Chapter 68: A Battle of Life
As he unleashed the full strength of his Delusion, Black lightning ran amok all around Tomoki while more than a dozen weapons hovered all around him as if waiting for him to take them. Tomoki took two swords and prepared to attack.
"I go!" Tomoki kicked the ground, instantly reaching the Shogun, his speed so high that made the previous one seem like he stayed quiet.
*Clank* *Clank* Tomoki swung his swords in a cross, but both were easily parried by the Shogun with an upward slash, pushing both of his arms away.
Finding him completely open, the Shogun swung her Musshou Isshin downward at his chest.
*Clank* What seemed an unavoidable slash, Tomoki parried it swinging his right leg, almost impossible taking one sword with his foot and holding it to block the slash that otherwise would have cut him open.
The holding strength of his foot was weaker than his hand, of course, and was unable to confront the Shogun's slash, but it was enough to take the force of it used to push his body away.
Tomoki's body seemed to be pushed away, but he suddenly completely twisted his body, spinning it 360º using the Shogun's momentum.
Tomoki let go the swords in his hands as being pushed away by the first attack, it would make him lose some tenths of seconds to make a new attack, taking two new ones as he spinning while also taking another one with his left foot, unleashing the three swords like a tornado to the Shogun whose sword failed to hit him.
*BOOM!* Seeing the attack coming, lightning exploded from the Shogun's body, increasing further her speed, making it possible her counterattack, reversing her slash and clashing with Tomoki's swords.
But it was a thin slash, Tomoki let go all of his swords that were sent flying by the Shogun's attack while lifting his right foot, kicking upwards a sword hovering over it, thrusting it to the Shogun.
The Shogun's found her posture broken, unable to block it and forcing her to avoid, jumping backward and creating a distance from it.
For Sara, Allen and every onlooker that was a shocking fact. The times that the almighty Shogun was forced back could be counted by a hand, showing that Tomoki's strength was immense and showing that this was not a battle that people could intervene.
"Shishi Style. I thought it was lost" The Shogun calmly stated.
Shishi Style, a sword style based on using every part of the body to wield a sword. It was an almost forgotten style due to the sheer complexity, the control required and the otherworldly strength in some individual points such as toes or jaw, a strength that Tomoki lacked in his usual state.
Tomoki had traveled over the world, investigating dozens of sword arts, and he took the Shishi Style at his strongest. It wasn't only his strongest, but it also required him to be at his strongest, unleashing the full power of his Delusion.
Tomoki's Delusion manipulated the Electro Element that Tomoki used to make his swords hover around him and had quite a simple effect. It increased his overall stats every time that he attacked.
The more he attacked, the stronger he became. That was the reason that he kept blocking Sara's attacks, to increase his strength until he was able to at least use the Shishi Style to face the Shogun.
It could be said to be a quite powerful ability and Tomoki could have tried to increase his strength even more before challenging the Shogun, however, most Delusions were quite the double edge swords.
Tomoki's Delusion boost in strength would force the body over its limit, damaging and finishing it decaying. And for Tomoki's case was even worst, it not only increased his strength, but also the strength of his curses, making the overall strength increase exponentially at the same time while exponentially damaging his body. That was why Tomoki decided to not go further and face the Shogun like that and actually increasing his strength the necessary when facing against her.
Unleashing it, it was no different in telling that he was fighting with his life in line.
"HAH!" Tomoki charged again, madly swinging all his swords.
...
Knowing that he couldn't stop it, Allen had decided to hide and see the battle from a safe place. In the end, as Tomoki said in his letter, this battle was his farewell gift to him.
'So that's the battle between the strong' Allen couldn't avoid his gaze from a battle of such dimension. His eyes showed a myriad of emotions, shock, fright, wonder... but one was over the others, the craving over it. He wanted to reach that level, to take that power.
Tomoki endlessly launched an assault of slashes at the Shogun using his hands, toes, shoulders, knees, teeth, forehead... he used everything, impossible twisting all his body while maneuvering all around the Shogun with incredible speed and strength.
Tomoki seemed like a savage beast, putting his all in his attack, showing that his attack was his best defense. For Allen, Tomoki's style seemed to describe despair.
On the other hand, the Shogun seemed to lightly swing her sword with simple and light movements while stopping every one of Tomoki's attacks as if they were nothing and targeted her sword. However, that was merely an illusion created but her body.
The truth was that the Shogun's speed and strength were higher than Tomoki and her experience and sense were far superior being able to read and react to all of his movements, needing only the minimum movement to counter them. It was clear that she was superior and not doing her most.
Seeing them fighting, Allen's eyes started to cry blood tears as he overexerted them. This battle was too high level for him and his eyes weren't able to keep up, damaging the process to try read them. However, Allen decided to not avoid his gaze, he would see, he would take it all, to keep it all. He knew that he was too weak, but one day, he would devour it and make it his own that's what he decided.
...
At Snezhnaya, the Tsaritsa contemplated the board, the little black pawn full of sparks facing the mighty Knight.
"Tartaglia. The one capable of creating surprise. The one pushing the weak against the strong, the one capable of giving the strength to close that difference for a price. A price that could be paid with the death of the strong."
"That is why they are so short-lived. That power is what makes it search for powerful enemies, pushing them to their end or..." The Tsaritsa put her index finger to the pawn piece "to greater weight. What it would be this time, Tartaglia? Show me your strength, show me your growth."
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
picaco
picaco Short chapter, sorry for it, but I have been cut out my time today. Nevertheless, the battle would end in the next chapter.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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