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The viper of Mary was already striking forward.
The target point had been determined, and only a single point of blade and lightning energy touched, but the blue field of vision first became clear.
'Darn it!'
She could not see Jin because he was covered by the lightning energy.
Her youngest brother, who could not bring himself to kill her and thus dropped his sword, was nowhere to be seen.
'Where are you!'
Like those who realize their mistakes often do, she also gnashed her teeth. A difficult-to-describe chill seemed to pass through her body.
She would die if she didn't withdraw her sword.
Her instincts were telling her that. The experience she had gained from thousands of battles warned her of the same danger.
She must reabsorb her aura, although it would cause backflow. She had to locate the position of the youngest.
The light-speed thrust, a sword that pierced the sky. So there will be backlash if she forcefully withdraws this powerful sword move.
Kraaaah!
Mary let out a scream as she changed her movements. She felt the muscles and bones of her waist and lower body, as well as her grip on the sword, arms, and shoulders, were shaking as if they were breaking.
She withdraw her sword.
The progress of the light-speed thrust that was tearing through the lightning energy stopped as if it were a lie. Waves of lightning energy surged again, and the flashing lights disrupted her vision.
Mary turned her body around, in a fleeting moment, and she could sense that the energy surrounding her was not only from the lightning energy but also from the black curtains.
What the lightning energy hemisphere was covering was the shadow force. From the beginning, Jin had released the lightning energy with the sole purpose of concealing the shadow force's curtains, in order to perform the Shadow Assault.
She swung the retrieved viper in all directions to secure her line of sight. Each time the lightning energy lifted, black curtains were instantly visible.
'Four, no. Seven!'
She thought something like a black sword energy would be shot at her at any moment.
However, the curtains remained still, and there was no sign of them moving yet. Instead, Mary turned her body to the side.
'He was there!'
Jin was rushing forward. With each flash of the lightning energy, with each blink of an eye, the distance between them was getting closer. Along with Bradamante, which was dyed black.
Ssshhh-!
Finally, Bradamante and the viper clashed.
It appeared as if they collided. Mary displayed an overwhelming response to Jin's sudden attack despite her internal injuries.
However, the viper swung through thin air. The large sword energy that spread like a fan pierced through the lightning energy and shot towards the sky, disappearing.
Mary couldn't help but be perplexed once again.
'He was right in front of me...!'
As if he were a ghost or had teleported somehow.
The blade of her youngest brother was rushing from front just a moment ago, but for some reason, the blade was now rushing in from her rear once again.
The shadows spread around the two were a kind of "gate." Only Jin, who used Shadow Assault, could come and go through it.
This was why Jin was able to seize Mary's rear once again. Just before the clash, Jin had passed through the curtain.
'Even my elder sister is a monster.'
Blood splattered.
It was Mary's blood. Bradamante, who had been aiming for her throat, barely brushed her shoulder.
'I thought I could at least take out his shoulder.'
The blade of the viper also grazed Jin's cheek. The fight was no longer visible from the outside due to the lightning energy and the curtains of the shadow force.
However, everyone could hear the sound of the two swords clashing, the siblings' battle cries.
And everyone had an intuitive sense that when the shadow force and the lightning energy subsided, the person left standing would be the winner.
Kaaah-!
Every time Mary roared, the hemisphere of lightning energy seemed to tremble as if it were about to tear apart. Jin poured out a shower of attacks to prevent his sister from gathering her strength again.
'If I give her even a moment, she might come up with another technique.'
Just before Mary was about to execute the fourth Light-Speed Thrust, Jin felt an inexplicable unease.
The sword move she originally intended to use was not the secret technique, but the unfinished 'ultimate technique'. Jin didn't know that fact, but his instinct warned him of the danger just like Mary's.
Jin had to press on without respite, so Mary couldn't even think of using anything else.
Hoo, hoo!
Mary wasn't the only one breathing heavily. Jin was also losing stamina.
Jin hadn't executed the Plutonian Reign sword, but he couldn't help but get tired since he was rapidly consuming a comparable level of lightning energy. Surprisingly, Mary was in a slightly better physical condition.
Jin roars and grits his teeth.
'It's about time, but how is she still holding up like this?'
What he was waiting for was clear.
Backflow.
'No matter how powerful my sister is, she can't just use Light-Speed Thrust like that without a scratch.'
Kooh-!
The moment his thought ended, Mary bent forward and threw up blood.
The moment to end the battle had come.
Jin went in front of Mary and threw down Bradamante. Mary focused her last ounce of concentration to read his attack trajectory.
Bradamante, which was raised at an angle, was aiming for Mary's neck.
Mary almost missed the trajectory, but she raised her sword and managed to block it.
That much was within Jin's expectations. He had anticipated that a superhuman like Mary would naturally be able to handle it up to this point.
'But in the meantime, she's counterattacking...!'
However, blocking wasn't all there was to it. She was even counterattacking.
To be precise, Mary didn't exactly "block" Jin's final strike.
Shadow Sword 2nd technique: Scissors.
Jin's last trick. The black blade of the scissors was forming on the other side of the trajectory drawn by Bradamante.
In the end, Mary couldn't block the final blade of the scissors.
Shak...!
The shadow force blade grazed Mary's face.
What the blade cut was the pirate eyepatch she was wearing. If it had aimed for her neck instead, it could have easily severed it.
'It's over, elder sister.'
From the beginning, Jin had foreseen his victory the moment Mary used the Light-Speed Thrust. He hadn't let his guard down even in the final moment.
His opponent was Mary Runcandel, after all.
But the fact that Mary counterattacked at the last moment would remain a haunting experience for Jin in the future.
Mary Runcandel, the 7th flagbearer of the Runcandel clan. Regardless of her level of battle prowess, she was regarded as the most formidable opponent by all her siblings when they fought for their lives.
As the mist dispersed, both the lightning energy and shadow force on the battlefield disappeared in an instant.
Suaaaa-!
Suddenly, a stream of water poured from the sky. It was a stream of water falling from a huge wall of water formed when part of the sea split behind Jin.
This was the aftermath of Mary's final counterattack.
"What just happened?"
"Did you see it?"
Cosmos, the pirates, the crowd, and most of Jin's companions had no idea why the wall of water had formed.
Only those who had reached the ranks of superhumans were aware of the fact that Mary had "swung her sword."
"Heh, how did she swing her sword at the last moment?"
"I... I couldn't see it clearly, Lord Murakan."
"I don't know what it is, but if she had swung at the kid properly, the outcome could have been different."
Murakan and Valkas spoke, and Jin was trying to swallow his dry saliva.
'I thought it was just a simple counterattack, but it was faster than the Light-Speed Thrust... No, even if I had known in advance, I could never have dodged it. It was a slash close to divine power.'
Runcandel ultimate technique.
Jin was immediately convinced that the last horizontal slash that had passed by his side was one of the three ultimate techniques of the clan's swordsmanship. It was definitely not complete. If it had been a completed ultimate technique, he would have never remained standing.
Suuuuu— The wall of water crumbled like a sandcastle and returned to the sea.
"Both... both of them seem to be standing perfectly fine! But the fight is over...! Neither Dame Mary nor Sir Jin are moving!"
Cosmos raised his voice, with his pupils trembling.
The siblings made eye contact as they pointed their swords at each other.
Bang!
Mary kneeled on one knee, and sighs of relief were heard from all around.
"Argh! Damn it, I lost. I had no idea you could toy with me like this with your tricks...!"
Mary spat out blood and wiped her forehead. Then, Cosmos announced the result of the battle with fireworks bursting from all around.
"The winner is... Jiiiin, Runcandel! Congratulations! A blazing and unforgettable match, a big match you won't see twice in a lifetime! Everyone, show your appreciation with applause!"
Amidst thunderous applause, Jin approached Mary and extended his hand.
"Why did you try to end the fight with the Light-Speed Thrust when you can use an ultimate technique? If you had executed your ultimate technique at that moment, I think I would have been the one defeated."
"I thought you dropped your sword because you didn't want to kill me, so it was a waste to show this sword move to you, but I forgot for a moment that there was no way you would have backed down like that. Damn. I never thought I would fall for something like this."
"I have used this sword technique against the guardian modeled after one of the Ten Great Knights, Sarah Runcandel. She wasn't in her prime and couldn't fend it off. However, if we assume that you had the ultimate technique, I'm not sure it would have worked against you."
"Hmph, are you comparing me to the clan's old heroine out of fear that your sister will be upset?"
"Aren't you feeling a little upset?"
"Tsk, turns out I'm the one who backed down."
Mary took Jin's hand and rose to her feet. Despite her tone, she had a refreshing smile on her face.
"...Jin, my youngest brother."
"Yes, elder sister."
"Today, you officially defeated the clan's 7th flagbearer."
"Can we really call it an official match? We had too many restrictions on each other."
"That's right. I fought with an eyepatch the whole time, and you restricted the use of magic. But what does it matter? You didn't let your guard down until the very end, and I made mistakes that led to my own defeat. That proves right there that you are stronger than me."
When Jin didn't respond, Mary burst into laughter.
"So, starting today, you're ranked 5th in the family's flagbearer hierarchy. Hold the position well and I can regain it after thorough training. And for that purpose... Hey! Cosmos!"
"Yes!"
"Bring that here."
At Mary's command, Cosmos hurriedly retrieved something from his pouch. What he politely handed over was a book.
Jin couldn't help but widen his eyes and even open his mouth like an idiot as he looked at the author of the book.
The 5th Secret Technique, Light-speed Thrust - Chiron Runcandel.
It was none other than a training manual on Light-Speed Thrust technique that Chiron had written for Mary.
"It's unreasonable for the 5th flagbearer to not know even a single secret technique of his clan, right?"
Jin received the training manual, but he couldn't hide his astonishment.