Faced with the sharpness of Sakura Fubuki, even the crimson armor of Jizo Mitama could not hold.
If it were the Divine Key's true body, it would undoubtedly be a weapon of a higher tier than Sakura Fubuki. If the two were to clash, Ming Yu might have to worry about whether the spirit blade would snap. But this crimson armor was clearly far from the level of a Divine Key, and was even greatly inferior to Sakura Fubuki. A single strike was enough to slice it open.
To Jizo Mitama, the outer crimson armor was like clothing; if it was damaged, it was damaged. As long as the Divine Key's body within the armor was unharmed, it was of no consequence. It could be fully repaired with just a bit of Honkai Energy.
But to be wounded at the very first exchange was still a great loss of face, especially a wound that nearly cut it in two.
*Don't I, a dignified Divine Key, have any pride? Doesn't the Herrscher of Corruption inside me have any pride?*
As the lingering will of the Herrscher of Corruption, Jizo Mitama had inherited the Herrscher's consistent pride, as well as their innate contempt and hatred for humanity. To be wounded by a human it saw as an ant naturally enraged it!
The crimson armor shuddered, and endless purple flames surged out from the gaps in the armor, instantly forming a sea of fire. Though it was fire that erupted, its relentless momentum felt like a torrential flood.
Seeing the purple flames reach him in the blink of an eye, Ming Yu's heart tightened. He had already experienced the power of the black flames and had no desire to sample these flames of a different color. The needle-like sensation still gave him a bit of a headache; he had no intention of finding out if Jizo Mitama had changed the recipe along with the color.
With a light tap of his toes, Ming Yu's figure rapidly retreated through a series of dodges. The spirit blade in his hand never stopped, dancing before him to create a crimson curtain that kept the purple flames firmly at bay, three feet away.
The purple flames pursued Ming Yu's body closely, not slowing in the slightest, as if they would not rest until their goal was achieved. But after chasing for more than ten meters with no progress, the purple flames seemed to realize this would lead nowhere. They paused, then stopped expanding and slowly began to recede toward the crimson armor at the center.
After all, if an attack couldn't effectively harm the enemy, it was nothing more than a waste of Honkai Energy. Even if Jizo Mitama had a Divine Key as its power source, it couldn't withstand unlimited squandering.
Lacking a true user, the Herrscher's lingering will was simply unable to unleash the full power of the Divine Key. Moreover, the programs within the Divine Key were instinctively resisting this will, making it even more difficult for it to control this weapon.
After all, the creator of the Divine Keys, the brilliant Dr. MEI, had never shown the slightest tolerance for Herrschers and the Honkai.
Under the effect of these factors, the Herrscher's lingering will on the Divine Key could not last long to begin with. It was only its lingering obsession to kill the humans before it, a futile attempt to carry out the mission given to it by the Honkai.
Even though Jizo Mitama couldn't last long, Ming Yu never had any intention of stalling for time. He only wanted to pull the little fox out of this armor and rub those fox ears.
This battle, from the very beginning, was a life-or-death struggle without delay. Neither side would attempt to drag it out until the other could no longer hold on. Time was precious for everyone.
Having suffered a small loss in the first round, Jizo Mitama also realized its own shortcomings. It used the cover of the sea of fire to adjust its body.
As the flames receded, Jizo Mitama's massive form gradually shrank, becoming about two meters in size.
Although its size had decreased, Ming Yu could clearly sense that Jizo Mitama's aura had become more violent. The crimson armor had not only repaired the previous gash, but it had also grown thicker, and even the purple flames within the armor were significantly brighter.
Immediately after, Jizo Mitama flipped its hands, and two tachi formed from purple flames appeared in them. The blades were over two meters long, the flames completely contained within. Purple light flowed within the blades like molten lava, making the dual blades seem all the more extraordinary.
Watching Jizo Mitama's transformation, Ming Yu frowned slightly; things seemed to have become more troublesome. But he had no intention of backing down. No matter what demon or monster lay ahead, he would not retreat an inch. He would just slash it with his blade.
At this point, he had no reason to retreat. He had brought the little fox here, so it was his responsibility to take her back, without a single hair out of place.
At this thought, Ming Yu's eyes changed. A sharp aura emanated from his body, as if he himself had become a blade—a blade that had been tempered a thousand times, sharp enough to cut through anything.
Slay gods if they stand in the way, slay buddhas if they bar the path. Ever-victorious, all-breaking, and fearless!
The three red magatama on his forehead, representing Sakura of the Far Shore, suddenly lit up. A ferocious aura, like that of a waking beast, began to spread with the light of the magatama.
Ming Yu's mind was slowly filled with this sharpness and ferocity, and an impulse to cut something surged through him. Even the way he looked at Jizo Mitama changed; it was the look of a hunter sizing up his prey. Cautious, careful, but without a trace of fear.
But Jizo Mitama was certainly no prey. It could not tolerate being looked at with such an insolent gaze, so it immediately charged forward, wielding its two purple-flame tachi.
Pledging on its dignity as a Divine Key, it would absolutely not let the human before it have an easy time. It would make him pay the price of his life for his earlier disrespect!
Although Jizo Mitama had not formed any legs, its speed while flying was extremely fast. In an instant, it was in front of Ming Yu, its two tachi crossing as they slashed down with the speed of lightning.
The purple dual blades came on menacingly. Before they even arrived, one could feel the violent power contained within them. The flames in the blades could hardly be suppressed and spilled out, dyeing the blades with a purple halo.
Ming Yu had no doubt that this strike had the power to pierce gold and shatter stone. In the past, he would have definitely chosen to dodge, without a single thought of a head-on clash.
But now, the moment the thought of dodging entered his mind, he felt a sense of unease, as if his thoughts were blocked. It was as if dodging such an attack was shameful.
In his heart, there was only one thought, and that was to slash!
Slash through it!
The moment this idea appeared, it quickly consumed all his thoughts. His mind was left with only the single thought of slashing, and nothing else.
Without the slightest hesitation, Ming Yu immediately drew his blade and charged forward. All the strength in his body seemed to gather from his hands into Sakura Fubuki, and a continuous stream of Honkai Energy surged toward it as well.
The crimson spirit blade instantly shone with a brilliant light. On its beautiful blade, only the feeling of sharpness remained. Even a single glance could convey the keenness bestowed upon this blade—an edge that could cut through anything.
The next moment, the violent purple dual blades and the sharp crimson spirit blade finally collided.