Chapter 33: Allen VS Paul, This is the Silent Sword!
Allen's pupils constricted. The blade in his hand couldn't be turned in time to block Paul's sword. He pushed his hand forward, exposing a section of the hilt, and was about to use the Water God Style's Flowing Secret Art to neutralize Paul's attack.
No! I won't improve this way!
Allen pulled back the Flowing Secret Art just as it was about to activate. Paul's sword slashed down on the end of his hilt.
The blow, mixed with Touki, sent him flying. He struggled to adjust his posture and land firmly, but even so, without the Water God Style's techniques to neutralize the inertia, his body still plowed a half-meter trench in the ground.
But the moment he stabilized himself, he fiercely used his Touki, leveraging the reverse momentum to charge back at Paul!
With a clang, the two blades shrieked as they ground against each other, locked just centimeters apart.
Paul held his sword up to block in front of his neck. Seeing Allen's gaze subconsciously drift towards his lower body, he roared in rebuke.
"Focus only on my neck! That last slash had some form! But where are you looking now!"
Allen gritted his teeth and twisted his blade. It flashed through the air, a blur of motion, attacking the other side of Paul's neck.
But just then, Paul's sword was already centimeters from Allen's throat.
No! His Sword God Style is faster!
Allen's feet shuffled. He twisted his body to Paul's side, evading the blade while simultaneously turning to slash at Paul's waist. But Paul's sword, once again, accurately intercepted Allen's, parrying it away from his body.
Allen pulled back to create distance, intending to charge forward again, but Paul held up a hand to stop him.
His usual goofy, smiling demeanor had vanished completely. He looked at Allen with a calm expression.
"Allen, regulate your breathing. Calm your mind."
He then used his free hand to point to a spot an inch in front of his own neck.
"Focus your eyes only here. Discard all thoughts of follow-up moves. Retain only the feeling of the slash."
"Then, cut. It's that simple."
Paul narrowed his eyes.
"I'll count to three. Cut immediately. Understand?"
Allen took a deep breath, and his breathing instantly became steady.
He looked at Paul with a solemn expression, nodded, and then closed his eyes.
He whispered in his mind.
...Faster than thought...
Allen opened his eyes and looked at Paul's neck.
"Okay."
Paul looked at Allen's stance and licked his lips with great interest.
"One!"
Allen lowered his waist into a crouch, gripping his sword with both hands.
"Two."
He positioned the blade at his side, extending it diagonally behind him. In a posture ready for an upward slash, he focused his gaze on the spot an inch in front of Paul's neck, calming his mind and spirit.
"Th—"
As the hissing sound of Paul's tongue pressing against the roof of his mouth began, Allen's pupils constricted to pinpricks!
In that instant, the light and shadow of the courtyard in his vision rapidly converged, transforming into a dissipating mist. The trajectory of the falling leaves gradually disappeared into the haze. The sound of the wind vanished into the void between the mist, and Paul's intense gaze faded into the dust.
And so.
The wisps of dust and smoke scattered into a silent darkness. The only light remained on Paul's neck.
Then, ripples disturbed the darkness. It was the vibration of Paul's voice.
At the same time, Allen heard his own inner voice.
It was distant...
'...I see...'
But clear enough!
'I CUT!!'
The next moment! The world broke free from the darkness, vibrant colors rushing back in. From the second floor, the astonished cries of Zenith and Lilia erupted.
Allen blinked. The light in the darkness just now felt like a phantom dream, an illusion, a fleeting trance in the blink of an eye, a fantasy born from nothing.
He dazedly, subconsciously looked up again at the spot an inch in front of Paul's neck.
A sword was hovering there, trembling ceaselessly, so clear it felt as if it were right before him.
No, it wasn't 'as if'.
The sword was right before him.
Allen followed the blade down and saw his own hand, gripping the hilt tightly.
It wasn't an illusion.
He looked at Paul in astonishment. A brilliant smile bloomed on the latter's face. He reached out, flicked the thin tip of the blade away with his finger, and pulled Allen into a hug, punching him firmly on the chest.
"Excellent! Excellent! This is the Sword God Style! Remember this feeling! This is the feeling of the 'slash'! This is the Silent Sword!!"
Just then, Sylphie's somewhat hesitant voice came from the courtyard gate.
"Um, Rudeus is ready. Allen, should we go?"
Allen turned to the source of the voice. Sylphie was staring at him, unblinking. The wind blew through her green hair, which was a little longer than it had been two months ago, now reaching her chin. Her expression was no longer as timid or easily embarrassed as it had been before. She just looked at Allen quietly, her reddish-brown eyes filled with a questioning look.
Allen blinked. He then felt a force from behind him, and Paul pushed him, causing him to stumble. After steadying himself, he looked back.
Paul was smiling, rolling his neck.
"Go! Be safe, you hear me! Be absolutely safe! When you're going for the win, don't put the blade as close as you did this time. Rudy's body isn't enhanced with Touki."
Allen turned and nodded.
"Okay! I know! We agreed that if I get within one meter, I win."
From upstairs came Zenith's sigh of relief, which was a little too obvious.
Allen looked up at Zenith and waved his sword.
"Don't worry, Ma'am! I'll retract my sword as soon as I'm within a meter! I won't hurt him. You should be more worried about me getting blown up by one of his fireballs!"
Zenith covered her mouth and giggled, waving goodbye to him.
Allen waved back, nodded with a smile to Paul, and then turned and left the courtyard with Sylphie.
After Allen was a good distance away, Paul's expression suddenly turned grim. He lowered the hand that was rubbing his neck. A red line remained on his skin, with faint pinpricks of blood appearing on it.
Such powerful Touki quality... It almost broke through my own... Is this really the kind of Touki quality a nine-year-old should have? And he grasped the knack of the Silent Sword so quickly...
He looked at the distant figure of Allen ruffling Sylphie's hair, and at her slightly stiff back. A genuine smile bloomed on his face once more.
Philip, you've really raised an incredible genius... I wonder when you two will finally be able to acknowledge each other?
By the time Allen arrived at their usual base on the hill, Rudeus was already standing at the bottom, his arms crossed, watching him. His eyes shone with confidence.
Even though the grass was already almost up to his waist.
Allen looked at his posture and couldn't help but smile.
"Are you ready?"
"I'll definitely give you a surprise this time."
Allen turned to look at Sylphie.
"You go wait for us on top of the hill."
Sylphie blinked, her expression hesitant, then she looked at Rudeus.
"Um... you two be safe, okay? Don't go too overboard."
Allen was a little surprised. Sylphie's implied meaning was that Rudeus was the one with the advantage. He couldn't help but be curious.
Once Sylphie had walked up the hill and was leaning against the tree, Rudeus and Allen had created a distance of one hundred meters between them.
Seeing that they were both in position, Sylphie nodded.
Her soft voice was carried by the clear wind down the slope.
"Begin!"
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