With a thud, an exceptionally light footstep sounded, and the phantom vanished. It was the "Shrinking the Earth" activated from "No Rhythm".

“──!”

Shizuku gasped, but without hesitation, she surrendered her instincts and experience to the situation. Faster than she could think, her left hand, gripping the black knife, twisted to the right. Instantly, a hard impact resounded.

"So that's how it is... You are the trial. You are the trial I must overcome."

"It's too late."

She seemed to be saying that it was too late, whether it was the time of discovery or the action. While Shizuku was focused on the clash of weapons, the white scabbard swung across from Shizuku's blind spot.

Shizuku had known this move for a long time, deliberately clashing with her opponent's weapons, then striking with the scabbard from the blind spot created by the blade. This was a true Yaegashi-ryu sword technique—"Unclear Strike."

Shizuku used the pressure of the clash of weapons to try to evade it by leaping backwards with all her might, but—

『──「Breakthrough」.』

“Ugh!”

"So I said it was too late, huh?" the phantom said with a smile. Shizuku had no way to avoid her attack. Although she dodged the white scabbard, the phantom seemed to have anticipated it and delivered a powerful blow, striking Shizuku hard in the side.

Shizuku held her breath from the impact, and was sent flying like a marble. Her back hit the hard ground, and she rolled on the ground like a fish that had been pulled out of the water.

"Come on, enough greetings, the dream is over."

There was a hint of mockery in Phantom's tone.

Shizuku gritted her teeth and stood up despite her trembling body. The phantom declared to her coldly.

"This is reality, my (your) reality. Try to resist, I'll kill you (me) with my sharp knife, or else—you'll die here!"

Phantom once again unleashed her "no beat" technique, "shrinking the earth." Her ability to move at will, without preparatory movements, combined with the "speed of the ground shrinking," allowed her to achieve ultra-high-speed combat, invisible to the naked eye.

Shizuku endured the pain in her abdomen with her willpower while entering a world of super-speed.

A spark flew in the air for a moment.

The two Shizuku appeared back to back, performed the Zanshin movement, and then immediately turned around.

"disease!"

"drink!"

With brief shouts, they swung their swords. To slay their opponent, they poured all their killing intent into the jet-black and pure-white blades.

The two people appeared and disappeared, appeared and disappeared, each time stirring sparks in the air. The cold ice mirror space reflected the scene, creating a brief fantasy world.

Because relying solely on the straight-line "Shrinking the Earth" was not enough to determine the winner, the two of them used "Shrinking the Earth" again within the "Shrinking the Earth", maintaining ultra-high-speed direction changes, and even used the "Double Shrinking the Earth" that could accelerate even faster.

Only the sound of metal colliding and the sparks could prove the battle between the two.

The phantom slashed diagonally, but Shizuku dodged it by a hair's breadth.

However, the white sword that should have passed through was unconsciously exchanged with the white sheath in the phantom's left hand, and in an instant it turned into a horizontal slash.

──Eight-level Kage-style sword technique "Shanlan".

Shizuku took it with her black sword, and at the same time, she approached her opponent and delivered an elbow strike.

——Yaegashi's fluid technique "Thunderbolt".

Just as the elbow was about to hit the abdomen, the phantom used his elbow as a fulcrum, turned around like a revolving door, and then swung the knife diagonally at lightning speed.

——Yaegashi's sword technique "Flowing Water Sword".

Shizuku maintained her stride for the elbow strike and leaped forward to dodge.

Then, she immediately unleashed "Shrink the Earth"! Then "Double Shrink the Earth"! In an instant, she circled behind the phantom and gently thrust out the sheathed black sword. With a crisp swish, she swung with such speed, relying on her sword-drawing and the increased speed of her skills, that she unleashed a blow so intense that the flash of her sword was barely visible.

However, his opponent's moves were identical. At exactly the same time, with the same speed, he unleashed his sword-drawing technique, their blades colliding perfectly in mid-air.

With a clang, a sharp metallic wail sounded, and at the same time, a strong impact was transmitted to the attackers on both sides.

The weaker one is Shizuku, because Phantom used centrifugal force when turning, allowing Phantom to achieve a momentary victory.

Shizuku was pushed back slightly, her phantom eyes widening as she stalked forward with a ferocious grin. At the same time, she leaped slightly, then crossed her white sheath with the white sword held high above her head, like a cross of punishment.

——Yaegashi-ryu sword technique "Broken Sword".

This is a slashing technique that can be called a one-hit kill. First, the blade strikes the opponent's helmet, and then the sheath delivers a second blow, cleaving both the helmet and the head. This is one of the few powerful techniques in the Yaegashi-ryu style.

And that fierce and ferocious slash was mixed with a nightmare called fantasy.

“—『Flashing Light』!!”

“! —『Flashing Light』!!”

This is an absolute slash that requires the ability to interfere with space in order to defend against it.

Shizuku was already off balance, and she was well aware of the power of "Dan Dou". She knew that if she continued like this, even if she could block "Shinka", she would still be crushed by the attack.

Therefore, even though her heart was about to collapse with nervousness, Shizuku still used her skills desperately.

She took the white knife and tried desperately to neutralize it. Listening to the sound of the blade sliding, Shizuku concentrated all her energy and swung the black knife upwards with a reverse grip.

——Yaegashi-ryu sword technique, "Sound Blade Style".

It was a perfect counterattack. But perhaps it was also unpredictable. The phantom seemed to be familiar with Shizuku's movements. She was calm and composed, dodging the attack by a hair's breadth.

The phantom created distance with a gorgeous backflip that looked like play, which made Shizuku very angry.

Shizuku immediately gave chase. She was deeply displeased to see someone with her own face before her, and she wanted to end this trial as soon as possible.

"Do you want to escape like that again?"

"What did you say—"

The cold murderous intent was shaken by these words.

The phantom didn't miss this opportunity. Shizuku's steps slowed down, and the phantom suddenly approached her, grabbed her arm with one hand, and used the key points of Aikido to easily throw Shizuku out.

As Shizuku flipped over, her vision upside down, she instinctively used the black sword and scabbard to cross and protect her head. As expected, a sharp kick landed at the center of the intersection of the black sword and scabbard.

——Yaegashi's fluid technique "Mirror Thunder".

This move uses Aikido to throw the opponent into the air, as if putting them in a prison, and then attack them while they are unable to move.

My head was hit and everything went dark for a moment.

Shizuku barely managed to protect herself, tumbling across the ground. Besides the pain in her head and the shaky vision, what made her even more distressed was the words the phantom had spoken, which shook her heart and caused her heartache.

"It's so embarrassing."

Those were undoubtedly contemptuous words, as sharp as the blade of the white knife in the phantom's hand.

Shizuku wanted to protest, but for some reason she couldn't speak, and the other party didn't give her time to think about what to say.

The world of swordplay, a whirlwind of ultra-fast speeds, forged by two masters, unfolds once again. The two transform into a flash of black and white, their swordsmanship so powerful that even the wind doesn't notice it being cut.

In terms of pure swordsmanship, no one in this world could rival them. The two swordsmen's fierce battle was intense, their unique skills emerging one after another like a fire sale.

have equal shares.

Evenly matched.

This was the situation at first glance, but as time passed, the harsh reality began to emerge.

Whenever she saw the phantom's sharp eyes at such close range, Shizuku's mind would, for some reason, recall scenes from the past. It felt like a daydream.

The scenes that emerged like a slideshow were all the "knots" that Shizuku had been hiding deep in her heart. Now, they seeped out from the box locked deep in her heart, causing pain like a sharp nail piercing her heart.

Every time her heart ached, Shizuku's body also felt the pain bit by bit. This was because the sharp blade in reality was also leaving countless tiny wounds on Shizuku's body, and then tormenting Shizuku one by one.

The balance of power gradually collapsed.

“Drink aa ...

Shizuku gradually lost her mental composure, and the icy anxiety gradually grew. In order to drive away the anxiety, Shizuku shouted loudly and swung out a series of swift sword-drawing techniques. But after all...

"Ouch, your swordsmanship is messed up, huh?"

Shizuku instantly drew multiple black lines in the air, but the phantom easily dodged them, and not a single sword flash hit her.

Furthermore, the phantom pointed out that Shizuku's swordsmanship was disrupted for a moment, yet she still had the strength to strike back. With a slight sway of her upper body, she thrust her sword directly between Shizuku's brows.

「!?」

The phantom stepped forward, but her upper body moved backward in the opposite direction, disrupting her opponent's sense of distance. Shizuku was completely fooled by this move. Although she desperately moved her head to dodge, she couldn't completely avoid it, and a shallow cut was made on the side of her head.

However, it would be great if this level of injury could be cured...

——Yaegashi-ryu sword technique "Kasumi Piercing".

Unfortunately, Shizuku didn't have time to relax, because she knew that the move was a three-stage thrust.

Shizuku hadn't escaped the Grim Reaper's scythe yet. Her desperate attempts to evade it only caused her to lose balance slightly, and dodging the second and third thrusts was hopeless. So—

“! —『Breakthrough』!!”

Feeling her heart freeze, Shizuku pressed her scabbard against the ground before the second flash of thrust pierced through her.

The broken ice on the ground immediately turned into shotgun shells and attacked the phantom.

The phantom used its pivot foot as a starting point, and using the momentum of its forward steps, it turned in a circle, passing by Shizuku like a dance, its white ponytail floating gracefully in the air.

Shizuku took the opportunity to step forward and escape the phantom's attack range.

However, the phantom didn't seem to care much. She sheathed her white sword and sneered at Shizuku:

"It's a good thing he gave you that gift. If it weren't for that knife, you would have died seven times."

“Huff…”

This was clearly meant to tease Shizuku, but she didn't react. She remained silent, her shoulders heaving as she panted.

However, her expression was very bitter.

Was she frightened because of the shallow cuts, or because her swordsmanship was becoming less effective, or because her heart was pierced by the phantom's words (the sharp knife)?

The phantom looked at Shizuku with a malicious sneer on his face, a smile the real Shizuku could never imagine. The phantom unearthed all the negative emotions in his heart, laying them before Shizuku's eyes, his words taunting her with viciousness.

"Hey, are you in pain? Are you sad? Are you scared? Do you want to cry? You don't have to hide it, okay? Because I am you, I know everything. That's right, I know everything."

Fifteen minutes had passed since the battle began.

In this short time, Shizuku was already covered in blood. The blood from the wound on her forehead flowed down her cheek, flowed over her slender jaw, and dripped onto the ground, leaving blood stains.

In contrast, Shizuku's illusion remained spotless. Her pure white appearance made her look like a flawless girl.

The pure white Shizuku (phantom) claims to know everything about Shizuku, and then she proves her words with words.

As if Shizuku herself was speaking from the heart—

"Actually, I don't want to learn swordsmanship at all. I'd rather wear cute, frilly clothes than gi or kimonos. I don't want a bamboo sword, I want cute dolls and shiny accessories!"

“…Stop talking nonsense.”

Shizuku first picked up a bamboo sword at the age of four, having been taught by her grandfather. As the head of the Yaegashi family, whose family inherited the ancient swordsmanship of the Yaegashi-ryu, he must have let Shizuku hold the bamboo sword just for fun.

Unfortunately, Shizuku, who was only four years old, showed a talent for swordsmanship.

──Shizuku! Amazing! You have talent!

Grandfather always had a stern face. I had never seen him smile so happily before or since. At that time, Grandfather smiled and touched Shizuku's head. Shizuku still remembers his smile.

So Shizuku took up her bamboo sword and made kendo and swordsmanship a part of her life. Her grandfather, her father, and everyone at the dojo all praised her talent, celebrating it as if it were their own. Young Shizuku, understanding the expectations placed on her, diligently studied swordsmanship, never complaining.

But, actually, she...

"When Guanghui came to my house, I thought it was the prince. He said, 'I will protect Shizuku too,' right? I believed that if it were him, he would treat me like a girl, protect me, and obey me in everything. But... "

"Stop talking nonsense."

Shizuku gritted her teeth, frowned, and rushed forward at lightning speed, drawing her sword to attack.

The "Flashing Light" that cut through space drew a trail in space, trying to cut through its own phantom...

But as expected, it was easily and naturally offset by the white tracks that all drew the same trajectory.

Shizuku refused to give up, as if to slash through the darkness, slashing straight, slashing diagonally, scooping upwards, sweeping sideways, Shizuku gathered all her skills and launched a slashing attack. However, each was blocked, dodged, and taken. Seizing the split second of weakness to counterattack, Shizuku only suffered more injuries.

Just like that, unknown emotions dripped from the wound along with the blood.

"All Kouki brought me was jealousy from the girls. Ever since elementary school, Kouki had been gentle, considerate, and full of justice. Nothing was too much for him, and he was always the center of attention. Back then, I had short hair, simple clothes, and only knew how to fight with a sword. I had no idea what to say about girls, and the girls couldn't stand me standing next to Kouki."

Despite the intense fight, painful memories of her elementary school days came back to Shizuku's mind.

At that time, in order to practice sword, she cut her hair short and wore simple clothes. In addition, her appearance was more like a pretty girl than a cute girl, so she was indeed far from a cute girl.

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