All twenty-seven circuits were at full load. The circuits spread from his fingertips to his entire arm. A brilliant, cerulean stream of energy, like an electric arc, shot out from his body with a heart-stopping hum.
A means to quickly slice through the giant body before him!
In his mind, the image of the Berserker Heracles, who had resisted the might of the Moon Goddess on Atlantis, appeared, along with the martial art contained within his body—whether he had witnessed it then or had a brief connection with it in his body's past, it didn't matter!
With his raised right arm as the center, space suddenly collapsed and twisted! As if an invisible giant mountain had been pressed down from the sky, the island beneath his feet sank under this irresistible force. The surrounding churning sea was instantly crushed flat as a mirror by this invisible pressure, pushing out huge, circular waves in all directions.
"—Nine Lives: Blade Works!"
He did not directly project the giant axe-sword that belonged to Heracles. Instead, after the phantom of the greatsword appeared, he quickly shattered it, and then compressed and poured the 'concept' and 'great power' from that hero of the Age of Gods into the projected nodachi in his hand. Tsumukari Muramasa was the result of shattering his entire life's work and forging it into one blade. What he was doing now was a simplified version of the ultimate strike he had dreamed of—the ability to shatter other 'weapons' and merge them into one.
"What in the world are you—"
The Balladeer could hardly comprehend what he was witnessing. Even after wasting thousands of days and nights, he had never seen such an unreasonable situation. His body, not under his control, diverted more energy to reassemble the four bloated giant arms, and they all slashed towards the motionless Muramasa in the center!
"Hah—"
The response to the puppet was the most resounding roar heard on the sea that night. The light of his sword became a swirling torrent. The winding slashes did not draw an arc visible to the naked eye. They were swung at a speed that surpassed the realm of the gods, leaving only the result of the swing.
One sound? No, it was eight. A tearing sound that surpassed the limits of hearing, as if eight slashes had happened at the same time!
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The four arms of the giant were severed at the sound. A section of the elbows was suddenly empty. The violent energy was instantly silenced as if swallowed by an invisible giant mouth. The mountain behind it was also instantly shaved by a straight line several men wide, revealing the cold moonlight that suddenly shot in from behind.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The massive emerald green giant's spine, head, shoulder blades, and abdominal cavity were all removed... Large chunks of the energy structure silently collapsed and disintegrated. The increasingly weak torso was also mostly cut away, and even the earth behind it was carved with four trenches.
I'm going to die.
The puppet in the center stared helplessly at the face he had despised. Fear drove him to abandon the body he had relied on and been proud of, and retreat, using it as a final shield.
"Aaarghhh—"
The blade in Muramasa's hand stabbed out one last time. The giant body could no longer withstand the fierce thrust. Cracks spread from its core to its entire body, and the next second, it completely disintegrated.
The Balladeer's core pounded in his chest. The icy grip of fear had completely seized him. All his remaining energy burst forth, and he turned into a streak of lightning, retreating towards the ship behind the lightning barrier.
The smoke and dissipated energy had not yet completely obscured his vision when the crimson figure, like a blood arrow released from a bowstring, burst out from the collapsed remains of the giant!
"Stay away!"
The Balladeer's face completely broke down as he shrieked. But because of this, he also saw that face clearly, and the look in those eyes—pity.
The next moment he saw it, the cold blade had already pierced his chest.
It's over. Muramasa thought. As long as—, then—.
Hm? What was I about to do?
A brief pause. He suddenly didn't know what his next action should be. The tachi didn't shatter. It didn't turn into a brilliant streak of light like so many times before. It just quietly remained in the puppet's body.
He stopped?
The Balladeer had already given up all hope. But when he realized that his opponent had frozen for some unknown reason, he seized this last chance, pulled himself off the blade, and disappeared from view.
The reacting Muramasa did not stop him. Instead, he landed indifferently back on the sea, looked at the ship in the distance, and asked in confusion, "Was that the work of the guy over there?"
After a brief stare, as if sensing something, he turned his gaze to the blade in his hand. On the blade, a single, pierced black feather remained.
A crow's feather? When did that get on there…
Muramasa frowned, dissipated the blade in his hand, and, as if by some strange impulse, put the feather away.
…
With a thud, the Balladeer's figure appeared on the ship that had been his final escape route. He was a puppet. Just being stabbed was not enough to be fatal. But he also knew that if his opponent had willed it a moment ago, not even dust would have been left of him. "Hah… haah… haah…"
But he couldn't understand. He couldn't understand why his opponent hadn't killed him, and that final look in his eyes. Cold, yet as if looking at a lowly and helpless creature, pity…
"Why that expression…"
He had imagined many times what kind of expression his enemies would have. Fury, coldness, ferocity, fear, panic, but never pity.
On what grounds does he pity me?
'He is telling you your essence.'
His hands were trembling, his feet were cold, his stomach was cramping, and nausea blocked his throat. "Retch—"
'You can't help but dry heave.'
'Touch your chest. That is your essence, and the reason for his pity.'
The Balladeer placed his hand on the wound. The hole pierced by the sword in his clothes let the night wind pass through. There was nothing there.
'After wandering for countless eons, your empty chest cavity has finally housed a tenant once more.'
'He will be your shadow, like a maggot in the bone.'
'At least until he leaves, you don't have to worry about not dreaming. You can even dream without falling asleep.'
"Get out, get out, get out—"
The Balladeer clawed at his forehead as if possessed. His fingers almost tore the flesh from his face, but he didn't stop. He kept clawing, clawing, one hand not enough, using both, until his entire face was a bloody mess, determined not to stop until that feeling was dug out of his mind.
"Hmm... an interesting experimental result."
The man in the beak-like mask showed a look of surprise, partly shocked by the hidden strength of that smith, and partly surprised that this puppet had managed to escape.
"Dottore—"
The puppet finally reacted, his seemingly crazed voice carrying a plea. "Let me ascend to godhood! Or else—"
That original indifference had turned into arrogance, which had then been shattered and softened. "Or else, for the rest of my life..."
'You know that until you kill him, for the rest of your life, you will never be able to sleep again.'
'As long as you close your eyes, that sharp blade will kill your peaceful sleep.'
-------
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