The first strike was a downward slash aimed directly at the top of the head.
Accompanied by a flash of silver light, the peculiar sound effect rings out again. At the same time, the blade cut through the air, descending toward Kurono Shinguuji's forehead.
A hint of confusion flashed in Kurono's eyes, but she calmly sidestepped to the right, dodging the attack.
Eiji's sword lacked both speed and power, its force pitifully weak. With her reflexes, it was easy to avoid.
What puzzled her, however, was that while Eiji had initially given her the impression of being a swordsmanship expert, his actual moves now seemed more like those of a novice.
Was it common to slash directly at the forehead in swordsmanship?
Though she wasn't well-versed in swordsmanship and had never practiced it, she knew that the skull was the hardest bone in the human body, difficult to split with a single strike. Unless one was extremely confident in their strength, most swordsmen wouldn't aim for the forehead right from the start.
The first strike missed, but Eiji showed no sign of disappointment, his face remaining impassive.
Holding his breath, he twisted his hips, pushed off the ground, and redirected the blade, swinging it toward Kurono's side.
From his feet to his hips to his wrists, the entire kinetic chain was seamless, with no wasted energy. The swing was sharp and precise.
His fundamentals were solid, clearly the result of years of practice. The swordsmanship he used was undoubtedly combat-oriented.
Most of the God of War's disciples excelled in swordsmanship.
But his strength was too lacking.
She didn't even need to use her time-manipulation ability, nor did she need to expend any Magic Power. Her physical abilities alone were enough to handle such a sword.
"With just this, you won't pass our school's entrance exam."
Kurono shifted her steps, effortlessly dodging Eiji's strikes without breaking a sweat.
Eiji remained silent, his grip on the sword steady, showing no trace of panic.
Though he couldn't touch even a corner of her clothing, he showed no intention of giving up.
'He seems to be hiding something.'
Kurono pondered inwardly.
'Maybe he's not good at active pursuit? If that's the case, then I'll give him a chance!'
With that thought, she quickly took the initiative. No longer simply dodging Eiji's strikes, she raised her arm, coating it with a faint layer of light, and actively met his sword.
The deep black light was Magic Power. By coating her body with Magic Power, she formed a Magic Power defense.
Though her physical abilities were strong, she couldn't block a real sword with her bare body. However, the defense formed by Magic Power was incredibly sturdy, capable of withstanding most physical impacts. Unless the attack was also infused with Magic Power, it would be difficult to penetrate her defense.
As she raised her left arm, she also clenched her right fist, ready to strike.
She hadn't specifically trained in boxing, but with her A-Rank physical abilities, a single punch could send a car flying. She had to hold back to ensure Eiji would only be knocked unconscious.
But would it really go so smoothly?
In that instant, as Kurono threw her punch, a silver blade light descended like a galaxy falling from the heavens.
In a daze, Kurono felt a chill run down her spine. Without hesitation, she instantly retreated, narrowly avoiding the mysterious slash.
Only after standing more than ten meters away did she regain her composure, looking at Eiji in astonishment.
On the other side, Eiji's blade had swept through the spot where she had been standing.
"Too bad, I almost succeeded."
He exhaled softly, his chest rising and falling slightly, a look of regret on his face.
"What just happened?"
Kurono was utterly baffled.
In that brief moment, Eiji seemed to have instantly seen through her intentions, pinpointing the flaw in her move. His blade effortlessly bypassed her Magic Power-coated left arm, aiming straight for her chest as she threw her punch.
Moreover, the blade light was inexplicably fast, as swift as light itself, catching Kurono off guard and nearly leaving her unable to react.
Her gaze shifted downward to the cuff of her right arm.
The black suit cuff had been cut open at some point, revealing the white shirt underneath.
It had been split by the air cut by the excessively fast sword, forming a sharp "sword aura" in mid-air.
It was completely incomprehensible.
His physical abilities and Magic Power were both pitifully weak. The strikes he had been throwing out were utterly feeble in the eyes of a Blazer. How could his sword suddenly become so fast?
It was as if he had become a completely different person.
Was he hiding something?
Kurono shifted her gaze back, only to see Eiji standing still, breathing slightly heavily, as if that exchange had drained a significant amount of his stamina.
Thus, she silently dismissed that possibility.
If that wasn't the case, then... was it an special ability?
Blazers' special abilities were incredibly diverse. No matter how strange an ability might seem, it wouldn't be surprising. Suddenly increasing one's speed wasn't particularly unbelievable either. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel★fire.net
Within Hagun Academy, there was someone whose ability allowed them to continuously accumulate speed, reaching a maximum of twice the speed of sound. They were one of the top three strongest in the academy.
But that "speed accumulation" ability at least had a traceable pattern. Eiji's sword, however, had abruptly become abnormally fast, catching her completely off guard and making it impossible to organize an effective defense.
'Wait, if that's the case, then that first strike aimed at my forehead... If he had used that sudden acceleration at that time, and I hadn't dodged—?'
Kurono suddenly realized.
She had initially been puzzled as to why Eiji, who seemed like a swordsmanship expert, had used such a straightforward slash aimed at the forehead, like a complete novice.
If she had chosen to block instead of dodging, and Eiji had suddenly accelerated, the abrupt increase in speed would have brought a massive impact... Caught off guard, her forehead might have been split open!
'So, he wasn't a novice at all, but rather aiming for a one-strike victory?'
Kurono couldn't help but feel a throbbing pain in her forehead, as if a gun were pointed at it, and an uncontrollable sense of lingering fear rose in her heart.
But what exactly was this guy's special ability?
Was it a conceptual manipulation ability to control speed?
"Director, after that last strike, I've already grasped your reaction speed."
Eiji, unaware of the thoughts swirling in Kurono's mind, stared at her with his pitch-black eyes, his sharp gaze seemingly piercing through her every move.
He spread his feet, standing firmly with one foot forward and one back.
Then, he raised the silver katana to eyebrow level on his right side, his left fingertip resting just below the blade's tip. The power from his hips and legs twisted to its limits, coiling his entire body's strength into a single strand.
The distance between them was less than five meters... It was possible!
"Although I said earlier that this is just a test, and I don't care about winning or losing... Still, it's fine if I defeat you, right?"