Chapter 33: Musou no Hitotachi

"So what?"

The young man retrieved his sword that had been knocked away and gripped it tightly.

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

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

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

No, it was neither.

It was excitement.

That strike, the Musou no Hitotachi, is a sword stroke without thought or intent.

Yet, it is the stroke that countless warriors have dreamed of their entire lives.

It represented the pinnacle of martial prowess, the ultimate goal for all warriors.

"Who knows the hardships of reaching the heavens? Even in death, one can still leave behind a heroic spirit."

Facing the Musou no Hitotachi head-on was both his lifelong pursuit and his attempt to seize a chance.

Feeling the divine radiance of lightning from Tenshukaku, Kujou Sara sighed and stepped aside, making way for Her Excellency the Shogun.

The moment the young man cast aside his weapon, the outcome of the duel was already decided.

And now, the strike he sought was about to descend.

With the sword, Musou Isshin, in hand, Raiden Shogun began her descent from the long staircase of Tenshukaku, step by step.

What seemed like an ordinary staircase transformed into a celestial ladder to the ends of the world the moment she stepped onto it.

But at the end of this celestial ladder, there was no paradise—only an endless, raging thunderstorm.

The katana named Musou Isshin, born from the divine power of Raiden Shogun Baal, had yet to be sharpened, but its lack of a blade did not diminish the authority of the Musou no Hitotachi.

The lightning wrapped around Musou Isshin made the blade emanate an aura of destruction.

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

After descending the steps, Raiden Shogun slowly opened her eyes, which had been closed.

Whether it was an illusion or not, her once emotionless gaze seemed to carry a new glimmer.

At the same time, the Hundred-Eyed Wheel, symbolizing the authority of the Thunder God, appeared behind her.

"Can I resist?"

The young man felt a tingling sensation all over his body, and his hairs stood on end due to the presence of lightning.

His skin was covered in goosebumps.

"Do as you wish."

Raiden Shogun slowly raised the Musou Isshin in her hand and, unusually, responded to him.

Whether it was an illusion or not, compared to her earlier emotionless "Mm," the young man felt a trace of softness in the Shogun's voice.

With her permission, the young man lifted his unremarkable sword.

Compared to Musou Isshin, this sword was far too old.

Not only were there nicks on the blade, but the wrapping on the hilt also showed signs of fading.

The Vision on the young man's body began to glow, and faint lightning crawled along the blade.

But compared to Raiden Shogun's lightning, his was like the glow of fireflies compared to the moon.

It wouldn't even attract the attention of onlookers.

The surrounding soldiers, including those from the Tri-Commission, had already fallen to the ground.

This was divine might, and also divine retribution.

Merely gazing upon it with the naked eye risked being blinded by the lightning.

The heads of the Tenryou and Kanjou Commissions originally intended to use this as a means to intimidate the Fatui, hoping to gain more benefits.

But in the end, the ones intimidated were themselves.

The sky gradually darkened, as under the Musou no Hitotachi, even daylight dared not compete with it.

As the lightning crackled, Raiden Shogun's sword descended.

In the young man's eyes, the Shogun's figure seemed to rise infinitely, as did the sword in her hand.

Before this sword, he felt utterly insignificant.

Even his soul seemed to be on the verge of being obliterated.

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

He raised his lightning-wreathed sword and swung it towards the endless strike.

Indeed, his fighting style had always been defensive.

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

"Clang—"

Musou Isshin, enveloped in lightning, clashed with the equally lightning-covered but unnamed sword.

Lightning flashed, and Musou Isshin effortlessly cleaved through the blade, continuing its unimpeded path toward the young man.

"Boom—"

Blinding lightning ravaged the entire training ground, turning the solid floor to dust under its power, leaving only scorched earth.

Bai Luo clung to the white cat, now bristling and struggling in his arms, not daring to loosen his grip.

He knew that if he let go, the cat would undoubtedly charge into the lightning without hesitation.

Could it be… that he knew I was here, so he sent the cat over?

Upon reflection, it seemed quite possible.

For a duel of this magnitude, I would definitely show up.

And he knew I possessed a method of concealment that could fool anyone.

Sigh, I might as well lend a hand. Such commotion won't disrupt my invisibility anyway.

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

Even the fiercest beast wouldn't dare face such devastating lightning.

As the lightning gradually faded, only the charred earth and the young man's smiling corpse remained.

Indeed, Raiden Shogun had somehow managed to preserve his body, preventing him from becoming nourishment for the earth.

"Give him a proper burial."

With Musou Isshin lowered at her side, Raiden Shogun slowly raised her other hand.

A Vision with the Electro element slowly rose from the young man's body, floating towards her hand.

"Stop!!"

A longsword, carrying a violent gust, broke the sound barrier as it flew, striking the Vision in midair.

Kaedehara Kazuha stood at the edge of the training ground, still in the posture of having thrown his sword.

Behind him lay several members of the Tenryou Commission, sprawled on the ground, their fates uncertain.

The usually calm and gentle wind that surrounded him now reflected his agitated emotions.

He caught the sword returned by the wind and looked sorrowfully at his lifeless friend.

"Your Excellency, be careful!"

Kamisato Ayato, who had been waiting on the sidelines, immediately sprang forward to intercept Kazuha as he charged toward the training ground.

Kamisato Ayato merely blocked his attack with pure martial skill, without employing elemental power.

In Inazuma, his combat ability had always been shrouded in mystery.

If not for Kazuha's impulsive act, Ayato would have preferred not to reveal his strength.

But he had no choice.

To the onlookers, it might seem like he was simply trying to impress the rarely-seen Shogun.

In reality, he intended to make Raiden Shogun hesitate, preventing her from rashly using the Musou no Hitotachi.

Otherwise… Kazuha wouldn't stand a chance of surviving.

Just as Ayato had predicted, the moment he, the head of the Kamisato Clan, stood before Raiden Shogun, she immediately lowered Musou Isshin.

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

For they represent the foundation of Inazuma.

If anything happened to him, Inazuma would surely suffer greatly.

As Ayato pondered how to resolve the situation, something unexpected occurred.

From under a cherry blossom tree at the edge of the training ground, another figure in red dashed out.

Without hesitation, this person picked up the young man's broken sword and charged directly toward the Vision in front of Raiden Shogun.