full body dodge.

The counter he released after reading Kuraudo's attacks was the fastest possible attack by a Japanese sword―a thrust.

An attack aiming to gouge out the eyes of the skull under that uniform. Kuraudo was also full of openings with that surprise attack. There was no way he could turn his sword around nor evade the upcoming attack at this point. That wasn't something a human could possible do.

Thus bull's eye. Ikki's attack hit Kuraudo's chest!

That was supposed to happen. But just before it hit, the skull in front of Ikki's eyes suddenly vanished.


…Huh!?

What happened? For him to lose sight of his target with that timing? He could not understand. Did he just lose sight of Kuraudo like the mist?

No, that's not it. Ikki's senses immediately rang out in a frenzied alarm. It almost hurt.

Danger, Danger, DANGER, DANGER―!

….He ducked!

Just before the attack hit, Kuraudo bent his upper body back so much that it was almost parallel with the floor, and thus he dodged the attack. As if he was mocking Intetsu from directly below it, he looked up and….

"Ha―HA!"

He attacked Ikki with Orochimaru.

"Ugh―!"

Ikki blocked it with Intetsu just before it slashed his neck. Because the attack was very heavy, his shoulder got dislocated, but he didn't let the attack through. His expression also became bad. But the reason for that wasn't his disadvantageous position or the power of the attack.