I took a straight-eyed stance and looked Dodriel squarely in the eye.
　He has a complicated smile on his face, a mixture of love and hate, with the tip of his sword pointed at you.

(I believe that sword was a ...... soul armor, the Shadow Ruler. ......)

　In spite of its humble appearance, its abilities are unmatched in power.
　It has the fearsome power to nullify all attacks from the target's shadow as long as it is stepped on.

(......, but surely that's not all (・・・・))

　(, but I'm sure that's not all ().) If it really is that powerful, then there's no reason for Leah and Rose to lag behind.

　They must be hiding something else, some unknown power.

(......Should we avoid close combat for now and wait to see what he does?

　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

I'm not sure what to do.　It's good that you two are looking at each other like this, but ....... I'm sure you're right.　Let's clash harder and harder. ......!

　I'm sure you'll be able to understand why.

I'm not sure what to do.

　I'm not sure what to make of it.

　But...

(...... visible!)

　It was as if time had stopped, and each thrust was clearly visible.

　I perfectly avoided the oncoming blade with minimal movement.

"The eight blades of the Yatagarasu!

　I began to counterattack with eight slashes.

"Hahaha ....... That won't work. ......!

　Dodriel cut off three of the slashes and stepped firmly on my shadow in the gap.

　At that moment - the remaining five slashes passed through Dodriel's body.

"Ah, the Shadow World. ......!

　His main body is now in a different world than this one due to the abilities of the Shadow Lords.

　If you want to break it, you'll need a blow of the "Breaking World" class. .......

(...... I'm sure he knows that as well as I do)

　And then.

I'm sure you're aware of that.　I'm not sure what to do.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

I'm sure it's .......

　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　The same technique will not work twice.

I'm not sure what to make of it.　I'm not sure what to do.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to be doing and how you're going to do it.

"......

　Sometimes I dodged them, sometimes I swatted them away, and sometimes I used my sword as a shield to protect myself.

"Gosh, you're so quick and nimble ......!

　Dodriel, who had blocked all of my slashes, let out a loud yell and slashed at me even harder.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.

(......Why are you always attacking with so many moves?

　Somehow, it ...... caught on.

　I went to the same swordsmanship academy as Dodriel for three years.
　So I know him as well as anyone. 　

(I believe he was a man who sought beauty in combat. ......)

　It's not like him to keep unleashing the same series of strikes like he is now (・・・・・).

　And then.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh ......!

　And then Dodriel, in a fit of rage, unleashed a massive uppercut.

"Sweet!

　He evaded the blow with his right side and found a gaping hole in the head in front of him.

　Here: ......!

I took a big step forward.

　When I took my first big step...

"...... ah!

　I'm not sure what to say.

　It's not a smile of madness, but a very intelligent smile.

(...... What's wrong?

　I don't know what's wrong with it.

　I don't know what's wrong with me, but there's a big gap dangling right in front of me.
　My sixth sense screamed at me that it was dangerous to jump at it.

　Trusting my instincts, I took a big leap backwards, and at that moment - a huge slash was unleashed from the shadow at my feet.

What?

　I stepped back and tried to evade the slash that rose to the sky.
　As a result, several of my bangs were cut off, but I was able to avoid it by the skin of my teeth.

(...... Oh, that was close.)

　If I had let go of the barrier, I would have been cut in half by now.

It's a shame ....... It was just a little too close to ......!　I'm not sure what to say.

　He lifted his mouth wide open and started laughing hysterically.

　It seems that all of the continuous strikes and the last big slash were just a prelude to the current blow.

I'm not sure what to do. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.



　I ignored his provocations and eccentricities and posed the question.

"......, did you just (・・・・) send a slash (......) flying?

　The place where Dodriel swung his sword and the place where the slash occurred are two very different things.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

"Correct, correct, correct, very correct ......!　It's a remote slash that my Shadow Ruler has. ......!

Remote Slash: ......?

Yes!　I can send a slash from my shadow to another shadow on the other side of the earth. ....... You see, just like this -- come on!

　And just when Dodriel swung his sword.

And then...

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not.

"Ah!

　I immediately unleashed a side-cutting blow to counteract the oncoming slash.

"Nice ability, huh?　And look at that, it's all cloudy today!　The clouds cast shadows, and now this is all my domain!　It's like God is giving me a boost. ......!

　He spread his hands wide and said with a big smile on his face.

I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I've been able to draw out the power of the ...... spirit armor for quite some time.

　It's a good thing that you're a genius swordsman,........
　I'm sure you'll agree that this is a great idea.

I'm not sure what to say. But I'm not happy with your praise,........ By the way, did you know that ......?　The more you walk through the border between life and death, the stronger your soul gear will become.

　I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that.

The more you walk the line between life and death, the stronger you become.　You mean you're about to die?

　I'm not sure what you mean by that.

"Yes, I do!　When you are mortally wounded and experience the space between life and death, between the material and the immaterial, ......!　The body and soul are more closely connected, and the soul gear shines even brighter.

"Oh, really?

　I have a few ideas about that.
　It's not that I don't like it, but I do.

(I thought that the experience of "winning against the strong" had given me confidence and made my sword sharper. ......)

　Apparently, there is a theoretical basis for this phenomenon.

While you're lounging around at the Thousand Blade Academy, ....... I've been on the battlefield all day, every day, ....... I've been running through the battlefield ......!　Crawling on the ground!　Slurping up muddy water!　Slashing people!　All so that I could take revenge on you for ruining my life. ......!

　Dodriel's face twisted in hatred as he ranted and raved.

(...... is broken.)

　His personality had been irreparably broken.
　This was probably triggered by the duel a year ago.

　Dodriel was defeated in front of a huge crowd he had gathered by me, a man of low rank whom he had ridiculed as a "failed swordsman" for three years.

　That's what hurt his delicate pride.

(From an objective point of view, it's a bit of a grudge match. ......)

　This is certainly a seed that I sowed.

　So, let's at least clean up the mess.

I'm not sure if you'll be able to slay me if you've been immersed in the lukewarm waters of the Academy of Swordsmanship,.......

　I'm sure you've heard of it.

I'm not sure if I can do it.

　I'm not sure what to make of that.

　He asks me a question, and I give him a short answer.

"Yes, I can cut.

　Then I swung down my pseudo-black sword, coated in darkness.

"What the ......?

　The blow cut through the World of Shadows and left a deep sword wound in his chest.

"Aaaaaaahhhh ......?　I'm not sure what to make of my ....... My own world is ......!

　Dodriel was more shocked than his chest wound that the shadow world had been destroyed by a single swing.

You can see from your sword that you've been through a lot in your life. But I'm also standing here, day in and day out, polishing my sword.

　Leah, Rose, Shidou-san, and Idra-san - there was no single opponent who was easy.
　Every single battle was a fight to the death.
　The days I've spent so far have not been lukewarm.

　I stared straight at Dodriel, and he stared back with bloodshot eyes.

I'm not sure what to say. I'm not sure what to make of it.

　I'm not sure what to make of it.

　It's a black, dirty, horrible force, an aggregate of tremendous negative power.

　He's probably going to use his full power to strike a blow and decide the game here.

Come on, Allen. ......!

Come on, ......!



　Their cries roared together, and Dodriel swung his sword.

"Die - Shadow Phantom!

　At that moment, a wave of shadow surged forward at an astonishing speed, like a turbulent current.
　It was an overwhelming violence of mass that swallowed the surrounding trees and debris.

　In response, I raised my sword to the top and swung it down with one thought.

"The Sixth Blade - Meigou!

　A huge slash covered in darkness rushed through the earth, upending it.

　And then-- the jet-black darkness and the empty shadow collided violently.

　A tremendous shockwave blew, and a huge crack appeared in the main school building.

　The next moment, when it seemed that the two sides were at odds, the darkness swallowed everything.

I'm not sure what to say. I'm not sure what to do.

　I'm not sure what to do, but I'd like to know what you think.

"Did you ...... do it?

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

...... You're a tough guy.

　I'm not sure if you've heard of it or not, but I have.

"Ha, ha, ....... I'm not sure what to say.

　It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

"...... It's over, Dodriel. The holy knight will be here soon. Until then, you'll have to be quiet.

　And the second I turn my back...

"Ah, ha, ha, ....... I'm not sure what to say, but I think it's a good idea. I'm not sure what to say, but I'm going to say it. I, you know ....... This is a great way to make sure that you are getting the most out of your money.

　This is a great way to make sure that you are getting the most out of your money.

I'm not sure what to say.

　You will find a lot of things that you can do to make your life easier.

I jumped back and took a straight-eyed stance.

　I'm not sure what to make of this.

(...... wounds are closing up)

　The black shadow connected the wounds and stopped the blood from flowing.

I'm not sure what to say. It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not, but it's a good idea.

It's a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for.

　It seems that the shadows also have the effect of improving physical abilities.

Shadows and Darkness: ....... You can find a lot of people who are interested in this kind of thing.　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea.

　It's a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your money.

The power of ....... I'm not sure what to make of it.

　The body was constricted by the shadows, and there was blood everywhere.

　It seems to be forcing its own cells to tighten up, forcing it to move beyond its limits.

"That's not true, ......!　This pain is good. ......!　It's the pain that makes us grow strong and tough!　Come on, Alaine, ...... grow up with me, ......!

　Dodriel smiled viciously and took an aggressive forward stance.

...... I'm sorry, but your 'growth' ends here today!

　I put on the densest darkness I've ever known, and took a straight-eyed stance.

　--And so the battle between me and Dodriel entered its final phase.