Chapter 33

"What does it matter?"

The young man picked up his fallen sword and gripped it tightly.

"Whether I can block it or not is different from whether I can withstand it, right?"

As he watched the Raiden Shogun descend from Tenshukaku, the young man began to tremble.

Was it due to the divine aura? Or the fury of the lightning?

Neither.

It was excitement.

That strike—the Musou no Hitotachi.

It was the strike that countless martial artists dreamed of.

It represented the pinnacle of martial arts, yet it was also the goal of all warriors.

Who wouldn't endure hardship at Tenshukaku, even if death awaited, for the chance to leave behind the fragrance of a hero's bones?

Facing the Musou no Hitotachi was both his lifelong pursuit and his desperate attempt to seize a chance for change.

Feeling the overwhelming presence of the lightning emanating from Tenshukaku, Kujou Sara sighed and stepped aside, making way for the Shogun.

The moment the young man dropped his weapon, the outcome of the duel before the throne had been decided.

And the strike he sought was about to be delivered.

The Raiden Shogun, holding her tachi wreathed in lightning, descended the long staircase of Tenshukaku step by step.

The ordinary steps seemed to transform into a celestial ladder leading to the ends of the world the moment she set foot on them.

But at the end of this ladder was not heaven, only an endless storm of thunder.

The blade, named Musou Isshin, was born from the divine power of the Electro Archon, Baal.

Though it had no edge, the presence or absence of a blade mattered little to the authority of the Musou no Hitotachi.

The storm of lightning coiled around Musou Isshin, filling the blade with an aura of destruction.

The flickering lightning even seemed to tear at the fabric of space.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, the Raiden Shogun slowly opened her eyes.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but her previously emotionless gaze seemed to carry a faint glimmer of something more.

At the same time, the symbol of the Electro Archon's authority, the Hundred-Eyed Circle, appeared behind her.

"Can I resist?"

The young man felt a tingling sensation throughout his body, his hair standing on end due to the lightning.

Goosebumps covered his skin.

"Do as you wish."

The Raiden Shogun slowly raised Musou Isshin, surprisingly responding to him.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but compared to the emotionless "Hmm" from earlier, the young man felt a hint of softness in her voice.

With her permission, the young man raised his unremarkable tachi.

Compared to Musou Isshin, this blade was old and worn.

Not only were there dents and scratches on the blade, but the hilt's wrapping was also faded.

The Vision on the young man's body glowed faintly, and a faint trace of lightning coiled around his blade.

But compared to the Raiden Shogun's lightning, his was like a firefly next to the moon.

It barely drew any attention.

The soldiers and members of the Tri-Commission had already prostrated themselves on the ground.

This was divine might, divine punishment.

Even looking at it with the naked eye risked being blinded by the lightning.

The heads of the Tenryou Commission and the Kanjou Commission had intended to use this to intimidate the Fatui and secure greater benefits from them.

But in the end, it was they who were intimidated.

The sky darkened, and under the Musou no Hitotachi, even the light of the heavens dared not compete.

As the lightning roared, the Raiden Shogun's blade fell.

In the young man's eyes, the Shogun's figure grew infinitely tall, as did the sword in her hand.

Under this strike, he felt utterly insignificant.

Even his soul seemed on the verge of being obliterated.

But he did not flee, nor did he cry out.

He raised his lightning-wreathed tachi and swung it toward the boundless strike.

Yes, his fighting style had always been defensive.

But today, for the first time, he chose to attack.

"Clang—"

Musou Isshin, wreathed in lightning, clashed with the unnamed tachi, also wrapped in lightning.

The lightning flashed, and Musou Isshin effortlessly severed the blade, continuing without pause to strike the young man.

"Boom—"

A blinding flash of lightning engulfed the training grounds. The hard floor turned to dust under the lightning's force, leaving only scorched earth.

Bai Luo, holding the struggling, fur-standing-on-end white cat, dared not let go.

He knew that if he released his grip, the cat would undoubtedly rush into the lightning.

Could it be... that the young man knew he was here, and that's why he sent the cat over?

Thinking about it, it was entirely possible.

For a duel of this level, Bai Luo would definitely be present.

And the young man happened to know that Bai Luo possessed a method of invisibility that could deceive all.

Sigh. If he could help, he might as well. After all, this level of commotion wouldn't disrupt his invisibility.

As for the disappearance of a cat, no one would notice.

Even the fiercest beast wouldn't dare face lightning of this magnitude.

The lightning gradually dissipated, leaving only scorched earth and the smiling corpse of the young man.

Indeed, the Raiden Shogun had somehow preserved his body, preventing it from becoming one with the earth.

"Bury him with care."

Musou Isshin hung at her side, and the Raiden Shogun raised her free hand.

An Electro Vision slowly rose from the young man's body, floating toward her hand.

"Stop!!"

A tachi, carrying a violent gust of wind, shot through the air with a sonic boom, knocking the Vision out of its trajectory.

Kaedehara Kazuha stood at the edge of the training grounds, still in the posture of having just thrown his blade.

Behind him lay several members of the Tenryou Commission, unconscious and their fates unknown.

The calm and peaceful wind that usually surrounded him was now restless and turbulent, reflecting his agitated emotions.

He caught the sword that had been carried back by the wind, his eyes filled with sorrow as he gazed at his friend, who had long since lost the spark of life.

"Shogun, be careful!"

Kamisato Ayato, who had been standing nearby, noticed Kaedehara Kazuha charging toward the training grounds and immediately stepped forward to intercept him.

Ayato merely used his martial skills to block Kazuha's attack, not resorting to elemental power.

His combat prowess had always been a mystery in Inazuma.

If not for Kazuha's impulsive actions, he wouldn't have revealed his strength at all.

But he had no choice.

To outsiders, it seemed like he was merely trying to show off in front of the Shogun, who rarely left Tenshukaku.

In reality, he was trying to make the Raiden Shogun hesitate, preventing her from casually unleashing the Musou no Hitotachi.

Otherwise... Kazuha would undoubtedly not survive.

As Ayato had anticipated, when he, the head of the Kamisato Clan, stood before the Raiden Shogun, she immediately lowered Musou Isshin.

No matter how emotionless the Shogun might be, she wouldn't recklessly harm a member of the Tri-Commission.

They represented the foundation of Inazuma.

If anything were to happen to him, Inazuma would suffer a severe blow.

Just as Ayato was pondering how to resolve the situation, an unexpected turn of events occurred.

From beneath a cherry blossom tree at the corner of the training grounds, a red figure burst forth.

He casually picked up the broken sword of the young man and charged straight toward the Raiden Shogun... or rather, toward the Vision in front of her.