["I've told you and that woman countless times... I am 'Dan Heng.'" Dan Heng's tone carried a hint of impatience. "I have no connection to your past."]
["Dan Heng..." Blade repeated with a hint of amusement. "You think changing your appearance and identity can erase your past sins? You... you haven't even faced death..."]
["To make you feel that pain, Dan Heng," Blade gritted out word by word, "...I will make you know the agony of 'death'!"]
["Heh, that won't do."]
[Just as Blade and Dan Heng were on the verge of clashing, a youthful voice suddenly interrupted them.]
[Both turned to the source of the voice and saw a boy with goose-yellow hair and golden pupils approaching—Yanquing!]
——
One Punch Man
Sword Saint Assembly
"That woman didn't show up, huh..." Atomic Samurai shook his head regretfully. "Blade and Yanqing are both here. If that woman were here too, it'd be quite the spectacle... What a pity."
"The scene before us is already fascinating, Kamikaze," said the white-haired elder Nichirin, seated across from Atomic Samurai, with a faint smile. "Don't you feel it? The killing intent radiating from Blade..."
"...He's killed many. And his aura is even stronger than when he first appeared. Is this the 'Mara-Struck' state?"
Nichirin, a man obsessed with swords his entire life, had always suppressed his emotions to refine his swordsmanship. Having witnessed Jingliu's strikes twice before, he had broken his decades-long restraint, enraptured by her swordsmanship. And now, it seemed... he was about to break that restraint again today.
"Kamikaze, you've been practicing, haven't you? That move..." Nichirin's smile faded as he looked at Atomic Samurai. "How's your progress?"
"What move?" Atomic Samurai feigned ignorance.
"Heh... Kamikaze, after all these years of friendship, you still haven't learned to lie," Nichirin said, no longer hiding his intent. "That strike Jingliu aimed at Yanqing... you've been diligently practicing it, haven't you?"
He had hoped to secretly master that hidden technique... but since Nichirin saw through him, Atomic Samurai no longer concealed it and nodded openly.
"Though you may not have noticed, Kamikaze, the way you grip your sword is gradually aligning with Jingliu's," Nichirin said with a trace of envy. "...This is a good thing. It means you're steadily approaching her level."
"But that strike is still incredibly difficult to master," Atomic Samurai said, frowning. "I've practiced it countless times, but it's always a clumsy imitation of her strike. Was that really something she did so casually...? I still can't believe it."
"No need to rush, Kamikaze," Nichirin said, pointing at Yanqing on the screen. "This young boy has also been taught, hasn't he? Why not see how he's applying it?"
——
["You're not killing anyone today, fugitive, because you're coming with me."]
["Jing Yuan's little follower..." Blade sneered. "Didn't Jing Yuan teach you to read the situation?"]
[Yanquing ignored him, turning to Dan Heng and cautioning, "Hey, get out of here. Things are about to get messy with swords flying... Huh? You look kind of familiar..."]
["Watch out!"]
[Dan Heng's gaze sharpened. He intended to warn Yanqing, but suddenly a dark figure flashed behind him, accompanied by a voice like a nightmare whispering in his ear.]
["Stop hiding."]
["Tch." Dan Heng instinctively tightened his grip on his spear, Cloud-Piercer, attempting to create distance with a flick of the spear's tip.]
[But Blade's sword, Shard Sword, was heavy and long, its technique strange. With one slash, its intent was impossible to predict. It seemed to aim for the neck but shifted to the shoulder. In an instant, a storm of sword strikes rained down, impenetrable.]
[This clash was no longer a single sharp sound but a cacophony of countless strikes, like bursting beans. In a flash, their spear and sword clashed and collided who-knows-how-many times. But in the end, Dan Heng's strength faltered, and he fell behind, struck in the abdomen by Blade's kick.]
[In that instant, Dan Heng flew backward like an arrow loosed from a bow.]
["Show your true form!"]
[Seeing his strike land, the madness in Blade's eyes intensified. As he moved to pursue, another figure stepped in front of Dan Heng!]
["Clang!"]
[Yanquing flashed forward to meet Blade's sword, his own swordplay flowing seamlessly. In a moment, they exchanged dozens of blows. Unable to secure a quick victory, Yanqing summoned all his flying swords to attack Blade together, a barrage like meteors streaking across the sky. Yet Blade casually deflected them all with ease.]
Meanwhile, at the Emiya Household
"This is Blade's strength?"
Watching Blade's impenetrable swordplay, Sasaki Kojirou sighed, "...Such a pity."
"Pity?" Cu Chulainn's eyes widened. His focus had been on Dan Heng's spear technique, and he hadn't closely observed Blade. But the fact that Blade could overpower Dan Heng head-on was enough to prove this man was outrageously strong.
"Assassin's right. It is a pity," Saber agreed. "As a swordsman, Blade's skill is undeniably exquisite, one of the best even in the Xianzhou. But that's only if Jingliu didn't exist."
"If he were to spar purely on martial skill with Jing Yuan, the outcome would be uncertain. But in swordsmanship alone, he's no match for Jingliu."
"The difference is... Jingliu seeks to reach the pinnacle of swordsmanship, while Blade has no such ambition. The exact reason... I can't quite tell yet, but his swordsmanship lacks Jingliu's purity."
At this, Cu Chulainn nodded in realization. "Now that you mention it, if Jingliu were to fight Yanqing seriously, it'd probably be over in an instant, right?"
[In the heat of battle, Blade suddenly abandoned defense, raising his hand to hurl the Shard Sword forward!]
[Its target wasn't Yanqing but Dan Heng behind him!]
["Ugh!" Dan Heng, who had just gotten to his feet, was pierced through the chest by the sword before he could react!]
["You!" Yanqing, seeing Dan Heng stabbed behind him, angrily raised his sword toward Blade.]
["Heh." Blade completely ignored his sword, walking slowly toward Dan Heng while saying with relish, "Kid, let me introduce you. The one behind you is guilty of the ten heinous crimes..."]
[As he spoke, the once-calm Ancient Sea suddenly surged with towering waves, as if thousands of horses were galloping. Dark clouds gathered, winds howled, and the entire Ancient Sea Palace Ruins transformed. Thunder rumbled like giant drums.]
["Ah!" Yanqing stared in disbelief as the cavern's atmosphere shifted dramatically. He turned sharply to see countless streams of seawater surging from all directions, gently enveloping Dan Heng's wounded body in a sphere of water.]
["...A traitor who rebelled against the Xianzhou, caused great chaos, and was eternally banished. The Vidyadhara High Elder—Imbibitor Lunae!"]
[With a roar that shook the heavens, the waters of the Ancient Sea formed a massive azure dragon that soared into the sky before crashing down, unleashing a blinding burst of light.]
[When the light faded—]
[Dan Heng stood atop a lotus, reappearing before everyone's eyes. Dragon horns slowly emerged on his head, his short hair now flowing down to his waist. His loose coat transformed into an ancient azure robe, exuding an air of noble elegance.]
[He turned slightly, his eyes slowly opening.]