Chapter 185
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Allen flickered through the air, his silver spear shattering each incoming water blade with swift, precise movements.
His footwork was flawless, his technique brutally efficient—exactly what one would expect from a first-class Level 6 adventurer.
Yet no matter how many water blades he destroyed, more curved toward him from every possible direction.
They never stopped.
What irritated Allen even more was the delighted expression on Kiriya’s face, like a child who had finally found the perfect toy.
"You bastard... You’re using me to test your new technique!"
Who did Kiriya think he was dealing with?
Allen was one of the few Level 6 adventurers in Orario, the Vana Freya, and the man widely regarded as the fastest in the city!
Kiriya might have broken one record after another, but he was still only a Level 3.
And someone at that level dared to use Allen as target practice?
The arrogance was unbelievable!
"Ah, you noticed."
Kiriya looked almost bashful.
"I only finished developing this technique recently, and I hadn’t found anyone suitable to test it against."
He smiled brightly.
"Running into you here must be fate."
"Fate, my ass!"
Allen abandoned any attempt at civility.
Freya’s orders prevented him from killing Kiriya, but the smug bastard was practically begging to be beaten within an inch of his life.
Whoosh!
Allen’s spear accelerated sharply, smashing through the converging water blades in a single burst.
Then his legs exploded with power.
Afterimages streaked across the cavern as he accelerated beyond the speed of sound.
"As expected of Orario’s fastest."
Kiriya pushed Severing Wave—Fission as hard as he could, yet the water blades could barely trail behind Allen.
"Even after the improvements, they can’t keep up with him."
"You only realized that now?"
Allen’s voice echoed from every direction at once, as though dozens of him surrounded Kiriya.
"Too late."
He circled behind Kiriya and accelerated again, driving the spear toward his heart.
But when the tip came within a meter of its target, Freya’s warning flashed through Allen’s mind.
He clicked his tongue and changed the thrust into a sweeping blow.
’I’ll settle it by breaking a dozen bones.’
That decision saved his life.
"Hey."
Just before the shaft struck him, Kiriya glanced over his shoulder.
The black pinwheel within his crimson Mangekyō Sharingan began to rotate.
"Sharingan: Shackling Stakes Technique."
Bzzzt—
Allen’s mind faltered.
The dark, cramped Dungeon disappeared.
In its place stretched a rust-red sky.
Allen found himself suspended in the air, several enormous metal stakes driven through his limbs and torso.
Agony flooded his nerves as the spikes pierced muscle and bone and tore through his body.
"..."
Allen made no sound.
Compared with the training he had endured within the Freya Familia, this pain was almost trivial.
He refused even to furrow his brow.
What concerned him was the nature of Kiriya’s ability.
A single glance had dragged him into a fully constructed illusion before he could even recognize that an attack had begun.
The transition had been so seamless that he never had a chance to resist.
But the illusion could not hold him forever.
A Level 6 possessed extraordinary mental strength.
Allen had also selected Abnormal Resistance as a Development Ability, granting him considerable protection from charm and other mind-affecting powers.
Less than two seconds later, his awareness returned to his body.
Allen found himself lying on the cold stone floor.
Kiriya stood over him, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Not even two seconds."
He sounded genuinely impressed.
"A Level 6 really can’t be underestimated."
Had Kiriya possessed a Mangekyō specialized in genjutsu like Uchiha Itachi’s or Uchiha Shisui’s, a technique such as Tsukuyomi might have ended the fight immediately.
Unfortunately, every Mangekyō awakened different powers, and neither of Kiriya’s eyes specialized in illusions.
He had never devoted much time to genjutsu either.
To him, it was a useful supporting tool, nothing more. He preferred the certainty of physical combat and the versatility of ninjutsu.
This time, Allen did not immediately start swearing.
Kiriya had immobilized him for almost two full seconds.
Between experts, one second could decide life or death.
Two seconds was an eternity.
Kiriya could easily have attacked while Allen was helpless, yet he had chosen not to.
However proud Allen might be, he had to acknowledge that Kiriya had deliberately spared him.
"You’re strong, kid."
Allen rose and held his spear horizontally before his chest.
"I’m beginning to understand why Lady Freya values you so highly."
His gaze remained sharp.
"But Orario’s thousand-year history is filled with people blessed with extraordinary magic and Skills. Very few ever reached the summit."
"Do you know why?"
"No. Why?" Kiriya asked with genuine interest.
"Because they became dependent on their convenient powers and neglected the foundation beneath them."
Allen drew a breath and lowered his center of gravity.
"Raw ability values. Martial skill. A body and technique forged through endless training."
Then he charged again.
"Sixth Gate, the Gate of View—open!"
Just as Allen’s spear reached him, green energy erupted around Kiriya.
His speed multiplied several times over.
He slipped effortlessly past the thrust and still had enough time to drive a fist toward Allen’s chest.
Bang!
Allen twisted his spear sideways and blocked.
The force of Kiriya’s punch shook his entire body and sent him sliding backward.
His boots stamped several deep craters into the stone before he finally stopped.
"I completely agree with you."
Kiriya raised one finger and waved it lightly.
"But you’ve misunderstood something."
"My martial arts are hardly weak."
"So this is the technique you used to defeat that frog-faced woman?"
Allen glared at the green aura surrounding him.
"Borrowed strength forced out of your body."
"Let’s see how well you can actually use it."
Boom!
They launched forward simultaneously and collided once more.
A relentless series of impacts thundered through the cavern.
Allen’s Agility stood near the absolute limit of Level 6. Almost no one in Orario could match his speed.
But Kiriya, with six gates open, was no slower.
His strength and speed had increased severalfold, while the Mangekyō Sharingan granted him exceptional dynamic vision and heightened neural reactions.
Even against Allen’s attacks, he remained composed.
Kiriya had no suitable weapon in hand, so he forced the fight into close quarters.
At such short range, Allen could not fully exploit his overwhelming speed.
His comparatively weaker Dexterity became more noticeable, leaving him cramped and frustrated beneath Kiriya’s endlessly changing combinations.
’Damn it.’
’He’s only an insect.’
’Just a damned insect...’
After a minute without gaining the upper hand, Allen’s frustration began to boil over.
His pride—and his devotion to Freya—could not tolerate struggling against Kiriya like this.
He was supposed to win.
Not merely win, but crush him so completely that there could be no comparison between them.
Kiriya noticed the change immediately.
"What’s wrong? Losing your composure already?"
"Hmph."
Allen refused to dignify the taunt with an answer.
"You should use your magic soon," Kiriya advised. "You might not get another chance."
Allen’s pupils contracted.
"How do you know about that?"
His magic was his greatest secret.
Only one or two people should have known it existed.
"Well... I have my sources."
Kiriya leaned backward beneath a sweeping strike, then kicked Allen in the chest.
Still distracted by the revelation, Allen reacted a fraction too slowly.
The kick landed cleanly.
Blood burst from his mouth as he was launched backward.
Yet he was still a veteran who had survived countless battles. While airborne, Allen twisted his body and narrowly evaded the compressed air blasts that followed.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
He sprinted across the cavern, weaving around one explosion after another.
"Come on, seriously?"
Kiriya continued hurling insults after him.
"You’re a Level 6, and you’re being pushed around by a Level 3. That’s embarrassing!"
"You accused me of relying too much on my abilities, but you’re too afraid to even face your own magic."
He grinned.
"And you call yourself strong?"
Allen’s expression became increasingly murderous.
"You care so much about your goddess, don’t you?"
Kiriya pressed harder.
"If you lose this badly, won’t Lady Freya be humiliated too?"
"SHUT UP!"
Allen’s restraint finally shattered.
He had endured enough!
It was time to give Kiriya a surprise he would never forget.
’For the glory of my goddess...’
Allen tightened his grip on the spear.
’I cannot lose.’