As Totokubara Kanata advanced, the sense of crisis that had been lingering in Ryoji's heart intensified, making his brain buzz incessantly, sharp pains shooting through his skull.
If he didn't create distance, he would definitely lose.
Although he couldn't see Totokubara Kanata's attacks, Ryoji had studied her battle videos extensively.
Because Kanata was famous enough, there was a wealth of information about her on the internet, allowing Ryoji to gain a thorough understanding of her Blazer ability.
But precisely because he understood it so well, he found it all the more troublesome.
Totokubara Kanata's Blazer ability allowed her to freely control the countless blade fragments scattered in the air.
These fragments were formed when Kanata shattered her Device, Francesca. Each fragment was so small that it was invisible to the naked eye, and even Ryoji's enhanced vision couldn't track their trajectory. Their number? Hundreds of millions.
These fragments revolved around her at ultra-high speeds, capable of grinding anything that approached her into dust. Not just human bodies— tables, chairs, even steel— nothing could cross that forest of blades unscathed.
Ryoji had originally planned to use Lightning Flint to decide the match with a single strike before Kanata could fully activate her ability. But it turned out to be impossible. The moment Kanata summoned her Device, her ability was already in effect.
If he had charged forward recklessly, he would have been instantly shredded into a bloody mist by the countless blade fragments, dead beyond any doubt.
Even if he didn't take the initiative to retreat, Kanata could control the fragments to radiate outward, invading an opponent's body through their respiratory tract and causing massive internal damage.
Because the fragments were completely invisible, most opponents couldn't prepare in advance.
It was precisely because of this ability that she had earned the domineering nickname 〈Scharlach Frau〉, her hands stained with the blood of countless terrorists.
Kanata had absolute dominance at medium and close range, posing a deadly counter to any swordsman.
Without powerful long-range attack methods like Stella's or Touka's, it was nearly impossible to break through her absolute defense and defeat her.
The only long-range attack Ryoji possessed was "Sound Speed Bomb", a technique where he threw his Vrring sword at the highest initial speed to create a supersonic strike.
But it wouldn't work.
Totokubara Kanata's defensive power was rated C, on par with his full-powered strike. From tens of meters away, the attack power of Sound Speed Bomb was likely insufficient.
And once he used Sound Speed Bomb, his Magic Power would be completely depleted, making it even more impossible to win. He couldn't afford to take that risk lightly.
However, he had anticipated such a situation before the match began.
"Are you only going to run away?"
Totokubara Kanata stood at the center of the stage, her icy gaze fixed on Ryoji, who had once again distanced himself from her.
"Running away is shameful, but useful."
Ryoji twitched the corner of his mouth, his expression indifferent.
"Your Blazer ability is strong, but its attack range is only about thirty meters. As long as I keep my distance, you can't do anything to me, right? Don't expect me to fight you head-on."
I am a realist.
If it's for the sake of winning, I can disregard my own life. Of course, I can do anything— running away is nothing.
"No, real battles are about using every possible means. Such a mindset is actually suitable for entering the realm of professional knights."
Totokubara Kanata didn't show disdain but nodded slightly in agreement. Then, her tone shifted.
"But you don't think you can escape from my "Diamond Dust" like this, do you?"
She extended her slender hand, and instantly, countless points of starlight gathered from all directions, condensing in her palm.
"Buzz!"
"Buzz!"
With a wave of her hand, two palm-width circular blades formed in her palm and began to spin rapidly like cutting machines, flanking toward Ryoji.
Wow, can this even be called a sword?
This is clearly a Destructo Disc!
According to idealistic thought, everything in the world can be a sword, but Ryoji is far from reaching that level.
"My ability is to freely control blades, so of course, I can do this too. Did you anticipate this development beforehand?"
Totokubara Kanata's voice was cold, leaving no doubt that she showed no mercy in her actions.
The buzzing sound of the circular blades cutting through the air was deafening, their power undeniable.
Although she could freely control hundreds of millions of tiny blades, the sheer number made it taxing. Once the blades exceeded a thirty-meter range, she would lose control over them.
But by condensing a few blades together, she could enhance her control, making them spin at high speeds and allowing her to easily cut through steel from tens of meters away!
Ryoji's gaze sharpened, his expression turning serious.
He had never seen this move before; it was likely a technique she had developed just this year.
The high-speed rotating circular blades were erratic, almost beyond the limit of Ryoji's dynamic vision, making them hard to guard against. Their attack range seemed to easily reach about fifty meters, enough to cover the entire battle ring!
"Haa..."
Facing the rapidly approaching circular blades, Ryoji took a deep breath, then simply closed his eyes.
In the battle ring.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, though he seemed to have given up resistance, the circular blades never hit him, all passing by his side.
Each miss seemed to be separated by a paper-thin gap, but no matter how many times the circular blades attacked, they all returned without success.
Looking closely, Ryoji was dodging the circular blades with meticulous movements.
He was like a tightrope walker, where a slight misstep could result in his body being cut by the blades, dying on the spot. It was enough to make anyone watching break into a cold sweat.
A person's energy in battle is limited; unless one reaches absolute rationality, it's difficult to make particularly precise decisions.
Ryoji is not an absolutely rational person, so the extent of his quick-witted adaptability has its limits.
But if he completely relies on intuition, the power of intuition can be maximized. Even without thinking, his body can subconsciously make absolutely correct choices.
He actively cut off his surface senses, focusing all his attention on intuition, letting his body move entirely on instinct.
With the assistance of his innate divine skill of intuition, dodging was not difficult.
"Wow, amazing! It looks like he's about to be hit every time, but he always manages to dodge in an unbelievable way! What kind of ability is this!"
"It's not an ability, just excellent intuition."
"Really? Intuition this excellent can definitely be considered a special ability. Can ordinary people have this kind of intuition? Also, Saikyou Nene Sensei, your commentary was so serious just now!"
"If this continues, it's no good."
"Are you referring to the match? Indeed, simply dodging can't solve the problem."
"It's not such a simple issue."
In the audience seats.
"This is bad."
While everyone was amazed by Ryoji's tightrope-like perfect dodging, Kurogane Ikki suddenly spoke.
"What's wrong? Ryoji-kun's dodging is quite dashing, isn't it?"
Arisuin Nagi also seemed completely captivated by Ryoji's movements.
Ryoji's footwork was very simple— just ordinary movements, sometimes sidestepping, sometimes bending over. It didn't look sophisticated, but it looked incredibly cool.
The strong winds from the circular blades passing by occasionally lifted the hem of his clothes, making it feel like watching a movie, with a strong visual impact.
Theoretically, Ryoji is now letting his intuition control everything about his body, without even thinking. This is entirely his subconscious behavior.
"Eh, maybe he subconsciously wants to dodge in a cool way... What I mean is, if this continues, he will definitely lose."
(End of Chapter)
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