Ch145. Practical Training 3

Juzo jumped at Ringo the second he regained his balance, forcing her to block a sweeping slash from his Kubikiribocho with her right blade. Not even a split second later, Jinin's Kabutowari's ax met Ringo's left blade as sparks flew all around. Jinin's blow was much stronger than Juzo's but nevertheless, it fulfilled its purpose and Ringo was now in a deadlock.

Ringo knew Jinin would most likely use his hammer to strengthen the force behind his ax so she leaned on her left leg, putting as much weight onto it as possible to brace for the impact that would come from her left side.

Jinin smirked pushing himself from the ground into a spin... and before Ringo registered what he planned, his hammer impacted... Kubikiribocho instead of his ax. Ringo, who was still blocking Kubikiribocho with her right blade and was balancing herself for a strong blow from her left side, didn't last even a second before her guard broke and Kubikiribocho met her waist, bending her and sending her flying through the air to the left.

Despite preferring working solo, the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist knew what teamwork is and could work together seamlessly. This was shown by the direction Ringo was sent flying to, straight at Jinpachi, the wielder of Shibuki.

Ringo tried to regain her balance by twisting in mid-air but a string caught her leg, again making her unbalanced as Kushimaru kicked her chest, sending her back on her track towards Jinpachi even faster than before. Kushimaru landed onto his feet, and instantly fell onto his ass as smoke started rising from his right leg, the one he used to kick Ringo's armor. Clearly, he got zapped by the natural lightning in return and would not regain his nimbleness anytime soon.

Jinpachi held Shibuki like a baseball bat and when Ringo's body was finally in his striking range, he swung... a booming explosion resounded from his Explosive Sword as the dust was sent into the air. The ball of dust was broken up not a second later by Ringo's body that was sent flying in yet another direction by the explosion, right at the wielder of Hiramekarei who was already waiting for her with a hammer made of chakra.

Ringo however twisted her body mid-air as she was about to reach into Arata's striking range. This time, there was nobody able to stop her. Her foot kicked the ground which completely changed the trajectory of her 'flight', making her crash through the air towards the ground instead of towards Arata. Crouched on all four, Ringo slid on the ground in front of Arata who didn't expect her to do something like this.

Ringo seamlessly transferred all the kinetic force from her flight into sliding, mitigating it slightly, and then she pushed against the ground, again changing the sliding into the spin... It was so fast that Arata didn't even have time to register when exactly she appeared in front of him as her body was about to spin from right to left and with that, her right blade was rushing towards his neck.

Ringo was already in Arata's guard. He didn't have time to change the shape of Hiramekarei and with a massive weapon like the chakra hammer, it would be hard to counter so he was forced to go defensive and block. Pulling the hammer slightly towards his left, Ringo's natural-lightning-coated blade crashed into the chakra-made hammer-head, cracking the ground under them from the force, causing Arata's knees to bend.

Nevertheless, Arata was already in the process of changing Hiramekarei into the shape of two swords to match Ringo's dual-wielding. He was indeed the best to block her or stop her momentum as both used energy-made or coated blades and both could dual-wield.

And as Ringo spotted he divided Hiramekarei into two while changing its shape into some kind of oval chakra blades... she decided to take the kiddy gloves off. The twerp was really arrogant if he wanted to fight with two swords against her of all people.

Her left arm snapped into action, slashing towards the left blade of Hiramekarei as Arata was barely done with the division of his sword... Needless to say, he couldn't put as much strength behind his block and was sent sliding back, ending the deadlock of their right blades.

Ringo didn't wait for him to regain his bearing and jumped forward, viciously slashing her swords, getting faster and faster... one slash, two slashes, four, eight, sixteen... lightning bolts cracked and snapped all around the duo of a petite redhead who was like a rushing bull and a tall blue-haired man who barely managed to block with his big oval swords made of chakra. Ringo's speed was increasing by slash and Arata had really a big problem to block her fast-paced combo. Slowly, he started redirecting, parrying while retreating backward...

Ringo's swords stopped as three blades landed on her from behind. Kubikiribocho, Kabutowari, and Kiba wielders put their best into it, wanting to injure her while she was focused on Arata. Kubikiribocho stopped on her neck. Both of Kiba's blades were flashing with lightning and trying to dig into her right side, in an upward stab that would reach her heart, and right leg, right above a quite important artery. And Kabutowari's ax was in the middle of her back, right alongside her spine, as Jinin smashed his ax into it.

The battlefield stilled.

Arata was gasping for air, happy he held Ringo down long enough for the others to attack. His two Hiramekareis were crossed over his chest, stopping one of Ringo's stabs a few inches in front of his face. Really... lucky.

"Pffft." Ringo suddenly snickered.

Hearing that, the four swordsmen around her stiffened. Three of them felt a chill go up to their spines when they realized that... 'How the heck is there not even a scratch on her armor!?'

Kubikiribocho stopped on the armor coating her neck, many cracks appearing on the blade as the natural lightning reverted most of the force of the blow back onto the blade. Juzo's eyes widened. Sure, Kubikiribocho was broken many times but never by its own attack!

The lightning coating of Kiba blades shimmered down to inexistence almost instantly as the electric energy was absorbed by Ringo's armor. The only reason the Kiba blades were not damaged was their lightning attunement and Raiga was forced to step back as his blades uncontrollably shook from the impact, causing his whole body to tremble while his wrists screamed in pain as he tried to not let go of the vibrating Kiba blades.

Kabutowari... the second Jinin stuck his hammer onto the back of its ax, trying to use it as a wedge to break through Ringo's armor and dig into her spine, the force was completely negated. At least from his perspective. He didn't feel a thing. His ax though... the whole force of his blow and that of Ringo's armor's counter was focused solely on the ax, causing it to shatter into pieces as two opposing forces squished it. Needless to say, Jinin was horrified at part of his sword that was supposed to be able to penetrate any defense being broken!

'Lightning Armor: Force Reflection.' Ringo's eyes gleamed. 'Did the idiots think I would not prepare for them?'

The previous exchange where she was sent flying was enough of a lesson for her. Clearly, having superb defense didn't mean she could not be unbalanced or sent flying. It might be still in the stage of development but Ringo naturally already implemented a few tricks into her armor to increase her defensive and offensive power.

Arata didn't see what happened behind Ringo. He still thought she was affected by the three blows to her back and he just had to keep her in a deadlock while his associates penetrate her armor and finish her off but...

With a mocking smile, Ringo suddenly lengthened the blade he was blocking. The one he stopped just a few inches in front of his face. And Arata was sent onto a permanent vacation as his head was skewered by a blade made of natural lightning, creating a charred hole into it.

'Didn't expect that, did ya, fucker?' Ringo cheered while the lengthened part of the blade made of natural lightning retracted back into a coating around the chakra-metal blade.

'Shit!' The three swordsmen behind Ringo had all similar thoughts, wanting to distance themselves from her. They weren't stupid and knew the hunter just became prey.

But Ringo would not let them go so easily when they had the guts to attack her back, right?