Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no 'Kokoro'-

Chapter 6 Part 15

Translator : PolterGlast

"Seriously, he did it ..."

Mars' monologue echoed in the silence.

However, no one could answer his words. Everyone was at a loss for words at the indescribable scene in front of them.

While the silence reigned, they stared at the center of the arena. Only two swordsmen were standing there.

Countless pieces of metal were scattered around their feet. They were fragments of the tower shield that was shattered by Nozomu's [Core Piercing].

What came back to Mars' mind was the powerful thrust that Nozomu released earlier. Since Nozomu had very little energy, he guessed that technique was like [Phantom] that used a small amount of Qi to deal damage efficiently, but even so, that was a terrifying killing power.

"Irisdina... Have you ever seen that technique?"

"No, I don't. But I'm familiar with that stance..."

Irisdina's mind remembered the time when Nozomu, misled by Tiamat, turned his blade on them.

She remembered how he had taken a similar stance when Tima had activated the [Sand Castle Wall] to prevent the onslaught of the out-of-control Nozomu.

"Nozomu was using "that stance" at that time, and if he were able to use the technique he's using now...."

Even in a suppressed state, that technique could pierce Jihad's tower shield. If that technique had been unleashed in a released state of Ability Suppression, they might not even have a piece of flesh left.

"Now that you mention it, we were seriously in a dangerous situation..."

"I-It seems so..."

Mars and Tima were saying those words in trembling voices.

Although the rest of them didn't say anything, they were still in a cold sweat remembering what had happened at that time.

===================================

Nozomu was just looking straight ahead. He didn't know that his friends were shaking in fear of the killing power of the [Core Piercing] that they had been exposed to.

At the end of his line of sight was a powerful man clad in silver and white armor.

Perhaps it was because he had taken a direct hit from [Core Piercing] that penetrated the tower shield. The greatsword held up by his hand had countless scratches on it, and there were cracks here and there.

Jihad who had been holding up his greatsword slowly lowered his hand amidst the remnants of the fluttering Qi.

What he saw was Jihad's calm appearance, completely unscathed.

"As expected……"

Nozomu thought to himself as he gazed at Jihad's unscathed face.

He didn't think it was strange that Jihad was unharmed. It was certainly a surprise, but it would have been difficult to penetrate his defenses when he had a shield and a greatsword between them.

The penetrating power of [Core Piercing] was reduced when the Qi blade explodes. In fact, the Qi blade that Nozomu struck exploded in front of the greatsword that Jihad had raised.

Nevertheless, the damage that the greatsword received from [Core Piercing] was serious. The blade of the greatsword was deeply gouged out by the Qi blade that exploded at close range. It couldn't be used anymore.

"My shield was pierced and my sword shattered. Maybe I'm starting to become an old geezer."

Jihad threw away the greatsword that the blade had been cruelly gouged out. The greatsword fell to the ground and broke in half with a high-pitched cracking sound as if it had reached its limit.

Jihad turned an apologetic face at the shattered greatsword and looked at the armor he was wearing.

"And it's been a long time since I've had a scratch on my armor."

With a wry smile on his face, Jihad gave his armor a quick pat. A creaking sound reached Jihad's ears.

If others looked closely, they could see that the armor made of mithril also had some scratches on it. It was caused by the burst of Qi blades when Nozomu's [Core Piercing] exploded.

"I didn't expect to be beaten this badly..."

Jihad would not have expected his weapon to be shattered and his armor to be damaged by a student.

In fact, with the exception of Irisdina and the others, all of the students in the surroundings seemed to be shaken.

Jihad seemed to be saying those words in a tone of admiration, but Nozomu wanted to retort, "What are you saying when you're unharmed?".

"Too unreasonable ..."

Nozomu said in a bitter tone.

It was one of the most decisive Qi techniques he possessed. He had also released three different techniques in a row. If he was able to overcome it unscathed, even Nozomu would feel a little depressed.

In addition, Nozomu had consumed a considerable amount of Qi in the battle so far, and it was starting to affect his body little by little, making him feel tired.

(At the very least, he should have a single scar on his face!)

He tried to swear in his mind, but he gave up, thinking that this was a monster on the same level as his master.

"If this couldn't be settled with just this then, do I need to take some appropriate measures ... "

With those words, Jihad swept his gaze aside. The moment Nozomu noticed what was beyond Jihad's gaze, a shiver ran through Nozomu's body.

"~!?"

Hastened by the sense of danger he felt, Nozomu resisted the shiver he felt in his body and rushed towards Jihad at once.

The current Jihad had nothing that could be used as a weapon. But that didn't mean that he didn't have a weapon here.

"Haa~!"

Nozomu's slash, filled with his spirit, attacked Jihad.

Jihad's gaze was set on his original partner, the giant sword "Jaw Drop".

Nozomu swung his katana to prevent his opponent from picking up the weapon.

However, the moment his katana seemed to reach Jihad's body, Jihad's figure disappeared from Nozomu's sight.

"Wha~!?"

Nozomu let out a shout of agitation at his own slash that only cut through empty air.

Nozomu lost sight of Jihad for a moment. As soon as he immediately tried to look for any sign of Jihad, his vision was covered by a dark shadow.

"~! Above !?"

Nozomu, who immediately noticed where Jihad was, looked up.

There he saw Jihad literally leaping toward the sky.

He jumped over Nozomu's head and headed straight for his partner.

"Kuh~! This is bad!?"

Nozomu was momentarily taken aback by the unbelievable leap shown by a person who was supposed to be wearing full body armor.

However, he quickly regained his composure and turned around, swung his katana, and released a Qi slash at Jihad's landing spot.

The Qi slash flew while slicing through the air and landed at the perfect timing, just as Jihad was about to land.

"… It's not enough"

However, Nozomu's Qi slash did not reach Jihad's body.

Indeed, the timing of the Qi slash coincided perfectly with Jihad's landing.

But before Jihad landed, he had grabbed the hilt of the Jaw Drop and had ducked his body into the shadow of the Jaw Drop while channeling his Qi into the giant sword.

Previously, Nozomu's [Phantom] managed to slice through the tower shield that Jihad had put his Qi into. But in the face of such a giant sword made specifically for Jihad, Nozomu's Qi slash dissipated in vain.

"I see, your response is quick."

Jihad pulled the Jaw Drop out of the ground casually while letting out an impressed voice. He took a light swing to check the condition of the giant sword he had raised. That was all it took for the wind pressure to press against Nozomu's body.

"... Hmm"

While muttering so, Jihad's focused his Qi on the tip of the giant sword.

The Jaw Drop, which had been pierced on the arena ground as if it were a spectator, became a definite participant in this battle now.

Jihad's gaze quickly turned to Nozomu.

With a sharp gaze reminiscent of a bird aiming at its prey, the Jaw Drop in his hand struck Nozomu with a much stronger sense of intimidation than before.

The current Jihad's fighting spirit was incomparable to the previous one. A cold sweat ran down Nozomu's spine.

Jihad lifted the giant sword in his hand.

A huge mass that even the Cyclopes, who were proud of their strength, could not seem to lift, was lifted by a single human hand.

It was a scene that even Nozomu, who was the closest to the scene, was momentarily taken aback by it.

"... Fuh!"

Jihad let out a small breath and activated his Instant Move.

Jihad's speed, who was heading straight for Nozomu, was so quick that it was hard to believe that he was carrying such a giant sword.

"~!?"

Jihad, who had reached Nozomu, swung his huge sword down on him from above.

A sense of danger running down his spine prompted Nozomu to quickly jump to the side and get out of the way of the approaching Jaw Drop.

Fortunately, Nozomu's evasion was just in time.

Jihad's giant sword cut through the atmosphere and struck to the ground.

At the next moment, the impact was transmitted throughout the arena along with a roaring sound.

"Uwa !?"

A cloud of dust rolled up due to the impact and swallowed Nozomu, blocking his vision.

"D-dangerous..."

Nozomu, who lost sight of Jihad's figure, tried his best to calm his impatient mind as he searched for the signs of his opponent.

It would be extremely dangerous if Jihad attacked him with that giant sword now.

"Fuh ..."

Almost distracted by his surroundings, Nozomu exhaled quietly and paid attention to the slightest changes in his surroundings.

The flow of the wind was felt by the hairs on his skin, the sound of the earth he stepped on, and the subtle changes in the smoke reflected in his vision. He was using all the techniques he had cultivated in that forest to search for signs of Jihad.

“…………”

Nozomu held his katana while getting ready and did not move an inch.

He didn't move his center of gravity at all but waited patiently for his opponent to make a move. He felt his katana gradually becoming heavier on his arm.

He remained motionless as time passed by.

And then, just as Nozomu's foot stepped on the ground and the gravel clattered slightly, the wind moved.

The sound of metal reached Nozomu's ears from behind.

In the next moment, a powerful Qi erupted behind him, and he felt something roaring and coming at him from the side.

"~!?"

Nozomu crouched so low that his body touched the ground, and immediately afterward, a huge lump of iron passed over his head.

The torn atmosphere caused Nozomu's hair to curl and stir violently.

"This is...!"

Faced with such intense pressure, cold sweat ran down Nozomu's forehead.

The blow of the giant sword wielded an enormous mass. It was no longer possible for Nozomu, who was under the influence of ability suppression, to even confront it head-on.

If that so, then...

"Haa!"

Nozomu immediately took another step forward in the face of Jihad's attack. He knew immediately that if he didn't fight back, he would be swallowed up.

He sharpened his katana blade with Qi and slashed at Jihad.

As he was inferior in physical ability, it was difficult for Nozomu to escape Jihad's attack range. However, it was also no longer possible to parry such an opponent's sword strike as aggressively as he did in the previous confrontation.

In that case, even if it meant consuming his already scarce Qi, he had no choice but to launch a counterattack to avoid being swallowed by Jihad's momentum.

"Hoo!"

Jihad was impressed by Nozomu who had stepped forward even in the face of his sword strike.

Most opponents would flinch in front of Jaw Drop's intimidation, and most would lose their will to fight once they saw its power.

But Nozomu, without the slightest hesitation, launched a counterattack. Even though he knew that it was the only way. Jihad wondered, how many people would actually be able to do that.

With a smile on his face, Jihad pulled back the giant sword he had just drawn and raised it like a shield.

At the next moment, Jihad's Jaw Drop blocked Nozomu's slash with its blade.

Nozomu's [Phantom -Clad-] that enveloped his katana, which can cut through even steel, was flicked away with a high-pitched sound.

The giant sword that parried the slash didn't have a single scratch on it.

"Damn!"

Nozomu threw a cursing word at the unreasonably sturdy Jaw Drop but continued to swing his katana regardless.

Nozomu's Qi-enveloped blade drew a trail of light as it slashed at Jihad's giant sword two or three times.

However, in the face of Jihad's Jaw Drop, with its unbelievable weight and hardness, and the enormous amount of Qi that Jihad had sent into it, Nozomu's slashes were simply parried.

Even so, Nozomu swung his sword to suppress Jihad's movements. He had no choice but to keep swinging.

"Hmm, your concentration is also off the charts. I didn't know that you could maintain such a powerful technique for so long. ......"

Jihad had a smile on his face as he peered at Nozomu through his raised giant sword.

However, Jihad immediately re-tightened his loose expression.

"Hmph!"

"Wha~ !?"

Jihad parried one of Nozomu's slashes and flicked back the swinging katana with his Qi-enveloped hand.

Normally, one would not think of flicking a blade that could easily cut through even steel with one's bare hands.

If he made even the slightest mistake in timing, his arm might be cut off.

However, Jihad's huge amount of Qi and precise judgment made it possible.

Jihad struck the side of Nozomu's katana. Due to the nature of the katana blade, it was difficult to cut through a target without making the sharp edge pierce towards the target.

Nozomu's movements slowed down for a moment at the unbelievable event that happened right in front of his eyes.

The next moment, Jihad's fist was driven into Nozomu's face.

"Gah~!?"

Nozomu was being punched away. The pain in his cheek felt as if he had been struck by lightning, and his eyes were blanked out.

At the same time, Nozomu felt a chill run down his spine at the huge sense of intimidation that was looming over him.

"Kuh~!"

A huge black mass filled Nozomu's vision, which was blurred by pain.

Nozomu, hurried by the sense of danger that was ringing like an alarm bell in his head, kicked the ground with his foot and jumped back from the spot.

Immediately after, Jihad's giant sword roared past in front of him. If he had jumped back even a little too late, Nozomu's body would have been crushed into the ground by Jaw Drop and turned into a tragic sandwich.

"Haa, haa, haa..."

Nozomu managed to avoid it, but his breathing was already quite rough.

His Qi was approaching the limit. His low endurance due to Ability Suppression was beginning to show.

"It's about time. I'd say you've held on well, but it seems your limit is near."

"Kuu~...!"

There was no way that a warrior with a long history would miss such an opportunity.

The Jaw Drop, which was more than his height, attacked Nozomu in quick succession.

Jaw Drop was not suitable for continuous attacks, but Jihad was able to make it possible with his unbelievable muscle strength and Qi, as well as his vast experience on the battlefield.

Utilizing the mass and inertia of the giant sword, he treated even his own body as part of the sword.

Even if the sword was slammed into the ground, he could gouge out the entire ground and forcefully bring it into a series of attacks.

Twisting every muscle in his body, Jihad continued to wield the Jaw Drop, sometimes like a beast, sometimes flowing like a beautiful dance.

On the other hand, Nozomu's movements were noticeably slower than in the first half of the battle.

His Qi was decreasing with fatigue that accompanies it, and his body was becoming less and less free to move.

Even so, Nozomu desperately continued to dodge the deadly blows as the unbelievably powerful blows continued to be dealt at an unbelievable high speed.

"Damn! Gah~!?"

And every time Jihad's giant sword gouged out the ground, the flying rubbles would slam into Nozomu's body.

"Haa, haa ... kuh~!?"

Nozomu's facial expression was distorted by the pain. Even so, Nozomu focused all his attention on the giant sword in front of him.

While letting out a cry of anguish, he continued to move his body frantically.

Nozomu's limit was near.

"Haa, haa, haa..."

The rapid consumption of Qi brought Nozomu closer to his limit.

Nozomu's breathing was getting rougher. The Qi enveloped his katana was also wavering like a shimmering flame.

As Nozomu began to lose focus in even strengthening his body, he was truly in a precarious situation.

And finally, the limit came.

"Wha~!?"

Suddenly, his knees lost their strength and his stance was broken.

Nozomu's body staggered. The next thing he knew, a huge black mass was looming in front of him.

"Kuh~!?"

Nozomu immediately rolled across the ground to get under the giant sword. The next moment, Jihad's Jaw Drop passed over Nozomu's head with a roaring sound.

Feeling the gust of wind caused by the giant sword, Nozomu managed to stand up and raise his sword.

But the moment Nozomu, who had fallen to the ground, looked up, Jihad's fist had sunk deep into his abdomen.

"~! Gaa!?"

Nozomu's eyes widened and a voiceless cry escaped from his mouth.

The impact of the blow to his abdomen lifted Nozomu's body for a moment. Jihad slammed his Qi into the fist he had struck and released it at once.

The Qi that exploded in close contact blew Nozomu's body away.

Nozomu flew through the air, slamming into the ground many times.

He finally stopped when he hit the magic barrier at the edge of the arena.

"Gah, guu ..."

Nozomu fell down with his head facing down.

Groaning, Nozomu put strength into his arms in an attempt to lift himself up. However, his arms, trembling like a newborn fawn, wouldn't listen to him and went against his will instead.

"Haa, haa, haa ..."

Even so, Nozomu managed to lift himself up, but the next moment, a torrent of Qi erupted in the arena like never before.

"Wha~!?"

With a shocked expression plastered on his face, Nozomu saw Jihad glaring at him with his giant sword raised.

Both of Jihad's feet, which had been driven into the ground, crushed the ground, and the muscles all over his body made a creaking sound in his mithril armor.

And a huge amount of Qi poured into the raised Jaw Drop, giving off a dazzling light.

"~!?"

The moment he saw the scene, Nozomu's instincts rang a loud warning bell.

Nozomu's heart kept beating fast with a sense of tension. The Qi converging on Jihad's giant sword looked like it was about to explode.

In the face of this apparent abnormality, Nozomu tried to jump away from the spot with all the strength he could muster in his legs.

"Ah~..."

However, Nozomu's legs didn't move according to his will, and Nozomu fell to the ground, crouching there.

And Jihad swung his Jaw Drop down.

Qi technique [Single Stroke]

This was the only Qi technique that Jihad had named himself.

A huge blade of Qi that completely covered his large body, which was particularly large even for such a heavy warrior like him, and was fired towards Nozomu.

It was a blow that simply put the Qi into the sword and swung it down. However, Jihad's extraordinary amount of Qi in the blow turned such a simple slash into a powerful attack.

As if to say that there was no need for any unnecessary tricks, the slash flying in a straight line, crushing any existence in its path into dust.

That slash was more powerful than even Tima's all-out magic.

"This is bad!?"

The moment the blade of Qi was released, Nozomu knew that it would be impossible to completely avoid it.

However, even if he had been able to move, it would have been impossible for him to survive unscathed.

Excess Qi leaked out from the Qi blade's main body and a vacuum blade was attached around the [Single Stroke] that was coming straight at Nozomu.

Even if he can avoid the Qi blade's main body by the slimmest of margins, he will be torn apart by the swirling Qi and the vacuum blade around the main blade.

"Kuh~!?"

Even so, Nozomu managed to get out of the area of effect of the [Single Stroke]. He could no longer think about the future. Nozomu converged his remaining Qi into his legs.

"Guh~, gaa ..."

The act of squeezing out even more of his dwindling Qi put a strain on Nozomu's body.

He desperately clenched his teeth to endure the dizziness that suddenly came over him.

But it was too late. The blade of Qi that was closing in on him filled his field of view.

At the next moment, Nozomu threw himself to the ground to get away from the blade even a little, and a shockwave hit him, blowing his body into the air.

================================

Everyone was staring at the sight in front of them as if they were looking at something incredible.

Line of scars was deeply engraved in the arena.

The blade of Qi hit and penetrated the magic barrier stretched on the arena as it is.

Although no one was injured due to the magic barrier of the arena, the audience seats trembled as if they had been hit by an earthquake.

There were countless damages in some of the spectator seats of the martial arts garden.

And, next to the scars carved on the ground, there was Nozomu's figure who was blown off and struck on the ground.

"A~……"

He fell down and his body did not move a muscle.

A dry voice escaped from Lisa's mouth when she saw him.

Her eyes were wide open, and her face turned pale.

Lisa couldn't help but feel her body getting colder, while her heart was beating incredibly fast.

Eventually, a red stain spread across the ground where Nozomu had fallen. Everyone knew immediately that it was the blood flowing out of his body.

"A, aa ..."

The death of her father came back to Lisa's mind. As her mind went blank, her body froze like a wax figure.

"I-I have to help!"

"Lisa !?"

Camilla shouted in surprise at Lisa who suddenly started to panic.

However, Lisa didn't hear her voice.

Lisa, who had completely forgotten how she felt about Nozomu until now, was in a panic and was about to run.

(If I don't go soon, He'll die!)

That was the only thought that occupied her mind.

However, Lisa's attempt to step forward was stopped the moment she took her first step.

"Nozomu!"

"Mimuru! Hurry up and get Norn-sensei!"

Irisdina and Shīna's screams pierced Lisa's ears.

In Lisa's eyes, she saw Irisdina and the others running towards Nozomu in a hurry.

"A~……"

A voice escaped from Lisa's mouth unconsciously. The sound of her voice was filled with a sense of loneliness and emptiness.

============================

In the meantime, Irisdina and the others who were trying to rush to the fallen Nozomu were blocked by the magic barrier that had been deployed on the arena.

"Inda-sensei! Hurry up, undo the barrier!"

"I know. Wait a moment."

Despite being rushed by Irisdina, Inda quickly ran her fingers over the control panel of the magic barrier and tried to deactivate it.

Irisdina and Shīna, who wanted to rush to Nozomu right away, were standing right next to the magic barrier, waiting restlessly for the barrier to be lifted.

At their side was Norn-sensei, accompanied by Mimuru and the others.

(Is he alright?)

As they heard Nozomu groaning in their ears, Irisdina and the others' faces were tense at once.

And what they saw was Nozomu trying to get up, covered in blood.

"Ouch~!"

"... Wha~!?"

Everyone there couldn't take their eyes off Nozomu as he stood unsteadily on his feet.

The clothes that Nozomu was wearing were stained red in many places due to bleeding from various parts of his body.

His forehead, in particular, had been cut quite deeply, and the red blood was still flowing without stopping.

"Even though I held back, you shouldn't be able to move right away..."

Jihad's mutter echoed through the silent arena.

He didn't hit Nozomu with his full power Qi technique [Single Stroke]. Because it was too powerful to be unleashed on a single person.

The blade ran through Nozomu's side and just blew his body away.

However, with that kind of Qi technique, the aftermath alone was more than enough to cause damage. The vacuum blade that was attached to the Qi blade would also inflict a certain amount of damage to its opponent.　

If others think about it normally, there was no way a student could take it and stay conscious.

However, Nozomu's crisis detection ability, which had been trained to the point that it could now be called instinct, moved his body precisely even in the reflex realm, where there was no room for thought.

In that short time, Nozomu had forcibly twisted his own body into the gap between the vacuum blades that clung to Jihad's Qi blade.

And his defensive movements by rolling on the ground that was ingrained in his bones minimized the impact when he was blown away.

"But you're really persistent. Even though I hold back, I still seriously swung my sword..."

"Haa, haa……"

Jihad's words seemed to go beyond surprise, but Nozomu couldn't afford to answer him.

It was the effect on his body due to the rapid depletion of his Qi.

Even though he was not deeply injured, the blood in his body was slowly being lost. His vision began to darken and narrow, and he could not hear well. In fact, Nozomu couldn't hear what Jihad had just said.

"That's enough for the combat training. Jihad-dono, and also Nozomu Bountis, please put away your weapons."

When Inda announced that this was the end of the combat training, the underclassmen who had been gazing at the battle happening in front of them let out a big breath.

They must have been completely transfixed by the battle between the two. It was such a fierce battle.

“…………”

However, even after hearing Inda's announcement, Jihad still stared at Nozomu without letting go of his Jaw Drop.

Nozomu also did not turn his eyes away from Jihad.

While clenching the blood-soaked scabbard in his left hand and katana in his right hand, he lowered his posture.

"Nozomu Bountis! The combat training is over, get out of there!"

Inda's scolding voice echoed throughout the arena, but Nozomu couldn't hear her.

All of his nerves, which originally had outstanding concentration, were now directed at the man standing in front of him.

Furthermore, Nozomu was now in an exhausted state due to his rapid consumption of Qi. It was no wonder that he had missed Inda's voice.

But even if he hadn’t heard her, Nozomu still sheathed his katana.

He was not thinking about the injury he had just sustained. In his training with his master, it was normal for him to be beaten to a pulp.

More than once, he had been in mortal danger of having his joints damaged or being left in a forest overrun by demon beasts.

But more than anything, Nozomu did not want to run away now.

It wasn't just Lisa and Ken that he had turned away from. He had also turned away from this school itself. It made him unconsciously hesitant to use his own Qi techniques.

Even if he hadn't used it in combat training, the school would have been able to perceive the level of Nozomu's technique if he had fired it at a target such as a scarecrow.

Since he decided to face Lisa and Ken, he also had to face this school again. If that was the case, he would have to stand up.

Nozomu's eyes caught sight of the invisible chains wrapped around his body. He grasped the chain once, but slowly let it go.

It was true that if he released the Ability Suppression, he would be able to fight Jihad. But Nozomu had no intention of releasing this power right now.

Outside the field, Irisdina and the others were looking at him anxiously.

Although he felt bad for making them worry, Nozomu's mind was clear.

Even though he had been manipulated by Tiamat and turned his blade against them, they still accepted him.

That alone was enough to give Nozomu a surge of strength from deep within his body.

The skills he had cultivated and the feelings he had received from the people who had supported him.

He wanted to answer them without using the violent power he has hidden inside himself. At least for now.

Nozomu stared at Jihad while putting all of his feelings into his katana.

"I see. It seems that your will to fight hasn't diminished ..."

Perhaps, he understood Nozomu's intentions, Jihad suddenly held up his giant sword. With that as a signal, Nozomu rushed toward Jihad at once.

"Wait~!? Stop!"

Nozomu ignored Inda's words and plunged into the Jihad in a straight line. His speed was even slower than before. This was because it has not been strengthened by Qi.

He can no longer waste even a drop of his Qi. He couldn't use any more Qi until the moment he made his final move.

As if to shake off such Nozomu, Jihad swung the giant sword at him.

"Hmph!"

The giant sword that was swung along with Nozomu's rush completely aimed at his body.

Nozomu was already at his limit. He was simply running, but his body's center of gravity was shifting and he felt like he was going to stagger.

Furthermore, if he didn't use Qi and activated [Instant Move -Curve Dance-], there was no way he could dodge Jihad's blow, and Nozomu couldn't block Jihad's Jaw Drop either.

As everyone predicted that Nozomu was going to be blown away, he threw himself forward with all his might while keeping the momentum of his rush.

The approaching giant sword blade brushed Nozomu's hair.

Nozomu managed to slip underneath the swung Jaw Drop at the last minute.

As if to show Jihad, he slightly pulled his katana out of the mouth of its sheath. At the same time, he sent his Qi into the katana and compressed it to the limit.

The moment the slightest glimmer of Nozomu's katana blade peeked out, Jihad immediately pulled back the giant sword he had swung and raised it like a shield.

In their previous clashes, Nozomu attacks, which boasted a greater degree of sharpness, were parried by the giant sword that has been infused with Jihad's enormous Qi.

Jihad also knew that Nozomu's Qi was at its limit.

(This was his last strike. Let him at least give it his all.)

Jihad lowered his hips with the intention of blocking all of Nozomu's attacks.

"Come, now! Show me everything you've got!"

Jihad's voice echoed. Nozomu used the movement momentum to raise himself up. Nozomu caught Jihad in his attack range. And at the moment when it seemed that Nozomu's katana would be pulled out and released.

"Mmm!?"

Nozomu filled his fist with Qi and slammed it into the giant sword instead of using his katana.

The unexpected sight caused everyone in the martial arts garden, including Jihad, to widen their eyes.

Nozomu slammed his right hand, which was gripping the hilt of his katana. This time, he swung out his left hand. With that momentum, he also twisted his body and launched a roundhouse kick.

Furthermore, Nozomu attacked Jihad with fluid movements, using every part of his body like a weapon, including elbow strikes and palm strikes.

"Hoo, that's impressive."

To the eyes of those who were watching this battle, it looked like a dance.

Nozomu's fists, moving in a circular pattern, up, down, left, and right, were drawn out like the wind while connecting each of his movements

There was no stagnation in his movements, no hesitation in his dance.

Even Jihad's eyes, who had seen many warriors, Nozomu's dance looked outstanding.

"But it's too weak."

Jihad was impressed with Nozomu's physical ability itself, but he decided that Nozomu's decision here was a poor one.

Certainly, in such close quarters combat, it was difficult to wield a huge super-heavy weapon like the Jaw Drop.

That's why Jihad judged that Nozomu would put what little remaining Qi he had into his katana and unleash it.

However, what Nozomu actually used was his own fist.

Given that Nozomu's original expertise was using a katana, his current distance was clearly too close, even if it was to strike a more certain blow.

"Did you make a mistake? You're young. I guess that's just the way it is... Wha?"

Jihad was sighing while blocking Nozomu's fist, but he was struck by the discomfort that his fist conveyed.

The shock he felt through the giant sword he had raised earlier. Although still weak, it seemed that the impact was gradually increasing.

It was conceivable that Nozomu's offensive was gradually increasing in power.

However, this attack was unnatural for Nozomu, who was so exhausted.

When Jihad looked into Nozomu while wondering what it was all about, there was the figure of Nozomu enveloped by a swirling tail of light.

"This is light of magic power... No way, Is it Ritual Body Technique!?"

Ritual Body Technique.

It is a special technique that does not belong to either chanting or formation formulas that are the mainstream on this continent. It is a technique that makes it possible to manifest magic on a large scale by making one's very movements into a technique.

Ritual Body Technique [Rinne Kaiten]

The martial art itself was established as ritual magic, and while gathering magic power in the surroundings, it gave his body an endless amount of magic power.

".... I see, I've been set up."

Jihad judged that Nozomu had dared to close their distance in order to use this technique. To block his opponent's attacks and buy time for the ritual body technique to be established.

The magic lights that were glittering like snowflakes were fantastic, and the sight of the magic power in the arena swirling and converging on Nozomu was like diamond dust.

Nozomu's blows, which Jihad could feel through the giant sword, were soon increasing to the point that even Jihad could not ignore them anymore.

At first, the sound of the blows was light, like stone and gravel being smashed, but now it became louder like a thud! The sound seemed to reverberate in the core of his body.

"But it was regrettable."

However, Jihad's expression was extremely calm.

Indeed, Nozomu's blow had considerable power, but it was not enough to break through Jihad's defense.

There was nothing wrong with Nozomu's dance itself. The magic power that his body converged with right now was comparable to the magic power of top-class mages.

However, the effect of the strengthening magic was too low compared to the magic power he had gathered, probably due to the influence of the Ability Suppression.

Then, Nozomu's dance, which seemed to last forever, came to an end.

"Aaaaaaa!"

With a burst of Qi, Nozomu twisted his upper body and swung a roundhouse kick as if to put all his strength into it.

This is Nozomu's last attack. If Jihad blocks it, it will be over.

With that in mind, as soon as Nozomu twisted his body, Jihad released all the Qi in his whole body at once and prepared for the impact.

Nozomu's leg swung out and approached Jihad.

But it was not Jihad's giant sword that Nozomu's foot was driven into, but the ground beneath his feet.

"Wha!?"

A cloud of dust rolled up in front of him, covering Jihad's vision.

The moment Jihad's vision was disturbed, Nozomu took another step forward with the foot he had driven into the ground.

The two men's gazes crossed at close range.

The magic power gathered by the ritual body technique was all converged in his left hand.

Compared to controlling Qi, Nozomu was not so good at controlling magic power.

The skin of Nozomu's arm was ripped open and the muscles were torn to shreds by the uncontrolled excess of magic power.

But Nozomu ignored the pain in his arm and slammed his left hand down on Jihad's Jaw Drop with all his might, simultaneously releasing the magic power he had been storing so far.

The released muddy stream-like magic power swallowed Jihad's Jaw Drop, and finally, the rock-like giant sword was bounced off.

"Nuu !?"

Jihad's unprotected upper body was exposed. Nozomu was about to pull his katana in an attempt to strike a killing blow this time.

"Oooo!"

This is the real end. Nozomu released all his remaining Qi and tried to pull out his katana with all his might.

Jihad, whose upper body was blown away, had no way to dodge it. It was supposed to be that way.

"Wha~!?"

Just as Nozomu was about to draw his katana, there was a *thud!* sound.　Jihad's body leaped with a roaring sound.

Jihad reversed the momentum of the magic flow that Nozomu had struck at him while releasing his Qi from under his feet.

He moved his huge body and jumped diagonally backward at once as if to escape from Nozomu's attack range.

Nozomu's eyes widened at the impossible leap shown by a person wearing heavy warrior armor and carrying such a super-heavy weapon.

"Mmm!"

Furthermore, Jihad twisted his body in the air and sent a huge amount of Qi into the Jaw Drop.

And just as his own body began to fall according to the law of gravity, Jihad swung the Jaw Drop down toward Nozomu.

A giant sword enveloped by Qi fell like a comet from above Nozomu's head.

Nozomu had already stepped forward, and at the limit of his strength, Nozomu no longer had enough energy left to overcome Jihad's attack.

"Kuh~!? Oooooooo!!"

There was no way for Nozomu to block it from hitting him. It was also impossible to avoid it.

Then…… The only way out of this was to intercept it head-on.

The extremely compressed Qi was sent into his right foot and katana, and strengthened them to the utmost limit.

Furthermore, the muscles of his entire body, which moved in tandem with his knees and hips, were completely synchronized with the extreme strengthening by Qi.

The giant sword approached like lightning falling from the sky.

As Nozomu stared at the blow that would bring all beings to their knees, Nozomu drew his katana and released his Qi at once.

Qi technique [Phantom -Flash-]

The katana that was pulled out collided with the giant sword that was approaching. [Single Stroke] and [Phantom -Flash-] that were activated, released a flash of light, dyeing the area pure white.

The next moment, Nozomu's consciousness was swallowed by the darkness as his vision turned dark.