Everyone in the courtroom instantly held their breath.
Their gazes were locked tightly on the two figures at the center.
Someone couldn’t help but let out a quiet gasp.
Clorinde’s attack carried the same familiar thunderous ferocity as always!
Fast, precise, ruthless—every strike was potentially lethal!
That was exactly where her confidence as an undefeated duelist came from!
Watching from afar, Furina felt her heart leap into her throat!
Her hands clenched tightly, and even her breathing became cautious.
Faced with Clorinde’s overwhelming assault, Toki’s expression remained unchanged, his steps light and nimble.
He merely shifted his body slightly to the side, narrowly avoiding the edge of her sword.
At the same time, he raised a hand, and the Hydro gathering around his fingertips instantly condensed.
He assumed the stance of his flowing martial art, his arms poised for a sweeping redirection.
With a motion that seemed soft yet carried hidden strength, he met Clorinde’s arm head-on!
His Hydro-coated palm collided with the sword crackling with Electro.
Electro and Hydro violently intertwined, producing a sharp sizzling sound.
Mist created by the Electro-Charged reaction immediately spread through the area, enveloping both of them.
With their physical strength, neither of them needed to care about such minor Electro-Charged damage.
Clorinde tried to forcefully transition into another attack, only to feel a force that was both yielding and firm travel back through her sword.
The thrust she had delivered with all her strength had somehow been casually redirected by Toki, stripping away most of its force.
Her wrist went slightly numb.
Her body was even forced into an involuntary half-step stumble.
A trace of surprise flashed through Clorinde’s eyes.
This prisoner’s strength was far greater than she had imagined.
And that bizarre technique for redirecting force prevented her sword from displaying its full power.
“Not bad, but…
it’s still nowhere near enough!” Clorinde snorted coldly, the fierceness in her eyes intensifying.
She twisted her wrist and changed her sword technique.
Sharp Electro-infused slashes rained down toward Toki like a violent storm.
Every strike carried raging Electro, carving shallow cracks across the floor.
Lightning scattered everywhere, creating a terrifying display!
“So she’s started spamming her Elemental Skill now…” Toki muttered under his breath, yet he remained completely unhurried.
His feet followed the steps of his flowing martial art, his posture relaxed and fluid.
He shifted and weaved as naturally as flowing water, evading every single one of Clorinde’s attacks.
At the same time, his hands continuously changed techniques.
Sweeping Redirect, Single-Arm Sweep, Circling Palms—each movement flowed seamlessly into the next as Hydro coiled around his hands.
Every block and every redirection skillfully dispersed the force behind Clorinde’s Electro-infused strikes.
He even borrowed the momentum of her own attacks to counter, landing punch after punch on Clorinde’s body.
“This feeling…” At that moment, Toki had only one thought in his mind.
And that was— The goods were definitely real!
Clorinde’s figure, practically straining the buttons of her clothes, was absolutely the real deal!
At that moment, however, Clorinde’s attention was completely focused on the battle.
She had absolutely no idea that her opponent still had enough leisure to admire her figure while fighting.
After the two separated, they each took a moment to catch their breath.
Then the next round of combat began.
The situation remained unchanged.
Clorinde launched relentless attacks.
Toki neutralized them one after another before counterattacking.
By now, everyone in the spectator gallery was already staring in stunned disbelief.
Those who had previously believed Toki was overestimating himself had completely put away their contempt.
Their eyes were filled with shock.
After all these years, they had never seen anyone deal with Clorinde’s Electro-infused sword attacks so effortlessly.
Even more unbelievable was that a prisoner could actually fight this undefeated Champion Duelist to a standstill!
“I never expected Toki to be this strong!” “Exactly!
That martial art of his is way too strange.
Clorinde’s sword can’t even touch him!” “It’s actually come to this!
Now things are getting interesting.
Could Clorinde’s undefeated record really be broken today?” Discussion broke out once again, but the tone was far milder than before.
Now, there was far more curiosity and anticipation.
Neuvillette sat at the judge’s bench, his expression remaining as impassive as ever.
However, an almost imperceptible ripple passed through his eyes.
His gaze remained fixed on the duel as he silently observed Toki’s techniques.
Seeing the battle reach this point, Furina’s tightly wound nerves finally relaxed a little.
Watching Toki calmly deal with everything Clorinde threw at him, she began to think that perhaps Toki really could break Clorinde’s undefeated record!
But Furina was still somewhat worried.
Clorinde possessed extraordinary stamina.
She could maintain an offensive this intense for several more rounds.
Although Toki’s defense was extremely solid, a prolonged battle would inevitably consume too much of his strength.
Eventually, he might still be defeated.
What Furina didn’t know was— That was exactly what Toki wanted.
He wanted a battle of endurance.
His entire plan was to— “Wear Clorinde out!” Time passed little by little.
The duel had already continued for an hour.
The two were still locked in an evenly matched battle, the situation seemingly dead even.
But subtle changes had already begun to appear.
Clorinde’s breathing gradually became rapid.
Fine beads of sweat appeared across her forehead, and her complexion had turned slightly pale.
The speed at which she swung her sword had gradually slowed, while the Electro surrounding her was no longer as intense as before.
Maintaining such high-intensity attacks for so long had consumed an enormous amount of stamina.
Her arms were aching unbearably.
Every swing now required more effort than before.
Even worse, throughout her clashes with Toki, he had deliberately and repeatedly struck her arms.
Pain and numbness had already begun to set in.
It wasn’t serious yet, but if this continued, her condition would only deteriorate further.
Openings were gradually beginning to appear in her techniques.
Toki, on the other hand, remained perfectly composed, his breathing steady.
His footwork was still light, and the movements of his flowing martial art remained smooth.
Although he had also consumed some stamina, the enhanced version of his martial art emphasized guiding force rather than meeting it head-on.
His expenditure was far lower than Clorinde’s relentless offense.
Besides, he still had one trump card— Bolstering Bubblebalm!
After blocking another of Clorinde’s attacks, Toki used the momentum to retreat two steps and create some distance.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he looked at the heavily breathing Clorinde.
His tone carried a hint of mockery.
“What is it, Clorinde?
We’ve only been fighting for a little while and you’re already tired?
“For an undefeated Champion Duelist, you don’t seem all that impressive.” Toki continued provoking her.
His goal was to make Clorinde ignore her dwindling stamina and continue attacking recklessly.
“SHUT UP!!!” Sure enough, Clorinde roared angrily before launching another all-out assault without holding anything back.
But this time, her techniques no longer possessed their previous sharpness.
Their power had weakened considerably, and openings were everywhere!
Toki effortlessly avoided her attacks.
Once the two separated again, the corner of Toki’s mouth curved into a sharp, smug crescent.
It was time to give Clorinde a little taste of the shock called “recovery.” He raised his hand.
A crystal-clear Bolstering Bubblebalm rapidly formed at his fingertips.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, he pressed the bubble against his own body.
Cool Hydro instantly spread throughout him.
Every trace of fatigue and muscle soreness accumulated during the duel vanished without a trace!
His condition was now even better than it had been when the duel first started!
The sight left everyone in the courtroom completely dumbfounded!
Clorinde: “…” Clorinde herself simply froze on the spot, her mind completely blank.
(End of Chapter)