The battle within the Stigmata Space continued. Two violent vortexes of Honkai Energy blew the roof off the Tenshukaku, revealing the dark clouds above. Thunder boomed, beating the final drum for this battle.
A gale raged through the remaining space of the Tenshukaku. Theresa could only cling desperately to a broken pillar to avoid being blown away. At this point, she was in no mood to be a spectator; she just hoped this battle would end quickly and put a stop to this turmoil.
Ming Yu was competing with Jizo Mitama for the remaining Honkai Energy in the space, desperately trying to accumulate more power. No matter what kind of attack he wanted to unleash, sufficient Honkai Energy was a must. His own reserves were not enough to support an attack of this level, so he, like Jizo Mitama, had to draw upon the Honkai Energy within the Stigmata Space.
For every extra bit of Honkai Energy he seized, his attack would become a fraction stronger, and Jizo Mitama's attack would be a fraction weaker.
A massive amount of violent Honkai Energy surged wildly into his body. Even Sakura of the Far Shore couldn't completely control this immense power. The rampaging Honkai Energy filled his meridians, forming purple patterns on the surface of his skin. Only his head, under the protection of Sakura of the Far Shore, remained a sanctuary.
It was foreseeable that without Sakura of the Far Shore, this Honkai Energy would have turned him into a Honkai Zombie in an instant.
Ming Yu opened his eyes. His pupils had completely turned a deep purple, like two beautiful amethysts, filled with endless Honkai Energy.
The struggle for Honkai Energy within the space was nearing its end. Apart from the areas where Ming Yu and Jizo Mitama stood, the Honkai Energy in the space was pitifully scarce. The storm in the Tenshukaku also gradually subsided, but this was merely the prelude to the climax that would follow.
Jizo Mitama concentrated all its Honkai Energy into its purple-flame tachi. The flames surged, forming a sea of purplish-black fire on the tachi, dyeing the entire blade black.
The next instant, the black longsword slashed out horizontally, unleashing a dark purple blade aura over ten meters long. Perhaps because the blade aura carried too much Honkai Energy, its flight speed was not fast, but it possessed an unstoppable might.
With this slash, Jizo Mitama's black tachi shattered inch by inch, and even the purple flames within its body dimmed considerably.
Looking at that inky black blade aura, Ming Yu's face was filled with solemnity. This was Jizo Mitama's final strike. Block it and live, fail and die. There was no third way!
He slowly raised Sakura Fubuki above his head. He didn't slash down immediately, but continuously channeled Honkai Energy into the spirit blade, along with that will to sever everything, into the four-foot-long blade.
The immense amount of Honkai Energy gave Sakura Fubuki a sense of weight, while the will to sever everything added a trace of sharpness to the spirit blade.
Just as the black blade aura was about to cross the boundary between Ming Yu's and Jizo Mitama's auras, Ming Yu's long-charged strike finally fell.
The crimson spirit blade cut through the air in front of Ming Yu, and a bright blade aura over seven meters long shot out. Cherry blossoms danced, following the blade aura as if cheering for it, or like subjects following their king. Beautiful and splendid, yet filled with murderous intent.
Two different blade auras bloomed in this small space. One black, one red. One was thick and heavy, the other bright and sharp. Though their nature was different, they were equally dangerous.
Quietly, the two blade auras met. There was no back-and-forth struggle for dominance; both blade auras came to a complete halt. Time itself seemed to stand still. Only the rumble of thunder outside the Tenshukaku and the beating of hearts within did not cease.
The next instant, an incredibly fierce storm erupted from the point where the two blade auras met, ravaging the already dilapidated Tenshukaku once more.
The gale raged, obscuring everything on the battlefield in its midst. Even the thunder in the sky paused for a moment.
Theresa hid in a corner, clinging to a protruding wooden stake. The original form of the stake was no longer discernible; only a section less than a meter long remained standing. Fortunately, this spot was some distance from the battlefield, and the storm had weakened by the time it reached her, so she didn't have to worry about being blown away.
Looking at the raging storm in the center, Theresa was greatly shocked. This level of power was no longer that of an ordinary Emperor-class. Could that boy, Ming Yu, achieve this with just a single Stigmata?
In her surprise, she couldn't help but worry about that stubborn boy. After unleashing such an attack, could he survive the energy shockwave?
Although she was dissatisfied with Ming Yu's coveting of the Divine Key, she had to admit that he was otherwise quite outstanding. Whether it was his diligence or his character, the boy had performed well and had earned the Principal's approval.
If there weren't the conflict over the Divine Key, if the boy's background were clearer, perhaps she would have trained him as the future ace of the Far East Branch. With enough time, the boy might even have a shot at reaching S-rank.
Gently shaking her head, Theresa pushed these unrealistic thoughts aside. The priority now was to check on Ming Yu's condition, not to dwell on such things.
Once the storm subsided a little, Theresa began to walk towards the battlefield. Although the dust and the storm greatly reduced visibility, she still headed towards the position she remembered Ming Yu being in.
After a short while, Theresa spotted Ming Yu's figure.
The boy was kneeling on one knee, covered in dust that had dyed his white clothes a light yellow. There were more than a dozen wounds of various sizes on his body, a red streak at the corner of his mouth, and a small pool of blood on the floor.
Ming Yu had driven his spirit blade into the floor in front of him with both hands to resist the storm's impact. But the spirit blade was now clearly tilted towards him, a testament to the ferocity of the energy shockwave.
"Ming Yu!" Theresa called out joyfully. In any case, the fact that the boy was still alive was good news. At the very least, it would alleviate much of her guilt.
Depriving him of ownership of the Divine Key already made her feel somewhat ashamed. If Ming Yu were to die here, how would she explain it to Kiana and the others? At least in their eyes, Ming Yu was a fellow survivor of the great eruption, a companion with whom they had once shared life and death.
Hearing Theresa's voice, Ming Yu raised his head slightly. Seeing the white-haired girl running over, a hint of joy appeared in his eyes. Although the Principal had been a bystander the entire time, seeing a companion at a time like this was a somewhat reassuring feeling, even if Theresa didn't consider herself a trustworthy partner.
"Are you okay?" Running to Ming Yu's side, Theresa finally saw the severity of the boy's injuries and couldn't help but frown.
"I'm fine, won't die," Ming Yu managed a smile, but it quickly turned into a twitch as it pulled on a wound on his cheek. The Sakura of the Far Shore on his forehead had reverted to its three-magatama form and was incredibly dim, but it was still trying its best to absorb the thin Honkai Energy in the air to mend Ming Yu's damaged body.