The two moved to their corners, wiping sweat from their brows.
"Looking good! You're landing some solid body shots! When you get inside, keep pounding away!"
"Yes!"
"But even though you've got the damage advantage, it doesn't mean anything against Vivio..."
"You're so right! If I let my guard down for a second, a counter will come flying at me!"
After rehydrating, she stood up.
"It's really scary... but it's also fun! And it'll be even more fun if I win! So for the next round, I'm going to try 'Blade Draw'!"
On Vivio's side.
"Wow! Miura's amazing! Her movements are so fast, and her attacks are so heavy!"
"Yeah, I know. I can feel it just by watching. I thought I blocked them cleanly, but my life is still getting chipped away."
Chrono massaged Vivio's hands. They were arms that had taken many heavy blows. Even if they were fine now, the cumulative damage would eventually slow her down.
While using magical powers for support was prohibited, this level of support was allowed.
"But I'm getting used to her movements. And Chris is doing a great job! She won't be able to chip away at my life from now on!"
"...Well, if 'Blade Draw' comes out, you'll have to use that, but the basic plan is the same."
"Okay!"
"You can do it!"
In the stands, the crowd was also reflecting on the first round.
Hayate and the others were talking about the two fighters.
"You could compare the two of them to a high-firepower type and a high-mobility type in aerial combat—but both of them have a single move that can end the match."
Miura had "Blade Draw," and Vivio had her signature counter uppercut. One was an attack that forced its way through a fighter's life, and the other could put an end to the fight no matter how much life was left.
"I feel bad for Vivio, but Miura is going to win."
"Exactly!"
Signum and Agito were sure of Miura's victory.
Miura was never a naturally gifted fighter. When she first came to the dojo, she was clumsy and struggled just to keep up with the training.
But a few months after she joined, everyone noticed the raw talent sleeping within her.
She had embraced every effort and every training session needed to turn that raw talent into a true gem.
The result of that effort was a hammer-like fist and a slashing kick that could overwhelm even top-ranked fighters.
Signum and Agito's confidence came from having seen her efforts firsthand.
"Honestly, Vivio-chan is in a lot of trouble if Miura uses Blade Draw."
Mikaya, who was a little farther away, also had a serious look on her face.
"Vivio-chan's defensive power is about the same as mine. In my case, I could use my 'Drawn Sword Technique' to defend and counter against Blade Draw, but..."
"Vivio doesn't have that."
"Blade Draw" could cut through an opponent's fine techniques. It was impossible to generate enough power to deflect a concentrated magical blow.
But she didn't believe Vivio was finished yet.
"Alright, Vivio-chan. How will you overcome this predicament?"
The two stepped into the ring, and the second round began.
The bell rang, and immediately.
"Here I come, Star Saber!"
"Miura activates her concentrated attack, 'Blade Draw'! Vivio uses her flashy footwork to evade—can she get away from it!?"
Her stance was like that of a samurai drawing a sword. She lowered her hips and tensed her body to the limit.
"I'm coming!"
"I'll meet you head-on!"
Miura became a blur.
"Blade Draw—Swallow!"
With lightning-fast footwork, she was already in front of her.
"Haaaaaaah!"
She kicked through her opponent's crossed-arm defense.
"Blade Draw - Swallow explodes! Vivio is sent flying, but...?"
Vivio was still standing in the same stance she was in when she took the blow.
"Phew!"
"...!?"
She didn't get a crash, and her life only went down by 10%. For a fatal blow, this result was too strange.
"Vivio successfully defends! Was she already prepared for Blade Draw?!"
"Nice timing, Chris!"
Vivio thanked her partner.
"It looks like your defense has gotten a lot stronger since I last saw you."
"It has! Vivio's been practicing this move so much."
"She's been waiting so well."
The crowd was getting hyped.
"That's awesome! I can't believe she defended against that attack!"
"Of course she did. She's been practicing against me."
Kuro scoffed from the corner.
"She concentrates her magic at the very moment the opponent's attack hits, using defensive magic to block it while also using offensive magic to deflect it."
It was like a just-guard in a fighting game. It was a defensive move that could greatly reduce damage if the timing was perfect.
But it also came with a risk: if the timing was even a little off, it would fail completely.
The technique was developed for attacks that Vivio's "eye" couldn't evade.
"Vivio's 'eye' and Chris's defense-focused style is what makes 'Sacred Defender' possible."
As long as Vivio could see her opponent's attacks, it would be difficult to deal any significant damage.
"...Star Saber!"
"Oh?! Miura cancels her Blade Draw stance!"
"Huh? Miura, are you done with Blade Draw?!"
"Ah, no! It's just that you defended against it so well...!"
Despite being in the middle of a match, the two were talking as if it were a break.
"I've decided that now isn't the right time to use it! I still have so many techniques I want to show you!"
"You do?! I do too! I still have moves and magic that I haven't used yet!"
Laughing, they both got back into their stances.
"Bring it on! I'll cut down anything you throw at me!"
"Yes! I'll bring it to you!"
The truth was, the Blade Draw state couldn't be maintained for long. With the performance of Sacred Defender still unknown, she decided it was impossible to wear down the energetic Vivio.
And this was true for all concentrated magic: it was at its most powerful in the final moments of a match.
There were two reasons for this. The first was the magic's nature.
Since it gathers scattered magic, it's more powerful after a lot of magic has been used.
The second was a matter of feeling. The power of a Blade Draw infused with the resolve of a final blow was on a different level.
Even though she had defended against it once, it was a lot of pressure for Vivio.
But at the same time, it was also the joy of competing with a strong opponent. Miura, who had her Blade Draw defended, felt the same way.
"I'm going all out with my magic attacks too! Sonic Shooter: Phantom Shift!"
Switching up her fighting style, the two continued their battle.
"Sonic Shooter... FIRE!"
Vivio's magical glow was an unusual rainbow color. The magical bullets she created were also rainbow-colored.
What looked so beautiful as it floated in the air was fired toward Miura.
But she wasn't so naive as to take a direct hit from a frontal projectile.
She deflected them with well-timed blows, and in that opening, Vivio circled around her and delivered the real attack.
"Divine Buster!"
"!"
Miura took the damage, was blown back, and then efficiently regained her balance with a forward roll.
"Haaaaaaah!"
As if to return the favor, she gathered magic in her left palm and formed a bullet.
"Blazing—"
She casually tossed it,
"Comet!"
And kicked it.
But it wasn't aimed directly at Vivio. It landed on the floor and caused a massive explosion.
"(An explosive projectile?!) Ugh...!"
Along with the damage, the dust physically blocked her vision.
Miura came bursting through the dust.
A powerful blow landed on Vivio's body, but she minimized the damage with her pinpoint defense.
However, this was Miura's range. After taking many blows, Vivio's guard was broken.
"Take this!"
"Haaaaah!"
Vivio prepared a counter magic bullet to match Miura's kick, but the kick was a feint.
"Hah!"
"!"
The magic bullet she was holding in her hand was deflected, and a powerful kick landed in the unprotected space.
A heavy sound, different from the others, echoed.
"~~~!"
The timing was completely thrown off, and the Sacred Defender failed.
Vivio had been focused on her pinpoint defense and hadn't set up her defensive magic. She lost 30% of her life with that one blow.
Sensing an opportunity from the feeling of the blow, Miura closed the distance.
"Tch!"
This time, it worked.
Vivio, who had evaded the assault, created distance and fired a magic bullet.
"Seiyah!"
There were only three at first, but they split mid-flight and finally rained down 15 shots, filling up every escape route.
Hidden among the many bullets were two that Vivio was controlling with her will.
They hit the back of Miura's head, who was guarding her front.
"Phantom Smash!"
As Vivio cried out, a bullet flying low suddenly shot up. It connected squarely with Miura's chin.
She suffered a crash from the concussion, and her legs gave out—but she managed to stay on her feet.
Still, clenching her teeth and standing was all she could manage.
"(M-my vision is blurry...! Are my feet on the ground?!)"
Even in such a favorable situation, Vivio couldn't follow up.
"(It's hard to breathe! I want to sit down and rest right now...!)"
Both of them had taken a lot of cumulative damage. No matter how much willpower they had, no matter how much grit, it was an unavoidable reality.
"(But even so!)"
The two of them, having caught their breath, were still smiling.
"We can still go on!"
"Both fighters charge again!"
Although their momentum had dropped a bit from the damage, the sharpness of their fists hadn't changed.
"(It's okay if she dodges. It doesn't matter if her guard is solid! If my limbs can reach her—I'll break through any defense!)"
"(I have to read her. No matter how powerful the attack is! If I can react properly, Chris will definitely defend it for me! So I'm not scared. I'll move forward! I'll move forward!)"
The exchange of blows, each using their strengths, was reminiscent of the first round.
The magical battle was also a sight to see, but the close-quarters combat was what got the crowd most excited.
And with neither of them able to land the finishing blow,
"The second round is over! It was another intense back-and-forth!"
They returned to their corners.
It was a great match, with neither side giving an inch, but Vivio was at a disadvantage in terms of damage.
If she ran out of stamina, her footwork would be killed. Her new "Sacred Defender" technique wasn't perfect. She was taking damage in unexpected ways.
"That's why it would be a perfect trap for us if she hated the striking and backed off. That way, we could attack from a distance with Blade Draw."
Miura shook her head at Vita's words.
"Vivio won't back down. She'll definitely come forward!"
Her guess was spot on.
On Vivio's side, Kuro, thinking this would be the final round, was diligently massaging her hands.
"Of course I'll go forward! I haven't even shown my final special move yet!"
"I know, I know. Just don't talk and focus on recovering!"
Time was up. The two of them stepped back into the ring.
"You can take her this round! Go on the offensive!"
"Yes!"
"Don't rush; just land your counters!"
"Okay!"
The third round began.
"A clash! Here we are! An intense striking battle in the center of the ring!"
A frontal exchange of blows. Both of them knew the end was near, so they were trying to enjoy this moment as much as possible.
"(Yes. This is what it's all about!)"
"(We're magical fighting athletes, but more than that, we're martial artists!)"
When their life points dropped to a certain level, they would unleash their special moves. When that time came, the fight would quickly lean toward one side.
But until then, they wanted to enjoy this fight with a "worthy opponent."
"(A clash of 'Strike Arts' is the most fun—and it brings out the best in both of us!)"
Since the match began, the smiles never left their faces.
No matter how tough it got. No matter how painful the attacks were. They never lost their smiles.
"Neither side is backing down! They're pushing each other back!"
Vivio's life was at 10%. Miura's was a little higher at 15%. A powerful blow was well within the range of finishing them off.
Furthermore,
"Round 3, 1 minute and 30 seconds left—"
The timing was perfect.
The moment had come.
"I'll finish this here, Star Saber!"
It was Blade Draw.
The leg protectors unfolded, exposing the insides, but that wasn't all. Her arm protectors also unfolded, exposing their insides.
"'Blade Draw - Four Heavenly Swords'!"
This was Miura's trump card, knowing this was the moment of truth.
A full-power, concentrated blow that could be fired from either her hands or feet. She intended to break through Vivio's Sacred Defender.
"Heavenly Breaker Form."
A magic circle formed at her feet, and the magic concentration began. The entire arena shook from the magic.
"Miura activates Blade Draw! Four swords, from both hands and both feet, are unleashed!"
A different announcement came in, unlike the excited announcer.
"Ring area, reference magical value exceeded. Outer ring protection field, strengthening to emergency level. Seconds and referees, please be careful of the shockwaves."
At the warning-like announcement, the crowd's cheers turned into murmurs.
Kuro raised her voice.
"Vivio!"
"I'm fine!"
Vivio was unfazed. She stared at Miura, who was gathering many times more magic than herself, as if she had seen this before.
"Sacred Defender: Full Drive!"
Vivio didn't have the technique for concentrated magic. All she could do was use her remaining magic to fight.
"(No matter what the attack, as a counter-type fighter, there's only one thing I can do. 'Strike without being struck.' Block, parry, get inside—) Accel Mode!"
She focused all her concentration on the Sacred Defender. All the attacks from this point on would be fatal. She couldn't afford to have her timing thrown off.
And in the opening that came after she endured,
"I'll land a blow that'll take her out!"
She took her stance.
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