Bang!
Before long, the woman, feeling her power suppressed, decisively abandoned her previous move, dispersing the cold current that had been swallowed by lightning, and landed gracefully on the ground once again.
The Shogun twirled her naginata and curved her lips into a cold smile before sending a slash of sword energy toward her opponent.
"Trivial tricks!"
The woman sneered, raising an ice wall before her. The wall was about half a meter thick, exuding a faint chill that made one shiver just by looking at it.
The lightning-infused sword energy glided across the ground like a shark, slamming into the ice wall.
Crack!
The thick wall of ice was instantly cleaved in two, revealing the woman's face. Yet she merely smiled, lightly squeezing her palm. In that instant, both halves of the wall shattered into countless floating ice shards.
"Go~!"
With her ethereal voice, the countless ice shards shot forward like a dragon toward the Shogun, leaving trails of frost on the floor wherever they passed.
"..."
Seeing this, the Shogun moved elegantly through the storm of ice crystals, her Engulfing Lightning slicing through them one after another.
Bang! ×N
Each ice shard that crossed her path was shattered. The overlapping arcs of her blade filled the space with blinding flashes of violet, devouring the icy dragon like a divine meat grinder.
Whoosh! ×N
The long haft of the naginata spun horizontally around her slender waist like a propeller, sweeping from hip to neck and back again. With each step and shift of her body, not a single shard of ice could breach her defense—it was as if a wall of absolute lightning surrounded her.
"Tch..."
The woman clicked her tongue impatiently. Her opponent was steadily closing the distance, forcing her to retreat instinctively. Raising one hand, she conjured ice crystals, then decided to add the other hand to strengthen her assault.
Ssshh!
From her other palm erupted not ice, but cold air shaped like spinning blades.
Seeing her movements, the Shogun quickly summoned a barrier of lightning around herself, cutting through the blizzard with relentless strikes of her naginata.
"!"
The woman gritted her teeth and poured more strength into her icy storm, the temperature dropping even further.
Lightning coiled around the Shogun's weapon as her entire body flared with a vortex of thunder. As the raging cold surged toward her, she merely spun lightly on her feet, twirling her naginata clockwise to create a vortex of lightning that devoured the frost and sent it surging back toward the woman.
Take it back!
The Shogun's eyes gleamed as she sent the attack hurtling toward her opponent.
"Wha—! Damn it..."
The woman's face turned pale with shock.
Boom!
In an instant, lightning and frost collided violently at her position, unleashing an explosion that shook the entire hall.
"..."
The Shogun glanced at her surroundings with a hint of regret. Haa... should've dragged her outside. This is my house we're wrecking.
Still, she didn't dwell on it. If it broke, she'd just rebuild. For now, there were more important matters.
At least the hall was spacious enough for a proper fight—but since this was indoors, she couldn't call down thunderbolts. If she did, the roof would be the first casualty.
Crack!
The woman dispersed the smoke, her form slightly damaged, cold air bursting from her once again. Icy light gathered in her palm, and with a sharp motion, she flung it forward.
Whoosh—Smack!
A whip of pure ice materialized in midair and lashed toward the Shogun from a distance.
"Die!"
The woman roared. If ranged attacks failed, then close combat would do. There had to be a weakness somewhere.
"!"
Ssshh!
Sensing the whip's trajectory, the Shogun flickered into lightning, narrowly avoiding the strike.
"Hahaha~!! Let's see you dodge again!"
The woman laughed gleefully, drunk on her own aggression. The thrill of striking with her whip was intoxicating—especially against this lifeless puppet. She no longer saw the Shogun as a god, only an enemy to destroy.
Whoosh! Crack!
Each time the whip struck, the Shogun evaded with perfect timing, flickering through arcs of lightning.
Growing impatient, the woman infused her whip with icy power—each lash now releasing a swirling vortex of frost that tracked its target like homing blades.
In response, the Shogun's aura flared with blinding radiance. She traced her naginata in elegant arcs, releasing countless slashes of lightning, each one precisely intercepting the approaching whirlwinds of ice.
Seeing this, the woman changed her stance again, her whip twisting in the air like a chain as it coiled into a horizontal spiral.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Frost began to creep across the walls, and the temperature dropped sharply. The spiraling whip, spinning like a turbine, unleashed a violent vortex of chilling wind.
The Shogun's sleeves and hair fluttered backward in the biting gust, yet she remained calm and unshaken. Fixing her gaze on the vortex's core, she raised her naginata to hover horizontally in midair, clasping her hands together so the weapon was held between her palms.
Ssshh!
In that instant, the naginata began to spin rapidly—like a whirring electric drill. The surrounding air distorted from the sheer speed of the current.
"?"
The woman furrowed her brow, uncertain of what the Shogun was planning—but she wasn't afraid.
When the energy reached its peak, the Shogun suddenly released her grip. The naginata remained suspended, spinning rapidly as arcs of lightning spread across the room.
Bang!
With a swift motion of her sleeve, the Shogun sent the weapon hurtling forward like a bullet—straight into the heart of the storm.
Whoosh!
"You—damn it!"
The woman's expression shifted. If this continued...!
Crack!
As expected—the center of the vortex was pierced, the blade cutting straight through and driving toward her abdomen!
She hastily formed an ice barrier to block it, the impact forcing her several meters backward. Though she managed to steady herself, the naginata still struck with terrifying power, forcing her to deflect it away with all her strength. Furious, she retaliated, lashing her whip toward the Shogun once again.
Clang~!
The Shogun caught the rebounding naginata with practiced ease. Seeing the whip coming, she adjusted her stance, letting the icy chain wrap around her blade's edge.
"What—?!"
The woman's eyes widened in alarm.
"Heh..."
The Shogun's lips curved into a cold, alluring smile as she gave a sharp tug.
Whoosh!
The pull yanked the woman off her feet, dragging her straight toward the Shogun—still midair.
As her opponent flew closer, the Shogun lifted her long leg and spun gracefully—a perfect roundhouse kick.
Boom!
A thunderous impact shook the air, ripples of force spreading outward.
"Ugh!"
The woman spat blood as her body was flung like a cannonball, crashing heavily into the floor far away.
"Trivial tricks."
The Shogun's tone mirrored her opponent's earlier words, mocking her with calm indifference.
The impact left even Aether, watching from the corner, momentarily speechless. He couldn't imagine what it would feel like to take that kick himself.
Boom!
Coughing, the woman emerged from the smoke, clutching her abdomen. Her once-elegant composure was gone, leaving only a disheveled and furious figure. The Shogun's expression held faint satisfaction—this was exactly what she wanted to see.
"You must have more than that, witch."
The Shogun rested the naginata behind her with one hand, her gaze sharp yet her tone almost casual.
"Stop hiding it. Show me what strength earned you the title of a Fatui Harbinger."
"Heh~"
The woman wiped the blood from her lip, her eyes blazing with a fiery glow.
"To think... a mere puppet could push me this far!"
Whoosh!
"!"
Sensing the change, the Shogun's eyes narrowed, and she leapt back instantly—away from the center of the hall.
Boom!
Flames erupted from the woman's body, blazing hot enough to scorch everything in sight. She soared upward, then crashed down toward the center of the hall like a meteor.
Boom!
Fire burst outward, consuming the tatami and turning them to ash. The once-frozen chamber was now a blazing inferno, waves of heat distorting the air and dyeing everything red.
From a distance, the Shogun watched with rare seriousness as hot winds lashed her face and fluttered her robes.
Finally showing your true form... witch.
"Hahahaha~!"
With that mad, ethereal laughter, the sea of flames bloomed like a flower. The woman's old form was gone—replaced by a fiery witch clad in a crimson-and-gold evening gown, adorned with wing-like patterns that resembled a moth's.
Her face was partially hidden beneath a mask of flaming tendrils, only her pale lower face visible. Her arms were charred black and red, her fingertips sharp and claw-like.
As the fiery witch appeared, flames engulfed the surroundings, forming a perfect square of blazing confinement. No one could escape.
"I will burn you all to ashes!!"
Following the woman's furious roar—
Whoosh!
Her fiery wings spread wide, unleashing a massive shockwave of flame. Sparks rained from above like a storm, setting everything ablaze.
It seemed inevitable—the Tenshukaku was doomed to suffer disaster this day. The once-golden and resplendent hall was now shrouded in thick smoke.
The Shogun sighed inwardly, her gaze briefly drifting to Sara, who still lay unconscious in the corner. She needed to end this quickly—she feared that a mortal body like Sara's couldn't withstand this suffocating heat for much longer.
"The pale flame has melted the frost—witness my agony! I shall burn your soul to ashes in the flames of sin and punishment!!"
The witch, once known as La Signora, raised her hand, gathering scorching fire into her palm before releasing it in a sweeping surge across the battlefield.
Whoosh!
The wave of fire surged forward like a tsunami, hot enough to melt anything in its path. Even the air itself seemed to warp under the heat.
The Shogun's entire body erupted in radiant lightning. Every magatama on her Chakra Desiderata lit up in succession, and her violet braid shimmered with dazzling light. Gripping her Engulfing Lightning, she targeted the center of the inferno and slashed!
Ssshh!
A wide arc of swordlight cut through the roaring flames, revealing the witch's silhouette—but it wouldn't last. In less than a heartbeat, the Shogun's form dissolved into pure lightning, reappearing before her opponent in an instant.
The witch conjured a blazing longsword and clashed it against the Shogun's naginata.
Boom!
A violent shockwave burst outward, scattering the flames in all directions.
Locked in a fierce struggle, the witch quickly formed a whip of fire in her free hand and lashed it toward the Shogun.
Ssshh!
The Shogun deflected the flaming sword, then vanished in a flash, narrowly avoiding the incoming whip.
Crack!
The whip struck the ground, leaving a deep groove that glowed faintly with lingering heat.
Boom!
A moment later, the Shogun once again transformed into lightning, darting forward at blinding speed. The witch's lips twisted into a manic grin as she swung her fiery whip again.
Whoosh!
Each strike landed precisely where the Shogun had been an instant before, as if predicting her every move—but this was exactly what the Shogun wanted.
Clang!
Raising her naginata, she caught the whip's strike perfectly. Yet instead of stopping, she continued to flicker rapidly between positions, keeping up a relentless barrage to prevent any sparks from touching her. Her movements were so fast that all anyone could see were streaks of violet lightning racing across the hall.
The witch was starting to falter. Even though her whip could strike across the entire field, it couldn't keep up with the Shogun's speed. Her stamina was waning.
With a snarl, she leapt backward and conjured dozens of fire tornadoes, sending them surging from every angle toward the hall's center.
At the center stood the Shogun. She raised her naginata, suspended it in midair, then reversed the blade and drove it into the ground.
Ssshh!
In that instant, waves of lightning erupted outward like a tidal surge, spreading across the hall. The flames that had engulfed the Tenshukaku were quickly drowned in violet light.
The fiery tornadoes crashed into the storm of lightning, only to be ripped apart and scattered by the overwhelming current.
"Tch! Try this!"
The witch lifted both hands, summoning an inferno on par with the Shogun's storm. A massive sea of flames burst into existence, spreading across the entire hall. It rose higher and higher, surrounding the Shogun completely before collapsing inward like a tidal wave.
[Haa... Shogun.]
'Hm?'
A familiar voice called out in her mind—Ei.
[Stop playing around. The Tenshukaku is about to be destroyed.]
Ei's tone carried weary disapproval.
'Hmph. I just wanted to test her strength. Are you that impatient?'
Her movements paused briefly.
[I don't mind, but aren't you worried about Sara?]
Ei's question struck home.
The Shogun herself was fine—once her opponent entered this place, escape was impossible. Victory was only a matter of time. But not everyone could afford to wait.
'?'
Her gaze flicked toward the corner, where the girl lay under the protection of a lightning barrier. Sara's face was flushed red, her body drenched in sweat.
"!"
The Shogun's expression shifted instantly. She could tell—Sara was burning up.
Damn it. She had been too focused on the fight. Even the lightning shield hadn't blocked out the heat completely.
[Sara's condition isn't good. End this quickly.]
Ei's voice echoed sternly in her mind.
[Enough. End it quickly.]
'Haa... Understood.'
The Shogun stood silently amidst the inferno closing in around her. The next second, the flames surged forward, threatening to swallow her whole.
And then—
Vmm~!
From the center of the blaze erupted a dazzling violet light so intense that even the witch had to avert her gaze.
"What?!"
She stared in disbelief as the flames were forcibly torn apart, revealing a calm, untouched center. At its heart stood the kimono-clad woman—her Musou Isshin drawn from her chest, now radiating cosmic violet light.
Ssshh!
The sword pulsed with starlike electricity as the Shogun raised it high, her amethyst eyes glowing in perfect resonance with the blade.
Boom, boom!
The entire space trembled violently, as though the earth itself quaked beneath their feet.
"How... how is this possible?!!"
The witch's voice cracked in panic. "This power...!"
It was absurd—far beyond anything from before! Was the Shogun toying with her this entire time?!
Fear surged within her for the first time—but anger followed close behind. How dare a puppet mock her like this!
But the Shogun paid her no heed. She spun the blade in a graceful flourish, then lowered her stance, knees bending, body poised for a single, decisive draw.
"Eternity Art: Severance of Shadow!"
Crack!
The blade flashed.
For an instant, time itself stood still. Countless arcs of swordlight filled the air, dense as a forest.
Shatter!
The frozen world fractured like glass, every shard split apart by her strike. The blazing inferno around them was cleaved as if given form—its flames sliced cleanly into halves that drifted apart before fading.
"!!!"
From the sidelines, Aether could only stare in awe, his mind blank. Even the witch was stunned speechless.
"You... what are you—?!"
How could a mere puppet wield the power of a god?! She was supposed to be nothing more than an artificial being—a machine bound by programming!
But before she could finish—
Vmm~!
The Shogun appeared before her in an instant. The witch instinctively raised walls of fire to block her—but—
Vmm~!
Another slash.
The fiery barrier split like paper, the blade piercing through and cutting across her abdomen.
No blood spilled—only a searing violet scar burned across her body, glowing ominously.
"Gahhh!!! You damned... puppet!!!"
Fury overwhelmed her pain. Fire erupted from her wounds as she screamed, her entire body engulfed in raging flame. Behind her, a monstrous being of fire took shape—its size immense, its molten claws large enough to crush a person in one swipe.
Roooaaar!!!
The demon's roar shook the heavens, the heat distorting the very air.
Whoosh!
It lunged forward, claw raised to strike!
In that instant, time seemed to slow. The Shogun's eyes flashed with lightning. The Engulfing Lightning, still embedded in the ground far away, flew back into her hand at her call. She caught it with one hand and hurled Musou Isshin skyward with the other.
Crack!
With her freed hand, she swung the naginata, cleaving through the creature's massive arm in a single motion—effortless, almost disdainful.
The creature howled, its arm disintegrating into sparks.
High above, Musou Isshin continued to gleam, radiating the light of dreams and eternity.
'Ei!' she called in her heart.
[Leave it to me.]
Her partner's voice answered instantly.
The blade flared with divine lightning as Ei's figure manifested in the air. She grasped the sword's hilt gracefully, spinning it into a perfect flourish. Her violet eyes narrowed, her body lowering as she held the blade vertically beside her face—its point aimed at the demon's neck.
Vmm~!
Her form vanished, leaving only a streak of violet across the air.
Slash!
For a moment, time froze again—then the demon's massive head slid from its neck, crashing to the ground as the flames began to fade.
As Ei landed softly, the Shogun mirrored her motion, spinning the naginata and unleashing a final strike. Their movements flowed as one—flawless synchronicity.
"Nooooo!!!"
The witch screamed as her monstrous creation perished. The two violet-haired women crossed paths, their blades tracing arcs of light that cleaved through her body in unison.
Boom!!
Twin slashes engulfed her, shattering her flames, tearing through her attire, leaving deep gashes across her body. Blood burst from her lips as she collapsed to her knees on the tatami.
Clatter...
Her mask—once the symbol of her authority—cracked and fell to the floor.
"Th-there are really two of them~! Exactly the same!"
Paimon's eyes went wide in disbelief from the corner.
"..."
Aether stood frozen, speechless, unable to form words. He could only watch, utterly awestruck, forgetting even why he had come here in the first place.