Villainess X Villain: They are obsessed with each other!

Chapter 274: Chapter: 273 Duel of mortals.[2]

Using the All Seeing Eyes in front of everyone was something that could easily expose him. The signs were simply too obvious.

Pure golden eyes.

Throughout the Three Floating Continents and the Four Stationary Continents, there was only one person known to possess eyes of that color.

Julius Augustus Hayes....the heir of the Hayes Clan.

Everyone knew it. The major clans knew it. The Zlycons knew it. Even ordinary spell casters had heard stories about him. After all, it was considered a miracle.

For over a thousand years, there had not been a single confirmed bearer of the All Seeing Eyes. The bloodline had gradually become little more than a legend spoken of in ancient stories.

Then Julius Augustus Hayes had appeared.

The first in a millennium.

Because of that, using the eyes openly was no different from inviting death with his own hands.

Even with Jasmine’s Color Path camouflage covering his appearance, hiding the faint golden sparks that occasionally appeared within his pupils was already difficult enough.

The strain became even worse whenever he pushed the eyes beyond their most basic function.

Fortunately, he was only using the first ability.

Future Sight.

It was the most subtle aspect of the All Seeing Eyes and the easiest to conceal. The second ability was a different matter entirely.

The moment he activated it, the pressure placed upon his eyes would increase dramatically. The golden light would become impossible to suppress and the camouflage Jasmine had painstakingly layered over him would begin to break apart.

If that happened, his identity would not remain hidden for long. For now, he had no choice but to rely on the first ability.

Even so, it was enough to allow him to survive.

Masamune’s blade flashed through the air, cutting toward his throat. Kavin tilted his head slightly and the sword passed just beside his neck.

Another strike followed immediately.

The Honjo Masamune reversed direction and swept toward his ribs.

Kavin stepped backward. The blade missed by barely an inch.

A third strike came before he had even fully recovered his footing.

Then a fourth, fifth and so on, the Sword Demon was relentless.

Knowing the future sounded impressive in theory, but reality was far less convenient. Seeing an attack before it happened did not automatically grant the speed required to evade it. It did not grant superior reflexes. It did not grant greater physical strength.

It merely allowed him to know....the burden of reacting still fell upon his own body.

And Masamune’s attacks were terrifyingly fast, each strike was precise, each movement flowed seamlessly into the next.

Every slash targeted a vital point capable of ending the battle instantly.

The pressure never stopped.

Kavin felt sweat trickling down his forehead as he narrowly avoided another thrust aimed directly at his heart.

Even with Future Sight active, surviving this assault was exhausting.

"Haa..."

He exhaled heavily as he slid beneath a horizontal slash.

"I wish I could use the second ability."

The words escaped him almost unconsciously. At the same time, he summoned a spear and hurled it forward.

The weapon shot across the arena like a bolt of lightning. Masamune calmly twisted his body.

The spear missed him completely.

Not only had he avoided it, he had continued advancing without losing momentum.

Kavin clicked his tongue.

"Damn it."

The situation was becoming increasingly troublesome.

The wounds covering his body were slowly accumulating. Small cuts stretched across his arms and chest. Blood stained parts of his clothing and his injured shoulder continued throbbing with every movement.

None of the injuries were fatal.

.....Yet.

The longer the battle continued, the worse his condition would become. Masamune only needed a single mistake, Kavin needed perfection.

His eyes narrowed.

’This won’t work.’

If he continued fighting defensively, defeat was only a matter of time.

He needed to take a risk.

Kavin rapidly retreated several steps, creating a brief gap between them. Mana gathered within his hand and a longsword materialized from his storage.

The moment the weapon appeared, Masamune accelerated. The Sword Demon crossed the distance almost instantly.

His speed was so absurd that many spectators could barely follow the movement.

The Honjo Masamune descended toward Kavin’s waist.

Yet Kavin did not move, his body remained perfectly still....Masamune’s eyes narrowed slightly.

The sword continued forward. The blade was now only moments away from cutting through flesh.

Then Kavin spoke.

"Mire of Time. Two times slower."

The surrounding mana trembled, an invisible force spread outward.

Masamune’s movements visibly slowed.

It looked as though the Sword Demon had suddenly been submerged in thick mud. Even the faint surprise appearing on his face unfolded more slowly than normal.

At almost the same moment, Kavin activated a second spell.

"Time’s Leap. Two times faster."

Mana surged through his body as the world seemed to shift. For an instant, everything around him appeared sluggish.

His own body felt impossibly light.

The difference was immediate. While Masamune struggled against the slowing effect, Kavin moved with doubled speed.

The longsword in his hand blurred.

Yet instead of striking with the blade, he rotated the weapon and drove the pommel forward.

The target was not random. Future Sight had already shown him the opening. The pommel crashed directly into Masamune’s clavicle.

The Sword Demon had instinctively transformed part of the bone into steel.

Normally, that would have been enough.

Not this time though.

The impact carried the force of Kavin’s physical strength combined with the acceleration granted by Time’s Leap.

A sharp crack echoed through the arena.

The steel-reinforced clavicle shattered as pain exploded across Masamune’s face.

His expression twisted for the first time since the battle had begun.

The shock traveled through his entire body and his grip on the Honjo Masamune weakened noticeably.

Kavin immediately capitalized on the opportunity. He stepped forward and drove a kick directly into Masamune’s face.

The impact snapped the Sword Demon’s head backward.

His body flew across the arena before crashing heavily against the ground as a roar erupted from the audience.

Many spectators shot to their feet in disbelief. This was the first time anyone had seen Masamune clearly overwhelmed during the fight.

Unfortunately, Kavin knew better than to celebrate.

The pressure inside his body was already becoming unbearable.

I

Future Sight, Mire of Time, Time’s Leap.

Maintaining all three simultaneously was placing a horrifying burden upon him. His muscles burned. His veins felt as though they were on fire. Even his eyes were beginning to ache.

One minute.

That was his limit.

Any longer and the backlash would become severe. Without wasting another second, Kavin launched himself forward.

"Mire of Time. Two times slower."

"Time’s Leap. Two times faster."

The two spells continued working in tandem. Kavin attacked relentlessly.

His sword blurred through the air as strike after strike descended upon the Sword Demon.

Masamune had already recovered his footing, but he was now forced entirely onto the defensive.

The Honjo Masamune moved repeatedly to intercept incoming attacks. Whenever a strike threatened to break through, parts of his body transformed into steel to absorb the damage.

The spectators watched in stunned silence as the flow of battle completely reversed.

Moments earlier, Masamune had been the one dictating the pace.

Now he was being pushed backward.

Yet despite the overwhelming pressure, the Sword Demon remained frighteningly resilient.

Kavin’s attacks landed. Several blows crashed directly into his torso. But none of them inflicted truly serious damage.

Each time, Masamune either blocked the attack or transformed the impacted area into hardened steel.

The injuries accumulated slowly.....but it was far too slow.

Kavin’s expression darkened. At this rate, the Sword Demon would survive. The broken clavicle remained the only meaningful injury he had managed to inflict.

The realization sent a chill through him.

His time was running out.

The strain on his body increased with every passing second.

If the minute ended before he secured victory, the momentum would immediately shift back into Masamune’s favor.

No....this wasn’t enough. He needed more force.

A decisive strike. Without hesitation, Kavin dismissed the longsword.

Mana surged around him once more.

A massive greatsword appeared in his hands.

The weapon was nearly as tall as he was, its broad blade gleaming beneath the arena lights. Its sheer weight would have been impossible for an ordinary spell caster to wield effectively, yet Kavin held it with unwavering control. The air itself seemed to grow heavier as the enormous blade settled firmly into his grasp, radiating overwhelming might.

The moment it materialized, Kavin altered his stance completely.

His movements became heavier. If precision was not enough to bring down the Sword Demon, then he would simply overwhelm him through raw force.

With Future Sight guiding every movement, Time’s Leap accelerating his body, and Mire of Time dragging his opponent down, Kavin tightened his grip around the enormous weapon and rushed forward, intending to turn every swing into a devastating blow capable of crushing even steel itself through overwhelming power delivered with relentless unstoppable momentum.