Chapter 384: The Final Strike!
Luke's attack was not limited to a single sword.
He had not shown Ouma the Twin-Wings Sword Style out of pity or superiority. He truly intended to end this match and draw a conclusion to Ouma's challenge.
So Luke did not stop.
One sword, two swords, three swords.
Three full strikes slashed down on Ouma without hesitation.
Facing Luke, who had used the Twin-Wings Sword Style, forget counterattacking, Ouma could not even defend.
His body, vision, reactions, and consciousness could not keep up with Luke's movements at all.
He could only stand in place and silently take Luke's attacks.
Then, he collapsed.
Luke looked at Ouma, who had fallen to the ground and could not get up.
This match had satisfied him quite a bit, but in the end, there was still a little regret.
Ouma was strong.
Extremely strong compared to other Mage-Knights.
But… he was still not strong enough.
Luke put away Starfall Sword and turned toward the gate, because he knew Ouma could no longer stand up.
Although it had only been three strikes, the sword energy attached to Luke's blade had already been driven into Ouma's body.
The current Ouma had lost control over his body.
Ouma lay on the ground, gazing up at the sky with somewhat blurry vision.
Luke's three strikes had not only stripped him of control over his body, but had also left three genuine wounds on him.
The blood flowing outward carried away his stamina, and even his consciousness had become hazy.
The vastness of the world.
The smallness of himself.
Ouma once again tasted the bitter fruit of defeat.
'This should be enough.'
'Your opponent is not someone the current you can defeat.'
'You have already seized glory fitting your level.'
In his heart, there seemed to be a voice telling him that this was already enough.
But!
"…Hey!"
The voice from behind made Luke stop in surprise.
He turned around and looked at Ouma again.
Then, an astonishing scene appeared in his eyes.
Ouma used all the strength in his body to barely turn himself over, changing from lying on his back to lying face-down.
Afterward, violent winds began to coil around him.
Experiencing the vastness of the world several times had caused Ouma's confidence and pride to disappear little by little.
Even if he was unwilling, he had to admit that countless people in this world were stronger than him and more talented than him.
But that was not a reason for him to give up moving forward.
And the one who had taught him this principle was precisely the figure before him, the one who had turned to leave.
Ouma did not hope to reach Luke's realm right now.
But at the very least, he hoped he could repay him.
Yet what had he just seen?
At the instant Luke turned away, he had actually seen that fleeting regret.
"You've got to be kidding…"
"You've got to be kidding meeeeeee—!"
He forcibly fixed his body in place with air pressure.
He used endless violent winds as power.
Borrowing external force, Ouma once again drove a body that should have been impossible to control.
"Luke!"
"I can still stand!"
"The Twin-Wings Sword Style… watch me surpass it!"
Luke looked at Ouma, looking at the resolve in his eyes.
The gap between them was so great that it could not be made up with momentum alone, and Ouma himself surely understood that better than anyone.
So Luke smiled.
This Ouma reminded him of Touka when she had challenged him, as well as himself when he had challenged Edelweiss.
Was it reckless?
Perhaps.
But…
"Honestly, there are unexpectedly many good swordsmen in this world."
Luke smiled and summoned Starfall Sword once more.
"If you die, don't blame me."
This time, the stance Luke took was an iai stance!
Their gazes crossed, and neither Luke nor Ouma spoke again.
And in the next moment, Luke vanished!
It was like a repeat of the previous scene.
Another wound was carved into Ouma's body.
There was nothing that could be done about this.
Even when he had been in good condition, Ouma had been unable to capture the trajectory of Luke's sword.
Now that he was at the end of his strength, it was even more impossible.
But was Ouma truly helpless?
Of course… not!
The instant Starfall Sword cut into his flesh, Ouma used the power of "wind" to lock it tightly against his own body!
Trading injury for injury!
This was precisely the fighting style Luke was good at, and it was also Ouma's final decision at this moment!
Then, Wind Sword Emperor Kurogane Ouma swung the final strike of this match at Luke, whom he had bound beside him!
This was a strike where he wagered everything.
It was the godspeed sword secretly passed down by the Kurogane Family.
This secret technique was a true full-power strike. After using it, Ouma would fall into rigidity, unable to defend or dodge.
Speed as its purpose.
Cutting as its principle.
This was…
"Asahi Isshin-Ryu: Extreme of Swiftness: Amaterasu!"
Pfft—!
Sword light flashed, and blood scattered.
The match finally ended.
…
The one lying on the ground was Ouma.
His idea of locking Starfall Sword in place had not been wrong, but he did not know that Starfall Sword's true ability was "severing."
His method of trading injury for injury had not been wrong either.
Unfortunately, that was also what Luke was good at.
The enormous gap between the two determined that there would be no accident in this match.
However…
"That final strike was quite beautiful."
Luke looked with some emotion at Ouma, who had lost consciousness on the ground, and at the fragments of cloth drifting in the wind.
One slash.
Although it had only been one slash.
And although its flaws were extremely severe, to the point that he would fall into rigidity after using it.
Even so, that slash had indeed touched the realm of "Twin-Wings."
Even if it was only a casual sword strike released by Luke and Edelweiss, touching it was still touching it.
It had not even caused damage, only slicing through a bit of clothing.
However, this had already surpassed Ouma's own limits.
In pure swordsmanship, the gap between Luke and Edelweiss was not large.
In some aspects, he might even be slightly superior.
So if Ouma had been facing Edelweiss, theoretically, he could have done the same thing.
After many years, Ouma, who had broken free from fear, already had the qualifications to take revenge on one of the Three Great Desperados, Tyrant.
Although the hope of success was almost zero, at least, it was no longer zero.
At this moment, the referee finally returned to his senses and loudly announced the result of the match.
"Winner, Hagun Academy's Falling Star Sword Emperor, Luke Ashburn!"
…
After leaving the battle zone and passing through the gate, Luke intended to meet up with Edelweiss.
However, when he arrived at the audience seating, someone blocked his path.
Clap, clap, clap—!
The red-haired girl clapped her hands and congratulated him.
"Congratulations on breaking through the first match… Well, thinking about it, that was only natural."
"But that was really exaggerated. Why do I feel like you've gotten stronger again? Honestly, you don't consider the feelings of those of us chasing after you at all."
Crimson hair like burning flames, and eyes like red gemstones.
The one walking toward Luke was Stella, who had just arrived at the venue.
…
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