Facing the chainsaw attacking his lower body, Eiji lowered his stance and swung his blade head-on, effortlessly striking the rapidly rotating saw teeth.
Clang clang clang clang—!
For a moment, the fierce clashing sounds merged into an unbroken chain, ringing incessantly.
Sparks scattered wildly where the blade met the saw.
Yet, despite the saw teeth pressing down on his sword, they couldn't crush it. Though Eiji's grip trembled from the impact, his stance remained unshakable.
His opponent showed no surprise, simply pushing the chainsaw forward with brute strength, attempting to overpower him through sheer force.
Eiji flicked his wrist.
A strange vibrational force transmitted from his blade, traveling through the chainsaw and into his opponent's arms, making them tremble uncontrollably and forcing the saw teeth aside.
Shiiing—!
Immediately after, a sharp crescent slash cut through the air.
This strike aimed straight for the wide-open gap in his opponent's chest—now exposed after her arms were forced apart—a hit that would cleave her cleanly from head to groin!
Danger!
The warning flashed through his mind.
Eiji's eyes widened slightly as he instinctively pulled back three-tenths of his strength.
Bong—!
A resonant, bell-like clang echoed.
Eiji felt an immense force rebound from his opponent's chest, violently repelling his blade and sending his arm flying back uncontrollably.
Now, it was his turn to be left wide open.
Seizing the opportunity, his opponent raised the chainsaw high and swung it fiercely toward his sword-wielding right arm from the left.
Eiji frowned.
He took a single step back, narrowly evading the saw teeth by a hair's breadth.
As his opponent stiffened from the chainsaw's momentum, Eiji retracted his right arm. Facing her relentless assault, he showed no fear and swung his blade once more!
His opponent's skill was far inferior to his. Moreover, likely due to her intent to capture him alive, she fought with restraint, unable to unleash her full strength.
Eiji could easily spot multiple openings, close the distance, and deliver a fatal strike.
Yet, bizarrely, every time his blade was about to land, his instincts would scream a warning before an overwhelming counterforce repelled his attack, shattering his momentum instantly.
"Demonic Light Flowing Blade!"
Eiji unleashed a horizontal slash, the blade whistling through the air with a drill-like hum.
Clang!
His opponent took the hit head-on—yet remained completely unaffected.
Instead, Eiji felt a strange force seep into his body, slowing his heartbeat for a split second. Fortunately, he had held back for testing purposes, or the backlash would have been severe.
"As I thought."
Eiji shook his arm, his frown deepening.
"This is… a Reflection Caster!"
What a pain.
Back at the start of the semester, while shopping at a mall, Eiji had encountered a terrorist called "Bishou"—another Reflection Caster who wielded rings capable of absorbing and rebounding all attacks. Even Stella had suffered a major setback upon their first encounter.
Back then, Eiji had used "Flickering Light and Passing Shadows" to deceive his opponent's perception, striking from a blind spot before the reflection could activate. He had severed the man's hand, separating him from his Device.
But this opponent's reflection ability was clearly several levels above Bishou's.
Her reflection seemed to envelop her entire body like a barrier, passively rebounding all incoming attacks—completely nullifying any force.
Just like Accelerator's reflection.
This ability was Eiji's absolute counter.
For someone like him, who relied entirely on physical attacks, an ability that could reflect all such strikes was his worst nightmare.
Facing this opponent was like confronting a hedgehog—no matter where he struck, he'd only hurt himself.
Eiji took a deep breath, raising his Bling Blade vertically in a defensive stance before charging forward.
This was the technique known as "Seamless Perfection"—the ultimate counterattack, capable of deflecting all enemy strikes while reflecting amplified damage back at them.
In other words, it shared similarities with a Reflection Caster's ability.
Clang—!
Amidst the deafening metallic screech, the spinning chainsaw effortlessly split the silver katana apart, continuing its relentless descent toward him.
Eiji's throat suddenly filled with the taste of blood. He swiftly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the devastating blow.
"So even this kind of force gets reflected, huh?"
He swallowed the blood in his mouth, the metallic tang spreading across his tongue as his lips twisted bitterly.
Neither the penetrating Demonic Light Flowing Blade nor the counter-reflective Seamless Perfection had worked. Frankly, he had no direct method to overcome this ability.
There was simply no way to defeat this opponent with purely physical attacks.
Nearby, the wealthy lady Kanata watched with a furrowed brow.
"I'll help!"
Seeing Eiji struggling to gain the upper hand, she dispersed the hundreds of millions of starlight particles surrounding her, letting them drift toward the opponent on the night breeze.
Strangely, despite her stick-figure-like appearance, the opponent possessed all the necessary sensory organs. The blade fragments easily infiltrated her respiratory tract.
"Could she be reflecting light to conceal her true form?"
Kanata silently speculated.
But Reflection Casters were typically only capable of reflecting various forms of force. She had never heard of one who could reflect light as well.
As countless inconsistencies flashed through her mind, she continued manipulating the blade fragments to wreak havoc inside the opponent's body.
Yet, the opponent remained utterly unfazed, as if the internal destruction was nothing more than a gentle breeze.
"She can reflect attacks inside her body too?!"
Kanata's eyes widened in shock.
Not only was her exterior protected, but even internal assaults were completely ineffective?
Just what kind of monster is this?
This reflection ability was unheard of—undoubtedly standing at the pinnacle of all reflection-based powers!
Compared to her, someone like Bishou wasn't even fit to carry her shoes!
And like Eiji, Kanata's purely physical attack methods were utterly hard-countered by this foe.
On the battlefield—
Eiji abandoned all attempts to directly overcome his opponent, instead focusing on dodging her relentless chainsaw strikes.
Given the saw's terrifying rotation speed, even the slightest misstep would cost him a limb.
Yet, his expression showed no trace of panic. His evasive movements were calm and measured, never rushed, as if he were far from being pushed to his limits. Not a single swing of her weapon could so much as graze him.
He had also noticed Kanata's attack.
As expected, the opponent showed no reaction whatsoever.
Ting—!
Capitalizing on her overextended swing, Eiji's blade—flowing like moonlight—slipped through her defenses and pierced straight into her chest.
Once again, the sound of metal striking metal rang out. The attack was reflected, achieving nothing.
Still, he refused to be discouraged, his gaze locked intently onto his opponent without so much as a blink.
***
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