Global Disaster: I Will Slay Gods In This Second Chance!-Chapter 69: Seventy Two Strikes

Akaza gazed at him, smiling slightly.

But to Master Kimoto, this was enough as a confirmation.

"Very well!"

Master Kimoto said with a kind smile. He grabbed the hilt of his sword before pointing its tip toward Akaza.

"Boy, don’t hold this against me. I’ll have to get serious since you’re an S-rank... and I’m curious, how much different are you compared to that man?"

"That man?" Akaza tilted his head, curious.

"If you survive this, you two will inevitably cross paths," Master Kimoto said, shaking his head. He let out a disappointed sigh. "It’s unfortunate I would never be able to see that happen."

"Why?"

Azaka asked with a smile, not taking Kimoto seriously at all.

"Because you’re going to die."

Master Kimoto stated, as if it were the only outcome of the battle.

Hearing the word ’die’, Akaza froze for a moment. Then, he shook his head, letting out a chuckle that turned into a fit of laughter.

"HahahahahahahahaaHAAHAHAHAHAH!"

"...?"

Master Kimoto showed no change of expression, letting him continue.

After having the time of his life laughing, Akaza rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"You... an old man half-step to his grave, kill me?"

He shook his head, smiling quietly.

"Old man, you’re not him."

"Him?"

Master Kimoto tilted his head, but then his expression changed.

A gust of wind suddenly blew, and Akaza’s figure vanished.

[Wind Travel].

Behind him, Akaza appeared as if the wind had brought him there.

His hand swiftly moved, hacking at Kimoto’s neck.

Master Kimoto lowered his gaze, then he disappeared, appearing behind Akaza.

He made a casual slash with his sword.

But then, Akaza immediately disappeared as well.

This time, Master Kimoto flipped his sword and violently thrust it behind his back.

Woosh!

Akaza didn’t seem to have expected it, instantly feeling a deep, piercing pain.

Kimoto flipped the sword once more, pointing its sharp edge to the sky.

Grip!

With one swift motion, he raised his sword, cleanly splitting Akaza into two.

Akaza’s expression was in disbelief, his lips trembling soundlessly.

"You’re still a kid."

Master Kimoto smiled eerily, but then his eyes widened slightly.

Akaza’s body suddenly stitched itself once more, regenerating at incredible speed.

[Death Exchange].

Using one of the awakeners he assimilated as a sacrifice, he could transfer his death to them.

From a distance, Keiji the Swift Flame froze with a blank expression.

Then, his body split apart.

In that instant, Akaza also lost all the abilities he gained from Keiji.

Akaza gazed at Master Kimoto with a mocking smile.

"Die!"

But then, Master Kimoto vanished, blinking to a distance.

Akaza quickly followed, appearing in front of Master Kimoto.

But Master Kimoto, seemingly expecting it, had already struck at his position.

Not just once.

Nor twice.

But seventy-two consecutive times.

Woosh.

Akaza’s expression immediately changed.

He immediately tried to dodge the attacks, however, Master Kimoto’s strikes were like destiny itself.

Once it arrived, it was inevitable.

Woosh!

Akaza felt his chest, stomach, arms, head, and every single part of his body be pierced by a sword.

Perhaps intentionally, but each of Kimoto’s attacks landed 0.2 seconds apart from each other, forcing Akaza to experience all seventy-two strikes in full.

What was it like to feel every part of your body being pierced by a sword? 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

Akaza felt every nerve and vessel connecting his body be split apart.

For a brief moment, his consciousness slipped away.

It was like he was falling into a bottomless abyss.

Just as his eyes seemed to turn white, they widened, full of vitality.

Perhaps heaven was on his side, but one of the contractual awakeners he assimilated earlier had a talent that could save him from his current situation.

[Duplicate Mind].

He could divide his mind into two, allowing him to divert all the pain to one mind, and let the other mind think of a solution.

Akaza made a decision instantly.

"What are you..."

Master Kimoto was surprised, but then his expression immediately changed.

In a split second, Kimoto made the decision to blink away.

BOOM!

Akaza’s entire body exploded!

A moment later, his body slowly connected itself.

Kimoto narrowed his eyes. He teleported in front of Akaza once more, but then several awakeners emerged from Akaza’s regenerating body.

They immediately jumped at him with their arms spread wide!

Just as quickly as he arrived, Kimoto vanished.

The moment the awakeners landed, they all exploded!

A scene of carnage descended, blood and organs scattered all over the field.

The blood sank deep into the ground, turning the soil crimson red.

A few seconds later, Akaza’s body fully regenerated, his eyes showing a deep calmness.

Instead of dying 72 times, he killed himself and used [Death Exchange], letting him survive.

Killing oneself to avoid dying!

From a distance, Kimoto’s expression was no longer as calm as before.

For that attack, he used at least half of his spiritual energy, intending to kill Akaza in one move.

Yet...

Akaza managed to survive even after that.

’Is this the height of a S-rank talent?’

Master Kimoto thought solemnly.

At first, he was confident that he could win this fight no matter how long it lasted.

So he didn’t take it seriously, wanting to test the depths of an S-rank talent.

After all, there was a gap that separated the two of them.

This gap was their battle experience!

To Kimoto, every move made by Akaza was awfully simple and predictable, lacking any thought beyond the intent to kill.

Kimoto could read him like an open book, all his attacks and thoughts laid out for him.

Despite his tremendous talent, Akaza was like a newborn child, completely lacking any awareness of fighting.

Even if this battle were to continue for the entire day, Akaza originally had no chance of winning.

But, in the end, this belief faltered.

Kimoto let out a deep breath.

’S-ranks... given enough time, they can destroy a nation.’

Their title was apt... they were the singularity of existence.

’If he continues to grow from this battle, even I would lose.’

Thinking of this, Master Kimoto had enough of testing Akaza.

It was time to kill.