Chapter 218: A foe on another level

Swish

Usa-sensei rushed forward with extreme speed. Imari, Julie, Tomoe, and Tooru couldn't accurately capture her figure.

Usa-sensei had Noah in her sights. She unleashed a downward slash on Noah.

Tang

Noah blocked with his relatively smaller revolver.

Creak clang creak

Sparks flew as minor shockwaves flew everywhere.

This didn't persist for long.

Noah's arm started trembling.

"An arm-wrestling session with a superior Exceed? You are truly too reckless for your own good!"

Usa-sensei smirked. She pressed down harder, the strong winds she generated threatened to rip one's eardrums.

Tang tang tang

Usa-sensei became the embodiment of violence. She continued batting Noah around with her Tebutje while Noah used pinpoint-accurate blocks to resist.

Noah retreated while staying on his toes. His arm is already numb from repeated strikes. Noah looked grim.

Noah knew this was unwise. To counter a foe with superior strength and experience like this is just asking for trouble.

Unlike Daisuke, Usa-sensei had the speed, agility, reaction time, and skills to beat him up. Even if Noah can use his superhuman perception to predict Usa's slashes, the Limitation he placed on himself made it nigh impossible to react fast enough.

It was impossible to capitalize on his judgment to counter Usa-sensei with a surprise riposte.

This also told Noah that Usa-sensei wasn't at Rank III.

His Rank I exceed capabilities aren't enough to handle Usa-sensei's rampaging strikes.

She has got to be at least Rank IV.

Possibly even, Rank...

"Oh? What's wrong? Are you wondering about my Rank? I can tell you!"

Usa-sensei read Noah's tennse face.

"I am Rank V!"

Noah grimaced.

She is a Rank V Exceed.

"I told you."

She raised her blade once more.  She appears to be charging up for an attack.

"Don't put me in the same class as Daisuke, he's doomed to stay at Rank III forever."

Usa-sensei swung down, her Tebutje crashed like a giant metallic bolt.

Noah knew there was no blocking this one.

He would be cut in half along with his revolver.

His Rank I power isn't enough to dodge in time.

Noah bit his lips as he fired his revolver.

Bam

That bullet had tremendous force behind it. Noah jumped up before firing so the reaction force pushed him away. That anti-tank shot gave him the sudden acceleration needed to get away.

The Tebutje struck his old spot.

The ground got cleaved apart by the black Tebutje.

Kachak.

He aimed his gun at Usa-sensei's face. He fired without a shred of hesitation.

The bullet went for Usa-sensei's face.

"--!"

She shifted her head to the side.

The bullet missed Usa-sensei just like that.

Noah jumped back to put some distance between himself and Usa-sensei. He looked like he was troubled.

"You read the bullet's trajectory in an instant?"

Usa-sensei touched her cheek.

The bullet grazed her, she bled slightly.

"Rank IV Exceeds can read bullet paths. I am Rank V, unless you fired it at point-blank range, you're never going to hit me!"

Usa-sensei licked the blood on her finger.

"Hey, you grazed my cheek. You shot that with killing intent, didn't you?"

Noah grinned.

"You think I am going to go easy on an opponent trying to take my life?"

"Intriguing, Irregular!"

Usa-sensei laughed out loud.

"Yes! This is what a real fight is about!"

Imari, Julie, Tomoe, Miyabi, and Tooru couldn't find a gap to pitch in.

Noah is barely keeping up with Usa-sensei, he can only defend against her onslaught.

Imari & co had Exceed I power and some fighting experience but they knew they couldn't help.

Usa-sensei mused out loud.

"I still have a job to do so let's get rid of the annoying fellows."

She swung her arm.

Crack

Her Tebutje cracked as it broke into scales of blades that spun in the air.

Noah's heart shook.

Her Blaze wasn't just a Tebutje. It was a whip blade.

It is capable of attacking at range.

Usa-sensei swung her whip bladed in a wide sweep that was aimed at the spectators.