"Come on, Ikki. Let's play your little game of hacking at each other." After the signal marking the start of the match sounded, Shinomiya Amane charged at Ikki with a slender sword gripped in both hands. Yet he was only slightly faster than an ordinary person, and there was no form at all to his swordsmanship—he was simply swinging wildly like any normal person would.
Against an opponent like that, Kurogane Ikki should have been able to win instantly with a single blow. Yet, surprisingly, Ikki received that strike with a grave expression. Not only did he not counterattack, he even took a step back.
"What is this?" A spectator cried out in dissatisfaction as Ikki kept retreating under Shinomiya Amane's wild swings.
"I can't believe such a childish fight has appeared in the Seven Star Sword Dance Festival. Isn't this just kids hacking at each other?"
"Strange. I can't sense any strength or technique in his sword, but Kurogane's expression is extremely serious." Toudou Touka watched the battle in the arena and spoke. As a disciple of Fighting God Nango Torajiro, Touka might not have matched Ikki in swordsmanship, but she still possessed considerable skill.
"Stella, what's happening?" Shizuku Kurogane immediately asked as she looked at Stella's solemn expression.
"Amane's movements are indeed clumsy, but the way he draws and withdraws his sword—every strike is flawlessly perfect. The trajectory and path of every sword stroke are incredibly precise, and every attack comes from an angle that's hardest for Ikki to handle. He can't counterattack easily now," Stella said gravely.
"Is that guy's swordsmanship really that good?" Although Shizuku did not practice swordsmanship, her brother was a swordsmanship prodigy, so she knew a little about it. No matter how she looked at it, Shinomiya Amane's attacks seemed casual and easy