Ryuu Kusari no Ori -Kokoro no Uchi no “Kokoro”-

Chapter 6.14

The murmur of people echoed in the martial arts garden.

All eyes were directed at the two men facing each other in the middle of the Martial Arts Garden.

Their weapons, their physiques, and their reputations were completely opposite.

Jihad Roundel and Nozomu Bountis.

Both were standing there, keeping an eye on the other.

The third-year students were watching them from outside the arena. They, too, couldn't hide their turmoil at the unexpected matchup.

"What the hell is going on here?"

It was Kevin who reacted to the first-class students who tilted their heads. He made no effort to hide his displeasure.

"Heck, this is a waste of time. Jihad will defeat him with a single blow."

"Yeah, that's right. Why him? I was hoping that Jihad-sensei would have sparred with me..."

"Well, it's alright, isn't it? As Kevin says, he will be defeated in a few seconds anyway."

The third-year students around him nodded and agreed with Kevin's words.

From their point of view, this moment when they can have sparring with Jihad was a rare opportunity to improve themselves.

There was no way they could be favorable to someone who had snatched such a chance away from them. Even more so if they thought that the person was much weaker than them and the one who would abandon his lover.

In the midst of all this, it was Mars, the tenth-class student of the same class as Nozomu, who interrupted their words.

"We can't be sure about it yet. It seems that Jihad guy doesn't use his specialized sword..."

He didn't like the ridicule he had just heard. Mars' expression was severe and angry as if he was ready to explode at any moment.

In fact, he looked as if he was about to lose his temper. His tightly clenched fists were trembling slightly.

"You mean it's some kind of handicap? You don't seem to know this, but Jihad always uses those weapons when he was dealing with us."

Kevin replied to Mars' words in a mocking tone.

Mars frowned at his words.

"... Is that true, Irisdina?"

"Yeah. I hate to say this, but I've never seen him use that Jaw Drop against us."

Mars asked to confirm with Irisdina, who was next to him, but apparently, Jihad had never really used that giant sword on them.

Well, it was certainly a giant sword that exceeded the height of its owner. It might be difficult for him to go easy on them with such a sword.

However, Mars shook his head as he thought about it.

"So, that's how much of a monster he is..."

What resurfaced in Mars' mind was the S-rank vampire he had once faced.

He could do crazy things like controlling 10 magic at the same time by himself, and he also had the unique ability of a vampire.

Given the fact that Irisdina, Tima, and Mars were only able to buy themselves some time by taking on him at the same time, it was not surprising that Jihad was trying to avoid using his specialized weapon.

When he thought about it, Mars felt that it was only natural that the troublesome guy next to him would be thinking like that.

"Even Irisdina and I can't get Jihad to take us seriously. I don't think that bottom of the barrel would even be able to clash swords with him."

As he looked sideways at Kevin, who was ridiculing Nozomu, Mars noticed that the anger he had felt earlier, which had made his bowels boiled, had subsided.

He knew a lot more about Nozomu than Kevin did, so perhaps he was able to keep his cool.

While thinking about this, Mars turned his attention to Irisdina, Sh?na, and Tima, who were on the opposite side.

Irisdina and Sh?na didn't seem to be paying much attention to what Kevin and the others were saying, and their eyes were fixed on the two people in the middle of the arena.

Tima's expression was somewhat stiff as if she was worried about Mars, who had almost exploded earlier, but now she was relieved and relaxed her shoulders.

Mars once again meditated to calm himself, and then slowly opened his mouth.

"... Well, we'll see."

While shrugging his shoulders, Mars spoke his thoughts.

Certainly, Nozomu's opponent was powerful. It was unlikely that Nozomu, who could only find a way to fight in close quarters combat due to his Ability Suppression, would be able to defeat Jihad without using "that" power.

But even so, Mars had a hunch that he might be able to pull something off.

He was talking about Nozomu, who was completely oblivious to the extent to which his own skills were out of step from his surroundings. At the very least, he would be able to surprise those who still underestimate him as the bottom of the barrel. When Mars thought about it, his cheeks unconsciously lifted up.

Kevin frowned when he was looking at the expression on Mars' face.

When Kevin was about to open his mouth to say something again, dignified voices echoed around.

"Either way, we'll find out soon enough... Though I can't imagine Nozomu losing easily in a pure sword fight."

"We never know what's going to happen in a battle. I'm sure you're aware of that from the previous special training."

The owners of the voices were a dark-haired girl and an elf girl who were right beside them. They let out dignified voices that silenced the people around them who had been buzzing.

Kevin was also at a loss for words when Irisdina and Sh?na spoke.

Certainly, the existence of an Undead Dragon that suddenly appeared in the middle of the training ground at that time was still fresh in the memory.

It had an overwhelming physique and a body that felt no pain because it was already dead. It was an incarnation of violence that was driven by a sense of hunger.

For the students of the third year, that presence was the first time in a long time that they had felt the presence of death itself.

If the Jihad hadn't rushed to the rescue, it wouldn't have been strange if there were deaths.

Knowing this fact, no one in that place snickered at Irisdina's words, and a heavy silence fell over the place.

Irisdina and Sh?na took a glance at their silent surroundings and glanced sideways at the red-haired girl nearby.

She was now simply staring silently at him standing in the middle of the arena.

Her face was seemingly expressionless. But Irisdina and Sh?na didn't miss the flicker in the depths of her eyes the moment Nozomu stood in the middle of the arena after Jihad called his name.

Was it a feeling of concern for Nozomu's safety, or was it for some other reason?

Camilla, who was standing next to her, seemed to be talking to her, but unfortunately, the distance between them made it impossible for Irisdina and Sh?na to understand what she was saying.

However, when they looked closely, they saw that her shoulders were shaking slightly.

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

Unaware that such a heavy conversation was taking place, Nozomu was desperately searching for an opportunity to step into Jihad that stood in front of him.

There was no problem with his body. The katana on his waist, his Qi, and his physical condition were all in perfect condition.

But he couldn't step in.

While Nozomu was hunched over, Jihad was standing still, not even taking a stance.

The greatsword that Jihad held with his right hand pointed sloppily at the ground, while the tower shield in his left hand didn't point its overwhelming majesty at Nozomu, but was dismissed aside just like the greatsword.

His gaze, his expression, his weapon, his posture, the position of his center of gravity.

All of them were full of gaps at first glance, but Nozomu could tell that his body kept the right amount of tension and could move immediately.

"If I step in poorly, I'll be defeated immediately!"

Such an unpleasant premonition would not leave Nozomu's head. He felt a tingling pain in his nape.

The same intimidating feeling he felt when he confronted his master and Rugato at Irisdina's mansion.

In the face of such intimidating feeling, Nozomu did not think it would be easy to step into his opponent's attack range.

"Hmm, you won't step in that easily, will yout? Then..."

"~!"

In the next instant, the ground beneath Jihad's feet was blown away with a roaring sound.

A huge man of nearly two meters accelerated at once and rushed toward Nozomu at a speed that could not be imagined from his physique.

"He's fast ...!"

"Hmph!"

Jihad's greatsword swung down at Nozomu. The sword was swung at a speed that was out of the ordinary. However, Nozomu's eyes could clearly see the trajectory.

"Fuh~!"

Nozomu saw through Jihad's sword line in an instant and took a half step backward.

Jihad's sword approached Nozomu with a roaring sound. However, it passed right past Nozomu's nose at a paper-thin distance. And compared to Nozomu's katana, Jihad's greatsword was much less maneuverable.

Nozomu can step in now. The moment the greatsword passed through, Nozomu tried to step into Jihad at once, but at that moment, Nozomu's eyes saw the muscles of Jihad's arms bulging.

"~! This is bad...!"

"Hmph!"

Nozom hurriedly twisted his body and turned away.

In the next moment, Jihad's greatsword that should have been swung down turned into a thrust, changing its trajectory as it closed in on Nozomu.

"Guh...!"

Jihad's greatsword passed through Nozomu's chest. The buttons on his clothes popped off, and a single tear appeared on his shirt.

A cold sweat broke out on Nozomu's cheek. To be honest, he didn't think Jihad would be able to change the trajectory of an accelerated greatsword with only one hand.

"However……!"

Nozomu swung the scabbard that still held his katana up from under Jihad's greatsword.

Jihad's outstretched arms could not withstand Nozomu's blows.

Nozomu strengthened his body with all his strength, deflecting his opponent's greatsword upward and rotating his body based on the scabbard he had struck.

"Sei~!"

Nozomu stepped forward and drew his katana. He tried to swing his katana towards Jihad's empty side.

But Nozomu's slash was deflected with a high-pitched sound.

It was Jihad's tower shield that repelled Nozomu's sword.

Jihad's thrust was deflected by Nozomu, but he used the momentum of his greatsword being lifted upward to twist his body around and use the tower shield in his left hand to repel Nozomu's katana from below.

"~..."

He was hit with so much force that Nozomu's upper body was lifted off the ground.

When Nozomu's posture was broken, he saw Jihad repositioning the greatsword he had thrust and held it in his waistline. it was Jihad's turn now.

"H-hmph!"

Jihad pointed the blade of his greatsword and swept it away in a horizontal strike. By the time Nozomu regained his posture, he was no longer able to avoid Jihad's sword strike.

"Kuh~...!"

Nozomu tried to deflect Jihad's sword strike by raising his katana.

With both feet firmly planted on the ground, he tried to keep his katana in line with the trajectory of his opponent's sword.

At the moment when the approaching greatsword was about to touch Nozomu's katana, Nozomu strengthened his arms and prepared for the oncoming impact.

"Gah~!!"

However, the impact on Nozomu's arm was far greater than he expected.

The impact on his arm was equal to that of the Cyclops he had faced in the past.

Unable to absorb the impact, Nozomu's body was blown into the air and he stepped on the ground staggered. However, Jihad's attack did not end there.

A huge shadow was approaching.

In the next moment, Nozomu was struck by Jihad's shield with all his might.

"Gugah~...!"

Nozomu's body was blown away and rolled on the ground.

While his vision was distorted by the impact of being slammed into the ground, Nozomu desperately moved his body and jumped away from the spot.

A moment later, Jihad's greatsword pierced the ground where Nozomu had fallen.

Jihad had immediately given chase to Nozomu, who was blown away, but Nozomu, in the nick of time, had succeeded in evading Jihad before he could pursue further.

Nozomu once again distanced himself from Jihad. Jihad did not pursue either but he just stood there again.

"So you could avoid that."

"Haa, haa... I've been blown away many times before."

Jihad's tone was nonchalant, but Nozomu's breathing was still ragged.

His heart was beating fast due to the tension, but Nozomu felt somewhat nostalgic.

The days of training with his master came back to Nozomu's mind.

He had been beaten up, thrown around, slashed, and he was constantly injured, but those days were firmly ingrained in his body's flesh and blood.

The reason why Nozomu immediately turned to evasion when he was blown away earlier was that he had learned from his hand-to-hand combat with his master. He would be instantly knocked out if he did not do so.

Both of them glared at each other at a distance.

Nozomu's whole body was covered in dirt, but he was looking straight at Jihad.

At that moment, Jihad suddenly loosened his cheeks.

"You have good eyes, and your sense of the flow of the battle is not bad. I see so that's why Ms. Anri has her eyes on you and it's no coincidence that you escaped from that black demon beast."

"Thanks……"

Nozomu was confused and a little embarrassed by the sudden praise.

Perhaps because of the tension, his reply was somehow unusual.

"But that's still not enough. Let's see what you can do a little more."

Nozomu was caught off guard by the strange words that were suddenly spoken to him. The next moment, however, he regained a sense of urgency in the face of the will to fight that surged from Jihad's body.

"Let's go"

"~!!"

As if those words were a signal, Jihad's Qi rose at once. Then, an unbelievably huge amount of Qi was concentrated at Jihad's feet.

A resounding burst of sound. Jihad, who had activated his Instant Move, rushed towards Nozomu again.

"Zei~!"

The greatsword was swung overhead. Nozomu twisted his body to divert himself from the sword's trajectory.

But Jihad immediately changed the trajectory of his sword and connected with a sideways cleave.

Nozomu crouched down to avoid Jihad's attack, but Jihad's sword dance continued to attack Nozomu without interruption.

A reverse slash from the right side, an upward strike from the ground, and a combination between a thrust and an overhead strike.

This was based on his accumulated experience and solid technique.

The harmonious combination between the physical strength of his blessed physique and the swordsmanship that the Triclops did not possess drove Nozomu over the edge.

"Damn!"

Nozomu desperately focused his attention on Jihad and the blade he was wielding.

Predicting his opponent's movements based on his eyes and every muscle movement in his body, he shifted his body away from his attacker and concentrated on evading.

However, in such a storm of Jihad's continuous attacks, it was impossible to avoid it without receiving a single blow

Nozomu had no choice but to leap backward to get out of his opponent's attack range. He aimed to restart the battle.

But even that was Jihad's trap.

Something hit Nozomu's back and sent a shock through it.

"Wha~!?"

As Nozomu looked behind him while letting out a surprised voice, a glowing magic barrier popped into his field of vision. Before he knew it, he had been driven to the edge of the arena.

"Oh no~...!"

Nozomu hurriedly tried to leave that place.

However, the next moment, what jumped into his field of vision was Jihad's tower shield, which was closing in on him.

"Gah~...!"

Jihad rushed towards Nozomu with his shield raised and slammed Nozomu's body straight into the barrier.

Sandwiched between the tower shield and the magic barrier, a voice of anguish leaked from Nozomu's mouth.

The impact and pressure ran through his whole body. Jihad grabbed Nozomu by the collar and threw his body vigorously.

Nozomu's body was thrown away like a piece of wood.

As he hit the ground and rolled away, Nozomu finally stopped his movement near the center of the arena.

"Gah~, Guu ...!"

While breathing roughly, Nozomu managed to raise his upper body with all the strength he could muster in his arms.

Probably he was thrown to the ground and hit his head, he could see his hands on the ground hazily.

"D-damn it..."

As if to tell himself to pull himself together, Nozomu shook his head and looked ahead.

Out of the corner of his blurry vision, he saw a middle-aged swordsman approaching him with slow steps.

Jihad, with his back to the spectators of the martial arts garden, walked towards Nozomu.

The moment Nozomu saw the figure, a flash of light flashed across Nozomu's vision.

"What is this...?"

What he saw in the blink of an eye was not the martial arts garden, but a woman in a dense forest, carrying a katana just like his own.

A woman who he would never be able to see again. She, who had taught him many important things.

It was the woman that Nozomu knew better than anyone else, the woman he cared about.

"Shish?...?"

The figures of his master and Jihad kept overlapping and switching like blinking stars.

Due to that sight, Nozomu couldn't help but let out a voice.

"Hmm?"

Jihad tilted his head at Nozomu's words. But more than anyone else, it was Nozomu himself who had just said those words, who was the most surprised.

(Why did I say such words?)

When Nozomu was confused without knowing the reason, the voice of his close friend echoed throughout the arena.

"Hey~! Nozomu, why don't you get serious!"

"Ma-Mars !?"

Nozomu was startled by the sudden voice of Mars. He hurriedly turned his attention to the direction of the voice, he saw Mars, who was at the edge of the arena, leaning forward.

"You, quickly use your techniques already! The white-haired dog next to me has been barking at me for a while now. If you want to silence this dog, you've got to get serious!"

(White-haired dog ....... Could it be Kevin next to him?)

When he took a closer look, he could see a young man from the beastman tribe who had just been treated like a dog and was angry with Mars.

It was now Irisdina and Sh?na who leaned forward to take Mars' place.

"Don't worry, Nozomu, it's Jihad-dono you're dealing with! Remember who the person in front of you is!"

"The person in front of me?"

Prompted by Irisdina's words, Nozomu turned his attention to the swordsman in front of him.

Before he knew it, Jihad had stopped in his tracks and was standing about ten meters in front of Nozomu.

Jihad Raundel.

During the great invasion ten years ago, he was one of the swordsmen who became the spiritual pillar of the soldiers, slicing through the rushing demon beasts with the giant sword in his hand.

And, a talented person of the same rank as Nozomu's master, Shino.

"The same... as Shish?."

The moment he said those words, the days of training with his master came back to his mind.

The Qi and katana techniques he had learned. Even though he had put everything he had into it, he had never been able to reach her except in that last fight.

"I see, so it's okay. Even if I use it ..."

If the swordsman in front of him was in the same class as his master, it was highly doubtful that he, who had not yet released the Ability Suppression, would be able to defeat him even if he try to kill him with his techniques.

It reminded him of his master, who had done such monstrous things as canceling out [Phantom] with another [Phantom] without difficulty. After that, he remembered being slashed with [Phantom -Recurrence-].

Even if he tried to do the exact same thing, it was something he couldn't even imagine achieving……

"Actually... Is my life in danger if I don't use it?"

Nozomu was wondering if he was actually involved in something very dangerous right now.

Such an unpleasant thought began to appear into Nozomu's head.

Of course, he was just overthinking things, but Nozomu didn't notice that his thoughts went in a strange direction when it came to his training with his master.

He was sweating profusely on his own, but Somia's voice suddenly brought him back to himself.

"Nozomu-sa~n! Do your best~~!"

Suddenly, he looked up and saw Somia leaning out from the audience seats and waving widely at him.

"Somia-chan?"

The angel, who was always cheerful and bright like the sun, was cheering Nozomu on.

If he looked closely, he can also see Eldor and the others who were waving their hands just like her.

"Nozomu! You've got to be serious! You don't have to go easy on him!"

"Nozomu, listen! Do not be intimidated by Jihad-sensei's attacks! If you do, you'll be crushed at once!"

"Your skill is by no means inferior to Jihad-sensei! Have confidence!"

"Nozomu-kun! Do it with all your might!"

Mars, Irisdina, sh?na, and the rest of the classmates from the 10th class were cheering loudly for Nozomu.

A cheer that had never been directed at him before. It was the first time he'd ever felt this kind of passion when he was alone, and it came from deep inside his chest.

"Everyone……"

His body was slowly heating up. It was as if everyone was sharing their power with him.

"Fuh~ ..."

Nozomu closed his eyes and relaxed his entire body.

The combat training was still going on. Normally, this would be nothing more than a reckless act, but now Nozomu felt that closing his eyes or even lying down might be okay.

With a light heart, he swung his katana.

*Swish~!*

A small sound echoed in Nozomu's ears.

It was not a fast sword slash. However, now he felt as if he could cut through steel with it.

He squeezed his hand lightly to check his condition.

"Yeah. I'm alright."

His body was no longer numb. The power swirling in his body was strong, and he felt like he could run wherever he wanted.

And his energy has never been better.

"Is it okay?"

"Yes, it's okay."

Jihad, who was standing still, called out to Nozomu.

Nozomu nodded at Jihad's words. It was not a loud voice, but it was a voice that strangely resonated in the ears of people all over the arena.

"I see. Well then, let's continue."

Jihad raised his tower shield, and Nozomu lowered his posture.

Standing in front of Nozomu was one or two of the fiercest human he had ever seen in his life. Even so, the current Nozomu was not in the slightest bit intimidated.

"Fuh~!"

He instantly boosted his Qi and released it into both of his legs.

Nozomu accelerated by the Qi technique [Instant Move] and rushed toward Jihad in a straight line.

Jihad swung his greatsword with his right hand in time with Nozomu's lunge.

Jihad swung the greatsword with only one hand as if it was light, which was supposed to be with both hands. He swung it at Nozomu's shoulder.

Due to the speed of his own rush, Jihad's greatsword reached Nozomu's eyes in an instant.

If it were normal, Nozomu, who was accelerating at full speed, would no longer be able to stop and would be cut down by Jihad.

"Shi~!"

In reality, however, this was not to be.

Nozomu immediately activates his [Instant Move -Curve Dance-]. While diverting himself from the trajectory of the approaching greatsword, he swung out his katana as he ran past it.

The next moment, a deafening sound echoed in Nozomu's ears.

The sound of metal clashing with metal and grinding away. The katana swung by Nozomu was firmly blocked by Jihad's tower shield.

Nozomu's sword did not reach Jihad's body but only sent sparks flying.

However, Nozomu did not stop moving. He was convinced that such an attack was bound to be blocked.

At the very least, such a simple attack had never gotten through to his master. He knew firsthand that if he were to get shaken and stop moving, he would be instantly crushed.

Nozomu moved around behind Jihad with his [Instant Move -Curve Dance-] and tried to swing his katana at Jihad's back while turning around.

The next moment, however, Jihad turned and swung his greatsword at him, just as Nozomu had done earlier.

"Tch~!"

Nozomu immediately changed the trajectory of his katana and tried to intercept the greatsword.

Looking at the results of the previous clash, anyone would think that Nozomu was incapable of receiving Jihad's attack.

In fact, there was too much of a difference in the two men's physical strength.

The difference in strength between the two men was due to the difference in their physiques, and the Ability Suppression that reduced the effectiveness of Nozomu Qi techniques. In a head-on fight, Nozomu would be at a disadvantage.

The students who were watching the fight from a distance could only predict that Nozomu would be blown away.

"Hmm~!?"

However, the reality did not turn out as they had expected.

Contrary to the expectations of the surroundings, Jihad's greatsword had cut through the empty air without catching Nozomu's body.

For the first time, Jihad's expression changed.

In his eyes, he saw Nozomu pulling back the katana he had swung and was about to swing it out three times.

"Hmph!"

But Jihad, who had been through many battles, was calm. He did not stop moving just because his opponent had dealt him a blow.

He immediately overturned his greatsword in the same manner and swung a reverse slash.

"Haa!!"

However, that blow was also deflected by Nozomu.

Each time Jihad swung his greatsword three or four times, Nozomu also intercepted Jihad's attacks five or six times. In all of them, Jihad's greatsword failed to reach Nozomu's body.

Jihad knew this was no coincidence when he saw his greatsword being deflected at every turn.

Nozomu's eyes were firmly focused on the trajectory of the greatsword,

and the katana that was swung out without hesitation accurately caught the equilibrium point where the slashes of both sides were balanced.

In the midst of the storm of repeated sword slashes, the two eyes of the middle-aged swordsman began to see why Nozomu, who was overwhelmingly inferior in physical strength, was able to block his attacks.

(I see, the principle is the same as that strange instant movement that I saw earlier...)

What his eyes caught was the sight of the earth beneath Nozomu's feet being gouged out every time Nozomu swung his katana. It was proof that the twists and turns of his entire body were being transmitted to his toes.

(Also, every time we collide against each other, his body would move away from my attack trajectory. I see, even the momentum of my sword strike is being used for evasion...)

[Instant Move -Curve Dance-] is a technique that allows complex curve movements by linking rotational movements by twisting the waist and shoulders with instant movement that can only move in a straight line.

In the same way, Nozomu's entire body, from his toes to his wrists, is in a rotational movement as he swings his katana with each strike.

In addition, when Nozomu realized that his own strength was not enough to fend off his opponent's blows, he even used his opponent's strength to deflect the attack.

If he can't block it, then deflect it aggressively.

That was the means Nozomu had come up with to confront Jihad.

"Zei!!"

At the moment when his own katana and Jihad's greatsword collided, he shifted his body according to the incoming attack, and at the same time, he used his katana's characteristic and the flexibility of his entire body muscles to deflect the attack, even if only slightly.

By simultaneously evading and deflecting, Nozomu was able to confront Jihad head-on.

It was his well-balanced muscles and sense of balance that allowed him to pull off this feat that would normally seem impossible. And it was his concentration that allowed him to not miss the slightest change at the moment when the greatsword struck and the slightest change in the force applied to it.

In addition, the weapon that Nozomu possessed also had a great impact on the fight. No matter how hard the greatsword struck the katana, it would not break or bend. If an ordinary sword were to receive Jihad's attacks, it would be snapped with a single blow.

However, Nozomu's katana was a work of art that he inherited from his master. The katana was made by a master craftsman, and it was able to meet Nozomu's reckless demands.

A superior weapon and the skill to make the most of it. With those two things, Nozomu was able to go head-to-head with Jihad.

"Haa~!"

"Shi~!"

They slashed at each other without taking a step back. Before one knew it, more than twenty slashes clashed between them.

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

Everyone was speechless as the two clashed in the middle of the arena.

"What the hell ....... is this ......."

Someone unintentionally let out a voice that melted into the surrounding air.

But that was also what everyone was thinking. If one looked closely, one could see that even Inda was speechless.

"…………"

"N-no way ....... That's impossible! What is this?"

Camilla was also stunned and speechless, and Ken was staring at the battle unfolding in front of him as if he were looking at something impossible.

In the midst of all this, Lisa was also shaken by the sight of Nozomu in front of her.

"Nozomu ..."

His name unintentionally came out of Lisa's mouth. At the same time, something indescribable rose from deep within her chest.

"~...!"

Lisa reflexively put her hand on her chest.

Her heart was stirred. The promise between her and Nozomu echoed in her head. And the feeling of emptiness when she lost everything.

She remembered the back of the man who saved her when she was a child. As if in a flashback, the flashes of light and dark covered Nozomu as he fought with Jihad as if they were overlapped.

"But Nozomu is... Ugh!?"

Lisa frowned at the headache that was pounding in her head.

(Why do I feel such a cracking pain in my head and such a tightness in my chest? He's supposed to be the one who betrayed me...)

Such thoughts welled up in her mind, but at the same time, she felt a warm feeling seeping out from deep in her chest.

It was a heat similar to the one she had once felt when she had made that promise. The one thing that once made her feel incredibly happy and joyful.

The confusion of conflicting thoughts just keeps Lisa confused.

Whether or not Nozomu knew how shaken Lisa was, the man at the other end of her field of vision was just looking straight ahead at the powerful enemy in front of him.

The look in his eyes reminded her of the scene from long ago, which only added to her confusion.

The heat welling up from deep within her heart and the ice arrow that froze her heart. It would only confuse her further.

Irisdina and the others were cheering for Nozomu.

Lisa did her best to ignore their voices. All she could do was keep quiet and watch the battle in front of her.

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

While everyone around them was fascinated by the battle unfolding in front of them, Nozomu and Jihad continued to cross their blades.

"Certainly, your abilities are extraordinary. But... it's only a matter of time."

"Kuh~!"

Nozomu's face was distorted due to Jihad's words.

Certainly that Nozomu was now facing Jihad head-on. However, he had not been able to break through the storm of Jihad's sword blows.

No, rather, Nozomu had his hands full deflecting Jihad's blows. He wanted to launch an attack somehow, but there was no opportunity to do so.

This equilibrium would not last long. In that case, it would be Nozomu, with his inferior endurance, who would be the first to break. Nozomu himself was well aware of this.

"But you've shown me enough. There is no doubt about your ability. There are not many people in this school who can compete with me to this extent."

A low and calm voice. However, there was pure praise for Nozomu in his tone. When Nozomu heard that praise, he felt joy welling up from the bottom of his heart.

He has persisted to continue to be enrolled in this school. It wasn't that he wanted to be praised by anyone. It wasn't that he wanted to be appreciated by anyone.

He was just trying to keep his promise, and then he turned his back on that promise and just ran away.

The reason why he was able to endure Shino's absurd training was at the core of it all, it was just about running away.

He was well aware that this was not something worthy of praise.

Even so, the honest praise from the most dignified and respected person in this school struck Nozomu's heart.

A feeling of satisfaction filled his heart. But Nozomu shook his head as if to say, "It's not over yet."

"... No, it's not over yet."

Yes, it's not over yet. More importantly, he hadn't used all the techniques he could use yet. And as long as that was the case, it couldn't be over yet.

Nozomu swung his katana with all his might and intercepted the approaching greatsword.

As Jihad was about to swing his greatsword again, a black shadow was approaching his eyes.

"Mmm!?"

Jihad raised his shield to block the approaching shadow. It was the scabbard that Nozomu had on his waist.

The butt of the scabbard that was thrust into the air made a high-pitched sound and was easily blocked by Jihad's tower shield.

But that was to be expected. It was a move that was originally intended to be blocked.

Nozomu raised his katana and sent his Qi into it, then thrust the blade in with all his might. His target was the scabbard he just slammed.

Qi technique [Breaking Strike]

The impact of the inserted katana combined with the explosion of Qi spread to Jihad's tower shield.

"Hmm!?"

Jihad's eyes widened at the shock that ran through his shield. Not only his shield but also the numbness that seemed to reverberate from the core of his arm.

Classified as a penetrating strike, the [Breaking Strike] originally would cause serious internal destruction to the opponent, even if it was blocked. However, Jihad had quickly channeled his Qi into his shield to cancel out most of the impact.

Even so, the numbness that remained in his arm slowed him down for a few seconds. That was enough for Nozomu.

"Haaa!"

Nozomu used the momentum of the strike to rotate his body while keeping his katana in its sheath.

After sending his Qi into the blade again and sharpening it to the extreme, Nozomu took a step forward without killing the momentum of the rotation while wielding his sheathed katana.

With his shield raised, Jihad sent more Qi into the tower shield than before. The figure of Jihad with his shield raised speaks eloquently of his intentions. It was as if he spoke, "Come!".

Nozomu's blade was pulled out. He sprinted in a straight line towards Jihad, accompanied by a trail of light.

Qi technique [Phantom]

Nozomu's most reliable technique was released.

The extremely compressed blade of Qi carved a line of scratch on the tower shield.

"Mm~!?"

Jihad frowned.

He glanced at the impact that ran on his arm earlier. Certainly, he had sent more than enough Qi into his shield to prevent even an A-rank attack. However, the shield had been scratched.

That fact was enough to amaze Jihad.

"Seei!"

Furthermore, Nozomu overturned the blade. The extremely compressed blade of Qi that was swung diagonally scratched the shield again.

Jihad raised the greatsword in his right hand as he watched the tower shield make a high-pitched sound along with dancing sparks.

If this goes on, Nozomu's attack would cut through Jihad's shield. But it would take a few more blows. And for Jihad, that much was enough to defeat the powerful enemy in front of him.

The advantage of a shield was that it allowed him to switch between offense and defense in an instant.

Jihad's aim was to withstand the next blow and swung his greatsword the moment his opponent swung the blade at him.

No matter how well Nozomu swung his katana, he would be defenseless right after he launched an attack, so there was no way for him to dodge the next attack.

Jihad raised his tower shield and prepared for the approaching Nozomu's slash. The next moment, however, Jihad let out a surprised voice at the raising Qi he felt behind the shield.

"What the heck is this?"

What Jihad saw from behind the shield was Nozomu, who was pointing the tip of his katana at him. It was as if he was wielding a crossbow.

Nozomu's sharp eyes caught Jihad's figure behind the tower shield, and he sent his deadly intent into his Qi and slammed it into the katana.

A chill ran down Jihad's back. It was a feeling that he hadn't felt since he came to this school, but he had felt that on a daily basis ten years ago.

It was the defensive instinct of living beings that was sensed when they were in danger.

"Kuh~!"

The Qi blade, drawn like a siege bow, was unleashed.

It came towards the tower shield in a straight line.

Jihad immediately threw his shield at Nozomu and raised his greatsword to interrupt the trajectory of Nozomu's blade.

Nozomu perceived the center of the shield and pointed the Qi blade at it, and at the same time, the Qi blade, sharpened to the limit, was released.

Qi technique [Core Piercing]

The released Qi blade pierced the shield in an instant, and at the same time, it exploded into countless blades.

A large hole was drilled in the shield that was floating in the air while sending countless pieces of metal flying around, and the exploding countless blades struck straight towards Jihad.