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"This guy, smashing the floor tiles without even flinching?"
Ryoji's gaze sharpened, and his advancing feet came to a sudden halt. He then pivoted and retreated to the side, narrowly dodging the strike once again.
His control over distance was exquisite; it always seemed like he was about to be hit, yet he managed to evade danger each time.
In contrast, Kumariki's physical abilities were proving to be more troublesome.
When an ordinary person smashes stone tiles, they would at least feel some countershock force, resulting in anything from minor arm paralysis to serious injury. This would give Ryoji an opportunity to finish off his opponent with a single strike.
But a Level 2 Adventurer had already transcended common sense.
With a single blow, he shattered the tiles, and although they weren't particularly hard, there was not even a hint of recoil, allowing him to swing again without hesitation.
This was not merely a matter of arm strength; it was also about physical endurance.
In terms of arm strength, this Kumariki was only comparable to Kurashiki Kuraudo, but his endurance was far superior to Kurashiki Kuraudo. Specifically, his muscles were more solid, and his defense was more outstanding.
"Hah! Ha!"
Kumariki swung the heavy weapon, continuously launching aggressive attacks at Ryoji.
The spiked club swept through the air, creating gusts of wind. Just looking at its power, a single blow could easily crack open a skull.
Ryoji kept dodging, having no intention of clashing with him head-on.
As Kumariki swung wildly, Ryoji would strike from his blind spots with sharp thrusts aimed at vital areas like his throat or heart, forcing Kumariki to abandon his aggressive approach and retreat multiple times.
Retreating meant losing the rhythm; he had to re-initiate his attacks to regain control, which also meant that his previous aggressive attempts had been rendered futile, neutralized by his opponent.
Ryoji maintained the balance between them with his superb sword technique, constantly pushing Kumariki back and then charging forward.
"Amazing! Is this a battle of Level 1?"
"This Kumariki is so strong; he feels not just a little stronger than Hawks!"
"It feels a bit strange; is this really the performance of a Level 1?"
"Compared to him, this human is truly remarkable; his technique is beyond imagination!"
Dwarf Hawks: "…"
As the clashes continued, the audience gradually began to understand.
Despite the overwhelming strength of Kumariki, Ryoji was still able to engage him in a back-and-forth battle. This was not reliant on superficial things like power and speed but rather on dazzling and profound combat techniques!
His sword technique was so high that he could instantly kill the elite Level 1
This man, as an ordinary person, and even against a Level 2, was not without the ability to fight back; his evasion skills were nearly unbeatable.
This technique was so advanced that it sent chills down people's spines, exciting them to the point of trembling.
It even inspired a sense of profound awe.
"Go for it!"
"I've never seen such an impressive swordsman; can the legendary 'Sword Princess' compare to him?"
"Who knows? Anyway, the Sword Princess never defeated an Adventurer when she was still an ordinary person."
Indeed, it was astonishing beyond imagination.
Even Shakti couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
From Ryoji's perspective, she believed she could not reach this level.
In other words, in terms of combat technique, Ryoji was above her; at least she could not face a Level 2 Adventurer solely with sword technique. Even as a Level 5, she had to concede in this regard.
"I really want him more and more…"
On the stage.
"What's going on?"
"How can I possibly struggle against an ordinary person for so long?"
Kumariki's heart was in turmoil.
He was a Level 2 top tier Adventurer, with strength that far surpassed Level 1 by several times, yet he was unable to take down an ordinary person?
What kind of absurdity was this? Fighting a Level 2 Adventurer purely with technique? He had never heard of such a thing!
"What is that gaze?"
His eyes suddenly met those of the young man across from him.
Those were a pair of eyes without the slightest wavering, appearing as calm as a lake, yet they seemed to possess the power to pierce through all illusions, instantly revealing countless flaws.
It was those eyes that analyzed and dissected all his movements, rendering everything he did transparent, turning his two minutes of aggressive attacks into a joke.
"Whoosh!"
The air was sliced open.
The tip of the katana transformed into a sharp beak, deftly bypassing his spiked club and lunging toward his chest.
'Here it comes!' Kumariki's heart raced, and he quickly retreated.
Although his endurance was impressive, he could not withstand a bladesman; if he were to be struck, it would at least result in serious injury. To avoid being hurt, he had no choice but to abandon the advantage he had gained from his aggressive attacks and fall back.
'What a joke! I am a top-tier Adventurer! Why am I being forced to retreat by an ordinary human?'
A surge of anger welled up within him, frustrated that as a powerful Adventurer, he was being restrained by a mere ordinary person. He had always been the one to dominate others!
"Damn it!"
His eyes seemed to blaze with fire as he involuntarily increased the power in his arms.
In that moment.
He noticed the dark eyes across from him seemed to flicker, shortly thereafter becoming as sharp as a hawk's.
"Your heart is disturbed."
As he locked eyes with those orbs, Kumariki felt as if his heart skipped a beat.
A sense of trepidation washed over him.
"Buzz—!"
But at that moment, he could no longer control the situation.
Ryoji raised his sword.
He took a deep breath, utilizing the ancient breathing technique learned from the God of War, unleashing his physical abilities to their maximum as he charged at Kumariki.
"...Aah!"
Kumariki's eyes widened as he swung the spiked club down from above.
In that strike, he poured all his power into it.
A full-force blow would surely be devastating.
However, such a strike required a wide swing of his arms, inevitably exposing his greatest flaw.
"Boom!"
The spiked club struck the ground first, shattering several nearby stone tiles into pieces.
Ryoji's figure halted right in front of him, causing Kumariki to swing at nothing but air.
The charge was merely a feint, but the disturbed Kumariki fell for it.
Before Kumariki could react, Ryoji had already lowered his stance and slashed diagonally at the left leg he had stepped forward with.
"Slash—!"
"Eh?!"
The blade missed.
Kumariki let out a piercing scream.
A deep wound appeared just below his left knee, exposing bone.
"Thud!"
With his knee tendon severed, Kumariki could no longer hold himself up and collapsed to the ground.
At the same time.
The gleaming tip of the sword hovered in front of his eyes, poised at his eyeball. A gentle push forward would not only pierce his eye but could even crush his brain.
The one holding the sword was precisely the ordinary boy he had looked down upon.
(End of Chapter)