Heavy!
Getting heavier!
Every one of his opponent's strikes seemed to carry endless power, and with each clash, that power only grew!
The strength he'd always prided himself on was gradually coming under pressure. At first, they'd been evenly matched, but after dozens of exchanges, every time their weapons met, a distinct ache and numbness shot through his arms. His palms throbbed, and even his iron staff seemed to grow heavier by the moment.
His opponent, meanwhile, had been knocked back again and again by their head-on clashes, yet the boy's eyes only burned brighter. His momentum kept building, and the force behind his swings never let up!
Was this guy a monster?!
Fine beads of sweat appeared on Soichiro Yagyu's forehead. The trembling in his arms was becoming harder and harder to suppress.
He'd never imagined that, in the very domain where he was most confident, he could be driven so far by a young upstart!
That kind of strength was almost beyond human! Every clash felt like he was shaking a savage beast just beginning to awaken!
They exchanged another seven or eight blows.
Every time blade met staff, the impact erupted in a thunderous boom that made the heart quail.
Sweat now glistened on Soichiro Yagyu's forehead, and his breathing had grown ragged.
He felt as though he wasn't swinging an iron staff, but pushing against a mountain that kept growing larger.
His opponent's strength seemed endless. Even more terrifying was the increasingly weighty force behind each sword stroke. Every clash sent his blood and qi roiling, and the ache in his arms had spread to his shoulders. His fingers had gone white from gripping the staff too hard, and they stung with pain.
I can't let this go on!
Alarm bells rang in Soichiro Yagyu's mind.