Swish, swish. Two sounds echoed as two figures, one black and one white, intertwined.
Clang, clang. Clear sounds resonated as the two flashes collided and rebounded, instantly separating and leaving behind a trail of scorching sparks in the air.
The two flashes emanated from two short knives.
One was a spring-loaded knife with a dark-colored matte handle, bearing a peculiar emblem engraved on the hilt.
The other was a tactical straight knife resembling military-issue equipment, with a black handle adorned with a pair of yin-yang symbols.
The two knives, similar in length and blade style, glided through the air, creating two breathtaking arcs in silence before colliding once again.
The straight knife sliced at an acute angle, only to be met with a counter from the spring-loaded knife at the same angle.
Clang, another light ring resounded.
This time, the two short knives didn't separate but reached a stalemate.
The owner of the straight knife, an elegant young girl dressed in a blue Taoist robe, licked her lips, an excited smile forming at the corner of her mouth. "No, no, this won't do, Shiki. Your strength shouldn't be limited to this extent."
The owner of the spring-loaded knife, a delicate-faced young boy dressed in a black tracksuit, wore a pained expression. "Sis, this is my limit."
"Don't lie."
Shiki Ryougi exerted force with her right hand, and the two intersecting knives in a cross shape drew closer to Shiki Tohno's face.
"I can sense it. Your blood, your potential, far exceeds this."
"Even if you say that..." Tohno's face flushed, sweat forming on his forehead and cheeks. He genuinely didn't appear to be hiding anything.
"Oh? It seems you still haven't realized your power. Allow me to bring it out," Shiki declared.
With a swift kick, Shiki struck Tohno in the stomach, sending him flying several meters away.
As Tohno climbed up from the ground, he witnessed an indescribable mysterious radiance overflowing from Shiki's eyes—the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception awakened.
"Sis, this—"
Not giving Tohno a chance to continue speaking, Shiki scolded loudly, "Don't be so wishy-washy. Take off your glasses and look at me! Can you accept this world? Don't tell me you can't?"
Whether it was sensing Shiki's determination or being stirred by the fiery blood within himself, Tohno took off his "Mystic Eye Killer" glasses and handed them to Mikiya, who was standing nearby, keeping watch.
"Of course, I can!"
With Tohno's roar, the spring-loaded knife sliced through the air, rapidly closing in on the elegant and heroic Shiki.
Shiki gracefully turned, evading Tohno's thrust, her smile becoming even more enchanting, reaching almost bewitching levels.
"That's right, just like that. Faster, stronger, more cunning angles."
I can feel it. This is far from your limit. You can become even stronger because you and I are of the same kind. We are both murderers, flowing with the same blood.
The straight knife transformed, never leaving Shiki's "deathlines." A mere graze would result in an irreparable injury.
However, Shiki didn't give Tohno such an opportunity. Whether through blocking or evading, Shiki defended against Tohno's fierce attacks. Not only that, she seized the gaps in Tohno's movements to launch her counterattacks, aiming at Tohno's "deathlines."
Two killers who faced death directly, able to see the death of all things, danced on the edge of death. The pressure emanating from their every move gradually spread throughout the entire area, weighing heavily on all the onlookers.
Touko began drawing runes, Shinji took out a slingshot, Fujino opened her own Mystic Eyes, and Sakura accumulated magical bullets. Except for Mikiya, who had no connection to the mysteries and could only stare blankly, everyone else was ready to interfere if something happened.
In the eyes of both Shikis, they saw a fragile world that would shatter upon a single touch. Both individuals locked onto the other's death and knew that the other had locked onto their death.
Death, death, death.
Death, death, death.
Death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death, death.
All of it was death.
This was the kind of pressure that could drive an ordinary person insane in an instant, a pressure that even magus who understood the nature of death had difficulty enduring. However, these two dancing youths not only endured it, but they also remained unaffected by any negative consequences.
However, being unaffected didn't mean there were no consequences.
Surrounded by endless death, the spirits of the two individuals, who shared the same name, became increasingly excited, and their fighting spirit grew more and more fervent.
Faint white mist seeped from the gaps in their hair and clothes, the vapor produced by evaporating sweat. Their distinct black and white eyes were filled with a crimson hue, like two bloodthirsty beasts with eyes turned red.
Yet, this was only the external appearance. The changes occurring within their bodies could only be understood by Touko, a master of somatology, and Shinji, who was personally trained by Scathach.
The speed of their blood flow was rising in an abnormal trend, and as a result, their physical abilities experienced astonishing leaps. Especially in attributes closely related to combat, such as muscle resilience, reflexes, and dynamic vision, they approached the limits of humanity. It wouldn't be surprising if they broke through those limits at any moment.
To some extent, the two individuals locked in combat could no longer be considered human, or at least not entirely human.
Tohno felt his blood boiling.
My brain feels like it's on fire.
My cerebral fluid is heating up as if it's about to burst out.
My breath burns as if it's searing through my lungs.
The deaths in the surrounding world, just like breathing, are strange, frequent, and natural.
But it doesn't matter. The condition of my body is unexpectedly good.
My stiff right-hand moves freely, and my rigid footsteps become agile. The spring-loaded knife held in my dominant hand switches to my other hand.
The seriousness on my face dissipates without me realizing it, replaced by genuine pleasure. The smile on my lips mirrors Sis.
I am enjoying this process of killing.
"You finally understand, Shiki!"
Once again, Tohno step past, and Shiki lets out a laughter filled with murderous intent.
"Slaughter, death, you and I, come on, continue to unleash, continue to burn. Only then can you see your true self."
A misstep, a twist, a feint—three movements seamlessly combined.
In just a second, just a single second, Tohno, like a nimble spirit, crosses a distance of three meters and appears behind Shiki, aiming the knife at her "deathline" on her back.
However, this unexpected deadly strike is evaded by Shiki in an even more unbelievable manner.
In the split second before the straight knife descends, Shiki's movement speed suddenly increases, surpassing even Tohno. In that moment, her speed truly breaks through the limits of the human body.
With that speed, Shiki transforms into a phantom, instantly escaping from under Tohno's knife and reappearing above him in the next instant, the blade aimed at his throat.
This strike doesn't target any specific "deathline," but its effect is no different from one. The throat is a human's vital point, and once it's severed, death follows.
Tohno raises his head, and the radiance in his eyes is exceptionally splendid. Even more resplendent than his eyes is the gleam of his blade.
The knife moves lightly, its brilliance shining brilliantly, then disappears in a flash.
Life and death hang by a thread.
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