Ikki vs Renren

Tomaru's gentle smile changed into a ferocious one.

"I'll show you the way the third ranked fights―!"

Suddenly, her figure vanished from Ikki's field of vision.

Was it a stealth skill like Area Invisible? No, that was wrong. There is sound. A sound of the right being kicked, something passing through the wind with unbelievable speed. If he looked carefully, he could catch a glimpse of the after-images.

That's right. Tomaru didn't disappear, she just moved so fast that it seemed like she disappeared. That was Tomaru Renren's Noble Art―

"It's Mach Grid! Contender Renren suddenly dashed with victory in her eyes!"

The true form of that irregularity was the accumulation of speed. By ignoring the natural deceleration put on her body, Tomaru is able to continuously accelerate.

"I've heard of it before, but for it to be this fast…."

"Seeing it on camera and seeing it like this is completely different right?"

"Yeah, I can't catch up to it…. The reason you talked to me when the match already started was for the steps right? You accumulated the initial speed with those hops."

"Bingo! The weakness of this power is the initial speed, you see. But with those preparations, I could bright up my speed to five hundred kilometers per hour instantly. But five hundred is just the beginning. My Mach Grid shows its real powers after crossing the sound barrier!"

Exactly as stated, she continued to speed to the right, using the walls surrounding the ring. Exploiting the ability to ignore the laws that bind this world, she continued to accelerate. 800, 900, 1000, 1100, ―1200! She finally passed the speed of sound, and arrived at the domain of supersonic speed.

Her speed had long passed the level where the human eye could follow it.

"Do you get it? My ability isn't something that lets me disappear like the Hunter. I become both invisible and impossible to catch! Kurogane-kun who was having trouble against such an enemy can't possibly win against me!"

"Then if I can catch Tomaru-san, will you admit defeat?"

"Haha…! Well that's if you can do it! But you can't! There's no way you can! It's unfortunate, but Kurogane-kun's Festival journey will end here! Let's go, with this supersonic speed attack…!"

By the time Ikki could no longer even grasp the after-images… Tomaru came forward with victory in mind while putting power into her fists. Moving to Ikki's blind spot, she released a strike filled with the highest amount of energy…!

"Black Bird!"

While creating a sonic boom, Tomaru aimed her fist at Ikki's back and let loose a supersonic strike.

In speed, it really surpassed Mach 2. It was truly a one shot kill strike that far surpassed the level where it could be seen with one's eyes. Forget about blocking, it was no longer possible to evade, or even react in time.

Tomaru had no doubt about her victory. However―

"That girl's an idiot."

A small-built silver-haired girl stood there, sighing as if making fun of someone.

This adorable girl who reminded you of a bisque doll was Kurogane Shizuku. A B-Rank knight who was called 《LorelieWitch of the Deep Sea》[1] because of her peculiar method of winning, by drowning her opponents. She was Kurogane Ikki's younger sister.

"The reason Onii-sama had a hard time with that person wasn't because he couldn't see him."

But of course, her words didn't reach Tomaru currently reflected on her pupils. It didn't reach, but Tomaru immediately understood the meaning.

Eh?

Tomaru sensed something on her field of vision that couldn't possibly be there. A gaze. In the thin juncture of time, she felt something that stuck her gaze. It was the gaze of Ikki's eyes, which had caught her movements even though she was in supersonic speed!

N-No way!? He reacted!?

The next moment, Ikki's figure vanished from in front of the fist Tomaru struck out. The supersonic punch hit the air, and their figures intersected. With them passing by each other, Ikki grabbed the scuff of Tomaru's windbreaker and by using her supersonic propulsion, he rotated her with one full swing―

And with that momentum, he slammed Tomaru on the stone surface of the ring.

"Kuh-ugh―"

And a black tip was pointed towards Tomaru, who lost her breath after that impact on her back.

"It's my win."

"…."

Tomaru, who had collapsed, could not understand what had just happened. She could not understand how she was caught.

- Volume 2, Chapter 1
[PREDICTS AND ONE SHOTS A MACH 2 OPPONENT DESPITE NOT BEING ABLE TO TRACK HER VIA REACTION WHEN SHE WAS ONLY AT 500 KPH]
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"The result was obvious. The reason why Onii-sama had a hard time against that Hunter had nothing to do with whether or not he could see him. It was because he had a long ranged bow in addition to his perfect stealth. It doesn't matter how fast she is, or if he can't see her. There's no way she will be unharmed after stepping into the field of Onii-sama's unique swordsmanship."

For someone of Ikki's level of skill, it was already a close ranged barrier of sword strikes. If there was something close by, a samurai's sharpened sixth sense will definitely react to it, no matter if it is visible or invisible, fast or slow. Failing to read that was the reason why Tomaru lost.

[THE REASON FOR HIM STRUGGLING WITH KIRIHARA WAS RANGE. HE CAN FIGHT INVISIBLE OPPONENTS IN CQC WITH EASE]
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