The scattered light from the dissipating clone hadn't even reached the ground when a sly gleam flashed in Fu Shi's eyes. With a sudden twist of the wrist holding the sword scabbard, she called out, "Don't rush, this has only just begun!"
Before the words faded, the scattered motes of light hanging over the arena suddenly froze midair.
The next second, they reformed into dozens of slender sword-shadows, diving down like a swarm of bees toward Mei☆.
At the same time, Fu Shi's real body flickered like a phantom, her figure ghosting behind Mei☆, scabbard swinging silently in hand.
"A double pincer attack! The Herrscher of Sentience, what a brilliant move!" Owlbert's voice tightened, trembling as he gripped the microphone. "Mei☆ is still focused on the sword-shadows in front of her, she hasn't noticed the lethal danger behind!"
Just as the strike was about to reach Mei☆'s back, thunder hummed beneath her feet. The great blade spun in her palm, flashing a cold gleam as it slashed backward,
"One strike, to end it!"
In the instant the light flashed, Fu Shi's slash froze mid-air, while Mei☆ had already sheathed her blade.
As the last inch of the sword slid into the scabbard, a crisp click pierced through the noise, the body of Fu Shi was cleaved clean in two at the waist!
Owlbert's eyes went wide, his voice trembling, "Th-this is bad! Did the match just… take a life?!"
"You let your guard down!"
The bisected Fu Shi suddenly smirked, then dissolved into starlight and vanished.
Behind Mei☆, the sword-shadows that had been diving down abruptly fused together. The real Fu Shi now stood there, long sword in hand, its tip pressed against Mei☆'s back.
Seeing Fu Shi unharmed, Owlbert wiped the sweat from his forehead, still shaken, "That nearly scared me to death… I can't believe the Herrscher of Sentience actually predicted Raiden Mei☆'s counter! The tables have turned completely, will Raiden Mei☆ choose to surrender now?"
From the stands, Stelle leapt up in excitement, shouting, "Yay! Mom's the best, long live Mom!"
Fu Lin curled a faint smile, "A feint to the west while striking the east… I didn't expect Fu Shi to use such tactics. For a moment, even I thought she was really cut in half."
Kiana☆ rested her chin on her hand, muttering as she stared at the stage, "So this is… the end?"
But Elysia only shook her head, a knowing light in her eyes, "Not yet. Mei☆ hasn't used that move, she won't yield so easily."
Fu Lin, Kiana☆, and Seele all turned to her at once, "That move?"
"The same strike Fu Lin once used, that cut which made even skies and earth pale." Elysia propped her chin, her tone bright. "Mei☆ hasn't fully mastered that move, but she can mimic at least a fraction of its power."
On stage, Mei☆ felt the chill of the blade-tip against her back, but not a trace of panic showed in her face. She said calmly, "Fu Shi, I still have one sword left."
Fu Shi raised a brow. Her grip on the long sword loosened slightly instead of tightening, her tone tinged with amusement, "Oh? Unwilling to admit defeat so soon?"
Mei☆ nodded without hesitation, openly acknowledging her unwillingness.
Intrigued by her candor, the light in Fu Shi's eyes deepened. Clearly, she wanted to see what card Mei☆ had yet to play.
At once, Fu Shi withdrew all her weapons, tilting her head with a lazy, confident air, "Very well. I'll give you the chance to draw against me, one strike to decide the victor!"
Stelle froze mid-motion, clutching his gray hair in despair, "Uh-oh, this is bad! I shouldn't have opened the champagne early, what if Mom gets too cocky and gets reversed?!"
Owlbert's voice shot up, his hand trembling around the mic, "The Herrscher of Sentience is giving up her advantage, she's choosing to settle it in one strike against Raiden Mei☆!"
Before the words were finished, Fu Shi and Mei☆ had already retreated, putting distance between them.
Fu Shi tapped her toe against a flying sword, rising into the air. A purple diamond-shaped star mark appeared on her forehead, her pupils dyed a deep crimson.
In the next breath, a vast phantom of a crimson-feathered bird spread its wings above her. The moment they opened, an oppressive force blasted outward. The stone slabs of the arena shattered, rubble lifting off the ground and floating upward.
The three generals suddenly stood, eyes fixed on the skyborne Fu Shi. Feixiao asked beside them, "General Jing Yuan, are you sure she and that Fu Lin have nothing to do with the Marshal?"
Jing Yuan fell silent a moment, then said, "Now… I'm not so sure."
"So this is… the class monitor's Taixuan Sword God?"
A flicker of understanding passed through Mei☆'s eyes. She drew in a deep breath and stepped forward.
The massive arm at her side slowly lifted, the great blade in its grip splitting apart. Violent purple lightning crackled along the edges.
Above the battleship, storm clouds churned. Lightning danced through them, gathering together until they crashed down as a massive purple thunder pillar, fusing with her blade.
Strangely, the rubble that had floated upward now froze in place within the lightning's glow.
Two opposing but equally overwhelming auras clashed in the arena's center, even the clouds above the warship churning in turmoil.
The entire audience fell into breathless silence, every gaze locked on the two figures.
Stelle swallowed nervously, eyes glued to the stage. Mei☆'s power was utterly unlike Acheron's, one was wrapped in thunder and destruction, the other steeped in silence and void.
Yet the familiar form, the similar stance, still made Stelle blurt out, "And you still say you're not Acheron?!"
At the edge of the arena, those nearby could barely withstand the crushing pressure. March 7th clutched at her clothes, her voice trembling, "Master Yunli, Master Yanqing, are you sure this is okay?!"
But the two stood frozen, their eyes locked on the stage, deaf to her cry.
The next instant, both Fu Shi and Mei☆ moved!
"Taixuan Divine Power, Phoenix, Manifest!"
"Lightning, reveal yourself here!"
Their shouts exploded in unison.
Fu Shi transformed into a vast violet bird with wings spanning dozens of feet. With a sharp, ringing cry, it soared skyward, then wheeled suddenly and dove at Mei☆, its wings scorching the very air with rippling heat.
At the same moment, Mei☆ drew her great blade in a flash, thunder roaring around it as she struck upward at the diving bird.
A massive arc of lightning-forged sword wave, tens of meters long, tore through the air, colliding head-on with the violet bird.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the warship itself, shockwaves surging outward like tidal waves. Audience members in the front rows were blown tumbling from their seats.
Kiana☆ muttered under her breath, "This looks so familiar, Fu Shi's using that move again…"
In the skies above, Mei☆'s thunderblade aura visibly dimmed, its edges flickering and crumbling away.
The violet bird surged fiercer, its glow swelling, pressing the remaining sword wave back half a step.
The air itself writhed and buckled under the force.
In but a moment, the thunder sword wave shattered completely, scattering into countless sparks.
Unopposed, the bird plunged like an arrow loosed from its string, slamming into the arena and raising a storm of dust.
When the dust settled, the victor was clear. Owlbert's hands still trembled on the microphone, but his voice could barely contain his excitement,
"S-spectacular! I dare say this was the most breathtaking duel of the entire ceremony! Let us congratulate the final victor, the Herrscher of Sentience!"
For a heartbeat, the arena was silent, as though still dazed by what they'd witnessed.
Then, like a tidal wave, deafening cheers and applause erupted, voices crashing together in a roar.