Noble arts 2

"I see you're thinking of some pointless things."

Ouma's mocking call from a distance snapped his train of thought.

"I've said it before. There is nothing you can do."

Then, Ouma made his move. Was it Shinkuuha once again? No. He did not make to slash, but instead raised his blade on high, as though meaning to pierce the moon.

"Also, I don't intend to waste much time on someone of your level. Let's just put a time limit on this—all this scurrying about is depressing."

He then began his incantation.

"Bind and shut—Mukou Kekkai."

The pale emerald fire shrouding Ryuuzume burst forth in vibrant flame, and in an instant a savage gale swept across the battlefield. The sands rose and churned, blinding the eyes as the howling winds drew them into its twisting updraft. Ikki clawed at the ground with both hands, barely managing to keep himself from being thrown up into the air as well.

Kuh! He's obstructing my vision…!

The sandstorm and the twister as one had stripped him of both sight and mobility. He could not but acknowledge that this move was effective, but he quickly realized painfully that even that line of thinking was naive. A man who pursued strength as purely as Ouma did would never use a technique that was simply meant to reduce his opponent's fighting capability.

Mukou Kekkai had a more terrifying, more direct ability, and that was—

"This…!"

I can't… breathe!

—the forced removal of oxygen. The updraft Ouma had created was robbing the battlefield of it, drawing it up high into the sky, denying Ikki the luxury of time.

"You have ten minutes. About one if you fight; that's all you have left. I have no patience for you to be conserving that miserable strength of yours. Come at me with all you have."

Ikki, hearing Ouma's commanding tone, steeled himself. Indeed, he had no time to conserve his power, exactly as his brother had said. Moreover—

This isn't an opponent I can hold back against.