SLAM!
Rain's massive sword crashed down, crushing the ground where Shion had been standing just a second ago, the impact sending cracks spidering outward.
Shion barely dodged, his body twisting away at the last instant, breath catching as the shock of it brushed past him.
Dust and debris burst upward, the sheer weight of the strike making it clear—
That wasn't something he could afford to take even once.
Rain didn't stop, he ripped the massive sword out of the ground and swung again—wild, heavy, uncontrolled, the arc too wide and rough, like the weapon was dragging him instead of the other way around.
WHOOOSH—!
Shion stepped in to counter, a quick, precise strike aimed cleanly—but the moment he moved in, Rain's blade came crashing down again, forcing him to pull back mid-attack.
SLAM!
The ground shattered again as Shion clicked his tongue and circled, trying from another angle, his movements sharp and controlled, searching for an opening while Rain kept swinging again and again, each strike messy, overcommitted, full of gaps that were clearly there.
Shion saw them and tried to take them, but every single time he was forced back before he could capitalize, the sheer weight and range of the sword turning those openings into traps instead.
Still, Rain's breathing started growing heavier, subtle but noticeable, his swings slowing just a fraction, his recovery lagging just a bit longer, and Shion caught it.
A grin spread across his face as he stepped back, barely avoiding another reckless swing.
'Yeah… just keep going like this… your stamina won't last long…'
Rain dragged the sword again, shoulders rising with each breath, heavy and costly, while Shion's grip tightened, his grin widening further.
'And after that… you're done for.'
Shion wasn't wrong, Rain didn't have the stamina to back this up for long, and the sword was still too heavy, even those small controlled moments came at a cost, every swing draining more than it should, every recovery slower than the last.
Rain huffed, his breath rough and uneven.
'I can't keep this up…'
He knew it too well, at this rate he wouldn't last much longer, his arms already feeling the strain, his grip not as firm as before—yet a grin still crept onto his face, stubborn and dangerous, like he had already ready for the worst outcome.
Shion stood at a distance now, watching carefully, no longer rushing in, just waiting, letting Rain make the first move and burn himself out.
Rain noticed.
And laughed under his breath.
"Are you really that afraid of me? Why don't you just admit it?"
Shion didn't react, his expression barely changing as he stood his ground, already seeing through it.
'Those petty tricks won't work on me.'
Rain watched him closely.
'Smart… but can you still control yourself after this…?'
A mocking smile spread across Rain's face as he let out a long, tired breath, dragging the sword slightly before speaking—
"So that's it? You're just gonna stand there?"
He tilted his head, eyes narrowing with amusement.
"All that shouting earlier… and now you're scared to even come close?"
A short pause.
His grin deepened.
"Or what… did your little dud blade finally realize it's outclassed?"
Shion's nerves twitched, but he held himself back, jaw tightening as he forced his expression to stay steady.
'He's just trying to provoke me… don't fall for it.'
Rain saw it, that restraint, that hesitation.
And his grin widened just a little more.
"Oh? Staying quiet now?" he let out a dry chuckle, dragging the blade slightly as if bored.
"Guess that cheap dud blade of yours finally understood its place."
He tilted his head, eyes locking onto Shion with a mocking calm.
"Or what… are you waiting for it to actually become useful for once?"
Shion snapped in anger as he shouted, "If you really want to taste the dirt that badly, then I'll give it to you!" his teeth grinding as he forced the words out.
His muscles tensed, veins bulging slightly as he roared, "Muscle Enhancement!"
Rain's eyes narrowed.
'Shit… this dud blade's using his trait.'
Even if Shion was just an NPC, he still had a trait—one that could push his physical strength far beyond normal, even if only for a short time, and right now, it was more than enough to turn the flow of the fight.
The examiner's eyes widened slightly.
'This guy… he had something up his sleeve.'
Not far away, Clytie clenched her fists, worry clear on her face as she stared at Shion.
'Don't you dare… don't you dare touch his face…'
Rain exhaled slowly, his grip tightening just a bit.
'Yeah… I'm done for.'
For a split second, everything felt still—
Then Shion's veins glowed red, his eyes following, bloodshot and wild as raw power surged through his body.
BOOM!
The ground cracked beneath his feet as he launched forward at lightning speed, closing the distance in an instant.
[Hubby, be careful!] with worried face.
"I know that—" Rain murmured, but before he could finish—
CLANG!
The strike landed as Rain barely managed to raise his massive sword in time, the impact slamming into him like a truck, his arms shaking violently from the force while his feet dragged across the ground, carving deep marks as he was pushed back.
Shion's twisted smile widened. "Now how was that?"
Rain steadied himself somehow, his grip tightening despite the tremble running through his arms. "Shit… too bad…" he muttered, worry flickering across his face.
Shion didn't give him time to recover and moved again.
BOOM!
Another strike came faster and heavier, and Rain blocked—barely.
CLANG!
The impact rang out as his body jolted, his stance breaking for a split second before he forced it back, but Shion didn't stop, attacking again and again.
CLANG!
CLANG!
Shion's attacks turned relentless, each swing faster than the last, his enhanced strength making every hit crushing, something Rain couldn't properly handle anymore. Rain couldn't counter, he didn't even get the chance, each block growing heavier, slower, his arms screaming under the strain as his footing slipped little by little, forcing him back again and again.
'Too fast… too strong…'
Another strike crashed down.
CLANG!
This time his guard nearly broke, the massive sword shaking violently in his hands as the force slipped through, sending a sharp jolt across his body, making his grip falter for a split second before he forced it back together.
Rain gritted his teeth, breathing turning rough and uneven, his stamina already low and draining even faster under the constant pressure, every second pushing him closer to his limit.
'If this keeps up… I'm done.'
Shion's grin only widened as he stepped in again without hesitation, not giving even a single moment to breathe, and still, despite everything, Rain held on—barely.
Rain huffed violently, his breath breaking apart as his body reached its limit, arms trembling, grip barely holding together under the strain.
Shion's expression shifted for the first time, a flicker of worry crossing his face.
'Shit… my mana… it's almost at its limit.'
Any kind of power, any ability—it all came down to one thing: mana. Traits were no exception, and once it ran dry, what followed wasn't just weakness, but a crushing exhaustion that drained the body completely, there were many ways to recover it, but proper rest was the most common, efficient, and widely used method.
'I have to end this quickly.'
Shion gritted his teeth and shouted, "Now die!" as he launched forward again, this time putting everything into it, the strike heavier, faster—like a final blow meant to end it all.
Rain saw it coming.
And a grin appeared on his face.
"Looks like… playtime's over."
He had been waiting for this moment from the very beginning.
Rain closed his eyes, shutting everything out as he focused inward, his mind diving deep into his soul core, and then something shifted as a faint energy stirred and began flowing through his body, steady at first, then stronger, running along his arms and into his weapon.
Shion let out a cruel laugh, an evil smile spreading across his face, "Given up already? Ha!" pouring everything into one final strike as he dashed in.
At the last moment, Rain opened his eyes, an excited grin spreading across his face as he spoke, "What was that? Say it again."
And then he lifted the massive greatsword effortlessly, as if its weight no longer existed.
Shion's eyes widened in shock, his body already committed to the attack, "How can you—!?"
WHAM!
"—that, I call… Feather Hit." Rain said proudly.
In that instant, his trait revealed itself, manipulating gravity itself—making the massive sword light as a feather just before the swing, then releasing it at the exact moment of impact, letting its true weight crash down on the target, and the moment the hit connected, he reapplied it again in a fraction of a second to stabilize himself, a technique far too complex for its simplicity, yet devastatingly effective.
Shion's body bent under the impact before being launched away like a ball, sent flying and crashing across the ground as he slid violently, dust trailing behind him in a long, broken line.
Rain let out a breath, shoulders dropping slightly as relief finally hit him. "Phew… that worked… thank god, I wasn't sure if I could pull it off…"
[Hubby is the best! Hubby is the best!] With cheered, eyes sparkling with excitement and pride expression.
Rain smirked proudly. "I already knew that… but thanks."
After getting his first trait, Rain had figured out a few useful things about it, and one of the biggest was this—he could control objects far more easily when they were close to him, especially something he was already holding, and after countless small experiments, failures, and adjustments, he had managed to come up with that move, simple in idea but difficult in execution, and not without cost.
His vision suddenly blurred, the world in front of him wavering slightly as his balance faltered for a split second.
"Shit… the drawback…" he murmured under his breath.
Shion somehow pushed himself up, his body shaking but still moving.
Rain gritted his teeth, eyes narrowing. 'Damn… looks like it didn't work—'
But before the thought could finish, his strength gave out completely, his grip loosened as the massive sword slipped from control and his body collapsed to the ground.
THUD!
"...time for plan B…" he murmured faintly, his vision fading as consciousness slipped away.