Mei no, she should be called Wolf stood quietly in the mysterious reed field that seemed shrouded by fate. A gentle breeze brushed past, like a tender hand lightly stroking the land. With the wind's blowing, the dense reeds around her bent their slender and flexible waists in unison as if receiving some silent command. For a moment, the entire scene was like a dynamic painting. The reeds swayed gracefully in the wind, producing faint rustling sounds, as if whispering unknown stories.
Was this the final decisive battle? Mei gripped "Kusabimaru" with both hands, and on her back was the blood-red Mortal Blade – Tears of Farewell.
Along this journey, Mei had experienced far too much: the powerful enemies from the very beginning Red Ogre, Lady Butterfly, Genichiro, Isshin, Guardian Ape, Corrupted Monk, the Sculptor's grudge demon…
Finally, she had arrived at her first and last powerful enemy Sword Saint Isshin Ashina. Although she had also spent time with this old man before, it seemed the one who fought her at the beginning was not the real Isshin Ashina.
In Ashina Castle, Raiden Mei had seen the real Isshin Ashina an admirable samurai. How could he possibly launch a surprise attack on her with a hand cannon?
Moreover, his great righteousness had deeply moved Raiden Mei. The vigorous Isshin before her now was merely summoned from the underworld by Genichiro at the cost of his own life.
He fought Mei only to fulfill Genichiro's wish to save Ashina. But after experiencing so much along the way, Raiden Mei knew that the Dragon's Heritage power could not save Ashina.
The Dragonrot truly harmed every person on this land. The immortality brought by the Divine Dragon was only false immortality. Only by severing immortality could Ashina truly be saved.
Moreover, she also had to protect her Divine Child Kiana. Raiden Mei glanced sideways and saw Kiana still lying on the ground from Genichiro's sneak attack.
"Go… Wolf!" It looked like Isshin Ashina was ready. Then the battle that would decide the story's ending was about to begin.
Raiden Mei's Sekiro journey was coming to an end. Shun had also arrived nearby early to witness what ending this first-playthrough player Raiden Mei could achieve. Since he hadn't followed her the entire time, he didn't know what ending her current conditions could reach.
Would it be the "cure the symptoms but not the root" ending of waiting for the next "Wolf" to sever immortality, the "Return to Mortality" ending where she offered her life for the Divine Child, or the "Dragon's Homecoming" where she embarked on the westward journey?
Shun was very much looking forward to what answer Raiden Mei would give. Let him witness it.
At that moment, Raiden Mei moved first. Compared to the seasoned Sword Saint, she was still an impatient young person.
She charged forward and slashed straight at Isshin Ashina's body. However, under the blessing of the Dragon's Heritage immortality, such damage could not affect Isshin Ashina's movements.
Isshin Ashina swung the long blade in his hand, and a powerful force suddenly erupted like surging waves sweeping toward Mei. Raiden Mei swiftly dodged backward, but the force was too strong and still sent her flying.
However, Isshin Ashina gave Raiden Mei no chance to catch her breath. His figure moved like a ghost, rapidly charging forward. At the same time, the long blade in his hand slashed downward with a sharp whistling wind and cold light, aiming straight for her lower body. The slash was extremely fast, as if it would tear the air apart.
At this critical moment, Raiden Mei displayed astonishing reaction ability. She stomped hard on the ground and leaped high into the air like an arrow shot from a bow, narrowly avoiding Isshin Ashina's fatal strike. Immediately after, Mei performed a beautiful mid-air turn and steadily stepped onto Isshin Ashina's head!
Secret Technique – One Reed Crossing the River. Taking this opportunity, Raiden Mei greedily landed a few more slashes, but in the end she couldn't dodge and was solidly struck by Isshin Ashina, sending her flying back.
At the same time, a large "Danger" appeared above Raiden Mei's head. Ninja Eye: Deflect.
Raiden Mei, at the critical moment, dodged Isshin Ashina's thrust, stepped on his blade, and when Isshin Ashina was left in recovery, she quickly followed up with the school skill – Piercing Eagle Slash.
Raiden Mei leaped high forward and heavily slashed onto Isshin Ashina's body, then quickly created distance.
Next, Isshin Ashina solemnly sheathed the long blade in his hand that gleamed with cold light. He took a deep breath, and his figure instantly shot toward Raiden Mei like a ghost!
In the blink of an eye, Isshin Ashina had rushed close to Raiden Mei. He fiercely swung the long blade in his hand. In an instant, two dazzling white air blades whistled out like lightning tearing through the sky, shooting straight toward Raiden Mei Ashina Cross Slash!
Raiden Mei was prepared. She sidestepped to dodge the two slashes, sheathed her blade Secret Tradition – Dragon Flash.
This heavy strike knocked Isshin Ashina back, but in the next instant a sky-piercing sword qi slashed toward Raiden Mei. Only then did she realize.
Isshin Ashina was not fighting to fulfill Genichiro's wish. He simply wanted to fight Raiden Mei a fight to the death.
The massive sword qi surged like raging waves with the momentum to destroy heaven and earth. However, Raiden Mei, caught in this stormy sea, had a calm face without the slightest panic.
She lightly leaped high, her figure agile like a swift swallow, shooting straight into the sky. In mid-air, she unleashed the unique ultimate technique of her "foster father," the giant ninja Owl Giant Ninja Drop Kill!
Accompanied by her movement, a majestic power surged from within her body as if it would tear the void apart. As she fell like a meteor, that power erupted violently and collided fiercely with the incoming massive sword qi.
A earth-shaking boom rang out, and the entire space trembled. Raiden Mei landed steadily on the ground, not even leaving a single crack in the soil beneath her feet.
Immediately after, she unhesitatingly retaliated with the Ashina Cross Slash taught to her by "Hanbei." She gripped her weapon tightly with both hands, her figure spinning rapidly like the wind. In an instant, a dazzling cross-shaped light bloomed in front of her, carrying endless killing intent and power as it whistled straight toward her opponent.
The opening appeared. A red dot showed up in Raiden Mei's vision. Without the slightest hesitation, she thrust her blade toward the red dot. Kusabimaru pierced straight into Isshin Ashina's right chest, then was quickly pulled out. A massive amount of blood sprayed out, but it did not affect Isshin Ashina's combat ability.
She quickly retreated backward, because normally at this time, the boss would enter the next phase.
"Hmph, Haaaaah!" A powerful aura erupted from Isshin Ashina, knocking down the nearby reeds. He picked up the three-meter-long jumonji yari from the ground and subconsciously unleashed a massive sweeping attack.
Paper Doll Drift Peony Mochi Divine Child Flying Snow. Raiden Mei took this opportunity to buff herself.
"My blood is boiling! Here I come, Wolf!"
A cold light flashed in Isshin Ashina's eyes. He gripped the spear tightly with both hands, let out a great shout, and instantly gathered all his strength into his arms. Then he leaped high into the air like a vigorous eagle, slashing down fiercely from above toward Mei. The spear tip drew a sharp arc in the air, stirring up a gust of wind as if it would tear the air apart.
Facing this ferocious attack, Raiden Mei remained exceptionally calm. Her figure slightly shifted sideways and lightly dodged Isshin Ashina's attack like a ghost. The moment Isshin Ashina landed heavily and had not yet stabilized, Mei seized this fleeting opportunity.
She quickly used a prosthetic tool in her arm called the Lapis Lazuli Shuriken. The tool was entirely lapis-green and shimmered with mysterious light, like a brilliant gem. At the same time, the Divine Child Flying Snow attached to Kusabimaru drew two continuous streaks of light together with the Lapis Lazuli Shuriken. For a moment, green light and purple light intertwined, forming a beautiful yet murderous scene.
Due to the poison in Kusabimaru, signs of poisoning had already appeared on Isshin Ashina, but this was a fight to the death. Isshin Ashina showed no fear or evasion.
He lightly leaped up, sweeping the spear in his right hand downward. It was blocked by Raiden Mei. At the same time, the sword in his left hand did not stop and slashed quickly toward Mei.
But such attacks could no longer threaten Raiden Mei. Every person on this Ashina journey had been her teacher. Through countless battles, Raiden Mei had already trained her swordsmanship to the pinnacle.
The prosthetic arm silently rotated, and a long spear Spiral Spear extended from Raiden Mei's left hand, forcing back Isshin Ashina who was trying to close in and slash her. She immediately followed up with the derivative attack – Pursuing Slash. Purple blade light slashed across Isshin Ashina's body.
Isshin Ashina endured the attack and clashed with Raiden Mei once more. Both were undying, but Raiden Mei could not use the power of immortality without restraint. Every time she died, the Dragonrot on this land would worsen.
Isshin Ashina had precisely grasped this weakness of Raiden Mei and attacked her even more unscrupulously.
At that critical moment, Isshin Ashina's continuously accumulating power suddenly stopped. His figure flashed and instantly changed his stance, unleashing the horizontal variant of the Secret Tradition – Dragon Flash!
In an instant, the long spear in his hand was like a nimble flood dragon, sweeping fiercely in all directions with sharp momentum. Wherever the spear tip passed, the air seemed to be torn apart, producing sharp whistling sounds.
This strike was extremely fast, like lightning, leaving no time to react.
Prosthetic Tool – Divine Feather Mist Crow! Raiden Mei's delicate body instantly turned into a mass of pitch-black crow feathers and vanished from sight at astonishing speed. At this moment, Isshin Ashina had just unleashed a powerful sword technique and was in the brief recovery phase where old force had gone and new force had not yet arrived.
At this critical juncture, that mysterious mass of crow feathers silently appeared behind Isshin Ashina like a ghost. In an instant, Raiden Mei revealed her form. Prosthetic Tool – Flame Vent. Without hesitation, she blew fiercely at Isshin Ashina. A raging flame surged out and instantly engulfed Isshin Ashina's body.
However, this was only the beginning. Before Isshin Ashina could react, Raiden Mei's figure flashed again and closed in on him. She gripped the sword hilt tightly with both hands. Power surged wildly within her body, then she let out a delicate shout: "Secret Tradition – Isshin!" A brilliant sword light tore through the sky with endless power and slashed straight toward Isshin Ashina.
The invisible sword qi storm pressed Isshin Ashina to the ground. A red dot that only Raiden Mei could see appeared in her vision again.
Without hesitation, she quickly stepped forward and thrust the blade into Isshin Ashina's neck, then pulled it out again.
Blood gushed out like a fountain, but under the blessing of the Dragon's Heritage it stopped once more third phase.
At that instant, a dazzling golden lightning suddenly descended from the sky! The lightning was like a roaring dragon, carrying endless power and energy as it pounced fiercely toward the ground. Isshin Ashina unhesitatingly leaped up to meet the violent lightning. His vigorous figure drew a graceful arc in the air, as if merging with heaven and earth.
Under the golden lightning, Isshin Ashina descended to the mortal world like the true Thunder God. An aura that made one's heart palpitate radiated from him, as if the entire world was under his control. The long spear in his hand was imbued with the power of lightning. As he swung it, the spear tore through the sky with unstoppable momentum and slashed fiercely toward Raiden Mei.
Lightning? But I am no longer the me from before. The former Raiden Mei had been caught off guard by the lightning, but the current her would not be.
Raiden Mei also leaped into the air. The moment the golden lightning struck her, she caught it and redirected it back toward Isshin Ashina.
She could use Lightning Reversal without touching the ground. Isshin Ashina, tasting his own medicine, was paralyzed by the lightning. Mei pressed the advantage. When the effect of Divine Child Flying Snow was about to end, she used the Flame Vent to attach flames to Kusabimaru.
Flying through the swirling clouds, the flaming blade in Raiden Mei's hand continuously left wounds on Isshin Ashina's body without pause, until she was deflected away by the paralyzed Isshin Ashina.
But there was no need to worry. Prosthetic Tool – Flaming sickle-style mechanical axe. The axe burning as if ignited by the grudge demon's fury slashed toward Isshin Ashina, interrupting his deflection.
Immediately after, the prosthetic tool – Flame Vent instantly ignited raging flames. The burning spear tip shot straight toward Isshin Ashina like a fire dragon! In an instant, flames soared into the sky. The spear tip pierced fiercely into Isshin Ashina's body with lightning speed. However, this strike was not over. After successfully piercing the target, Raiden Mei quickly pulled the spear back, her movements clean and decisive without the slightest drag.
Then, she performed a light spin, reached behind her back, and slowly drew the mysterious and powerful Mortal Blade – Tears of Farewell. The Mortal Blade – Tears of Farewell shimmered with an eerie red light, as if containing endless power and killing intent.
At that moment, Raiden Mei leaped high into the air like a vigorous swallow. She gripped the Mortal Blade – Tears of Farewell tightly with both hands. Secret Tradition – Mortal Blade. A massive and dazzling red sword qi whistled out with overwhelming force and slashed fiercely onto Isshin Ashina's body. Wherever the sword qi passed, the air seemed to be torn apart, producing sharp and piercing sounds.
The red light dot appeared in Raiden Mei's vision again. She knew this was the last time…
Kusabimaru pierced into Isshin Ashina's neck once more, but this time Raiden Mei did not pull back. After blocking his hasty deflection, the remaining force slashed across Isshin Ashina's abdomen, nearly cutting him in half at the waist.
The spear and the samurai sword in his hand fell from his grip, but the kneeling Isshin Ashina at this moment looked like a true samurai.
He accepted his defeat and lowered his proud head on the reed field. "Do it, Wolf!"
Raiden Mei understood. She drew the Mortal Blade – Tears of Farewell once more. She would use this blade that severed immortality to perform kaishaku for the undying Isshin Ashina, who had already accepted his defeat.
The bewitching red long blade fell, severing Isshin Ashina's neck. Only a small part remained connected to the torso. Isshin Ashina weakly fell to the ground. His final words were:
"Well… done… Wolf."
It was over… Raiden Mei sheathed both Kusabimaru and Tears of Farewell. As expected of the Sword Saint of Ashina. This was probably the most unforgettable enemy Raiden Mei had encountered on this journey.
However, the first thing to do now was not to mourn this powerful enemy, but…
"Where are you… Wolf." Kiana's weak voice came from nearby. Raiden Mei hurriedly ran over to her side.
Raiden Mei helped Kiana up and let her lean against her. At this moment, she no longer had any improper thoughts toward her. This journey had changed her too much.
Right now she had three choices… No, actually from the very beginning there had only been one. She was Raiden Mei, and she was also Wolf the ninja of the Divine Child.
"Please take the Dragon's Tear." Raiden Mei took out the Divine Dragon's tear and the Everlasting Cherry Blossom from her body.
After the Divine Child took these two items, she looked at Raiden Mei with a trace of reluctance. But under the effect of her injuries and the two divine items, she still fell into a deep sleep in Raiden Mei's arms.
Looking at the sleeping Divine Child, Raiden Mei slowly drew the Mortal Blade. Looking at the katana that shone with bright red light and had severed countless undying beings, she said slowly:
"The last undying… shall be ended by me."
With that, she placed the Mortal Blade against her own neck.
"Please live on… as a human."
Her eyes revealed determination and resolve, without the slightest hesitation or doubt. She gripped the incomparably sharp blade tightly and swung it fiercely, slashing straight toward her own fair and slender neck!
With this decisive strike, the life of the last undying being also came to an end. Her body gradually dissipated, turning into countless pink petals that scattered in the air like a splendid flower rain. It was dreamlike, adding a touch of poignant beauty and sorrow to the entire scene.
Raiden Mei's Sekiro journey came to a complete end under Shun's witness. Sure enough, Raiden Mei had chosen the Return to Mortality ending. As the ninja of the Divine Child, she ultimately offered her life for her.
She truly deserved to be the Raiden Mei who would say, "Compared to this world, you are more important."
At the end of the story, the Divine Child left Ashina alone, intending to live on as a human and try her best.
In Raiden Mei's consciousness world, everything was dim and silent, as if the entire world had fallen into slumber. However, in this quiet atmosphere, a gentle voice sounded: "Then, Raiden Mei, it's time to wake up..." This voice was like the first ray of sunlight in the morning, piercing through the dark curtain and bringing a trace of hope and warmth.
With this call, the originally lifeless Raiden Mei with her eyes tightly closed began to stir. Her eyelashes trembled slightly as she struggled to break free from the endless darkness and return to the embrace of light. At the same time, the surrounding environment gradually became clear they were in a traditional washitsu. The wooden floor gave off a faint fragrance, soft light filtered through the paper windows, and simple yet exquisite tea utensils were placed on the tatami.
"Shun… Teacher?" The moment she saw Shun, Raiden Mei seemed to understand everything.
"So… this was all fake? That's right. How could the real world be like a game?" Raiden Mei suddenly felt empty inside, as if a large hole had been opened in her heart, and the sound of wind kept blowing through it.
"For you, Mei, what meaning did the journey in Ashina hold? They are so-called memory bodies, so-called virtual existences. How do you view them?"
"View them?" Raiden Mei fell into thought.
"Whether it's Genichiro Ashina, the martyr who sacrificed himself for Ashina, or the Divine Child whom you saved and who was able to live into the future in the end they have nothing to do with you. The real existences, the ones left in that world, are merely a past, a shadow reproduced by me. They can only stay there forever, unable to touch the reality you are in, nor accompany you toward the future."
"After you leave and return to the normal real world, you will also clearly know that everything in Ashina was just a story a virtual story. It probably won't take long before you forget these things, forget these words, forget their existence. You still have your own life and must embrace your own tomorrow."
"In that case, do their emotions, their thoughts, their wills, their actions still have any meaning? What do they mean to you?"
Raiden Mei thought for a long time, recalling every bit of her time in Ashina over the short period of less than a month.
"No, it's not meaningless. Their past shaped the current me. As long as I am still alive and remember the story of Ashina, then none of this will be meaningless!"
"The Buddha sculptor, Nagashi, the Divine Child, Genichiro, Isshin, the old lady who couldn't even recognize her own son… every single one of them lives in my heart. As long as the existence named Raiden Mei does not forget them, Ashina will exist forever!"
"Mhm, you passed, Raiden Mei." Shun couldn't help but rub Raiden Mei's straight long hair. He wondered… whether this counted as letting her experience the Elysian Realm ahead of time.
Raiden Mei slapped Shun's hand away, then looked at him with wolf-like eyes.
"Since my answer is over… then, Teacher Shun… what explanation do you have?" As she spoke, Raiden Mei subconsciously wanted to draw Kusabimaru at her waist, but remembering that she was no longer "Wolf," she immediately crossed her arms and looked at Shun.
"Ah… this." Shun touched his chin, his eyes dodging as he said awkwardly, "That's a long story."