposite him spoke again. "In that case, I'll restart the battle myself."
Boom!
She lightly tapped the ground beneath her foot, producing a crisp sound.
In an instant, Ryoji's hair stood on end. Without hesitation, he retreated several steps backward.
A moment later, he saw that the spot where he had been standing had already cracked like a spiderweb, fragments of concrete scattering everywhere.
"This is… vibrational force?"
Ryoji sucked in a sharp breath. If he hadn't retreated in time just now, he would likely have been seriously injured.
Transmitting force through the ground?
Could it be done like this?
Ryoji had always believed that to transmit vibrational force into an opponent's body, one had to make direct contact.
He had never imagined that someone could channel that force into the ground, then transmit it through the earth to strike an enemy dozens of meters away, using the ground itself as a medium.
It was unbelievable!
As expected, their levels of technique were on entirely different planes!
The gap between his swordsmanship and that of the Twin Wings wasn't just large, it was a difference of dimensions!
"No… don't be afraid!" Ryoji forced down the rising panic within him, rallying his courageous sword spirit.
Even he couldn't help but feel fear when facing such a terrifying swordsman.
"I'm already sick of being weak. And if I want to become the strongest, I must surpass her, so there's only one thing I need to do!"
Ryoji took a deep breath, and his gaze sharpened once more.
Fear wouldn't solve anything. If he wanted to defeat the powerful enemy before him, his spirit could not bend.
"Third move, Flowing Light and Overflowing Color!"
Summoning all his courage, Ryoji charged forward again!
"Not bad… those eyes." Edelweiss gave a brief word of praise, then swung her sword to meet him.
"Don't try to resist it!"
Ryoji relaxed his mind as much as possible.
Of course, he couldn't eliminate the tension of battle itself, nor was that even possible in a moment like this.
He only tried to smooth out the surging heat of his fighting intent, his desire for victory, and all other turbulent emotions, calming his heart until it became as still as water, allowing his body to enter as natural a state as possible.
He swung his blade.
This strike was slow, so slow it resembled a crawling turtle.
So slow that even Edelweiss couldn't help but be taken aback, wondering whether he was joking or had already lost his will to fight.
She looked into Ryoji's eyes.
Within them, she saw a शांत determination. The previous excitement had vanished; though he appeared calm, there was not the slightest trace of despair.
Edelweiss did not swing her sword to meet the attack. Sensing something strange, she chose to evade it instead.
But suddenly…
At the very moment she turned her body, the speed of that slash skyrocketed.
"A cheap trick."
To her, this level of speed was nothing. A sudden acceleration like this couldn't possibly catch her off guard. She raised her cross-shaped sword, wing-like in form, and slashed with a flash of light, intending to deflect the strike.
The blade carried the same vibrational force as before, one hit would be enough to severely injure him.
But in the next instant, his blade suddenly slowed down again.
With an exquisitely precise margin, it avoided her sword. Since her strike was vertical, he escaped it with just a slight adjustment of angle.
"What a strange rhythm."
Edelweiss immediately understood.
This was the essence of the technique.
By alternating between fast and slow movements, it caused errors in the opponent's judgment, completely disrupting the rhythm of battle, allowing him to take advantage of the chaos.
This move required extremely precise control over speed changes, meticulous muscle control, and above all, the rhythm could not be disrupted by the opponent. If it was, the technique would collapse instantly.
She had never encountered such a move before, it was likely this boy's own creation. Interesting, in its own way.
But ultimately meaningless.
She thrust out her sword.
No feints, no tricks, straight toward Ryoji's wrist.
His control over his muscles was still insufficiently refined. With a single glance, she read the subtle movements and contractions in his arm muscles, completely seeing through his rhythm of speed changes.
Clang…!
A sharp, metallic sound rang out, causing Ryoji's body to shake as he was forced back several steps.
Her sword was as fast as light, impossible to track, so there was no way for him to evade it completely.
"You blocked it with the hilt?"
Yet Edelweiss didn't feel the sensation of piercing his wrist.
At the instant she thrust forward, Ryoji had subtly shifted his wrist, using the hilt of his blade to intercept her sword tip.
His blade was far slower than the Twin Wings', so he had no choice but to rely on such a defensive method. At the same time, his instincts guided him to adopt the most optimal defensive posture, preventing defeat by even the smallest margin of error.
Even so, the overwhelming difference in force still pushed him back nearly ten steps before he could finally disperse it.
The moment he steadied himself, without waiting for Edelweiss to press him again, Ryoji charged forward once more.
His eyes were calm as ever. All fighting intent and fear had been suppressed, leaving his heart as still as water.
Only his pitch-black pupils remained, now seemingly glued to Edelweiss's body, scanning her from top to bottom without missing a single detail.
(End of Chapter)
I am translating some new fanfiction (Haikyuu- Starting From Volleyball). Read it and support me.
PS— I will post 1 Bonus Chapter for every 100 Power Stones