How fast!
As the dense network of sword strikes came, Hawkeye Mihawk's pupils contracted involuntarily. A strange aura covered the pitch-black long sword in his hand, and he swung it with all his might.
Emerald-colored sword energy roared out, tearing through the impenetrable sword net.
However, Soderos didn't give Hawkeye a chance to breathe. From the explosion's flash, the opponent's figure instantly approached, making Hawkeye realize something was wrong.
"Too crude."
Bang!
A muffled sound.
Hawkeye felt a tremendous impact coming from his front. The next moment, the scenery around him was rapidly retreating in his eyes.
"Was that... a draw?"
Having finally unloaded the force, Hawkeye was stunned as he regained his senses.
In that moment, his Observation Haki had captured Soderos's movements.
The stance he took as he approached was that of a standard draw cut, but the only difference was that Soderos didn't actually draw his sword. He simply used the momentum of the impact, using the hilt to knock him away.
"You actually saw it, huh?"
Soderos responded with a smile.
“……”
Hawkeye didn't reply this time.
His heart was full of unease as he held the black sword.
So strong...
Unbelievably strong...
Since first grasping a sword, Hawkeye had never encountered someone who gave him such terrifying pressure in swordsmanship, like Soderos.
"Don't you intend to continue?"
"No, please do continue!"
He spoke solemnly, as if making a request.
Mihawk felt his grip on the hilt of his sword tighter than ever before.
The opponent was strong.
Strong to the point of fear, he couldn't even see a sliver of a chance of winning.
For that reason,
He almost trembled.
But this wasn't because of fear.
It was joy.
The joy of witnessing a higher peak of swordsmanship, seeing strength deeper and greater than his own.
It's truly exhilarating.
If I keep going, will I reach this height someday?
Just thinking about it made him tremble with excitement.
"Please continue, Mr. Soderos!"
Completely losing his usual composure, Hawkeye laughed and shouted.
He bounced his body upwards.
The crucifix-shaped black sword curved—
Hawkeye, taking action with fierce momentum, closed the distance between himself and Soderos in one breath. The black sword in his hand unleashed a terrifying slash with the power of a tearing cloth.
A massive sword energy roared towards the old man!
"Good momentum!"
Soderos, holding his light katana, praised as he charged forward.
A silver-white light flashed in his hand.
The speed at which Soderos swung his weapon was simply unimaginable. Ordinary people wouldn't even see him make any movement, yet two sword pressures, horizontally and vertically, collided head-on with Hawkeye's sword energy!
Boom!!
"Come, receive this blow!"
Amidst the tremendous shockwave generated by the collision of sword pressure and sword energy, a sudden gust of wind brushed past, sending a bone-chilling sense of crisis that made Mihawk tense his entire body.
He widened his hawk-like eyes and "saw" with his Observation Haki how Soderos shifted his weight downward, placing his hand on the hilt of his long sword at the waist. It was a slow yet fast movement—
It's coming!
"Draw Cut!"
Accompanied by a low shout,
In his field of vision, Soderos's movements seemed to slow down countless times. This terrifying sword god, using the hilt of his sword as a pivot, unleashed a blinding light from the scabbard the moment he drew the blade.
No one could describe the brilliance of that light.
A blow without a blind spot, an attack that could stop anything, directly sealing off all of Hawkeye Mihawk's escape routes.
Swish...
Boom!!
First, the blade flashed past, and then, in the next moment, the entire bedrock of the earth shattered and flew apart as if blown away.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
Under this overwhelmingly powerful blow, Hawkeye's face twisted completely as he resisted with his sword.
His arms, holding the black sword, were trembling.
I can't block it—!
In the instant that thought arose, the world's greatest swordsman gritted his teeth.
I can't block it—!?
His fiery heart roared in defiance. The swordsman, gritting his teeth and trembling with both arms, his short boots were already deeply embedded in the ground.
How can I not block it—!
On his twisted face, the swordsman's golden pupils were completely stained with a fierce fighting spirit. He growled, facing the overwhelmingly powerful force, stepping forward with all his might.
In that instant, the veins in his arms, bulging with exertion, snapped open, and the sharp pain shot from his arms to his shoulders—
Yet Hawkeye ignored it. The flexible black sword was covered with a deeper, more profound black at that moment, and amidst his roar, emerald-colored sword energy surged skyward with overwhelming momentum—
Boom!!!
"He blocked it."
Soderos watched the scene with full admiration, but seeing Hawkeye, covered in injuries, he couldn't help but shake his head—the opponent clearly couldn't continue fighting.
As expected,
After being judged as unable to continue fighting, Hawkeye's figure quickly vanished from the battlefield. In the next moment, he appeared unharmed beside the spectators.
"It's over?"
"What a spectacular battle..."
"Soderos, so strong!"
"Hawkeye-san isn't bad either."
This showdown was a feast for the eyes. Soderos's power was shocking, but on the other hand, Hawkeye Mihawk's tenacity was equally impressive.
This group arena...
It's truly interesting.