Divinity

--- [Rin’s perspective]

Earlier when I did the same move twice in a row, he managed to overcome the speed difference by correctly predicting my movements.

I can’t let him do that again…

He let me go, but if he really wanted to, he could have ended it then and there.

I need to fight more unpredictably, so that I can take full advantage of my speed.

In terms of strength and durability, he’s easily got me beat, even if he rolled a three.

There are probably even regular F-rankers who are better than me in that regard…

But that doesn’t mean I can’t win; my strengths far outweigh my weaknesses!

I activate my lightning and get ready to pounce…

Before he can react, I’ve already made my way over to him, and slashed him across the stomach.

He tough, so it was very shallow, but still enough to make him bleed.

I quickly run around him while maintaining skin contact.

I finally come to a stop after having circled all the way around.

Blood gushes out from every side, and just when he’s about to grab me, I back off.

“That’s more like it!” – Vincent

You’d expect him to be angry, or embarrassed, or panicked after getting hurt like that, but no…

He’s elated…!

I too love fighting, but not in the same way as he does…

What I like about fighting is proving to the world that all the effort I’ve put into my training was worth it, by going head-to-head against someone who’ve done the same.

The despair you feel when being in a hopeless situation, and the sense of triumph that engulfs your entire being after overcoming it…

The tactical aspect: having to figure out what your opponent’s specialty is, and how to take advantage of their weaknesses…

The quick thinking needed to know how to react in any given situation, and how to adapt to whatever circumstances you find yourself in…

These are all aspects of combat that I absolutely adore; nothing in the world is more fun to me.

We both love fighting, but there seems to be a huge difference in why we love fighting…

There is so much I love about battle, but none of it is simply the act of hurting others or getting hurt myself.

I don’t want to hurt others, and I don’t want to get hurt myself either; it’s just an inevitable consequence of battle.

The way he smiles even though he’s bleeding…

The way he let me go instead of winning when he had the chance…

He wants to drag out the fight for as long as possible.

I might be wrong, but…

I think he might be both a sadist and a masochist…

He seems very nice and relaxed on the outside, but on the inside, there is something else entirely going on.

He’s dragging out the fight for as long as possible so that he can enjoy it for as long as possible.

I won’t play into that; I’ll end it here and now.

I dash past him, cutting his leg…

Before he can turn around, I quickly slice him from the bottom of his back to the top.

My attack doesn’t stop there; I sever the tendons on his left foot and cleave him across the chest.

A brutal combo falls upon him as I make my way around him, picking up more and more speed.

He’s done for!

…

!!!

It all comes to a stop…

He bangs his elbow backwards, and due to how fast I was moving, I couldn’t stop in time…

I ran right into it, and it almost knocked me out.

Before he could follow up, I got back up on my feet, and put some distance between us.

I’m so…

Dizzy.

The world is spinning…

If it wasn’t for the fact that my adrenaline was pumping, I probably wouldn’t be able to see him hurdling towards me…

I try to get away, but my feet won’t listen to me, and I fall over.

Before I hit the ground, he kicks me in the side, launching me across the arena.

My body crashes into the impossibly hard wall, and I feel some of my ribs cracking…

Is this it?

Have I lost…?

“Hey, get up! It’s not over yet!” – Vincent

He takes my hand, and helps me get up.

I struggle to keep my balance at first, but he doesn’t let go until he’s sure I can stand on my own.

“Alright, I’ll make my way to the other side. When I’m there, the fight will resume, so get ready.” – Vincent

He’s bleeding from every part of his body; his clothes are stained red.

He shouldn’t be able to stay awake for much longer, yet he isn’t ending it.

I don’t think he intends to end it until he literally can’t go on any longer.

It might not be long, but one more hit and I’m out.

He has this situation completely under his control.

I could try running away…

I’m faster than him, and if he bleeds out, I’ll automatically win.

But…

I doubt it’d work.

Right now, I’m not exactly in the best condition.

One misstep and I’ll trip…

If that happens, it’s over…

No, what I have to do now is not run away, I must confront him directly.

I’ll clash with him one last time and end it all.

A regular attack won’t do it though…

It’s practically impossible to control, so I don’t like using it, but…

I’ll need to use my ‘thunderclap’; it’s the only way…

I take a deep breath, then slowly let it out as I take my stance.

With both hands on the ground, one leg extended behind me, and the other at my center of gravity, I’m ready to take off…

“Good luck.” – Rin

He smiles, and welcomes me with open arms…

I channel all the Divinity I can through my legs, like a charged attack.

Exactly when I feel that I’ve reached my limit, I kick off…

In one moment, I feel my leg pushing against the ground below me, and in the next, I come to a complete stop as I crash into the wall on the other side.

My nose is broken, several bones are split apart, and there’s a crack in my skull…

“And we have a winner!! Congratulations, Rin Nox!” – Leanne

Just before I pass out, I look behind me, and see his torso split open…

My arm had passed right through him, instantly ending the match…

“Oh, so that’s what I did…” – Rin

…

…

…

I open my eyes…

“You’re awake!” – Lett

“I am.” – Rin

She gives me a hug.

“That final move… It was incredible!” – Lett

“It all happened so fast; it was over before I knew it…” – Alex

“What even was that?” – Shin

“Just like how you all can charge up attacks to make them much more powerful, I can do that to get even faster. I call it ‘thunderclap’. The problem is that it’s too fast… even for me. When I use it, I’m completely unable to process what is happening; it’s just simply too fast. I don’t like using it in general, but especially not in enclosed areas like that arena… I could have killed myself running into the wall at that speed…” – Rin

“I see… I have a similar move myself, actually.” – Lett

“Well get ready to use it, because these guys are strong…” – Rin

“…” – Lett

I glance over at Vincent, and just as I do, he sits back up.

He survived…

Those healers are incredible.