Anime: Fight Sukuna at the beginning?.

Chapter 526 The Tide Never Returns: The End of the Cooperative Battle
What does the wind blowing in your face taste like?
If this had happened before today, and someone had asked the swordsman named Vaughn this question...

You probably can't get the answer from the swordsman.

But at the moment.

The Star Calamity is an equipment called the "Void Zero Remnant" that is attached to the hilt of a sword.

And the Stardust Elixir, which temporarily grants a person the right to use the Star Calamity series of equipment.

Point your upper body.

Together with the armor, it transformed into something 'transparent' with extremely low visibility and minimal resistance.

She charged headlong into the man whose back was to her.

He let the wind, carrying a chaotic and ethereal aura, pass through his body.

It made naked contact with the fascia, muscles, bones, and even the brain within its own body.

It brought with it an omnipresent stinging sensation, as if it were being sanded and polished.

The swordsman already understood the answer to the question.

The wind that passes right through you.

It's the smell of blood.

But he no longer had time to think about the answer to that question.

At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind.

Faster! My body, faster!!!

Just a little closer, and I'll have victory!
-
Looking at him with his back to me, just as planned.

All attention was focused on the old man who had used the [Taunt] skill.

They successfully ignored their own existence.

This allows them to gain the initiative.

A man who only reacts when he is about to get very close to the other person.

Despite the hand gripping the sword hilt.

Extremely bad news has already arrived.

It felt like the strange sensation of having all the joints of your hands pulled out and being constantly eroded by acid.

The upper body, along with the faintly glowing, eerie green hilt of the sword that was 'coiled' on the silver longsword in his hand, began to 'flicker'.

This indicates that the time limit for his temporary use of the [Star Calamity] equipment is approaching.

The 'transparency' is coming to an end.

But at this moment, looking at the ring of fire surrounding the man's legs at Fang Yi's feet.

For the first time in my life.

The swordsman's heart was filled with indescribable emotions.

A sense of accomplishment that I had never felt in my past life.

[This distance! We're about to succeed!]

【Won! 】

However, the next second.

The curve of the man's lips was perfectly reflected in the swordsman's pupils.

And the words that came out of his mouth.

The swordsman's heart sank to the bottom in an instant.

"do you know?
"There was once a swordsman who wasn't very talented and thought so."

"Humans are weak creatures with only two hands, capable of wielding a knife only once at a time, and having limited lifespans."
-
Like a master calligrapher freely wielding his brush.

The horizontal hook and chop were completed.

Four crescent-shaped blades of energy slashed towards the old man who was holding a shield in front of him.

Using the energy of the blade, he lifted the old man's shield in front of him.

Like leaves swaying and crackling as raindrops pound against them in a sudden summer downpour.

The blows caused the old man holding the shield to stagger backward.

This causes it to lose its balance.

It easily blocked all of the old man's movements.

The man's arms and long sword were hanging down together.

He continued, with a hint of regret.

"Therefore, in order to break through his own limits, the swordsman chose to transform into a ghost-like alien."

"Successfully extending my lifespan also gave me a few extra hands, which can be considered a breakthrough."

"Although it's a shortcut, there are still things we can learn from it."

As he spoke, the man's left hand, holding the knife, began to move and spin like slime.

Then, in an instant, it completed a 180° flip while still carrying the long sword.

【Physical Manipulation】

Despite being a man whose "physical condition" had just reached 30 points yesterday.

Regarding the level of mastery of this skill and related expertise.

It is clearly impossible to freely change the shape of the limbs.

Like a rubber man, he instantly stretched his limbs to launch an attack.

Or perhaps, the hair transforms into flowing arrows.

They developed abilities similar to the Claw Bullet and Blood Armor, comparable to the Four Demon Rakshasa.

However, simple local deformation is not difficult for men.
-
Watch as the arm was flipped over in an incredible way.

They bought themselves some time.

The interval between attacks is shortened to a limit that ordinary people cannot reach.

The man who was about to swing his longsword and clash with Vaughn's longsword.

Woyin, standing calmly to the side, assumed the role of the referee who was "blowing the whistle unfairly."

My pupils couldn't help but shrink.

He still has such unheard-of methods, like the "Leader's" "Invisible Flesh and Blood," that he hasn't used yet!

Just how much more is he hiding?!

The thought of conquering that freely shape-shifting body came to mind.

A monster capable of instantly switching between its hands, feet, mouth, and anus.

The heavy price paid.

And then there's the ending where the opponent wasn't completely killed, allowing them to sneak into the forbidden area, the Crimson Courtyard.

Having a deep understanding of the strength of this ability, Woyin instantly made a conclusion.

It's hopeless!
-
"clang!"

The crisp sound of knives and swords clashing rang out.

The man remained completely still.

Legs as stable as mountains.

There was no response, not even a symbolic tremor.

And the man's eyes, though filled with an unprecedented determination to win.

Although the body is out of balance.

But he still tried to swing his longsword again.

However, due to the body's load reaching its limit, the body gradually withdrew from the 'transparent' state and became powerless.

Vaughn is on the verge of defeat.

Wo Yin couldn't help but sigh softly to himself.

Although you all worked very hard, and I helped out.

But if the opponent is him, there's nothing we can do.

However, the next second.

A whooshing sound rushed in and pushed through the air.

This triggered a whistling blast of air.

It flew out of the old man's hand.

It is moving with incredible power and speed, with a wonderful sense of rhythm.

The eerie green shield slammed into the man, who was being used as a 'fixed target,' drawing an arc along the ground.

Then he told Woyin something.

This battle is not over yet!
-
"Bang! Bang!"

Before Woyin could even ponder when the old man's strength had increased again.

When he was able to throw a shield that was half a person's height.

A strange sound, like a gun being fired, rang out from the area.

"boom!"

Then a third strange sound rang out.

Wo Yincai noticed that he was wearing arm armor.

Corey is charging towards Fang Yi.

The source of the sound was detected.

That was the thunderous sound of the old man's beating heart.

Watching the old man's unusually heavy, yet rhythmic and powerful steps.

And after the third impact with the ground, synchronized with the heartbeat, the speed became even more exaggerated.

Realizing the old man was trying to catch up with the shield.

After achieving the feat of simultaneously attacking from both the left and right sides of the shield.

Wo Yin's eyes widened suddenly.

His face was full of disbelief.

He was already rambling incoherently.

"Wait! This is..."
"【Element Rendering】!!!"
When will you?

Woyin had already realized one thing.

A veteran named Corey.

He perceived the existence of an element called his own 'rhythm'.

After several unsuccessful attempts to achieve the goal of "manifesting elements", we were faced with an insurmountable barrier.

Inspired by the battles of men.

At this moment, we have finally taken a big step towards 'extraordinary'.
-
Perceiving the [Element Manifestation - Rhythm], one instinctively grasps the [Amplification Rhythm].

The feedback indicated that the physical enhancement was already nearing its limit, and further amplification through increased heart rate would carry considerable risk.

It looks so close.

Fang Yi, who was trying to lift the long sword with his left hand, flew towards the man's shield before he could lift it.

The conclusion was that [this level of amplification was insufficient to match the shield, making it impossible to launch attacks simultaneously].

The conclusion was drawn that "they couldn't launch attacks simultaneously, missed this opportunity, and once their abilities were exposed, they couldn't win or force the opponent to their death."

Looking at the man's back, his body was no longer 'transparent'.

Although my legs felt weak.

But Vaughn stubbornly tried to swing his longsword again.

The old man was initially hesitant.

The thought flashed through my mind: "This is utterly hopeless, utterly repulsive stupidity."

[It was just a workout; all he had to do was follow the hand signals to step back, but he pushed himself so hard.]

After having this thought, "As long as we show a willingness to cooperate, even if we can't win, that man will eventually allow us to rejoin the team."

The old man resolutely sent a new command to his heart.

[Try it one more time.]

"Boom!"

With a rhythmic drumbeat, the sound began.

In an instant, I sensed the blood in my body.

It became as hot as magma about to erupt.

His body once again generated an unparalleled power.

Looking at the shield not far away, advancing alongside her body and attacking the man who was the 'fixed target', she saw...

The old man suddenly swung his arm guard, making an elbow strike motion.

She presented the man with a multiple-choice question with only two options.

He uttered words declaring his victory.

"ended."

Regardless of which attack a man chooses to respond to or what effort he makes.

They will all pay the price of physical imbalance.

Touching the ring of fire with both legs signifies the end of the battle.

The old man responded with Fang Yi's unhurried words.

Do you know the origin of the sword technique "Swallow Return"?
-
A backhand flick.

He used his longsword to create a net of sword energy.

The shield, imbued with tremendous kinetic energy, cushions the impact and neutralizes the attack.

Fang Yi did not swing his longsword again.

Instead, he calmly explained the origin of the [Swallow Return]. "It was a marvelous sword technique created by a swordsman who pursued a higher 'limit,' capable of launching multiple attacks simultaneously."

"The reason was that the swordsman wanted to hit a swallow with his longsword."

He looked at the arm armor that was about to approach him.

Fang Yi, with the door wide open, clearly showed that the elderly were completely unsuspecting.

They then indifferently added background information.

"But the swallow beside that swordsman was an exceptionally cunning creature; if you only swung your sword once, you would never be able to hit it."

"Therefore, he needs to make at least two or three cuts at the same time."

"Only by achieving the feat of merging the [items] together can we succeed."

Looking at the man's two sides separated.

Make a gesture as if you are about to swing a long sword.

They looked no different from men, and were two phantoms attacking him.

Listening to the man's explanation, which seemed like gilding the lily.

Knowing the ending already, Corey was holding on by sheer willpower.

It was like a balloon that had been inflated to its limit hitting a nail.

He deflated with a "pfft".

Did we still lose?
-
However, feeling discouraged is still a disheartening experience.

He watched as two long swords attacked from different directions.

The old man still instinctively lowered his body.

He struggled to retract his outstretched arm.

At the same time, he raised his left arm, which was covered in arm armor.

He parried the man's long sword.

Even in a battle where the outcome is already decided, one should learn to cut losses appropriately.

However, when the old man's hands touched the long knife, there was no crisp sound of the blade colliding with metal.

Instead, a hollow, whistling sound came from the wind, like a wave hitting nothing in the air.

"Whoo~"

I felt an emptiness in my hands.

The crimson color that the old man had previously acquired due to the manifestation of the element of 'rhythm' instantly faded.

Instead, it was replaced by a pitch-black color similar to the bottom of a pot.
-
"Bang!"

Listen to the sound of the shields striking the ground and echoing in the air.

He watched as the two lifelike phantoms vanished into thin air, the ones that had just been wielding swords at him with murderous intent.

And after easily knocking Vaughn away.

With a flick of the wrist.

Fang Yi made a gesture of holding a knife with one hand.

The old man only felt the blood vessels all over his body.

First it suddenly swelled up a size, and then it abruptly contracted.

A burning, unquenchable heat suddenly rose in my heart.

A flame born from being fooled.

He unusually swore.

Damn it, I've been scammed.

That was a deceptively realistic illusion created by layers of murderous intent!

But this unpleasantness came very quickly.

Go fast too.

After concluding that "even if you know it's an illusion, you shouldn't gamble if it's a matter of life and death,"

She looked around the man's legs, within reach of his hand.

But the circle of fire is becoming increasingly distant.

The old man calmly lowered his hands.

"Although he was not knocked down."

"But the battle has failed, and it is my responsibility."

"The defeat in the battle was due to my misjudgment, which was the key to victory or defeat."

"Should we have one last chance before dark?"

He didn't answer.

Fang Yi lowered his longsword slightly.

The slightly dejected old man then gave a very objective evaluation of Fang Yi.

"It is truly unique, a skill that others cannot comprehend."

"Whether used in offense or defense, it has extraordinary value."

"In combat, especially when fighting alone."

The old man didn't finish his sentence.

Then the man's lips began to tremble from behind.

His steps were unusually heavy.

The young swordsman, still staggering towards the man, interrupted him.
-
Vaughn looked quite disheveled.

The longsword that was originally attached to the [Void Zero Remnant Handle] in his hand.

It has now transformed into a crutch to support the swordsman's movements.

For swordsmen who have not slain the Star Calamity to obtain the corresponding traits that allow them to use the Star Calamity equipment.

Theoretically speaking.

Even with the potion, he should have reached the limit of when he can use this equipment by now.

However, Vaughn did not release his longsword.

The young swordsman stubbornly leaned on his longsword.

Little by little, just like that.

She moved the swaying body in front of the man.

After struggling for a while.

She laboriously raised her longsword towards the man.

Like a child gently poking at an insect with a stalk of grass.

She launched a trivial attack on the man that could hardly be called an 'attack'.

With bright, piercing eyes.

He spoke weakly and listlessly.

"The battle is not over yet."

"Only if you knock me down will you lose a chance to make a move."
-
Looking at the scene before me.

Wo Yin, who had been sitting on the sidelines observing, remained silent.

This person is named [Silver Light Blade].

A swordsman who has witnessed and experienced countless battles.

All he did was turn his head away.

He stopped looking at the young swordsman.

Corey didn't say anything either.

The veteran picked up the shield.

He simply closed his only remaining eye with a hint of pain.

At this moment, his heart could no longer contain any emotions other than regret.

[This is absolutely terrible! A truly stupid and utterly wrong choice!!!]

I wish I hadn't been fooled by his illusions.

The old man squeezed the ring on his chest tightly because it was so old.

The handwriting on the officer's medal is no longer legible.

Corey, you idiot.

You've messed up again, just like the rout you caused after becoming general!

Meanwhile, Miss Kanroji was constantly throwing punches.

He also unusually stopped his punching motion.

She looked at the man.
-
Your understanding of "merging items" has deepened.

Hearing the exceptionally pleasant notification sound in his ears, indicating that he was one step closer to awakening his [Stand], he realized he had achieved his goal.

He watched as the swordsman, carrying his longsword, weakly thrust it towards him.

Fang Yi's smile did not disappear.

The man did not utter a word.

He simply and calmly extended two fingers.

He caught the longsword the swordsman offered, and then gently pulled it away.

He then seized the longsword.

Then, he extended a finger and flicked it at the swordsman's forehead.

The young swordsman was 'knocked down'.

While making it sit on the ground to 'force shutdown' and enter a short hibernation period.

Positive energy created by the long-unused [Reversal Technique - Enhancement].

It then invaded the swordsman's body.

With the blessing of [mysticism], the body was repaired extremely quickly and accurately.

After doing these things.

Fang Yicai deliberately lowered his head.

"Well, let's check the status of the fire ring, which is used to determine the outcome of the battle."

"They probably didn't cross it much."

Looking at the black marks on the cuffs of my trousers, a testament to the fire they had been exposed to, caused by the scorching.

The man scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly.

"hiss--

"Based on the current situation and the previous rules, it seems like I've lost?"

Snapped his fingers.

He manipulated the flames beside his legs to gather them into a long strip, which was then sculpted into a dragon.

Fang Yi then extinguished the flames with a single wave of his hand.

After taking a few steps, he turned his head and looked at Woyin not far away.

"Is that right, Captain Woyin?"
-
Looking at the footprints embedded in the bricks beneath the man's feet, and recalling the man's astonishing control, she...

Knowing that the man had probably used the [Silk Binding] technique to secretly move the fire circle, creating the illusion of failure, and was now blatantly lying.

After twitching his lips three times, Wo Yin composed himself before delivering the verdict.

"According to the pre-written rules, you are the loser in this battle."

"you need to."

Fang Yi listened calmly to the ruling.

He then turned to the old man and extended his hand.

"Then welcome back and rejoin my team."

"My teammates."

"It seems I really am not that strong."
"Then the guild will meet tonight. Meeting adjourned!"

The old man's eyes held a complex mix of admiration and appreciation, like a palette of colors.

She glanced at the man in front of her.

But he didn't say anything extra, just gave a flat reply.

"Yes, Captain."

Then he picked up Vaughn.

The swordsman's body swayed as if a bell were being rung.

After a few rounds, the swordsman groggily opened his eyes.

Looking at the old man and Fang Yi, who had already begun sparring with Wo Yin not far away.

After shaking his head slightly, the swordsman began a barrage of questions.

"We won? As planned?" "It doesn't seem so. I told you you had a problem with the plan."

"I did exactly what you said: 'Looking for opportunities' and 'attracting attention,' but..."

The veteran barely managed to suppress the urge to strangle the other man.

I take back what I just said. He's still that naive idiot, though he's barely a decent teammate.

As darkness fell, the [Guild]...

As the old man crushed the 'talisman stone' that granted him access to the dungeon.

The next moment, the people who arrived at the dungeon had not yet opened their eyes.

Take a look around at the surrounding environment.

Then I heard a song that sounded a little distant but very alluring.

(End of this chapter)