The atmosphere on the battlefield had reached its peak.
The young man wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, realizing that he couldn't match Kujou Sara in skill, so he decided to unleash his elemental power.
Purple lightning instantly enveloped his entire body, coating his blade with crackling electricity that sizzled in the air.
Kujou Sara's eyes showed no trace of emotion. Her katana also began to shimmer with lightning, though hers seemed even more intense.
Empowered by his elemental energy, the young man gripped his sword and charged at Kujou Sara.
"Hmph." Kujou Sara's eyes turned cold as she watched the young man rush toward her. She bent slightly at the waist, gripping her katana in a reverse hold. In the next moment, she transformed into a streak of lightning, darting across the entire platform and past the young man.
After Kujou Sara's move, the entire arena fell silent. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the platform.
The young man, who had been charging forward, seemed to freeze in place.
With a clang, the long sword in his hand shattered into two pieces, and blood gushed from his chest.
A gruesome wound appeared on the young man's chest, revealing the white of his bones.
The young man seemed unable to support his body any longer, falling to his knees. Yet, he stubbornly used the broken blade to prop himself up, refusing to collapse completely.
"You've lost," Kujou Sara said coldly, placing her katana against the young man's neck.
"I've lost…" The young man coughed up blood but suddenly burst into laughter.
"What are you laughing at?" Kujou Sara frowned. This man had clearly lost, yet he dared to laugh? Did he not know he was about to face divine punishment?
In the crowd, Kaedehara Kazuha watched the scene, his hands clenched so tightly that blood dripped from his palms, his entire body trembling.
"You dare not show disrespect before the Shogun!" Kujou Sara said coldly, glaring at the laughing young man.
"I do not disrespect the Shogun," the young man gritted his teeth, enduring the pain. "I am a citizen of Inazuma, and the Shogun is my eternal faith! Always!"
"Human strength has its limits, but I will not grieve over my own weakness." The young man looked up at the cold, purple figure on the high platform. He knew full well the consequences of losing a duel before the Shogun, but he had no regrets.
Looking at Kaedehara Kazuha, who was anxiously watching from the crowd, the young man smiled and shook his head, shouting, "I do not fear death. Compared to death, there are things I wish to witness and hearts I wish to awaken!"
"The Shogun is great, but that does not mean she is infallible. My will may be small, but what of the people of Inazuma? One person? A hundred? A thousand? Even ten thousand!" The young man's eyes were resolute. "I believe the collective wishes of the people can change the will of the divine. I may not live to see that day, but… I have been a part of it!"
As the young man watched the noble and untouchable deity descend from the sky onto the platform, he clenched his teeth and used the broken blade to prop up his battered body, standing straight once more.
As a warrior, he would never abandon his sword to beg for his life. This was his belief. Even in the face of death, he would never yield.
"Shogun, as a warrior, I wish to witness your Musou no Hitotachi. To die under that blade is my lifelong wish."
"Granted." The Raiden Shogun's expression remained emotionless as the blade of Musou Isshin slowly emerged from her chest. The overwhelming aura forced all the humans present to their knees, unable to look directly at her.
This was the divine might of a god, something no mortal could resist.
The thunder from the heavens roared incessantly, a manifestation of the Narukami's will, representing the pinnacle of martial skill and the eternal blade. Even the sun dimmed, and the sky turned dark.
The young man's figure was like a small boat in a raging tsunami. His pale face, drained of blood from his injuries, was filled with determination.
As if sensing its master's ultimate wish, his Vision erupted with a surge of Electro energy, shining with the most dazzling light, even in the face of a god.
"Ahhh!!!"
"Even a mortal dares to brave the lightning's glare!"
Facing the blade that could cleave through space, the young man's broken sword crackled with roaring lightning as he attempted to resist the Musou no Hitotachi.
On the high platform, Akio watched the scene. Even though the Raiden Shogun's blade was not even a fraction as powerful as when she had fought him, how could a mortal possibly resist the might of a god?
Even as the young man unleashed all his strength, the Musou no Hitotachi passed through his body as if there were no resistance.
In the next moment, the young man's body slowly turned to ash. In his final moments, he looked back at Kaedehara Kazuha in the crowd, his eyes filled with satisfaction at having witnessed the Musou no Hitotachi and sorrow at bidding farewell to his friend.
"Clink~" As the young man's figure completely turned to ash and vanished from this world, his Vision also dimmed, turning a misty gray before being flung away.
Kujou Sara, seeing this, was about to grab the Vision when a figure suddenly burst from the crowd.
Wrapped in a gust of wind, the figure reached the Vision almost instantly, grabbing it despite the residual Electro energy burning his hand. He didn't let go, even as the heat and lightning scorched his palm.
Without a moment's hesitation, he activated the Vision, and a gust of wind carried him away into the distance.
"Kaedehara Kazuha! How dare you act so brazenly before the Almighty Shogun!" Kujou Sara reacted with a roar, spreading her wings to give chase. But in the next moment, Kaedehara Kazuha had already disappeared from sight.
"Damn it!" Kujou Sara was furious. She turned to the Raiden Shogun and said respectfully, "Shogun, I will lead the Tenryou Commission to capture the criminal."
"No need," the Raiden Shogun said indifferently, waving her hand. "Add Kaedehara Kazuha to the Vision Hunt Decree."
With that, the Raiden Shogun glanced at Akio, who was sitting nearby with a smile on his face, and sighed in resignation.
Earlier, this guy had caused trouble by placing an invisible spatial restraint on her, rendering her immobile and forcing her to watch as Kaedehara Kazuha escaped.
If she had been able to act, Kaedehara Kazuha wouldn't have taken a single step before being captured. But alas, it was just one Vision. She could always confiscate another.
The Raiden Shogun walked over to Akio and said coldly, "You, come with me to Tenshukaku. The inner self wishes to speak with you."
With that, the Raiden Shogun transformed into a bolt of lightning and disappeared.
"Tsk tsk, such an unfeeling puppet," Yae Miko said with some annoyance.
"Since it's over, let's head to Tenshukaku," Akio said, standing up. "I've never seen what it looks like inside."
"Ei really thinks she can escape erosion by hiding in that corner? What is she thinking?" Kitsune Saiguu frowned angrily.
"Who knows?" Yae Miko shrugged, and the three of them walked side by side toward Tenshukaku.
A/n - Next target 400PS