Boom!
Another deafening explosion echoed through the air. The ancient clock tower, which had stood for countless years, finally crumbled and collapsed.
Behind the curtain of smoke and dust, the furious roar of a giant bear echoed as Nao's figure shot out like a blur, his twin swords flashing in the dying light of the setting sun, casting a red and white cross-shaped shadow.
By now, the sky was painted in brilliant hues of twilight.
Above, clouds rolled and churned like fire.
Within the town, the fierce battle that had captured so many eyes finally showed a clear shift in momentum after a grueling, drawn-out fight.
"That she-bear can't hold out much longer,"
On the balcony of a still-standing three-story building littered with cigarette butts, Shiryu leaned against the railing, gazing at the two figures amidst the haze and giving his assessment.
"On the other hand, Nao… Tch, I really underestimated that guy's stamina. After fighting all day and night, he's still so full of energy…"
He'd already wiped out plenty of nearby stragglers earlier in the afternoon, and his own stamina was completely spent. With nothing left to do, he'd found a spot to quietly watch his friend's fight unfold.
In his view, Nao's victory was practically assured. The only remaining question was how long it would take.
"Though it's getting a bit tricky…"
Shiryu stubbed out his cigarette, sinking into thought.
This test of survival had begun around 6 PM two nights ago. When the Marines set sail, Aokiji had laid down the rule that the trial would last 48 hours.
And any results achieved beyond that time limit wouldn't count towards the final rankings.
In other words—
Nao didn't have much time left.
At the heart of the battlefield.
Nao, standing midair atop Geppo, glanced at the dimming sky. He was acutely aware of the problem.
"Not good. I need to speed this up."
Nao frowned, his heart sinking slightly.
In truth, he still had plenty of stamina. He could've continued the fight at its current pace, slowly wearing the giant bear down before delivering the final blow.
But time wasn't on his side. With only a few minutes left in the test, there wasn't enough time to drag things out.
Boom!
Another massive claw strike swept toward him, but Nao smoothly evaded with practiced footwork. Looking down at the black bear below, he hesitated only a second before making his decision. He opened his status panel.
In this stalemate, what was the best solution?
Of course—
Deep Blue, allocate points!
At this point, boosting any of his core physical attributes required a huge amount of points, especially stamina, which demanded 20,000.
He only had about 35,000 points left, which he'd originally planned to use to buy a random item in next week's shop.
But sometimes, plans had to change.
This was a critical moment, and he needed to adapt.
—After all, Nao Natsuya wasn't one to stick rigidly to plans!
Strength, agility, stamina...
Nao's eyes scanned the list of attributes. In the blink of an eye, he made his choice, mentally clicking the "+" symbol next to strength.
Sano's strength had clearly waned after this long battle. At this point, she was only slightly stronger than him.
To finish the fight quickly, the best option was to overwhelm her with raw power and deliver the decisive blow!
5,000 points vanished in an instant. Blue light flashed as the upgrade took effect.
"My strength's increased by about thirty percent… even higher than I expected."
Feeling the surge of power coursing through his body, Nao's eyes sharpened. No longer holding back, he raised both blades. Under the dim light, he became a red-and-white whirlwind, charging straight at the black bear.
Whirrr!
The gusts stirred by his blades sent dust swirling, but instead of frightening the bear, it only provoked her ferocity.
ROAR!
With a mighty thump of her chest, Sano launched herself from the ground. Both massive paws struck from either side, aiming to crush Nao into pulp.
However—
At the last moment, the howling sword aura clashed head-on with her powerful pincer strike, forcing the towering black bear to stagger back.
What's going on?
Sano, still in her bear form, reeled back tens of meters, smashing through several buildings before she could stop herself. Staring at Nao midair, her eyes widened in disbelief.
This brat who'd been dodging, waiting for openings, and striking from behind—how had he suddenly become stronger than her?
Had she overexerted herself maintaining her transformation and worn down her stamina?
That was certainly part of it. But Sano could feel it—this wasn't just her own weakness.
Nao's strength was clearly a whole level higher than when they'd first crossed swords.
How was this possible…
If he'd had this much strength from the beginning, why waste so much time? Just to toy with her using his speed?
The prolonged rage had already clouded Sano's judgment.
In that brief moment of shock, she let out another roar, stomping hard enough to crack the ground beneath her feet, charging forward with claws raised.
But no matter what she thought now, reality was staring her in the face.
Her subsequent attacks were all cleanly parried by Nao's blades.
Nao, of course, didn't emerge unscathed. His body was covered in cuts, his hands numb from the repeated impacts, blood streaming down his arms.
But Sano was in worse shape. Pushed to her limits, her strength was fading, and her mind was growing hazy.
Thud!
After another clash, she stumbled slightly. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself upright, searching for Nao—but her vision was beginning to double.
Now!
Nao instantly sensed her confusion. With a burst of Soru, he appeared behind her, his gaze sharp as blades. His Azakana Sword and Wind Sword crossed, slashing upward at her waist at a speed almost too fast to see.
"This is the end, Sano!"
With Nao's fierce battle cry, the dazzling sword light illuminated the entire street.
Slash!
The blades cut through her thick hide, blood spurting from her back like a fountain.
Sano let out a wretched, pained scream. She staggered, stubbornly trying to stay on her feet—but in the end, she couldn't.
In front of countless stunned onlookers, the towering black bear finally collapsed backward with a thunderous crash!
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin