Kakashi's first probing attack arrived!
He suddenly cut in from Shinichi's blind spot. His short sword, without a whisper of wind, struck like a viper towards the elbow joint of Shinichi's sword-holding hand, the angle extremely tricky.
Shinichi did not attempt to use his long sword to block the swift attack; it might have missed.
He made the most direct reaction—his feet quickly retreated half a step backward. Simultaneously, he exerted force through his waist, and using the momentum of the retreat, his long sword delivered a heavy and swift horizontal sweep. Using offense as defense, the blade aimed at every possible path Kakashi might use to advance!
This strike was immensely powerful, yet surprisingly fast, carrying a whistling wind pressure!
Kakashi's pupils constricted. He instantly halted his thrusting motion, leaning back and spinning without hesitation, like a willow leaf blown by the wind, barely allowing the blade to graze past his nose.
He didn't engage at all, nor did he give Shinichi a chance to use the momentum for a follow-up attack. With a slight shift of his feet, he had already slipped away in another direction.
After being completely overwhelmed in the first Taijutsu match, Kakashi had already gained a profound understanding of Shinichi's inhuman strength.
Therefore, when this second sword match began, his strategy was crystal clear from the start:
Evade, search for weaknesses, kill in one strike, and absolutely do not give the opponent a chance to utilize their strength advantage.
Thus, in the first exchange, the confrontation was measured in millimeters, yet there was no physical collision.
But soon, Kakashi's offensive rose ceaselessly like a tide.
His figure darted left and right. His short sword sometimes thrust like lightning, and sometimes swept like a gentle breeze toward vulnerable defensive spots such as the knees, wrists, and ribs.
His swordsmanship was agile and unpredictable, his footwork exquisite. He fully utilized the flexibility of the short sword and his own speed, bringing the characteristics of speed and variation in the White Fang Swordsmanship into full play.
Shinichi, however, was like a reef in a rapid current. His range of movement was small, but every step was firm and solid. He gave up chasing Kakashi's ghostly figure and focused instead on defensive counterattacks.
When he swung his long sword, he no longer pursued perfect sword techniques but transformed them into the most effective blocks and deterrents.
Every swing of the sword was powerful and heavy, the sword wind billowing. He didn't aim to hit, only to force Kakashi to stay away and prevent him from executing his intricate combos.
"Tschak!"
The short sword slashed past Shinichi's arm, cutting his clothes, but his timely tensed muscles and slight sidestep deflected most of the force, leaving only a shallow mark.
"Whoosh!"
The long sword swung back, but Kakashi had already leaped away in advance, the blade only cutting through a residual afterimage.
"Swoosh!"
Kakashi rolled along the ground and thrust his short sword upwards. Shinichi abruptly raised his knee, using his 'iron knee' to deflect the blade, while simultaneously smashing the sword hilt down to force the opponent back.
After several exchanges, the scene presented an uncanny balance: Kakashi's attacks were like a fierce storm, yet they were always neutralized or repelled by Shinichi's immense strength and near-instinctive defensive intuition just as he was about to succeed.
Outside the arena, all the students held their breath, watching intently.
Meanwhile, the two homeroom teachers—Teacher Matsumoto and Teacher Inoue—were tense, leaning slightly forward, their gaze like falcons locked onto every movement of the two people in the arena.
Chakra was already circulating quietly within them, ready to intervene the moment serious injury or worse might be inflicted upon a student.
His speed is fast, but!
Not as fast as me! Nor agile enough!
Perhaps I can do this... A sharp light flashed in Kakashi's eyes, and he set his plan. No longer content with merely evading and probing, his figure paused, then burst forth with even greater speed than before, transforming into a straight, silver flash for an extreme-speed thrust!
He finally fell for it!
A slight curve appeared at the corner of Shinichi's mouth. It was the exact moment Kakashi pushed his speed to the peak, when his old momentum was spent but new power had not yet been generated, making his trajectory the hardest to change.
Shinichi moved too!
[Agility (White): Your dexterity is more nimble than the average person, and your physical coordination and movement speed have received a slight increase.]
He did only have the [Agility] modifier, which slightly increased his flexibility and speed, suggesting that speed was indeed not his forte.
But modifiers are merely equipment, and the personal panel does not display the stats he achieved through training.
Moreover, supported by powerful physical fitness and the bonus from Chakra, Shinichi could also achieve miracles through brute force when it came to speed!
Bang!
The sand and gravel beneath his feet suddenly exploded!
There was no retreat, no block. Instead, he advanced directly toward that silver flash with a speed that was in no way inferior to Kakashi's thrust.
The long sword in his hand transformed into a precise, swift upward slash, condensing the entirety of his strength and speed!
This strike, launched later, seemed to have anticipated everything. The blade was aimed at the space directly ahead of Kakashi's thrusting path, and the joint of his sword-holding arm!
This was a precisely calculated interception!
If Kakashi's speed was like a ghost, weaving and unpredictable, hard to grasp.
Then Shinichi was like a steady yet volatile gale. Calm at the eye of the storm, but utterly devastating once it erupted.
And now was the moment of eruption!
Kakashi's pupils suddenly contracted, facing this incoming strike that was faster than imagined.
He wanted to change his move, he wanted to dodge
But his body was already difficult to control at maximum speed; all his momentum and force were poured into this single thrust.
Retreat?
Too late!
Dodge?
The blade had already sealed off every angle!
Withdraw the move?
Center of gravity lost!
He had no choice but to take the blow head-on!
Clang!!!
The short sword and the long sword finally collided solidly, inescapably!
The sound was deafening, far exceeding any previous exchange!
Sparks shot out where the two blades met!
Kakashi felt an irresistible torrent of massive force slam onto his sword. His arm felt terribly numb, and the short sword in his hand vibrated violently, almost flying loose. His guard instantly dropped, leaving him completely exposed!
Now!
A cold light burst forth in Shinichi's eyes. The volatile gale finally broke free of its constraints, transforming into a destructive tsunami!
He stepped forward, his entire aura peaking. The long sword was unleashed without reserve, smashing down brutally and directly!
There was no flair, only the purest strength and speed!
And Kakashi, once again, clearly felt the relentless, suffocating, and continuous pursuit that Shinichi had unleashed during their first battle, like a torrential storm giving him no chance to breathe!
Clang!
The first strike! It blasted away the short sword Kakashi had barely managed to raise!
Bang!
The second strike! The blunt side of the blade slammed hard onto Kakashi's hastily raised arm, making him groan in pain and completely shattering his defense!
Swish!
The third strike! The cold blade was now resting firmly against the skin of Kakashi's neck, bringing with it a chilling coldness.
The tempest arose abruptly, and then stopped just as suddenly.
The weapon in Shinichi's hand had once again stopped steadily right before Kakashi's throat.
The arena fell into absolute silence, as if all sound had been drained away.
Only the long sword, symbolizing complete victory, reflected a merciless sheen under the sunlight.
The outcome, at this moment, was beyond dispute.