Chapter 16

When Shido manifested his Soul Armament <Lone High Ice Wolf>, I immediately sensed something was amiss.

(The temperature... dropped?)

It was midday, the sky was clear, and the sun was high in the sky.

Despite this, the air had become so cold that it felt chilly on my skin.

When I looked closely, a thin, white mist was emanating from the sword he held.

(Is that... cold air...?)

As I analyzed the abilities of his Soul Armament,

"Then, let's finish this quickly...! --<Ice Lance>!"

A gigantic spear, as tall as a person, appeared in the air.

It was a transparent, beautiful ice spear.

(As expected... his Soul Armament manipulates cold air...)

I maintained my stance and focused my attention on the ice spear.

Then, in the next instant,

"Here, dance!"

The ice spear was launched at an incredible speed.

"---Ha!"

I tried to cut it down head-on.

However,

(Hard...!?! What ridiculous hardness is this?!)

It was harder and heavier than iron—clearly not just ice.

"Guh, uuuuuu!"

I managed to knock the spear upward and send it flying into the air.

Just as I shifted my gaze back to the front,

"Hey... where are you looking?"

Shido was already behind me.

"Wh-What?!"

"Here!"

I jumped forward in a hurry to avoid it,

"Guh...?!"

But his sword slashed my back, and a burning pain shot through me.

I quickly got up and focused on Shido.

(The wound... isn't deep. I'm okay, I can still fight...!)

I encouraged myself and looked up to see—another spear had already formed.

"Here, here, the next one is coming!"

Before the spear was launched, I immediately ran to the right.

(I can't stop moving...)

That <Ice Lance> is too hard for me to destroy.

I should at least avoid being a target by moving around.

Then,

"Don't run around like that!"

Shido caught up to me in a single step and immediately unleashed a four-hit combo.

"Ugh... Cloud Shadow Style—Scaly Cloud!"

I tried to defend with the fastest move of the Cloud Shadow Style,

"Kah...?!"

But I failed to block the last hit—his powerful strike hit my left shoulder.

Fortunately, it didn't break any bones, and I could still hold my sword with both hands.

(Damn, he's even faster than before...?!)

Thanks to the power of <Lone High Ice Wolf>, Shido's sword speed had significantly increased.

After that, similar sword strikes were repeated, and I accumulated more and more minor injuries.

"Huff, huff... Damn..."

The situation was utterly hopeless, but I couldn't give up.

"Allen! Don't lose!"

"Try your best!"

"Use your feet! Maneuver around!"

The students of Senrin Academy were cheering loudly for me.

(For everyone's sake, I can't lose this match...)

However, I still hadn't found a way to defeat Shido.

(<Lone High Ice Wolf> is such a terrifying Soul Armament...)

It can freely manipulate cold air and create incredibly hard ice spears.

Moreover, it comes with the added bonus of enhancing the user's physical abilities.

(That's just unfair...)

Then,

"Hey... do you think I've gotten 'faster' or something?"

As if reading my thoughts, he asked me that.

"That's not it... It's not like that..."

Shido shook his head with a chuckle.

"...What do you mean?"

"Hah, you still haven't realized it... You've become 'slower.'"

He pointed at my hands.

I looked down at my hands as he said,

"Th-This...?!"

I finally noticed.

My hands and feet were beginning to turn a light purple.

"Hey, do you know what hypothermia is?"

Shido held up <Lone High Ice Wolf>, which continued to emit cold air, as if revealing the secret.

(Damn, I've been had...)

I was so focused on the ice spear and Shido's pressure that I didn't notice the changes in my body.

(At first glance, Shido doesn't seem to be shivering from the cold...)

It seems that the cold air emitted by <Lone High Ice Wolf> doesn't affect him.

(This is... bad...)

The longer the match goes on, the more my body temperature drops, and the more disadvantaged I become.

(If this continues, I'll be at a disadvantage...)

While my body still responds, I need to end this quickly.

Anxious, I immediately ran towards Shido.

"Eight Swords—Yatagarasu!"

The Yatagarasu, which should have produced eight slashes, ended up with only six.

"Ha ha ha ha! What's wrong? Just 'six'?!?"

Shido laughed and easily deflected the six slashes.

"Guh..."

With my body's functions so degraded... I have no chance of winning in a direct confrontation.

(Then, I'll have to use a feint to break him down...)

I continued to exchange sword strikes with him naturally while setting up "Second Sword—Moonlight" in various places.

After that,

"Huff, huff..."

"Hmm, are you at your limit?"

Shido, confident of his victory, slowly approached me with his sword on his shoulder.

(...The positioning is perfect)

All I need is for him to keep coming this way, and Moonlight will explode.

(No matter how fast his reaction time is... he can't avoid a strike from a blind spot...)

I maintained my stance naturally, and just as I did—

He stopped in his tracks.

"Hey, hey, what's this obvious trap?"

He let his sword pass through the space where I had set up Moonlight.

Reacting to his movement, Moonlight cut through the air in vain.

"Ha ha ha, such an obvious trap would only work on second-rate, half-assed swordsmen."

He closed the distance in an instant and said,

"Here you go."

He delivered a powerful front kick to my abdomen.

"Gah...?!"

A bone-crushing sound echoed, and I rolled on the ground like a ball.

"...Cough, cough!?"

Had the broken bones injured my internal organs? Blood spurted from my mouth.

"Hey, hey, that's disgusting! Who's going to clean this up? ...And I don't know either!"

He then mercilessly stomped on my face and laughed loudly.

"Hey, that's enough! This is going too far!"

"Don't get too cocky..."

Shido was glared at by the agitated Reia and Rose.

He looked troubled and scratched his cheek.

"Ah... Sorry. I did go a bit too far... Yeah, I'll finish him off quickly."

He pointed <Lone High Ice Wolf> at me.

According to the rules of the Great Five Holy Festival, actions that lead to the death of an opponent are prohibited.

But he wouldn't care about such things and would kill without hesitation.

"J-Just kidding, right?!"

"Referee, stop it!"

"Shido, stop it!"

Reia and Rose turned pale, and the referee jumped onto the stage.

However, it was too late to reach me at this distance.

(Damn, is this the end...?)

Due to severe frostbite, my body no longer responded properly.

Moreover, I couldn't move because Shido was stepping on my abdomen.

"Haha! Since we're here, let's make a funny corpse!"

Then,

"---<Ice Wolf's One Slash>!"

A tremendous amount of cold air was released from <Lone High Ice Wolf>, and the thrust, powered by explosive propulsion, aimed for my throat.

If I were to take this, there would be no hope.

(Up to this point...)

Every day, I practiced swordsmanship, sparing no time for sleep.

I trained more than anyone else.

I spent more time on swordsmanship than anyone else.

I even swung my sword continuously for billions of years.

And yet, in the end—I was no good.

I was defeated by absolute talent.

(Reia, Rose, Teacher Reia, Paula, and Mom... I'm sorry)

I was definitely going to die here today.

My body wouldn't move a single finger.

My sword had been knocked away somewhere.

But even so, my heart was not broken.

Facing the impending death, I opened my eyes wide.

I couldn't close my eyes here.

I would cling to life until my last breath.

Despite my immobile body, a turbulent storm of emotions raged within my heart.

(I'm angry, I don't want to die, I don't want to lose—I want to beat this genius!)

At that moment, something like a "soul" whispered from the depths of my heart.

[You're still as useless as ever, Allen, aren't you?]

In that instant, my consciousness was swallowed by darkness.

■

Shido's <Ice Wolf's One Slash> headed straight for Allen's throat.

"Allen?!"

"No...!?"

Reia and Rose collapsed to their knees, and many in the audience covered their eyes.

"Ah...?!"

Shido's unpleasant voice echoed.

His strike was—firmly grasped by Allen's right hand.

Moreover, despite his immense strength, Shido couldn't shake off the hand, which was as immovable as a massive rock.

"Tch, is this some kind of adrenaline rush...?"

In the next instant, Allen lifted Shido, along with <Lone High Ice Wolf>, and threw him like trash.

"What...?!"

Confused by the unexpected turn of events, Shido quickly regained his composure and took a defensive stance.

After the cold air from <Lone High Ice Wolf> cleared, there stood Allen, who had been severely injured, now standing on his own two feet.

The numerous wounds on his body—were nowhere to be seen.

Moreover, his appearance had changed dramatically.

His long white hair floated in the air.

A black pattern appeared below his left eye.

Most of all, his face had a look of savagery that was completely different from his usual self.

He had transformed into someone else entirely.

Allen looked around, and his lips curled into a wide grin.

"It's been a while, huh! How many billions of years...? You've really developed, haven't you!?"

He began to laugh heartily, shaking his shoulders.

Reia, Rose, and everyone else in the audience were stunned.

"...So, you finally showed up."

Reia alone faced Allen with a sharp gaze.

After laughing for a while, he spoke as if addressing someone.

"Still... to have such incredible power and not even be able to draw a fraction of it... You really are talentless, aren't you, Allen?"

He was speaking to the original Allen, the one who owned this body.

Shido asked the transformed Allen,

"Who are you...? Could you be the 'Spirit Core'...?"

The Spirit Core—something believed to reside in every human soul.

It can take various forms, such as ancestral spirits,幻兽, or spirits, and Soul Armaments are thought to be the materialization of a part of this Spirit Core.

"Me? I'm..."

He opened his mouth to speak but then shook his head.

"Ah... I won't bother. No need to tell a dying man."

He was indirectly declaring that he would kill Shido.

Realizing this, Shido said,

"You... Who are you talking to? Get out of my sight—<Ice Lance>!"

He immediately launched a supermassive spear, twice the size of the one he had used before.

The size of this spear clearly showed his heightened caution towards Allen.

"Allen, dodge!"

"Please, run!"

Reia and Rose's cries echoed.

Facing the desperate strike that would surely be fatal if it hit, Allen said,

"Hah, don't be ridiculous."

He casually punched the approaching spear with his left hand.

The massive spear shattered into pieces.

"Wh-What...?!"

Shido couldn't believe his eyes.

That wasn't just an ice spear.

It was a special spear, created by the power of a Soul Armament, harder than iron.

Even a master craftsman's finest work would struggle to destroy such a strike, yet Allen had shattered it with a bare hand.

"Ha ha ha ha! What, that dumbfounded look? Did you think this 'ice play' would work on me?!"

As Allen taunted Shido, a hint of red appeared at the edge of his vision.

"Huh...?"

Curious, Allen checked the source of the red and saw a slight bleeding on the back of his left hand, where he had punched the spear.

At that moment, he snapped.

"You damn old man! What's with this weak body?! Don't slack off, ah?!"

He shouted in rage, turned around, and glared at a point in the audience.

There, an old man who had been watching the match since the start of the Great Five Holy Festival stood.

His hair, eyebrows, and beard were all white, and his back was clearly bent.

"Ho ho!? K-kwah, kwah...!"

He immediately turned transparent and disappeared from the venue.

"Tch, you cowardly old man... Nothing's changed about you. Next time I find you, I won't let you off easily..."

At that moment, Shido, who had seen Allen's exposed back, smiled wickedly.

"Still, you're being too careless. Turning your back on me? --<Ice Wolf's One Slash>!"

An explosive burst of cold air propelled a devastating thrust.

However, the strike was—

"Hey, hey, don't get the wrong idea... This isn't 'carelessness,' it's 'confidence.'"

Gently pinched between his thumb and index finger.

It was as if he was picking a grain of rice off his clothes.

"J-Just kidding, right...?"

"Ah? Maybe... Was that your strongest move...?"

Shido was speechless, staring at the monster in front of him.

(I can't win...)

For the first time in his fifteen years, he felt true fear.

Realizing that the thrust was Shido's strongest move, Allen said,

"...Really? You... I can't even find the words to express how pitiful you are..."

He struggled to hold back his laughter and shook his head dramatically.

"Phew... Alright, let's warm up a bit... Will you join me?"

From that point on, it was no longer a fight.

Allen's punches and kicks were relentless, and Shido could only endure them with his body.

His strength, speed, and reaction time were all on a different level.

Shido's natural talent, which had given him an absolute advantage, crumbled in the face of Allen's astonishing physical abilities.

His confidence was completely shattered.

"Huff, huff..."

Despite the bruises and cuts all over his body, Shido still stood on his two feet.

His superhuman reaction speed had managed to slightly deflect Allen's precise strikes aimed at vital points.

"Good, good! Your evasion is impressive!"

Allen clapped dryly, without any real enthusiasm.

"Tch... You're kidding..."

Shido spat out blood-tinged saliva.

Despite being shown the vast difference in power, his eyes were not completely dead.

(If this power comes from the Spirit Core, there must be a 'duration'... If I can make that monster retreat... I still have a chance to win...)

He aimed for a war of attrition, waiting for the "something" controlling Allen's body to exhaust itself.

However,

"Ah... I'm bored."

His strategy would never see the light of day.

Suddenly, a black sword appeared in Allen's right hand.

The blade, hilt, and everything was pitch black, a deep, unsettling black that seemed to stir anxiety just by looking at it.

(What is that...? It's too dangerous...!)

Shido's instincts screamed, "Run from this place now."

The black sword was that strange and possessed an extraordinary power.

But,

(Am I going to run...? Against that trash? No way...)

His pride wouldn't allow it.

For someone with natural talent, running from a swordsman he once considered inferior was a choice heavier than death.

Then,

"See you."

With the casualness of parting with a friend, Allen extended the black sword and launched an explosive-speed thrust.

Facing a strike that would shatter a human body into pieces, Shido thrust <Lone High Ice Wolf> forward and countered with his best defensive technique.

"---Seal the eternal time <Ice Waterfall Wall>!"

At that moment, a massive wall of ice, a billion layers thick, appeared between them.

Each layer was harder than iron, and no swordsman had ever broken through it—absolute defense.

However, Allen's strike did not stop.

The black sword pierced through the ice wall as if tearing paper.

"Grind and seal the time <Ice Waterfall Wall>!"

In a desperate move, he created a double-layered wall, two billion layers thick.

The mental strain was significant, but he had to stop this strike or die.

Just as the black sword broke through a billion and several thousand layers, Allen's thrust finally stopped.

(Damn... What kind of power does a simple thrust have...?)

Shido let out a sigh of relief, but it was short-lived.

"