Multiverse Cross Ex

For certain reasons, Reiri had accepted their spar, and even though it was called a spar, there was a whole crowd.

More like the entire school had come to watch.

Mitsuya felt a certain sense of déjà vu.

Yes. This happened during his entry test. However, he also didn't mind the attention.

Like before, they were in the "training field," which, sure, if you wanted to call a Spartan-like stadium one.

And like before, once more, his partner was also one of Amaterasu.

In the first place, only three girls were capable of using Hybrid Gear. Surely, this world's tech was more advanced.

As such, creating a normal—well, not normal—weapon capable of harming the AU's armour should be implemented.

Things like lasers should be able to pierce their armours and barriers, but there was no use in questioning a world's logic.

"So? How do you want to do this?"

Mistuya had asked while stretching, looking towards Aine, who had already donned her Hybrid Gear.

"Till one of us gives up."

Even though she had witnessed his prowess the day before. She still wanted to face him herself.

And if she beats him, wouldn't that prove she's the strongest?

After all, firepower isn't everything. If someone like Mitsuya can defeat Yurishia, who had the highest firepower she'd seen so far, then that meant she had a chance.

Since Yurishia was more of a ranged fighter, and she leaned towards melee, it meant she surely had a chance.

"Are you both ready?"

Reiri once again had acted as the referee, which made Mitsuya nod, holding out his longsword with a smile before planting it on the ground.

"Wait. Is that—?"

"His hybrid gear…?"

"Can it even be called that?"

"Is this a joke?"

It was only natural others who hadn't seen his match against Yurishia would complain like this.

However, those who knew, those who had watched the match the day before, knew that Aine's chances were slim.

But of course, if Aine had more endurance than him, then she could possibly come out on top.

After all, the male himself had said he couldn't sustain his powers for long.

Aine was smart, and she'd be listening, after all; when it came to fighting, she prided herself on being quite the capable fighter.

"Ready… squabble!"

Reiri's voice rang out, and almost immediately, the two dashed at each other.

The moment they closed the distance—about three meters apart—Mitsuya swung his sword in a wide arc, aiming to catch her off guard.

However, Aine reacted instantly. She bent her knees, then launched herself into the air, flipping over him with ease.

Mitsuya's eyes slowly widened in slight surprise.

He had expected a dodge, but not one that clean.

Without wasting a second, he planted his sword firmly into the ground and straightened while stretching.

"I apologize. You prefer to use your fists instead, no?"

His voice was calm, almost casual. However, his words only deepened the frown on Aine's face.

"Are you underestimating me?"

"Underestimating? No. Far from it."

Without another word, Mitsuya tossed his weapon to the side. The sword clattered against the floor as he raised his fists, shifting into a stance.

Aine did the same, her muscles tensing. Then, again, they dashed at each other.

Their fists met in a sharp clash—bang!—before they broke apart just as quickly. Then, they continued like that, exchanging fists, before they finally broke the clash. 

Breaking the clash, Mitsuya took a step back, scanning her movements, while Aine lunged in again.

This time, she twisted her body, sweeping her leg toward his solar plexus.

It was fast. But—she missed.

"Huh."

Before she could react, Mitsuya's hand shot out.

He caught her leg mid-air, then swung her with force.

Aine's body twisted, her breath catching in her throat—BAM!

She slammed into the wall with a loud crash, dust and debris scattering from the impact.

"Ack!"

Fortunately for her, the barrier of her gear absorbed most of the impact, preventing any severe injuries.

However, the shock of the hit was another matter entirely.

"Kuh."

She muttered, steadying herself as she regained her footing.

Clenching her fists tight at her sides, she prepared to charge again.

This time, she pushed her thrusters to full power.

Faster! Faster!

Mitsuya's eyes widened slightly as she closed the distance in an instant.

She was faster, more than before.

Reacting quickly, he sidestepped just as her fist came flying toward him.

She missed. But before she could fully pass him—He caught her wrist.

With a sharp pivot, Mitsuya used her momentum against her, flipping her over and slamming her into the ground.

Thud! "Khck!" A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she hit the floor.

'He's moving too fast—'

She thought. Her breath hitched. No, it wasn't just speed.

He wasn't wasting a single movement.

He wasn't even making much movements, was he… reading her moves, controlling them, and countering her?

That did seemed like what he was doing, however— 'Tch… I won't lose.'

She'd thought so undeterred.

"Your moves are too straightforward. But that was a good tactic."

That summarised it. It was as she thought.

He had been using the fundamental forces—redirecting her force, minimizing the impact of her punches, and taking full advantage of his «territory».

Yet, even as he did, he realized something—A head-on clash would be bad for him.

Even after reducing the force of her blows, her punches still stung.

That was why, rather than blocking, he had switched to throws.

But if there was one thing he had overlooked—BAM!

"Hngh!" A sharp, resounding impact echoed through the air

—It was her endurance.

In that brief moment Mitsuya had let his guard down, she had struck him.

She had focused everything into a single, explosive burst of power.

And that recklessness was just enough to overwhelm Mitsuya's calculations for a split second.

Her kick connected cleanly, sending him skidding backward.

He couldn't react in time for her attack, but he did manage to stop his momentum before losing control.

However—The instant he steadied himself—Aine was already there, in front of him.

She was relentless, and had followed up with her attack.

Before he could even fully regain his footing, she lunged in, her fist flying straight at him.

But, in a blink, Mitsuya reacted. Faster than she could follow.

Aine's punch hit nothing but air as Mitsuya flipped over her, dodging cleanly before landing a short distance away.

"???"

Then, all of a sudden, her knees buckled.

Her eyes had widened, but before she could comprehend what had just happened, without warning, she collapsed onto the ground.

"Huh?"

No, it wasn't just exhaustion.

A wave of numbness spread across her body, tingling at different points—her arms, her legs, her chest.

It couldn't be…

He was so fast. Faster than she could even see. And in the middle of that exchange, he had sealed her acupuncture points.

"… I had to increase the intensity of «Territory» back there. Good work."

Mitsuya exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

Even though he possessed all these supernatural abilities, in the end, he was still human.

Not a supernatural being. And right now—he felt it.

A dull ache spread through his muscles. His limbs felt heavier than before.

That last move—

Right before her fist could connect, he had slowed down his perception of everything in his sight.

At the same time, he had increased friction on himself—just enough to pull off that reckless maneuver that would have no doubt gotten anyone killed.

It shouldn't have been humanly possible.

However, for Mitsuya, who had done this multiple times and had torn his muscles countless times, practicing this just to make it possible… For him, such a move was possible, despite the strain.

He had wished for these powers. And now, he had to bear the brunt of wielding them.

Meanwhile, Reiri watched as Aine remained unmoving on the ground.

It was clear from watch the match. Mitsuya had won. However, what was concerning was his movement.

Especially toward the end. It had been abnormally fast.

Even the students watching the fight had been taken aback.

Yet, she knew she had to bring this match to a close.

"Winner—Mitsuya!"