I knew just the right response to that question.
“Come on, don’t kill the mood. It would be boring if I just told you. It’s not knowing each other’s abilities that makes Soul Attire battles fun, right?” I said, throwing his own words back at him.
“…!”
“All right… Ready for my counterattack?”
I closed the distance between us in one step and swung down my black sword—which was blazing with black and white flames—as hard as I could. Shin made the perfect defensive maneuver by whipping his sword up horizontally, but the flames ignited his uniform and burned his skin.
“Dammit! The black and white flames disappear!” Shin cried, pain on his face as he jumped back and imposed a rule to get rid of the fire.
He countered Fafnir. So what should I use next…?
I searched among the powers residing deep within my soul and picked the next one.
“Fulfill—Neba Grome!” I shouted, channeling Idora’s Soul Attire to imbue my sword with bright lightning.
“This time it’s electricity…?!” Shin shouted, shocked.
I ignored him and thought back to my duel with Idora.
“Hmm, how’d that move go again? Oh yeah. Flying Thunder—Fifty Million Volts.”
That was the special ability Idora had used to imbue her body with blue lightning and significantly increase her speed in combat.
Wow, this is so cool!
The ability was rapidly stimulating all the cells in my body. I felt like I could even outrun lightning.
I want to test this out… Just how fast was I with this ability?
I began to sprint in circles around the stage to mess with Shin.
“What the?!” Shin shouted, trying and failing to follow me with his eyes. He was clearly no match for my speed. “Will you stop mocking me?! Take this!”
Shin’s slash landed accurately—that is, if he were aiming for my afterimage.
“I’m behind you,” I said.
“Huh?!” gasped Shin.
I sliced his back with an electricity-imbued slash.
“Damn you…!”
Shin frantically swung his sword, trying his best to hit me, but his blade found only air. He was no match for my speed, and I inflicted wound after wound on him.
Shin’s mind raced. This is bad. This is really, really bad. I’m losing too much blood… I have to use that move. It takes a huge toll on my body, but I have no other choice.
“Shin Rex surpasses all limits!” he declared, trying a new tactic.
His speed increased significantly. Actually, that wasn’t all—his arm strength and leg strength had been amplified as well.
“I should’ve known a Holy Blade would have more tricks up his sleeve,” I said. He increased his physical strength by leaps and bounds. His Soul Attire really can do anything…
“Ha, who do you think you’re talking to?!” Shin responded. Crap, I only managed to match his speed…
Our physical strength was now completely even.
““Haaaaaaaah!””
We both shouted, our breath turning white in the air, as we clashed our blades again and again with violent force. Every millisecond mattered as we each tried our best to gain the upper hand. The fight appeared to be at a deadlock…but little did Shin know, I was performing an invisible attack as we fought.
…I think it’s about time, I thought.
I stepped toward him and yelled, “Eighth Style—Eight-Span Crow!”
“Ha, that’s not gonna…work… Huh?!” Shin cried. Why does my body feel so heavy…?
He deflected seven of the slashes, but the one he missed sliced deeply into his shoulder.
“Hnngh!”
Realizing something was wrong, Shin jumped back. He looked down, and his eyes widened in shock.
“What in the…?”
His hands had turned a light purple color.
“Are you familiar with hypothermia, Shin?” I asked.
The area around us had grown cold. While we were clashing blades, I had been stealthily channeling Shido’s Soul Attire, Ice Wolf Vanargand, to spread cold air around us.
“Dammit… Shin Rex’s body temperature increases!” he said.
As he healed, Shin left himself vulnerable, and I took the advantage.
“Vanar Thrust!” I shouted, piercing his side with my black sword coated in ice.
“Nrgh…”
Shin held his side with his left hand and desperately jumped backward.
…I cut him deep that time. The ease disappeared from Shin’s face as he bled heavily onto the stage. Vanar Thrust had obviously been effective.
“Haah, haah… You’re a monster…,” Shin said. He’s lightning fast, and there’s no limit to the kinds of attacks he can use. I don’t have the time to impose any rules…
He was now a good distance away from me, so I channeled Soul Attires that specialized in medium- and long-range attacks.
“Draw Breath—Abio Troupe! Trace—Aqua Queen!”
The Soul Attires I’d chosen were Claude’s Abio Troupe, which could convert inorganic matter into bombs, and Shii’s Aqua Queen, which could freely manipulate water. I wasted no time in preparing my assault, starting by slicing the stone stage with my sword. A light blue crest appeared where I struck.
“““Tweet, tweet!”””
“““Cawww! Cawww!”””
“Hoo!”
A huge number of stone swallows and crows, as well as one giant owl, rose from the stage and flew overhead. I’d decided to use Claude’s Soul Attire for its excellent offensive and defensive capabilities.
“Aqua Trick.”
Next, I summoned black water and morphed it into a variety of weapons, including swords, axes, spears, shields, and sickles, that floated in the air.
If Shin kept his distance, I would assault him with waves of bombs and water weapons. If he tried to approach me, the owl would block him with a massive explosion. If he managed to reach me, I would fight him using my white darkness.
I could fight him off from any range.
“Let’s do this, Shin,” I said.
“…!” What in the world is his ability…? Shin thought. No, now’s not the time to think about that. I need to apply some rules… But which of his powers do I disable?! …I can’t do it. I can’t beat someone this exceptional…
I raised my left arm, ready to send forth my bombs and water weapons, when…
“I—I surrender!”
…Shin threw down Imperial Decree and fell to his knees.
“Ha, ha… Ah-ha-ha-ha…” He laughed like a madman as his reality crumbled. He clearly didn’t know how to handle the knowledge that he wasn’t the best swordsman in the world.
The venue fell silent upon the end of our intense duel.
“We have a winner! The captain’s duel between Thousand Blade Academy and Divine Emperor Academy goes to the dark swordsman Allen Rodol!” the announcer declared, her voice echoing far and wide.