Aura Michibane VS The God of the Sword (3)

However, with Aura's mastery over matter manipulation and the sheer scale of her attacks, Nimaiya remained unyielding. His body stats and mastery in Zanjutsu allowed him to face many of these onslaughts head-on, demonstrating why he was known as the God of the Sword.

And in the most critical situations, when he was about to take a major hit, he resorted to using Kido, albeit he rarely used and wasn't on the level of Ichibei, Nimaiya wasn't ignorant of the ancient art. In fact, he was quite proficient at it. As Aura's attacks came in relentless waves, he found himself forced to incorporate Kido into his fighting style here and there.

One instance of such was when he used Bakudo No. 81, Danku, a defensive wall to shield himself from Aura's massive water dragon that carefully sneaked up on him. The wall of condensed spiritual energy absorbed the force of the impact, leaving Nimaiya unscathed.

In another instance, as Aura enveloped the sky in massive tentacles made from her blood, for the first time, Nimaiya in a hurry responded with Hado No. 58, Tenran. A cyclone of spiritual energy erupted from his hand, slicing through the sky and shredding the blood tentacles.

The sheer intensity of the cyclone, amplified by Nimaiya's immense spiritual power, reduced the threat to harmless droplets of blood raining down from the sky before they regenerated.

Meanwhile, when faced with Aura's light manipulation effects, making her invisible, and cutting all sound of her movements simultaneously, Nimaiya responded by slowing his breathing and calming his spirit.

He relied on his immense spiritual sensitivity to detect the faintest disturbances in the reishi around him. By focusing on these disturbances, he was still able to barely predict Aura's movements most of the time.

Against the nitrogen barriers Aura formed, Nimaiya released a Zanjutsu technique, "Hoshikuzu Kirisame." With a swift horizontal slash, his blade sent forth a rain of thin, sharp, high-speed spiritual pressure blades that could pierce the nitrogen barriers. However, by that time, Aura would've already dodged his own most critical attacks flying toward her position.

Meanwhile, one of the most remarkable aspects of Nimaiya's offensive battle arsenal was his ability to create monumental sword slashes from ambient reishi. This was a testament to his unrivaled swordsmanship and control over spiritual energy.

Each of his strikes, named "Resonating Edge," seemed to ripple through the air, accumulating reishi along the way to form a gigantic, surging wave of energy that barrelled towards Aura with devastating force.

However, Aura was prepared. Each time Nimaiya unleashed a "Resonating Edge," in a way that she couldn't simply dodge, she would respond by creating a nitrogen barrier from the air around her.

These barriers, crystalline and incredibly durable, absorbed the brunt of Nimaiya's strikes, protecting Aura from direct hits for a short period of time before she moved out of the way.

Nimaiya's speed was another factor that set him apart. His movements were so swift that he seemed to be in multiple places at once. At one point, he initiated a rapid series of attacks called "Shunpo Barrage".

This technique, involving a rapid sequence of sword slashes while moving at high speeds, was meant to disorient and overpower Aura through sheer speed and force.

Yet, Aura countered this as well. Making use of her ability to manipulate wind, she transformed her form into a swift gust, allowing her to match Nimaiya's speed and evade his relentless onslaught.

Even when faced with his "Shunpo Barrage," she moved with the fluidity and grace of a wind current, making it difficult for Nimaiya to land a decisive blow.

Moreover, when Nimaiya used his "Resonating Edge" in conjunction with "Shunpo Barrage" to increase the complexity and speed of his attacks, Aura responded by creating multiple clones of herself using light manipulation.

These clones served as decoys, confusing Nimaiya and buying Aura the time she needed to set up her defenses and prepare her counterattacks.

Despite the apparent advantages of Nimaiya's remarkable Zanjutsu skills and his impressive speed, Aura's strategic use of her Fullbring abilities to counter his techniques demonstrated her exceptional combat awareness and adaptability.

Although Aura was proving to be a formidable opponent for Nimaiya, many of the tactics and techniques she employed during their clash were not originally her own. It was Esteban, who had often conceived these unique applications of Fullbring power.

His vast knowledge and innovative thinking were instrumental in broadening Aura's understanding and use of her abilities.

During the initial stages of the battle, Aura's utilization of these abilities was careful, even tentative. Manipulating so many elements at the same time on such a massive scale was not something she had done before.

She was stepping into uncharted territory, testing the boundaries of her capabilities. As such, there was a marked caution to her actions, a clear indication of the novelty of these techniques.

However, as the battle progressed, Aura's confidence in her newfound abilities grew. Each successful use, each well-placed barrier, or timely dodge bolstered her assurance. Her movements became more fluid, her control more precise.

The initial hesitation was gradually replaced with a sense of determination and confidence.

It was as if Aura was becoming attuned to a deeper understanding of her Fullbring powers. Esteban's and her own creative ideas were not just theory anymore - they were being realized, actualized in the heat of battle.

With each passing moment, Aura was growing more adept at manipulating the souls of matter around her, mastering techniques she had only recently learned.

This was the mark of a true prodigy. As the battle raged on, Aura was not only fighting to protect her allies but also evolving as a Fullbringer, continuously pushing the boundaries of her power.

Despite the overwhelming odds, Aura was holding her ground against one of the oldest entities in the universe, showing just how far she had come under Esteban's guidance.