MIGHT AS WELL BE OP Chapter 951: Maybe Another Time

Just as the words escaped Aura Nova's mouth, before she could so much as blink, a fresh presence materialized right in front of her, his fingers already gripping the hilt with an eerie certainty. Lucian was the one who had arrived there, shifting at a velocity beyond any he'd shown or that Aura Nova had ever witnessed, a velocity that resembled teleportation more than actual movement, like the entire world had reshuffled to position him exactly in that spot.

‘When did that happen?’ Aura Nova wondered inwardly, since she hadn't caught sight or felt his approach at all, the shift so seamless it was as if existence had jumped ahead without warning.

Seamlessly, Lucian's katana slid free from its scabbard with a crisp, echoing ring, slicing toward Aura Nova's throat in a fluid arc, the blow precise and unforgiving, like he'd staked the whole fight and all previous clashes on this one ultimate stroke, channeling every bit of purpose and deadly power into that flawless iaijutsu draw.

Though Aura Nova couldn't track his abrupt dash at first, that didn't stop her from responding—her reflexes and responses were honed for real threats, not just spectacle. In a flash of power and swiftness, her arms shot up, her paired short swords mirroring each other perfectly as they formed a crossed barrier over her torso, the stance solid and unyielding like an impenetrable shield.

Then came a deafening roar as the blades clashed, the atmosphere freezing briefly, unsure how to handle the clash of these two titans. Rip apart? Howl? Crumble? It was at a loss, having endured it all before. Right after, the air made its choice, bursting outward in a shattering shockwave that ripped through whatever lay in its way, akin to a hidden explosive going off right between them.

The impact and drive hurled into Aura Nova with savage force, flinging her form rearward as her boots lifted off the rooftop, sending her soaring wildly while the gale howled after her like a pursuing predator. Panic didn't grip her; instead, her figure twisted gracefully in flight with masterful poise, touching down lightly on a towering building's side wall, her feet adhering to the sheer face as if gravity bent to her command.

She grasped right away that the backward toss stemmed from the clash's unequal momentum and strength. Lucian had built up his energy prior to the swing, whereas she'd mustered hers in a rush, defending rather than striking first, and that tiny gap had robbed her of her footing.

Her gaze whipped up, those azure eyes locking onto Lucian's frame, yet what greeted her was his sword already whistling toward her throat with deadly delight. Aura Nova stayed silent, her mind blank—she lacked the luxury for reflection—as her reflexes surged once more, her torso arching back with unnatural bend, her spine now level with the skyscraper's glass panels.

The instant she arched away and evaded, it felt like time dragged in her mind alone, letting her watch Lucian's edge whip by her features in languid detail, her lovely visage, smooth skin, and blue eyes mirroring sharply on the blade's gleaming surface, trailed by a slim silver trail where the weapon sliced the air and the spot her head had occupied just a heartbeat prior.

Had she hesitated by the tiniest instant, decapitation would have claimed her without mercy, her head sliced off neatly before death even registered.

Yet Aura Nova required no reminder; in this stretched sliver where time lagged just for her, she knew full well that the reflexes steering her came from countless years of relentless combat in the False Reality Layer. Their influence shone through in this duel, emerging as something akin to foresight rather than simple counters.

In the following beat, time jolted sharply forward, and the windows beneath them shattered explosively as the backlash from Lucian's whiffed strike hammered the structure like a massive shell. Neither Lucian nor Aura Nova flinched—their forms had outgrown such trivial dangers long ago, and even though these broken panels were sturdier than standard, fortified and hardened, they posed no threat to fighters of their level.

This time, Aura Nova surged ahead, her pace surging like a vehicle shifting into overdrive, buildup layering on buildup, her dual short swords converging from dual flanks at once, each targeting a fatal spot on Lucian's frame with cold accuracy.

Lucian just fixed his dark gaze on the incoming assaults, offering no block or deflection, his feet gliding effortlessly across the roof's concrete as he sidestepped both with the simplicity of grabbing sweets from a kid, and in that same fluid step and maneuver, he bridged the gap to Aura Nova. He ended up inches from her, that grin lingering on his lips, his katana already rising from a low angle in a brutal upward cut designed to split her in two.

Aura Nova showed no unease at Lucian's nearness; on the contrary, she advanced a partial step, as if drawing near for a deadly smooch... a smooch from her steel. Her lead short sword intercepted Lucian's katana, stalling it halfway and canceling the threat outright, steel screeching on steel, while her off-hand blade ripped skyward at his throat from mere inches away, brimming with murderous aim.

Lucian found himself retreating a pace to evade, unable to counter with his katana snared by Aura Nova's opposing edge. He slipped away with the poise of a mentor demonstrating to a novice, fluid and restrained, but Aura Nova was far from any novice.

As soon as Lucian evaded, the short sword entwining his katana twisted free, moving like a serpent lunging at quarry as her wrist snapped with precision, and in that one understated flick, Lucian's katana slipped from his grasp, the blade twirling aimlessly as it tumbled through the sky toward the distant pavement.

A fleeting glint of astonishment crossed Lucian's eyes, caught off guard by Aura Nova's depth in tight-quarters fighting and her sharp combat smarts, the disarming move executed with pristine skill.

But Aura Nova ignored the brief shock in Lucian's stare, seizing her edge without pause by closing the space he'd opened with his withdrawal. Her short swords lashed at his throat and chest with blistering velocity and unsparing purpose, edges tracing fatal curves in the breeze.

Forgiveness? Kindness? Pity? Not here, not today.

Even without his katana, Lucian remained unruffled, observing the strikes near with a steady look, like a feline blessed with endless lives and boundless assurance. Just as Aura Nova's weapons neared to carve his fate, his dislodged katana gleamed abruptly as it spun in the air and returned to his grip as if the void had handed it back, and in a single elegant sweep, he parried both with the finesse of a bladework legend at the peak of his art and realm.