The Absolute Speed of a Certain Comic'

"Vrring~!"

The first strike was a vertical slash aimed straight down the center.

With a flash of silver light and a peculiar sound, the blade cut through the air, heading toward Shinguuji Kurono's forehead.

Shinguuji Kurono's eyes showed a hint of confusion, and she calmly sidestepped to the right to avoid the attack.

Ryoji's sword had neither speed nor power; its effectiveness was quite lacking, making it easy for her to evade with her reflexes.

However, what puzzled her was that although Ryoji had previously given her the impression of being a master of sword techniques, his actual attack now seemed like that of a novice.

Is there really a sword path that starts with a strike to the forehead? 

Though she didn't practice sword techniques herself, she knew that the skull is the hardest bone in the human body, difficult to split open with a single strike. Unless a swordsman was extremely confident in their strength, they wouldn't typically start with an attack aimed at the head.

After missing his first strike, Ryoji showed no signs of frustration or discouragement.

"Vrring~!"

He held his breath, twisted his hips, and used the force of the ground to turn the blade, swinging it from his side toward Shinguuji Kurono's waist.

From his legs to his hips to his wrists, the entire power chain was well-coordinated, and the energy transfer was flawless. The strike was fierce and sharp.

His fundamentals were solid, indicating years of training, and the sword techniques he used were indeed suited for combat.

Disciples of the God of War are generally proficient in sword techniques.

But his power was too weak.

Not to mention using her time-manipulating special ability, she didn't even need to use Magic Power. Her physical prowess alone was enough to handle such a sword.

"If you could only do this then it would be impossible to pass the entrance test at our academy."

Shinguuji Kurono adjusted her steps, shifting effortlessly, and easily avoided each of Ryoji's strikes without any effort.

"…"

Ryoji said nothing, his grip on the sword steady and unflustered.

Although he couldn't even touch a corner of her clothing, he didn't seem to have any intention of giving up.

"Seems like he's hiding something."

Shinguuji Kurono pondered to herself.

"Could it be that he's not good at actively pursuing? In that case, I'll give him a chance!"

With this thought, Shinguuji Kurono quickly took the initiative. She no longer merely avoided Ryoji's sword but raised her arm and arranged a layer of faint light in front of her arm, directly meeting Ryoji's sword with it.

The deep black light was precisely Magic Power. By arranging Magic Power on her body, she created a Magic Power defense.

Though her physical abilities were strong, she couldn't block a real blade with just her body. However, the Magic Power defense she arranged was very solid, able to withstand most physical impacts. Unless the attack also involved Magic Power, it was difficult to penetrate her defense.

As she raised her left arm, she also clenched her right fist, preparing to strike.

She hadn't specifically trained in martial arts, but with her A-Rank physical abilities, a punch from her could send a car flying. She would have to hold back some strength to merely knock Ryoji unconscious.

But would it really go that smoothly?

"Vrring~!"

In an instant, as Shinguuji Kurono threw her punch, a silver blade light descended like the Milky Way from the sky.

"Shiiing—!"

In a daze, Shinguuji Kurono felt a tingle on her scalp. Without hesitation, she swiftly retreated, narrowly avoiding the mysterious blade.

Only after standing at a distance of more than ten meters did Shinguuji Kurono regain her composure, looking at Ryoji in shock.

On the other side, Ryoji's sword had passed through the place where she had originally stood.

"Pity, I almost succeeded."

He let out a soft breath, his chest rising and falling slightly, with a look of regret on his face.

"What happened just now?" Shinguuji Kurono was puzzled.

In that fleeting moment, Ryoji seemed to have seen through her plan, exploiting a gap in her defense. His blade had easily bypassed the Magic Power shield on her left arm and struck close to her right fist, heading straight for her chest.

Moreover, the speed of that blade was inexplicably fast, almost like light itself, catching Shinguuji Kurono off guard and almost leaving her unable to react.

She glanced down at her right sleeve.

The black suit sleeve had somehow developed a tear, exposing the white shirt underneath.

The tear was caused by the blade slicing through the air at such a high speed that it created a sharp "sword aura," which had torn the fabric, a phenomenon akin to "sickle blades."

She couldn't understand it.

Despite his weak physical abilities and minimal Magic Power, which made his blade seem ineffective to a Blazer, how could his sword suddenly achieve such incredible speed? It was as if he had transformed into someone else.

Was he hiding something?

Shinguuji Kurono looked back and saw that Ryoji was standing still, slightly panting, apparently having exhausted a significant amount of stamina during their exchange.

Thus, she dismissed that possibility.

In that case, could it be… a special ability?

Blazer's special abilities are diverse, and it's not surprising to see one that suddenly enhances speed. There are experts in Hagun Academy who can continuously increase their speed to over twice the speed of sound.

But such "speed accumulation" has its traces, while Ryoji's sudden burst of speed was unexpected and difficult to defend against effectively.

"Wait a moment, if he had used that sudden acceleration for the strike aimed at my forehead from the start… and if I hadn't dodged…"

Shinguuji Kurono suddenly realized.

She had previously wondered why Ryoji, who seemed like a master of sword techniques, had used such a basic attack aimed at the forehead, like a novice.

If she had chosen to block instead of dodge, and Ryoji had suddenly accelerated… the sudden acceleration would have brought a huge impact, and without any defense, her forehead could have been split open!

"So, he's not a novice in sword techniques but was aiming for a decisive strike?"

Shinguuji Kurono felt a twinge of pain in her forehead, as if it were being pointed at by a gun, and an uncontrollable sense of lingering fear surged in her heart.

But what exactly is his special ability?

Is it a speed control ability from the conceptual manipulation category?

"Director, from the strike just now, I've gauged your reaction speed."

Ryoji was unaware of Shinguuji Kurono's thoughts, his dark eyes fixed on her as if his sharp gaze could see through her every move.

He spread his legs and took his stance.

Then, he raised the silver katana to shoulder height on his right side, his left hand's fingertips touching the sword's tip. He twisted his waist and legs to the limit, channeling all his power into a single, concentrated force.

The distance between them was less than five meters… It should be doable!

"Although I previously said it's only a test and the outcome doesn't matter… but it's okay for me to defeat you just like this, right?"

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(End Of Chapter)