Charge!!
Yamakaji roared, leaving behind plumes of smoke and fire as he surged forward.
Buzz... buzz... buzz...
The piercing sound of air being torn apart closed in again. Yamakaji's pupils shrank.
It's coming again!
The shifting dust, the boiling air...
He could finally make out a faint outline!
His eyes flew open, and in the depths of his vision, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a silver blur.
He swung his blade with all his might!
A brilliant arc of light cut through the smoke and struck a metal sphere dead-on.
Clang!!
Sparks scattered faintly in the swirling dust. Yamakaji's face went pale as a numbing shock surged through his right arm, swelling it with pain. The force of the impact lifted him off the ground.
Boom!!
The deflected orb smashed into the earth at an angle, unleashing towering waves of dust across the training field with explosive bursts.
The ground trembled violently. The surrounding Marines dropped their stances instinctively, bracing themselves against the shock.
Yamakaji's boots slammed back down. And once again, his unwavering steps pressed forward.
Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, he swung again.
Clang!!
The sheer force of the impact nearly burst eardrums.
Another howling metal sphere was knocked slightly off course. It grazed Yamakaji's left side, carving a charred, bloody trail across his waist.
The recoil from the blow reverberated up his arm. Blood welled in his mouth, spilling from the corner in a crimson streak.
And still, he advanced.
Not even the storm-force winds could halt him.
Even the howling sandstorms seemed to rally behind him.
One after another, the metal spheres came crashing down like relentless artillery fire.
Each hit sent him skidding back several steps.
He didn't have the strength to knock them away completely.
All he could do was rely on his battle-hardened instincts and finely-honed swordsmanship, nudging the orbs just enough to deflect them away from vital spots.
Even so, wounds multiplied across his body. Every near-miss burst open sprays of blood.
From afar,
Yamakaji looked like a lone figure pressing through a violent storm, blood streaking further across his body with every step forward.
The blinding silver trails of high-speed orbs flashed in and out of existence around him—appearing, vanishing, reappearing—like a hail of stray bullets.
Behind him, gaping holes riddled the ground, the buildings, and the artillery platforms.
The distance between Yamakaji and Daren was only thirty meters.
Just thirty meters...
But right now, it felt impossibly far.
Like a path with no end.
A path built to crush hope.
At that moment, as they watched that battered, silent figure pressing forward with everything he had, everyone fell silent.
Zephyr's expression was hard to read. His jaw clenched, fists tightening and loosening over and over.
Thirty meters...
Twenty...
The blood on Yamakaji's body grew heavier. The blade that had served him for years was now chipped and cracking with every swing.
Still, he didn't stop.
Ten meters...
As he entered within ten meters, his steps slowed noticeably.
Everyone could feel it—Daren's rate of attack had increased.
A storm of metal orbs poured down like bullets, completely enveloping Yamakaji's blood-soaked figure.
His sword swung faster and faster, every motion sharper, more urgent—but his blade was breaking down.
Daren squinted slightly.
So this is what makes him one of the Marines' strongest future Vice Admirals.
That indomitable will and unshakable combat instinct... more than enough to stand just below the Admirals themselves.
Yamakaji stepped again.
Five meters.
Daren gave a faint smile and reached out.
Suddenly, the barrage intensified.
A downpour of silver light.
Yamakaji couldn't move forward anymore.
Streams of light tore past his body, slicing open wounds and exploding into blood mist, swirling violently in the wind.
The clang of steel rang out again and again, sparks bursting endlessly.
Massive columns of dust erupted across the field, waves of sand rising like a storm-tossed sea.
Blood poured freely from Yamakaji's mouth.
He could barely keep his grip on his blade.
His entire palm was torn and mangled—bone faintly visible beneath the mess of blood and flesh.
If not for the strip of cloth binding the hilt, the sword would've flown from his hand long ago.
Is this... where it ends?
Yamakaji struggled to keep his heavy eyelids open. His vision began to blur...
Just then—
"Go for it, Yamakaji!!"
A voice like a pig being slaughtered suddenly tore through the air.
The entire training field fell into stunned silence.
Everyone turned toward the source of the outburst, faces filled with disbelief.
Tokikake stood there, face flushed with excitement, neck strained as he yelled at the top of his lungs:
"Take down that bastard Daren!!!"
Everyone froze for a beat.
Then—
"Go, Yamakaji!!" Doberman shouted, gripping his blade with both hands.
"Go." Onigumo's voice was cold and firm.
"Hang in there!" Dalmatian growled through gritted teeth.
"You look seriously cool right now!!" Kuzan pumped his fists with passion.
"..."
In that instant, the entire crowd erupted in a chorus of roars.
They shouted from the heart, rallying behind the crew-cut youth who fought on without fear, defying a force far greater than himself.
United against a common foe!
'Wait, wait... why do I feel like I've suddenly become the villain here...?'
Daren's mouth twitched awkwardly.
But before he could react—
"Yamakaji, you little punk!! Get your ass up there!! Slash Daren right now!! If you don't give him a cut, I swear I'll never let you off!!"
Zephyr's furious roar echoed from afar, hair practically bristling with rage.
Daren: "..."
...
Surrounded by the thunderous cries of support, Yamakaji felt like his chest was about to burst open—his body surged with scorching heat.
And in the split-second distraction that flickered across Daren's expression, he seized the moment!
Clang!!
Sparks exploded as a burst of blood mist bloomed from his left shoulder.
Crack—crack—crack...
His battered military saber finally shattered, leaving only a broken half!
Countless shards rained down like glass.
The fractured blade, heated by the sheer force of impact and relentless strikes, now glowed red-hot!
Yamakaji clenched his cigar between his teeth, then let out a fierce roar as he stepped forward!
Drawing on the last ounce of strength in his body, he thrust the broken tip forward—
The roaring sand split apart.
The howling winds were torn through.
In the chaos of the storm, a tiny flicker of fire sparked to life.
Faint. Dim.
Like the ember at the end of a cigar in the wind, or the final glow before it burns out.
A single flash of crimson erupted, sending waves of blistering heat across the air.
It screamed through the battlefield like a wildfire, bursting forth in a brilliant arc.
It streaked across the ground, crossing what had once felt like an unbreachable gulf.
Only then did the crowd finally see—
It was a broken blade.
A blade ignited by the friction of its final charge!
It was shattered.
Riddled with cracks.
Just like the one who wielded it.
But still...
It moved forward.
Always forward.
That flame burst from the storm and sand, surging with unyielding resolve—
And drove straight toward the figure that stood like a demon in their path!
Ssshk!!
The sound of steel piercing flesh rang out, followed by a surge of flame roaring into the sky.
...
(60 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake