As the tall, swollen pink lump burst through the bucket, black smoke seeped from the hole and quickly dispersed into the air.
The bucket sank slightly—clearly, the humanoid shadow within was already dead.
Tom calmly taped a white "X" over the hole with a piece of adhesive tape before smoothly stowing the bucket behind his back.
Now that the battle was over—and after having spent enough time alongside Yevenko and Tom—Raiden Mei finally felt comfortable voicing the confusion she'd been holding back. She walked closer and carefully poked Tom's back with her index finger, but nothing seemed unusual.
No, wait…
Rather than Tom pulling random items from behind him, what truly defied logic were Tom's earlier actions.
She had clearly sensed that the water Tom used contained no special energy, yet it somehow extinguished Retsu's supposedly unquenchable flames—and even managed to beat a bizarre pink lump onto the immaterial shadow's head.
More puzzling still, Mei had initially planned to swiftly defeat Retsu and then help Tom—but Tom had easily dispatched Arashi and arrived to assist her instead.
Mei glanced toward the area where Arashi had been, seeing nothing left except a Tom-shaped crater, indicating the wolf-shadow had met an equally absurd end.
At that moment, Yevenko—carrying Nuan comfortably perched on his shoulders—approached them.
Surveying the battlefield, Yevenko nodded approvingly.
"Not bad, not bad!"
"Mei, you've officially graduated to a high-quality Tom accessory, much better than Nuan and me."
In a sense, Tom had single-handedly defeated both enemies, so calling Mei an accessory wasn't entirely wrong.
Yevenko gently rubbed Tom's head, whispering softly.
"Nice job stealing those kills!"
Initially, Yevenko had expected to only gain [Exploration Value] from a single enemy—but Tom had unexpectedly grabbed the kill on Retsu as well. He couldn't be happier.
He promptly pulled out a bottle of milk from behind him, handing it to Tom.
Then, producing another bottle, he offered it to Mei.
"If you're tired and hungry, drink milk."
"Replenish your energy. We're nearly at the Owari you mentioned."
Seeing Yevenko mimic Tom's actions—casually pulling items from behind him—Mei wisely decided not to think too deeply about it.
She was already battling Nihility's constant erosion, her memories occasionally muddled. Overthinking such inexplicable things would only impair her performance.
Accepting the milk without further hesitation, Mei drank it slowly.
The upcoming battle with Owari allowed no room for carelessness; Mei needed all the strength she could muster.
Unfortunately… with countless hidden injuries and relentless Nihility erosion, she knew she could never return to her peak.
Yet despite that, for even the faintest glimmer of hope, she had to give her all, staking herself and Izumo's entire fate upon this battle.
After finishing the milk, a slight trace lingered at the corner of her cherry lips. Mei absent-mindedly wiped it away with her thumb. Staring briefly at the tiny drop of milk, she couldn't resist lightly licking it away.
Living in Izumo, she refused to waste even the smallest morsel of nourishment.
Her pale violet eyes then turned toward the distant mountain forged from countless swords. Resolve burned deeper within her gaze as she murmured softly:
"Let's move forward."
...
While Tom and Mei mowed down enemies with impressive ease, Yevenko and Nuan leisurely chatted at the rear.
The four-person team quickly fought through waves of newly-appearing Guardian Blade shadows, easily carving a path until they finally reached the foot of Owari itself.
Owari stood towering before them.
Rather than a simple cluster of blades, it was a single sword of mountainous proportions surrounded by countless other swords arranged like stars orbiting a celestial body, placing it at the summit.
The sheer scale of Owari was immense, radiating an oppressive, indescribable pressure.
A crimson halo rotated slowly above Owari, eerily resembling a giant eye silently observing the four newcomers.
If Raiden Mei was the human who wielded—and had become—Hajime, then Owari was the ultimate convergence of countless blades, wielded by no one.
Instead, it commanded those who had once wielded swords.
Disgusting, black mud surged endlessly from beneath Owari, flooding outward like turbulent ocean waves.
Suddenly, dozens of humanoid shadows emerged from the black mire, grasping swords pulled from Owari itself. Rising slowly, wielding Owari's formidable power, they stood in place, glaring threateningly at the group but remaining still.
Mei quietly drew the icy white blade of Hajime, softly speaking:
"Yevenko, Tom… This marks the forging of Izumo's final blade, and my own trial. It must be a fair fight."
"So… could you take care of Nuan for me?"
Yevenko immediately understood Mei's intentions.
This was an internal battle for Izumo—Hajime against Owari. If Yevenko interfered, the outcome might be dangerously uncertain.
Most likely, the final blade would fail to take shape altogether.
Of course, Yevenko knew that even if this blade was forged, Izumo's fate wouldn't change. He suspected Mei understood this, too.
But denying her the chance to at least try would be unforgivable.
Moreover, after killing so many Nihility creatures, Yevenko's Exploration Value had barely reached twenty percent. He certainly didn't expect it to jump forty percent by fighting Owari. It simply wasn't possible.
Yevenko observed Mei's slightly labored breathing, noticing the countless scars visible on her wrists alone—not even imagining how much worse her hidden injuries must be beneath her clothes.
Internal injuries and relentless Nihility corrosion had undoubtedly accumulated over the years.
Yevenko pursed his lips slightly before gently speaking:
"This fight is far from fair."
"Perhaps adding this weight might make your battle a bit more balanced."
From behind him, he pulled out a peach and placed it gently into Mei's hand, smiling at her puzzled expression.
"Eat it, and you'll understand."
Mei didn't hesitate. Under such serious circumstances, she knew Yevenko wouldn't joke around.
Parting her lips, she took a bite.
An intense sweetness filled her mouth, overflowing with vibrant energy and joy. Nectar-like juices surged warmly throughout her entire body.
Her external wounds quickly formed scabs and instantly shed away, leaving flawless, smooth skin beneath.
But the greatest change occurred within. All her hidden internal injuries healed instantly. Before, Mei had fought carrying a heavy burden—now, that burden suddenly vanished, replaced by an unprecedented sense of ease.
Even more remarkable, the overwhelming vitality hadn't vanished after healing her wounds; instead, a portion remained, nestled within her heart.
Mei immediately understood how precious this peach was. Deep gratitude flickered in her pale violet eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but Yevenko simply shook his head, smiling warmly.
"No need for thanks. Now go forth, Mei—offer me a shining victory, and save the humanity of this planet!"
Hearing Yevenko's embarrassingly grandiose words, Mei couldn't help but smile softly. Rather than remaining silent, she chose to humor him, replying gently with a rare playfulness in her voice:
"Yes, Yevenko-sama."
"I shall bring you your victory."