"Five strikes. That is the limit of your swings."
The smith had told him.
"If you are to use this child for offense, you have only five chances."
"Yes, offense."
"But only when used for defense can it truly unleash its performance as a 'demon blade'."
"This is the sword's own personality, not for me to decide."
"This is also the direct reason I named it 'Yaegaki'. As the name implies, when used for defense, it can exhibit the performance of an 'eight-layered fortress'."
"So, though it's not pleasant to say, I must make it clear to you—"
"Using it for offense may create an opening in your defense. But if you use it only for defense... your wish can be fulfilled."
…
The chestnut-haired youth pushed himself up from the ground with his sword. He ran his fingers through his bangs, pushing his hair back.
"I've kept you waiting, General Kujou." He spoke from the heart, announcing the restart of the final battle.
She didn't reply, just nodded lightly and got into her stance. After a brief silence, the youth maintained his original stance and raised his weapon.
What is he doing?
Kujou Sara hesitated for a moment, but then she saw his figure was already before her, only half a meter away. She had no time to dodge and could only raise her sword to block, taking the full force of his heavy downward slash. The immense pressure was transmitted through her sword to her entire body, forcing her back several steps.
The moment the force dissipated, the next strike arrived as expected. Sara shifted her stance again, parrying a horizontal slash. This time, she had to use her left forearm to brace the back of her blade to withstand the blow. But the force did not disappear. She was sent flying back several meters, sword and all.
"Cough—" She adjusted her body in mid-air and landed, but still skidded a long way on the ground.
"A pity—" From below the stage, Kazuha couldn't help but think. He knew that technique was the 'Living Step' that Muramasa had taught him. With a little charging, one could advance while maintaining one's center of gravity and stance. With elemental power, one could even dash forward several meters like that. According to him, though that fake priest was not a good person, his moves were worth learning.
"A brilliant power technique," Ayato, watching from a high place, praised.
"A pity. There will not be. A second time," the 'Tiger's Obsession' standing at the gate commented.
Knowing he couldn't give her a moment to breathe, the chestnut-haired youth charged again, his blade aimed straight for her chest. This strike was faster than the last, but Sara's expression had calmed. She sidestepped, avoiding the frontal assault.
"Tch…" The youth hissed. He flattened his thrusting blade and changed it into a horizontal sweep. But the blade missed again. Sara bent backward at the waist to dodge, using her hands as support, and then kicked up with her right leg, striking him under the jaw.
The impact rattled his brain, and the world seemed to spin.
I can't pass out—
He bit his tongue hard, forcing himself awake with the pain and the taste of blood, just in time to see a sword coming at him. It was almost impossible to dodge at this distance. Realizing this, he unleashed a massive amount of elemental energy. The serpent-like purple lightning scattered, forcing the pursuing Sara to retreat again. If he had been a fraction of a second slower, his challenge would have ended there.
"Hmph," Kujou Takayuki snorted, thinking he was lucky.
"Thank goodness…" Kazuha breathed a sigh of relief for his friend.
The attitudes of the countless spectators were largely divided into these two camps, cheering for their supported side. A small fraction were just bloodthirsty onlookers. Who wins doesn't matter, I just want to see blood!
The retreating tengu general had no intention of stopping her pursuit. As she fell back, she sheathed her sword and took the weapon from her back, drawing her bow. The sound of something tearing through the air was heard as several arrows, wreathed in lightning, shot towards the youth.
He didn't retreat. He condensed Electro at his feet and dashed to the side, avoiding the arrow rain while bursting with power, and charged at Sara again. This assault was different from before. His blade was wrapped in violent lightning, striking out like a wild beast.
"Foolishness." Kujou Sara didn't meet him head-on, instead using her natural tengu agility to dodge. But he didn't stop. After his thrust missed, he turned, tapped the ground with his foot, bent his knees, and charged again. This time, the force was stronger, the speed faster—this was the strongest technique he had developed, each thrust activating the power within his body.
Sara realized something was wrong. She chanted a spell, formed a hand seal with one hand, and drew her sword to block with the other. The moment their blades clashed, her black wings spread, and her figure disappeared.
The brief clash ended in a miss, making the chestnut-haired youth's center of gravity a little unstable. And where Sara had disappeared, a purple orb of light was left behind.
"Not good." He cursed under his breath, but it was too late to dodge. His figure was engulfed in the exploding lightning. A numbing sensation spread through his limbs, forcing his assault to a halt. But with his remaining power, he still instinctively turned to block Sara's attack.
CLANG—
A hasty parry could not turn the tide. The sword in his hand was sent flying.
It's over, Sara thought. Even if he drew his last weapon, there was no room to build up power here. She had no intention of stopping short. She was the last of the Tenryou Commission. There was no need to hold back. She adjusted her stance, intending to cut down the youth who dared to face the might of thunder.
As his second sword was sent flying, the chestnut-haired youth's other hand had already gripped his final weapon. The numbness spread through his arm, reminding him of what this draw meant. But he had no regrets.
A biting cold spread the moment the sword was drawn. The pure, masterfully refined sword aura seemed to freeze time and space. The two blades clashed. The youth's sword didn't move an inch, but Kujou Sara, who had swung, was sent flying back.
"Oh—" This turn of events made most of the people below the stage gasp. A few had already noticed the unusual nature of that sword. Even the Shogun gave it a direct look. How could he generate any force from that posture? How could he even send Kujou Sara flying?
"Hah—" After parrying her, the chestnut-haired youth let out a roar, trying to awaken his body, to seize the last of its potential. There was no technique. He swung his still-numb arm in a downward slash.
The repelled Sara had no time to chant another spell and swung her sword to block. The two weapons met. A large gash was torn in her weapon—from below the stage, Muramasa closed his eyes.
Looking at her weapon, the youth thought to himself, I'm still not used to this sword.
Then, another upward slash. It didn't land on the same spot, but her weapon was split in two.
"I'm getting the hang of it."
Even Sara's cold face showed a hint of emotion. She hurriedly retreated, intending to draw her bow. But he was already upon her, swinging another simple, unadorned slash. She had no choice but to parry with her bow, but the bow and string were cut in two.
Seeing the blade about to cut into her flesh, Kujou Sara pushed her wings to their limit and retreated, but a spray of blood still erupted from her shoulder.
"One last strike…" he murmured, getting into a stance to charge a 'Living Step'. His figure rapidly approached the still-airborne Sara. He controlled his numb arm, preparing to swing.
However, a purple lightning arrow shattered his assault.
"What—" His pupils contracted. The sword he had been about to swing turned into a defensive parry. The arrow had no physical form and dissipated upon being cut. He looked up and saw Kujou Sara, one hand extended as a bow, the other pulled back as a string, lightning condensed into a physical form, aimed at him.
No bow, no shot? No arrow, no harm? Is an arrow such an inconvenient thing!
-------
Enjoying the story? Support the author and get access to early chapters by joining my Patreon!
Find me at My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (330 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (130 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (140 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (330 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (160 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (170 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (90 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (130 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (140 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (140 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (158 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (120 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (100 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (50 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (60 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it.