Zenovia folded her arms, equally curious.
She knew Elion was powerful, but most of what she knew came from the trial, where he had been forced to do nothing but defend when they were up against Asmodeus.
Yaana leaned forward excitedly.
"Who do you think will win?"
"Elion," Mira answered without hesitation.
Zenith nodded in agreement
"Hubby."
Zenovia glanced towards them.
"You answered quickly."
"Because there is nothing to consider," Zenith replied.
Her voice was cheerful and completely sincere.
Mayumi could not hear the exchange through the barrier, but the confidence displayed by Elion’s companions did not escape her notice.
She tightened her grip around her sword and lowered her centre of gravity while holding the hilt of her sword with both hands, the pointed end of the sword facing upward in a slant toward Elion, one foot in front of the other.
Marilyn looked between the two fighters.
"Begin."
Mayumi moved the instant the word left her mouth.
’Kami Sword Style! Celestial Dash!’
She immediately used her sword style’s most basic movement technique.
The reinforced stone beneath her feet cracked as she launched herself forwards with explosive force.
Several spectators barely saw her move.
One moment, she had been standing on the far side of the arena, and the next, her blade was already descending towards Elion’s shoulder.
Elion raised the borrowed sword.
Clang!
The collision produced a violent metallic sound that echoed throughout the hall.
Boom!
A visible shock wave burst out from the point of contact, crashing against the protective barrier and causing its surface to ripple.
Mayumi’s eyes widened.
Elion had blocked her strike with one hand.
More importantly, he had not moved.
Mayumi immediately withdrew her sword and twisted her body, redirecting the momentum into a horizontal slash aimed at his waist.
Elion lowered his blade, and another sharp clang rang out.
Her strike was blocked again.
Mayumi did not pause.
Her sword transformed into a blur as she launched a rapid series of attacks from different directions, each one aimed at a vulnerable point on Elion’s body.
Neck.
Shoulder.
Ribs.
Thigh.
Wrist.
Every strike was precise, fast, and linked perfectly into the next, yet none reached him.
Elion’s sword moved almost lazily, intercepting each attack with the smallest possible motion.
To the spectators, Mayumi appeared to be overwhelming him with a relentless storm of steel, but the more experienced swordsmen in the crowd gradually began to notice the truth.
Elion had not taken a single step.
He was controlling the entire exchange while standing in one place.
Mayumi noticed it as well.
Her expression turned even more serious, and the mana circulating through her body suddenly accelerated.
A faint silver glow appeared beneath her skin.
Her next strike arrived with nearly twice the speed and force of the previous ones.
Elion tilted his sword, and the blades collided once more. This time, the ground beneath him cracked.
Several spectators gasped, believing Mayumi had finally forced him back, but Elion’s feet still had not moved from their initial position.
The stone had broken only because some of the force had travelled through his body and into the arena floor.
"Not bad," Elion said.
Mayumi’s eyes narrowed.
She stepped forward and drove one knee towards his abdomen.
Elion raised his free hand and caught it against his palm.
The impact sent another violent gust of wind across the arena.
Mayumi used the contact as support, twisting her body in mid-air and swinging her sword towards the side of his neck.
Elion leaned backwards just enough for the blade to pass a few inches above his face, and for the first time, he moved his feet.
He released her knee and stepped away, creating several metres of distance between them.
Mayumi landed lightly and immediately returned to her stance.
A faint smile appeared upon her lips.
"I made you move."
Elion glanced down at where he had been standing, then back towards her.
It was nothing worth celebrating, but if it meant something to her, then there was no reason to mock her.
"I guess you did."
The smile upon her face widened.
The spectators erupted into excited murmurs.
Mayumi had finally forced the mysterious challenger to retreat, even if it had only been a single step.
Elion, however, was beginning to understand why Marilyn had spoken so highly of her.
Mayumi possessed no elemental affinity, but her control over her body was exceptional.
Every movement was efficient, and she could change the direction of her attacks without losing momentum.
More impressively, she was still holding back.
The mana concentrated within her muscles had not yet reached its limit.
Elion adjusted his grip upon the borrowed sword.
"Mayumi."
"Yes?"
"You can stop testing me."
Her eyes sharpened.
"I was wondering when you would notice."
The silver glow beneath her skin intensified.
The air around her body began to tremble, and the loose sleeves of her robes fluttered despite the absence of wind.
Several thin cracks spread beneath her feet, and Mayumi’s expression turned into one of absolute focus.
She slowly raised her sword until the blade stood upright before her face.
"Radiant Physical Reinforcement."
Boom!
The mana within her body erupted, and her presence changed completely.
She had already been fast and powerful before, but now every muscle within her body had been strengthened several times over.
Badum!
Badum!
Badum!
Her heartbeat sounded like a distant drum even from across the arena, while every breath released a faint trail of white mist.
Elion’s World Eyes traced the mana moving through her body.
It circulated through a complex network that extended far beyond the ordinary mana channels, reinforcing her bones, muscles, tendons, and even her internal organs.
It was a dangerous technique.
If her control slipped even slightly, the strain could tear her body apart from the inside.
Mayumi lowered her sword.
"This is my full strength."
Elion looked down at the ordinary blade in his hand.
Several small cracks had already appeared near its edge from blocking her earlier attacks.
He released a quiet sigh.
He had promised to return it in one piece, but that was becoming increasingly difficult to achieve.
He channelled a thin layer of mana over the weapon, reinforcing the blade without activating any elemental spell.
The cracks stopped spreading.
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