MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 1002: Don’t Blame Me

In an instant faster than a heartbeat, Aura Nova positioned herself right in front of Anthony, her velocity blurring the air itself with a sharp warp. Without any delay or second thought, the instant she materialized before him, her short sword lunged viciously at his eyes in a ruthless slash. Anthony kept his composure intact, eyeing the approaching strike steadily, while his katana stayed sheathed at his hip, untouched, as if she barely merited the bother of drawing it.

Just as the blow neared its mark, he shifted sideways with astonishing simplicity. A piercing whoosh echoed as Aura Nova’s short sword sliced empty space where Anthony’s head had just been. An enormous arc of wind, born from the strike’s immense power, exploded forward, obliterating all in its way and turning it to dust. The squeezed air howled while expanding, swallowing scattered rocks and gouging a wide furrow across the ground behind him.

Yet Aura Nova pressed on without stopping. She shifted her stance right away, like she’d foreseen her initial strike missing from the start. Her other short sword now targeted Anthony’s throat with deadly accuracy, blending sharpness and intent into one fluid motion. But Anthony merely offered her a subtle grin as he evaded once more, the atmosphere rippling behind him from his smooth, unstrained dodge.

Undaunted by her failed assaults, Aura Nova charged forward again. In the blink of an eye, she unleashed a storm of slashes, over a thousand in number. Her arms became a haze, almost vanishing into thin air, as her swords spun a lethal lattice of metal and gusts. Those piercing blue eyes of hers fixed on Anthony, eager to witness his escape from this torrent of blows.

The abrupt surge in strikes didn’t faze Anthony at all. To him, whether one, two, a hundred, or a thousand, they were merely counts, no more, no less. With that mindset, his pace quickened. His figure turned into a ghostly streak as he weaved, sidestepping every assault the second it launched, like he’d predicted it in advance. Each sweep, each stab, each precise trajectory got bypassed with flawless precision.

Right after evading the final hit, Aura Nova materialized at his rear. Her short swords ripped through the atmosphere like fragile cloth, one slashing from the right, the other from the left, both zeroing in on his neck for a clean beheading.

However, before the edges could connect with skin, Anthony simply advanced half a pace. That lone movement pulled him clear of Aura Nova’s path. He required no glance back to sense the threat; it was like he had vision behind him, and given his extraordinary senses, he practically did. His perception enveloped the entire field, charting every gust shift and every pulse of fighting spirit.

A slight frown creased Aura Nova’s face as her strategy crumbled. She’d loosed a thousand strikes, then ambushed from behind to surprise him... but she couldn’t have guessed that Anthony was among those rare existences immune to such tricks.

Still, her setback didn’t slow her down. She surged ahead anyway. Now, she drove forward with paired thrusts, handling her short blades like a lance or foil. A deafening crack resounded as the space near her sword tips imploded, aiming straight for Anthony’s back with unerring focus.

Once more, Anthony needed no pivot. A casual sidestep let him slip away with absurd ease, as if he glimpsed events yet to unfold. Aura Nova’s weapons shredded only the lingering echoes of his form, tearing apart mere phantoms instead of body and blood.

The earth underfoot exploded from the clash, debris howling amid the raw power of their clashes. Fissures etched through the barren landscape of their arena, branching out in rough patterns as the ground buckled under their velocity and might. Small stones rose into the air, hovering for a moment in swirling gales before getting hurled aside.

Anthony touched down several meters distant with a light landing, a grin playing on his features as he savored this chase like a playful pursuit. He had to admire Aura Nova’s determination and warrior spirit. Even aware her odds of triumph were slim, she kept pressing the attack, acting as if victory was truly within her grasp.

Before he could even react, Aura Nova closed in anew. She burst toward him, shattering the sound barrier with a sonic crack, the air wall crumbling in her path. Her short sword whistled at Anthony’s throat with deadly precision, its point shining as it nearly pierced his skin by inches.

Anthony just tilted his head back a touch, evading as if schooling an eager novice. But the second he moved, Aura Nova chained her follow-up without flaw. Her spare short sword was already thrusting, prepared for the miss. It barreled from the flank toward Anthony’s side, perfectly timed and angled.

A smug curl touched Aura Nova’s lips. In her view, Anthony now had to unsheathe his katana here. Yet that expression evaporated instantly as Anthony accelerated further. His shape splintered into blurs as he slipped away with graceful flow, avoiding both weapons while keeping his blade sheathed.

He reappeared a whole kilometer off, settling with a casual poise, a gentle smile on his face as he regarded Aura Nova with tranquil poise. Her gaze whipped to him at once, those azure eyes clashing with his steady look over the ruined expanse.

"Are you only going to dodge throughout this spar?" she asked, irritation slipping into her tone. While it was fun to play around during battle, she preferred being the one who toyed with her opponent, not the one being toyed with.

"Your swordsmanship isn’t even at Lucian’s level yet. Be careful what you wish for, Aura Nova," Anthony replied calmly, his smile never fading.

Aura Nova offered no retort. She had never loved talking during a serious battle that involved life or death. She had only spoken with Lucian during their spar because she had something to gain at that moment. Words were unnecessary here. Action was enough.

With that, her battle intent erupted from her body in a violent surge. The wind screamed around her with maddening force, spiraling outward in chaotic currents that distorted the air and darkened the sky above them. Her presence alone began to weigh heavily upon the battlefield, as though nature itself acknowledged her resolve.

She didn’t bother tapping into her Sword Intent. She wasn’t foolish. While she was talented, she had witnessed Anthony’s Sword Intent before and knew that his was superior to hers. In a direct clash of intent, she would lose. So for this battle, she would fight without relying on it, placing her faith instead in her speed, her technique, and her steel will.

Anthony sighed softly as he sensed Aura Nova’s intensifying battle intent. The air around him trembled slightly in response, though his expression remained relaxed, "I hope you don’t blame me later or say I’m a bully, Aura Nova," he said with a faint smile.