Chapter 24: Misty eyes

Just then, Cera’s hand shot out and gripped Bellar’s wrist with surprising strength. Bellar’s eyes widened in shock. She looked down and met Cera’s gaze.

“Cera…?” Bellar spoke with a tremble.

Cera’s lips curled into a faint, pained smirk. “Nice shot, Bellar. Got me good.”

Bellar stared at her with a frustration. “Damn it, Cera. You made me almost kill you...”

Cera’s grip on Bellar’s wrist loosened. Her smirk slipped off her face as exhaustion crept in. “Yo… think ya could do me a solid?”

Bellar’s eyes narrowed. She stared at Cera for a long moment, caught between relief and frustration. “Cera, forget favors right now. We gotta get back to the Cap. You’re a damn mess, and I ain’t lettin’ you fall apart on me.”

With a heavy sigh, Bellar carefully lifted Cera onto her back. She wasn’t exactly light, but Bellar carried her without a second thought. “Swear, you always gotta make everything harder, don’t ya?”

She turned back to where Pufima and Priya stood. Pufima still held the divine blade tight but was now looking steely. Priya, a few steps back. She was tense but remained collected.

Bellar headed toward them and spoke firmly. “You two—let’s move. We’re headin’ back to regroup with the Cap, and you, “She shot a glance at Pufima, “don’t start thinkin’ this makes you some kinda hero puffy-hair.”

The group started moving through the town. Pufima walked beside Bellar. Priya trailed a few steps behind with concern on her face.

Bellar glanced to the side and shuffled towards the part of town where Soujin was duking it out. The distant clash gave her the chills like she'd just licked an ice cube tray by accident. The Captain’s energy was still flaring strong, but the Senodokidatsu he was up against—it wasn’t like the others.

Bellar’s brow furrowed as a creeping realization hit her. “No… no way…” she muttered to herself. Then she started to grow urgent in her speech. “It can’t be her… if it is, even the Cap’s gonna be in trouble.”

Pufima looked up at Bellar.with intrigue. “Who’s ‘her’? What do you mean?”

Bellar’s jaw tightened. “There’s one Senodokidatsu we always heard about from the head man… powerful as hell, ruthless and nobody’s ever walked away from a fight with her. I thought it was just talk.” She glanced toward the battle in the distance with a knot forming in her gut. “But if it’s her…”

The relentless clash between Soujin and his adversary raged on for what felt like hours. Each strike of his blade met with the monstrous creature’s icy defense.

Soujin's breaths came in heavy gasps with sweat trickling down his face. He had learned early on that this opponent was unlike any other. Every time he thought he had her, she would manage to make his attacks look like he was merely blowing her hair.

His sword, released in it’s stage 2 slashed horizontally. The Senodokidatsu’s seemed almost amused. She effortlessly deflected his blows with an icy mist that radiated from her body. Her eyes glinted with cold satisfaction.

“Damn it,” Soujin muttered under his breath.

The Senodokidatsu’s laughter cut through the battlefield. “Oh, come now,” she drawled. “Is this truly the extent of your prowess? I had anticipated a challenge, not a mere display of futility. I am sure you have more power in you than that.”

Soujin’s frustration flared. “How about you show me something more interesting than you just negating my attacks.”

Her laughter, cold and mocking echoed across the battlefield. “Oooh?”

Soujin's eyes narrowed while observing her. A realization hit him. “At first, I thought it was just because I wasn’t strong enough to damage you, but it’s not that, is it? You’ve covered yourself with a layer of ice, nearly invisible but incredibly thick. It’s not just a shield—it’s an active defense and offense. You can use it to attack, too.”

The Senodokidatsu tilted her head in feigned surprise. “Bravo, Captain Soujin. I didn’t think you had it in you to catch on. How perceptive of you.”

Soujin glared at her. “I know you’re an ice elemental. Iv’e got to admit, you’ve been playing it smart too by freezing my blade little by little while you deflect to even further nullify the damage of my sword, but now I know your game.”

The Senodokidatsu clapped sarcastically. “I’m flattered you’re so astute… But knowing is one thing. Can you actually do anything about it?”

Soujin tightened his grip on his sword.” Why don’t we find out? I’ve got a few tricks left up my sleeve.”

Soujin began to circle the Senodokidatsu. He didn’t strike—he just came in close and probed her defenses with feints and positioning. The Senodokidatsu, for her part remained motionless, though her eyes watched him with detached curiosity.

Soujin’s was looking for an opening, a flaw in her defenses or perhaps a moment when she might let her guard down.

Without finding an opening, he wore a look of irritation. Despite that, he swung his sword in a sweeping arc and shouted: “Gale Cyclone!”

The air around him erupted as a whirlwind of slashing winds burst forth from his blade. At first, it seemed as though the whirlwind might overwhelm her, but when the attack drew near, the ice around her shifted subtly.

The Gale Cyclone collided with the icy barrier fiercly; however, the ice layer seemed to absorb and dissipate the force. The once-powerful cyclone was reduced to a mere gust of wind. The ice around the Senodokidatsu remained intact.

Soujin’s attack faded, leaving him breathless and disheartened. He stared at the Senodokidatsu who remained unmoved.

“Is that all you’ve got?” she taunted. “I’m disappointed. I was hoping you would show me more. I have only just begun to have my fun, after all.”

“Well,” Soujin said through gritted teeth, “Looks like I’ll need to come up with something better.”

The Senodokidatsu’s lips curved into a faint, amused smile. “I do look forward to seeing what you’ll try next.”

Soujin’s sharp senses picked up the familiar energy signatures of Cera and Bellar amidst the chaos of battle. He could sense that Cera’s energy had stabilized. “So, Bellar managed to get her back to her senses,” he muttered to himself with a sense of respect tinged with relief. “Good job, Bellar.”

His thoughts then turned to the pressing issue at hand. He glanced at the Senodokidatsu woman. He was running out of options to deal with her.

“Damn it,” he growled quietly. “I need to deal with this foe, or I need to get out. This ice barrier of hers... it’s a major pain in the ass…”

Cera’s fire magic could have been a game-changer against the ice, but she was in no condition to fight, especially not with the Senodokidatsu’s presence within her. The thought of getting her back to the Divine Blade Society for help weighed heavily on Soujin. They needed to extract the Senodokidatsu’s influence from Cera and fast.

“But how do I even get out of this?” Soujin pondered. The battlefield seemed to close in around him.

Soujin exhaled sharply. “Come on, Soujin. Think. There’s gotta be a way to crack this ice,” he muttered.

Soujin’s mind raced back to the surreal realm where he had once communed with Kaze no Monogatari, the sword’s spirit. That encounter, marked by a blend of disdain and cryptic guidance had revealed the existence of multiple stages in sword magic. At the time, Kaze’s mocking tone and cryptic comments had left Soujin with more questions than answers. Now, with the battle at hand those revelations seemed crucial.

‘There are three stages before reaching the Sword God form,’Soujin thought, recalling the sword spirit’s words ’And I’ve only accessed stage 2 so far. If I want to stand any chance of landing something against her, I need to tap into stage 3.’

Soujin’s gaze turned to his blade. He remembered how he had accessed stage 1 by simply knowing the sword’s name. Stage 2 had come from visualizing the whirlwinds in the other realm.

“Stage 3 has to be something more,” he reasoned while trying to piece together the puzzle. “It has to bridge the connection between knowing the sword’s name and visualizing the power.”

Soujin closed his eyes, centering his thoughts. He envisioned the winds he had conjured from the other realm, feeling their force and flow. He tried to merge this vision with the fundamental knowledge of his sword, blending them into a singular, powerful image.

‘If I can make the connection between what I know and what I visualize,’he thought, ‘I should be able to access stage 3.’

As Soujin immersed himself in his visualization, a subtle presence seemed to materialize beside him. It was as though Kaze no Monogatari was standing right there, though his opponent couldn't physically see them. Soujin focused his mind to speak directly to the sword's spirit.

‘Kaze,’ Soujin thought with irritation. ‘You were a real jerk last time. Leaving me to figure this out on my own.’

Kaze responded in an almost amused tone. “And yet, you’re still here, aren’t you? It seems you trust me now, despite my previous… uncooperative nature.”

Soujin frowned inwardly. “What do you mean? You think I trust you? I’m just trying to understand what’s happening.”

Kaze softened and spoke with melancholy. “You should know that the Soujin holding this sword now is not the same as the one who held it before. The Soujin before you, the one I knew, was killed. I lent you this power to see if you, as a new bearer, would prove worth it.”

Soujin’s mind reeled. “What do you mean by that? What happens when a sword’s owner dies?”

Kaze continued with an ancient wisdom. “When a Sword’s owner dies, so too does the sword spirit. The blade becomes an ordinary weapon, devoid of its magic and spirit. It waits for a new wielder to either imbue it with their own magic or be discarded, fading into obscurity.”

Soujin’s thoughts whirled with this revelation. “Wait, what does that mean for me? I’m sure I was reincarnated into this body.”

Kaze held a note of intrigue in it’s tone. “That’s precisely what makes this situation so interesting. It’s as though the goddess herself has decreed that you have a role to play in this world.”

Soujin's frustration flared. “I don’t know anything about any goddess! I’m just trying to figure out everything as I go along.”

Kaze’s tone softened. “Regardless of the circumstances, fate has woven our paths together. This moment is pivotal. It will determine whether you rise to the challenge or falter. Sword magic is more than just a tool for swordsmen; it is a connection between the wielder and the sword. The deeper the power is developed, the stronger the bond becomes.”

The spirit grew more insistent. “So, tell me, Soujin—can you say with honesty that you trust me?”

Soujin’s gaze sharpened. Kaze’s words settled heavily on his shoulders. He felt a surge of resolve.

'Alright,' Soujin thought, 'let’s see where this takes us…Kaze no montogari, I trust you!'

A powerful whirlwind erupted around Soujin. The wind roared in a tempestuous circle with the force of his sword bending the very air. Kaze no Monogatari transformed under the pressure. It glowed a vivid green and the blade was now adorned with a golden crest that seemed to pulse with the rhythm of the storm.

The Senodokidatsu woman’s eyes widened in surprise and intrigue. She purred, “Oh? Your power is rising... how exciting!”

Soujin locked eyes with her and spoke with a fierce resolve “Well, you wanted to see more power from me, didn’t you? Just don’t be shocked when the wind blows your ice all the way to the edge of the world, where it can finally chill out.”

He thrust his blade forward and announced, "Sword Magic Level 3: Kaze no Monogatari!"

A tremendous torrent of wind erupted from the tip of Kaze no Monogatari that roared towards her with relentless force. The icy layer surrounding her seemed to shimmer under the assault, but her smirk remained unmoved.

However, the tempest surrounding Soujin took on a new life and two more torrents of wind surged forth from either side, closing in on the Senodokidatsu woman from both angles. The combined force of these winds intensified the pressure on her icy barrier, causing the ice to crack and splinter under the relentless assault.

The woman’s eyes widened in shock. The smirk faded from her face and was replaced by a gasp of surprise. She tried to summon her icy mist to reduce the effectiveness of Soujin’s Whirlwinds, but the sheer volume and force were too much for her power.

The winds engulfed her completely and tore through her icy armor with devastating force. The icy barrier shattered into a flurry of crystalline shards and the Senodokidatsu woman was swept away.. Her cries were swallowed by the howling tempest.