"Damn! Natalie's going crazy!"
"She's getting better, look at her go!"
"Half HP down on Genichiro! Almost there!"
Amid the thunderous cheers of the chat, Natalie pressed forward with slash after slash, finally driving Genichiro's health down to the last third.
After nearly three hours of torment, the samurai staggered back to the edge of the rooftop. He exhaled heavily, his blade still steady in hand.
"Impressive... Kuro's guardian. It seems ordinary swordplay can no longer bring you down."
As he spoke, Genichiro stripped off his armor piece by piece, revealing corded muscle and patches of blackened, scorched skin underneath.
"What the hell? What's wrong with his body?"
"His whole torso's charred... looks like a corpse!"
Even the viewers were stunned. Natalie herself hadn't expected this twist.
"As long as I can protect the Ashina clan... even if I must forsake the path of men... I will wield powers beyond mortality."
His voice grew deeper as he spoke. A sudden chill swept across the battlefield, the once clear sky darkening in an instant.
BOOM!!!
A lance of golden lightning tore across the heavens, shaking the rooftop as thunder roared.
"Now... witness the terror of the Lightning of Tomoe!"
Genichiro raised his blade, and lightning from the storm crashed down into it. Arcs of golden electricity snaked along the steel, sparking violently until the weapon itself seemed alive with power.
"Wait, he can use lightning?!"
"Are you serious? This guy's a damn demigod now!"
Natalie's grip tightened on her sword. This was no longer just a sword duel, this was stepping into the realm of the supernatural.
Then it came.
Genichiro leapt high into the storm, and his blade, wreathed in lightning, extended into a ten-meter arc of blazing gold. With a roar, he brought it crashing down toward Natalie.
"WHAT THE FU-"
The barrage went wild.
No one cared that they were watching a game anymore. The scene unfolding was so cinematic, so unreal, that the chat erupted like fireworks.
"Handsome as hell!!"
"This some anime shit!"
"Hollywood can't compete with this!!!"
Natalie raised her blade desperately to block. Sparks shrieked as steel met steel, but the lightning still surged into her body. Arcs of electricity wrapped around her limbs, her muscles stiffening as paralysis took hold.
"Damn it! I'm fried, this lightning attack can't be blocked!" she shouted in panic.
And she was right. Even a perfect parry wouldn't save her. The moment blade touched blade, the current transferred through metal, locking her body in place.
While she was frozen, Genichiro closed the gap and carved twin gashes across her side.
Gritting her teeth, Natalie staggered back, gulping down a healing gourd as she tried to keep distance.
She soon noticed something crucial, Genichiro's patterns were unchanged, except for this new move, Lightning of Tomoe. The lightning strike couldn't be dodged, couldn't be blocked, couldn't even be countered normally.
"What the hell?! Why design such a broken move?!"
Just as despair was about to set in, Natalie spotted something on the inner wall of the rooftop, a painting glowing faintly with white light.
It hadn't stood out before, but now, it was clear this was meant to be found.
Rushing over, she studied it. The painting depicted a duel between a dazzling woman wielding a lightning wrapped blade and an armored samurai leaping into the air.
Beside it were words inscribed in elegant brushstrokes.
"In Ashina, there was once a demon. The lightning he wielded was the wrath of the heavens. Without divine insight, one cannot withstand it. But if one seizes the thunder while airborne, and returns it, the heavens themselves shall strike the demon down."
A system prompt immediately appeared before Natalie.
[Thunder Reversal — Lightning attacks cannot be blocked or dodged, but while airborne, you can catch the lightning on your blade and hurl it back at the enemy.]
Her eyes widened. "So it's not just his move... I can use lightning too?!"
Heart pounding, she dashed back into the fight. Now, every nerve was taut with focus. She weathered Genichiro's attacks until once again he soared into the sky, his sword blazing with divine thunder.
This time, Natalie leapt to meet him.
CRACK!!!
The lightning struck her blade, but instead of paralyzing her, she redirected it. Power coursed down her arms, golden sparks exploding from her sword as she swung.
In that instant, she was no longer defending. She was wielding lightning itself.
The heavens split as she hurled the thunder back at Genichiro.
"OH MY GOD!!!"
"Holy crap, she caught it!!!"
"She's a thunder goddess now!!!"
The chat boiled over. To them, Sekiro was no longer just a game about samurai duels, it had transformed into a divine epic, a clash of gods.
And this lightning... looked even more real than a blockbuster movie.
"Wow, I didn't expect I could actually control lightning!!!" Natalie was ecstatic. The atmosphere inside Sekiro was too immersive, at this moment, she truly felt like a warrior wielding divine thunder!
This was an experience no other game could provide. In other games, you just press buttons and watch your character summon storms or fireballs. But here, she was the one controlling the lightning.
Even if it was just a taste, it was unbelievably cool. A completely new, unprecedented experience!
"Go!!!" Natalie roared, swinging her blade forward. The thunder coiled around her weapon exploded into a golden arc and shot straight at Genichiro!
"Argh!!!" Genichiro's body convulsed as lightning surged through him, paralyzing his limbs. Natalie seized the chance and slashed directly at his chest!
Once she had mastered the Thunder Reversal technique, Genichiro was no longer an impossible wall. After several fierce exchanges, his health bar was emptied. Her blade pierced into his chest, [One-Hit Kill!]
"Ree...d...Name..." Genichiro's voice trembled as he spat out his final words before collapsing with a heavy thud.
"YES! Natalie defeated Genichiro on her own!"
"Finally! Three hours of hell, but you did it!"
"Holy crap, that thunder counter was too awesome!"
"I swear, just that one move alone made me want to play this game. Who doesn't want to control thunder?!"
The chat erupted with excitement.
Natalie took a deep breath and laughed. "You're right... It's cool. It's so damn cool!!!"
The thrill of barely scraping through such a brutal boss fight, combined with the godlike feeling of wielding thunder itself, it was indescribable.
This game was insanely hard... but equally insanely fun!
With Genichiro's defeat, she gained his battle memory. Her health bar and attack power both increased, and she even unlocked a new martial skill: [Blood Smoke].
According to its description, the skill could turn spilled blood into a smokescreen, obscuring the enemy's vision. The details were unclear, but it sounded promising.
At that moment, a playful barrage scrolled across the screen, "Hey, Natalie, how does it feel to get electrocuted?"
She thought seriously for a second, then said, "Actually... it felt kind of good. Like a tingly massage."
"???"
"Natalie, what the hell did you just say???"
"Comfortable? Are you into some weird electric kink?!"
"Hahahaha, forget Sekiro, Genichiro just opened a massage parlor!"
The viewers burst into laughter. Natalie's face flushed red, but she really meant it. After all, it was just a game. Tony couldn't actually fry players with real electricity.
With Genichiro's fall, the dark, storm-filled sky cleared once again. Lord Kuro reappeared on the observation platform, looking at her quietly.
"You've won," he said softly, his expression unreadable.
Just as Natalie was about to approach him, his eyes suddenly widened, staring at the center of the platform. "Lord Genichiro…"
She spun around, and froze.
Genichiro's body, which had been motionless moments ago, was glowing faintly red. Then, with a sudden jerk, he stood up straight!
"Holy shit! He resurrected?!"
"Not another one of those immortal freaks!!"
"Don't tell me she has to fight him again?!"
The chat went wild, and even Natalie instinctively drew her blade.
"Lord Genichiro... have you also taken the Waters of Transformation?" Kuro asked in shock.
"Yes." Genichiro admitted, his eyes glowing crimson like the Scarlet Demon from before. His voice was steady yet twisted, "In my short life, I have understood one thing, humans have limits. But Ashina... Ashina belongs to me! To protect it, I must surpass human boundaries. So... I am no longer human!!!"
With those words, he staggered to the edge of the platform. "The Interior Ministry's army is already upon us. I don't have time to waste on you. Farewell!"
Then he vaulted off the platform and disappeared into the mist below. Natalie rushed to the edge and peered down, nothing.
"Tsk, another one who's not even human," she muttered. "The last guy ended up fried under the sun. Guess we'll see how you die later."
She turned back. Kuro bowed his head, speaking with deep relief. "My master's orders have finally been fulfilled. Thank you."
"Your master?" the Wolf asked.
"Lord Isshin. I am his physician. He does not pursue the Dragon's Heritage, so he wished for Lord Kuro to escape from Ashina."
The name struck like a thunderclap. Natalie and the viewers gasped, Isshin, the Sword Saint himself!
"What about the water?" the Wolf pressed.
"That was my master's research," the doctor explained. "Drinking it grants immense strength and makes one immune to wounds, but it also robs the mind, leaving only madness."
Natalie thought back to the terrifying Scarlet Demon and nodded. That lined up perfectly. Genichiro must have used the waters to create those monsters.
"And what Lord Genichiro consumed was the true essence of that water, the 'Transforming Lake.' It grants undying life even after fatal wounds... while keeping one's mind intact. But... this country is falling deeper into madness."
"No kidding," Natalie muttered. "Making children into Taro soldiers, raising Scarlet Demons, turning yourself into an undead lightning freak, Genichiro really is sick."
The physician exhaled slowly. "My role here is complete. There is someone you must meet, Lord Kuro awaits you below."
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