Raiden Mei wove swiftly through the humanoid shadows, each graceful dash leaving a dissolving figure in her wake.
She was stronger now than she had ever been—this was her peak.
Every strike ignited the blood-red glow of her blade, each flash brighter than the last.
Finally, she stood before Owari itself.
Without hesitation, she unleashed the crimson blade energy she'd accumulated throughout her journey.
BOOM—!!
A brilliant scarlet radiance surged forth, immense power erupting from her grip. Merging seamlessly with Hajime, Mei launched herself skyward, pouring all her strength into a single decisive slash aimed directly at Owari.
CLANG—!!
Blood-red brilliance flared and vanished, leaving a thin, sky-splitting line etched across the massive mountain of swords.
In that instant, the towering form of Owari—struck by her unyielding power—split cleanly into two halves.
At the same time, the blade in Raiden Mei's own hand, Hajime, shattered, leaving only its hilt in her grasp.
But it didn't matter.
Because… I myself am the blade.
The shattering of Owari and Hajime brought forth a hazy blood-rain beneath the darkened skies, signifying that the forging of the final blade was complete.
Droplets trickled down Mei's face, flowing gently to the broken hilt she still held.
The dark, Nihility-tainted power within her surged violently, bursting forth as blood from fresh wounds in her palm, pouring into the broken sword.
The peach's vitality safeguarded her heart, healing wounds inflicted by Nihility, and releasing a warm, shining thread of Trailblaze energy.
Following the tide of Nihility, the corrupted power condensed into a blood-red hilt. At its tip, the delicate strand of Trailblaze energy transformed into a gleaming silver-white ticket, suspended by a thin cord.
The ticket's center shimmered gold, eager to spread outward, yet held in place, unable to move an inch.
Mei raised her gaze, determination filling her eyes as she stared at the black sun devouring everything above, murmuring softly:
"The final blade—Naught—has been forged."
"Let me see now…whether the promised 'hope' was merely a lie, or if it truly exists."
Use Nihility's power to defeat Nihility itself!
To be precise, it wasn't about defeating it outright, but merely pushing it back, even slightly, to grant Izumo a fleeting chance to survive.
Mei stepped forward. The red horn atop her head quietly vanished, as Naught stripped away her very identity. Her long, cascading purple hair swiftly drained to silver-white, as color itself abandoned her.
Memories scrambled frantically, dissolving into nothingness. Pain flared intensely through her body, yet vanished just as swiftly, erased into nothing.
Only one thought remained firm and unyielding within her mind:
To swing this blade at Nihility itself!
BOOM—!!
Utter silence engulfed everything as immense, dark-red sword energy exploded outward, stretching endlessly, covering every horizon.
Surging upward with unstoppable momentum, it rushed straight toward the black sun.
Hope flickered briefly in Mei's eyes. Perhaps this immense power could shift Nihility's trajectory, even just slightly, giving Izumo the barest chance at survival.
But just as the dark-red blade energy reached a certain distance—just slightly closer to Nihility's deepest shadows—
…it vanished completely.
Gone without a trace, as if it had never existed.
The hope in Mei's eyes shattered instantly. Her lips trembled faintly, and as despair overtook her, she dropped the blade and exited the state of wielding Naught, collapsing helplessly to the ground.
Her silver-white hair faded back to its original deep purple, but the horn signifying her connection to Izumo never reappeared.
Vitality from the peach began healing her again, reigniting pain throughout her body—but Mei felt none of it, for the pain in her heart eclipsed everything else.
Blood-colored rain trickled from her eyes, mixing silently with the droplets gathering in her trembling hands. She stared blankly at her reflection in the pool below.
Mei clearly sensed it: after forging Naught, Nihility had only drawn closer.
At this rate, Izumo wouldn't survive much longer.
"I…"
"In the end, I couldn't do anything at all!"
She longed to let her tears of regret flow freely, yet even this simple right had been stolen by the blade called Naught.
Just then, a gentle, warm hand rested atop her head. A quiet voice spoke reassuringly:
"It's fine. Leave the rest to me."
Startled, Mei raised her head reflexively.
She saw Yevenko approaching, Tom perched casually upon his shoulders. Both gazed steadily up at the looming black sun, sharing the same resolute expression.
"You've finished your battle with Owari. Now it's our turn to face Nihility. Watch me give Nihility a black eye!"
With a wave of Yevenko's hand, the Astral Express descended gracefully from the sky, positioning him at its very center.
"Honestly, why are you acting so sad at your age? Nuan, smile for her."
Yevenko stepped forward, ascending effortlessly through the air, heading toward the Express's waiting doors.
Seeing this, Mei's pupils shrank sharply. Realizing his intent, she desperately reached out her hand to stop Yevenko and Tom.
"No…!"
With the Astral Express, Yevenko and Tom might still have a slim chance of escaping—but confronting Nihility head-on was certain death.
Hearing Mei's plea, Yevenko paused briefly at the train's entrance, turning to smile reassuringly.
"Underestimating my strength… You're right. But never underestimate Tom's."
"Actually, he's secretly the Aeon of Comedy."
"Anyway, goodbye for now."
"Watch closely—I'll offer you and Izumo a shining victory."
With a casual wave, Yevenko stepped confidently through the door without looking back.
Before Mei's stunned gaze, the Astral Express began to move, its glittering rails blazing with radiant colors, embodying the promise of hope.
WHOOSH—!!
With a powerful burst of acceleration, it surged upward, stirring fierce waves of wind.
The train shot straight toward the dark sun above!