We dueled fiercely across the arena, trading over a hundred blows in under a second. Kureha's fluid movements flowed like water, the silver flash of her sword the only proof that she was wielding metal. I struggled to keep up with her – fortunately, while my mana was near exhausted, I still had enough stamina to fight physically.

Even so, Kureha was the Sword Saint. Her superlative skill with the sword far surpa.s.sed mine – h.e.l.l, she was superior to even Kuf Van Peer. Blood leaked from my hands, shoulders and chest when I found myself unable to completely deflect her swords. Huffing, I fought as best as I could, both of my swords weaving through the lethal pattern of strokes and figure-eights that Kureha carved.

"Ugh!"

More blood spurted from my wounds as Kureha opened up a fresh set of cuts upon me. Most of them were superficial for now, but I honestly couldn't withstand much more of her onslaught. It wasn't as if I underestimated her – I had gone into the match fully aware of how formidable she was.

Despite being mentally prepared, I still found myself completely overwhelmed by her magnificent swordsmans.h.i.+p.

"!!"

A slash from my side opened up a new gash in my shoulder and I shuddered. Retaliating with a riposte, I thrust Hei Yue toward her chest, but she blocked it before countering with a strike that tore through the skin of my right forearm. I winced from the pain and withdrew my bleeding limb while parrying her follow-up strike with Bai Ri, but the impact of her blow nearly ripped the white sword from my grip. Staggering back, I crossed both swords to weather a heavy attack from Kureha, only to be blown back from a kick that snaked up under my guard and caught me in the gut.

"Ugh!"

I skidded backward, heaving from the exertion and pain. Opposite me, Kureha glanced at the ice that had locked her premier sword and arms, and with a flex of her mana she shattered the frozen restraints instantly.

"What an interesting technique," she murmured, shaking her hands. "Every time we trade blows, I feel a shot of chill surging through my body and clogging up my mana circulation. Not only that, my arms are locked in ice, which hinders my movements and slows me down…"

That was her being slowed down!? Holy h.e.l.l…I dreaded to think how fast she was if I hadn't executed my specialized ice techniques to obstruct the flow of her mana. She would have cut me apart in minutes. It was only because of my mystical ice techniques that I was able to last this long against the legendary Sword Saint.

Kureha also seemed impressed by that. She lowered her sword and studied me admiringly for a moment before she lowered her head thoughtfully.

"I always knew you would be an exceedingly tough opponent. Even when drained and exhausted, you still put up such a great fight. Honestly, I didn't think you would last this long and exchange so many blows with me."

She seemed to disappear for a moment, turning into a blue and silver streak. I raised both swords in reflex and parried her next strike, which hit me with tremendous force and sent me hurtling across the arena. Cartwheeling in midair, I landed clumsily on my feet and flailed about to maintain my balance. Kureha appeared where I was – even though she was a much better swordswoman, she was still not as fast as Kufa – and struck me again, but I deflected her exquisite blade to the side. Huffing, I strove to counterattack, but she rammed an elbow into the side of my face. I threw my head back as far back as humanly possible, but the edge of her gauntlet somehow grazed my temple and left a stream of blood trickling down my face.

"Hu…"

I exhaled as I pulled away, a gesture that was aided greatly when Kureha whipped around and struck me with her sword. The tremendous force behind her blow sent me tumbling back, and I landed in a skidding crouch that left twin trails of rubble in my wake.

Like a blue and silver whirlwind, Kureha descended upon my position and swung her sword once more. Wisps of mana drifted from her blade, ominous specters of death that haunted the majestic weapon and seemed to sharpen its gleaming edge further. Switching her stance, Kureha swung about and smashed me with what seemed like a hammer blow. Even though I successfully blocked it, the blade-like mana that emanated from her sword cut deeply into my flesh, drawing more blood, and I had to bite my lip to prevent myself from crying out.

Stumbling back, I retaliated desperately. Kureha's arms were locked in ice once more, but she still somehow had the speed and reflexes to fend off my counterattack before kicking me in the midriff and tossing me to the edge of the ring. I hit the ground and rolled to lessen the impact, but clearly I wasn't no longer in any condition to continue.

Kureha studied the ice restraining her hands, and with a clench of her fists she shattered them effortlessly, shaking the fragments of frost loose. She then held her sword in both hands and narrowed her eyes. I pushed my gla.s.ses up my nose, being careful not to cut my face with my own swords, and returned her glare.

The sensors on my lenses were picking up a spike in her mana emission and they tracked her movements, allowing me that split second of faster reaction time that would undoubtedly save my hide, if not preserve my life for a few minutes longer.

However, I was aware that I was dying a death from a thousand cuts. I was slowly but surely bleeding out.

Taking a deep breath, Kureha then launched herself forward, her sword turning into a broad blur of silver. Ma.s.sive amounts of golden mana burst out of her figure, which resembled a shooting star. I watched the destructive tide of energy wash over me, but I somehow managed to cleave the huge wave into pieces with my two swords.

"!!"

That wasn't Kureha's true attack. She was merely making use of her mere sword pressure to mask her movements. Bursting from the dissipating waved of her blocked technique, she swung her sword at me, an explosive burst of golden mana wreathing the blade. I crossed Hei Yue and Bai Ri, but despite parrying her attack, I was blown off my feet and sent tumbling several dozen meters away. Both of my swords were ripped out of my grip and sent bouncing away, out of my reach. I didn't have the chance to retrieve them, not while my body helplessly slid across the ground, leaving a slick trail of blood.

"Ugh…!"

Coughing out blood, I tried to roll to my feet, but was barely able to stand. Fortunately for me, Kureha had chosen to keep her distance. Perhaps she had paused to recover her breath. Or maybe she had another spell in mind. I didn't know, but right now I was more concerned with my rapidly deteriorating state than I was with the Sword Saint's intentions.

"You've fought well," Kureha told me as she brought up her sword to point the tip of her glowing blade at me. "But this match is over."

"Not yet, it isn't," I stubbornly insisted as I forced myself to stand. "I'm still not incapacitated yet."

"I see." The venerable Sword Saint closed her eyes for a brief second and lowered her head. "I apologize for my disrespect. Of course a true warrior such as yourself will fight until his very last breath. There was never any question about your resolve."

Then she opened her eyes and surged forward, her sword swinging toward me. I ducked under it, my body swaying. I had already gone past my limits a long time ago, and even now I was unable to withstand the violent shockwaves generated by a mere slash of her sword.

I fell to my knees, blood coursing from my mouth and wounds. Confident of her victory, Kureha stood over me, ready to deliver the finis.h.i.+ng blow.

"!!!"

Icicles struck her, but they failed to impale the protective aura that surrounded her. Fortunately, that slight delay bought me more than enough time to retreat to safety. Kureha made to move, only to realize that her legs had been frozen to the ground.

"You…!"

The Sword Saint's expression darkened, and she instantly shattered the ice restraints that had rooted her to the floor, magical energy surging out of her magnificent figure. However, those two seconds that she spent breaking free of her frozen bonds was more than enough for me to escape to the other side of the ring.

Without my swords, I couldn't do anything, but still I conjured enough mana to cast an offensive ice spell. Countless icicles manifested around and above me, and I launched the barrage of frozen spears in Kureha's direction.

In response, Kureha stood her ground and held her majestic sword high up in the air with both hands, the silver blade illuminated by golden mana.

An ultimate attack for an ultimate attack. Kureha knew she wouldn't be able to dodge the deadly hail of icicles in time, and wouldn't be able to smash all of them with her sword. That being the case, there was only one way to respond to it.

Cast a spell to obliterate the entire rain of ice.

"You have proven yourself a worthy opponent. Even if you're not among the strongest I have ever face, you stll rank among the most tenacious…the most difficult. Take pride in that."

"Hah." I tried not to snort. It was a pity, but while Kureha Franklin was exceedingly impressive for someone of our generation, I couldn't say the same for her. It was unfortunate, but I had confronted far stronger and far more difficult enemies than the likes of her.

She still had some way to go. h.e.l.l, she couldn't even compare to Troy King, who was perfectly capable of trouncing me with a single hand. That guy was planet buster level, according to his original creator. In contrast, I could only nuke single cities, not entire worlds.

Not that Kureha needed to know about that, but whatever.

"So I'll honor your resolve with my ultimate technique."

"Bring it on," I replied, still focused on directing my barrage of icicles upon her. Sucking a deep breath, Kureha cried out the true name of her n.o.ble Phantasm…ahem, I mean sword technique.

"Excalibur!!"

Seriously? She was really going to rip off Fate/Stay Night until the very end?

Not that it mattered. In a single burst of golden mana, the blinding light of her sword strike obliterated my hail of icicles immediately, disintegrating the frost spears. The tsunami of destructive mana carried on mercilessly, surging toward my position to ravenously engulf me.

If I allowed that strike to hit me, it would be all over.

"Trace on."

In the face of such a devastating attack, I maintained my cool and raised my right hand determinedly. Azure mana sizzled around my right arm before leaping upward and forward. My breaths came out in thick mists, and a layer of ice condensed around my surroundings, and even on my body. I ignored the chill and continued on with my incantation.

"I am the soul of my sword."

Kureha's ultimate technique was now five meters away. It would be upon me in another second. That was fine. I just needed another millisecond. It was going to be very close, but I knew deep down that it was doable.

"Snow Aegis!"

I intoned the true name of my most powerful protection, and the gigantic snowflake-shaped s.h.i.+eld of ice materialized between me and Kureha's Excalibur. The golden tsunami of destructive energy collided against the st.u.r.dy barrier, scrabbling violently against its frozen surface.

"Ugh!"

Grimacing from the tremendous impact, my knees buckled and my right arm almost burst apart in a shower of blood. Holding my injured arm up with my left hand, I continued to infuse what mana I had remaining inside me to augment my defense, to repair the numerous cracks that appeared all over my Snow Aegis.

"As if I'll fall here…!"

With a roar, I held my ground firmly in the face of certain death, bellowing a challenge to the spectral grim reaper that now took the form of a golden blast of destructive mana certain to blow apart any fortress. Responding to my obstinate will, Snow Aegis held despite its gradually crumbling structure, refusing to falter against the Sword Saint's strongest strike.

Then there was a ma.s.sive explosion that blasted me off my feet, the frost shrapnel of my shattered Snow Aegis raining down on my cras.h.i.+ng body. Even so, the dissipating tendrils of golden energy never reached me. My Snow Aegis had fulfilled its task and absorbed 99% of Kureha's Excalibur, and she had failed to kill me. Well, I wouldn't have died because of the boundary field, so technically she wouldn't be able to kill me anway. I meant knock me out, incapacitate me, or finish me off. Whatever.

The detonation was so powerful that it flung Kureha back as well, but the Sword Saint was slowly climbing back to her feet, her sword still held grimly in her hands. She slowly stalked toward me, ignoring the faint trickle of blood that now stained her ghastly expression. Her golden eyes glared determinedly at me, as if willing me not to get up.

I was more than happy to disappoint her.

"You're unarmed, and I'm pretty sure you've expended almost all of your mana in trying to defend against my n.o.ble Phantasm…I mean my ultimate technique. If I'm a.s.sessing you correctly, you don't have any energy left to fight me."

"You're a.s.sessing me wrong," I told her bluntly.

Kureha lowered her head slightly, and then she smiled. "Of course. It was a stupid question on my part. You're still standing, aren't you?"

"Yeah." I nodded and stepped forward, doing my best to conceal how shallow my breaths had become. "Let's continue, and finish this match once and for all."