In the underground Kiko of Tokyo Jujutsu High.
Emiya, wielding Kanshou and Bakuya, was locked in battle with Kidomaru, who also held two swords.
"Swordplay: Plum Tree."
Kidomaru's twin swords thrust repeatedly at terrifying speed. Faced with the enemy's sudden burst of speed, Emiya struggled to parry with his blades.
Clang, clang, clang.
Puncture.
Several small wounds appeared on Emiya's body.
'His speed is incredible, and his sword Cursed Technique is superb. It seems close combat is not to my advantage.'
After a brief exchange, Emiya reached a conclusion.
'If that's the case, I'll create some distance first.'
Emiya's eyes continuously tracked Kidomaru's attacks, trying to find an opportunity to disengage.
Kidomaru also sensed Emiya's defensive struggles and increased his sword-swinging speed by another notch.
Kidomaru forcefully brought his right hand down, and Emiya immediately swung his blade to parry it.
If it were two swords against one blade.
Emiya might choose to cross his two swords above his head to block the attack.
But two swords against two swords was different.
If Emiya chose to block with both swords, Kidomaru's other sword would pierce him.
Indeed, just as Emiya parried the attack with the sword in his left hand, Kidomaru's other sword stabbed toward his abdomen from the side.
Emiya blocked the attack again, from bottom to top.
Kidomaru was constantly on the offensive, and Emiya managed to neutralize every single one of his attacks.
This was also the difference between fighting with two swords and one sword.
In single-sword combat, everyone's attention was mainly focused on one blade. Both offense and defense were more concise and swift.
Also, because both hands gripped the sword, single-sword attacks were more powerful and impactful, so occasionally there were situations of clashing blades and grappling.
Of course, such situations were actually rare, at least not as common as in anime, where two swords clashed and grappled for no reason.
That was to save on production costs.
In reality, clashing blades and grappling caused significant damage to swords, so they were intentionally avoided.
Two swords were different.
Because two swords could only be wielded with one hand, they were weaker in power but much more flexible.
If you dared to grapple with someone wielding two swords, the other blade would land on you before you could injure your opponent.
Therefore, two swords relied more on Cursed Technique.
"He's really difficult to deal with."
Kidomaru snorted coldly, looking disdainfully at the swordsman in front of him, who also wielded two swords.
The opponent's swordsmanship was not as good as his own.
Clang!
Kidomaru suddenly exerted force, attacking with both swords from the same direction. Emiya, caught off guard, had Kanshou knocked out of his hand.
"Got him!"
Kidomaru knocked Emiya's Bakuya away as well, then thrust a sword toward his heart.
Even though death might come the next second, Emiya smiled.
That smile set off alarm bells in Kidomaru's heart.
"Trace, on."
Emiya used the force of Kidomaru knocking away his weapon to take a step back, and the long sword aimed at his heart grazed past his armpit.
Two short blades, one black and one white, reappeared in Emiya's hands.
Clang!
Puncture!
Because the two were now too close, Kidomaru's sword was a traditional katana, with a longer blade.
Emiya's Kanshou and Bakuya, however, were much shorter.
So in this close-range engagement, Kidomaru, whose weapon was harder to wield, suffered a deep gash that revealed bone.
"Are those two blades Cursed Techniques?!"
Kidomaru retreated repeatedly. Fortunately, before he retreated, he also exchanged blows, leaving a minor injury on Emiya.
Although he suffered more in this exchange, he at least prevented Emiya from taking his life while he was injured.
However, that was only Kidomaru's assumption, because Emiya actually had no intention of pursuing.
"Trace, on!"
Dozens of weapons appeared behind Emiya.
These weapons instantly transformed into a deadly rain of arrows.
Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!
Kidomaru desperately swung his twin swords, forming a blade net that blocked all the attacks.
"Broken Phantasm!"
Boom.
The weapons that Kidomaru had knocked down around them simultaneously exploded.
"Do you even call yourself a swordsman?!"
Kidomaru rushed out of the smoke, looking disheveled.
Two Kanshou and Bakuya had already flown in front of him.
"Crane Wing, Imperfect."
Clang!
Kidomaru swung his sword, knocking Kanshou and Bakuya away, but a second pair of Kanshou and Bakuya had already flown back.
"Heart Cursed Technique, Yellow River Crossing."
Just as Kidomaru was about to swing his sword, he found that the two Kanshou and Bakuya behind him had actually flown back.
"Swordplay: Cherry Blossom!"
Cherry Blossom was the fastest move in Kidomaru's regular swordsmanship. Plum Tree was an extremely fast attack that was difficult for the eye to follow, and Cherry Blossom's speed was ten times that of Plum Tree.
This was truly an ultimate speed sword Cursed Technique.
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
All four Kanshou and Bakuya were knocked away by Kidomaru.
"Two Heroes, Shared Destiny."
Emiya traced a third pair of Kanshou and Bakuya, then rushed forward at extreme speed, appearing before Kidomaru.
"Too bad, I'm not a swordsman."
Two streaks of blood appeared on Kidomaru's body.
Even though Kidomaru had tried his best to swing his sword to block, Emiya's unexplained combo still made it difficult for him to parry.
"Heh heh, no wonder I feel no swordsman's honor in your blade."
Kidomaru stood up, leaning on his katana.
"I have no honor worth remembering or praising."
Emiya, holding his twin swords, continuously approached Kidomaru.
Emiya's abilities were actually public knowledge in the Jujutsu World, just like Satoru's.
After all, the anime and movie versions of the Holy Grail War were still available online.
However, Kidomaru happened to be one of the very few who did not know about Emiya's abilities.
Because he was a thousand-year-old antique who had just been dug out of the ground.
Let alone catching up on anime online, he could not even figure out how to use a television set yet.
Moreover, he arrogantly believed that as long as Abe no Seimei was present, they would be unrivaled.
"If that's the case, then let me show you my Profound Truth."
Kidomaru plunged his twin swords into the ground beside him and pressed his hands together.
Emiya frowned. This action made him guess Kidomaru's intention.
Emiya had not finished Kidomaru off immediately after he was injured by the Crane Wing triple strike, partly because he wanted to capture the enemy alive, and partly to prevent Kidomaru from having a death throe outburst.
To be sent on a crucial mission like infiltrating the Kiko, Kidomaru must have been one of Abe no Seimei's confidants, someone who knew a lot of information they needed.
Conversely, some of the people on the surface who were distracting Tokyo Jujutsu High's forces might also know something, but it was more likely they knew very little.
"I am the bone of my sword."
The aura around both parties surged simultaneously.
Kidomaru formed hand seals, and an ink-wash-like color rapidly spread around him.
It was as if someone was painting on the surrounding space with ink.
"Unknown to Death. Nor known to Life."
The ground shattered as if struck by a heavy blow, and flames made of magical energy emerged from the cracks.
"Domain Expansion: Empty Rashomon!"
"So as I pray, Unlimited Blade Works!"
(To be continued.)
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◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)