Yuudai Moroboshi

So you aren't just for show. See, that's the extent of my reach. If you were to step inside carelessly… whoosh, I'd jab you with this guy here."

He had at some point summoned a sleek Chinese-style spear into his hands. Its point was ramrod straight, its tassel flowing like a tiger's fur―this was the Seven Stars Sword King's Device, Tora-Ou[2].

"Bastard, when did you―"

Tatara retreated several steps back in her surprise. But she was not the only one surprised. Ikki was, too.

That's amazing….

Even with eyes like his, he had not been able to catch the blade materializing. Beyond that―

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―It's as if he has no openings.

Even though Moroboshi was merely holding his spear, there were no blind spots within his attack range; regardless of where the enemy came from, he would be able to meet them. Ikki could clearly see how this would make things difficult for him in the future.

This is the first time I'm seeing it… so this is the Seven Stars Sword King's rumored Happo Nirami[3], huh.

Happo Nirami―a control over attack range so absolute that even Raikiri had not been able to penetrate it; a discernment of the enemy regardless of their position or angle of attack, to a level of perfection that had earned it its moniker. Even Tatara would have to hesitate to enter this space, for the reach of Yuudai Moroboshi was nothing less than the reach of the number one student knight in Japan.

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With a cry that pierced the skies, he thrust the golden spear at the descending tornado. Golden light shot forth from the point of the spear, the radiance swiftly taking the shape of a tiger's head—jaws open and fangs bared. The golden tiger created of magic power seized the oncoming wind blade in its wide open maw, bit down—and Ouma's trump card, the Kusanagi that had so easily taken down the Crimson Princess and the Raikiri—first rate student knights in their own right—was literally torn to pieces. Split asunder down the middle by the tiger, the blade of wind dispersed and ultimately dissipated into nothingness.

"That would be the Noble Art that can negate all other Noble Arts—Tiger Bite[17]. You managed to shatter Kusanagi and even Mukou Kekkai."

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"It's the ability to dispel other Noble Arts, isn't it?"
"Yes. Blazers are capable of performing superhuman feats known as Noble Arts. In other words, we can use magic. Therefore the ability to devour and negate magical abilities grants its user an overwhelming advantage over all sorts of Blazers. The water of Lorelei, the fire of the Crimson Princess, the wind of the Sword Emperor of Wind—none of these are of any use against Moroboshi-kun. His Tora-Ou will simply tear them all to pieces."

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Touka nodded. A year ago, she had been stalemated in long-range combat due to Tiger Bite dispelling all of Raikiri's lightning bolts. Without any other options she had attempted to use Raikiri's extreme swiftness to end the battle without giving Moroboshi the chance to counterattack, but his skilled spearmanship ensured that she never got in range to use Raikiri, resulting in her defeat. To her, those were the memories of a bitter defeat.

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「Yes. Including his hair, that makes three. That is the Seven Stars Sword King's Sanrensei[1] a high-speed spear technique that from a bystander's point of view may seem like only one thrust, but in fact strikes three points at once. It's easy to pay attention to Moroboshi as a fighter possessing the strongest anti-Blazer ability, the destruction of magic. But his well-honed spearmanship is, in my view, his greatest weapon. Getting past his guard is an extremely tall order. The Worst One was strongly wary of this, and that's why he didn't step within Moroboshi's range.」
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—he displayed once again his technique, a continuous barrage with Sanrensei too fast for the eye to catch. Spear-tips formed a dense rain of death descending like a volley of machine-gun fire.
It was undodgeable. Or it should have been undodgeable, and yet—
「It's not hitting! It's not hitting! Even with its famed speed, Sanrensei can't even graze him! What graceful footwork! His movements are so elegant as he dodges the spear's point that one would think he was dancing!」
While standing within the range of Sanrensei, a technique that could pierce three points in a single breath, Ikki was—unlike before—moving from side to side and dodging all the strikes.

===================== His spear can bend

"As I thought, he used it…."
That she could predict this was a matter of course. After all, she had faced the exact same in her turn the previous year.
"…Though I couldn't evade it and took a rough hit in my side."
"Um, President. Is there some sort of secret to that thrust? I couldn't see anything except that Kurogane-san seemed to fail in evading Sanrensei's last strike."
"As I said before, the weakness of the thrust lies in the ease of dodging it. However, Moroboshi's thrust has overturned this logic by… well, Kana-chan, his thrust can bend in the direction in which an opponent evades and pursue them."
"A bending thrust, you say?"
"Yes. Moroboshi has eliminated the vulnerabilities of the point attack through the use of this homing thrust."
The opening he imagined occurred in that instant. And yet, the spear that should have aimed for his legs suddenly shot upward, making for his face!
Uwaaa!
Jerking his head back, he narrowly avoided it, but still received a shallow graze to the cheek.
There's no mistaking it! While I don't understand the principle behind it, Moroboshi-san's thrust bends!
A spear, ramrod straight as it should have been, was as fluid as clay. It was an impossible sight, but seeing it twice had cleared all his doubts. And it was not just twice; all of Moroboshi's thrusts thereafter curved. Up and down, left and right, ever changing according to his will—chasing Ikki wherever he fled.

============================== Why it can bend
The commentators have made it quite clear—the audience can't see what's happening.
If they could see the homing spear, the commentators wouldn't have said what they had. Rather than commenting on Ikki's desperate scurrying, they would have praised Moroboshi's amazing technique.
Which means that the mechanism behind the homing thrust has to be—
"What's wrong? You ain't gonna win just by runnin' away, Kurogane!"
Once again, a flash of steel pierced the air. All this time, it had been this oncoming flash of silver steel that had been the focus of Ikki's attention. Which was normal; a mysterious technique was bound to attract attention after all.
But that's a mistake. I shouldn't be focusing on the tip, but rather on Moroboshi's hands!
In that instant, Ikki saw through the homing thrust. It did not escape his notice that Moroboshi would change the way he angled his elbows and flicked his wrists, changing the trajectory of the spear mid-thrust.
As I thought… so that's how it is!
Indeed. From the first, the spear itself did not bend. The 'bending' phenomena was an optical illusion caused by the subtlety of the switch-up.
To bend as one thrusts, and pierce as one bends. Easily said, but to perform that action while performing a series of three thrusts so swift that an outsider would only see one was no simple matter. This was beyond human reaction speed. It was not something one could do just by dreaming it up in one's head. It was something Moroboshi had carved into himself through an astounding amount of training, into his flesh, his bones and his blood. This spear needed no orders from his brain to pursue the enemy.
This was Yuudai Moroboshi's technique Houkiboshi[2], a martial art so expert as to seem like magic.
What amazing technique….

========== Strength
Thus he was shocked when the next moment, the butt of his spear connected with Ikki's cheek, sending him sailing away.