Before the words had even faded, Ren saw Kocho Shinobu's attack speed increase even further. Her sword swung as fast as lightning, to the point where afterimages began to appear.
What was originally a single Nichirin Sword had now seemingly transformed into two, launching attacks from different directions like the sharp blades of a praying mantis. It was a mix of reality and illusion, truth and falsehood combined. Even though Ren's visual acuity was comparable to a Sharingan, he couldn't immediately distinguish which Nichirin Sword was real.
Seeing Kocho Shinobu thrust her blade toward his abdomen, Ren hurriedly swung his sword to block, but his heavy Nichirin Greatsword passed right through the sharp blade.
"It's an afterimage!"
Ren was startled. At that moment, the corners of Kocho Shinobu's mouth lifted into a faint smile. Her arms suddenly exerted force, and a sharp blade glinting with cold light thrust toward his face.
Reacting instinctively, Ren raised his sword to push away the Nichirin Sword stabbing at him. Fortunately, this time the blade wasn't an illusion, but the real thing.
After confirming it was the real body, Ren suddenly executed a horizontal slash, aiming to strike Kocho Shinobu.
In this sparring match between him and Kocho Shinobu, the victory belonged to whoever landed a hit first.
Although Kocho Shinobu's poison might not immediately immobilize him, it would affect his mobility. If that happened, he might not be a match for the agile Shinobu.
However, his attack power was terrifying. Facing a chop from his heavy sword, even if Kocho Shinobu could block it, her slender Nichirin Sword definitely wouldn't be able to withstand the monstrous force carried by the greatsword. It would shatter into countless fragments in an instant, resulting in Ren's victory.
And right now was the perfect opportunity to decide the winner!
Ren held his sword with one hand and slashed horizontally, the heavy blade sweeping toward Kocho Shinobu's waist. The fierce sword energy instantly whipped up a gust of wind that blew directly into her face.
"Eh? You want to decide the winner in one move? It won't be that easy! Insect Breathing, Butterfly Dance: Caprice."
Suddenly, Kocho Shinobu quietly spread her arms. Paired with her pink haori, she truly looked like a butterfly dancing gracefully in the wind at that moment.
She gently bent backward, easily dodging Ren's horizontal slash. Then, borrowing the momentum of the wind whipped up by the heavy Nichirin Sword's rapid swing, she retreated backward, easily creating distance between herself and Ren.
"Hehe, Ren, I think I've figured out your weakness! Insect Breathing, Mantis Dance: Phantom Flying Sickle!"
No sooner had she spoken than Kocho Shinobu leaped forward to attack again. The slender Nichirin Sword in her hand became a dazzling blur of afterimages, the eerie blade seeming capable of stabbing from any angle.
"Your fighting style involves wide, sweeping motions, relying on absolute force to break through all techniques. Although the destructive power of every move is astonishing, you are at a significant disadvantage when facing an agile enemy, especially when they get close to you—just like now."
As she spoke, Kocho Shinobu's offensive never ceased. Her Nichirin Sword, fast as a phantom, attacked frantically from all angles, forcing Ren to wave his sword in defense, unable to launch an effective counterattack.
Just as Kocho Shinobu said, his fighting style relied on wide, open strikes. Now that she had closed the distance, he couldn't properly unleash his techniques at all.
"Yeah, you're right. That is indeed my weakness, but..."
Suddenly, Ren looked up and chuckled softly. "I have no limits. I will overcome this weakness very quickly!"
He certainly wasn't shooting blindly. As he blocked Kocho Shinobu's attacks, the system's notification sounds were constantly ringing in his ears.
[The host is dodging attacks, training footwork, Speed +1]
[The host is dodging attacks, training footwork, Five Senses +1]
[The host is dodging attacks...]
While parrying Kocho Shinobu's assaults, his base stats were increasing bit by bit. For a moment, Ren's sword speed became faster, and he defended against her attacks with increasing ease.
"Ren, talking big to act tough is a bad habit. If you try to act tough in actual combat, you might end up dead long ago!"
While speaking, Kocho Shinobu's blade struck again, thrusting toward Ren's thigh with the force of a gale scattering clouds.
But this time, with his enhanced five senses, Ren was able to judge Kocho Shinobu's attack position in advance based on the trajectory of her Nichirin Sword before the strike even arrived, allowing him to react correctly.
This was somewhat like the 'Opening Thread' that Tanjiro could see, except Tanjiro could see the enemy's weak points, whereas Ren could see the enemy's attack positions—one focused on offense, the other on defense.
Seeing Kocho Shinobu's blade coming, Ren swung his sword at the first opportunity, knocking her Nichirin Sword upward and taking the chance to force her back.
"I'm not acting tough, Miss Shinobu. If I'm not mistaken, you're already tired, aren't you?"
"What..."
Kocho Shinobu was slightly startled upon hearing this. Just as Ren said, her breathing rhythm had begun to fall into disorder. She could sustain the attack for ten more seconds at most before she would have to stop, retreat rapidly, and maintain distance from Ren.
"Looking at your reaction, I guess I was right. The attack speed of the Mantis Dance is so fast that it places a huge burden on your stamina. I figured you wouldn't be able to maintain that attack rhythm for long, which is why I kept defending, waiting at my ease for you to exhaust yourself so I could seize the opportunity to counterattack."
Ren confidently voiced his guess, and Kocho Shinobu couldn't help but clap her hands.
"You're quite smart, Ren. You actually spotted the flaw in this move. However, you shouldn't have given me a moment to catch my breath. Now I can attack again."
As the Insect Hashira, her Insect Breathing had reached the state of 'Total Concentration: Constant', allowing her to maintain the breathing technique for extended periods.
In the short time it took to exchange those few sentences, her breathing had stabilized. Her rear leg suddenly exerted force, and she swung her sword at Ren once more. The Nichirin Sword flashed with cold light, creating a flurry of blade glints and sword shadows with irresistible force.
"Bring it on!"
Ren spun around, easily dodging Kocho Shinobu's first wave of attacks, and thrust his sword diagonally. At this moment, the heavy Nichirin Sword resembled a spear howling in the wind.
'So fast! He actually discerned my attack position. Is it not just his hearing, but his vision that far exceeds that of ordinary people too? Just like Kanao... In that case!'
Kocho Shinobu gritted her silver teeth. She twirled the Nichirin Sword in her hand and stabbed into the ground, kicking up a sky full of flying snow toward Ren.
"Hey, hey! Miss Shinobu, isn't this a sneak attack and playing dirty? How is this different from throwing sand in a fight?"
The sky full of snow came rushing at his face, directly obscuring Ren's vision and making it impossible for him to judge where Kocho Shinobu's Nichirin Sword would attack from.
"Hehe, I call this: all is fair in war!"
"Insect Breathing, Centipede Dance: Hundred-Legged Zigzag!"
Before her voice died away, Kocho Shinobu leaped up. The ground beneath her feet suddenly exploded as she moved forward in a winding path like a centipede. Simultaneously, her slender Nichirin Sword stabbed toward Ren from all directions, just like the legs of a centipede.
"All is fair in war, huh? Interesting. Watch my 'Sweeping Away a Thousand Armies'!"
As he spoke, Ren swung his sword continuously in a horizontal sweep. The heavy Nichirin Sword instantly whipped up spirals of hurricanes, sweeping out in all directions like a Shinra Tensei.
"Ah!"
With a delicate cry, Kocho Shinobu was blown away by the whirlwind like a kite with a broken string.
And right at that moment, the system's voice abruptly sounded in Ren's mind.
[Host continuously swung the heavy sword to whip up wild winds, successfully forcing the opponent back. Comprehended Wind Combat Technique: Whirlwind Flurry]
Hearing this, Ren was startled.
"A new combat technique!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]