Chapter 46: UNSEEN CLASH
Keito stood perfectly still, every sense sharpened to its limit. He could barely feel Raito’s presence; the air itself had gone still since he activated Shadow Phase. Even the temperature had dropped.
He closed his eyes, trying to detect the faintest movement, the smallest change in the wind. A sword materialized in his left hand, its silver edge humming faintly with mana.
Then he moved.
Keito sprinted forward, cutting through the silence, relying only on instinct and the shift of air around him. He swung at nothing and then felt it. A disturbance, a sudden breeze brushing past his face.
There.
Raito’s dagger flashed toward his ear. Keito bent low, twisting his head just in time as the blade sliced through empty air. In the same motion, he countered, swinging the sword in his left hand across the space where Raito should be.
Steel clashed. Sparks scattered.
Raito parried, twisting his wrist and pivoting on one foot before slamming a back kick into Keito’s chest. The impact sent Keito sliding backward across the stone floor, his boots grinding against the dust.
Raito didn’t stop. He charged again, body a blur of motion, and leapt high, both legs aimed straight for Keito.
Keito reacted instantly. He brought up both swords, crossing them into the shape of a glowing X just as Raito descended.
Their collision cracked the air.
Raito’s double kick struck the crossed blades, a shockwave rippling outward. Keito pushed forward, forcing his strength through the swords. The momentum hurled Raito backward, but he flipped midair, landing smoothly a few meters away.
"Now this is annoying," Raito muttered, voice low but edged with irritation. "Even after becoming invisible, you still manage to track my attacks."
His eyes narrowed, muscles flexing under his coat. "Not only that, you’ve got raw power. Intense strength."
He clenched his fist, mana rippling faintly around his arm.
Should I reactivate Minotaur Strength?
[Skill: Minotaur Strength]
Status Manually Deactivated
Side Effect Muscle fatigue, LP consumption (moderate)
He exhaled, shaking his head. Even when I use it, my body strains like hell. And Shadow Phase already drains LP. If I stack both again, I’ll end up on the ground before I can finish him.
No, not yet.
Keito moved first.
The air cracked as he sprinted, sword cutting through the wind. Raito bent low, dodging with precision, the blade whispering inches from his head.
He twisted his body and launched a powerful upward kick.
CRACK!
The hit connected square on Keito’s jaw. But instead of falling, Keito’s hand snapped out and grabbed Raito’s leg mid spin.
He caught that?!
Raito’s eyes widened as Keito pivoted and hurled him backward with monstrous force.
"Damn it!"
The world blurred. The wall rushed toward him.
"System! Activate Flight!"
[Skill: Flight Activated]
Type Continuous (Toggle)
LP Consumption Low (Passive drain)
In an instant, mana surged through his body. His fall stopped midair, blue energy flaring like wings for half a heartbeat before vanishing.
The room went silent. No crash. No impact. Nothing.
Keito froze, scanning the space. His eyes darted in every direction, trying to sense Raito’s presence, but the readings flickered, cold traces scattered through the air, shifting like ghosts.
"Where?" he whispered.
Above him, unseen, Raito hovered calmly, shadows coiling around his body, eyes faintly glowing. A new notification flickered across his vision:
[Skill Synchronization Detected]
[Shadow Phase + Flight → Enhanced Stealth Mode: Aerial Concealment]
Effect Full invisibility in motion. Visual and mana signature completely nullified.
Raito smirked. "So this is what level seven feels like."
He drew his dagger, its edge glinting with black light.
"Alright, Keito," he said softly, his voice echoing faintly through the air. "Let’s see how long you can keep up."
"Wow," Seizo muttered, eyes wide as he watched the clash unfold. "That guy, Raito, is actually insane. I mean, he’s invisible right now, and Keito’s still keeping up somehow."
Takura nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on the invisible battle. Sparks of light flashed through the air where their blades met, even though only one fighter could be seen. "You realize Keito’s doing this blind, right? That mask he wears, it doesn’t let him see a thing. He’s fighting purely through his senses. Feeling the wind, the air pressure, the faintest trace of body heat."
"Still," Seizo muttered, shaking his head. "Sensing Raito’s presence when he’s using that skill? Even for me, it’s almost impossible. His energy just vanishes. Completely. The way his presence drops, it’s not human."
"Exactly," Takura said. "I’m Rank S, and even I can barely feel him. It’s like he’s erased himself from the world."
A flicker of admiration crossed her face. "That level of control, that’s something even high rank hunters struggle with. He’s not just hiding, he’s rewriting how mana behaves around him."
Ichika, who had been silent, finally spoke. Her voice was quiet but steady. "When Ayane told us what really happened that day at the train station, I didn’t believe her. She said the walls were destroyed in a single burst of power."
She looked down, hands clenched tightly. "I thought it was an exaggeration. Until I saw this."
The air trembled again, another invisible impact. Dust rippled through the arena.
Ichika’s voice softened. "I looked into him afterward. His mother died maybe nine or ten years ago. He was just a kid then. And his power, it didn’t even manifest until he was sick. An illness triggered it."
Takura blinked. "That’s impossible. You’re saying his ability awakened because of his body shutting down?"
Ichika nodded. "Yeah. And look at him now, fighting like this at Rank C." She tightened her fist, knuckles white. "If I fought him right now, even as an S rank..."
Her eyes lifted toward the fading sparks of battle.
"...I don’t think I’d win."
All eyes were locked on Keito as he turned slowly, scanning the empty air around him. His breathing was steady but tense, every muscle coiled in readiness. He could feel something nearby—an invisible presence—but no matter how sharp his senses were, he couldn’t pinpoint it.