[64] That's Right, I've Already Lost

His ability should only be 〈Absolute GodSpeed〉, which allows him to be absolutely faster than his opponent. It shouldn't be possible for him to cross her blade domain. Could it be that Absolute GodSpeed also has a way to harden the body?

Unbelievable!

But in the midst of battle, there was no time for Kanata to think.

Although she couldn't believe her eyes, Kanata had no choice but to reluctantly accept reality and quickly react.

She had to retract the surrounding blade fragments, gathering the remaining blades to protect herself.

〈Star Wind Slash〉 was her trump card, judged by the League to have a terrifying attack power of B-rank. But to execute this move, she needed to gather nearly half of her blades.

And once these blades were launched more than thirty meters away, they couldn't be retrieved in a short time.

Eiji had charged into the blade domain from thirty meters away.

Given his speed, he could cross that distance in at most three seconds.

In such a situation, she had to gather all the remaining blades scattered around her to block his sudden assault.

Otherwise, a mage being closed in on by a swordsman would be the end.

"Let's settle this!"

Kanata thought to herself.

Although he had crossed the mountain of blades using some unknown method, she was still confident.

Her 〈Francesca〉 wasn't just razor-sharp in attack; it was also impregnable in defense!

Kanata's judgment was both quick and accurate.

——After a full three seconds.

Eiji finally crossed the blade domain, raising his sword as he arrived before her.

His expression was extremely ferocious, his eyes wide open, as if his entire body was enduring extraordinary pain.

The usual calmness and casual demeanor had completely disappeared from him at this moment. He looked as fierce as a hawk, as if he would stop at nothing to achieve victory.

"——Fleeting Lights and Passing Shadows!"

In that heart-stopping second, the two finally clashed.

Eiji held his sword horizontally at his side, closing in on Kanata with a thrusting stance. Under the chaotic swings of his sword and his breathing, he unleashed the same strike that had once defeated Bishou.

In an instant, Kanata's expression became dazed.

Undoubtedly, she had fallen for it. Her consciousness was affected by this strike, leaving her momentarily stunned.

Eiji, without hesitation, thrust his sword forward.

This was a killing blow!

After this strike, the tip of the sword should have mercilessly pierced through her chest—that's how it was supposed to be.

Clang——!

The moment the sword tip thrust forward, it suddenly stopped in mid-air, unable to advance further.

Upon closer inspection, a nearly transparent circular shield, emitting a starlight-like glow, was positioned in front of Kanata.

The shield looked fragile, as if it could be easily pierced, but it was constructed from the majority of her remaining blades and infused with her B-rank mana, giving it a defensive strength of C-rank.

The sword tip firmly struck the center of the shield, producing a sharp, metallic clang.

This meant that Eiji's strike had failed.

And that wasn't all—

Slash!

Slash!

Slash!

Suddenly, blood blossomed.

On Eiji's body, countless wounds, as dense as a honeycomb, abruptly appeared.

Then, without warning, the flesh around the wounds burst open, and a large amount of crimson blood surged from beneath the skin, almost dyeing his entire body red and blurring his vision.

"Ugh!"

The intense pain forced a muffled scream from Eiji.

"...It seems it's over."

Kanata was momentarily stunned, then slowly came to a realization.

His entire body was covered in dense wounds, with large patches of skin gouged out, as if he had been subjected to the torture of a thousand cuts.

Those were undoubtedly the wounds inflicted by the blade fragments as he crossed the blade domain.

"Although I don't know what method you used to delay the onset of these wounds, it's clear that you've reached your limit. If I'm not mistaken, you've run out of mana, right?"

Kanata continuously output mana, sustaining the shield's existence.

But the fighting spirit had already left her eyes.

The outcome was decided.

A Blader who had run out of mana couldn't even use their inherent device ability. With just a sword, it was impossible to break through her mana defense.

Not to mention, he looked so battered and bruised, with most of his strength drained by the pain.

"You ultimately couldn't overcome fate."

Kanata's eyes dimmed slightly.

Inexplicably, even though she was about to win the match, a sense of loss welled up in her heart.

Why?

It was unbelievable.

Perhaps, deep down, she had also been hoping for a different outcome.

"Oh no! Is this the end? Eiji Nangou's all-out strike has been blocked! After crossing what seemed like an impossible mountain of blades, is he going to fall here?! Get up, this isn't over yet!"

"What are you going to do, Junior Brother..."

"That's right! Nangou-kun, keep fighting!"

"You're so close, I believe you won't lose!"

Not just the commentators, but even the audience began to cheer.

The sight of the underdog giving their all to strike at the stronger opponent resonated with countless people.

Not to mention, the once-handsome boy, now drenched in blood for the sake of victory, looked like a fallen angel, his tragic figure evoking even more sympathy.

"...You keep talking about fate... It's really annoying."

"!"

Kanata looked at Eiji in surprise.

The boy, who should have lost all ability to resist and even passed out from the pain, was now glaring at her with an impatient look.

Those eyes, even stained red with blood, still shone brightly like stars.

"That's right, I've already lost—anyone would think that..."

Eiji gritted his teeth, a reckless smile spreading across his face.

"——But I predicted this situation from the very beginning!"

This battle had been rehearsed countless times in Eiji's mind.

No matter how many times he simulated it, at his current level, after crossing the blade domain, he would inevitably run out of mana, making it impossible to break through her magic defense.

Given how much his ability was countered, getting injured was unavoidable.

So——

"Haah——!!"

Eiji suddenly widened his eyes, blood vessels densely appearing in his eyeballs.

At the same time, the intense pain coursing through his body became his fuel, igniting more potential within him, forcing out even more power from the depths of his soul!

"This move is——!?"

Ikki suddenly stood up from the audience seats.

His face showed surprise and astonishment as he recognized Eiji's incredible move.

"Destroying his survival instincts to forcibly draw out power that shouldn't be usable!"

That's right.

It had been over ten days since Eiji had seen through Ikki's Ittou Shura.

In those ten days, relying on his exceptional body control, Eiji had already mastered the technique of "destroying survival instincts."

Since he didn't have an ability like 〈Physical Ability Doubling〉, the potential power he gained from destroying his survival instincts wasn't as massive as Ikki's, which could reach dozens of times. His was only about double.

——But it was enough.

"At zero distance, there's no need to worry about insufficient power!"

Under Kanata's stunned gaze, Eiji revealed a ferocious smile.

He released the hilt of his sword, switching from a grip to a push, giving the sword tip a direction. Then, he poured all the mana he had forcibly drawn from the depths of his soul into it——!

***

Hey readers!

Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.

🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹

Thanks for being awesome! ❤️