Eris blinked, as if understanding something, then suddenly turned to look at the blade in Ghislaine's hand.
The blood-colored blade was impossibly sharp.
And Allen's equally sharp voice rang out.
"By pushing my Kanryū (Flow Sense) to its limit, I did manage to capture Ghislaine's killing intent, and from there deduce the strike point of her blade. I barely got my sword there in time using Nenryū (Mind Flow)."
"But unfortunately, that's all I managed."
He pointed at the notch on his blade.
"I infused my sword with battle aura and employed the Ryū no Ōgi (Flow Secret Technique), and even so, the point where Ghislaine concentrated her King-class Hikari no Tachi (Sword of Light) still chipped the blade."
Rudy lowered his head and stared at Allen's sword in disbelief.
"That kind of description… don't tell me… you exceeded the load threshold of the Iwatsuchi Mizuuchi (Stone Strikes Water)?"
Allen nodded.
"Exactly. If my Flow Secret Technique can't alter the trajectory of Ghislaine's Hikari no Tachi, then the Iwatsuchi Mizuuchi becomes meaningless."
"That strike just now—strictly speaking, only the Kanryū worked. The Ryū no Ōgi failed. And the follow-up Nijūzan (Twenty Slash) that I had prepared became an empty gesture. All killing intent, but no substance."
He paused for a long breath.
And then dismissed the killing intent gathered for his Nijūzan strike.
In that instant, the tangible murderous aura vanished into thin air.
Rudy and Eris both relaxed their tense shoulders.
Then Allen's voice resumed, now soft and calm again.
"So yes, at Ghislaine's full power, I can't yet respond to her King-class Hikari no Tachi."
Ghislaine shook her head.
How could a Water Saint expect to respond to her full-strength Hikari no Tachi?
Let alone predict its strike point.
Eris blinked again, finally seeming to grasp the full sequence. She nodded in wonder.
"So that's how it was!"
Allen shrugged.
Not bad.
He had achieved his goal.
When he chose to take that strike, his target was simply to be able to see the trajectory of the Hikari no Tachi.
And he did.
As things stood now, by pushing Kanryū to the limit, he could see the strike point of a peak King-class Hikari no Tachi.
And if you can see it—
Then once he fully fuses Nenryū and Ryū no Ōgi and steps into the realm of Water King—
Then Iwatsuchi Mizuuchi would yield entirely different results.
Ghislaine wagged her tail, visibly pleased.
But then, her tall rabbit ears twitched.
She turned to Eris and asked seriously, "Did you see that strike clearly?"
"Not at all! Totally missed it!" Eris replied without hesitation.
Ghislaine blinked, then turned to Allen.
The two looked at each other—
And simultaneously shook their heads.
They had gotten too into it, totally forgetting this was supposed to be the young lady's sword lesson.
One used two of the Water God Style's Five Great Techniques.
The other used a King-class Hikari no Tachi.
For a low-ranked swordswoman like Eris…
Seeing anything would've been a miracle.
Ghislaine coughed softly, unwilling to give up.
"What about the earlier Sword Saint-level Hikari no Tachi? Did you see that one?"
Eris pouted, folded her arms, and turned away, cheeks flushing slightly.
"I—I saw the general shape!!"
"Got it, you didn't see it," Allen immediately interjected.
Eris opened her mouth to argue, but caught Ghislaine's stern gaze and begrudgingly muttered:
"Okay, fine! I didn't see it! But it looked amazing! Do it again a few more times!"
Allen scratched his head.
"Maybe… we should go back to sword theory class?"
"No way!"
Eris's eyebrows shot up.
"You promised we wouldn't do sword theory today!"
Rudy looked at her, baffled.
She stared at Allen with her fiery red eyes, serious expression eerily mirroring Ghislaine's usual stern face.
Wait—who promised her that?! I don't remember anyone saying that!
Reject her! Deny her, you two sword tutors!
He turned to Allen and Ghislaine.
Allen was looking at Eris, lost in thought. Ghislaine was looking at Allen, equally unreadable.
What the—?
Rudy's face twitched.
Useless... If only Sylphy were here to rein these sword freaks in!
They've all been infected by the Eris virus!
As Rudy's brain threatened to fry—
Allen suddenly spoke.
"Maybe Eris's current level is more suited to the Muon no Tachi (Silent Blade)?"
Ghislaine narrowed her eyes in thought.
"That might work."
Rudy was stunned. He hadn't expected them to instantly come up with a real solution.
But even if you're going to teach the Silent Blade, you still need theory! Allen, have you forgotten how you used to consult Paul at home?
…Though to be fair, Paul never offered much reliable theory anyway…
"Watch closely, Eris."
Allen's voice snapped Rudy out of his thoughts.
He felt a breeze brush his cheek.
In his vision—
The blade emerged from the air before him in complete silence.
The familiar technique:
Muon no Tachi (Silent Blade).
(End of Chapter)
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