[Volume 9 - Chapter 14: Heightened Fighting Spirit Part 2]

Of course, Touka followed that with a lightning blast.

"Bzzt!"

With a soft bursting sound accompanied by sparks, Ikki's right arm and upper body snapped back from the shock. Touka saw a decisive opening.

'This is it!'

Touka decided to unleash her trump card.

Touka had already seen Ikki's resilience towards electrocution earlier.

A mere slash would simply be dodged. However, even if he were to dodge Raikiri, her supersonic blade would hit Ikki with a blast through the air.

At close range, the damage from receiving that would be able to take down any single human.

There was no reason to hesitate.

Believing this, Touka returned Narukami to its scabbard.

"Eh!?!?"

To be more accurate, she tried to.

However, she was unable to.

Why? Well, the reason was in Narukami's scabbard.

Right at the opening of the scabbard and the tip of the sword, preventing the sword from returning to the scabbard, was a small chip from the broken ring!

'!!!'

In that moment, Touka realized that she had been trapped.

Ikki's foot had not gotten caught on the broken part of the ring.

In order to kick up a shard from the ring, he had stuck his foot in a crack.

Then, while he was bending back due to the electric shock, he launched the shard into the gap between Narukami and its scabbard.

This prevented the resheathing of the sword, leaving Touka defenseless.

"Ka, Ha..."

In that instant, Ikki finished recovering from the shock and cut Touka at the throat.

◆◇◆◇◆

After receiving such a fatal wound, Touka felt that she was about to lose her consciousness and collapse.

However, with sheer force of will, she managed to stay on one knee and addressed the victorious Ikki.

"To think that Raikiri would be defeated in such a manner…"

"It's a surprise attack that will only ever work once, though."

Touka smiled bitterly.

Using a shard from the ring to block her scabbard was definitely a surprise. She wouldn't let it happen again.

However, reading her intent to use Raikiri and then using the damage to the ring was nothing short of creative.

Even during their fierce sword fight, he'd had the ability to nonchalantly lead her to a predetermined location.

Most impressively, he had completely deceived her ability to directly read intentions from biological signals in order to get his plan past her, taking decisive action without letting her realize anything.

Without a doubt, that was the power of Ikki's experience.

Ikki's strength definitely consisted of more than just swordplay.

He had widened her view. He was constantly thinking about the best way to win.

'I've been thinking only about sword techniques this whole time.'

"Amazing. Even though I came to help you train, I ended up learning from you instead."

"Learning from me? I'm only fighting this way because I can't afford to reveal my hand… Toudou-san. Thank you for having this match with me."

"Oh, don't men..."

"Alright, alright. It's very Japanese of you to be throwing thanks around, but face me, Ikki."

Something hard prodded Ikki in the back with an audible thunk.

It was Moroboshi's device, Tora-ou.

"That was an interesting path to victory you took, though I'm not surprised. After all, you turned the tables on me in similar fashion, didn't you?"

Ikki turned his attention from Touka to Moroboshi and nodded slightly.

"That I did. You and I have a similarly sneaky way of thinking."

"Haha. Of course. I'm a merchant from Naniwa."

Even while he laughed deeply at Ikki's jesting, Moroboshi flipped Tora-ou around, pointing its tip at Ikki.

"I will be the last. Since you have a match today, I will not use Tiger Bite, hehe. I'll tire you out in a good way. I'll take this opportunity to pay you back for the first round. Are you ready?"

Moroboshi wore a boorish grin on his face.

However, even as he played with his expression and words, the fire in his eyes was honest.

Even while feeling thankful for the warm feelings Ikki saw flickering in Moroboshi's eyes, he raised his sword.

"Let's do this."

◆◇◆◇◆

It was time for a mock battle with Moroboshi. The beginning proved much calmer than his battle with Touka.

It was natural, as Ikki and Moroboshi were knights with similar styles at heart.

He wouldn't engage in long range combat with magic the way Touka had.

Basically, until he entered spear range, he wouldn't attack.

'At least, that's what I'd like to think, but he seems like he might throw his spear.'

Even though Moroboshi hadn't entered spear range, Ikki could not let his guard down at all.

While paying meticulous attention, Ikki circled around Moroboshi.

All that time, Moroboshi's gaze never left Ikki.

Tora-ou, which had been lowered, tracked Ikki's heart with its tip.

'Facing him again, the pressure really is incredible.'

There was no point at which he could break into Moroboshi's range.

'I don't think I can use speed to disturb his zone like I did in the tournament's first round.'

Ikki reasoned this out.

He was referring to how close his victory against Moroboshi in the Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival had been.

That victory had been less through true power and more about a surprise attack. Moroboshi hadn't known enough about Ikki, which let Ikki get a major cut in on him before his eyes had gotten used to Ikki's speed.

The bleeding from that cut had lowered his oxygen circulation. With his eyesight weakened by that, Moroboshi had been unable to follow Ikki's sudden acceleration.

However, Moroboshi was different now.

He was in perfect condition, and moreover, he now knew about Ikki's use of Twin-Wings' style.

Relying on speed to attack such an opponent was dangerous.

'However...'

Right, even so, in the end, it was the same as in his match with Touka.

Dangerous or not, Ikki did not have many options to choose from.

He had his own fighting distance. Take the battle to the range of a sword, and cut them down.

Besides that, he had no other way of fighting.

That said…

'He's scary.'

Moroboshi's pressure was certainly strong.

However, if he flinched from just this, he would never be able to approach Stella.

If there was no hope of victory given by his opponent.

'I must go, without fear!'

Ikki steeled his heart and accelerated, running up to Moroboshi.

In response, Moroboshi took a deep breath.

"…!"

As Ikki stepped into his spear's range, Moroboshi unleashed three lethal thrusts towards him in the blink of an eye.

It was Moroboshi's high speed strike, Sanrensei.

Ikki took them on with lightning-like slashes, which left only afterimages in his vision.

The downpour of steel was like that of falling stars.

He pushed forward, trying to cut through, but…

'This is…!'

Try as he might, he could not advance.

Countless Sanrensei strikes rained down in a flurry.

The speed and density of the strikes were beyond comparing with those in the previous match.

Even using Twin-Wings' technique, he could just barely repel the strikes.

"Are you surprised? Kurogane."

"…!"

"During the tournament, I was using Sanrensei as bait for Tiger Bite. You prepared to enter my range by depending on your speed. However, if I don't mix in Houkiboshi, don't use Tiger Bite, and focus on speed, even I am capable of this much. If you can get through, then show me!"

"Ku…"

His voice was full of confidence.

He was by no means overestimating his own ability.

Slipping through Moroboshi's thrusts would be no easy matter.

'There are no gaps during which I could recover. This is not like Sanrensei so much as it is a meteor shower.'

The downpour of steel like a falling star had no gaps.

Put simply, stepping into range would be impossible.

That being the case, Ikki used a technique.

It was his technique where he moved left and right at a high pace, generating afterimages to deceive his foe.

Fourth Secret Sword- Shinkirou. It was the technique that had caused Moroboshi grief during the tournament.

With this, Ikki would press Moroboshi to choose between...

"Don't underestimate me!"

"!?"

Ikki's shallow plan was crushed in an instant.

Ikki used Shinkirou to send an afterimage right while he moved to the left, but in that instant, Tora-ou bent with deceptive agility, adjusting its trajectory to follow the real Ikki.

Ikki managed to turn the attack with a hair's breadth of space.

"Oraaa!!!"

"Ku, oof!"

Moroboshi used all his strength to strike at Intetsu when Ikki blocked, sending Ikki's body flying to the edge of the ring.

Moroboshi then smiled daringly at Ikki, who just managed to break the fall.

'If you try to create illusions, I'll have my spear in you in an instant. I already know the movements you use to set up that technique. Don't think you can get the same move past a first class fighter like me again. That's naive of you."

"…Eh? Didn't it work twice, Botan-chan?"

"Yeah, that's why he lost in the first round."

"So he's second-rate."

"Sh-shut up! Onlookers stay quiet!"

Moroboshi objected to their disruption.

Even then, he remained vigilant towards Ikki.

It seemed obvious that he would; Ikki was grasping his sword strongly as if to say it wouldn't be over after just that.

'I still have a way to get out of spear range!'

Ikki rushed at Moroboshi for the second time.

'You're incorrigible! That said, even if you're caught, this is your only way, huh!"

Moroboshi prepared to combat this approach from spear distance again.

He wasted no energy while Ikki was out of range, but the moment Ikki entered his zone, he swooped in like a raging fire.

Fundamentally, Moroboshi preferred this kind of patient spear technique.

That's what Ikki decided to aim for.

The first blow Moroboshi would put out as he approached.

'I'll hit his interception with Dokuga no Tachi!'

He raised his sword diagonally above his head. His sixth secret sword-Dokuga no Tachi.

It sends shockwaves into the enemy through the Device, attacking them from the inside.

It was an attack that passed through weapons.

Unlike Shinkirou, he hadn't shown this technique to Moroboshi.

Therefore, the first attack should definitely get by...

"What might this be?"

"…?"

Ikki was left astonished the instant his Dokuga no Tachi intercepted Tora-ou.

Moroboshi had quickly withdrawn his spear.

Then, aiming at Ikki, who was full of openings after being faked out, he struck out again.

"As if I'd take such a poisoned strike!"

"Ku, Uoooooo!!!"

Immediately after, that light of strength leaving someone, Blood Light, danced in the air.

Moroboshi's strike had caught Ikki.

However, it had not been a serious wound.

It had only slightly scratched his side.

To pull that off, Ikki had used the hilt of Intetsu to strike the blade of Tora-ou and turn its trajectory.

He then promptly escaped out of spear range.

"Skillful as usual."

"What makes you say it was poisoned? You should not have seen this technique before."

"It's because you left your weight behind unnaturally. I just got a bad feeling from that."

"…I see."

Ikki laughed bitterly at that.

Even though he'd intended to make an opening, somehow there'd been another oversight.

He suddenly understood then.

'Tactics that expect mistakes from the enemy won't work on this man.'

Perhaps it was due to the lack of tension during a mock battle, but Moroboshi's concentration had too few holes.

He had been in a natural stance this whole time, leaving no openings to attack.

In that case… There was only one thing left to do.

Having decided thus, Ikki brought Intetsu into Seigan no Kamae and focused on Moroboshi with both eyes.

"…"

Moroboshi observed Ikki's gaze and stance.

"What's that? The nature of his pressure has changed."

Moroboshi's veteran 6th sense immediately sensed something.

'His back foot is well planted. He can't dash effectively from that stance.'

Just as Moroboshi had judged, Ikki's third approach was different from those until now; this time he approached slowly.

Without changing from Seigan no Kamae, Ikki shuffled forwards slowly, feet never leaving the ground.

"What's wrong? If you move at such a turtle-like pace, you'll be filled with holes the moment you get in range."

"..."

Ikki showed no response to Moroboshi's provocation.

Ignoring him-that wasn't quite it.

'He's simply not listening. He can't even hear me.'

After looking at Ikki's eyes, he understood.

He wouldn't respond to sound.

With his eyes focused on Moroboshi, he would just slowly advance and close the gap.

'When focus exceeds normal limits, you become unable to hear anything around you, and also become unable to perceive color. I've experienced being in that zone before…'

Well, if it was the man before him, he could probably enter that state intentionally.

The problem was, what was he thinking, using that focus?

With such slow movements, what was he trying to start?

Finally, Ikki's toes encroached upon Moroboshi's domain.

'Tch, I'm so confused! But what I have to do doesn't change!'

Moroboshi made his move.

Focusing on speed, he unleashed a violent storm of steel.

Ikki blocked it in the same way as before, with Intetsu flying in to deflect the spear.

The sound of weapons clashing. The rain of sparks. It was exactly the same as earlier.

"!?!?"

Moroboshi felt it in the hand wielding Tora-ou first.

There was an abnormal weight coming from this opponent.

It felt like a massive tree rooted in the earth.

No matter how many times he struck, Ikki would not back off like he had earlier.

He didn't dodge horizontally either.

With his eyes fixed on Moroboshi, he advanced straight forwards, bit by bit. Only forwards.

"…!"

Seeing his form, Moroboshi understood Ikki's idea.

'This guy, he didn't have a specific plan or anything…! He cut off nonessential senses, lowered strength spent on things other than movement as much as possible, and put all his focus into his sword…! I'll put my all into my blade and break through with all my strength!'

He wasn't an opponent you could get past with a half hearted plan and a cheap trick.

Knowing that, he would meet the blade that Ikki honed with his all.

Ikki understood his own weakness, and made use of everything before his eyes for victory.

Contrary to that, when it mattered, he had the courage to trust in his own strength.

At a glance, these two seem contradictory.

The one who united them was Worst One Ikki Kurogane.

He is aware of his weakness.

Despite that, he believes that he can be stronger than anyone.

To achieve this, he does everything he can.

That everything resides in the black blade he grasped in both hands.

Therefore, Ikki Kurogane would no longer back down. He would no longer run.

If it was himself, it was possible.

Believing that, he advanced slowly, but surely, towards Yuudai Moroboshi.

This was no last stand. Nor was it a desperate attack.

Absolute Victory. He held such a conviction.

His pressure was fierce.

"Guh!?"

He overwhelmed Moroboshi soundly, driving him into a corner of the rectangular arena.

"Awesome, Onii-sama! To drive that Moroboshi-san against a wall head on!"

"Forwards, slowly, but surely. He did it through incredible pressure."

"Yeah. That said… Kurogane-kun's stance is also amazing.'

"What are you talking about?"

"Against Moroboshi-san, without being shifted laterally or front-to-back, he maintained a straight trajectory. It makes it hard on the attacker. Anyway, he guarded with his blade well centered in Seigan no Kamae and made it difficult to attack, and his opponent did not change his stance at all,

continuously aiming for a fatal strike at the same place, from the same angle. He inevitably ended up repeating the same motion. As a result..."

Right after that, red light fluttered in the ring.

It was Blood Light spilling from Ikki's limbs.

It was just a graze, though.

And surely enough, Moroboshi also understood the 'result' that Touka pointed out.

'I've shown too much motion! He's optimizing his strength and approach to repel me!'

Precisely. If one ends up repeating the same attack, then you'll end up exposing it.

The power, angle, and speed necessary to deflect the enemy was all shown in detail.

And now Ikki had analyzed it and optimized.

While avoiding any fatal wounds, Ikki used the minimum defence necessary, contracting his defensive movements as much as he could, making his attack and defense stronger than before, and stepping into Moroboshi's zone.

Forwards. Powerfully. Quickly.

"Moroboshi-san lost his patience after being backed into a corner. He's attacking unreasonably out of impatience!"

That was Touka's prediction.

"Come on closer!"

It came true in the next instant.

Moroboshi sent a single flashing strike flying towards Ikki.

Because of his impatience, he sent his elbow too far to return easily, making it a sloppy thrust.

Without any spirit put into it, the strike lacked power and aim.

"!!!"

Ikki didn't overlook that.

"Shit—"

By the time Moroboshi realized his misplay, it was too late.

Ikki stepped forwards with the sloppy thrust, letting his own shoulder be pierced.

Using his own body he trapped Tora-ou, denying Moroboshi any counterattack.

"Haaaaaa!!!"

With Tora-ou stuck in his shoulder, he broke into Moroboshi's space and thrust his blade into his heart.

◆◇◆◇◆

"Damn… Lost again!"

Moroboshi cried as his heart was pierced, and with his strength drained he collapsed on the floor spread eagled.

"Damnit… I thought I'd be able to win this time, too."

"At the… real… match… this wouldn't do…"

Ikki's words, spoken while gasping for air, were not born of humility.

In reality, the fight just now Moroboshi had, worrying about Ikki who had low magic power, held back Tiger Bite. He couldn't go all out on the contestant who was about to go into a big match. Even in that state, they had devoted as much power as they could.

Ikki knew this after crossing swords with him.

So, with Moroboshi included, Ikki once again thanked all his friends who had gathered today.

"Moroboshi-san. Everyone else as well. I am truly thankful. I have gained valuable experience before my match with Stella."

"I don't need thanks. You can return this favor by returning as the champion."

"Isn't that a little unreasonable?"

"Are you not confident?"

Moroboshi asked Ikki while sitting up, and after a brief silence, Ikki nodded slightly.

"Honestly, I think this fight is going to be the toughest thing I've done in my life. I can't say I'm confident… But I'll give it everything I have."

"That won't do, you big idiot."

Moroboshi prodded Ikki in the head with Tora-ou's hilt.

Then he spoke in a chiding tone.

"This is the stage you've always aimed for. You can't take it with such half hearted feelings. No matter how strong your opponent was, you must always enter the ring believing that you will win, 100%. Even if you don't have confidence, force it out. You can think about losing after you lose. If you end up losing, that's all you'll be able to think about anyway."

"Moroboshi-san…"

"If you still don't feel confident, I'll stick with you until you do. So, do me a favor and don't say such a pitiful thing."

Everyone gathered there today for Ikki silently agreed with Moroboshi's sentiment.

They all had the same expectations as Moroboshi.

"If you'll go that far for me, I'll take you up on your offer. Will you accompany me a little longer?"

"Hehe, then, how about we go again after a rest?"

"Yeah, sure..."

With a heavy scraping sound, the training area's fire exit opened.

"!!!"

A cold, wintry wind blew in and brushed against everyone inside.

They all noticed immediately.

This was not cold air, but that crisp swordsmanship that made one get the chills.

At least someone in there recognized that aura.

'Could it be?'

Thinking that, they turned to the door.

'What is it? Every one of you looks dumbfounded."

With eyes as sharp as those of a bird of prey, glaring at all present, was a tall man with long hair.

Sword Emperor of Wind, Ouma Kurogane, stood there.

"O, Ouma!?"

"Why are you…!?"

Nobody was able to hide their surprise at the unexpected newcomer.

Ouma saw this and tossed the sack he'd been carrying on his shoulder onto the floor.

"I'm here for the same reason most of you are. I got a text asking for a training partner before the finals."

"Eh, er, is that so? Onii-sama."

Shizuku looked back at Ikki in surprise, who nodded.

What he said was true.

Besides Moroboshi and Touka, he had also contacted Ouma.

Of course, he had only done it because there was no harm in trying.

Ouma had never acted for Ikki's sake before, after all.

"I didn't think that you would actually come, so I can't help but be surprised."

"It's only because I'm free, since I had planned to fight in the finals. Also… I thought that I'd see your power myself."

"My… power?"

"After all, it's F-rank vs A-rank. Your defeat is all but decided by the fate. I have no interest in such a spectacle. It's just… To have even survived with such a meager power, until you were able to stand in front of that dragon… It is my duty as your older brother to beat the dullness out of you before you are killed."

Ouma's whole body then welled up with wind magic, which he focused into his right hand, manifesting his device, the nodachi Ryuuzume.

"…!"

When he manifested Ryuuzume, the aura he emitted became much sharper.

Shizuku felt disquieted, and immediately moved in front of Ikki as if to protect him.

No- More accurately, she tried to.

However, Ikki stopped her by putting his hand on her shoulder.

Even as Shizuku's eyes shook with worry, Ikki told her "It's alright," and stood in front of Ouma.

"Thank you for coming. Brother."

"Cut the idle chatter and prepare already. I'm not here to chit-chat."

'As usual, not even a hint of friendliness.'

Even as he smiled wryly, just by feeling the pressure he felt just from standing in front of Ouma, he found himself in awe.

'Amazing…'

He had felt the intimidating aura the first time they had faced each other.

Ouma's body seemed twice as big.

It was clear that he was a cut above fighters like Moroboshi and Touka.

Ikki's palms began to sweat.

However, the thought of backing down didn't even occur to him.

After all… there was some truth in what Ouma said. If he couldn't fight off Ouma, then he had no chance of prevailing against Stella.

Might as well start praying then.

For the purpose of forcing life back into Ikki when he was feebly panicking in fear of Stella, there was no better opponent.

Ikki shook off the sweat from his palms once, and took up Intetsu in his grasp once again.

"Let's do this…!"

◆◇◆◇◆

Ouma made the first move as the start was announced.

With his kimono sleeves fluttering, he moved to close the distance to Ikki directly.

Ikki was not idle, however.

He kicked off the floor to meet Ouma.

Of course, he wasn't foolish enough to simply attack Ouma straight on like that.

He knew what kind of superhuman physical endurance and strength Ouma's mad training had granted him.

Therefore...

"That's…!"

Moroboshi, watching from the sides, noticed.

The instant Ikki entered the nodachi's range, he changed his step, adding sudden changes to his speed.

Moroboshi knew that technique well.

Ikki used those movements to confuse his opponent's vision and create afterimages.

It was the Shinkirou he spread around him.

And, according to Ikki's plan, Ouma snapped at the afterimages.

With one breath he swung Ryuuzume down from above as if cutting bamboo, cutting Ikki in half.

However, he had cut an afterimage.

As a result, he exposed himself to a flank from the real Ikki.

"He got him!"

Moroboshi clenched his fist upon seeing Ikki take the initiative.

Next to him though, Raikiri was squinting while taking her glasses off.

"No, not quite."

She pointed out a mistake in Moroboshi's analysis.

Ouma knew his next move from the signals his body gave him.

"!!!"

Without bringing his lowered blade back up, he took a low, diagonal swing.

Using that force, Ouma rammed Ikki with his shoulder.

"Shoulder charge…! He even read through Shinkirou!"

Ikki used Intetsu, which he was going to attack with, to block instead.

However, Ouma was heavier than he looked.

The shock of a nearly five hundred kilogram man's ramming attack was easily lethal.

"…!"

With the low sound of two people colliding, Ikki's body was pushed back and he stumbled backwards with his balance destroyed.

Ouma swooped down on Ikki like a raging fire.

Without giving Ikki any time to recover his stance, he fired off several slashes and stabs.

Fast.

It approached Moroboshi's Sanrensei in speed.

Without taking a breath, he fired off 10, 20, an endless barrage of attacks.

Such astounding rotation—Shizuku recognized it.

"Kyokujitsu Isshin-ryuu, Retsu no kiwami Amatsukaze…!"

"What the heck is that?"

"It's a secret technique within the Kyokujitsu Isshin-ryuu style passed through the generations in the Kurogane family. It's a continuous 108 strike combination."

From the first strike to the 108th, everything from the angle and power of each strike was tuned for efficiency.

By repeating them over and over countless times and carving them to his very core, he was able to abolish all thoughts and bring out the fastest speed that his flesh and blood body could handle. It was meant to crush the

opponent with an overwhelming number of strikes.

"There's no better technique than this to defeat someone whose stance has been broken…!"

"But if I'm not mistaken, didn't Ikki grow strong by stealing the techniques of others? In which case he should definitely know of a technique passed among the Kurogane, shouldn't he?"

"…I don't know. All of this talk is over my head. But… even if he does, with just that he can't do anything about this assault."

Just as Shizuku said, in the face of Ouma's overwhelming speed, Ikki could not even bring Intetsu to face the attacks. He had to do everything he could just to dodge Ouma's fierce onslaught. He definitely wouldn't be able to turn the attack in this situation.

Bringing about such a situation was the point of Amatsukaze, after all.

With almost excessively optimized constant attacks, it held down the enemy, preventing them from taking any actions.

Now, Ikki was completely stuck in that situation.

That's how it seemed, looking from outside.

However...

'He's waiting for something…'

Even as Ikki was being overwhelmed by Ouma's strikes, Touka Toudou saw a glint of cleverness in Ikki's eyes.

He was being neither held down nor overwhelmed.

He was waiting for something.

That something was an opening in Amatsukaze.

No matter how much time had gone into developing such a technique, in the end, it was created by humans.

Creating something perfect was impossible.

And if it was anything short of perfect, Ikki's penetrating insight wouldn't miss it.

It wasn't a first sighting either, especially since it was the Kurogane style, which he'd spent the most time watching.

"..."

Suddenly, a particularly sharp sound rang out, and the situation changed.

After that sound, the one who was thrown off balance was Ouma.

Ikki had pulled out his seventh secret sword, Raikou.

It was a technique with such speed that, before he had grasped what he'd stolen from Twin-Wings, he hadn't been able to discern its swing by sight.

Worst One's fastest strike had been further refined by Twin-Wings' swordsmanship, and in the instant between Sword Emperor of Wind's Amatsukaze's fifty-seventh and fifty-eighth strike, Ikki cut in with a strike to Ryuuzume's side, ruining the combination.

After he disrupted the combination, Ikki launched a full body attack at Ouma, whose stance had been broken.

It was a slash with all his weight thrown behind it.

Moroboshi noticed something in that motion.

'The way he's using his weight is just like the time he fought me.'

It was his sixth secret sword-Dokuga no Tachi.

Whether it strikes sword or armor, the opponent would be destroyed from within starting at the point of contact.

Using this technique, he could render Ouma's steel body meaningless.

Not knowing that, Ouma took Ikki's attack without blocking or dodging, accepting it with his tempered body.

His body was attacked from within as if it were a bag of water.

The shock that entered Ouma had nowhere to escape, and so it ran over his muscles, bones, and organs...

"Tenryuugusoku"

"…!"

The shock should have hit him, but Ouma looked like he didn't even care.

Dokuga no Tachi had not failed.

The vibrations from his blade had definitely made it to Ouma.

However, Ouma had not been moved.

That was, in short, what made Ouma Kurogane a terror.

He had a force of will that transcended flesh.

He hadn't spared any effort, realizing his resolution with steel-like sense of purpose.

Half-hearted attacks would not even be noticed.

Far from crying out in pain, without swaying even a little, he'd clad his body in the stormy armor Tenryuugusoku.

Then, Ouma reached past Intetsu, which had been touching his chest, and sent Ikki flying back.

Ikki's body tumbled in the air like he'd been hit by a car.

Aiming for his landing spot, Ouma swung Ryuuzume horizontally from where he was.

With the sharp sound of cutting through air, he released a vacuum blade.

It flew towards Ikki's landing spot, with just the right trajectory to strike Ikki's neck.

However, Ikki ended up deciding not to evade.

"Fu."

Ikki took the impact of the landing by sinking into his knees, lowering his body.

He bent as far as he could, then released the energy coiled in his lower body.

With enough power to gouge the ring, he kicked the ground and thrust Intetsu's tip at the incoming vacuum blade.

First secret sword-Saigeki.

Within Another One's original sword techniques, it boasted the fastest charging speed and the strongest penetration. With that thrust, Ikki met the vacuum blade head on and destroyed it with all his strength, sending the force right back at Ouma like an arrow.

Ouma had tried to use Tenryuugusoku to form a gap and engage in long range combat, but Ikki's speed completely destroyed that plan. He would unable to respond to Ikki charging back into range again with such timing— supposedly. However…!

'It's no use!'

Touka and the other spectators all shivered.

At the same time, Ikki noticed it too.

When he destroyed the vacuum blade, the distortion disappeared from his field of vision.

Ouma brandished Ryuuzume, twisting as far as to face his back towards Ikki.

Everyone knew what technique would be fired from that stance.

Kyokujitsu Isshin-ryuu, Jin no kiwami- Amaterasu.

It was a secret technique where he used his whole body's strength to twist his frame down to the bone, then slashed by releasing that wound up power.

Though it was but one stroke, unlike Ikki's Blade Steal, this, Sword Emperor of Wind's fastest strike, was more truly within the territory of Twin-Wings.

Moreover, Amaterasu was not long ranged, but a close ranged attack.

Ouma had understood.

After breaking through the vacuum blade, Ikki would immediately return to sword distance.

Having read his opponent, he amassed his power and waited.

This was the worst development for Ikki.

Saigeki was an assault technique. He had put all of his power into the starting kick, as it was a technique that shot oneself like an arrow towards its target.

Therefore, once in the middle of Saigeki, it would not be possible to stop.

Ikki could now only move forwards.

As Ouma's Amaterasu would win in reach and speed, Ryuuzume would behead Ikki before Ikki's blade reached him.

However...

Ikki was not such a naive man as to be unable to improvise in a pinch.

"Wha…!?"

In the next moment, the spectators all widened their eyes in surprise.

In the instant Ouma fired Amaterasu, Ikki pointed Intetsu down and stabbed the tip into the ground.

As a result, Saigeki's assault pitched forward, launching Ikki over Ouma's head like a pole vaulter. He then kicked off the ceiling hard enough to break it, and once again charged at Ouma with Saigeki.

Amaterasu was a technique in which one devotes their all into one move's speed.

That meant it left one vulnerable until it ended, leaving Ouma unable to avoid this Saigeki.

…Direct hit.

The close range Saigeki pierced Ouma's wind armor, Tennryuugusoku, and Ikki's sword dug in right above his collarbone.

That was by no means a random target.

Ikki had seen through Ouma's muscle shape and density based on his movements, and attacked so as to slip through a gap.

He realized that without doing so, his offensive power would not be enough to pierce Ouma's body.

His judgement was correct.

Even something like Touka using her Takemikazuchi was unable to cut Ouma. The only one who could damage him with a simple slash would probably be someone as powerful as Stella.

However, the plan hadn't gone that well. Intetsu had not cut muscle. It had seemed to pierce Ouma, but before it turned into a serious wound, Ouma had flexed his muscles. His swelling muscles caught the blade as if it had been tucked in there.

Ikki immediately tried to extract his sword.

However, the cost of not bringing Ouma down was too great.

Ouma grabbed Ikki by the lapels before Ikki even landed on the floor, then threw him onto the ring with his full power.

"!!!"

Ikki's body made a large, deep depression in the hard stone ring.

He just barely managed to use an ukemi, distributing the impact into the ring, but his stance was left in a terrible state, with one knee propping him up on the ground.

Ouma struck there, putting his full body weight into a downward swing.

Ikki also brought up Intetsu to bear.

Unfortunately, his stance was too poor.

With a position like that, there was no way he could take a blow with Ouma's weight.

"Onii-samaaa!"

Ouma crushed Ikki along with Intetsu with his weighted blow.

But in the moment it seemed that would happen, something nobody could believe happened before their eyes.

Somehow, in the next moment, the one who was blown away was Ouma.

Ouma immediately gathered power in his toes, but couldn't stop.

While scraping the surface of the ring, he moved backwards.

Even when he thrust Ryuuzume's blade into the ground, he could not fullycontain the force...

Not until he finally reached the side of the ring.

◆◇◆◇◆

Ikki had certainly been at a disadvantage.

However, the one retreating had been Ouma.

The spectators outside the ring were all baffled by this turn of events.

"Wha, what was that just now?"

"I, I don't know…"

Moroboshi and Touka knew they hadn't mistaken the statuses of the combatants.

That only left them all the more confused.

The attack just now clearly far exceeded Ikki's strength.

What had just happened before them?

Unable to understand even after pondering it, they could only stare intently at Ouma, who had been forced to the edge of the ring.

However, there was one person who understood what had just happened.

It was none other than the one who had been pushed back, Ouma himself.

He understood the trickery from the numbness in his arms, and glared irritatedly at Ikki.

"…Such trickery is just like you."

"But you fell back, brother."

"…"

"My swordsmanship does not seek to become powerful. It seeks to win. Therefore, I will do everything I can possible do to defeat my opponent. Even if my opponent is more powerful than me, I will win. Even if that seems like trickery to you, brother, it is the answer that I, the weakest one, came up with. That is Ikki Kurogane's swordsmanship. I do not intend to apologize for it."

Ikki did not avert his gaze from Ouma's scornful glare.

He boldly threw out his chest, having nothing he felt ashamed about.

Ikki's pose made Ouma think.

Even though he couldn't understand, didn't want to understand, that was one of Ikki's strengths, wasn't it. Then…

'Are you satisfied with your swordsmanship, having pushed me to the edge of the arena with stolen techniques?"

He had once again entered the ring, brandishing Ryuuzume.

The blade was clad in wind.

It was a dragon's claw, clad in a wild tornado.

While his blade shaved parts off the ceiling and walls, Ouma called out to Ikki.

"Take your stance, Ikki. I will give you everything I have.

Use everything you have, and show me you can overturn fate."

"…"

Hearing those words, Ikki showed surprise for a moment.

He never thought this brother of his would accompany him so far.

However, towards that fighting spirit which brought shivers to his skin.

"Yes!"

Ikki thanked him sincerely and took up a stance with Intetsu again.

At some point, his cold sweat had stopped.

◆◇◆◇◆

"…"

When Stella opened her eyes, she found the room full of deep red light flowing in from the evening sun.

She sat up in bed.

Her eyelids were light, and not so much as a yawn escaped her mouth.

Her mind was clear, and it even seemed like her vision was broader.

She threw off her bathrobe and stood in front of a full body mirror.

It reflected a white body with beautiful curves and proportions.

Without any hesitation, she understood that her blood, cells, everything was full of energy.

It seemed the excessive amount of food she'd eaten before sleeping had been stored away without waste by her draconic body.

There was no mistake. She was in peak condition like she'd never been before.

Stella felt confident in the heat her body emitted.

Tonight, she would learn things about herself that she didn't know.

Well now, everything was ready.

Time to go.

To the ultimate stage, where the strongest opponent would be waiting.