The battle had migrated from the mountain peak down to the evacuated town below.
Dawn is approaching. Manjiro's stats have skyrocketed due to the Derived skill – Zenkai.
'My body is at its limit. I have one attack left. How considerate of it to last this long.'
The empty streets blurred as he exhaled slowly. A cloud of white steam escaped his lips.
'If this fails, I die. If it succeeds… well, that's still debatable.'
Manjiro clears his mind and the intent to kill vanishes.
[SKILL: SELFLESS STATE (LV. MAX)]
- Effect: The user emanates zero fighting spirit, hatred, or bloodlust. Movement becomes impossible to predict or detect through "Sensory" skills.
To Kokushibo's senses, the "Battle Spirit" (Touki) that every warrior emits was gone.
Kokushibo: "Where...?"
His six eyes darted frantically. He could see the physical body standing there, but his combat instincts, honed over 400 years told him the space was empty. It was like looking at a stone by the roadside.
Kokushibo: "I cannot sense him. He is right there, but not there at the same time."
Panic, an emotion Kokushibo had not felt in centuries, clawed at his throat. He could not predict an attack that had no intent behind it.
"Moon Breathing... Sixteenth Form: Moonbow, Half Moon."
He slammed his Long Sword into the earth. Giant craters erupted as pillars of chaotic slashes rained down from the sky.
"Rumble Breathing, Final Form: Ripple Dissonance."
Combining Thunder's Godspeed with Moon's Chaotic Range which he just learned. A golden dragon of kinetic energy surrounds him.
Manjiro tore through the Moonbow. The clash created a mushroom cloud of dust and debris. The town houses on the main street disintegrated instantly from the shockwave.
He closed the distance.
Manjiro gripped his hilt like his life depended on it (which it was).
[BRIGHT RED NICHIRIN SWORD]
- Effect: Turns the blade bright red through immense grip strength. Negates the regeneration of Dark creatures (Demons) and inflicts cellular-level burning damage.
With his blade glowing red, slices through Kokushibo's neck without resistance, halting regeneration.
Kokushibo's head flew into the air. Spinning slowly, he saw his headless body standing there, sword raised, before it began to crumble into ash.
Kokushibo:(As his vision faded)'I... lost? To a human? To a technique that mimicked my own... yet surpassed it? No... I lost to the future. Yoriichi... is this what you saw?'
The dust settled. The sun crested the horizon, bathing the crumbling town in golden light. The Upper Rank One turned to ash, leaving only his clothes and a broken flute on the ground.
Manjiro collapsed. His body had surpassed the limits of a human, and even with his Derived skill, the damage was catastrophic. His lungs felt like they were filled with broken glass.
Manjiro: (Lying on his back, staring at the rising sun, He tries to sit up but fails.)
---
A flutter of wings and a soft footfall announce the arrival of Shinobu Kocho. She had missed them on the mountain, chasing the explosions down to the town.
She rushed into the crater, tears streaming down her face. "Manjiro!"
Shinobu drops to her knees beside him so fast the stones scatter. Her usually cheerful smile is gone, replaced by a look of horror as she takes in the utter destruction and Manjiro's state; flayed skin, scorched clothing, and every bone visibly pushed to the breaking point.
Shinobu: "…Manjiro…? Manjiro-kun…?"
No answer.
Shinobu: "Hey… don't do this." (A shaky breath escaped her.) "You told me I wouldn't have to… see something like this again. You promised!"
Her hand hovered over his cheek, trembling violently before she forced it steady to check for a pulse.
No pulse was felt.
Shinobu:(Whispering, voice breaking at the edges) "No… no. Not like this. You promised me a double suicide, remember? You said…" (She swallowed hard, fighting back a sob.) "I wasn't… supposed to find you alone."
Her lips pressed tight. She was holding herself together with sheer will. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his bloody shoulder. A single tear slipped down her nose and landed on his cheek.
Then— a twitch.
She froze. Her head snapped up. Manjiro's lips parted the smallest bit.
Faint, golden ripples began to pulse from his heart, knitting his bones together with the warmth of the sun slowly.
Manjiro felt a warmth spread through his veins, identical to the energy produced by the sun.
Manjiro: (Weakly opening one eye) "Hey... Shinobu. I..."
Shinobu's breath catches—half sob, half fury, half relief (yes, three halves she's broken).
Thump.
She punched him in the chest.
Manjiro: "Ghk—!" (He coughed, but a weak, stupidly proud smile formed on his lips.) "…ow… you're really gentle today."
Her face flooded red instantly, mixing with the tears.
Shinobu: "YOU—SHUT—UP—" (Another hit. Much gentler this time, her hand lingering on his chest.) "…I thought you… I thought you were gone…"
His eyelids fluttered. He was fading in and out of consciousness, but the pain was distant now. He whispers "Sorry… didn't mean to scare you. You looked cute, though…"
Her hand clamped over his mouth immediately.
Shinobu: "If you say one more word, I'm knocking you out again." (She pulls out a syringe filled with quick-acting painkiller and stimulant.)
"Don't talk! Just try to regulate your breathing!" (She injects him, her hands trembling slightly from adrenaline.)
The medicine hit his system. Manjiro felt the darkness creeping in, but it was warm.
Shinobu leaned over him, checking his pupil dilation, her hair brushing his cheek. Her voice dropped to a soft, small tone—a tone she'd never let anyone else hear.
Shinobu: "…don't ever do that to me again. Not you… not like this."
His eyes roll back, a peaceful expression finally crossing his face as the darkness takes him.