Chapter 15

After defeating Cain, I returned to the waiting room of Senrin Academy once.

"Amazing, amazing! As expected of Allen!"

"Aye! Well done for subduing that mental interference soul armor! What a formidable willpower!"

Reia and Professor Reia praised me without reservation.

"Thank you. ...But Professor, how did you know Cain's soul armor was of the mental interference type?"

"Hmph, don't let my appearance fool you. I've been through quite a few battles. I can predict the type of soul armor just by looking at it."

"I see... As expected."

Hearing that Professor Reia had been through many battles didn't surprise me much.

(There's no doubt that Professor Reia is incredibly strong.)

During the practical exam, she was the only one who noticed my iai strike, which even veteran evaluators had missed.

She even tamed the freakish swordsman, No. 18, who could break iron bars with his bare hands and cut walls with chopsticks as swords, without showing any resistance.

And during her time as a student at Senrin Academy, she won all the tournaments in all the matches—she was part of the golden generation.

(Just how strong is she...?)

Honestly, as a swordsman, I was quite interested.

(Once the Great Five Saints Festival is over, I'd like to spar with her...)

While I was thinking this, Rose tugged at my clothes.

"Allen... how can you use my techniques?"

She said this with a look of disbelief.

"Well, that's because..."

Then I recounted the entire battle.

How I was trapped in another world for a hundred years by Cain's "Century of Hell."

How I had all the necessary supplies to live comfortably.

How I practiced relentlessly, recalling the basic principles, forms, and essence of the schools I had heard about from my friends in Class A, and managed to master them.

How I learned the Sakurahana Ittō-ryū from Rose by imitating it based on memory.

"Wh-What? You learned the Sakurahana Ittō-ryū, which I spent years learning from my father, just by imitating it...!?"

She was speechless, biting her lower lip in frustration.

Even though I hadn't done anything particularly wrong, my heart ached a little.

"Um, well, that technique, the Sakurahana Ittō-ryū secret technique—Kagami Sakura Zan, is a bit different from the one you know! It's a combination with the Hachinoto—Yatagarasu! So I didn't completely copy it—"

"—So you improved it, huh? No wonder it was so much sharper than mine..."

I tried to cover up, but it seemed I only made things worse.

"..."

"..."

Rose and I fell silent, creating an awkward atmosphere.

Reia and Professor Reia glared at us, silently urging us to resolve the situation.

(What should I do...?)

I racked my brain, trying to come up with a way to cheer Rose up.

"Ah, um, well... I got it! I'll teach you the Kagami Sakura Zan I used just now!"

To my relief, Rose's face lit up.

"Really?"

"Yeah, it's originally your technique, after all."

"Thank you...!"

She smiled brightly and thanked me sincerely.

(Phew, I'm glad she's back to her usual self...)

With that, the announcer's voice echoed through the venue.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the long wait. We will now begin the second match between Senrin Academy and Hyōō Academy!"

"Good luck, Allen! We're rooting for you!"

"Keep this up and win!"

"You're strong—go with confidence and pride!"

"Thank you, everyone!"

Encouraged by Reia, Rose, and Professor Reia, I headed back to the battlefield.

"Next, the lead-off for Senrin Academy, Allen Roadel, will enter the stage!"

The moment I stepped onto the stage,

"Here he comes! Allen!"

"Win for us! This is our chance to win!"

"You can do it! This is the real deal!"

The audience on the west side, the Senrin Academy side, was in an unprecedented frenzy.

Probably because my victory in the previous match had raised their expectations.

"Next, the lead-off for Hyōō Academy, Shido Yūkirisu, will enter the stage!"

After the announcer's words, Shido slowly appeared from the opposite side.

Shido Yūkirisu. A man in a loose-fitting white uniform of Hyōō Academy. His snow-white hair was cut haphazardly, and he had a brown complexion. His large, sharp black eyes and fierce, brutal facial features exuded a menacing aura.

The moment he appeared, the audience on the east side, the Hyōō Academy side, fell silent as if struck by water.

Strangely, there was no cheering, no encouragement, no applause—no support at all.

It was eerily quiet.

There was a stark contrast in the atmosphere between the west and east sides of the audience.

Ignoring this, Shido walked to the center of the stage.

Somehow, I understood.

(He's probably incredibly strong—probably the strongest I've ever faced.)

He exuded an aura unique to such a formidable opponent.

When we were both on the stage, the announcer tried to hype up the crowd.

"Since Hyōō Academy did not register a lead-off, Shido will be the lead. This could be the final battle! If Allen wins this match, Senrin Academy will escape the bottom position for the first time in ten years!"

Encouraged by the announcer's words, the Senrin Academy side erupted in cheers.

"According to the information we received beforehand... both are self-taught! They have never received formal sword training! This will surely be an unconventional and exciting match!"

The moment the announcer said this,

"In this day and age, self-taught...? Haha, this is going to be a low-level match..."

Some of the audience members laughed.

They were probably complete outsiders, with no connection to either Senrin Academy or Hyōō Academy.

Honestly, it was frustrating, but I couldn't blame them.

It's understandable to be disappointed when the final match is between two self-taught swordsmen.

The world's view of self-taught swordsmen is quite harsh.

As I was thinking this, Shido reached into his pocket and grabbed one of the survival knives lined up on the inside of his uniform. Without hesitation, he threw it into the audience.

It was a full-force throw.

The knife flew at an incredible speed toward the man who had just laughed at us.

"Ah—!?"

The man, who was coincidentally crouching at that moment, narrowly avoided the knife.

Upon closer inspection, the knife was embedded deep into the wall.

If it had hit his head, he would have died for sure.

"...Damn, I missed."

Shido, who had just committed such a violent act, was seriously frustrated that he had missed.

In other words, he had aimed to hit, not just to intimidate.

(What kind of person is this...?)

The entire venue was in an uproar, and Shido slowly spoke.

"You... you were laughing at me, weren't you?"

With his incredible hearing, he glared at the man as he spoke.

His low, cold voice echoed throughout the venue.

"N-No! I-I didn't laugh at you!"

The man, trembling with fear, desperately shook his head.

"I've memorized your face. Be careful on your way home tonight."

"~!?"

Terrified, the man ran out of the venue.

The venue fell silent in the wake of this sudden incident.

(Shido... )

He was clearly a dangerous person.

(What he just did was not commendable... but it was an incredible throw.)

The distance from here to the audience was at least a hundred meters, and it wasn't a calm, windless day.

Despite that, his throw hit the intended spot with pinpoint accuracy.

His acute hearing, superhuman vision, and powerful arm strength, along with his strong will to win—these were the qualities of a swordsman, and they were evident from just this one scene.

(He's not just anyone...)

The pressure I felt when facing him far exceeded that of Reia and Rose.

As I was thinking this, the announcer, trying to liven up the atmosphere, continued the Great Five Saints Festival with a slightly strained voice.

"Um, well... despite the minor incident, let's start over! We will now begin the second match of the Great Five Saints Festival!"

It was about to begin.

I maintained a moderate level of tension and reached for the hilt of my sword.

"Are both sides ready? The match—begin!"

At the signal, I drew my sword and took my usual chudan stance.

On the other hand, Shido slowly drew his sword from his waist, holding it loosely in his right hand without taking any stance, standing there like a statue.

(I've seen various stances from different schools, but this is the first time I've seen something like this...)

Even for a self-taught swordsman, his stance was too unique.

The tip of his sword was pointing straight down, as if a drunk person was holding a bag lazily.

This was not something that could be called a "stance."

(...Is he inviting me to attack? Or... does he look down on me?)

A bit of frustration welled up in my chest, but...

"Phew..."

I took a deep breath to regain my composure.

(Professor Reia was wary of Felis. And Shido, who is standing in front of me, is the swordsman she designated as the lead.)

There must be something special in this stance that I don't understand.

(If I rush in carelessly, I might receive a painful counterattack...)

Under normal circumstances, this would lead to a prolonged standoff, with the match becoming a stalemate.

However, I have a useful technique for such situations.

"First strike—Hien!"

Hien, which allows me to attack from a distance without closing the gap, would let me see how he reacts.

(Now, how will you move...?)

The straight slash aimed at him suddenly disappeared.

"What!?"

I couldn't help but widen my eyes.

(What just happened...?)

Shido hadn't moved an inch from where he was.

Yet, my Hien had vanished without any warning.

(What's going on...? What did he do...?)

I stared intently at Shido, but he was yawning widely, as if nothing special had happened.

(Maybe... he's already using some kind of soul armor!?)

That would make sense.

Soul armor has various abilities, like the "Century of Hell" from before. There must be one that can completely nullify flying slashes or projectiles.

(Anyway... one more time!)

I raised my sword and swung it down with more force and speed than before.

"First strike—Hien!"

A much sharper slash rushed toward Shido.

(Now, how will you defend...?)

I opened my eyes wide, not missing a single movement.

Then, he swung his loosely hanging sword at an incredible speed, cutting through my Hien head-on.

That's all it was.

(You've got to be kidding...!)

I was chilled to the bone by his incredible sword speed.

Shido's sword speed was faster than Reia's—faster than even Rose's.

It was at a level where I could barely see the tip of the sword even when I was focused.

An overwhelming speed.

As I was gasping, Shido glared at me.

"Hey... I came here to fight... If you're just going to play a boring 'target game,' I'll crush you."

A terrifying aura emanated from his entire body.

(He's coming...!)

I maintained my chudan stance, ready for anything.

The next moment, I realized Shido was right in front of me.

(How fast...!?)

I instinctively held my sword horizontally to block his downward strike.

Our swords clashed, and a high-pitched sound echoed.

(What incredible strength...!?)

I struggled to hold my ground with both hands, but Shido still looked relaxed.

"Hmm... Your reaction is decent."

With that, he immediately turned and delivered a powerful kick to my abdomen.

"Ugh...!?"

The air was knocked out of my lungs, and I was sent flying backward.

(Damn... just a kick has this much power... )

I took a proper roll and immediately returned to my chudan stance.

However, there was no follow-up attack from Shido.

He was lazily holding his sword and stretching.

Frustratingly, it seemed I wasn't even recognized as an opponent yet.

I took this opportunity to reflect on the recent exchange.

(Shido's high-speed approach was completely different from what Rose showed me...)

Rose used a "soft movement" technique, syncing with the opponent's breathing and blinking.

In contrast, Shido relied on his absurd leg strength for a "hard movement" technique.

(What I'm most concerned about... is his downward strike.)

To be honest, that strike was terribly sloppy.

His grip was loose, and his stance was not properly tightened.

It was just a rough, full-force swing.

(Come to think of it... the kick was the same.)

It was a reckless roundhouse kick, relying solely on his superior leg strength.

(While it was incredibly powerful, the flaws were glaring.)

If he had properly lowered his center of gravity and transmitted the force from the ground, I would have suffered much more damage by now.

So, he's just relying on his innate physical abilities.

(Shido is undoubtedly a once-in-a-decade genius.)

It's frustrating, but I can't compare to him.

Outstanding arm strength, powerful leg strength, and a flexible body.

All of these are top-notch, and none of them are things I possess.

(But it's not impossible to win...)

He lacks effort, training, and, most importantly, a sincere heart towards swordsmanship.

(That's where my chance lies...)

After analyzing Shido, he let out a loud sigh.

"...Damn. What are you staring at? It's creepy. You, a talentless piece of trash, will never beat me. Give up and surrender already."

He sneered at me.

"...Indeed, Shido is a genius. I can't compare to you. But—I will win this match."

"...What?"

A vein popped on his forehead.

"Is that so? Well, that's a problem. If you want to die so badly, you should have said so sooner!"

In the next instant, he accelerated explosively, closing the distance between us in an instant.

"Here I come!"

He swung his sword wildly, relying on his absurd physical abilities to transform even such amateurish attacks into a terrifying four-strike combo.

(Too slow, even for Yatagarasu... )

This is when his technique comes in handy.

"Unshō-ryū—Urokogumo!"

Four simultaneous strikes, fewer in number but unmatched in speed, the Unshō-ryū—Urokogumo.

With this, I dealt with all of his strikes.

"Damn, you're annoying! Trash!"

After deflecting all four strikes, Shido jumped high into the air and delivered a powerful downward strike, putting his full weight behind it.

With his exceptional arm strength and the added weight, it was a strike I couldn't block with my current strength.

But, in such situations, his teachings come into play.

"Zantetsu-ryū—Tetsubure!"

At the moment our swords clashed, I poured all my strength into my body, integrating my body and sword into a single piece of iron, channeling the impact into the ground.

'When the body and mind become iron, even iron becomes soft'—the essence of the Zantetsu-ryū.

"Ugh... You're tricky!"

Deflecting the powerful strike, Shido leaped back, sheathing his sword. Then, he charged straight at me.

It was clear he would use a super-fast iai strike—there was no intention to hide it.

"Die!"

Shido approached me at a speed that was too fast to see.

This is when her fastest technique comes in handy.

"Sakurahana Ittō-ryū—Rai Sakura!"

A flash like thunder clashed with his iai strike.

Almost even—no, my speed was slightly faster.

"Ugh!? Changing styles so quickly... You're a creepy one..."

Deflecting all of his attacks, Shido put some distance between us.

This ends his turn.

From here on—my turn.

For the first time in this battle, I closed the distance.

And I unleashed my decisive strike.

"Sakurahana Ittō-ryū secret technique—Kagami Sakura Zan!"

Like a mirror, I delivered eight simultaneous strikes from both sides, too fast to see.

"All of this... I'll deflect!"

Relying on his exceptional physical abilities, he deflected all the strikes.

(...Impressive reaction speed and sword speed.)

His talent is truly astounding.

(But... this is where my plan begins!)

After deflecting the eight strikes from both sides, Shido