It sounded absurd, but Eiji had indeed deciphered the principle behind it.
A sword technique that eliminated acceleration and nullified friction completely defied the laws of dynamics. Any scientist witnessing this would have their worldview shattered. Of course, the fact that Eiji could see through the mechanics of such a technique was equally bizarre in its own way.
"Still, even if I understand it, replicating it is..."
Eiji sighed inwardly.
Twin-Wings' swordsmanship was beyond comprehension.
To replicate such a technique, mere insight wasn't enough—it required an extreme level of bodily control. One needed to generate specialized electrical signals within the body capable of simultaneously transmitting commands to every muscle. And when it came to bodily control, Eiji couldn't hold a candle to Edelweiss.
The gap between them was too vast. So vast that Eiji had no idea how to even begin creating those unique electrical signals.
His talent was immense, but no matter how gifted one was, some things demanded time to master. Otherwise, he would have been invincible long ago.
Yet time was precisely what he lacked. His current level of bodily control couldn't keep up with the world's strongest. To break through, he needed to dedicate time to training.
In other words, given some time and rigorous conditioning to hone his bodily control to the extreme, he could fully replicate Twin-Wings' sword.
But right now, the conditions weren't met. Replication was impossible.
"...No, maybe not."
Eiji took a deep breath, his gaze deepening.
True, with his current bodily control, directly replicating Twin-Wings' sword was out of reach. But that didn't mean there wasn't a workaround.
"Do you still wish to fight?"
Edelweiss sensed the shift in his eyes and spoke as if issuing a warning.
"You've exhausted all your sword techniques. If you attempt to reuse any of them, the next strike will be your end. Surely you understand that?"
She was right.
His techniques had been completely dismantled. Edelweiss had fully grasped his strengths and weaknesses.
If he repeated any of his moves in the next charge, her blade would undoubtedly pierce through him.
"I know. One hundred percent."
Eiji raised his Device.
The shimmering silver light reflecting off the blade mirrored the resolve in his eyes.
Whether this approach would succeed, he didn't know.
If it failed, Twin-Wings' sword would run him through.
But if there was a way, he had to test it himself to find the answer.
An opportunity to cross blades with the world's strongest might not come again for years. He had to push past his limits in this battle.
Life or death—no in-between.
"Here I come!"
Eiji positioned his Device vertically before him and roared.
Edelweiss didn't respond. Her sword tip pointed lazily toward the ground, her demeanor almost indifferent. Yet her gaze had sharpened faintly.
This strike, she truly intended to run him through.
From Arisuin Nagi's perspective, he could clearly see that intent in Twin-Wings' eyes, and his heart tightened with tension.
Boom!
Eiji kicked off the ground, his body lunging forward.
At his speed, he could close the distance in the blink of an eye.
In other words, the outcome would be decided in the blink of an eye!
Edelweiss finally raised her sword.
Her blade flashed like lightning, bypassing the acceleration process to create an illusion of near-light speed with instantaneous maximum acceleration, piercing straight toward Eiji's chest.
This time, Eiji didn't use any sword techniques—just an ordinary slash.
Edelweiss didn't even need to think to spot countless openings, any one of which could dismantle his attack with a single stroke.
If this sword fell, Eiji would lose for sure.
"Now!"
But the moment Edelweiss lifted her sword, Eiji's pupils contracted to their limit.
Absolute GodSpeed—activated!
Suddenly, magical energy surged into his device, poised to accelerate.
"Out of tricks already?"
Edelweiss frowned slightly.
Seeing Eiji still refusing to give up, she had initially thought he might have some trump card hidden away, and she had even felt a flicker of anticipation. But instead, he had merely pulled out an ability that had long since proven ineffective.
This strike would end it.
With a thought, she "evaded" Eiji's setup.
Instantly, the activation of Absolute GodSpeed failed!
The failure of this ability meant the match was decided—this boy would meet a gruesome end here.
But—
Suddenly, a flash of light struck!
This flash appeared so abruptly that even Edelweiss couldn't help but widen her eyes.
Clang!
A deafening metallic clash rang out as two streaks of light collided head-on!
In that instant, Eiji was sent flying backwards, barely managing to disperse the force after several staggering steps.
But at the same time, Twin-Wings' sword was also deflected!
Though the deflection was slight—no more than a few centimeters—Twin-Wings' sword had indeed been knocked aside!
"How is that possible?!"
Arisuin Nagi couldn't hold back his exclamation.
Until now, Eiji had never once managed to deflect Twin-Wings' sword!
Even when he launched his sole counterattack under her onslaught, he had dodged her blade before closing in.
Because Twin-Wings' sword was too overwhelming—its speed and power flawless. If he had truly clashed with it, he would have been crushed, leaving no room for a counter.
But this time!
Eiji had actually collided head-on with Twin-Wings' sword—and even managed to deflect it?!
Even Edelweiss herself was momentarily stunned.
"Did he… just replicate my sword in an instant?"
She stared blankly at Eiji, replaying the scene in her mind.
Then, realization dawned.
"I see. You really fooled me!"
"Haah… hah…"
Eiji gasped for breath.
That moment had truly been a brush with death.
If this gambit hadn't worked, he would've been skewered through the heart by now!
Thankfully.
Thankfully, when it came down to the wire, luck always favored him!
"How did you do it?"
Arisuin Nagi's gaze burned as he watched the two on the field.
"It's simple, really."
Eiji spoke slowly as he steadied his pounding heart.
"You didn't actually seal my ability—you escaped from it, didn't you?"
His words were directed at Twin-Wings.
Edelweiss remained silent, tacitly confirming his guess.
"But you escaped once—you didn't escape the second time."
Eiji saw her tacit agreement and flashed a bright smile.
"To be precise, you didn't expect that I could perform two settings simultaneously, so you weren't on guard. That's how I succeeded."
***
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