The Absolute Speed of a Certain Comic'

Humans are living beings, and living beings have an instinct for survival.

Take running as an example. Even if someone thinks about giving their all while running, it's impossible for them to fully exert themselves. If they did, at the moment the race ends, they would lose consciousness and collapse from exhaustion— because the body would no longer be able to sustain itself.

Why can humans not truly give their all?

The answer is that humans are living beings, and their survival instincts are unbreakable.

In the subconscious of living beings, the survival instinct is placed as the highest priority. No matter how hard one tries to push their limits, the survival instinct will always prevent them from exceeding their boundaries.

This is a protection mechanism of life itself, operating on a completely different principle from machines.

According to relevant studies, whether it's stamina, muscle strength, or Magic Power, humans can only use about half of their full potential. It is only in certain extreme circumstances, such as when facing life-threatening situations, that they can unlock additional potential.

However, there are some individuals who, through incredibly rigorous training, gain absolute control over their bodies and can actively break this survival instinct, fully unlocking their hidden potential.

Kurogane Ikki is one of these people.

Through an extraordinary will and meticulous control over his body, he has forcibly broken his survival instinct, unlocking a power that was previously beyond his reach.

But generally speaking, even if someone breaks their survival instinct, they can only double their strength at most.

Kurogane Ikki's performance earlier completely shattered this rule. After using ''Ittou Shura'', the physical and Magic Power he unleashed was at least tens of times greater than his usual strength, transforming him into a true monster, not just in name but in reality!

This is because Kurogane Ikki's ''Blazer Ability'' is 'physical ability doubling'.

In the League's ranking system, this is undoubtedly the weakest of the special abilities. Combined with his F-Rank Magic Power, Kurogane Ikki is the weakest Blazer, an undeniable good-for-nothing.

He knows his own weakness.

He fully understands the insurmountable gap between himself and geniuses.

Therefore, in order to defeat the strongest with his weakest abilities, he underwent incredibly harsh training, torturing his body countless times, and ultimately developed the Noble Art ''Ittou Shura''!

In normal circumstances, this ability would only double his power. However, with his ''physical ability doubling'' Blazer's ability, it allows him to multiply his strength by tens of times.

It is an ability that requires an unyielding spirit— one capable of enduring both physical pain and mental anguish. Only with such terrifying willpower can one develop this technique.

This Noble Art is unimaginably powerful, but the burden on the body is equally immense.

Each time it is used, it causes extreme harm to the body, draining all stamina and Magic Power. He needs at least a day to recover before he can use it again.

This is why Ryoji said, "I hope he can enjoy his old age."

Forcing the body to exert double the power is already a huge strain, and for Kurogane Ikki to multiply his strength by dozens of times— the damage is almost unimaginable.

It's almost like overdrawing his lifespan.

When he is young, the effects aren't as noticeable, but as he ages, countless illnesses will rush in, causing immense pain and suffering.

"In some ways, he's like you. Both of you are the type to risk your life for something you want." Shinguuji Kurono glanced at Ryoji as she spoke.

When he collapsed in her arms yesterday, the near-death scene had a deep impact on her.

"I'm much luckier than he is," Ryoji replied, shaking his head.

Well, it's hard to say who's luckier.

While Ryoji's special ability is excellent, he has also suffered through fourteen years of pain, and countless near-death experiences. Kurogane Ikki, on the other hand, might not have an outstanding special ability, but at least his childhood wasn't as difficult as Ryoji's.

"The first student who challenged you was Kurogane Ikki, wasn't it?"

Ryoji remembered what Shinguuji Kurono had said yesterday and turned to ask her.

"Oh? What makes you think so?"

Shinguuji Kurono raised her elegant eyebrows and smiled.

"When watching the match, your expression was different from the others. You didn't immediately assume Kurogane Ikki would lose. It's probably because you already knew his strength... because you've fought him before, right?" Ryoji deduced.

"You're right," Shinguuji Kurono said, letting out a standard smoke ring. A hint of interest appeared on her face. "He's an F-Rank knight. Last year, due to some reasons involving certain adults, he couldn't even participate in real combat training and had to repeat the year. When I took over the school this year, I initially planned to advise him to quit, but then he challenged me to a duel... Although I was a bit careless and didn't use my ability, he did defeat me once."

Since no one was watching at the time, no one knew about the duel.

During that duel, Shinguuji Kurono didn't use her time-manipulation special ability and wasn't serious about it. Kurogane Ikki defeated her using ''Ittou Shura''.

In contrast, Ryoji's duel was much more substantial, because when Shinguuji Kurono faced him, she was prepared to use her special ability, but she was defeated by Lightning Flint before she could do so.

Because she had been defeated by Kurogane Ikki, Shinguuji Kurono didn't mention advising him to drop out again.

"Honestly, I'm really looking forward to seeing you fight him," Shinguuji Kurono said with a cold smile at the corner of her lips.

"It'll be interesting to see who is willing to risk their life more, who can surpass my expectations, and who can live like a true knight... Don't you think?"

Ryoji mused for a moment.

After watching the match earlier, he could almost tell that their sword techniques were not far apart.

Though he had the top innate skill, his frail body had caused him to waste too much time, and right now, he was just getting started.

''Ittou Shura'' was indeed a terrifying technique, but if he used Lightning Flint, Ryoji was confident he wouldn't lose.

To be honest, Ryoji was also looking forward to it.

He glanced at Kurogane Ikki, who was lying in the distance, and then turned to leave.

The answer to who was stronger between him and Kurogane Ikki would be revealed at the upcoming Seven Stars Sword-Art Festival.

......

That evening, Ryoji returned to the dorm with bags of items he had bought from the nearby mall. They were daily necessities he had picked up during his shopping trip.

Thanks to this, he had already spent most of the ten thousand yen his Senior Sister gave him, and he felt bad about it.

He wondered if his Senior Sister had any savings left.

"Sigh, I'm such a handsome guy, but why is no rich woman willing to sponsor me?" Ryoji sighed.

If it were possible, he hoped this rich woman would have a big, wavy hairstyle.

Speaking of which, Totokubara Kanata seemed very suitable. She came from a wealthy family, overflowing with money, but from the way she carried herself, elegant and reserved, she had likely received a good upbringing and probably wouldn't be the type to sponsor a pretty boy.

The most important thing was that she was close to Senior Sister. If Senior Sister found out she was sponsoring him, she would likely get so angry that she'd pull out a sword and use ''Raikiri'' to cut everything to pieces.

"Senior Sister, open the door," Ryoji called out after hauling the bags up to the fifth floor and feeling too lazy to dig out his keys.

"Ah, is that Junior Brother? Wait a moment, I'm in the shower!" A muffled voice came from inside, slightly distorted by the bathroom door.

"In the shower?" Ryoji's expression immediately turned serious.

Senior Sister had a natural, caring personality, but she was a bit forgetful at times. She often forgot to bring spare clothes when she took a shower.

Looks like I'll have to go in and help her!

With that thought, Ryoji quickly took out the key and opened the door.

(End of Chapter)

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