Having made his declaration, Ryuga exhaled a quiet breath. He ceased his assault and leapt backward, sheathing Ryuo-ga as he sank into an Iai stance.
(Is he inviting me to strike? Damn him! To mock me until the very end...!)
Masanaga’s fury swelled to its breaking point. Ryuga had abandoned his overwhelming advantage just to deliberately provide his opponent with a chance to strike back.
In contrast, Ryuga stilled his heart until it was as calm as a mirror-like pond. He stared straight at Masanaga and spoke.
"Come. Let me see this 'mighty power' of yours."
"You... low-born scum!"
Letting out a scream of absolute rage, Masanaga charged.
Coating his blade in a lightning strike and locking his sights on his target, he surged Thunder Attribute Magic Power through his veins, overcharging his physical limits.
(Fool! Did you think my sword was the only source of my strength? A true trump card is always kept hidden until the final moment!)
By funneling magic converted through his Noted Sword: Jinrai directly into his body, he achieved an explosive burst of speed. This maneuver—a high-speed charge followed by an instantaneous, lethal strike—was quite literally Masanaga's Ultimate Weapon.
The sheer physical strain forced him into a linear trajectory, but at this velocity, it was irrelevant.
Kicking off the dirt, Masanaga streaked forward like a lightning bolt, bringing his blade down on the motionless Ryuga.
"Die, Ryugaaaaa!"
A heavy boom thundered through the air.
The lightning-wreathed blade scorched the air as it fell, yet it failed to find its mark. It carved through nothing but empty space. Unable to arrest his own momentum, Masanaga hurtled past his target, only managing to skid to a halt far behind Ryuga's back.
"Unbelievable... Such speed...!"
The audience, having witnessed that split-second clash, broke into a stir.
Uno Castle stood, his eyes wide with shock as he let out a low groan. Meanwhile, Masanaga let out a raspy, triumphantly desperate laugh.
"H-Hahaha...! A slight error... Yes, this speed is difficult to control perfectly! But you... you couldn't even react to it, could you?"
"..."
Masanaga’s attack had missed, but Ryuga remained frozen on the spot. Seeing him standing motionless, Masanaga barked as he took up his katana again.
"I won't miss next time! I'll cut you down for certain!!"
Masanaga concentrated his nerves, heightening his fighting spirit and magic power to deliver a definitive blow. In contrast, Ryuga relaxed his stance with casual indifference. He turned his back on his opponent and began to walk away.
"Wh-?! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
"There is no 'next time.' The duel is already over."
"Huh? What are you talk—?!"
It was just as the irritated Masanaga shouted at Ryuga’s words that a sharp crack echoed. Masanaga looked down in horror as the Noted Sword: Jinrai snapped in two. A perfectly clean cut marked the spot where his cherished blade had been severed.
But the destruction didn't stop there. Faint lines began to trace across his clothing.
"Wh-? Wait... what? Waaaaaagh?!"
While Masanaga panicked at the incomprehensible situation, his garments reached their breaking point and disintegrated, fluttering away in shreds.
Reduced to nothing but a fundoshi and a broken hilt, Masanaga looked every bit the humiliated, defeated soldier. His face flushed a deep crimson—though for a far different reason than before—as he scrambled to flee the arena.
"Hi-Hiiiiiiiiieeeee!"
"The locker room is your End Point (Goal). Though, no matter how many times you change your clothes, you'll never wash the mud of defeat off that face."
"That was a bit ruthless, wasn't it?"
"Let's just say he gave the loser the ending he deserved."
Having his prideful sword shattered and being stripped down to his loincloth in front of such a massive crowd was a fate worse than death. Watching Masanaga's total social collapse, Yugo and Marcos shared a rare moment of pity, agreeing that being cut down properly would have been a mercy.
Uno, who had been watching the fight intently, could only mutter to himself.
"I couldn't track Renjo's movements at all. To think he's mastered a Drawing Art of that caliber...!"
To someone like Ryuga, who spent his days sparring with Yugo, Masanaga's "trump card" was little more than child's play. The man had been arrogant about his speed, but it was nothing a true veteran couldn't counter.
Even Uno, a seasoned instructor, had been unable to follow the blade. Ryuga had clearly unleashed a strike to shatter the sword, yet the only thing Uno's eyes registered was the sight of Ryuga sheathing his weapon as if he had never moved. The gap in their abilities was insurmountable. Watching Ryuga prove that Masanaga wasn't even worth his time, Uno was left stunned once again by the growth of his students.