Nobunaga, with a slight delay, notices Auren's fifth, hidden Water Slash and acts hurriedly, obviously desperate.
He panics and raises his blade, barely able to block the slash in time.
That's not enough.
However, since he didn't strike the slash down and only managed to block it, a bit of wild Aura—the remnants of Auren's technique—hits him in the left shoulder and upper arm, causing a minor injury. A few bloody cuts appear on his body, and part of his traditional kimono is torn apart.
Heh... technically, this is game over, but I admit, winning like this is rather cheap. I haven't learned a thing, and this was much more about Aura and pure Nen ability than about sword skills.
"Excuse me," Auren says. "Holding back against Uvogin made me forget that this is a spar. I overdid it a little—this should be about sword skills. Let's just continue, okay?"
Nobunaga, looking angry and a little ashamed, steps forward. "Thank you... allow me to pay back the favor. It looks like I've gotten rusty. It's been way too long since I fought someone worth challenging."
Good... It's useless to use tricks. I want to beat him with my technique! Challenge me properly.
Auren and Nobunaga sheathe their blades again. This time, Auren watches Nobunaga carefully, already anticipating his Iai technique.
His slash comes incredibly fast—however, Auren is able to track the trajectory by paying close attention to Nobunaga's arm, hand, and fingers.
Instead of bluntly striking forward again and relying purely on force, like he did last time, Auren uses a defensive sword maneuver designed to parry incoming attacks, intentionally trying to knock Nobunaga's blade aside.
Despite the precise execution and a well-read counterstrike, he still struggles with Nobunaga's slash, barely managing to deflect it. The blade misses his head by only a small distance.
He is good… that was close, but I've faced it twice now. I'm getting used to it. Next time will be even easier. Iai techniques are incredibly dangerous—their speed and lethality are frightening, but they lack variety. To focus on them might seem like a strong technique, but if it doesn't work the first time, chances are it doesn't work at all.
Nobunaga immediately resheathes his blade, attempting to follow up with another Iai technique—his signature and deadliest form.
Auren doesn't allow him the chance. He presses forward, feinting with a horizontal slash, only to change the attack mid-motion into a powerful thrust—a decisive stab using his full speed and weight and Aura, increasing the range and damage of his attack.
Nobunaga, unable to parry, dodges backward and hurriedly draws his blade, abandoning the counterattack he had planned.
Still, despite that, Auren's extended blade briefly reaches Nobunaga, drawing a few droplets of blood as it pierces through his skin. Despite the blood, the thrust does no real damage; however, Nobunaga's expression grows even more wary.
Although Auren's blade doesn't quite reach him, like he intended to, he smiles, using Limitless Waters to extend the range of Eternity even more.
Nobunaga, barely reacting in time, quickly grips his katana with both hands, pours a large quantity of Aura into it, and expertly cuts through the Aura extension—making no contact with Eternity itself, only the Aura it projects.
Seeing Nobunaga off-balance and preoccupied, Auren launches into a new flurry—a complex attack pattern emphasizing unpredictability and speed, allowing him to strike dozens of times.
Nobunaga, after blocking a few attacks, is forced to roll to the side before lunging forward again in a bold attempt to regain the momentum.
Auren decides to take him head-on, doing his best to block his slashes. Despite his superior strength, his speed is actually quite inferior, and Nobunaga's technique is around the same as Auren's.
I've got the edge in strength, and my technique has more potential. He, on the other hand, is slightly faster, has slightly more Aura reserves, and is more experienced. Overall, I would be at a slight disadvantage if it weren't for one crucial difference between us.
Their blades clash repeatedly, but with every strike, Auren begins to pull ahead by a tiny amount. Eternity slices through and partially absorbs Nobunaga's Aura, weakening his blade and forcing him to pour in more and more energy just to keep up, in addition to forcing him to use more Stamina, as Auren's superiority in Aura forces him to put in that much more strength and effort.
Despite the equilibrium at the start, Nobunaga is slowly but surely getting pushed back with every exchange. Even though he changes up his attack patterns, Auren continues to counter each move, steadily turning the tide in his favor.
I am not cheating—this is just reality. Eternity is a part of me. Something I have paid a very high price to acquire. You can complain all you want after you lose, now... fall!
With Eternity absorbing more and more Aura, the weapon is now imbued with a massive amount of it—almost reaching levels that Auren would have needed Ko to achieve on his own. However, since the blade is now significantly stronger than what should be possible with a normal weapon, Auren doesn't have to take risks by using Ko. He is now at a significant advantage.
As he swings it, he feels the immense power coursing through it, forcing Nobunaga to desperately parry, almost feeling like his blade has no weight behind it.
Auren continues using more advanced sword techniques, carefully manipulating Nobunaga's reactions. At the right moment, Nobunaga holds up his katana sideways to block a powerful overhead swing.
Auren immediately reacts by using Ko, following up with a diagonal slash from below, twisting his body in a superhuman move that surpasses the limitations of the human body that would cripple any normal person who attempts to use it. Auren, however, thanks to Azure Restoration, has trained his body to absurd degrees and has surpassed conventional movements—his body now strong enough to perform even those impossible movement techniques.
Nobunaga keeps blocking, but Auren's attack catches him off guard. The impact is so strong that his blade is knocked from his hands, flying high into the air.
Got him!
Auren doesn't hesitate; regardless of Nobunaga's state, he continues slashing forward. Nobunaga, in a risky move that could kill him should he be hit, ducks under Auren's attack, instead of fleeing. Finally, he spins—almost mirroring the movement Auren had used earlier.
Slightly confused, Auren sharpens his focus and notices something glittering in the light—a small chain attached to the hilt of Nobunaga's blade and a ring he is wearing, redirecting the falling katana back toward Auren.
Nobunaga steps in close, using his left hand to stab at Auren while his katana simultaneously slices toward him, both attacks timed perfectly.
Auren rapidly expands his Aura, drawing on the energy stored in Eternity. A massive water blade bursts out, wrapping around the sword and making it nearly ten times as broad and twice as long. With a powerful diagonal slash, he targets both Nobunaga and his weapon.
Nobunaga retreats, pulling back his hand and yanking on the chain, but Auren's extended range slices clean through it. The katana spins out of control and crashes into the ground, getting stuck deep inside, thanks to the Aura Nobunaga imbued into it with Shu.
Now desperate, Nobunaga rushes forward with supernatural speed, performing one last gamble, grabbing Auren's right wrist with his left hand. In one fluid, practiced motion, he strikes Auren's fingers with his right hand, forcing him to release Eternity, which Nobunaga immediately tries to grab.
Auren, now desperate himself, emits a torrent of watery Aura from his mouth, blasting the sword towards Nobunaga's head, forcing him to look away, still receiving a cut on his cheek in the process. Finally, Eternity lands far away—dozens of meters away from them.
Without any weapon, he uses his free left hand and grabs Nobunaga's right arm.
Both men are locked together, gripping each other's hands tightly. Their swords lie far away, flung in opposite directions.
Auren smiles and raises his right hand, Nobunaga still gripping his wrist. In an instant, Eternity materializes again—its tip pointing straight at Nobunaga's eye, almost touching it.
"...You got me," Nobunaga says, staring down the blade, a bead of sweat pouring down his cheek, mixing with blood dripping from his cut.
Well, looks like I win a spar... for once. Not thanks to my skills... but due to my weapon.
With the battle over, Auren sheathes Eternity, much of the Aura it drained still sealed inside, slowly getting absorbed by it.
Looks like Eternity gets to have a little snack.
I need to test if there are permanent repercussions from having Eternity draw someone's Aura.
If there aren't... I could maybe ask ten or twenty people from Hollow Blade for help and constantly drain their Aura, using it to strengthen Eternity even more.
However, I've got a feeling that Eternity's victims will have to pay a price. Maybe nothing too serious, but if I repeatedly draw their Aura, there must be some sort of cost. Maybe a feeling of exhaustion... maybe even a permanent decrease in Aura. At worst... a reduction in lifespan or ... death. I can worry about that later.
"Thank you," Auren says, bowing briefly. "I learned a lot. I think we both know that my weapon made the difference."
"Excuses... I guess I'll need to restart my training," Nobunaga says, looking solemn.
"Not to try and shame you, but... could you maybe demonstrate your technique again? I'll do the same," Auren offers. "I genuinely want to learn."
"My technique is mostly self-taught and stolen from traditional schools. I've even travelled to Jappon for a few years to learn. If you think it holds value, feel free to take a look," Nobunaga replies, walking away to retrieve his katana, before slowly returning.
He then demonstrates a full set of techniques. Performing the same fluid motions he used earlier.
Exactly an hour later, Auren does the same, revealing most of Lidor's techniques.
They continue discussing their sword styles, analyzing details, and asking each other questions. They even spar again, trying to use each others moves, immediately asking for feedback afterwards.
Time passes quickly, and after almost four hours, Auren resheathes Eternity once again, extremely satisfied with what he has learned during the battle and after it.
"I've learned a lot. I am truly grateful," Auren says honestly.
Nobunaga shakes his head. "You've openly shared your technique as well... I've waited a long time to finally witness and analyze it. With what I've seen, I'll be able to become significantly stronger. Don't think I'm at my limit yet."
"I didn't think so... If you're ever bored, feel free to give me a call. Let's spar again," Auren offers, genuinely thankful for everything he has learned.
Finally, with the spar concluded, Auren heads back to Neffi and Konrad as they make their way to the airship, which is still landed on top of the warehouse.
Goodbye, Meteor City.
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A/N: Always thankful for Power Stones, Comments, and Reviews. Thank you for reading!
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