Popularity is everything; I play a super genius

In fact, she's no less impressive than I was back then.

You're the first guy to force me to use this move.

As soon as he finished speaking, Seigen Kamishiro made a strange gesture—

He slowly and solemnly sheathed the gleaming, cold-looking sword, "Wuxiang Sword," back into its scabbard.

Then, grip the hilt of the sword tightly.

"This sword is named—"

"Final performance".

"Clatter, clatter—!!"

The moment he drew his sword again, the seemingly ancient and sturdy scabbard shattered under the strain, its surface revealing countless spiderweb-like cracks.

Then, with a loud "bang," it shattered completely, turning into countless metal fragments that scattered in all directions!

The previously restrained cold light on the sword suddenly surged, as if it had broken free from all constraints.

A terrifying sword intent, sharp and unparalleled, seemingly capable of severing everything, soared into the sky!

The pale fungi and twisted plants around them withered and shattered silently under the pressure of this sword intent!

"Once this sword is used, the scabbard will be destroyed. The scabbard itself is also a superior Echo Creation."

Shinjiro Seigen's voice was cold, and his face bore the sorrow of sacrificing something precious.

"You should be proud to die by my sword."

"Saki, run!"

Ruri seemed to understand the terror of Shindai Seigen's sword strike, and cried out in alarm, desperately trying to warn him.

But it was impossible for Saki to escape.

Ruri overestimated Shindai Seigen and underestimated Saki.

The battle between the two was never an equal one, but rather—

One-sided crushing.

Sensing the completely different, several times more dangerous aura emanating from the other party, Saki finally abandoned his nonchalant attitude and sighed softly.

"Sigh... I originally wanted to capture you alive, but since you're determined to die... there's nothing I can do."

"what?!"

Hearing Saki's arrogant words even as he faced death, Shinjiro was completely enraged.

"What a joke! I admit, among your peers, you might be considered a genius, one in a million. But with your current strength, you have absolutely no chance of winning against my sword!"

"Oh?"

Saki tilted his head slightly, a hint of amusement in his voice beneath the mask.

"You haven't even witnessed me using my full strength, so how can you presume to conclude that I... just now used my full strength?"

I'm afraid you don't know, so I'll just tell you anyway.

Compared to stepping on an ant and killing it, controlling the force to step on an ant without killing it is quite difficult.

Saki's tone was relaxed, as if she were sharing an interesting little-known fact.

"And I was just playing along with you under those very conditions."

Alright, time for playing house... is over.

As Saki Jaku strikes a pose, he delivers his lines.

The chat was buzzing again:

"It's harder to step on an ant than to kill it!"

"Hilarious! Where did all this witty talk come from!"

"Hey streamer, get serious during the battle! (laughs)"

"I admit, when it comes to trash talk, you're better!"

"You...you...bastard—!!!"

In the trash talk segment, even the arrogant Shindai Seigen had to admit, with great frustration, that he had lost, completely lost, and suffered a crushing defeat!

But this also completely ignited his anger.

"You smart-talking brat, die already!!!"

With a roar, Shinjiro Seigen's figure seemed to merge with the sword light.

It transformed into a streak of light that was both dazzling and dangerous to the extreme!

Man and sword became one, shooting towards Qi Ji with several times the speed and power of before!

Wherever the sword passed, the air emitted a shrill whistle, and the ground was plowed with deep furrows by the invisible sword energy!

This sword strike embodies all his echoes, killing intent, and even the absolute explosive power gained from sacrificing the scabbard!

That was the strongest blow he had ever delivered in his life!

He has absolute confidence!

For Echoers below the third rank who cannot use armor, being struck by such a sword is certain death.

The outcome is decided!

Shinjiro seemed to already see the scene of Saki being pierced through the heart by a sword, his blood splattering across the sky.

however--

Just as his sure-win sword was about to touch Saki's chest.

Saki's figure blurred slightly for a moment...

Just like a poorly received image, there was a momentary distortion and ghosting.

Then--

The sword pierced through.

It was like piercing a phantom bubble.

He poured all his energy into his sword strike, only to strike empty air.

"How is this possible?!"

The pupils of Shigenori Kamishiro were so shocked that they shrank to the size of pinpoints for a moment.

Just as shocked as him was Liuli, who was rushing over despite the excruciating pain.

She knew that Qi Ji was very powerful; she had already heard all sorts of monstrous rumors about this guy back in the preparatory school.

But what she saw with her own eyes at that moment was still far beyond the girl's comprehension.

Even though I knew Saki was powerful, I never imagined that Saki was this powerful!

……

This scene, which defied all reason, filled Shinjiro Seigen with immense horror.

Is it an afterimage?

Do not!

The sensation from the sword told him that something had indeed "existed" there just now!

—It is "blurring between reality and illusion".

In that instant, Saki used the echo engraved on the [Miracle Surface] to put himself into a superposition state of "both existence and non-existence", perfectly avoiding this fatal sword strike!

Although it was only for a brief moment, it was enough.

When Shinjiro Seigen's all-out attack missed, his body was propelled forward by inertia, leaving his center wide open and exposed.

The blurry figure of Qi Ji, having dodged the sword's edge, solidified again in the next instant and crashed into his arms like a meteor.

Saki did not use any fancy moves.

He simply raised his arm and bent his elbow.

Then, facing the taut abdomen of Seigen Kamishiro—

A powerful elbow strike came down!

"puff!"

A dull, teeth-grinding sound, like leather tearing.

"Ugh—!!!"

Seigen Kamishiro's eyes bulged out suddenly, and his face instantly contorted into a purplish-blue color due to unimaginable pain.

"Bang—!!!"

Like a tattered sack hit head-on by a speeding train, Seigen Kamishiro's body folded into a terrifying arc, gushing blood mixed with shattered internal organs, and flew backward more than ten meters.

It crashed heavily into a huge tree.

"Uh... Hehe..."

His body convulsed unnaturally, and each breath brought out a large amount of bloody foam.

On his deathbed, his eyes were still filled with incomprehension and disbelief.

Saki gently patted the dust off his body, which wasn't actually there.

She walked up to him and slowly squatted down.

"So you... are that weak?"

His voice came through the mask, very calm, but at this moment it sounded more mocking than any other words.

"I thought you would be stronger than I imagined."

It's really... boring.

I'll probably forget about you by tomorrow.

……

……

Chapter Seventeen: Delivering a Victory Speech

"Impossible... Absolutely impossible..."

Seigen Kamishiro collapsed to the ground, still unable to believe it even in his dying moments.

"My final strike, the Kamishiro family's final strike... how could I possibly lose..."

Qi Ji looked at the other person's unseeing, lifeless expression and found it somewhat amusing:

"Your lousy swordsmanship is so bad, you can't lose?"

"It! Cough cough! It... is not a broken sword technique! I... have never let it lose."

Shinjiro stared intently at Saki, his blood-stained face a testament to the pride he had earned through over a decade of swordsmanship.

"But now, you've lost."

"Yes, I...I lost..."

Realizing that what Sakichi said was true, the last glimmer of resentment in Shigenori Kamishiro's eyes slowly faded.

His last words before he died were—

"I have disgraced the final sword strike."

As Shinjiro Seigen was instantly defeated by Saki Seki's elbow, comments flooded the screen:

"Hilarious! Your final sword strike doesn't look good to me either."

"A single elbow strike is more valuable than a single, solid strike!"

"Crushing! Instant kill! That's right, that's the kind of teeth I want to see!"