William 16

Title: Flash of Time

The usually empty simulation training room was now filled with First High students standing in the corners, all watching the two figures in the center.

Kousen held his CAD, [Night], in one hand, observing Tatsuya on the other side as he took out his CAD from its case.

“Tatsuya-kun, you always carry so many storage devices?”

“My processing ability is a bit lacking, so I have to rely on these.” Tatsuya said while assembling [Silver Horn].

In the corner, Hanzou let out a cold snort at Tatsuya’s words, further solidifying his opinion.

“Then, I’ll go over the rules again.” Katsuto acted as the referee, as his magic was well-suited for interrupting and protecting others if needed.

“The match lasts three minutes. Offensive magic above C-class is prohibited.”

“Physical combat must not target vital points, and magic can only be activated after I say start.”

“If there’s a rule violation, I’ll immediately declare a loss. Any objections?”

After speaking, Katsuto pulled an antique pocket watch from his pocket, set the timer, and shifted his gaze to the two.

Both nodded simultaneously, indicating they were ready and waiting for Katsuto’s command.

Tatsuya held two pistols, their muzzles slightly angled backward, knees bent, in a ready stance.

In contrast, Kousen appeared relaxed, holding his pistol with one hand, giving an overall nonchalant impression.

The crowd around the arena fell silent, and the spacious training room became quiet instantly.

“Start!”

The two moved the moment Katsuto spoke, accompanied by two whooshing sounds.

They seemed to swap places, merely exchanging positions.

“What’s with Kudou and Shiba? Did they both use acceleration magic beforehand? Wouldn’t that violate the rules?” Mari clearly didn’t understand their techniques.

Most of the onlookers shared her view, limited by their knowledge.

In contrast, Mayumi and Katsuto remained calm.

“Kudou likely used an ancient martial arts technique of the Kudou family called [Flash of Time].” Katsuto explained.

“As for Shiba, though I don’t know him well, it’s probably a type of martial art too!”

Katsuto didn’t take his eyes off the fight.

“Onii-sama was trained by the ninja master, Yakumo Kokonoe.” Miyuki added with a smile.

Mayumi nodded. “Oh, so he’s a student of Master Kokonoe. That explains it.”

“I’m not underestimating you, Tatsuya-kun.”

Kousen dropped his lazy demeanor, raised [Night], and fired a Psion beam.

Then he stomped his foot, and his entire body vanished from its spot.

The next second, Kousen appeared to Tatsuya’s right rear, his right hand forming a palm blade, slashing toward Tatsuya’s shoulder.

The Psion beam arrived simultaneously, targeting Tatsuya’s right thigh. The two attacks effectively blocked Tatsuya’s escape routes.

Tatsuya, of course, wouldn’t be defeated so easily by Kousen.

Just before the palm blade and Psion beam hit, his left leg kicked out.

His body tilted downward, his left hand braced against the ground, and his entire body floated horizontally in an ‘I’ shape.

Spinning, his heavy, powerful leg aimed a kick at Kousen’s waist.

However, that brief moment was enough for Kousen to activate his defensive magic, [Coral Stone], the lowest C-class defense spell of the Kudou school.

Though they were only using pure martial arts without physical enhancement, this spell was more than enough to block Tatsuya’s kick.

Tatsuya acted decisively. When his kick failed, he used the recoil to perform several backflips, distancing himself from Kousen.

Neither continued their attacks, instead locking eyes.

The onlookers were stunned by the intense fight. They had initially thought it would end quickly.

But who would’ve guessed it would look like a stalemate? After all, Kousen was a First Course student and the Kudou family heir.

His opponent was just a Second Course student with no notable family background. Of course, this didn’t mean they were disappointed with Kousen’s combat prowess.

Katsuto’s explanation of the [Flash of Time] technique alone was enough to prove Kousen’s strength.

Without any magic enhancement, relying solely on muscle strength and a powerful stomp to produce an effect akin to third-level acceleration magic showed the kind of training Kousen had undergone at his age.

But what shocked them was the Second Course student, Tatsuya.

Though Kousen appeared to dominate with his attacks while Tatsuya only passively dodged, both his initial acceleration matching Kousen’s and his perfect response to Kousen’s lethal attacks were remarkable.

They felt that in Tatsuya’s position, they wouldn’t last a moment, as they couldn’t react to such close-quarters combat once they moved.

Hanzou’s initially indifferent gaze shook as if hit by an earthquake.

From indifference, it turned to shock, then silence. After witnessing Tatsuya’s performance, he couldn’t ignore him.

Tatsuya’s display in this fight proved his superior combat ability, to the point that Hanzou didn’t want to admit he was inferior.

The brief pause didn’t last long; about half of the three-minute match time had passed. Though Kousen had tested that Tatsuya’s physical abilities were impressive, that alone wasn’t enough to see the full picture.

“Tatsuya-kun, though I can’t use powerful offensive magic, how about we end this fight after you block my final attack?”

Tatsuya nodded. The fight had already met his expectations, and there was no need to continue. Prolonging it would only reveal more about him.

So there was no need.

With [Night] raised, a bright green light gathered at its muzzle, the Psion mass growing denser over time, and a magic circle quietly formed in front of it.