"Come then—"
The words had barely left her lips when Erza's pupils pinpricked. She instinctively leaned back as two knife-bright arcs skimmed past her forehead.
A few strands of scarlet hair, lifted by momentum, were severed and drifted down in the air.
So fast…
The thought flashed through Erza's mind. The newcomer's speed was so great even her dynamic vision couldn't track it.
"What… was that just now?"
Steadying her swaying stance, Erza set her greatswords horizontally before her and murmured.
From that distance, he'd closed on her in a blink—and if she wasn't mistaken, he'd swung twice in the same instant.
If Aurel hadn't shown zero killing intent, her carelessness would have already put her on the ground.
"Ashina-ryu Ultimate—Cross Slash."
Aurel held his blade one-handed, explaining unhurriedly.
As the name suggests, Cross Slash releases two intersecting cuts in a single heartbeat—vertical and horizontal—leaving the opponent no avenue to guard.
Normally, learning a technique like that would take over a decade of brutal training—assuming one had the talent to begin with.
"Ready your guard. I'm coming."
After the brief warning, Aurel glanced up at the sun and slowly slid the blade back into its scabbard.
It was already afternoon; he could feel his power ebbing… but so what?
Even if his strength waned, he could bridge the gap with the techniques etched in his mind.
As long as the sun hadn't fully set, he was still very much in the fight.
Catching the look he sent her, Erza fixed on him as if facing a mortal threat, her expression growing steadily more solemn.
Zing!
Steel tore free with a flash. This time she didn't lose his silhouette; the descending katana met her raised blade with ease.
Only—
What followed widened Erza's eyes. A lattice of fine, rapid clangs rang out at the arena's heart as his form pressed in like a dancer, step for step.
With the blade-light growing ever swifter, Erza abandoned offense and settled into pure, airtight defense.
"Am I seeing things? In swordplay… Erza can't counter?"
"So strong! Magic or sword—he's a bona fide monster!"
"Erza, don't lose to him!"
Faced with that unrelenting storm, Erza's years of battle kept her guard seamless—no gaps, no slips.
But precisely because of that, her breathing began to quicken beyond control.
"This one's Flying Ferry—odd that it gets lumped into Ashina-ryu, but it works well enough."
Aurel broke off and widened the gap, lowering his eyes to the katana now pitted and nicked from the collisions, a wry look crossing his face.
His last reward should've been only Ashina-ryu—yet the memories in his head included techniques from other schools, even archery and firearms…
So did all that get bundled under "Ashina-ryu" just because it was him?
"Hah… astonishing swordsmanship."
Erza drew shallow breaths. Noting his battered blade, she summoned a fresh katana and tossed it to him.
"—Let's continue!"
"Heaven's Wheel: Blades in Bloom!"
The instant he caught the sword, Erza's arms crossed and she lunged at extreme speed.
CLANG—!
The crash of steel on steel boomed. Aurel reacted at once, setting his long blade upright to catch her twin swords.
The raw force ran down the steel; he was shoved back two or three meters, his heels carving furrows in the earth.
With the sun lower now, his strength wasn't what it had been at noon.
And Erza was S-Class, besides.
At the same time, the sixteen Heaven's Wheel blades behind her launched in a volley.
No time to think—Aurel pivoted hard, his katana batting down the incoming swords, sparks spraying in fans around him.
"There's more—"
Erza's reminder came almost kindly; behind her, dozens more Heaven's Wheel swords were already forming.
Unlike his pure technique, the flying blades—an effect of the Heaven's Wheel set—were a technique all Erza's own.
Aurel had no complaints about facing a storm of steel.
"Secret Sword: Dragon Flash!"
Once more he sheathed—then drew. The moment the blade cleared, compressed air screamed outward in a crescent, shearing the incoming Heaven's Wheel blades from the sky.
"Requip: Black Wing Armor!"
A crimson magic circle flared. The elegant Heaven's Wheel was replaced by a set of deep black armor; the metal butterfly wings became a devil's pinions.
In this gear, her attack power surged.
Those demonic wings unfurled. Gripping a strange, massive greatsword, Erza vanished from her spot, leaving only an afterimage.
"This set's solid too—but personally, I liked the last one better…"
Aurel's tone was casual; fear never touched his face. Smiling, he lifted his blade to meet her.
Ashina-ryu: One-Character Cut!
The horizontal slash scythed toward the pronounced curve of her waist. The weight and authority in that stroke made Erza's eyes fly wide; her hands trembled on the greatsword, nearly losing their grip.
Then she herself was hammered into the wall with a thunderous crash, dust billowing skyward.
A plain, almost boring technique—a simple crosswise cut—yet the force within it was staggering.
"Want to keep going, Erza-san?"
Ignoring the collective, jaw-dropped stares around them, Aurel turned and called into the rubble.
He still hadn't used Swallow Reversal… He wanted to—but if he did, someone might not walk away.
"Kh… let's end it here. I lost this one."
Propping herself up out of the wreckage, Erza's refined face was smeared with dust, her eyes complicated as they settled on him.
Amazing… those forms…
Seeing her concede, the corner of Aurel's mouth curled.
"Guild's Strongest" achievement unlocked!
That left only Gildarts and Mistogan among the current S-Class he hadn't faced.
At high noon, he had absolute confidence he wouldn't lose to either.
(End of Chapter)
[Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome]
[Thank You For Your Support!]