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"Junior Brother lacks the necessary physical endurance." Toudou Touka watched the battlefield intently, her brows slightly furrowed with concern.
"If he can't launch a counterattack within this limited window, defeating Kanata will be impossible." Despite Ryoji's continuous training since the beginning of the school year, his physical strength still couldn't compare to that of monsters like Kurogane Ikki.
Under Kanata's relentless assault, his stamina was being drained at an alarming rate.
No matter how elegant his evasions were, if he failed to strike back before exhausting himself, defeat was inevitable.
"It's a difficult situation. Kanata's defensive blade techniques form an impenetrable wall around her. For a straightforward swordsman like Ryoji, that's a nightmare to break through."
Misogi Foam shook his head, his expression filled with doubt. He wasn't the only one who saw it that way.
The entire audience shared the same opinion.
Their compatibility was simply too poor.
—Swordsmen reign supreme in close combat.
Within the range of their blade, known as the "Overlap Zone," they wield absolute control. Attacks that might seem impossible to counter could be parried, and counterattacks that defied logic could be executed.
But once forced out of their optimal range— subjected to long-range suppression or area attacks— their threat level drops drastically.
Even Touka had experienced this firsthand.
Her 'Raikiri' was an unstoppable force within her striking distance. No one dared to take it head-on. Yet, she had been defeated by last year's Seven Stars Sword King, Moroboshi Yuudai, who kept her at bay with precision.
Ryoji was facing a similar predicament. If he couldn't close the distance, he had no hope of victory.
"His only path to victory is overcoming the blade barrier Kanata has laid before him." Touka knew Misogi was right.
Even so, she refused to give up hope.
She knew Ryoji's determination. He had promised to meet her at the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival, and he wasn't the type to break his word easily.
---
''On the battlefield.''
"Still refusing to surrender?"
Totokubara Kanata stood in the center of the ring, her positioning ensuring her attack range covered the entire field.
"Even if you keep resisting, what's the point? You can't possibly defeat me. Fate isn't so easily overturned... Or do you still have a hidden ace up your sleeve?"
Her sharp eyes narrowed, scrutinizing Ryoji's every move.
A fighter in a hopeless situation had only two possibilities: either they were in denial, or they had something left to reveal.
Having observed Ryoji for some time, Kanata suspected the latter.
There was no panic in his stance. Instead, he carried an air of quiet intensity, a predator lying in wait. She had the distinct feeling that the moment she let her guard down, she would suffer a devastating counterattack.
"If that's the case—"
Her expression grew cold. She wasn't about to show any mercy.
Slowly, she raised her hand. As she did, countless shimmering points of light gathered around her, coalescing into a slender rapier.
It was a breathtaking weapon— no thicker than a sheet of paper, yet stretching two to three meters in length. Its delicate frame sparkled like a starry sky, as thin as a cicada's wing, as fleeting as a snowflake about to vanish.
"—'Diamond Storm!'"
The rapier hovered in mid-air, surging forward like an arrow loosed from a bow. As it tore through the battlefield, the air itself seemed to scream in protest.
At that precise moment, Ryoji's eyes snapped open.
And instead of retreating— he lunged forward.
"He's charging in?!" Kanata's nerves went taut. Her mind raced.
"Is he planning to shatter my 'Diamond Storm'? If he tries, the moment the rapier breaks, he'll be caught in the explosion and lose instantly. But... could it really be that simple?"
No time to second-guess. She braced herself, focusing every fiber of her being on the clash ahead.
"Ha—!"
Ryoji's eyes burned with resolve.
He raised his longsword as if preparing to cleave through the rapier.
But at the last possible moment— he dropped low, narrowly avoiding the blade's trajectory.
The 'Diamond Storm' struck the ground behind him, detonating on impact. A storm of razor-sharp fragments erupted outward, reducing everything within a three-meter radius to dust.
If he had attempted to meet the attack head-on, he would have been shredded into mist.
Yet Ryoji didn't spare the destruction a second glance.
He took a deep breath, activating a specialized breathing technique to maximize his cardiovascular efficiency. His speed surged as he charged into the heart of Kanata's defenses.
"Not a counterattack— this is a counteroffensive!" Kurogane Ikki and Touka recognized his intent instantly.
Ryoji understood the reality of the situation better than anyone.
He had no choice but to break through the impenetrable wall of blades before his stamina ran out. This was his only shot.
The entire arena held its breath.
Every eye was locked on him.
Could he overcome this insurmountable suppression?
Kurogane Ikki, Toudou Touka, and the others tensed unconsciously, fists clenched, unable to look away.
Shinguuji Kurono, the director of the academy, watched with a grave expression. She had already summoned her twin gun Devices, ready to intervene at a moment's notice if Ryoji was in danger of being turned into paste.
And then—
"—Adjusting transformation speed, targeting inherent Device!"
With unwavering resolve, Ryoji hurled himself into the heart of the storm.
Shinguuji Kurono's heartbeat thundered in her chest, her fingers twitching toward the trigger—
But then—
'Clang!'
'Clang clang!'
'Clang clang clang—!'
A metallic symphony rang out as Ryoji's body collided with the endless storm of blades.
'Rip!'
'Rip!'
His school uniform was shredded to tatters, fluttering away like confetti in the wind.
But—
He was unharmed.
Not a single wound marked his skin.
Not a drop of blood was spilled.
His body, standing at the heart of the storm, remained utterly unscathed.
"That's impossible!"
Kanata's breath hitched, her disbelief plain for all to see.
This defied all logic.
No human should be capable of this.
Even steel, under the pressure of her whirling blades, would have been reduced to powder. And yet—
Her attack had failed to leave so much as a scratch.
—(End of Chapter.)