Fantasy Libary 36

Title: Renzuru

*SWISH!*

As the sharp blade sliced through the air, the sound of shifting wind whistled through the arena. In an instant, the silvery-white tip of Senbazuru shot forward with lightning speed, aiming straight for Ark.

It was an incredibly precise attack, executed as Kirin closed the distance between them, moving at a speed that was almost unimaginable.

“Attacking head-on?”

Ark narrowed his eyes, his mind racing even as his body moved instinctively. He raised Ser-Veresta to intercept the incoming Senbazuru.

However, just as Ser-Veresta was about to clash with Senbazuru, Kirin suddenly pulled back her sword.

“Haah!”

With a quick flick of her wrist, she retracted her blade mid-swing, redirecting her attack with blinding speed toward Ark’s side.

“...!”

Ark’s body instinctively reacted again, narrowly avoiding the incoming blade that slashed from the side with the thinnest of margins.

But before the first attack could completely miss, Kirin pivoted her foot and body, causing the blade of Senbazuru to arc through the air. Without losing momentum or power, the attack curved back toward Ark, relentless as before.

*SHUA!* *SHUA!* *SHUA!*

The sound of Senbazuru slicing through the air echoed repeatedly as the silvery-white blade relentlessly attacked Ark, strike after strike, without pause or hesitation.

This was an unending chain of attacks. Each strike flowed seamlessly into the next, leaving no room for a reaction.

Ark attempted to parry. Several times, Ser-Veresta was raised to meet the slashes of Senbazuru. However, just as the two weapons were about to collide, Kirin swiftly pulled back her sword, avoiding the clash entirely. She then smoothly transitioned into the next attack, striking from a different angle, forcing Ark to keep dodging.

To the untrained eye, Kirin appeared to be swinging countless swords simultaneously, each blade creating overlapping arcs of light that ceaselessly rained down on Ark.

“Incredible!”

Dodging an upward diagonal slash aimed at the emblem on his chest, Ark exclaimed in admiration even as he immediately retreated.

“Don’t even think about running!”

Kirin, who had transformed from her usual gentle demeanor into someone entirely different, pursued him with fierce determination. Gone was her typical softness—replaced by an extraordinary fighting spirit and aggression. She continued her relentless assault, her blade darting from all directions with remarkable precision.

Strike after strike, then the next strike, and the next—Kirin’s attacks were not only fast, powerful, and precise; they also flowed into one another with incredible smoothness. Each attack triggered the next, creating a chain that showed no signs of stopping.

For Ark, it was like being trapped in an inescapable web of sword light. Surrounded on all sides, he felt as though he was being pushed into a corner with no way to escape, struggling in vain until the silvery-white blade finally struck his head.

“Here!”

Kirin leaped into the air, her petite body spinning like a top. The Senbazuru sword whirled toward Ark with devastating speed, slashing with cruel precision.

“Not so easy!”

Ark refused to wait for defeat, finally unleashing his power. A burst of star-like fragments erupted from his body, his Prana flaring at full strength.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

In the VIP seats, Julis’s eyes widened in amazement.

“That’s... an incredible amount of Prana!”

Beside her, Ayato’s expression turned grim.

As someone who prided himself on his extraordinary Prana, Ayato had never met anyone who could rival him in that regard—not even his sister or any of the Page Ones at Seidoukan Academy.

Yet today, he saw someone whose Prana might be on par with his own.

“Has he always had this much Prana?”

Even Claudia, who was usually calm, seemed surprised.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

Ark channeled a massive wave of Prana into his arm, concentrating it in his body. Then, with a deliberate motion, he raised his arm to meet Kirin’s descending attack head-on.

*CLANG!*

The sound of metal clashing reverberated as Ark’s arm collided with Senbazuru.

“What?!”

Kirin’s eyes widened in shock.

Prana could enhance attacks and defenses for Genestella, but its effectiveness was particularly notable in defense.

However, for someone to block her attack with bare hands—this was unprecedented.

How much Prana had Ark used to achieve this?

Kirin herself was a Genestella, and Senbazuru was an exceptionally sharp sword, renowned in history, its cutting power surpassing that of ordinary Lux. With its strength, even steel would be cleanly sliced.

Yet, her sword had been stopped—by flesh and bone.

“Now’s not the time to daydream!”

Ark’s voice reached Kirin’s ears just as the searing heat of Ser-Veresta swept toward her in a blazing arc.

*WHOOSH!*

Kirin leaped backward with all her strength, flipping her body several times in the air to evade the attack.

Even so, she couldn’t feel relieved.

“...My Renzuru has been broken.”

Kirin’s soft whisper drew a curious smile from Ark.

“So, that’s the Renzuru of Toudou School?”

The Toudou School was a renowned swordsmanship style in this world, founded during the Bakumatsu period as a modern innovation. The style specialized in one-on-one duels, earning it the nickname “Origami Crane” due to its elegant and precise techniques.

The school’s ultimate technique, Renzuru, embodied this philosophy: an endless, continuous chain of attacks consisting of 49 interconnected forms, creating an unending sequence of strikes. It was said that this technique had no limits or endpoints. No matter how the opponent defended or evaded, the attacks would continue until the opponent was completely overwhelmed.

Thanks to its widespread practice, Toudou-style swordsmanship was famous even in Asterisk, though few could master Renzuru. In fact, only one swordsman in the world had truly perfected it: Toudou Kirin, the heir of the Toudou family.

“By freely combining the 49 sequential forms, a Toudou-style swordsman can attack endlessly without pause.” Kirin explained, her clear voice echoing throughout the arena. “By leveraging subtle elements like breathing, distance, and even line of sight, they lock down the opponent’s counterattacks, creating a relentless situation that leaves no room for recovery. That is the essence of Renzuru.”

Her technique had once completely defeated the tenth-ranked Mist Witch, forcing her to concede without even a chance to retaliate.

“Once caught in Renzuru, there’s no way out. Even a former number one couldn’t escape it.”

Kirin’s tone carried a hint of respect.

“But you are the first to break free from it, Senpai... and in such an unexpected way.”

“You’re truly amazing.” She said sincerely.

Ark shrugged with a wry smile.

“Well, it’s all thanks to who I am now. If it were the old me, it would’ve been impossible.”

He wasn’t wrong.

Over the past month, Ark had absorbed the entire underground vault of Manadyte provided by Claudia. Although he could no longer rely on ordinary Manadyte to further strengthen himself, the vast supply had completely transformed him.

He was no longer an average student with mediocre abilities, unworthy of being noted in the Named Charts.

In terms of physical ability, Ark was now on par with anyone in the academy.

And in terms of Prana, while he might not surpass the extraordinary Ayato, the difference was negligible. Perhaps only Ayato himself could claim superiority over Ark in that regard.

That was why Ark dared to block Kirin’s attack with his bare hands—an action his former self would never have imagined.

Even so, this was extraordinary.