The World Is Mine For The Taking-Chapter 1236 - 191 - Leon Vs. Veronica - Round 1 (3)

Chapter 1236: Chapter 191 - Leon Vs. Veronica - Round 1 (3)

We rushed at each other again, not even a second of hesitation between us. There was no dramatic pause and no drawn-out stare. It was just raw instinct and the unspoken understanding that neither of us planned to step back. The moment our swords collided, it felt less like a clash and more like a detonation.

Steel met steel with a violent shriek, and the impact exploded outward in a massive shockwave that twisted the air itself. The ground beneath us cracked faintly, dust lifting into the air as if the platform had exhaled in shock. The blast slammed straight into the barrier surrounding the arena, sending ripples across its surface like someone had hurled a boulder into a frozen lake.

The spectators didn’t just react. They gasped. Some stumbled backward. Others covered their ears. The pressure alone was suffocating, and it was very thick and heavy, and it was pressing against their chests like invisible hands.

At first glance, the barrier held. It shimmered, vibrating intensely, but it didn’t give in. Not yet.

But when I focused, and I meant really focused, I saw it.

Thin cracks began spreading across its surface. They weren’t loud. They weren’t dramatic. They crept outward slowly, like cobwebs forming in real time. One crack split into three. Three became ten.

With just a little more force, and I mean, just one more overwhelming collision, that barrier would shatter completely. And that kind of force? It wasn’t hard for either of us to produce right now.

If it broke, the consequences wouldn’t be minor. The shockwaves we were generating weren’t the kind you brushed off. They would flatten people. Maybe worse.

And yet...

Neither of us cared in that moment.

There was no room in our heads for anything except the fight.

We continued without hesitation.

Our swords swung again and again, cutting through the air so fast they left afterimages. Every collision sent sparks bursting outward in bright flashes, like tiny fireworks igniting between us. The sharp clang of metal echoed repeatedly, layered over the rumbling thunder of shockwaves slamming into the barrier.

I poured more mana into Ayuru, feeling her hum in my grip. She responded like she always did. She was eager, steady, and sharp as always. Across from me, Veronica did the same, feeding an absurd amount of mana into her Cursed Sword. The air around her weapon distorted faintly from the overflow. It wasn’t subtle. It was aggressive.

The more we fueled our blades, the stronger we became. It was like stacking fire onto fire. Neither of us intended to slow down.

We launched into the air almost at the same time, our feet barely touching the platform before we were clashing midair. The wind howled around us from the force of our movements. We twisted, parried, and countered. Sparks flew past our faces. Our blades met in rapid succession, metal slamming against metal with enough force to shake the arena below.

Each strike rang out clearly. It was very loud, clean, and the air was getting violent. The entire platform could hear it. The sound wasn’t just noise. It was impact made audible. And with every hit, another shockwave surged outward, smashing into the barrier again and again.

More cracks formed.

More cobwebs stretched across its surface.

The barrier trembled like it was reconsidering its life choices.

Our movements became faster. We were so fast that the world outside our blades began to blur. The platform. The audience. The sky above. None of it mattered. None of it registered clearly anymore. It was like the entire world had narrowed down to a single point between our swords.

Right now, there was nothing else.

Just her.

And me.

***

Kaori’s POV

I didn’t think I would ever see something like this.

Not in person.

The way they fought. It didn’t look real. Their movements were so fast that my eyes couldn’t track them properly. One moment they were on the ground, the next they were in the air, clashing like streaks of light colliding mid-sky.

"W-What is even happening?" I heard myself say, though I wasn’t even sure if my voice came out properly.

Even Ayaka, who was usually calm and perceptive, looked completely lost. Her eyes darted back and forth uselessly.

Every swing of their swords caused explosions. Not small bursts. It was actual blasts of force that rippled outward violently. The air shook. The platform trembled under our feet.

It felt like watching two monsters disguised as humans.

And these were the people the Commander wanted us to observe?

Observe what exactly? How to casually destroy an arena?

There was no way we could reach that level. Not anytime soon. Maybe not ever. I couldn’t even imagine the amount of training it would take. Years? Decades? A lifetime of nothing but relentless effort?

"I-I think it’s getting dangerous to stay here," Hasegawa-sensei said, trying to keep her composure but failing to hide the strain in her voice. "D-Do you think the barrier can hold?"

I looked at it again.

It wasn’t just cracked now. The barrier was practically veined with fractures. The surface shimmered unevenly, like it was flickering.

She was right.

It wasn’t going to last much longer.

"W-We have to get out of here before it breaks!" she insisted, her tone shifting from worried to urgent.

But before anyone could move—

The two fighters dashed at each other again.

The collision this time was different.

It wasn’t just loud.

It was final.

The barrier shattered.

It cracked apart like glass struck by a hammer, fragments splintering outward before dissolving into shimmering dust. The sound alone made my ears ring painfully. I instinctively covered my face, bracing for the shockwave that was racing toward us.

It was too late to run.

I could feel it coming.

But it never hit.

When I cautiously lowered my arms, I realized why.

A new barrier stood in front of us.

It was much thicker. More brighter. And by the looks of it, it seemed much stronger.

It absorbed the shockwave completely, holding firm where the previous one had failed.

I looked back at the platform.

They hadn’t stopped.

Not even for a second.

"I don’t think it’s safe to stay here," Ayaka said, gripping my arm lightly. "Come on, Kaori."

She wasn’t wrong.

But my eyes refused to leave them.

"Kaori?"

"You go ahead," I said quietly as I sat back down. "I’ll keep watching."

I didn’t know if it was bravery or stupidity.

Maybe a bit of both.

But I couldn’t look away.

***

Leon’s POV

I activated Guardian the moment the original barrier shattered. The new barrier unfolded seamlessly, replacing the old one with something far sturdier. Guardian wasn’t decorative. It was built to endure punishment.

And it was going to need to.

Our strikes were escalating. Each swing carried enough force to flatten buildings if left unchecked. The shockwaves spread outward in massive arcs, only to be absorbed by Guardian before reaching the spectators.

Veronica didn’t react at all when I activated it.

We didn’t pause. There was no acknowledgment.

She just kept attacking.

Her Cursed Sword pulsed with mana, the energy radiating off it so intensely that the excess brushed against my skin like heat from an open flame. It wasn’t enough to injure me, but it was sharp. Constant. And much more aggressive.

She was pouring everything into that blade.

So was I.

Ayuru felt steady in my grip as I fed her more mana. She responded instantly, the edge of her blade glowing faintly as our power intertwined. Every clash between us was heavier now. Louder. More violent.

This was supposed to be a best-of-five match.

A structured fight.

Something with a clear ending.

But we had already been fighting for ten straight minutes, and neither of us looked even remotely close to breaking. If anything, we were only pushing harder.

Each exchange carried the weight of intent. Each strike demanded an answer.

And as our swords collided again, sending another shockwave crashing harmlessly against Guardian, I realized something.

This wasn’t slowing down.

Not anytime soon.

If anything—

We were just getting warmed up.