Whoosh!
After releasing elemental power to blow away the surrounding dust, she found the opponent had already vanished without a trace.
[I've noticed these people aren't very good at fighting, but they're certainly quick to run.]
'Agreed.'
Now, only this big brute remained at the scene…
"Urragh! Hahahahahaha!! You! Oppressor! Surrender your life to me!"
It seemed the time limit of Caster's spell had expired. This man had already become somewhat deranged, striking at anyone he saw. Best to eliminate him, lest he cause trouble later. In fact, Caster's actions had no use at all, instead bringing trouble to her own Black Faction.
With that decision, the Shogun raised her naginata, taking her stance as she waited for him to charge.
"Hahahahaha!!"
Still with that childlike grin of joy, he charged toward her with steps like one rushing toward a meal.
Boom!! ×N
Each step made the ground tremble violently.
[Why is he so happy?]
'How should I know.'
[Could it be he's fallen for us?]
She thought one who fell for another would always be this feverishly intense.
'Don't lump me in with this. And next time, don't pick such a disgusting example as a way to indirectly compliment yourself.'
Boom!
The ground caved as the Shogun's body burst forth, scattering dust as she transformed into lightning and flashed in front of Spartacus.
Swish, swish!!
Engulfing Lightning, wrapped in thunder, danced in her hands in a graceful arc before she swung down vertically!
"Urragh!"
Seeing this, Spartacus fearlessly raised his greatsword and brought it crashing down against her naginata!
Clang!
The screeching clash of steel echoed from both sides, spreading through the forest and startling the birds into flight.
BOOM!
The ground shook as cracks split the center.
The Shogun narrowed her eyes. Despite his massive frame, his strength matched his size. To be able to withstand her strike was no small feat.
Crackle…
Lightning coursed endlessly across the naginata, sparks mixing with the clashing blades, as blinding as welding light.
"Hahahaha!! Oppressor, your power will become the cornerstone of my advance!"
At those words, the Shogun clearly felt his strength surge again, forcing her blade back little by little.
Clang!
She gathered force and pushed him away… then swiftly struck again!
Swish! ×N
Each slash was trailed by violet lightning, nearly ten in a row without a second's pause!
Clang! ×N
Like a storm of machine-gun fire, the strikes resounded in the forest… yet Spartacus perfectly parried them at the same pace.
This man… could it be?
As she crossed blades with him, the Shogun pondered continuously—why was his power still rising?
After deflecting her barrage, he launched his counterattack—his slashes even faster than before!
Swish! ×N
The Shogun frowned slightly, tracking his blade with her sharp gaze, parrying the first few strikes. But as his speed grew, she abandoned direct contest and transformed into lightning, evading the rapid cuts.
She flashed behind him, dashing in at high speed beneath his stance. Twisting her naginata to his neck, she gripped its end with one hand and thrust upward in a sharp rising slash!
Clang!
Sure enough, Spartacus raised his greatsword to block—
But that was exactly what she wanted. Seizing the moment, she feinted the strike. Abandoning the upward slash, she transformed into lightning once more, appearing instantly above his back.
Her slender body spun midair… her naginata following the motion as she swung down toward the back of his neck!
Yet… it would not be that simple.
So he anticipates my feint? Spartacus had sensed it—ducking just as the blade neared, letting it skim his skin without deep injury. Exploiting her missed strike and momentary stiffness, he spun with a powerful home-run swing aimed at her abdomen!
"Your life is mine!!"
Swish!
The sheer force of the swing was overwhelming even to behold… the air itself twisted into a vortex as his arm swept through. In that instant, Spartacus erupted with terrifying mana, pouring it all into a single merciless strike aimed at her.
"!"
Seeing this, the Shogun unleashed her elemental power and swiftly raised her naginata horizontally in front of her.
BOOOOM!!!
The clash resounded like an explosion.
She managed to block his full-powered blow, but even so, his strength was not to be underestimated. Compared to his enormous frame, her body was slender and delicate… and thus she was blasted several meters back by the force.
"!"
Within the Pure Land of One Heart, Ei suddenly opened her eyes.
Just as the Shogun was about to crash heavily onto the ground, she bit her lip, intending to twist her body. But in the very next second, violet motes of light burst from her chest, quickly forming into a human shape. At the moment of impact, it appeared from behind her, catching her in its arms.
Thud…
"..."
She felt the back of her head sink into something incredibly soft and springy, and her waist was gently encircled by a pair of slender arms.
Startled for a moment, she slowly turned her head.
There floated Ei in her true form, holding her from behind, cushioning her head against the softness of her chest. Her violet eyes gazed down at the Shogun's dazed expression.
"You… why did you come out?"
The Shogun's stunned look was almost adorable. She seemed entirely unaware of how ambiguous their posture was.
"…Do you think I could bear to let you crash to the ground like that?"
Though her parts could be replaced, Ei's heart ached nonetheless—after all, this was her own flesh and blood.
"Pointless. Even without you, I would have landed safely."
The Shogun averted her eyes slightly, her tone uncharacteristically awkward… yet to Ei, it only made her seem cuter.
"When did you learn to act this way? Could it be… a so-called rebellious phase?"
Ei teased as she gave the Shogun's cheek a light pinch, her voice filled with doting affection.
"You!… Childish."
Feeling her cheek being pinched, the Shogun glanced at her with clear displeasure, muttering a sulky retort—yet her protest sounded powerless.
"But still…"
She met Ei's eyes again in silence.
"…It's not so bad. Thank you."
She averted her gaze once more, as if to conceal the strange shyness within.
"No need for thanks. It was nothing."
Ei nodded with satisfaction, then gently placed her back on the ground. Slowly, she dissolved into motes of light, merging once more into the Shogun's body. Normally, the Pure Land of One Heart was sealed, but these days, in foreign lands, Ei could not help but leave a gap open, watching the outside world. It served as a third eye for the Shogun.
"..."
The Shogun lifted a hand to her chest, feeling the emptiness within her heart grow full once again.
Boom! ×N
Far in the distance, Spartacus had already vanished from sight… likely heading toward the plains.
[Shogun… did you notice?]
Ei's voice sounded once more in her mind.
'That brute?'
[Yes… his fighting pattern.]
'A style of battle that grows stronger when facing greater strength.'
Through several exchanges, both warriors had discerned his physical traits and abilities akin to a Noble Phantasm.
[Dragging the fight out against him offers no chance of victory. The only way is to defeat him with a single decisive strike.]
Ei's tone now carried a dangerous edge.