"What in the name of the Goddess?!" the Cowboy barked, recoiling.
The butler acted instantly. "It's an Elemental Spirit!" He thrust both hands toward the apparition, which had fully coalesced over Kenji's broken body. "Arcane Arts: Aerial Lance!"
A bolt of pressurized air shrieked toward the Spirit. The blue-fire apparition flickered out of existence, evading the bolt, and lunged at Yellow Maw. A blast of sapphire flame sent the pirate staggering back.
Takahiro saw his opening. His arms felt like lead, and his vision was swimming, but he knew this was his only chance. He reached deep into his mind, pulling on a memory of his training—a lesson etched into his muscles.
A wave rises from the ocean, moving with the storm, attempting to ascend from the earth to reach the heavens. When that wave descends, it must carry power, weight, and resolve. Therefore, swing with all your might. Believe, Takahiro.
Channeling his remaining Hashi into his legs, he exploded forward. Yellow Maw was still reeling from the Spirit's fire, desperately fending off the butler's unintentional interference.
"Cowboy! Aren't you going to help?!" Yellow Maw roared as another fire blast scorched his vest.
The Cowboy remained perched on the throne stairs, relaxed and unbothered. "I told you, I ain't your lackey."
"DAMN BANDIT!" Yellow Maw snarled. He channeled his Hashi into his axe, the blade glowing with a sickly light. "Supreme Weapon Art:Beast Cleaver!"
A crescent of green energy tore through the air, slamming into the apparition. The Spirit's fiery form rippled and buckled, but it recovered almost instantly.
"Arcane Arts: Spiral Wind Sphere!" the butler shouted. A massive green circle manifested before him, filled with pulsing geometric symbols. The air in the ancient throne room began to churn, spinning into a localized cyclone that trapped the Spirit in a shimmering cage of wind.
"Maintaining a spell like this drains too much Hashi," the butler strained. "End it!"
"And how the hell am I supposed to kill an Elemental Spirit?!" Yellow Maw spat.
"Respectfully, sir—just keep slashing the damn thing!"
Yellow Maw grunted and charged the cage, readying another strike. But a shadow moved from his periphery. His eyes widened as he realized the golden-haired brat was upon him.
"Way of Nature:Heavenly Soaring Wave!" Takahiro cried.
The blade whistled upward from the floor. They were too close; Yellow Maw's own momentum trapped him. Wasn't he just a Beginner rank? the pirate thought, panic flaring.
Takahiro's katana sliced through the pirate's vest and bit deep into his belly. The steel slid through flesh—but then, Takahiro froze.
He was paralyzed by the sensation of his blade sinking into a human being. Yellow Maw let out a guttural sound as he purposely leaned into the blade, redirecting it away from his vital organs. He glared down at Takahiro.
Blood gushed from the wound, coating Takahiro's hands. Terrified by what he had done, the boy began to back away, his eyes locked on the crimson stain spreading across Yellow Maw's pale skin.
Yellow Maw scoffed and swung his axe in a brutal horizontal arc. The cold steel bit into Takahiro's side, carving through skin and muscle. The force launched the boy into the air; he landed hard on the cold floor, skidding in a trail of his own blood.
The Spirit let out a roar of absolute fury. Its body erupted in a supernova of blue fire, the heat so intense it cracked the stone floor. It shattered the Wind Prison and unleashed a torrent of fire toward Takahiro's limp body—not to harm him, but to form a protective wall of flame—before launching itself back at Yellow Maw.
"Supreme Weapon Art:Great Blade!" Yellow Maw leaped, bringing the glowing green axe down.
The Spirit shattered into a dozen small orbs, totally avoiding the downward blade. It then started pelting the pirate like meteoric buckshot. Yellow Maw land hard and smoothly slid back up, raising his axe to block, the impacts driving him back across the hall.
"Arcane Arts: Wind Emperor's Pillar!"
The butler tried to pin the Spirit again, but it vanished, reappearing directly in his face.
Crack!
A gunshot rang out.
"Okay, this thing is getting annoying," the Cowboy said, smoke curling from the barrel of a bronze revolver. "Doesn't a Spirit need a medium to stay in this world?"
"Yes, sir," the butler gasped, firing another wind spear. "I am looking for it!"
The Spirit roared, conjuring massive fireballs and hurling them with rapid-fire precision. The three men scrambled to dodge the inferno.
"HOW DO WE KILL THIS THING?!" Yellow Maw screamed.
"The source!" the butler yelled. "Something acting as the anchor!"
The Cowboy narrowed his eyes, scanning the room. He looked toward Kenji's bloodied form where the Spirit had first appeared. Then, he spotted it: a faint blue flicker emanating from the old wooden lantern at the boy's hip.
With a smirk, the Cowboy aimed and pulled the trigger. The bronze bullet struck the lantern with a metallic ping.
The Spirit let out a harrowing shriek. Its massive, monstrous form began to collapse, shrinking and shifting. The roaring fire died down into a soft, glowing blue light.
As the smoke cleared, a small, ethereal girl stood in its place. She glared at them with eyes that burned like dying stars.
"How dare you touch Yumiko's grandchildren!" she shrieked, her voice echoing with ancient power.