'The blade cuts the flesh, the heart cuts the spirit."
These eight words resonated in Kuugetsu's mind like the tolling of a temple bell, bringing a moment of clarity to her otherwise chaotic thoughts.
Watching from a distance, the inner demon narrowed its eyes in surprise. It hadn't expected such simple words to carry such power. Alarmed, it quickly tightened its grip on Kuugetsu's mind, dragging her back into her previous state of confusion and turmoil.
Seeing Kuugetsu's eyes once again cloud over, her body wrapped in the same pale blue mist as the heart demon, Inner Kuugetsu did not get discouraged. On the contrary, she had already come up with a plan.
With this in mind, Kuugetsu deliberately stepped back, narrowly evading Kuugetsu's next strike with the Kusanagi Sword.
The clash of blades resumed, their figures intertwining in a fierce battle. Inner Kuugetsu's ninja blade collided repeatedly with Kuugetsu's Kusanagi Sword, filling the air with the endless clash of steel on steel.
While Inner Kuugetsu's swordsmanship was more refined than Kuugetsu's, but Kuugetsu had the advantage of being the main personality and the spiritual energy boost from the inner demon.
The two fought, and for a time, it was difficult to determine a winner. But after a few rounds, Inner Kuugetsu's disadvantage began to show.
She didn't have much spiritual energy to begin with, and it was constantly being consumed during the battle. She didn't have any extra spiritual energy to repair the ninja blade in her hand.
After multiple clashes, both she and the ninja blade in her hand were battered and bruised, and it was obvious that she couldn't last much longer.
Clang!
The blades in their hands collided once more. This time, the crack in the ninja blade in Inner Kuugetsu's hand grew larger. Kuugetsu glanced at the blade in Inner Kuugetsu's hand and said,
"The blade in your hand is already broken. You lose."
Although she was at a disadvantage and heavily injured, Inner Kuugetsu was not worried. Instead, she looked at Kuugetsu and smiled.
"Have you finally noticed the blade in your hand?"
"What are you talking abou—"
Kuugetsu froze mid-sentence, her gaze instinctively falling to her own Kusanagi Sword. The moment her eyes landed on the blade, memories from her teacher, Hoshiyomi-sensei, came rushing back.
"This blade is yours from today on. You must treat it as you would a lover."
"Don't worry, Hoshiyomi-sensei, I will take good care of this blade. I will never let it fall into anyone else's hands."
As she looked at the Kusanagi Sword, Kuugetsu was momentarily stunned, her teacher's earlier teachings echoing in her mind:
"The blade cuts the flesh, the heart cuts the spirit. The true path of the sword is to wield it with your heart."
At that moment, the pale blue mist surrounding Kuugesu dispersed. Her mind cleared completely. She gripped her sword tightly, no longer facing Inner Kuugesu . Instead, she turned sharply and confronted the blue-faced, fanged inner demon:
"I won't be controlled by you anymore!"
"Hmph, hahaha, controlled?"
The heart demon raised one hand to its forehead and laughed loudly, its laughter booming through the air.
The moment its laughter stopped, its body visibly swelled. It completely abandoned its previous humanoid form and transformed into a horrifying monster with sharp spikes all over its body and four limbs on the ground.
"I don't need to control you anymore. Why do you think I've been holding back? Because I've been secretly absorbing the spiritual energy you two have been leaking out."
The inner demon, now a grotesque creature, slammed its claws onto the ground, producing a deafening roar.
"More than sixty percent of the spiritual energy is now under my control. What do you have to fight me with?"
Kuugetsu's face went pale upon hearing this. She had unknowingly fallen into the inner demon's trap.
Just as she began to feel the weight of her situation, she suddenly felt someone embrace her. She turned her head in surprise, and to her astonishment, it was her second personality, Inner Kuugetsu, holding her.
Kuugetsu's entire body radiated a pale blue light, and her form gradually became transparent. She was pouring all of her remaining spiritual energy into Kuugetsu's body. In other words, they were about to complete their fusion:
"I'm sorry I can only accompany you this far," Inner Kuugetsu said softly, her voice steady yet tinged with sorrow. "Don't be afraid. I'll always be with you."
Kuugetsu's body trembled. She slowly raised her hand, trying to hold onto Inner Kuugetsu, but it was too late. Kuugetsu had already fully merged into her, leaving behind only a faint, lingering voice:
"Remember what Hoshiyomi-sensei taught us… Wield your sword with your heart..."
"Wield my sword with my heart..."
Feeling the surge of spiritual energy within her, Kuugetsu's eyes snapped open. The fear and uncertainty that had clouded them were gone, replaced only by an unshakable resolve. She tightened her grip on the Kusanagi Sword, her gaze fixed on the inner demon before her.
"Let's finish this."
The inner demon screeched, leaping forward with terrifying speed. Its massive claws shot toward Kuugetsu's face.
"Stop struggling! You are mine!"
Watching the claws grow larger, Kuugetsu showed no fear. Around her, a crimson light began to swirl, and her sword, which had been calm until now, suddenly ignited with roaring flames.
"The Heart-Wielded Sword: Sun Wheel Dance!"
At that moment, Kuugetsu transformed into a streak of crimson light, diving toward the inner demon's massive claws. After a burst of fiery flames, one of the claws fell to the ground, charred and severed.
The inner demon, still in the air, stared in shock at the claw that had vanished. But Kuugetsu's attack wasn't finished. She tapped her toes on the ground, and once more became a streak of light, cutting through the inner demon's body.
After three flashes of light, Kuugetsu's form silently appeared above the inner demon, raising her sword high above her head.
With a decisive swing, she brought the sword down, carving an arc of blazing fire through the air. The flames formed a curtain of light, resembling the sun descending to the earth, burning away all darkness and evil in its path.
The inner demon's colossal body was sliced diagonally in two. The two halves of its form crashed to the ground with a thundering impact.
The half of the demon's body that still retained its head struggled to lift itself, glaring at Kuugetsu with a mix of rage and desperation.
"My death is only temporary! As long as your weakness remains, I will never die!"
Kuugetsu stood over it, her gaze cold and unrelenting, devoid of the slightest trace of pity.
"Is that so?" she replied. "Then you'll never get the chance."
She grabbed the inner demon by its sharp head and forced it to look up. Her sword ignited with fire once again, and with a swift motion, Kuugetsu drove it into the inner demon's forehead.
As the sword plunged in, crimson cracks spread across the demon's body. With a twist of the sword, flames erupted from it, and the demon screamed as it burned away, scattering into the air as broken shards of spiritual energy, which flew back into Kuugetsu's body.
At that moment, applause echoed through the air. Kuugetsu looked up and saw Dan, smiling and clapping for her:
"A truly spectacular battle," Dan said warmly. "Now I can finally return to my own body in peace. Oh, and before I leave, Hoshiyomi wanted me to tell you something. He said… you've done it. You've made him proud—you are his good student."
With that, Dan's spirit left Kuugetsu's minscape. The Dream Weaving Technique came to an end, and everyone returned to the real world.
As Kuugetsu opened her eyes, she felt a large hand ruffle her hair.
"I knew I didn't misjudge you, my good disciple."
At this point, Hoshiyomi's expression froze, because he saw that the two tomoe in Kuugetsu's eyes had unknowingly evolved into three tomoe.