Chapter 339: You Almost Won

Chapter 339: Chapter 339: You Almost Won

The synthetic voice announced loudly, devoid of emotion, while millions of pairs of eyes were fixed on the ruined arena.

SWOOSH~

The moment the battle began, Miyamoto Genichiro exploded into motion.

He had a lean figure, standing just under six-foot-one. He wore a white Combat Suit and held a Silver Sharp Sword that radiated a cold light.

WHOOSH!!

The only sound was the rushing wind, and in that instant, he became a phantom, melting into the surrounding gale.

With a flick of his Silver Sharp Sword, he executed his Swordsmanship. A storm of afterimages rained down, enveloping Lin Qi.

Wisps of cyan Power coated the blade. Each swing produced a sharp whistle, as if slicing the very air apart.

Gale Swordsmanship—Sudden Squall!

With the very first move of the match, Miyamoto Genichiro displayed his astonishing speed.

His entire being seemed to turn into wind, unleashing one Wind Blade after another.

He possessed speed on par with Havier’s!

At the same time, Lin Qi shot out like a bolt of black lightning. He executed his Body Technique, Thunder Shadow Instant Kill Step, blasting forward in a straight line.

BOOM!

The ground shook. Cracks spiderwebbed across the concrete pavement as rubble danced into the air.

Lin Qi gripped his spear with both hands, his entire body vibrating with intense motion. His Power condensed and surged like a Spiritual Snake, and the spear’s shaft let out a low BUZZ.

Facing the incoming tide of sword afterimages, his entire body felt like it had been set ablaze.

He swept out forcefully with his Black Great Spear, like a Black Dragon emerging from the sea, carrying the momentum of Sweeping Thousand Soldiers.

WHOOSH!!

As the Black Great Spear swung out, it felt as though the very air was brutally torn open.

BANG!!

CLANG!!

In an instant, sword and spear collided with perfect precision, and the air crackled from the impact.

The moment they collided, Lin Qi felt a Power like a Wind Blade surge up the shaft of his spear.

It was as if this Power had no physical form; it seeped in from everywhere and could even manifest its own Sharpness.

Like a Gale, it was omnipresent yet capable of inflicting considerable damage.

His Mountain Shaking Power could only block a portion of it, but the force was as fluid as the wind, stabbing at him from all directions.

Not only that, it was as if Miyamoto’s Special Ability hadn’t been banned; the fierce gales themselves had become his weapons.

It was like countless Wind Blades scraping across his face, and his eyes were targets as well.

He felt a sharp pain in his eyes, as if they were being scraped by tiny knives.

Now he understood what Miyamoto Genichiro’s previous opponents must have felt.

From the very first exchange, he knew that Xiang Long would have been no match for Miyamoto Genichiro.

’He’s so strong!’

Miyamoto Genichiro, for his part, was also shocked.

’I attacked with my full strength. This is my top speed. My speed has reached 68.5 meters per second, and the Sword Net I cast makes it impossible to tell the real blade from the fakes in an instant. But not only is Lin Qi incredibly fast, he even blocked my Sword Technique directly with that Great Spear. And that’s not all. The moment we collided, an immense Power washed over me, like a super-heavy steel armored vehicle on a rampage. The Power rampaged through my arm, making it go numb. I had to use my own Power to perform a Force Discharge and disperse it.’

TAP! TAP!!

His body stumbled back several steps involuntarily.

Miyamoto Genichiro frowned. Now he understood why Lin Qi’s other opponents had been defeated.

His brain worked at high speed, and his powerful Combat Talent allowed him to analyze a path to victory in an instant.

’I’m no match for him in a head-on clash!’

’I need to play to my strengths and avoid my weaknesses, fully leveraging my advantages!’

’I have to find that one sliver of a chance to win!’

SWOOSH!

With this thought, he turned and activated his Body Technique, melting into the strong wind and darting toward the ruined buildings.

WHOOSH!!

Seeing this, Lin Qi immediately brandished his Black Great Spear and gave chase, charging into the fierce wind.

The arena was a field of ruins, littered with the dilapidated remains of buildings, cars, tanks, and armored vehicles.

In the previous battles, only a few contestants had chosen to use the terrain to their advantage.

This had been the case in Lin Qi’s fights as well; both sides had always engaged in direct confrontation on the open concrete pavement.

In other words, most of the contestants were proud prodigies who disdained using such tactics.

They considered it shameful.

But this opponent, Miyamoto Genichiro, was different. For the sake of victory, he was willing to swallow his pride and use the terrain. This alone made him stronger than many other contestants.

「In the high-level leadership gallery.」

In the spectator stands for Japan, a middle-aged man in a black and white robe nodded as he watched Miyamoto Genichiro’s actions:

"As a Martial Artist, for the sake of victory, you must use any means necessary."

"Everything is for the sake of victory!"

"If you have a terrain advantage, why not use it?"

A middle-aged man with a round face and small eyes beside him also nodded and said with a smile:

"That’s right. Mr. Genichiro practices the Black Gold Eagle Evolution Method and possesses an unparalleled Affinity for the wind."

"His Awakened Special Ability is [Gale]."

"His Sword Technique Secret Manual is the Gale Swordsmanship, and his Body Technique Secret Manual is the Wind Shadow Step."

"He’s a Martial Artist who is like the wind itself."

"All-pervasive, ever-changing like the wind, and possessing an incomprehensible flexibility."

"With such an advantage, he might just be able to defeat Lin Qi of Xia Country and successfully advance!"

The other leaders nodded as well. Japan was known for its preference for unorthodox methods.

Miyamoto Genichiro embodied this philosophy perfectly.

...

「Meanwhile, in the Xia Country leadership gallery.」

Everyone was calm, shaking their heads as they watched Miyamoto Genichiro rush into the ruins.

"A clever move, but it will only delay his defeat!" Wu Yueze, the leader of the First Institute, said with a shake of his head.

In their eyes, the outcome of this battle had been decided from the very beginning.

They just needed to sit back and enjoy the process of Lin Qi’s victory.

...

「In the ruined arena.」

SWOOSH~ SWOOSH~

BANG! BANG!!

Like a bolt of lightning, Lin Qi brandished his Great Spear and charged into the buildings, pursuing Miyamoto Genichiro.

His opponent continuously used the buildings to change direction, accelerate, and change direction again, his speed never faltering in the slightest.

A person’s speed is divided into straight-line burst speed and turning speed.

Only a few people can remain fast while changing direction, a feat that requires astonishing speed and flexibility.

But Miyamoto Genichiro could do it. He was like a gust of wind, able to move swiftly in any direction.

He used the dilapidated buildings to dodge and launch surprise attacks.

BANG~ BANG!!

Cars and tanks were continuously smashed to pieces by Lin Qi’s Great Spear.

He rampaged forward, smashing numerous vehicles along the way.

Just then, Miyamoto Genichiro leaped over a wrecked sedan ahead of him.

Lin Qi leaped as well.

BANG!

But Miyamoto Genichiro turned, kicked the sedan flying, and then crouched slightly to gather his power.

Lin Qi, still in mid-air, raised his Black Great Spear high. Putting all his strength into the blow, he brought it down in a fierce chop.

BANG!!

The sharp spear tip sliced through the car’s body, cleaving the wrecked sedan in two.

The very instant he landed, a cold light flashed beside him. It was as if the area had become a Domain of Wind Blades.

Miyamoto Genichiro had launched a surprise attack, his timing impeccable.

His whole body pulsed with Power, like a series of tornadoes. The Gale Power gathered around him, coating his sword blade.

He merged with the surrounding wind, becoming a Gale himself, and channeled the raging storm into his strongest sword strike.

Gale Swordsmanship Killing Technique—Tornado Storm!

In that instant, as his mind and body were pushed to their absolute limits, Miyamoto Genichiro felt a sudden release.

’Faster!’

The Longsword he thrust became even faster. Power enveloped him as he delivered a strike far beyond his normal speed.

In that instant, his Swordsmanship and Body Technique both achieved a breakthrough in the heat of battle.

This boosted his speed by a significant margin!

’This is the speed I need!’

A powerful confidence surged in Miyamoto Genichiro’s heart. ’I can win this.’

’I can defeat Lin Qi and advance to the semifinals!’

WHOOSH~

A fierce whistle of displaced air echoed as the very atmosphere was sliced apart. Dust billowed and rubble flew.

In that same instant, Lin Qi sensed mortal danger. A shiver went down his spine and his body tensed.

He caught a flash of cold light in his peripheral vision. The thrust was simply too fast.

His body instantly ignited as he erupted with his Body Technique, Thunder Shadow Instant Kill Step.

WHOOSH!

His body displayed astonishing flexibility. His consciousness precisely controlled his muscles; in an instant, his feet tapped the ground, he gripped his spear, and his body leaned back.

SHIIING~

The intense Tornado Storm raged across his face, every wisp of wind like a blade slicing his skin.

PFFT~

Lin Qi’s face was less than five centimeters away from the Power-wreathed Sharp Sword.

The wind generated by the Power formed into blades, cutting his face and drawing several drops of blood.

"How is this possible...?"

Miyamoto Genichiro’s expression changed drastically. ’He dodged my killing blow?’

But he couldn’t stop his momentum. All he could do was desperately control his muscles and swing the Sharp Sword down in a slash!

In that very instant, Lin Qi’s consciousness connected with every muscle, down to the most minute muscle groups.

The muscles in his arms flexed, veins bulging like steel cables. With both hands, he powerfully thrust the Long Spear upward as if lifting a massive weight.

At the same time, the immense Power within his body converged, and his Mountain Shaking Power erupted.

Physical strength and Power merged, unleashing themselves through the spear’s shaft.

BANG!

CRACK!

A terrifying force slammed into Miyamoto Genichiro’s body, the Power within it viciously annihilating everything in its path.

In an instant, Miyamoto lost all sensation in his body. All he could hear was the jarring impact, the sound of his bones cracking and his muscles tearing.

Though he possessed unparalleled speed, he was exceptionally weak in terms of power and defense.

This single, powerful blow from Lin Qi had instantly inflicted grievous injuries, sending his entire body flying.

At the same time, Lin Qi twisted his spear and thrust!

PFFT~

The spear tip, radiating a cold light, instantly pierced his chest, and scalding blood sprayed out.

"I..."

Skewered on the Long Spear, Miyamoto Genichiro looked down at Lin Qi, blood dripping from his mouth. His eyes were filled with endless confusion.

It all happened too fast. In less than a second, the battle was over.

"Your speed... is very fast!"

"You almost won!"

Lin Qi looked up and offered his earnest assessment.

Sigh~

With a sigh, his body turned to Void and dissipated into the air.

[Match 2: Lin Qi (Xia Country) Wins!]

...