Boom, boom!!
Another flash of lightning split the night sky, illuminating the two figures locked in a clash of blades below.
"Black Faction's… Saber…"
Standing behind the Shogun, Jeanne discerned her class and whispered aloud.
"Oh? Saber?"
Karna glanced once more at the naginata blocking his spear, then fixed his eyes on the Shogun's gaze.
"..."
The Shogun remained utterly silent, her flawless face expressionless as she stared back at Karna. From the steadiness of her hands, without the slightest tremor, it was clear she did not fear his strength.
"!"
Bang!
Her violet eyes narrowed slightly. With a sudden surge of strength, she easily deflected Karna's spear. In the same motion, she spun the naginata elegantly behind her before slashing horizontally toward him!
Knocked off balance, Karna steadied himself midair, gathering red mana into his spear. His body lifted, floating briefly before he thrust downward again!
Boom!!
Another deafening roar erupted, sending dust flying as red and violet mana collided, their shockwaves shaking the earth.
The violent surge of energy forced Jeanne to shield her face, while the white car parked at a distance—where Fiore waited—rattled wildly under the pressure.
Purple lightning and crimson mana clashed, striking against each other as if the very heavens rejected their coexistence.
In the next instant, the Shogun blurred into motion, her form transforming into thunder itself. She reappeared behind Karna, naginata poised in a powerful upward slash!
Whoosh!
A sweeping arc of violet energy tore through the earth, slicing it apart like the fin of a shark, surging toward her foe.
"!"
Years of battle-honed instinct allowed Karna to react instantly. Unfurling his crimson cape, he soared into the sky, narrowly evading the lethal strike. From above, he reversed his grip and hurled his golden spear downward at the Shogun!
But instead of dodging, she chose to meet it head-on. Her movements were fluid, almost graceful—she spun her naginata once like a dancer, then planted it firmly with one hand while forming a hand seal with the other.
Crackle!!
Violet currents gathered in her palm, distorting the air itself. She raised her hand and caught the incoming spear as if seizing a lightning bolt itself!
Crackle, crackle!!
Mana flared violently where spearhead met palm, forming a shimmering wall of purple energy that stopped the missile-like strike.
Boom!!
The backlash hurled the spear back toward Karna's hand. In the same breath, his form blurred into a streak of red light, reappearing behind the Shogun as he thrust once more!
Clang!
The Shogun ducked low, swinging her naginata into place at her neck in a stylish maneuver, deflecting the spear once again. With a push of the haft, she forced the weapon aside.
Karna anticipated her motion and pressed down, driving the naginata into the earth. The blade sank deep into the ground.
"Prepare yourself."
Narrowing his eyes, Karna intoned coldly as he raised his crimson-charged spear, aiming straight for her chest.
Yet the Shogun showed no hint of panic. Her violet eyes merely flicked toward the spearpoint before she decisively released her weapon. At the last instant, she sidestepped, executing a flawless Mikiri Counter.
Thud!!!
Her left leg snapped upward, pinning the spear's tip beneath her foot with a resounding impact.
"!!"
For the briefest instant, Karna's heart faltered. A slender, delicate foot had pinned down his weapon—and he could not wrench it free.
At that moment, the Shogun's lips curved into the faintest trace of a smile. Exploiting his hesitation, she used her left foot as a pivot. With a twist of her body, her right foot kicked upward, striking the naginata's haft and sending it spinning into the air.
Catching the weapon at eye level, she grasped its hilt with one hand. With a smooth rotation of her body, she slashed horizontally at Karna's neck!
Sensing the blade's breath upon his skin, Karna released his trapped spear and twisted his floating body sideways, narrowly evading the strike.
Hum~!
The piercing screech of clashing steel rang in Karna's ears, though his expression remained unchanged—even as a few strands of his silver hair were shorn away.
He gripped his spear tightly, pouring mana through his entire body!
Sensing unsteady footing, the Shogun decisively stepped upward along his spear's shaft, vaulting into the air. At the same time, Karna blurred into a streak of red light, distancing himself from her.
He landed upon the ground far away, while the Shogun descended gracefully, as light as a swallow. Her naginata slid smoothly into place behind her back, her kimono's skirt and sleeves billowing like ethereal wings in her wake.
All of this had transpired in mere seconds—
Bang!!
The billboard Karna had previously stood upon finally succumbed to the remnants of their clash, collapsing heavily between them.
"Black Faction's Saber—your skill is remarkable. But… why does a Saber wield a polearm?"
From the distance, Karna posed the question.
"..."
The Shogun gave no answer, her silence unbroken.
Karna narrowed his eyes slightly and pressed again.
"It seems your goal is also Ruler, is it not?"
"..."
Still, the Shogun stood mute, only her glowing violet gaze fixed coldly upon him.
"…Not fond of words, then. In that case—"
Karna concluded.
"It is merely that I have nothing to say to an enemy."
The Shogun's cold voice cut him off.
"I see… I like that spirit of battle, Black Saber."
Karna allowed a faint smile.
"..."
The Shogun's eyes narrowed further. The spirit of battle? What meaning does he place on that…?
Karna then turned his gaze toward the distant white car, its passenger—the girl in the back seat, Fiore. Through the glass, she too was watching him.
Saber's Master, then.
He confirmed silently, before shifting his attention to Jeanne standing behind the Shogun.
"Since the Black Faction has revealed themselves, then I shall begin with you. Will the two of you face me together?"
Karna leveled his golden spear at the violet-haired woman in the kimono.
The Shogun merely closed her eyes for a moment.
"Foolish question. This is a duel—there is no honor in numbers against one."
Her cold reply cut the air as her violet eyes opened again.
Karna looked into her gaze and smiled with satisfaction.
"Very well… I will remember those words. You are my opponent. This is the pledge of warriors."
Scarlet mana surged once more around his body.
"Your eyes bear the gaze of a hero—and of a god. Let me savor this battle with you. My name is Karna, son of the sun god Surya! Black Faction's Saber—if you fear not my spear, then come at me!"
The aura of his mana spread outward like a storm of fire, engulfing the area around him.
In the Shogun's eyes, violet light shimmered once more. Waves of crackling thunder surged outward, lightning particles flooding the space. Behind her manifested the great wheel of countless eyes—formed from interlocking tomoe and the Mitsudomoe, radiant with power. If Karna was a blazing tempest of flame, then the Shogun was an endless ocean of thunder.
"Narukami Ogosho… Beelzebul."
Her cold, resonant voice rang out.
Since her opponent had declared his name, she too offered hers in kind. Long ago, Ei had entrusted her with all authority. Now, in this moment, she was both Shogun… and Shadow.