A streak of golden lightning flashed across the battlefield as Lucien appeared before Shinobu Kocho. His right kukri swept in a sharp horizontal arc with a crisp whoosh. Shinobu raised her slender Nichirin Blade to defend, but the force behind his strike was overwhelming.
The earth within three meters split open. Shinobu coughed blood as she was blasted backward, flipping through the air.
Lucien rushed after her immediately, but Mitsuri's counterattack arrived the instant he moved.
A storm of whip-like shadows filled the space around them, the ground sliced with countless shallow cuts. Yet before Mitsuri could land a decisive blow, Lucien appeared high above her in a sudden flash, then shifted behind her. His hardened leg swung forward with explosive force.
Mitsuri braced herself, twisting her body as she struck back with the guard of her sword. The power behind her counter was astonishing.
A booming vibration tore across the ground.
Mitsuri's feet dug deep into the soil, her boots sinking several inches. She clenched her jaw tightly, her breathing fast and strained. Her pretty face flushed red from the pressure coursing through her body.
Mitsuri's unique constitution made her muscles far denser than a normal person's. When fully tensed, her strength and resistance skyrocketed. Beneath her gentle exterior lay physical power that rivaled the greatest of the Hashira.
"Insect Breathing, Dance of the Dragonfly, Compound Eye Hexagon."
Despite the blood trailing down her chin, Shinobu suddenly slid forward along the ground, reappearing behind Lucien. Her thin rapier-like Nichirin Blade pierced the air with six rapid thrusts.
Lucien caught the movement from the corner of his eye. His body flashed with light as he accelerated, kicking Mitsuri away. He flipped in midair and descended toward Shinobu, his Nichirin Blade stabbing downward with surgical precision.
Shinobu twisted her body with desperate grace, spinning three feet above the ground. Her rapier flicked upward, steel meeting steel in a sharp spark. Lucien pushed off their blades and materialized behind her, pulling his hardened right leg back for a sweeping kick.
Shinobu managed only a rushed block.
Blood burst from her nose and mouth as the kick launched her across the field. She crashed into the earth, rolling violently and carving a long gully before falling still among shattered stone, her slim frame trembling.
"Love Breathing, Sixth Form, Cat Leg Love Wind."
Mitsuri reappeared, her hair whipping behind her as her flexible Nichirin Blade tore down toward Lucien's neck.
Lucien bent backward to dodge the cut, but Mitsuri immediately followed up. Her slender right leg, still wrapped in stockings, swept across the ground, kicking up dirt and gravel with a fierce arc.
Lucien planted one hand on the earth and flipped back, but Mitsuri's agility outpaced expectation. Her whip-blade cracked downward in a clean vertical slash. Lucien twisted away, only to be met with a volley of continuous kicks.
His Nichirin Blade moved in front of him just in time to block. Even with hardened defense, the force sent him skidding backward.
The ground beneath Mitsuri splintered. She launched herself forward like a cannonball, pursuing him with relentless energy as her whip-like blade surged toward him again and again.
Lightning flickered around Lucien as he maneuvered left and right, weaving between her attacks. Mitsuri seized an opening and closed the distance, delivering a fast kick. Lucien blocked with one hand, sliding back a step, but before he could breathe, Mitsuri spun and unleashed a powerful side kick.
Lucien shifted to evade. His left hand flipped as he swung his Nichirin Blade, but Mitsuri raised her own blade at the last moment, deflecting the strike. The ground beneath her cracked under the pressure.
"Insect Breathing."
Shinobu, battered yet stubbornly unyielding, rushed in again, refusing to stay down.
Lucien's expression darkened. He withdrew quickly, creating distance as his breaths grew slightly heavier.
"Cough… cough…"
Shinobu doubled over, blood spilling past her lips. Mitsuri's chest rose and fell rapidly, her hair damp with sweat.
Both women were at their limits, their bodies trembling.
Lucien's amethyst-colored eyes remained cold.
"Hoo…"
Lucien leaned forward, steadying his breath as the air thickened with killing intent.
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