The three blades clashed, two purple-flame longswords from above, one crimson spirit blade from below.
Jizo Mitama held a longsword in each hand, slashing down from a superior position. The flames within its armor flickered as power surged into the blades like a tide. The purple flames within the dual blades gushed out uncontrollably, forming a hemispherical curtain of fire that continuously pressed down on Ming Yu below.
Ming Yu's eyes were wide and bloodshot, his face flushed from the excessive exertion. The three magatama on his forehead glowed with an increasingly demonic red light. Despite using all his strength, the spirit blade was still being forced down inch by inch, and the wooden floor beneath his feet creaked as if on the verge of collapse.
Seeing Ming Yu at a disadvantage, seemingly about to be cut down at any moment, Theresa grew anxious.
Humans were not naturally strong; even a Kaslana could not surpass a massive Honkai Beast in terms of raw strength. Humans were inherently weak, and it was only through the meticulous study of combat techniques that they gained the power to fight against the Honkai. Ming Yu's current action was a clear case of attacking the enemy's strength with his own weakness.
"Why is this guy suddenly so stupid!" Theresa complained under her breath. Although worried, she knew very well that she could only watch from the sidelines. Rushing in now would only cause more trouble. The only thing she could do was pray silently in her heart.
After all, she was just a powerless nun in a shrine maiden's outfit who was afraid of ghosts and gods.
Ming Yu was still holding on, the sharp will of his spirit blade not weakening in the slightest; in fact, it was growing stronger.
As the pressure from Jizo Mitama became heavier, Ming Yu was like a blade being polished. Tempered by Jizo Mitama's aura, he became increasingly sharp and imposing.
Looking at this human struggling beneath it, his hands trembling so much it seemed he could barely hold his blade, as if he could be cut down in the next moment, Jizo Mitama felt a faint sense of unease. It was as if a famous blade, gleaming with cold light, was hanging over its head. This made it feel a growing sense of urgency, and it pressed down with even greater force.
The purple-flame dual blades continued to press down. Just as they were about to touch Ming Yu's shoulders and slice him into three pieces, Ming Yu let out a great shout, and the aura he had been suppressing for so long erupted with a deafening roar.
At that moment, a sliver of blade aura burst forth from the edge of Sakura Fubuki, radiating a cold light. It was like a treasured sword newly forged, its edge tested for the first time. Even though Sakura Fubuki had long been unsheathed, it felt as if Ming Yu had only just drawn his blade.
*Crack~*
A faint cracking sound was heard as several fissures appeared on the purple-flame dual blades. They spread rapidly from the point of contact, running through the entire length of the blades.
*Bang!* The purple-flame dual blades suddenly shattered. Thousands of purple fragments turned into flames in mid-air, burning quietly before gradually dissipating.
A crimson blade light flashed past, cutting through the shattered purple-flame blades and slashing towards the crimson armor.
Jizo Mitama was instantly horrified. The moment its dual blades shattered, it hastily retreated, but a deep gash was still left on its chest. The sharp sword qi spread along the wound, madly destroying Jizo Mitama's crimson armor and preventing it from using Honkai Energy to repair the damage.
After delivering this strike, Ming Yu's face instantly turned pale. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his hands trembled uncontrollably, to the point where he could barely hold his blade.
But seeing the effect of his attack, he was quite satisfied. Although the cost was significant, it had achieved its intended purpose.
Staring coldly at Jizo Mitama not far away, Ming Yu's eyes still carried the sharpness from moments ago, but he said nothing. He didn't have the skill for talk-no-jutsu, nor did he ever expect to persuade Jizo Mitama with words. He wanted to get the little fox out, and Jizo Mitama wanted to kill him. There was absolutely no possibility of reconciliation.
That being the case, why waste words? Just let the blades do the talking.
Whoever's blade was stronger and sharper would be the sole victor.
There was no other choice!
Jizo Mitama also remained silent, but the seething flames within its body revealed its inner turmoil.
If the first strike had only made it feel a slight anger, then this strike made it feel a real, tangible threat—a blade that could truly kill it.
It knew very well that there was no possibility of reconciliation between itself and the human before it, and a Herrscher's will would never yield to a human.
Today, only one of them would survive!
Moreover, the unhealable wound on its chest had greatly reduced the time it had left. It was running out of time.
If that was the case, then let's settle it with one final strike.
Having made up its mind, it flipped its hands again, and another purple-flame longsword appeared.
This time, the moment the purple-flame longsword appeared, it ignited with fire, but it was distinctly different from the first time. This time, the flames were deep and tranquil, their color even darker than the flames inside the crimson armor.
As soon as the purple-flame longsword appeared, the concentration of Honkai Energy within the Tenshukaku instantly rose by a level, making the very air feel heavy.
If one were to look from outside the Tenshukaku, they would see that only the Tenshukaku itself remained in the entire Stigmata Space; everything else had fallen into chaos. Even above the lone Tenshukaku, the dark clouds were thick, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling—a scene straight out of the apocalypse.
Sensing the changes in the space, Ming Yu was greatly alarmed. Was Jizo Mitama trying to gather all the Honkai Energy in the Stigmata Space and take everyone down with it?
He had a premonition that Jizo Mitama's next strike would be incredibly powerful, and powerful in a way unlike any before.
But he couldn't dodge, nor could he afford to. The entire space had been locked down by Jizo Mitama. And besides, he had the Principal, who had been a bystander for so long, behind him.
He had to block this strike.
Holding his blade before him with both hands, Ming Yu slowly closed his eyes, using all his effort to communicate with the Sakura of the Far Shore on his forehead, seeking its deepest, hidden power.
He had once wondered why his swordsmanship was level four after obtaining Sakura of the Far Shore. In terms of technique, although he had improved significantly, it was by no means a complete transformation.
But after that last strike, he understood. It was the will—a will that was unstoppable and incomparably sharp!
Whether it was gods or demons, heaven or hell before him, he would cut them down with a single stroke.
Sinking his consciousness into Sakura of the Far Shore, Ming Yu seemed to see that graceful figure practicing with her sword under the cherry blossom tree. Every strike was delivered with the utmost seriousness, carrying a do-or-die resolve.
Every sword strike was the one and only strike, and also the final strike.
As that sliver of sword light gradually became clearer, Ming Yu's arms, which had been trembling from overexertion, became steady, and his hands gripping the spirit blade became incredibly firm.
In Theresa's eyes, as Jizo Mitama and Ming Yu began to gather their power, the space within the Tenshukaku started to divide into two distinct areas. All the Honkai Energy in the space surged madly towards these two points, forming two Honkai Energy vortexes.
One side was Jizo Mitama's black, with the crimson armor at its center forming a sea of purplish-black fire. The flames at the center were especially deep, completely obscuring Jizo Mitama, leaving only the burning blade light visible.
The other side was Ming Yu's light red. Cherry blossom petals drifted slowly in this part of the space, yet they faintly centered around Ming Yu. The boy's black hair, which originally had hints of white, was gradually turning pink like Yae Sakura's from the tips. Even his fox ears, which resembled rabbit ears, were faintly visible, making him look like a replica of Yae Sakura.
And in a place Theresa couldn't see, the three red magatama on Ming Yu's forehead, symbolizing Sakura of the Far Shore, slowly rotated once. A red line connected the wide parts of the magatama to form a circle, while outside the magatama, the shape of a cherry blossom extended, its five red petals incredibly distinct.