LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 149: Sparing
In this moment, the green field became a small arena, a place to practice skills and prove confidence before a silently admiring audience.
Kayo stood calmly, her body exuding an aura that could not be ignored. The wind blew gently, ruffling her short, slightly messy hair.
She positioned her body low, knees slightly bent, his weight perfectly balanced on both feet, her right hand tightly gripping the wooden sword that was parallel to his shoulder.
Her sharp, determined eyes exuded an untouchable cold intent, like the mist of the mountains in the morning.
Kayo's breath flow was regular, each exhalation feeling like part of the rhythm of nature. In an instant, Kayo centered herself, as if merging with the surrounding wind.
"Kasumi no Kokyu," Kayo said with a sigh, as if releasing the cold white morning mist.
Kayo tilted her body slightly to the side, "Shi no Kata: Iryūgiri." she said, his sword pointed forward in a perfect attack position, ready to stab with precision.
As if part of the fog that had begun to faintly appear around her, Kayo disappeared from sight, leaving behind a trail of shadows that faded with the wind.
The spectators, including Rentaro, Kisara, Enju, Tina, Tamaki, Yuzuki, Shouma, and Midori, were stunned. Their expressions changed from curiosity to amazement, as if they could hardly believe what had just happened.
The slashing sound rang out sharply, but El calmly tilted his body, dodging the attack smoothly. His eyes were sharp, reading Kayo's every move like the pages of an open book.
However, Kayo disappeared again, "San no Kata: Kasan no Shibuki," she said in a tone like a faint whisper in the mist.
The next second, Kayo appeared behind El, his wooden sword ready to launch a deadly attack.
Shing!
A sharp, cold-sounding whizz came back. However, El was not surprised. She spun gracefully, her movements seeming to dance in harmony, before her figure distorted, seemingly transcending the laws of space and time.
Kayo was startled for a moment, her movements restrained, her crimson eyes hunting for El's presence in the vicinity.
Suddenly, El appeared behind him.
Without hesitation, he swung the wooden sword towards Kayo's neck with unbelievable speed, a clean and precise strike, threatening a vital point.
Kayo realized the danger. With sharp reflexes, Kayo leapt into the air, drawing a distance to avoid the slash.
Kayo's breathing remained steady, her gaze cold, before she readjusted her stance. "Ni no Kata: Yaekasumi," She said, her voice as cold as the fog that covered the morning.
Kayo moved quickly, her body seemingly enveloped in a thin mist, blending in with the wind and smooth movements. She darted towards El, her technique full of precision and deadly beauty, striking like a shadow that was hard to catch by the naked eye.
Their duel continued, quick and sharp movements exchanged, creating a tension that could not be ignored by anyone watching.
Satomi gazed at the training ground with sparkling eyes, finding it hard to hide his admiration for the ongoing duel. "Wow, their fight is awesome..." he leaned forward slightly, whispering enthusiastically.
Next to him, Kisara nodded slowly, her face serious as he carefully watched El and Kayo's every move.
"Their movements are similar to Tendo's martial arts style, but on the other hand there is a fundamental difference," Kisara said in an analytical tone. "They say it's called the Demon Hunter Technique."
"It seems like that technique is really designed to hunt demon-like creatures? But, what kind of demon is that?" said Kisara in confusion.
Shoma stood with his arms crossed, his brows furrowed slightly as if processing what he saw.
"Hmm, precise movements, speed of movement that seems to disappear in the mist. This is truly a terrifying technique for assassination..." Shoma said quietly, his tone cold yet respectful.
On the other side, Tamaki whistled lightly, a wide smile etched on his face. "What a marvelous move. Now I believe, they are very strong... Even if the Initiator didn't attend the meeting," he said casually, nudging the shoulder of Yuzuki who was standing nearby.
Yuzuki nodded firmly, her curious eyes not leaving the fight. "I agree, Aniki. We can't let weak people in our Adjuvant, it will become a burden," She said straightforwardly, her voice sharp like her big Brother Tamaki's opinion.
Meanwhile, Enju tried to catch the attention of Tina who was standing next to her, looking calmer but still serious.
"Tina-chan," Enju called softly, her voice cheerful, "Can you see their movements clearly?"
Tina, who was watching with concentrated eyes, only replied briefly without taking her eyes off the ground.
"Only a little," Tina said quietly. "They're fast enough that it's hard for my gun to aim."
Tina's tone showed respect for the abilities of the two, especially from the perspective of a former IP Rank 98, owl model.
However, unlike the others, Midori remained silent, not saying a word. The little girl was fully focused, her eyes following every movement of El and Kayo who appeared for a moment before disappearing again, like shadows dissolving into mist.
However, there was something that caught Midori's attention more than just the beauty of El's fight. Midori observed the man, El seriously, a gaze full of curiosity fixed on him.
In her mind, a wish began to form. 'I'm trying to predict that person...' she muttered to herself.
Midori's eyes remained sharp and calm looking at El's figure that was moving so fast, it was almost hard to catch her sight. Something about him made Midori feel that the man was unusual.
Ctak!
The boom of both blunt wooden objects rang out. The fight ended dramatically. Kayo's wooden sword was thrown high into the air, spinning wildly before it finally fell and struck the green grassy ground.
Kayo fell to the ground, her face slightly covered in sweat, while El stood right in front of her, the tip of her wooden sword pointed straight at the girl, a clear sign of absolute victory.
There was silence for a moment, until the sound of appreciative applause rang out, breaking the silence. Satomi, Kisara, Shoma, Tamaki, Enju, Tina, and Midori gave their sincere appreciation for the duel they had just witnessed.
"Good fight!" exclaimed Enju enthusiastically, immediately running over to Kayo. With deft movements, she helped the little girl to her feet. "Great... How can you be that fast!" she added with sparkling eyes.
Shoma stepped forward, his expression calm yet respectful. "Good swordplay."
"Thank you for demonstrating your skills to us, even if it wasn't against one of us directly," Shoma said with a faint smile, giving respect with a small nod.
Kisara chimed in with an approving tone. "Yes, I agree with Shoma-kun. You guys have very impressive sword skills," she said, her voice sounding sincere yet firm.
El just looked at them for a moment, her cold eyes sweeping over the group before finally nodding slowly.
In a flat tone, El said, "No problem. It's only natural for you to doubt my abilities, considering that I tend to behave in an arbitrary manner..."
El's words hung in the air for a moment, making the atmosphere a little tense before continuing. "But what can I do? I have some important things for me to take care of."