The Absolute Speed of a Certain Comic'

"That newcomer... actually did it...?"

"Amazing, he really defeated the Director!"

"Can we even say this is a victory?"

"Against the former world's third, achieving this level is already impressive."

On the stands, the sparse murmurs of the audience began to stir again.

Unlike the previous sympathy and pity, this time, everyone unanimously expressed admiration for the boy who lay on the field.

Indeed, the former world's third strength was never truly displayed.

From the beginning, she had been holding back completely, and it couldn't be said that she was genuinely showing her strength. But even a Director who was holding back— no one there would dare to bet that they could definitely win against her.

To be able to temporarily suppress or even defeat Shinguuji Kurono, even at the cost of near death, even if the opponent didn't give their all, it was enough to boast about for a lifetime.

"That's exactly why it's impressive— because he faced near-death!"

A cameraman, who had been filming extensively, cast an annoyed glance at a few people.

"If you were him, would you have the will to win the match even at the cost of reaching the near-death state?"

A few people were left speechless.

In that strike, the boy on the field had displayed not just an ability, but unparalleled courage and indomitable fighting spirit.

Although Student Knights are Blazers, most are still just students.

They are teenagers who haven't fully shaped their worldview might cause irreparable consequences if they impulsively release their Spiritual Items (Devices) in Material Form.

Therefore, Blazers under fifteen are required by the international Magic Knight League to release their Spiritual Items (Devices) in Illusionary Form in any situation.

In this way, even if a blade strikes their body, it would only exhaust their stamina without endangering their life.

However, this means that most Student Knights have never experienced real combat. Many haven't even prepared themselves for the possibility of injury, let alone near-death situations.

In contrast, Ryoji's willingness to face near death to win the match shows a level of maturity that far surpasses most Student Knights.

By the way, the legal age of adulthood in this world is fifteen.

Blazers who reach fifteen are considered adults and can marry and have children.

"Aiya, I've really captured something great!"

The cameraman beamed with genuine satisfaction, "When the school magazine starts, this will definitely be featured in the first issue!"

On the field.

"Junior Brother!"

Toudou Touka cried out in alarm and rushed toward the edge of the arena with a look of intense concern.

In that fleeting moment, even Shinguuji Kurono had not reacted in time, let alone her. She was unable to stop it, and by the time she came to her senses, her Junior Brother was already lying in a pool of blood.

"Whew..."

Shinguuji Kurono sighed in relief and summoned her Spiritual Item (Device) again.

In her right hand was a pitch-black handgun.

In her left hand was a pure white handgun.

The two handguns were almost identical in shape, only differing in color.

She raised the black and white guns, aiming one at the prone Ryoji and the other at herself.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

Two gunshots rang out in quick succession.

In the blink of an eye, Ryoji's body suddenly halted, both his breathing and the blood seeping out of him coming to a stop as if his body's time had been paused.

On the other side, Shinguuji Kurono's complexion improved visibly, turning from the pallor of exhaustion back to a healthy color.

"Touka, move your Junior Brother into the healing capsule."

Shinguuji Kurono stood up and touched down on the ground.

The silver katana embedded in her chest, now that Ryoji was unconscious, gradually turned into golden particles of light and dissipated.

She rubbed her chest, feeling the pain from the wound, and grimaced slightly.

It still hurt quite a bit.

"Also, when he wakes up, please pass on a message for me—"

... 

"Mmm—"

Ryoji groaned, his heavy eyelids slowly opening as he came to.

What appeared before him was a pure white room, the ceiling painted an immaculate white, with a faint smell of alcohol and medicine in the air.

"Familiar hospital ceiling...?"

The scene and the smell were so familiar that Ryoji momentarily confused his memories, thinking he was still lying on the bed he had been on for over a decade.

After a while, his mind cleared, and he recalled the battle with the Director before he lost consciousness.

He only remembered using the Noble Art—〈Lightning Flint〉—at the last moment, a move he was currently unable to bear. However, midway through, his consciousness fragmented and he fell into a coma due to the massive side effects.

"So did I win in the end?"

Ryoji leaned against the headboard, feeling a bit frustrated and sighing inwardly.

The move Lightning Flint was so powerful that his current physical condition couldn't handle it.

His ability was 〈Absolute Divine Speed〉, meaning "Absolutely faster than the opponent." In other words, the faster the opponent, the faster he became.

By channeling all of his Magic Power into a single strike and setting his speed to surpass the opponent's reaction limit, he could achieve an absolute speed that overwhelmed the opponent in a single blow.

The essence of this ability is casualty manipulation, forcing a reversal of causality to make the previously impossible phenomenon of "oneself faster than the opposite party" a reality.

In other words, using power that he didn't originally possess forced him to bear an enormous burden on his body.

It's easy to imagine the result of being thrown at sonic speeds with such a fragile body.

First, his breathing would halt, and cardiovascular function would become chaotic. Then, his skin would crack, blood vessels would burst, and he would be covered in blood. 

Next, muscle fibers would necrotize, and bones would shatter, leading to a state between life and death. Finally, internal organs would be damaged... resulting in near death.

This is the Noble Art 〈Lightning Flint〉.

It was an unstoppable sword skill, so powerful that even he himself couldn't control it.

"Junior Brother, you're awake?" A voice from the door interrupted his thoughts. It was Senior Sister's voice.

Looking over, he saw the girl with chestnut-colored hair at the door. She entered the room carrying a silver tray piled with food.

Sensing the aroma of the food, Ryoji's stomach audibly growled.

"Has it really been night already?" 

He realized he hadn't eaten for a whole day.

The sunlight outside had set, with only half of the sun remaining on the horizon. The evening glow streamed through the window, casting an orange-yellow hue over the sheets.

"How is your body? Are you recovering well?"

Toudou Touka set the tray on the bedside table and took a seat on the chair beside the bed. She looked at Ryoji with concern, her gaze inspecting his body.

"As you can see, I'm fully recovered. The healing capsule technology is truly incredible!"

Ryoji moved his wrist and hips, feeling his body was exactly as it was before the coma, with no injuries at all.

But this was impossible. He knew very well that after using Lightning Flint, he should have been in a near-death state. That's why he had repeatedly asked Shinguuji Kurono before the battle whether a healing capsule was equipped.

This outcome was solely due to the healing capsule's remarkably effective healing ability.

(End of Chapter)