"Just now—what happened? I... I don't understand at all!"
"Was that the Musou no Hitotachi? Its power seemed so weak—did that guy with a fox mask just catch it so easily?"
"Shh! Do you want to die? Don't spout nonsense like that!"
"The Musou no Hitotachi is just like that. When the Vision Hunt Decree first began, I saw it once with my own eyes. You weren't the target of that strike, so you can't comprehend how terrifying it truly is."
"No matter what you question, you mustn't question the strength of Her Excellency, the Shogun. Think of the Musoujin Gorge—now that strike was spectacular. But if the Shogun unleashed that here, Narukami Island itself would be cleaved in two."
"But why would that guy with a fox mask catch that strike for her opponent? He still has two duels left—doesn't that mean he's courting death?"
"You sure ask a lot of questions. If you're asking us, who are we supposed to ask?"
"I..."
The once-silent crowd burst back into chatter. Kujou Masahito and Kujou Kamaji, who had already risen to their feet, sat back down. Having heard Lumine's earlier speculation, Beidou, Gorou, and Yoimiya were surprised—but not too surprised, though still very much so. Seeing the outcome, Lumine and Paimon both let out a breath of relief.
"Your Excellency..." Kujou Sara, feeling everything around her come to a halt, opened her eyes. "Your Excellency, I've lost."
"This is not your fault."
Leaving behind words that may or may not have been meant as comfort, the Raiden Shogun returned to her place.
Thud, thud, thud!
"All personnel not involved in the Duel Before the Throne are to leave this area immediately!" An Okuzumeshuu officer, representing the Shogun's will, proclaimed from above.
"Boss! Get down from there already! If you don't, you're really gonna get sliced apart!"
Overflowing with fighting spirit, Arataki Itto scratched his head awkwardly. He was only a few steps away from that strike—yet never managed to reach it in time. He wanted to thank Victor Wang, though he couldn't say why. In the end, he just shouted, "Hey! Do your best in the next one too!"
"Nah, I'll win."
"All personnel not involved in the Duel Before the Throne are to leave this area immediately!" the Okuzumeshuu repeated.
"Yeah, yeah, got it!" Arataki Itto mumbled as he awkwardly climbed back down the same way he came.
"The divine punishment is over. You should step down too."
"I get it now. Anyone who dares to start a Duel Before the Throne isn't normal. But I don't think you can withstand the next two strikes... Good luck to you." Kujou Sara also left the stage.
Thud, thud, thud!
The three tomoe-marked drums on both sides of Tenshukaku echoed again—signaling the beginning of the next Duel Before the Throne.
Many people froze in astonishment. Three consecutive duels, not only on the same day, but without even an intermission?
"The next challenger you'll face is—Hanachirusato!"
"Hanachirusato? Who's that?"
"Never heard of her..."
"Logically speaking, those appearing later should be stronger than those before. Someone stronger than Kujou Sara—but completely unknown?"
"As I said before—we can doubt ourselves, but we must never doubt the Shogun. This person was chosen by Her Excellency herself. Let's just watch and see."
Amid the puzzled gazes of the crowd, a woman with long violet hair, dressed in red and white shrine maiden robes—and, most notably, wearing a fox mask—stepped onto the dueling platform from the same direction Kujou Sara had exited.
"It really is Hanachirusato..." Lumine and Paimon exchanged glances, their hearts once again hanging by a thread.
Thud, thud, thud!
"The second Duel Before the Throne begins now!" The Okuzumeshuu officer declared, his voice unwavering as he carried out the Raiden Shogun's will.
They were utterly loyal to the Shogun; even though the one standing on the platform was a complete stranger, his tone didn't waver. As his voice fell, the previously restless crowd collectively held its breath.
"Wh-what? It's starting already?"
The Okuzumeshuu hesitated briefly but still respected the stranger handpicked by the Shogun. "It has already begun. Please prepare yourself."
Hanachirusato nodded slightly. It was her first time witnessing such a grand scene in person—and yet she was to duel Victor Wang. Under countless watchful eyes, she stood firmly opposite him.
"How much of your strength have you mastered?" Victor Wang was the first to speak.
"I've inherited her memories. I'm not unfamiliar with elemental power. Though this body manipulates it differently, I've already mastered nearly all of it."
Hanachirusato was indeed strong—because Kitsune Saiguu had been strong.
Both were great fox spirits who had once dominated five hundred years ago. Yae Miko's teacher, Saiguu, had perished centuries earlier—her residual power leaking out when the roots of the Sacred Sakura were damaged, allowing her essence to briefly manifest, though only by possessing another vessel.
Hanachirusato, as the memory of Kitsune Saiguu, could manifest independently five hundred years later—move freely, and even wield tanuki magic. For a spiritual being, she was formidable.
The puppet created by the Raiden Shogun was equally formidable; only one with immense spiritual strength could control such a vessel.
So, by coincidence, the two now faced each other.
"Good. You may have to make a move later."
"Mm."
After that brief exchange, the two stood silently opposite each other. Even their earlier words felt unnecessary—their agreement had already been made beforehand.
They needed to buy time. [The Two Ends of Beginning and End] still had a five-minute cooldown. After Arataki Itto's antics, Kujou Sara's exit, and Hanachirusato's entrance, two minutes remained.
Hanachirusato felt slightly tense. She didn't know how much longer she needed to stand there. To her left was the Raiden Shogun; to her right, the spectators. Turning her back would look strange, and fighting wasn't an option—so all she could do was continue staring at Victor Wang.
Before she could feel embarrassed, however, Victor Wang gave in first and closed his eyes.
She secretly sighed in relief, then began openly studying him. The audience, on the other hand, grew restless again—their chatter rising and falling like ocean waves.
"Why aren't they fighting?"
"Not only that—they seem pretty familiar with each other."
"Told you! They're both wearing fox masks. There's definitely something fishy here!"
"Eh? Could it be... matching outfits?"
"If they are a couple, that's bad—one of them has to die here."
"What do you mean 'die'? Didn't the fox-mask milk tea seller block the last strike?"
"That strike was clearly his limit. This time, Her Excellency won't show mercy," the man said firmly, shaking his head. "Someone will die."
"Then isn't this a fixed match?"
"Fixed? Lose and you die—would you agree to that? And if the milk tea seller blocks another strike, it won't matter whether it's real or fake. If he watches a friend die just to help him win, that's what I'd condemn."
"A fixed match is still a fixed match! I'll never acknowledge him!"
"Then what if you and your friend had to fight on that platform—had to win, yet couldn't let anyone die? Got any better ideas?"
"I... That's different! I'd never start a Duel Before the Throne in the first place—he brought this on himself!"
"The duel was initiated by the milk tea seller—but the opponents were chosen by the Shogun, weren't they?"
"Well... still! He'll never earn my respect."
"Then put down your bubble tea before you keep talking."
Victor Wang suddenly opened his eyes, catching Hanachirusato as she hurriedly averted her gaze toward the ground.
"Ahem."
He gave the agreed signal—but Hanachirusato didn't respond.
"Ahem! Ahem, ahem!"
"Ah... oh—right, I surrender!"
The audience below looked at her in confusion; even the Okuzumeshuu official onstage blinked in surprise. "Hanachirusato, you wish to forfeit?"
Nervously patting her chest, Hanachirusato realized there was still something she hadn't done. She stepped toward Victor Wang, stopping only a few paces away. Then she turned to face the Raiden Shogun, bowed her head, and said, "I have lost."
Thud, thud, thud!
"Defeated—Hanachirusato!"
A roar of disbelief surged through the crowd. This time, not even the Shogun's presence could quiet them.
The Raiden Shogun had cut down Kujou Sara herself; surely this unknown shrine maiden would also be struck. Now, everyone waited only to see how the two fox-masked figures would withstand the next blade.
As expected, the Raiden Shogun descended the stairs one step at a time. The blade in her hand gleamed fully now, its surface boiling with coursing arcs of lightning. Her eyes shone with a radiance too fearsome to look at directly, and behind her, a violet ring of three tomoe slowly appeared—each mark surging with power.
It was the same stance she'd taken when she struck down The Fair Lady. The power of this strike would be far greater than the last.
Victor Wang dared not relax. Even if the Shogun was not entirely herself, that strike was beyond what his own strength could withstand. He pulled up his hood and, through his clothes, touched the object in his pocket.
A Delusion.
Delusions were dangerous things. They seemed easy to use, requiring almost no skill to activate, yet the elemental energy they drew was wild, erratic, and volatile. They imposed no limits—when spiritual strength ran out, they consumed life force instead. And when that too was gone—death followed.
Delusions were pure calamity to those unfit to wield them.
For Vision bearers, a Delusion was a double-edged sword—it consumed the same spiritual power. A Vision user might not need one when their spirit was strong enough. But for convenience, using it briefly could be acceptable—so long as it didn't draw too deeply from life.
To Victor Wang, however, the Delusion was useful. No restrictions, instant activation, capable of being stacked—and life force could substitute for spiritual power. As long as everything was compressed into five seconds, combined with [The Two Ends of Beginning and End], it could unleash overwhelming strength.
During the preparation period before the Duel Before the Throne, he had trained for one thing alone—using the Delusion.
He had determined his current limit: twelve Delusions at once. He had mastered their elemental flow, the sensation of life ebbing away, and how to channel the full force of all twelve within five seconds.
All for this moment.
The Raiden Shogun advanced with measured grace. Though she had already struck once, and though Hanachirusato stood so near Victor Wang, she didn't spare him even a glance.
But Victor Wang never took his eyes off her. In his vision, with every step she took closer, the world seemed to shrink. Soon, it felt as though nothing existed but this woman. Even though the pressure wasn't directed at him, it was almost enough to paralyze him.
The Raiden Shogun swung her blade.
He had to move.
He had only five seconds. Whether he could block it or not was unknown. In his mind, he roared, 'Come on! Take all of my spirit and my life—take it all!!'
The twelve Delusions gave no intelligent response—he was the one forcing them to drain him.
Almost instantly, his vision—already filled with the Raiden Shogun—darkened at the edges. That was his spiritual power collapsing. Then his sight clouded—that was his body decaying. Pain and dizziness struck simultaneously; his hair turned the color of ash, his body shriveled, barely standing—a candle flickering in the wind.
Diluc's father had failed to join the Knights of Favonius in his youth, yet by the time he's middle aged, he wielded a Delusion, and had managed to repel Ursa the Drake.
Teppei, an ordinary soldier, had won many battles by burning his life away through the Delusion—until the end.
Delusions were more attuned to life force. The return on spirit differed from the return on life, and most of Victor Wang's twelve Delusions drew from the latter. The physical decay was unavoidable.
But he had experienced this a hundred times before. The operation now was simple.
It was all about quantity.
The Delusions crafted from the remnants of Orobashi's power couldn't summon the sturdy Geo element—but that didn't matter. No matter the element, when you poured in everything—spirit and life alike—the accumulated energy between Hanachirusato and the Raiden Shogun became a literal ocean of elemental power.
Just as Shigetsu had once done to the Sacred Sakura—when technique no longer mattered, it became a contest of pure magnitude. As long as his force exceeded hers, she could never break through his defense.
This reckless gamble was powerful, yet flawed: if it were an attack, it could fail entirely if dodged; if defense, it could only be used once.
But the Musou no Hitotachi was a single strike. There was no after.
Whether it would hold or not, Victor Wang had no way of knowing. It was a gamble—a tightrope walk. But behind him, Hanachirusato's bridge was far narrower.
Even if this strike broke through, even if its force diminished, it would still face Hanachirusato's full resistance. By then—how much power would remain?
Besides, the strike hadn't even pierced the sea of condensed elemental energy.
Its power was completely swallowed within.