"Ha! Big words for someone who can't even put up a fight! No matter how much you struggle, your defeat is inevitable! Sink before my blade!"
The six versions of Rush screamed in unison, unleashing a barrage of Wind Sickles.
However, Yugo didn't panic. He remained calm, reading the attacks with minimal movement as he waited for his moment.
One, two, three, four, five... Yugo watched the Rushes swing their swords and draw in Magic Power for their next strikes. He made his move just before the sixth one could unleash his attack.
"Hmph...!"
This wasn't Magic Power Manipulation meant to boost his offensive power; it was a technique purely designed to nail an explosive start.
Yugo lunged forward at almost the exact moment the sixth Rush swung his sword. Darting past the blades of wind, he closed the distance to the first Rush—the one who had initiated the cycle and was now preparing for his next turn.
"Hah! I wondered what you were up to, but you've only gotten a little faster! It's useless! The rest of us will tear you to pieces!"
The Rush about to receive the attack shouted with overbearing confidence.
Based on his vibe, Yugo figured this one was likely a clone, but he didn't really care. As the remaining five Rushes moved to launch a simultaneous counterattack, Yugo took a small, sharp leap.
"Huh...? Gack!?"
The clone who took the hit likely didn't even realize what had happened.
He had braced himself to defend against either a thrust or a kick, but his consciousness was snuffed out in an instant by Yugo's strike.
"What?! Impossible!"
It was fast. It was sharp. And it was devastating.
The remaining Rushes swung their swords to intercept him, but Yugo had defeated one of them in the blink of an eye without even pausing to pool Magic Power in his fists or feet. Anticipating their reaction, he executed another perfect dash to evade their blades and put some distance between them.
A stir spread through the spectating students as they processed the exchange, which had lasted less than a few seconds.
As the Rushes—now reduced from six to five—showed signs of agitation, Yugo let out a short breath.
"My bad. You were right about me not being able to use my hands or my feet... so I used my knee instead."
"Ugh...!"
Rush let out a frustrated groan. Yugo stood there, casually patting his own knee as he spoke.
The attack that had crushed the clone in a single blow was a Flying Knee.
Sharp and lightning-fast, he had closed the gap with a short-range jump that preserved his sprinting momentum, slamming his knee directly into the opponent's face.
A blow from a knee covered in steel armor was on an unimaginable level of lethality. Even so, Yugo—who was holding back a little—looked around at the five remaining Rushes and spoke with a hint of apology.
"A long time ago, I thought the way my favorite Hero fought was the coolest thing ever, so I learned the Martial Arts that his style was based on. I only just scratched the surface, though. And since I was told never to use it in a fight, I'd kept it under wraps. Not that I'm the type to go around picking fights anyway."
"What kind of Martial Arts is that?! I've never seen anyone fight like that! What school of combat is it from?!"
"Hmm? Well, it's based on what I learned, with various Hero elements added in. If I had to give it a name... it's My Style. Anyway, enough talk. Ready for round two?"
"Kh—Damn it! Don't get cocky!"
In response to Yugo taking his stance again, all five Rushes unleashed their blades of wind at once... but it was a complete blunder.
Attacking all at once meant they all had to prepare for their next strike at the same time. They could no longer cover for each other as they had before.
Yugo didn't miss the opening. Dashing forward once more with Instantaneous Power Enhancement, he closed the gap in a flash and lunged at one of the Rushes.
"As if the same trick will work twice! As long as I don't get hit by that Flying Knee—Gurf!?"
The Rush braced his defense, wary of another sharp Flying Knee, but Yugo didn't jump this time. Instead, he drove a crisp Front Kick into the clone's abdomen, which had been left wide open because the boy's attention was fixed on his own face.
With the opponent's guard broken, Yugo followed up with a rising Upward Elbow Strike. He defeated the second Rush with a flawless combo before proceeding to systematically demolish the remaining clones.
"Take this! And this! And this! I'm just getting started!"
"What is this guy...? What the hell is he?!"
Rush's scream echoed across the arena as he witnessed the nightmare of his clones being struck down in the blink of an eye.
How could he move so nimbley while encased in heavy full-body armor? How could a guy who was supposed to rely entirely on a Sacred Sword master Martial Arts to such a magnificent degree?
Pale with shock and confusion, Rush shouted at Yugo, desperate for an answer as the last of his clones vanished.
"What are you?! How can you move like that while wearing such heavy armor?!"
"Even if you ask me why... I'm sorry, but I've never actually felt like this thing was heavy. In fact, I feel like I can move more nimbly while I'm wearing it. Is it really supposed to be that heavy?"