Formidable Foe

Kazuya came back home, glanced at Toratoro with the bone in his mouth. There has been no trace of oil on it. Since it couldn't dirty the floor, he ignored it and went to his desk to review his homework. Toratoro lied in the corner happily and used the bone as a pillow with gentle eyes.

Time passed slowly. After finishing his notes, Kazuya put down his pen but still felt restless. Looking at the clock, it was almost ten at night. After thinking for a while, he decided to go out.

Haruna seemed a bit stubborn. Could it be that she's waiting there? What if something happens? For the sake of caution, he should take a look!

Kazuya walked towards the park near the station, the frosty moonlight guiding his way. The park was nearly empty at this hour, with occasional homeless people emerging from one corner and disappearing into another shadow.

Ignoring these surroundings, Kazuya searched the park and spotted Haruna sitting on a bench under a street lamp emitting a pale light.

As expected, she didn't go back. Kazuya took a few quick steps forward to greet her, only to realize that Haruna, who had been sitting still, was actually asleep. She slept soundly with her face turned towards the sky and no semblance of a typical girl. It seemed that she had already sent the other three back home and waited by herself.

"Sakura? Sakura? Wake up!" Kazuya approached and called out. Haruna groggily woke up, wiped the drool and asked, somewhat confused, "Is it time for dinner?"

Kazuya felt helpless, "It's very late. You should go home!"

Only then did Haruna recognize who was in front of her. She stood up straight, happily saying, "Oh, it's you! You finally came! Let's settle our duel!" She enthusiastically reached for her big wooden sword. But as she turned around, her body swayed slightly and her stomach rumbled. She patted her belly, laughing heartily, "I'm hungry!"

How did such a mentally disabled child enter Hope Peak Academy? Kazuya couldn't express his feelings. He stopped Haruna and said earnestly, "Sakura, it's very late today, and you haven't eaten. I don't want to take advantage of you. How about we postpone the duel to another day?"

"No way!" Haruna flatly refused. Swinging the wooden sword down forcefully, she said seriously, "I can't let my sister be bullied for nothing."

After looking at Haruna's determined expression, Kazuya felt that she was stubborn like a child. He resigned, "Alright, I'll go back and get my sword."

"No need!" Haruna's eyes shone when she saw that he finally agreed to the duel. She pulled out a normal-sized wooden sword from her bag, "Use mine! My stomach is hungry, and your weapon doesn't suit you. It's fair now."

Kazuya thanked her and took the sword, testing its feel. Holding the sword, he slowly stepped back a few paces, "Come on, Sakura!"

Haruna burst into laughter, raising her sword high and shouting, "Ahaha, I'm coming!"

A wild sword was a battlefield weapon that emphasized teamwork and was not very effective for one-on-one combat. Kazuya adopted a middle-level stance, planning for a quick and decisive battle to send this mentally disabled girl home early.

This pair of sisters was really eccentic. It was all his own fault for encountering them!

His gaze sharpened, seizing the initiative when Haruna had just lifted the wooden sword above her head. With a swift motion, he thrust his bamboo sword towards Haruna's wrist, aiming for a preemptive strike. However, to his surprise, Haruna, who seemed somewhat mentally disabled, exhibited exceptional skill with the sword. Contrary to appearances, her strikes were fierce and filled with a menacing aura.

"Ahaha!" Haruna completely ignored Kazuya's thrust towards her wrist. A look of excitement appeared on her face as she swung her wooden sword directly towards Kazuya's head, the wind sharp and the speed astonishingly fast.

Kazuya was taken aback. He could have struck Haruna's wrist, but risking getting his head smashed in was not a accpetable trade. He dodged to the side hurrily, instantly losing the advantage he had gained.

Haruna had no intention of sheathing her sword. She swung it forcefully onto the ground, causing stones to scatter. Kazuya attempted to strike Haruna's shoulder. However, he realized that the two-and-a-half-meter-long wooden sword in Haruna's hands seemed as light as a feather. Controlled flawlessly, it changed direction in the moment of rebound, and she twisted her waist to slash towards his ribs.

It was almost identical to the previous attack. While he could potentially hit Haruna, she could likely retaliate with her own strike. Haruna's speed with the sword was incredibly quick!

In an instant, Kazuya and Haruna clashed for two rounds. Instead of gaining any advantage, Kazuya found himself pushed out of an effective attack range by Haruna's ferocious playstyle.

Unable to get close to Haruna, Kazuya realized the true meaning of "an inch of advantage, a mile of strength." Haruna swung the oversized wooden sword in wide arcs, creating a powerful area-of-effect attack. With little room for escape, the heavy wooden sword, coupled with inertia, could cause either minor head injuries or serious fractures, with the sound of the wind alone sending shivers down one's spine.

In a short period, Kazuya not only failed to send Haruna home earlier but also found himself struggling to avoid being sent to the hospital. It was quite a dilamma.

However, Kazuya seasoned in combat did not let the situation completely get out of hand. Taking advantage of a moment to evade, he activated [Anticipation] skill. Time seemed to freeze as numerous transparent versions of Kazuya engaged in battle with Haruna. However, in an instant, more than half were slain: among all possible attack methods, nearly half were countered by Haruna's strikes easily.

He charged directly towards her, hugging her sword closely. Facing Kazuya's close-range assault, Haruna remained undisturbed. Her face was filled with excitement, seemingly immersed in the joy of battle. She twisted her left hand, altering the direction of the wooden sword's blade, and exerted force with her right hand, transforming the thrust into a horizontal slash, aiming to cut Kazuya in half from his navel.

Kazuya held the wooden sword at his side with both hands, using the back of the blade to block Haruna's horizontal slash. Despite his attempt to continue forward, he felt a surge of force that was hard to resist.

The disparity was immense! At this point, his defensive stance was too rigid, and the offensive power was insufficient. Fortunately, he had reached the weak part near the base of Haruna's wooden sword. He managed to free one hand and attempted to use Disarm technique, aiming to snatch her sword away. But he couldn't do it. Haruna held the hilt as if it were cast from iron, while the hand he tried to use felt numb as if it had lost all sensation due to pain.

With a hearty laugh, she leaned in and charged towards Kazuya, forcefully pushing him back along with the sword.

Kazuya felt like he had been rammed by a rhinoceros. Losing his balance, he staggered backward, narrowly avoiding falling to the ground. Meanwhile, Haruna had swung her wooden sword back and shouted, "Ahaha, I'll cut you!"

Kazuya adjusted the blade and raised the sword for defense, not daring to resist the head-on strike. He desperately shifted the blade to deflect Haruna's sword to the side. Despite that, his steps were still unsteady, and the wooden sword in his hand almost slipped away, leaving his hands and wrist numb.

In what felt like a slow process but actually took only a couple of seconds, the two exchanged positions, and Kazuya, having barely taken half a breath, saw Haruna seemingly without the need to recover or breathe. She stroke down with another lightning-fast slash, shouting, "Cut! Cut! Cut!"

Her cries grew louder, and the murderous intent permeated the air, startling the night birds in the nearby woods.

Kazuya activated [Anticipation] again, freezing time to assess the current situation. All the transparent figures engaged in combat were instantly wiped out, indicating he had no chance against her! Haruna wasn't particularly skilled, but her physical abilities were so formidable that it was terrifying—strength, speed, and quick reactions, making her seem like a monster.

Truly, one force could overcome ten skills, and speed was the essence of martial arts!

Kazuya barely evaded Haruna's strike, but the situation was worsening. Haruna displayed an animal-like intuition during the fight, easily avoiding even deceptive moves by Kazuya. Instead, she systematically drove Kazuya into a corner step by step.

Kazuya had already forgotten why they engaged in this sword duel. His eyes were fixed only on the tip of Haruna's sword, and his mind was focused on winning or, more accurately, "surviving".

There must be a way! There must be a way!

He applied the techniques of the Somaryu style, attacking Haruna's sword weak points while evading. He managed to deflect the sword, avoiding consecutive pursuits, creating a brief moment to catch his breath. 

He fought on, retreating with unwavering determination, his eyes burning with an unyielding will.

In Haruna's eyes, the flames of fighting spirit burned just as intensely. She swung her wooden sword with the grace of a real blade, with the sharp cutting sound heard only after the blade passed. Her initially excited expression gradually turned into fervor. She shouted loudly, her short skirt fluttered, and her black hair swayed lightly. She had threw herself completely into the battle.