Ikki struggled to find his voice, his throat dry as he swallowed hard.

  For a moment, he was caught in a wave of profound uncertainty. He wanted to believe that Haruki's power wasn't enough to shatter the legend of the Raikiri, but his heart was telling him otherwise. The conviction he'd held just moments ago was crumbling.

  "This 'Bde of Flowing Water' is still far from complete," Haruki noted, the liquid sword in his hand dissolving back into mist. He looked over at Ikki. "Is it time? I assume the match is starting soon."

  Haruki had mistaken Ikki's presence for a reminder that his duel was about to begin.

  "N-No... not yet..." Ikki managed to stammer, his expression stiff.

  He couldn't wrap his head around it. That terrifying dispy of swordsmanship, a strike that felt like it could divide the sea, was only a half-finished technique? Ikki didn't even know how to describe the gap between them anymore.

  The match between Haruki Aizawa and Tohka Todo was scheduled for the te afternoon. Because it was the most anticipated fight of the day, Hagun Academy had pced it as the final event to maximize the crowd's excitement.

  [First Year: Haruki Aizawa. Match time has arrived. Please report to the arena.]

  As the broadcast echoed through the halls, Haruki walked calmly down the stone corridor toward the stadium gates. He stepped out onto the dueling ptform, and the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers.

  "Let's introduce the combatants for our twelfth and final match of the day!"

  "On one side, we have the transfer student from abroad—Haruki Aizawa! Once a complete unknown, he skyrocketed to fame after dismantling Shizuya Kirihara. Since then, he has torn through the selection matches like a hot bde through butter. Most mysteriously, no one has been able to identify his Bzer ability yet! He has defeated every opponent with nothing but peerless bdework!"

  "Will he be able to maintain that streak against our strongest student? We're about to find out!"

  As the introduction faded, Haruki reached the center of the ring. Simultaneously, a familiar figure emerged from the opposite tunnel. It was the Student Council President, Tohka Todo.

  The roar that greeted her was deafening, far eclipsing the cheers for Haruki. Every student at Hagun knew her strength.

  "Our very own Student Council President and the top-ranked knight of this academy has entered the ring!" the announcer screamed. "Last year, she stormed her way into the semi-finals of the Seven Star Sword Art Festival, only to fall to the reigning king, Yudai Moroboshi. Now, she is back to cim the summit! Has the heirloom bde in her hand grown even sharper over the st year?"

  "Speed that cannot be dodged! A bde that cannot be blocked! Will the 'Golden Fsh' end this in a heartbeat?"

  "The strongest lightning-user in Hagun! The 'Lightning Cutter'—Tohka Todo!!"

  Tohka stepped onto the ptform, her long brown hair fluttering in the wind. Behind her thick gsses, her eyes burned with an indescribable mix of excitement and anticipation. She had been waiting for a challenge like this.

  Haruki met her gaze. He could feel the weight of her resolve. The air between them instantly became heavy, charged with a tension so thick it felt like the Calm before a storm. Even the spectators in the furthest rows felt a chill, their hair standing on end.

  These two are on a completely different level from the rest, the crowd realized collectively.

  "The twelfth match: Haruki Aizawa vs. Tohka Todo!" the referee's voice thundered.

  "BEGIN!"

  "Roar, Narukami!"

  Tohka Todo manifested her Device—a Japanese sword with a gleaming bck sheath. She kept the bde tucked away, resting her hand on the hilt. The moment the weapon appeared, her presence expanded, exerting a crushing pressure on the arena.

  "Awaken, Onibi."

  Haruki didn't hesitate, summoning the dark, spectral bde of Ghost Power into his hand.

  In most scenarios, anyone facing Tohka would try to keep their distance. Her Noble Art, Raikiri, was an "absolute kill" technique. The moment an opponent entered her drawing range, they were essentially already dead. Standard tactics involved staying outside her reach and whittling her down.

  But Haruki did the opposite.

  He didn't back away. The second the match started, he lunged forward, closing the gap with aggressive intent.

  The crowd gasped. Several veteran Bzers leaned forward, their brows furrowed. This move was suicidal. But for the casual spectators, Haruki's fearless approach was the height of entertainment, drawing a fresh wave of cheers.

  "Aizawa-kun is charging the President?! Incredible! Is he going to challenge the Raikiri head-on?!" the announcer yelled.

  "Is he crazy?" Stel muttered from the stands, her body tense. She had studied the Raikiri; she knew the sheer speed and pressure it produced. Even she wasn't sure she could survive a direct exchange at that range.

  "That's just how he is," Shizuku answered softly, her eyes fixed on Haruki.

  Ikki, however, was watching with a clinical eye. "Haruki must have a pn. Raikiri is god-like, but it isn't magic. It consists of three phases: Target Locking, Draw Preparation, and the Swing. If you can disrupt her during any of those three steps, you can break the 'Invincible' close-quarters art."

  "But... can he actually disrupt light itself?"

  "I don't know," Ikki shook his head.

  In every recorded match, if Tohka had the chance to draw, the opponent fell. Even Yudai Moroboshi, the reigning king, had only won by staying at a distance with his spear, never once letting Tohka step into her "Cross Distance." Haruki was attempting something that had never been done.

  In the blink of an eye, Haruki entered the Raikiri domain. His steps were precise, his trajectory unswerving. He was practically shouting to Tohka that he was coming for her best move.

  Tohka didn't let him bait her into a premature draw. She dropped into a low stance, knees bent, body leaning forward. She didn't retreat—she surged forward to meet him!

  CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

  The distance vanished. Bdes met in a blur of sparks and steel.

  In the realm of pure swordsmanship, Haruki held the absolute advantage. As long as they relied on technique alone without special abilities, Tohka couldn't find an opening. Haruki's movements were too refined, his parries too economical.

  "I really can't keep up with you in a normal duel, Aizawa-kun..." Tohka noted, a flicker of regret crossing her face.

  As a disciple of the War God Nanago, she was a master in her own right. She had hoped to test her skill against his, but she quickly realized Haruki's mastery of the bde was in a league of its own.

  CRACKLE!

  Accepting her limit in pure skill, Tohka released her lightning. Arcs of electricity surged from her body, intended to shock Haruki and force him to give her room to draw.

  But Haruki wasn't letting her go.

  Rumble!

  Suddenly, green motes of light erupted around Haruki. He activated Highnder. In a burst of speed that bypassed the limits of sight, he vanished from Tohka's front and materialized directly behind her.

  "What?!"

  Tohka had never seen Haruki use this level of speed in public. She had no time to react as his bde descended.

  Cng!

  Her Mana Shield fred, absorbing the impact, but the force of the strike sent a jolt through her entire body.

  Haruki pulled back, coming to a halt and looking at her with a neutral expression.

  "Is this all you have?" Haruki asked.

  He had expected a world-shaking struggle. Tohka was stronger than most, but at this rate, she wouldn't even push him to use his Wave Arts, let alone his Bloodlust.

  "..."

  Tohka gave a weary, self-deprecating smile. "You really are monstrous, Haruki. But... it's a bit too early to look down on me."

  Slowly, Tohka Todo reached up and took off her gsses.

  She was legally blind without them, her vision a blur of colors. Under normal circumstances, she should have been helpless. But the moment the frames left her face, her focus sharpened to a razor's edge.

  Haruki felt a sudden sense of familiarity. He realized that Tohka wasn't looking at him with her eyes. She was sensing him through something deeper—a fundamental awareness of his presence and the energy in the air.

  She's using a form of Wave Perception, Haruki realized. She's seeing the essence of the world.

  The moment Tohka removed her gsses, the pressure radiating from her shifted. It was no longer a blunt weight; it was a focused, piercing intent.

  Haruki felt it the moment they crossed bdes again. It was as if she had suddenly learned how to read his very thoughts.

  ***********************************************

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