Zoro tightened his grip on his swords. His lips curled into a grin. "Now there are no distractions," he said. He looked at a samurai zombie.
Ryuma's skeletal face tilted slightly, his hollow eyes gleamed. "Indeed, there are none," he replied. "I am impressed you held on for this long against us," he added. "Do you think she will be okay?" he asked.
"Alvida is a tough one," Zoro replied. "You should worry about your friend," he added.
Ryuma looked at Zoro. There was silence. Then both warriors lunged forward. Their blades flashed.
"Prelude au Feu," Ryuma said as he thrusted his sword forward in a rapid succession of piercing strikes.
Zoro's eyes narrowed. He moved his blades in a blur and intercepted each thrust with parries. There were sparks flying with every clash. "A weapon-breaking technique," he muttered.
Ryuma pressed harder as his thrusts accelerated, each one sharper than the last.
Zoro snarled as he shifted his stance. "Two-Sword Style, Demon Bear," he said as he leapt into the air. He crossed his blades above his head before driving them downward like twin fangs.
Ryuma braced as his sword rose to meet the strike. The impact shook the room and forced him back. Ryuma`s boots skidded across the stone floor until his back slammed against the wall.
Ryuma looked up and with a sudden twist. He moved his blade forward and tried to strike Zoro`s head.
Zoro jerked his head left, then right as he narrowly dodged the lightning-fast strikes before springing back to gain distance.
"Gavotte, Bon Avdant," Ryuma said as he dashed forward with speed. He thrusted his blade forward. There was a small dust cloud as he closed the distance.
Zoro slid his swords back into their sheaths. He lowered his stance. His eyes sharpened. "Two-Sword Style," he said as he gripped the hilts tightly. "Draw Style: Castle Gate," he added.
In a blur, he unsheathed both blades, the twin arcs of steel collided with Ryuma's strike. The clash detonated with explosive force and the walls around them cracked under the pressure. Dust rained from the ceiling as the ground trembled beneath their feet.
Both men pushed against each other and were now on the other side of the room.
Zoro started to run to the left. His chest was heaving. "Seventy-Two Pound Cannon," Zoro said as he swung both swords in unison and unleashed a compressed blast of air that tore through the room.
Ryuma's eyes glowed faintly as he twisted aside and dodged the attack. The blast ripped past him and smashed into the far wall. The wall broke apart and left a gaping hole.
"Polka Continuation," Ryuma countered as his blade moved in a rapid succession. He sent a slash and released a streak of purple air blasts. They all went towards Zoro in a deadly storm.
Zoro planted his feet and crossed his blades. The attacks slammed into him. There were sparks and shockwaves exploding outward. He deflected the barrage and redirected the blasts. They tore into the roof and walls around them.
The room shook violently. There was dust and rubble falling as they stood.
Zoro lunged forward. At the same instant, Ryuma surged forward to meet him. Their swords collided with a thunderous crash.
The impact unleashed a shockwave that rattled the walls and shattered the glass. The impact sent them both backward. They crashed through the window.
Zoro and Ryuma landed hard on the slanted rooftop below. Their boots skidded against the tiles. Neither hesitated. They both leapt and climbed toward the tallest peak of the roof. The moonlight bathed them in silver as they clashed once more. Their swords rang out across the night sky.
Zoro and Ryuma both jumped back. Zoro slid back down the roof. He looked down and he saw he was high up. He planted his foot and ran across the floor.
At that moment, Ryuma jumped across the roof and appeared in front of Zoro and thrusted his sword forward.
Zoro slid back across the slanted rooftop. His boots grinded against the tiles as Ryuma's blade narrowly missed his chest. He planted his foot hard and halted his descent. He looked up and surged forward.
Ryuma charged down from above. He twisted mid-step and swung his sword.
Zoro leapt high. The blade sliced just beneath him. He came down with both hands and gripped his sword. He brought it down in a crushing overhead strike.
Ryuma raised his weapon and they clashed. There was a sound. There were sparks burst between them as their blades locked.
Zoro broke away and swung again in a wide arc. Ryuma slipped aside and with a sudden twist, Ryuma slashed outward and released a compressed air blade that ripped through the rooftop tiles.
Zoro jumped back. The blast tore past him. He skidded down the slope and his sword scraped against the roof to slow his fall. The tiles cracked beneath the pressure, but he stopped himself just short of the edge.
With a growl, Zoro pushed off and sprinted upward. He had one sword in hand. "One-Sword Style," he called as his blade glowed. A spectral dragon could be seen around him. "Dragon Blaze," he added as he came towards Ryuma.
Ryuma ran up towards Zoro. He jumped in the air. "Three-Pace Hum Notch Slash," he said as he put his strength into the sword and thrusted forward.
The two attacks collided in mid-air. The rooftop shook violently. The tiles shattered.
Ryuma landed on the roof. He staggered back.
Zoro crashed down below. His chest was heaving,
Ryuma looked down at his wound and then down at Zoro. "I lost," he admitted as flames started to ignite his body.
He raised his sword, its black steel gleamed in the moonlight. "Shusui, the famed blade that once served a legendary samurai. I am certain… it will be satisfied under your command," Ryuma said.
His grip loosened, and the sword slipped from his hand. Zoro reached up and caught it. "I wish I could've met you when you were alive," he said quietly.
Ryuma's body began to burn. The flames consumed him from within. His shadow tore free from his mouth and writhed upward before vanishing into the night.
Zoro had Shusui in his hand. "We will pretend this never happened," he said. He looked up to see Oars moving around.