Demon Slayer Virgil [Isekai One Piece]

Roman examined the gash on his abdomen, his expression turning serious as if he had discovered something significant.

"Spatial ability? I didn't expect someone of your mere 'Force Sky' rank to possess such a power."

His gaze fixed on Zavia, and the air around him grew heavy with a menacing aura.

(He figured out my ability with just that one move!)

Zavia's heart skipped a beat, and his perception of Roman shifted.

Was Roman pretending, armed with prior knowledge? Or had he encountered other spatial ability users in the past, making him sensitive to their presence? Or perhaps...

"You truly surprise me. To possess a spatial ability at such a rank, and you seem to have mastered it quite well."

Roman placed his hand over his wound, and a green light emanated from it. The bleeding stopped, but the wound didn't heal completely.

(Magic... what a troublesome ability.)

Zavia watched silently as Roman healed himself, making no attempt to interrupt.

Why? Because he had realized that Roman seemed to be quite talkative.

Although the man tried to maintain a stoic, emotionless demeanor during battle, his true nature betrayed him.

Perhaps Roman himself hadn't noticed, but each time he spoke, he inadvertently provided Zavia with valuable information. For instance, his earlier mention of power stages had revealed to Zavia that his own strength, in the context of the world beyond, was considered 'Force Sky.'

Zavia, however, remained unsure of how this 'Force Sky' rank compared to others.

"It's not that I haven't encountered spatial ability users before, but someone as skilled as you is a first. If I were to capture you, I'm sure the Leader would be pleased."

After healing his wound, Roman focused his attention back on Zavia, but this time, his gaze held a newfound respect.

(Leader? Hmm... is that the head of his organization? Could this guy be connected to the 'Troupe' Valona mentioned?)

Zavia remained silent, observing Roman and gathering the information he was unwittingly providing.

"Oops, I seem to have said too much. I really need to work on my habit of talking excessively."

Seeing that Zavia remained motionless, Roman realized he had been overly talkative, potentially revealing too much information.

Zavia, understanding that he wouldn't glean any further intel, sheathed the Yamato blade and assumed the stance for a Iaido slash.

Although his rank was lower than Roman's, and Roman was undoubtedly stronger, it didn't necessarily mean Zavia couldn't win.

Based on Roman's earlier statements, even a weaker opponent could emerge victorious if the stronger one underestimated them.

This implied that power stages weren't absolute indicators of individual strength. While they provided a general idea of one's capabilities, they didn't determine the entirety of their power.

For instance, consider "John Doe," a mage whose power stage was 'Might Sky,' the same as Roman's. However, if John Doe were to be engaged in close-quarters combat, he would likely be unable to utilize even half his true potential. Even someone three stages below him could easily defeat him.

This meant that for John Doe to fully utilize his 'Might Sky' power, he would need to rely on long-range magical attacks. In close combat, he would be at a significant disadvantage.

Rules were rigid, but people were adaptable. Even someone with a lower power stage could overcome a stronger opponent with the right techniques and strategies, utilizing their surroundings to their advantage.

However, this logic didn't necessarily apply to Roman. He was clearly a close-combat specialist with extensive battle experience.

He had effortlessly dispelled Zavia's energy waves by targeting their weakest points. Under normal circumstances, even if Roman could disperse Zavia's attacks, he shouldn't be able to do so without sustaining some damage.

Zavia suspected that the blue aura surrounding Roman's body played a role in this, likely acting as a defensive barrier that protected his fists from harm.

The current situation was disadvantageous for Zavia. In close-quarters combat, Roman's physical prowess surpassed his own, though Zavia's swordsmanship helped bridge the gap.

As for ranged attacks, Zavia was currently limited to energy waves. While he could imbue them with spatial cutting power, as he had done earlier, Roman's speed made it difficult to land a hit.

He hadn't yet obtained the Lightning Core, nor did he have a gun or the ability to sense magical power to create phantom swords. His only ranged option was the Yamato blade and the energy waves it generated.

Zavia still had his Spatial Shatter ability, which could instantly kill Roman by shattering the space around him.

However, that wasn't a viable option. Not only would it drain a significant amount of his stamina, but more importantly, Roman was a valuable source of information about the outside world.

Therefore, Zavia had only one plan – to exhaust his opponent.

He would utilize his spatial teleportation to maneuver around Roman, gradually depleting his stamina while inflicting damage to accelerate the process.

If Roman was stronger, Zavia would simply resort to playing dirty.

Seeing Roman raise his fists and assume a boxer's stance, Zavia's suspicions were confirmed. Roman was definitely a close-combat specialist, and his magical abilities seemed limited. Whether he had any ranged attacks remained to be seen.

Just as Roman raised his guard, Zavia vanished from sight.

"Tch, spatial teleportation, huh."

Having experience fighting spatial ability users, Roman instantly recognized this common tactic.

Clang!

A five-meter-wide, azure-colored energy wave suddenly flew towards Roman from his right side, its speed nearing the speed of sound.

Roman reacted instantly, throwing a left straight punch and dispersing the energy wave.

Slash!

A sharp pain shot through Roman's body.

Behind him, a long sword emitting a silvery white glow pierced his left side, causing him to wince.

He swung his fist backward but found nothing there. He had missed his target.

Twenty meters away, Zavia reappeared, the Yamato blade dripping with fresh blood from Roman's wound.

"First, he creates distance with spatial teleportation and sends an energy wave, then instantly teleports behind me to strike. A clever tactic."

Roman looked towards Zavia, muttering to himself. He was starting to find Zavia quite troublesome.

Spatial teleportation was a favored ability among spatial ability users, especially those who specialized in close combat.

It allowed them to close the distance with their opponents in an instant, catching them off guard, and also served as a means of evading fatal attacks and creating distance.

Roman's concern wasn't simply because Zavia was a spatial ability user. He had encountered others before, though not many, and each encounter had left a lasting impression.

However, Zavia was the first he had met who possessed such mastery over his spatial abilities.

Yes, mastery. The way Zavia had teleported, unleashed an energy wave, and then instantly reappeared behind him to strike was a testament to his skill.

The entire sequence, from the energy wave to the stabbing, had occurred within a mere 1.56 seconds!

This was a terrifying feat.

Just how skilled was this young man to be able to activate his spatial ability twice in such a short timeframe, with such precise control over distance and force?

The few techniques Zavia had displayed so far, the energy waves and spatial teleportation, had already provided Roman with valuable information about his capabilities.

Although the picture was still somewhat unclear, Roman could make some educated guesses.

He now had to decide – should he retreat and preserve his life, or continue fighting Zavia?

There were valid reasons for both options.

Firstly, if Zavia had complete mastery over spatial manipulation, then Roman knew he was outmatched. Despite Zavia's lower rank, Roman wouldn't stand a chance against such an opponent.

This wasn't just speculation. In the realm where Roman resided, there had been a spatial ability user with complete control over space.

With a mere snap of his fingers, he had shattered the space of his world, causing everything – living and non-living – to vanish in an instant.

Roman had been fortunate enough to be saved by the Leader, who happened to be passing by.

Secondly, if Zavia's spatial abilities were limited, primarily focused on teleportation, then Roman had a way to deal with him. Ever since witnessing the terrifying power of the spatial ability user who had destroyed his world, Roman had trained diligently to develop a technique specifically designed to counter spatial manipulation. However, it was only effective against those who hadn't fully mastered their spatial abilities.

Therefore, Roman's dilemma could be rephrased as: Did Zavia possess complete mastery over spatial manipulation?

If Zavia could hear Roman's thoughts at that moment, he would have chuckled and said, "Are you overthinking things?"

Zavia acknowledged that he had dedicated considerable effort to honing his spatial abilities, but he was far from reaching the level of the spatial ability user who had destroyed Roman's world with a snap of his fingers.

Unless he had an Infinity Gauntlet, of course.

"Hmph hmph hmph."

Zavia looked at Roman with a cold, calculating gaze, a smile playing on his lips beneath his mask. It seemed his strategy had left his opponent quite troubled.

He flicked the blood off the Yamato blade and sheathed it, assuming the stance for a Iaido slash once more.

Clang!

A blue and white flash of light emerged from the scabbard as Zavia drew the blade, unleashing a spatial energy wave that flew towards Roman at incredible speed.

Roman's instincts screamed danger as he saw the flash of light. Goosebumps erupted across his skin.

He quickly channeled a surge of blue energy into his legs and stomped on the ground with tremendous force, vanishing from sight as if teleporting.

Boom! Clang! Clang! Clang!!

At the spot where Roman had been standing, the energy wave exploded, and dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of deep blue energy blades erupted, slicing through the space with a mesmerizing display of power.