She didn't pause for even a heartbeat. Her gaze steady, she twisted her body and brought her blade up in a reverse slash. Zane raised his sword to block, but she spun in the same motion and drove a fierce kick straight at him.
The blow struck true, forcing Zane back once more. Hoshimi Miyabi pressed her advantage without hesitation.
Her attacks were different now—faster, sharper, more decisive. Every strike carried an overwhelming force of will. Step by step, she drove Zane backward.
Hoshimi Miyabi could clearly feel that the pressure he once exerted on her had weakened. Perhaps it was because he no longer had access to Ether energy—or maybe something else entirely. Whatever the reason, she was now taking control of the battle.
With every clash, the once-unbreakable Ether longsword began to fracture, cracks spreading across its blade.
Another strike came down—her weapon grazing past Zane's side, cutting across his chest. Miyabi quickly drew her blade back, eyes flickering as she prepared her next move. A hint of relief rose within her.
Zane seemed to be regaining his senses.
Truthfully, she had no idea how to help him. From her understanding, what Zane needed was for her to restrain him—give him time to resolve the problem within himself. To subdue him by force, that was how she could help. To not disappoint him meant to be strong enough to stand at his side, to fight with him.
And now, she was about to succeed.
Still, Hoshimi Miyabi didn't let her guard down. Her strikes came fast and fluid, each swing flashing like a flower blooming in midair, traced by the edge of her blade.
Finally, as Zane's movements slowed and his Ether energy faded, she found an opening. She raised her arm, catching the Ether longsword against her armored forearm. In that brief instant of stillness, her demon blade curved around his guard, and with a sharp motion, the hilt knocked his sword aside.
Whoosh—
The blade cut through the air and stopped—steady, unwavering—less than an inch from Zane's chest. One more push, and she could end his life.
"Zane, what do we do now?"
Inside the confined hollow, under these conditions, Hoshimi Miyabi was confident she could prevent anything from going wrong. She stayed alert, her focus unwavering.
Zane looked at her, the red in his eyes fading slightly. He parted his lips and said softly,
"Miyabi… strike."
The words brushed against her ear. She stared at the blade hovering before his chest, eyes widening in disbelief.
Did she hear him right? Strike? What did he mean? Was he asking her to use this blade—on him? Ridiculous.
"You created this small space that cuts off Ether energy—and isolates the hollow. It's helped me."
Zane smiled faintly, his tone calm.
"But even so… I don't have much time left. So…"
Seeing her still hesitate, Zane continued gently,
"Don't worry about me. You know what I'm capable of, don't you?"
At that, Hoshimi Miyabi's expression softened slightly. Thinking over his words, she started to speak,
"But you should at least—"
Before she could finish, Zane's arm moved. In one swift motion, he raised his Ether sword and thrust it toward her chest.
It happened too fast. In that split second, Hoshimi Miyabi couldn't decide what was right. But she heard it—the voice that came with the strike.
"Strike!"
A wet sound followed—
The blade pierced through Zane's chest almost without resistance. Nearby, the spirit floated weakly, silently watching it all.
Hoshimi Miyabi's breathing quickened. Her eyes widened as she looked at Zane's stiffened expression. He must have been influenced again, she thought. She chose to trust his words—and acted.
But when pain shot through her own chest, realization struck. Gritting her teeth, she hissed,
"You lied to me?!"
The shattered Ether sword pressed against her chest, its broken blade barely holding together. Crystalline fragments beneath her feet slowly faded away.
Though grievously wounded, Zane still smiled.
He hadn't lost control. He had only forced Hoshimi Miyabi to make her choice.