Maeyurai almost couldn't see her moves, but fortunately for him, Kirsaki wasn't accustomed to her speed yet and missed Maeyurai by a hair's breadth.
She missed?! Lucky me!
He immediately ducked to avoid any follow-up attacks and spun to sweep Kirsaki's legs with his left leg, his movements stiff with inexperience.
Kirsaki saw through his moves and spun her blade before plunging it through the ground to block his leg.
Immediately alerted by the consequence if he continued his attack, Maeyurai pulled his leg back, but wasn't able to fully stop his momentum, his calf making contact with the blade, and he gained another wound.
With a snapping motion, Kirsaki pulled the katana out of the ground and made sure to slide it along Maeyurai's wound.
He felt the cold steel bite against his muscles, how the friction cut deeper through his leg. His breath shuddered before pulling back completely.
Maeyurai hopped on his feet lightly, trying to keep his body engaged so as not to lose performance for the long battle.
"You're incredibly fast," he said as he subtly created distance with each hop. "I might as well surrender... But of course, I'm going to win in the end."
"What makes you say that?" said Kirsaki as she stood up, flicking the blood away from her blade.
Maeyurai smirked, a single droplet trickling down his cheek.
"I've already calculated several ways I can defeat you. And I assure you, this is all just part of my plan."
As he spoke, Kirsaki lifted a single foot, her stoic face still as stiff as ever. When she stomped with the ball of her foot, her speed spiked, and she dashed forward with blinding speed, her katana already raised to strike down Maeyurai.
Maeyurai anticipated her move and conjured a firm lightning bolt in advance before bringing it up to block her katana. The lightning bolt pulsed brightly as it made contact with the blade.
The sheer force that the katana carried was immense and pushed back Maeyurai along the wet floor. Then, Kirsaki flicked the lightning bolt away from his hands.
"Just give it up," she said.
Maeyurai wiped the corner of his lips with the back of his hand and replied:
"No, I won't give up. You've already infused your entire body with lightning mana; you won't last two more minutes."
Kirsaki fell silent, though her face was still as deadpan as it was earlier. Then, she opened her mouth, her expression turning dark.
"What makes you think I can only last two minutes? Don't lump me in with your power level, I'm built differently."
She spun her katana once before walking forward, each step careful and light.
"You're holding back while being at a disadvantage. Do you seriously expect to win against me like that?" she asked, her quiet nature cracking in front of Maeyurai.
"Naturally," said Maeyurai, a confident grin on his lips, hiding how his lips quivered subtly. "As I told you, I've already found several ways I can win against you."
Kirsaki continued walking, closing the distance between the two of them.
"I won't fall for your obvious bluff."
In response, Maeyurai started walking backwards, maintaining a similar pace. He cautiously watched every move that Kirsaki made, the mark still present in his eye. He trembled slightly, afraid that the battle would end in one go. Not to mention the fact that each strike that Kirsaki landed carried a killing intent.
Then, he suddenly stopped moving. Fear still trembled in his limbs—but his gaze sharpened.
"You know what?" he said, tying the longbow around his back. "I might as well go against my nature."
Kirsaki's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, pausing for a fraction before lunging forward once again.
Maeyurai instantly conjured two lightning bolts, making sure they were the same size as a hunting dagger. Sparks hummed in the air as the lightning dagger cast a faint glow in Maeyurai's hands.
Then, Kirsaki swung her blade diagonally towards his shoulder. Maeyurai raised the lightning bolt daggers just in time—the force slammed him backwards, parts of the lightning bolt chipping away.
"Gaining a new weapon isn't going to help you," barked Kirsaki as she followed up with a back kick.
Maeyurai braced for impact, forming a cross with his forearms and blocking the kick. His feet lifted from the ground, and he landed on the side of his stomach. The puddle splashed upon his landing, soaking him even more under the rain.
A cold shudder ran around Maeyurai's body as he ascended to his knees, keeping the lightning daggers away from the wet floor to avoid electrocuting himself.
Each step faster and stronger than the last, Kirsaki surged forward before thrusting her katana to his stomach.
Maeyurai stood up, his center of gravity low, and turned his body while preparing to deflect the blade away.
A faint, and Kirsaki abruptly disappeared, leaving Maeyurai in an unprepared stance, looking for her.
"Behind you, moron."
Kirsaki's voice echoed from the back, and she lunged her blade with killing intent.
Her eyes shifted to his face—where she made contact with Maeyurai's gaze, looking at the corner of his eye.
Maeyurai managed to turn his body and dodge in time, but the edge still grazed and inflicted a cut on his arm. He winced subtly and gripped the lightning daggers tighter before pushing himself forward with his daggers, heading for Kirsaki's guts.
Her arms snapped, blocking his lightning daggers before they reached her.
"Lukewarm," she spat before changing her stance, her katana pointed forward.
Maeyurai's eyes flickered as he lost his momentum, his grip on the lightning daggers coming loose.
Kirsaki's penetrating force grazed against his neck, cutting it. It wasn't a mistake—but rather, a warning that she could take his life on the spot.
Not feeling threatened, Maryurai's gaze hardened, his eyes looking for openings in Kirsaki's form. One wrong move and he's dead.
He bent his knees and lowered his upper body, bringing his forearms up to take guard.
Then, a blur struck his face past his defenses—it was Kirsaki's kick. The force slammed him several paces back, his anchored foot sliding across the puddle.
"Agh!" he groaned, his head starting to throb. Pushing the sensation aside, he conjured another set of lightning daggers.
"You have the same ability as I do," said Kirsaki as she dashed forward, swinging her katana.
Maeyurai deflected her attack with the daggers, fragments of it snapping away from the force. Then, Kirsaki added:
"You also have the adaptability that enables you to react to me after a few minutes of fighting... I don't know how you're doing it, but you are to be taken down, that's for sure.*
Maeyurai kept being pushed back; each decisive strike that Maeyurai received from her was discouraging. The swings became more tenacious than the last, their edge carrying a thicker killing intent.
"How ruthless of you!" he said as he prolonged the battle with parries. "I'm just a learning archer in the island of swordsmen, I have a promise and errand to fulfill!"
Kirsaki didn't stop her relentless attacks, waiting for the moment that Maeyurai's arms would give in.
"Oh, is that so?" she replied, racking up even more strength into each strike.
Then, instead of retreating, Maeyurai invaded Kirsaki's space, his hand reaching for her chest.
He touched her, and they were now face to face. The two of them paused momentarily—until they simultaneously clashed forearms.
Evidently, Kirsaki was stronger, as Maeyurai was easily pushed back.
Kirsaki spun her sword into a stance and plunged it forward, aiming for his guts. A decisive strike that will end it all.
Before she could penetrate his guts, her movement slowed down drastically as she let out a strained gasp.
"Nngah... What did you do...?" she asked, her vision rotating, gasping for air.
Maeyurai stood silently, his mouth slightly ajar.
It... worked?! I infused my fire mana into her chest in hopes it would somewhat affect her, and it did!
There is only one explanation for this phenomenon:
A person's body can only contain a single innate mana. Any other person infusing their own innate mana can cause negative or positive effects in the receiving body, where the effect can vary depending on the Attribute.
The sole exception that changes this effect is the intent of the Infuser and the Receiver.
But infusing oneself with owned innate mana will always give a boost with a drawback.
Maeyurai's eyes glinted with delight, his chest pumping.
"Hah," he scoffed. "What now, Kirsaki? Still plan to fight? Just surrender, or it's not me who's going to be killed."
"As I've told you, I have several ways to kill you," he threatened—but to himself, it is a half-baked lie with a tinge of honesty.
Kirsaki's eyes sharpened, her face free from any form of emotion.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, brat."
Her body was weakened and sluggish due to the infused fire mana burning away at the oxygen in her chest.
Her head tilted, forming a fist, veins bulging on her neck and hands. Her hair glowed brightly to the point that it was golden. Lightning crackled around her as if she were a conductor of electricity.
"Lightning Overdrive."
A second technique she created infuses overflowing lightning mana through every single blood vessel, allowing her to reach levels of strength above her current rank.
"In the next 35 seconds, my technique is on, I will kill you."
Maeyurai nervously chuckled. "You serious? It's just a duel. Why the need to kill? You're being petty, Kirsaki." He circled Kirsaki, his boosted eyes carefully watching every movement and breath she took.
In his mind, he couldn't grasp the reason why Kirsaki had such a ruthless attitude towards him.
As he circles her, three seconds have passed.
Hold on... she's not moving at all.
She said 35 seconds is all she needs—but why would she be wasting three seconds? Is she bluffing like I am? Or is there a certain condition she needs to meet?
Why exactly 35 seconds, not 30? Maybe I have to act first before she moves.
He glanced at the docks in the corner of his eye. A gulp, then a subtle shift in his hips.
Kirsaki's eyes carefully watched his figure, turning her head without moving her body to lock her attention on him.
Her feet moved, her heels raised.
And with a powerful kick, she dashed forward.
From a distance, Asagi's face scrunched in uncertainty. The memories of Sanrovina's will and her connection to Maeyurai, as well as her childhood with Kirsaki, played in her mind.
She couldn't hold it anymore, and so she shouted:
"Kirsaki, please stop!"
THWAM!!
A thunder echoed in the distant sea like a roaring lion. The rain suddenly hardened, pouring down like a waterfall.
The darkness consumed everything; the light of thunder in the distance cast a dim glow on Kirsaki's face. Her movements felt sluggish, and she hesitated to swing her sword at Maeyurai's neck, who was looking dumbfounded at her insane speed.
Kirsaki's katana stopped short near Maeyurai's neck. But this time, it wasn't out of sheer confidence, but hesitation.
Her breath hitched, and she lowered her guard.
"You're lucky Asagi's watching us. I would've killed you from the start, had I known your capabilities."
"Why do you even want to kill me?"
"Because you hurt my only friend."
The rain blurred everything, and they couldn't see each other's faces.
A beat passed.
Maeyurai felt his heart being prickled by several needles, placed in a furnace for it to burn. Her words reminded him of walking down a path of thorns, of his master. He opened his mouth and said:
"I'm sorry."
Kirsaki's chest tightened. She couldn't grasp that genuineness in his voice—or more that she couldn't accept it. Eventually, she lowered her sword, her mind slowly changing.
"But, this is a duel, just like what I did with Asagi," Maeyurai added.
He immediately gripped his longbow and loaded it with a lightning arrow. He aimed at Kirsaki's head and shot at point-blank range.
This won't kill her. I'm sure it won't.
The lightning arrow collided with Kirsaki's face and exploded, creating a cloud of steam between them. The droplets around evaporated from the sheer power of the lightning arrow.
Kirsaki stumbled a step before clutching her face. Her hand covered her features, but her eyes were looking through her fingers, her gaze sharp.
"You slick bastard," she snarled.
Then, she sheathed her sword and shifted her body to move behind Maeyurai, before swinging her arm with a wide arc.
The movement was so incredibly fast that Maeyurai couldn't keep up. Kirsaki truly lives up to being the second fastest on the entire island.
Maeyurai flung across the air, landing on a puddle right after. He conjured another lightning arrow and aimed, only to find that Kirsaki was gone.
Kirsaki had moved at an exceptional speed again and moved behind him.
"Where is—" he muttered, followed by a powerful strike to the right side of his body afterward. "—Ack!"
He rolled across the wet ground, splashing water all around as the rain continued to pour. His entire body trembled; the terrible impact echoed in his bones. His knees felt like giving in, his head shaking like the world was ending.
However, he did not let go of his longbow and the lightning arrow it carried.
CRACKLE!!
Another loud thunderstrike.
"I can't kill you anymore as I planned to," said Kirsaki from a distance, running forward immediately after. "So I'll make sure to knock you out cold."
Maeyurai went on one knee and shot right after. Kirsaki dodged the lightning arrow, but to her surprise, its trajectory suddenly bent and struck her, slowing down her pace just a little.
"Holy luck!" Maeyurai exclaimed in great surprise as he stood up frantically. Without a second thought, he rushed towards the docks.
Without any more time to waste, Kirsaki pushed her body forward. She only had 15 more seconds left to beat Maeyurai, or she would face the crazy drawback of her technique, Lightning Overdrive.
"Grrh!" she growled, reaching Maeyurai not even two seconds after. Then, she jumped and landed a powerful dropkick on his back.
Maeyurai, once more, flew across the air and landed on the very edge of the docks. The strong winds, accompanied by the coldness, hugged him like a cloak, accentuated by the aches in his body.
The waves crashed on the docks, the seawater engulfing him for a fleeting moment.
He didn't waste any more time and charged another lightning arrow. He released and continued making more, all while walking forward.
Each arrow flew past Kirsaki, missing every single time. She crossed from left to right, unsure whether the strange trajectory of the arrows was intentional.
Then, Maeyurai paused to conjure an immense lightning arrow—the very same that he used against the Stalker and Asagi.
Kirsaki's gaze narrowed at the appearance of a bright light, her whole body tensing up with caution.
Maeyurai doesn't shoot immediately, fueling up the lightning arrow with even more mana.
Kirsaki immediately noticed the shift in the air and stormed forward, her figure blurred by the sheer velocity and haze under the rain.
Her body moved and ducked to dodge his bow as she expected him to release once she was close.
Yet he didn't.
She slid a few meters behind him before tightening her fist to deliver a punch that would send him to the unconscious realm.
However, the light she had glimpsed wasn't facing the streets—it was the sea.
Maeyurai pivoted his entire body and reversed the longbow in his grip. The arm that had been drawing the string now extended forward, the bow pressed into it, while the other pulled back behind him.
The bow was turned against its usual facing, and Maeyurai aimed blindly over his own back, as if he already knew where Kirsaki would run.
"When did he—?!"
While facing the streets, he released the bowstring, the lightning arrow grazed his cheek, and struck Kirsaki like thunder.
The blast penetrated through the air, bringing Kirsaki out to the open sea. She plunged into the water and hit the bottom—just six feet underneath the surface.
The violent movements underwater spun her around like a sphere, and the Lightning Overdrive was about to lose its effect.
Maeyurai turned around to face the sea, his expression indifferent—but his heart was racing from the adrenaline.
"I knew you'd go there."
A distant thunderstrike marked the end of the duel. Maeyurai caught his third win.
Several footsteps echoed from behind through the harsh rain.
"Move!" Asagi shouted, pushing Maeyurai to the side as she ran to the edge of the docks, looking for her dear friend, Kirsaki.
With his Sense Boost activated, Maeyurai caught a glimpse of her face.
Her eyes teared up, face contorted with discomfort. She gritted her teeth as if she held something back.
Her body moved swiftly, and with zero hesitation, she dove into the convulsing sea, swimming frantically as she looked for Kirsaki.
"Kirsaki! Where are you?!" she called out, her voice wavering.
But due to the loud rain, it was almost inaudible. Kirsaki was even underwater; there would be no way for her to hear Asagi's voice.
Asagi stifled a cry and persevered in looking for Kirsaki.
A certain figure floated not far away. It was Kirsaki. Asagi rushed forward and held her close to herself, refusing to let go, as if her life was worth it.
Kirsaki was unconscious, suffering the drawback of using her technique.
At the docks, Maeyurai couldn't help but admire the bond they shared. Though he couldn't bring himself to dive into the violent sea, he felt something claw at his heart.
"I don't know how to swim, I can't help Asagi..."
Asagi carried the unconscious Kirsaki and wrapped her arms around her own shoulders. She swam back, the coldness of the sea biting at her feet.
She persevered with all she's got, making sure that Kirsaki doesn't drown.
"I'll never let you drown again..." Asagi muttered, struggling to fight against the waves.
Asagi never stopped swinging her arms despite how hard the waves were pulling her.
She continued and continued until she neared the docks.
"Maeyurai!" she called out.
Maeyurai had been watching, waiting for her to return with Kirsaki. Once they were sighted, he leaned over the platform and reached out.
"Hold on, Asagi, I'll pull you both up!"
Asagi held his hand, but he struggled to pull the two of them. The waves crashed, submerged the two girls, and almost pulled them into the sea.
But he gripped the edge of the platform and, with great effort, managed to pull both of them up.
The three of them rolled across the platform, their soaked bodies creating puddles on the already wet surface. Asagi coughed violently, gasping for air.
Maeyurai sat up, glancing over Kirsaki's unconscious body. He then turned to look at Asagi, who was hyperventilating.
"Asagi... Are you okay?"
Asagi let out a shuddering breath before replying:
"I'm fine. Let's bring Kirsaki somewhere safer."
"Okay."