Nagi silently retreated to the rear.
He did not stop Eiji from engaging the opponent, for he respected Eiji's choice.
But at the same time, he knew just how perilous this battle would be.
The world's strongest swordsman.
This title was not given lightly or as mere hype—it was earned through blood and steel, one sword stroke at a time.
About fifteen years ago...
At that time, Russia had sent troops into Estonia, which had not yet joined the League. In response, the League, seeking to win over the Baltic states, also forcibly entered Estonian territory without permission, nearly triggering World War III.
A force of approximately 300,000 soldiers moved freely within Estonia, leaving civilians in constant terror. Government officials were rendered powerless, their protests ignored by both sides.
Then, she appeared.
Alone, with nothing but her sword, she charged into the midst of those 300,000 soldiers.
To drive the armies out of her homeland, she faced them all single-handedly, staining the rivers red with blood—slaying them all with nothing but her swordsmanship!
It must be noted that modern armies are not just composed of planes and artillery. They also include powerful Blazers—among those 300,000 soldiers, at least several thousand were Blazers.
Yet, she cut through them all in a single day and night, armed with nothing but her sword.
She used only swordsmanship—not even her Blazer abilities!
Enraged, both the League and the Union issued warrants for her arrest.
But every pursuer sent after her vanished like bubbles before her otherworldly swordplay. Her name shook the world, earning her the titles of "World's Strongest Swordsman" and "World's Most Wanted Criminal."
Eventually, the League and Union realized the futility of hunting her and revoked the warrants. They even abandoned the territories around her dwelling, decreeing that any Blazer who encountered her could flee without consequence.
After joining the League, the Estonian government, to avoid conflict with her, officially declared that they "relinquished all claims to the world's highest peak—Sword Peak Edelweiss—and its surrounding territories," turning it into her personal domain.
This was the world's strongest swordsman.
The pinnacle of all swordsmanship, standing at the zenith of the path.
Among all who pursued the way of the sword, her name was known far and wide.
Even the League's current third-ranked, Saikyou Nene, would recall her swordsmanship with genuine terror, admitting she was no match for her.
Clad in pristine white, twin swords like wings at her back.
"—My name is Edelweiss. I am called
She announced herself.
This was the true, undisputed strongest in the world.
Compared to her, the Seven Stars Sword King was like dirt underfoot. Kurogane Ouma, Sara, the Puppeteer—all paled in her presence.
"—My name is Eiji. I call myself
As if in defiance, Eiji declared his own title.
Before this woman, he absolutely could not show weakness!
"An ambitious goal."
Edelweiss nodded in approval.
"But to reach that point, you must surpass me—young one. Though it may be too soon, you shall now witness the vastness of this world!"
And so—
The self-proclaimed Aurora Swordsman and the world's strongest swordsman engaged in a fierce battle.
***
"—Flickering Light and Shadow!"
The moment the battle began, Eiji completely held his breath.
He pushed his physical abilities to an unprecedented peak.
His forward speed was swift as the wind, the silver longsword in his hand wavering unpredictably like a fluttering sail, deceiving the human mind.
This was a sword technique adapted from Trackless Step—capable of exploiting the subconscious weaknesses of humans, leaving opponents momentarily stunned and unable to act.
Without prior training to counter the subconscious, there was no escaping this technique!
But!
As expected of the world's strongest, Edelweiss remained utterly unfazed, merely raising the sword in her right hand with calm composure.
Her sword resembled a cross, perfectly straight in shape.
Then she swung once.
Eiji's scalp instantly prickled.
In his eyes, the trajectory of his opponent's blade had completely vanished.
His visual tracking ability was exceptional—even against Kurogane Ikki's fastest strikes, he could at least discern their direction. Yet before the Twin-Wings's sword, he lost all sight of its path!
Clang!
A single strike flashed like lightning.
Before he could react, Eiji's Flickering Light and Shadow had already been broken.
Not only that, his arms violently trembled, his palms going numb as he nearly lost grip of his sword.
Amidst the shrill clash, his blade was forcefully deflected.
Then, another flash of light followed, slashing toward him.
Still, no trajectory could be seen—only a fleeting glimmer before his eyes.
This strike would land squarely on Eiji.
Instant defeat!
"—Sword Step!"
Eiji stomped his right foot against the ground.
His body suddenly attained a speed surpassing even Edelweiss, retreating just slightly—yet in the blink of an eye, he had put over twenty meters between them.
The second flash-like sword strike cut through empty air.
"Hmm?"
Edelweiss let out a soft sound of surprise.
She seemed to have noticed something, her eyes reflecting contemplation.
Meanwhile, opposite her—
Only after escaping her range did Eiji gasp for breath.
Despite exchanging just a single move, it felt as though he had fought an entire battle against Akatsuki Academy.
The world's strongest swordsmanship had placed immense pressure on him.
Had it not been for his ability just now, he might have already been struck down by that single slash.
"Her sword is unnaturally fast—there's no way to track it!" Eiji thought with alarm. "And for someone who looks so effortless, her strength is absurd?"
He lowered his gaze.
His hands were visibly trembling.
The moment the tremendous force had transmitted through, he had redirected most of it into the ground—yet the impact was still overwhelming, nearly knocking his sword from his grasp.
The difference in raw power was at least twentyfold.
The weight behind the Twin-Wings's strike was several times heavier than Ikki's sword in Ittou Shura state!
And judging by her composed demeanor, she hadn't even exerted her full strength.
From her muscle movements, she had likely used only the power of a single arm, without engaging her entire body.
Her strength undoubtedly surpassed even Level 7 in the world of DanMachi!
"Against the world's strongest, a single misstep means instant defeat!"
Eiji immediately heightened his vigilance.
Though he grew wary, an inexplicable surge of excitement welled up within him, his desire to cross blades with this woman burning fiercer than ever.
"Second move!—Demon Light Flowing Blade!"
Eiji licked his parched lips.
Then without hesitation, he charged forward once more!
***
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