Amaru and Hirata stand upon the rooftop of the very abandoned building onto which Amaru had leapt while carrying Hirata. Positioned at its highest point, they watch Haruto's battle against Naelia while preparing themselves for the worst possible outcome.
Moments earlier;
The scene shifts to Haruto, who suddenly notices that Zairen's Energy Vanished– or rather has been subued. Haruto says in a relieved tone "The energy is gone. Hirata was fighting him– the same man who fought Amaru in the classroom. His energy is exceedingly faint, which means he is alive but unconscious. It seems Hirata defeated him and escaped. I sensed his energy within this building before I was intercepted by this woman."
Back to the present;
Naelia notices Zairen's energy wane and recognizes his defeat. With a voice laced in scorn she turns to Haruto and declares "Zairen– that pitiful old fool. He failed to even secure a single feeble target– how truly pathetic."
Haruto answers in a tone of open defiance "Do not call Hirata weak. The mere fact that he defeated your partner speaks sufficiently for itself."
At once, Haruto surges toward her. Channeling Ritual Energy into his legs, he launches himself high into the air, ascending nearly two meters. There, he unleashes a relentless barrage of kicks at astonishing speed– so swift and powerful that the propulsion keeps him suspended for a fleeting moment. For nearly five seconds, the attack continues without respite. Naelia withstands the onslaught, parrying each strike with her three black swords, which she commands through the force of her energy.
Then Hirata quickly withdraws and fixes his gaze on Naelia and says to her "The fact you remain silent means you possess the Branch of Ritual. Tell me– what measure do you stand at, Naelia of the Abyss?"
Naelia propels one of her black swords toward Haruto. Harnessing the ritual energy surging through his feet, Haruto deftly evades the strike, leaping to the right. "I stand at the third measure. Haruto Okabe." She responds, her gaze analytical and calculating. "What of you? You have potential."
Haruto clicks his tongue, his retort sharp with defiance "Why would I disclose such a thing? In the heat of combat, intelligence remains the ultimate key for victory."
The blade that Naelia had hurled clattered against the ground with a sharp metallic ring. Haruto spared it only a fleeting glance before he snapped his focus back to her. He shifts his weight, his mind racing with cold calculation "She likely deduces that I stand at the second measure" Haruto reasons "Though it is highly improbable she can pinpoint it precisely. As long as her assessment remains speculative rather than explicit, the tactical advantage remains mine. You can do this Haruto. You can defeat her!" Haruto takes a deep break and thinks "Perhaps I can probe her defenses, extracting information through a bit of clever wordplay."
Naelia smirks, channeling her ritual energy toward the grounded blade. It rattles against the ground, trembling violently before breaking free and soaring back to her. The black sword settles into the air, hovering seamlessly alongside the other two black swords orbiting her body.
Scoffing with absolute confidence, Naelia locks her eyes with him "I see, your silence matters little, Haruto Okabe. This fight will yield my answer regardless. By my estimation, my superiority is absolute, your ritual energy volume is low. You should harbor gratitude that I permit you to draw breath. I could conclude this fight in an instant, but I am merely here for entertainment."
Listening to Naelia's pronouncement, Hirata and Amaru both blink owlishly. "She is pushing her luck." Amaru mutters, his tone is cutting cold "Her arrogance is boundless."
Hirata counters "Yet that hubris grants Harito a distinct opening. Given her absolute conviction that this fight will conclude in an instant, she likely will not hesitate to speak freely. He can extract a wealth of intel regarding the Silent Abyss if he plays his cards right."
Naelia utters with sheer disdain "Our diversion concludes now, Haruto Okabe l. I shall apprehend you by force. You have brought this misfortune upon yourself."
Before Haruto could even register the threat, Naelia materializes directly in front of him, her transition so instantaneous it mimicked teleportation. Haruto thinks frantically "
SHE IS IMPOSSIBLY FAST!"
In a blur imperceptible to the human eyes, Naelia seized one of her black swords. With biding velocity, she drove the weapon's hilt into his chest. The violent impact instantly forced a spray of blood from Haruto's lips, and the sheer momentum launched him backwards a full ten meters, sending him crashing heavily to the earth.
Coughing violently, Haruto strained to push himself up. But the moment he raised his gaze, Naelia was already looming over him. She brought her boot down mercilessly onto his back, crushing him into the dirt. Another torrent of blood erupts from his mouth as the solid ground fractures beneath the immense pressure.
Hirata turns to Amaru, his voice laced with mounting panic "Amaru Sensei, Should not we intervene? This has gone too far! At this rate, Haruto will sustain catastrophic injuries. An ordinary human would have been crushed like brittle porcelain by now."
Amaru replies, his tone steady and chillingly assured "No, he will overcome her on his own. In fact, have you not observed the anomaly yet? He is deliberately restraining himself."
A sudden realization dawns on Hirata "Yes... wait, you are absolutely correct! How have not I thought of this!"
Maintaining the crushing pressure of her boot, Naelia looks down at Haruto as he struggles for breath, his chest heaving painfully beneath her weight.
"You have proved a disappointment, Haruto Okabe." She says, her voice dripping with scorn "It appears you remain utterly ignorant of how the Branch of Ritual operates. Did you truly believe my mastery was confined merely to these blades? You are absolutely wrong! In combat, underestimating your adversary invites instant ruin and death, and you have just become the quintessential example."
Glancing up at Naelia, a smirk breaks across Haruto's bloodied face "Are you entirely certain of that?" He counters, his voice laced with deep mockery "You are all bravado. Did you not claim you came here to Silence me or whatever the the heck you're talking about? It appears it is time for me to turn the tables."
Straining against the immense weight, Haruto gradually counters her leverage and begins to push himself up. Naelia's stomach drops "How is he able to move under this heavy pressure?" Mid-ascent, Haruto channels a sudden surge of Ritual Energy into his fist and violently strikes the earth.
The terrain fractures and shatters instantly beneath the impact, throwing Naelia off balance and forcing her to leap away to maintain her footing. The crater where Haruto had been pinned was immediately swallowed by a dense, impenetrable cloud of dust and debris.
Before Naelia could even pivot her gaze back towards the shroud of smoke, Haruto appears directly before her in a low, aggressive dash, having closed the distance in a mere fraction of the second. He grips one of her orbiting obsidian swords with a vice-like hold.
"I believe it is my time to declare that playtime is over, Naelia of the Abyss!" Haruto asserts, his tone burning with fierce and adrenaline.
Holding the weapon horizontally, Haruto exerts a savage, crushing force. Within two breathless seconds, the blade groaned under the immense pressure, and a millisecond later, the black sword snaps violently in half.
Naelia gasps, a sudden wave of panic and shock overtaking her. "He snapped one of my swords in half?" She thinks frantically "The sword possesses a density greater than Titanium!"
She glares at Haruto, screaming in utter disbelief "What manner of deception is this? You shall pay for this with your life, Haruto Okabe!"
The instant the words leave Naelia's lips, Haruto closes his fists. Imbuing his hand with Ritual Energy, he unleashes a devastating punch. Naelia's reflexes kick in immediately, she intercepts the punch by positioning one of her remaining two swords across her abdomen to act as a shield.
Hirata exhales a sharp sigh of relief "YES! It appears Haruto is reclaiming his momentum. Yet, he is still clearly restraining his full potential... but why?"
Amaru turns to him, his instructions crisp "Stay where you are, I shall return in a moment. Do not interfere and make sure Haruto remains unaware of your proximity. Most importantly, this fight must be concluded as soon as possible."
"Understood." Hirata urges, glancing around anxiously "Please do not take long. Onlookers and media will undoubtedly descend upon this location shortly. Haruto needs to wrap this up quickly."
Back in the fray, Naelia successfully withstands the onslaught. Under the immense force and kinetic pressure of the collision, a brilliant spark erupts from the point of impact. Haruto sustains the pressure for two grueling seconds, Straining every muscle in a desperate bid to overpower her.
Naelia merely smirks. Instantly flooding her leg with Ritual Energy. She unleashes a devastating kick directly into the center of Haruto's chest at supersonic speed.
The sheer violence of the blow launches Haruto through the air, sending him crashing heavily into the facade of a nearby abandoned building in the area. The strike was so cataclysmic that a gale-force shockwave swept through the entire area, punctuated by the defeating crack of a sonic boom.
The wall shatters and entirely upon the impact. Blood streaming from his nose and coughing up blood. Haruto struggles back go his feet with agonizing effort. Yet, despite the blood dripping from the numerous lacerations across his body, a serene smile breaks through the grime.
"I see." He whispers hoarsely, his tone weary but absolute "It truly is the time to bring this to a close."
Hirata observes the exchange, his mind working with cold analysis. The true anomaly lies in his approach, Haruto previously mentioned an extensive background in swordmanship, or rather training with a sword. His current reliance on this raw, somewhat erratic hand-to-hand style implies the manifestation of a new ritual ability geared towards melee combat, yet his maneuvers lack discipline. Naelia is clearly relishing the conflict. In terms of actual skill gap, she holds the upper hand, but her overwhelming pride consistently gifts Haruto an opening!"
Suddenly, a pristine and gleam falls from above, striking the earth directly before Haruto with a sharp, resonant clang. Both Haruto and Naelia momentarily break focus, staring down at the mysterious weapon in sheer bewilderment.
Guided by instinct, Haruto snatches up the hilt and mutters "I barely have the luxury to ponder its origin, but I welcome the windfall regardless."
Before Haruto could even settle into a proper defensive stance, Naelia closes the distance in a ferocious blur. She utilizes one of her black swords and wrenches the sword from Haruto's grasp and sending it hurtling roughly twenty meters to the northwest, where it clattered uselessly against the fractured ground.
Haruto spits "Shit, this is bad! I need that sword."
Naelia seizes the opening to drive a fierce punch towards his midsection, but Haruto intercepts the strike with his open right palm. Imprisoning her fist within his grip, Haruto unleashes a rapid left counter punch, which Naelia deftly deflects. Haruto immediately transitions into a lightning-fast whip kick, forcing Naelia to leap into the air and retaliate with a piercing, spear-like downward plunge. Ducking sharply to the left, Haruto evades the trajectory as Naelia impacted the earth, causing the ground to shatter violently beneath her. The sharp snap of their garments echoed through the air as they rapidly exchanged and parried a barrage of high-speed blows.
Snatching a nearby stone, Haruto instantly infuses it with Ritual Energy and hurls it directly at Naelia. She intercepts the projectile with her black swords, but the exact moment she does, Haruto lunges. Clasping his hands together into a singular, devastating hammer-fist, he charges his strike with a highly dense concentration of Ritual Energy and brings it down upon her. Naelia raises both of her black swords to absorb the immense pressure and force, but the sheer force causes one of her swords to chip with a sharp Crack. Naelia frowns and gasps inaudibly.
Haruto immediately bounces backwards to re-establish distance between them, Haruto's chest heaving heavily as je struggles for breath. "I will deplete my energy reserves entirely at this rate, Before I can retrieve that sword, I must neutralize her weapons first " Haruto realizes grimly.
Naelia clicks her tongue, her expression hardening with palpable irritation "This is getting boring " She remarks coldly "You truly are an exhausting piece of work!"
A smirk plays on Haruto's lips, his voice dropping into a cold, chillingly analytical register "Those blades of yours, they are nothing more than exceptionally durable shields." He continues "You have yet to excute a single direct offensive with them, you purely used your fists and legs for offense. Instead, you rely on these black swords– or rather shields of yours the moment I deploy my Ritual Energy. You brandish them merely to taunt me, not to actually engage."
Haruto steps forward, his gaze locking onto hers with absolute finality "I simply indulged in your vanity so that I could dissect your strategy, Naelia of the Abyss. And now, it is your turn to be silenced permanently."