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He effortlessly wielded a myriad of sword styles, showing no hesitation, as if he had completely mastered and internalized them, making them his own.
Kurogane Ikki couldn't find a single flaw in Ryoji's sword techniques.
Theoretically, attempting to use another sword style would inevitably lead to clumsiness and a failure to unleash its true power. Yet this rule simply didn't apply to Ryoji's body.
In fact, the sword techniques he copied far surpassed those of their original practitioners!
And moreover…
"While I was evolving, he was evolving too!"
Kurogane Ikki's expression tightened.
He had evolved under Ryoji's pressure, but his own evolution had in turn fueled Ryoji's growth, accelerating his own evolution!
No matter how much Ikki evolved, Ryoji would immediately copy it.
Like a gluttonous beast, devouring all supplies into his insatiable belly.
"This can't go on!"
A profound sense of danger washed over Kurogane Ikki.
He had simulated countless scenarios of his duel with Ryoji beforehand. Facing Absolute Speed, a special ability that naturally countered all swordsmen, he had devised the only effective tactic he could execute!
But to deploy this tactic, he couldn't afford to continue this drawn-out exchange.
If he couldn't gain the upper hand, his strategy would be meaningless!
Yet his evolution couldn't keep pace!
His evolution could never surpass Ryoji's natural talent.
In terms of innate swordsmanship skill, there was an insurmountable gap between them!
If their innate skills were compared to a single object, they would only be like Russian nesting dolls. No matter how refined Ikki's innate skill became, it could never escape the confines of Ryoji's inherent talent.
This was a difference in fundamental capacity, one that couldn't be bridged.
If this continued, he would undoubtedly lose!
'In that case, I have no choice but to resort to my last-ditch plan!'
Kurogane Ikki steeled his resolve.
"...Sixth Secret Sword: Dokuga no Tachi (Poisonous Moth Long Sword)!"
Abandoning the lightning ray, he raised his katana and instantly clashed with Ryoji in close combat.
At the moment their blades clashed, a violent shockwave surged through Ryoji's blade from the point of impact.
Ryoji was intimately familiar with this technique. His Devil Light Flowing Blade employed a similar effect, allowing him to instinctively react and attempt to neutralize the force using the same method.
"...Ittou Shura!!"
But at that precise moment...
Kurogane Ikki's eyes blazed with fury as he unleashed a sudden, thunderous roar.
"W-What?! Such a sudden Ittou Shura! No warning whatsoever!"
The commentator nearly lost his mind.
Ryoji's eyes widened in shock.
The power surging through his blade had suddenly multiplied tenfold!
Boom!
The sudden surge of power caught him completely off guard, instantly shattering his defensive stance.
With a deafening roar, a dark figure was sent hurtling backward across the arena. The figure bounced violently off the ground several times before crashing like a cannonball into the outer barrier.
Within the arena, Kurogane Ikki stood bathed in an ice-blue glow of magic power, the surging force coursing through his body.
The figure sent flying was Ryoji.
"He's been knocked flying! Kurogane Contestant suddenly unleashed Ittou Shura mid-clash, exploiting Absolute Speed's weakness with that explosive burst of power! Contestant Nangou has been sent hurtling out of the arena! Given the force of that impact, could he be seriously injured?!"
"Angel-sama!"
"That scum! I won't let him get away with this!"
A roar erupted from the audience as a wave of indignation swept through the stands.
"Contestant Kurogane has turned the tide, seizing the advantage! Can Contestant Nangou still rise to his feet? No, get up, Angel-sama!"
"...cough cough Actually, that's not necessarily the case. For Contestant Kurogane, this is definitely not a good strategy!"
"How so?"
"'Ittou Shura' is an ultimate technique that can only be maintained for one minute. Against an opponent like Contestant Nangou, he absolutely shouldn't have used it first, otherwise he'll inevitably fall into a severe disadvantage. Contestant Kurogane should know this perfectly well, yet he still used 'Ittou Shura'... This proves he has no other strategies left."
"So that's how it is!"
"The only question now is Contestant Nangou's condition..."
The professional analysis from the commentary booth brought a sudden realization to the Angel Fans in the audience, who promptly began cheering Ryoji on.
"That strike must have inflicted at least a serious injury, right?" Shinguuji Kurono said uncertainly.
As a Blazer whose strength lay primarily in her special ability rather than martial arts, she could no longer comprehend the combatants' movements.
"No, not necessarily!" Saikyou Nene suddenly interjected, her confidence striking.
Though she should have been equally perplexed, she now appeared completely composed, as if she had anticipated this turn of events all along.
"The little whelp's completely unscathed," Nangou Torajirou chuckled, confirming her assessment.
Meanwhile, inside the battle ring...
Ryoji rose from the pitch-black storage room, stretching his limbs to loosen his muscles.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he emerged from the storage room as if nothing had happened and calmly returned to the battle ring.
He was merely a bit dusty, and his clothes had a single tear.
"I-It's unbelievable! What's going on? Angel-sama... Contestant Nangou is completely unharmed! Even after being thrown out so violently?!"
"Exactly how violently he was thrown is the problem..."
"Huh?"
"With Contestant Nangou's physical capabilities, he shouldn't have... cough cough... been thrown out so violently. He must have deliberately launched himself outward, using the impact with the ground to dissipate the force. The cracks on the ground prove it."
The audience's eyes widened simultaneously.
Indeed, several impact-induced cracks were visible at the points where Ryoji had landed during his earlier ejections.
"In judo, there's a technique called 'ukemi', falling safely. It involves intentionally falling to the ground when attacked, using the motion to reduce the impact force. He must have used a similar technique... cough cough!"
"So that's how it is!"
The audience of over a thousand, including Shinguuji Kurono, and the viewers watching on television finally understood.
In the arena, Ryoji calmly returned to the battle ring, his expression serene.
In stark contrast, Kurogane Ikki's expression darkened, his smile turning bitter.
Blazer matches had no spatial restrictions.
Even if a combatant was knocked out of the ring or sent flying beyond the arena, even hurled a kilometer into the sky, they wouldn't be declared defeated.
Aside from forfeiting, committing a foul, or losing consciousness, there were no other criteria for determining victory or defeat in a proper Blazer match. There were no limitations on range, time, or any other factors.
Therefore, even though Ryoji had been blasted into the storage room outside the arena, he could casually stroll back onto the battlefield and continue the match, completely unscathed.
Kurogane Ikki could only offer a wry smile.
(End Of This Chapter)