As Zoro approached, a torrent of memories flooded through Flame Silence's mind.
He remembered his childhood and how his peers had ostracized him for his obsession with swordplay, labelling him a freak. Although the isolation had been suffocating, he hadn't faced it alone. His younger sister, Naomi, had stood by him through every cruel word and dismissive glance.
With her by his side, he felt that the criticisms of others were like distant thunder: present, but powerless to hurt him.
His exceptional talent for swordsmanship naturally caught his parents' attention. As descendants of the long-established Yan clan, they possessed a pair of divine swords that had been passed down through countless generations.
Drifting Ice and Blazing Fire.
These twin blades, one crystalline blue and the other a burning crimson, were bequeathed to him and Naomi, respectively. Peaceful days stretched ahead as the siblings grew up and trained together.
However, despite its prestigious heritage, the Yan clan had been in decline for generations. No powerful cultivators had emerged for generations, leaving them vulnerable. A man may be innocent, but possessing a treasure invites calamity.
Inevitably, the clan's accumulated wealth attracted predatory eyes.
What should have been an ordinary day turned into a disaster without warning.
Masked bandits raided the Yan clan's ancestral compound. Blazing flames consumed everything, while the anguished screams of his family members echoed through the night — each cry like a knife to Flame Silence's heart.
After hiding his sister in a secret chamber, he gripped the Blazing Fire with trembling hands, determined to fight the invaders to the death.
But when he burst through the door, the sight that met his eyes shattered his world completely.
His parents lay motionless in pools of blood, their eyes staring vacantly into the distance. A bandit stood over the corpses, sneering with casual cruelty.
'Oh, there's still one little bastard left alive!'
Even after he had achieved cultivation, those words continued to haunt him like a recurring nightmare.
Young Flame Silence had witnessed the scene and was consumed by volcanic rage. Determined to avenge his family or die trying, he charged the bandits with his Blazing Fire raised high.
Unfortunately, his limited cultivation proved completely inadequate. A single contemptuous blow sent the divine sword, Blazing Fire, spinning from his grasp, clattering across the bloodstained floor.
He collapsed, watching helplessly as a gleaming blade descended towards his heart. With his eyes squeezed shut, he waited for death to embrace him.
But the expected agony never came. Instead, he heard the heavy thud of something falling in front of him.
When he opened his eyes, the scene rendered him speechless with horror.
Naomi threw herself in front of her brother to shield him from the sword, crimson spreading across her chest like spilled ink on silk.
As he gazed at his dying sister, Flame Silence's world plunged into absolute darkness. With trembling limbs, he crawled to her body and cradled her against his chest, tears carving tracks through the grime on his face.
'What useless divine swords!' His voice cracked into a hysterical roar, echoing through the burning compound. 'They can't protect anything!'
The criminals watched the siblings' tragedy unfold with cruel amusement. They were oblivious to the red and blue blades, which trembled ominously on the blood-soaked ground.
Just as the bandit leader was about to put an end to Flame Silence's suffering...
When he regained consciousness, he found himself standing in a sea of blood and dismembered corpses. The masked raiders lay scattered around him like broken dolls, their bodies ripped to shreds by some terrible force.
He stared numbly at the red and blue swords he was holding, unable to understand what had happened while he was unconscious.
He was overcome by a profound sense of emptiness and collapsed into the pool of blood that had once belonged to his enemies.
Am I going to die?
That might be for the best.
As his consciousness faded, a shrill cry pierced the air, followed by an angry and surprised voice calling out, 'Brother Yan!'
When Flame Silence awoke, he found himself lying in a peaceful bedroom, the gentle fragrance of incense helping to calm his shattered nerves.
The door opened and a young man he had never seen before came in. 'You're awake?'
Flame Silence instinctively huddled in the corner of the bed, every muscle tense with wariness.
Noticing his defensive stance, the stranger revealed his identity, his expression betraying his confusion.
The young man was Hebi, a close friend of his father. That day, he had come at his father's request to accompany Flame Silence to the Shuiyue Sword Sect.
Unfortunately, he arrived too late. By the time he reached the Yan clan compound, only Flame Silence was still alive, surrounded by ashes and blood.
After explaining this, Hebi left, telling him to get some rest before their journey began.
Flame Silence listened in silence, his peripheral vision catching sight of the red and blue swords sheathed on the nearby table.
He rose silently and gathered the weapons in his arms before retreating back to the corner of the bed.
I'm the last one left.
As this devastating realisation washed over him, he felt phantom arms embrace him from behind — cold, yet paradoxically warm.
At that moment, a gentle female voice whispered in his ear: 'Don't be afraid, brother. I will always be with you.'
From that day on, Yagi of the Yan family disappeared without trace, leaving only the Crazy Sword·Flame Silence of the Shuiyue Sword Sect behind.
The memory ended abruptly. Flame Silence took a deep breath and tightened his grip on the two divine swords. 'This time, I will not lose,' he thought.
'Xiaoxue,' he whispered softly.
He felt a cold hand settle over his left hand. 'I'm here, brother.'
He fixed his stern gaze on the azure tiger manifestation that was bearing down on him.
'Clang!'
'Hiss!'
A shower of sparks erupted as five weapons collided, generating sharp sword waves that shattered the surrounding pavement like glass.
'His strength has increased dramatically,' observed Flame Silence through gritted teeth.
After such an intense battle, he could naturally sense the dramatic change in Zoro's weapons. Whereas he had previously been able to easily break those three blades with his Ice and Fire Divine Swords, they now resisted with supernatural durability.
Moreover, it wasn't just the weapons that had changed. As the green-haired swordsman's hands gradually became coated in a pitch-black substance, his physical strength increased exponentially.
'This is truly troublesome,' thought Flame Silence as he danced his twin swords in defensive patterns.
'Ding, ding, ding!'
The rhythmic sound of clashing steel echoed across the battlefield like deadly percussion.
Zoro frowned slightly as he noted that the young man with the twin swords had grown significantly stronger since their last encounter.
'Swish!'
A blinding flash erupted between them and a huge wave of slashing energy instantly cut a nearby villa in two.
Zoro seized this momentary distraction to leap backwards, creating distance between himself and his opponent.
However, when he landed and took his stance, he was taken aback.
Flame Silence's right hand was still gripping the fiery red sword as before, within his field of vision. However, a translucent female figure was now floating ethereally behind him, holding the crystalline blue blade.
[Remnant Soul Guarding the Heart]
The green-haired swordsman raised an eyebrow at this unexpected turn of events. 'What kind of Devil Fruit power is this?' he wondered.
'Even Brook can't manifest souls like this,' Zoro mused, thinking of the skeletal musician who had eaten the Revive-Revive Fruit on their ship.
If Brook had such abilities, would he be able to summon the entire crew of his previous ship and all the companions who perished in the tragedy that occurred many years ago?
Shaking off these chaotic thoughts, the green-haired swordsman took a deep breath and charged forward once more.
Seeing the three swords approaching again, Flame Silence remained perfectly composed. He simply ducked low and reversed his grip, blocking Zoro's attack with practised ease.
At the same time, the spectral figure behind him, holding Drifting Ice, lunged at Zoro with supernatural grace.
Anticipating the dual attack, Zoro deflected the blows with his swords and retreated, though not by much. "Is this what you call a two-sword style?"
'Three Sword Style: Tornado!"
The overwhelming pressure of the sword instantly formed a devastating whirlwind. This powerful technique tore through the air, creating a cyclone of cutting wind.
'Swish!'
The already fragile ground was cut into countless pieces, resembling delicate tofu.
Flame Silence was caught off guard by the technique's range and power, suffering several deep gashes to his chest. His robes were stained crimson as he hastily retreated.
However, the green-haired figure had already broken through the tornado and lunged forward with demonic intensity.
'Three Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
Zoro's eyes flashed with a bloodthirsty crimson glow, making him look like a vengeful Asura descending from the heavens.
Flame Silence's face darkened with determination. "Flame Dance!"
A brilliant sword technique erupted around him, swirling crimson flames illuminating the night sky like a miniature sun. Massive flames of sword energy swept recklessly in all directions, turning the battlefield into an inferno.
'Swish!'
Zoro's slashing wave only partially deflected the flaming assault, but this gave him enough time to adjust his position. Ignoring the blood trickling from his abdomen, he rolled away, his expression grave as he studied the sword-wielding youth.
What a formidable opponent!
In the vast world of the Grand Line, this young man would have earned a reputation as a renowned swordsman.
The thunderous clash between the two combatants naturally attracted the attention of everyone present in the Lore Cardian.
Kavach raised his eyebrows, having never expected the green-haired card to put up such a strong fight against his ace. After all, he had invested considerable effort and rare red materials into crafting the Crazy Sword: Flame Silence.
'Tsk,' he scoffed, examining Zoro's wounds. 'Even if he manages to block it once, what difference will it make?'
He assessed that Zoro's defeat was inevitable.
Meanwhile, the Tiger Slayer found himself in an increasingly precarious situation. As a melee fighter, he had no way of penetrating magical defences and would eventually be worn down by sustained ranged attacks.
Fortunately, as long as Flame Silence won the battle quickly, the overall outcome would not change.
Kavach's thoughts were similar to Godfrey's.
The Director of Public Security for the Donglai Association — a spy planted by the Crimson Oath Society within the organisation — had experienced an emotional rollercoaster within minutes.
Initially, he had considered Frieren's elimination of Nangong Ce to be a positive development, but the situation had now taken a sharp turn for the worse. In an instant, the balance of power appeared to be shifting back in Kavach's favour.
Glancing at the silent Magnus in the distance, he felt anxiety gnawing at him. "Master," he thought, "won't you give the order to retreat?"
Are we really going to fight to the death?
He thought this was completely unnecessary. Ultimately, there was no fundamental conflict between the Crimson Oath Society and the Association. This battle served no one's interests.
Unfortunately, he was still bound by the Society's orders. No matter how illogical the situation appeared, he couldn't even flee without Azrael's explicit order to retreat.
Furthermore, there was no possibility of reconciliation between Azrael and Kavach. The two sides were already locked in a life-or-death struggle.
Zoro stood amid the ruins and drew a deep breath.
The best course of action now was to stall until Frieren could eliminate Tiger Slayer and provide support. However, this was essentially an assassination mission.
Although the initial attack lasted less than half an hour, that was more than enough time for the Donglai Cardian Master Association to mobilise additional reinforcements.
While Lore Cardians ranked at Emerald could crush anything Donglai possessed, those ranked at Gold certainly could not.
Time was running out.
'One strike.'
'I'll crush you!'
The green-haired swordsman's aura intensified gradually, with a crimson light gleaming in his eyes as though an Asura were descending upon the mortal realm.
The next moment, he hurtled towards Flame Silence like a human cannonball.
'Nine mountains and eight seas form one world. Gathering a thousand of these worlds creates a 'small thousand worlds'."
Flame Silence was startled. 'He's doing it again!'
As before, the strange swordsman with three swords insisted on announcing the names of his techniques before executing them.
He couldn't fathom the purpose of this practice. After all, it offered no tactical advantage other than alerting his opponent to incoming attacks.
There are only two types of warriors who would behave this way: those suffering from chunibyo delusions and those with absolute confidence in their overwhelming strength.
'The selfless one continues, this world multiplied by three.'
However, sensing Zoro's momentum growing exponentially, Flame Silence's expression turned deadly serious.
Does announcing move names actually make them more powerful?
Isn't that name ridiculously long?
'Three Sword Style Secret Technique':
„Ichidai Sanzen Daisen Sekai!"
At that moment, the expressions of all the Lore Cardians and the Association's summoned cards changed dramatically.