The night was as dark as ink, with a full moon hanging high in the sky.
More than ten hours had passed since the battle between William and Nao erupted.
The desert climate featured extreme temperature differences between day and night. The scorching heat of the day had completely dissipated, and the night wind, penetrating the skin, was even a bit chilly.
In the valley below, numerous tents had been set up in the open area, brightly lit.
Marines moved busily among them, assisting the doctors who had accompanied them, working tirelessly to treat the children rescued from the ice coffins.
Rear Admiral Buma had long since woken up.
After understanding the situation, she too wanted to help —but Kizaru had firmly stopped her.
She was now weakly leaning against the entrance of the giant rock cave, holding a bowl of hot porridge, quietly gazing up at the cliff above.
The whistling sword energy and the dancing petals were still clearly visible, even from hundreds of meters away in the valley below.
"It's not over yet," she murmured softly, her eyes filled with worry. "There's not much time left, Nao, you have to win…"
The battle on the cliff top was incredibly spectacular, visible throughout the entire Hot Nest Peninsula. Reporters and various information brokers had already rushed to the scene, like sewer rats drawn to a stench.
Perhaps by tomorrow morning, newspapers carrying this news would be flown by news coo like snowflakes to every corner of the world.
And by then, before public opinion could even fully ferment, orders from Marine Headquarters and pressure from both royal families would surge in like a tide…
"No need to worry too much, Buma."
A familiar voice came from nearby. Buma turned her head to see a weary-looking Kizaru crouching on the giant rock beside her, smiling. "Give that kid a little more faith. I guarantee you, soon, very soon, there will be a result…"
"Mhm."
Buma hesitated, then nodded slightly, before asking curiously, "Why are you so exhausted, though?"
"What do you expect…?"
Kizaru rolled his eyes. "Where do you think the tents and medical supplies came from? Did they fall from the sky? I had to go back and forth between the warship and the town many times, putting in a huge effort to get them here."
This counts as overtime, right? It definitely counts.
If his salary doesn't double this month, it's simply unacceptable…
Buma chuckled softly at Kizaru's resentful expression, took a sip of her hot porridge, and then looked up again, quietly observing the battle on the cliff top.
Boom! Boom!
Amidst the flickering sword shadows, countless tough, pale pink petals were cut into fragments, scattering across the sky under the clear moonlight, a beautiful sight to behold.
And among the swirling petal fragments, a tall figure, covered in blood, was forced back over ten meters, stumbling onto a giant rock on the mountaintop, revealing his disheveled form.
"Cough, cough, cough…"
William clutched his chest, coughing violently. His face was pale, and his azure eyes were bloodshot.
"How is this possible! How is this possible…"
He struggled to lift his head, looking at the black-haired figure in the sky. His once handsome features were now almost distorted, his voice filled with disbelief. "Doesn't this guy ever get tired?!"
In terms of raw power, he had clearly suppressed his opponent, holding the initiative in offense for almost the entire day.
But what was with that annoying black-haired brat's stamina? How could it be so monstrously vast?! After more than ten hours of high-intensity combat, he was covered in wounds and utterly exhausted, his condition deteriorating significantly in all aspects.
Yet, despite being equally wounded, the opponent remained energetic, even growing stronger as the fight progressed, gradually reversing the slightly disadvantaged situation…
He couldn't drag this out any longer!
Otherwise, he would definitely be exhausted to death by this guy, suffering a humiliating defeat! With that thought.
A chilling glint appeared in William's eyes. He stomped his heel, his body once again surging into the sky, simultaneously expending all his strength to unleash a trump card he had rarely used throughout the years!
"Asura: Flower Prison!"
Accompanying the grim roar, the sand on the cliff top, and countless gigantic pink flower buds suddenly burst from the ground, growing rapidly in the wind, instantly becoming dozens of meters tall. They simultaneously bloomed, revealing an endless array of black stamens within.
Each stamen was as sharp as a needle, and the edges of the surrounding petals quickly curled and charged, then in the next instant, along with the endless stamens, they all shot forth!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The overwhelming torrent of giant petals, interwoven with the tiny, almost invisible black stamens, were concealed by the night. Large and small, bright and dark, they all surged with a terrifying killing intent! In that moment, it seemed as if the entire cliff top had transformed into a treacherous, dark hell!
"So, he's finally going all in…"
In the sky, Nao hovered with his swords, his body covered in blood, his shirt long since shredded, revealing his muscular, scar-covered upper body.
He looked at the endless stamens shooting towards him, his gaze calm. "Looks like he's running out of stamina. It's about time."
In that case…
He closed his eyes, gripping his sword hilts. He held Wind Blade horizontally in front of him and Azakana Sword inverted behind his back, taking a deep breath, striking the classic starting pose of the Two-Sword Style.
Then,
He let out a low roar, suddenly opening his eyes!
"Two-Sword Style… Shifting Jade Slash!"
Hum!
As this sword strike was unleashed, two brilliant, dazzling white sword energies whistled alternately, sweeping powerfully into the distance, raising terrifying shockwaves.
The night sky seemed to be illuminated in that moment.
The magnificent sword energy cleaved through the giant petals, annihilated the endless black stamens, and carved a path like a bursting mountain torrent, raging unchecked and unstoppable!
Rumble!
The cliff top shattered, and countless gigantic rocks, like falling meteorites, plunged down towards the Hot Nest town.
William, perched atop the massive boulder, had nowhere left to run. He could only stare in horror as the monstrous sword strike obliterated his attack—then surged forward like a tidal wave, engulfing him completely.
Thud!
A deafening roar echoed across the cliff top in that moment.
Under the immense pressure of the sword energy, William, who was already at the end of his rope, finally couldn't hold on any longer. His vision went black, and he spewed a large mouthful of blood.
He toppled backward, his entire body like a kite with a snapped string, falling with the shattered rocks from hundreds of meters up, plummeting straight down!
Thump!
Dust exploded across the ground. The stone floor beneath the cliff shattered, leaving a massive crater several meters wide.
In the center of the spiderweb-like cracks, William's body lay sprawled, covered in blood, his eyes staring blankly at the sky.
His bones and organs were so badly damaged that even trying to stand was out of the question.
All he could do was lie there… and watch as a black silhouette descended—swordpoint aimed straight at him.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at https://www.patreon.com/c/ReadJin