The battle between the white dragon and "Bubble" was completely one-sided. Every swipe of the white dragon's claws and every blast of its breath tore away part of Bubble's scales, while Bubble's attacks were always deftly twisted aside by the white dragon.
Tsunayoshi was not pleased by this. After Ginjō's earlier probing, he knew Bubble did not care about damage to her body at all. He was waiting—waiting for the moment Bubble exposed her true objective.
Sure enough, after forcefully enduring another tearing attack from the white dragon, Bubble suddenly opened her huge mouth. A terrifying Dragon Breath had already gathered inside it. She compressed all of that breath into a single bubble-like sphere and fired it toward Tsunayoshi.
Bubble was highly intelligent. She knew Tsunayoshi was the one controlling the white dragon. In other words, once Tsunayoshi was dealt with, that troublesome creature would collapse on its own.
Faced with Bubble's sudden attack, a projectile like a Tailed Beast Ball, Tsunayoshi showed no surprise at all. He had prepared for this long ago.
Tsunayoshi raised both hands vertically before his chest. Just as the bubble-shaped Dragon Breath was about to strike him, he quickly brought his hands together.
Clap.
Tsunayoshi clapped once before his chest, and the terrifying Reiatsu vanished in an instant, leaving not even a trace behind.
Ninny and Noel stared in shock. They had been worried Tsunayoshi would be hit by that attack and had nearly cried out, but Tsunayoshi's response shocked them so much it was as if someone had seized their throats, leaving them unable to make a sound.
White Clap.
Byakuran's signature defensive technique. By using the pressure generated by clapping, it forcibly extinguished the enemy's Reiatsu.
Byakuran's techniques were all far too flashy, so Tsunayoshi only used them while in his Sky Resurrección form. In any other mode, if he failed to control the force properly, he might be instantly smacked in the face by his opponent instead.
Seeing that her attack had no effect, Bubble scattered herself into countless bubbles once again, causing the white dragon's attack to hit nothing but empty air.
After dodging the white dragon's strike, the bubbles transformed into a torrent and rushed rapidly toward Tsunayoshi. In front of him, they condensed back into the form of a giant dragon, and razor-sharp dragon claws stabbed toward the human who was smaller than her palm.
With a sharp clang, the Reiatsu of Tsunayoshi and Bubble erupted in a violent clash. All the bubbles in the surrounding area were blown away, forming a vacuum zone free of bubbles.
Bubble's eyes trembled. Such a tiny human had blocked her dragon claw with only one finger. Was he truly human, or was he a dragon?
White Finger.
By concentrating his flames into a single point, Tsunayoshi blocked the dragon claw's attack. During the process, he used the principle of Hanki Sōsai, deliberately adjusting his Reiatsu to the same level as Bubble's. That was why the clash appeared evenly matched.
"White dragon," Tsunayoshi called softly.
The white dragon immediately attacked from behind Bubble, firing blast after blast of Dragon Breath and instantly pushing the pressure on Bubble to the limit.
Bubble turned around in a panic, as if trying to hide something. In that instant, in her heart, even Ginjō's importance fell to second place.
This was the moment he had been waiting for.
The instant Bubble's attention shifted away from Ginjō, her dragon claw had already separated from the rest of her body.
White Blade.
Forming his hand into a blade, Tsunayoshi seized the moment Bubble turned back and chopped off her hand. His other hand, wrapped in Sky Flames, plunged into the bubbles and pulled Ginjō out.
"Haah!"
The moment he escaped the bubbles, Ginjō let out a long breath. His strength was still respectable; as soon as he was free, he regained control over his own body.
"Thanks, Tsunayoshi."
Tsunayoshi's goal was simple: first rescue Ginjō, the hostage, from the terrorist's hands, and then eliminate Bubble, the terrorist.
However, the terrorist before him seemed a little unusual. The instant Ginjō escaped, she let out a shrill roar, as if someone had stolen her lover.
"GINJŌ!!!"
Ginjō shrank his neck back. He did not care that this madwoman had shouted his name loudly enough to echo through Karakura Town. He only wanted to get as far away from this dragon as possible.
"She's all yours, Tsunayoshi!"
Having firmly decided not to get involved anymore, Ginjō quickly retreated to Tatsuki's side.
Bubble attacked Tsunayoshi like a madwoman. She wanted to kill this culprit who had stolen her beloved first, and then welcome Ginjō back to her side.
Dragon Breath blasted from Bubble's mouth again and again. Tsunayoshi occasionally used White Clap to defend, but he never truly counterattacked. He simply allowed the white dragon to keep wounding Bubble.
"Why isn't he attacking?!" Ninny was going frantic. If she had possessed Tsunayoshi's kind of power, she would have chopped that so-called fairy-tale dragon into eighteen pieces already.
"It isn't that he won't attack. He can't find the right place to strike." Ginjō's expression was grave. He understood Tsunayoshi's thinking very well. "Ordinary attacks have no effect on it. Tsunayoshi is waiting for the white dragon to find its weak point."
Ginjō knew that feeling all too well. After seeing the wounds he had gone to such great effort to inflict amount to nothing, he wanted to slap himself hard across the face. He had still acted too impulsively.
"Niiha, are there any other records about fairy-tale dragons?" Ninny wanted to help too, but with her head empty of ideas, she could only place her hopes on Noel.
"In the fairy tale of the Little Mermaid, the protagonist is a little mermaid. Her tail and the human legs she obtains after transforming are central to the entire story. Sawada Tsunayoshi, try attacking her tail!" Noel shouted the last sentence loudly.
"That's a legendary dragon we're talking about. Are we really relying on a fairy tale?" Ninny felt that this sounded unreliable.
"No. When fighting a fairy-tale dragon, the only thing we can rely on is the fairy tale!" Tatsuki strongly agreed with Noel's suggestion. "Tsunayoshi, attack her tail!"
Noel and Tatsuki's double reminder struck Tsunayoshi like a stimulant, instantly clearing his mind. He finally understood why Bubble had felt so strange to him.
Ever since the white dragon had launched its sneak attack from behind, Bubble had been trying to conceal something. She had even abandoned Ginjō for it. There was only one thing she had been trying to hide: Bubble's weak point—her tail.
Tatsuki's voice had not been concealed in the slightest, and Bubble had heard it too. She immediately scattered herself into countless bubbles. She intended to turn into bubbles again and escape the white dragon's entanglement.
She was trying to run!
As Bubble transformed into bubbles, she stared at Ginjō with a savage grin.
Let Ginjō be free for now. She would bring him back very soon!
The next moment, Bubble's expression froze.
She suddenly realized that she seemed to have been caught.
What could possibly grab her while she was scattered into countless bubbles?
Only then did Bubble's attention turn toward Tsunayoshi. She saw him holding one hand out toward her in a loose grasp. Orange flames extended from his arm, forming a gigantic flaming hand that held her firmly in its palm.
Was this the thing that had broken through her previously unstoppable bubble transformation?
Bubble struggled desperately while continuing to try to turn herself into bubbles and escape.
But how could a dragon from the West have ever witnessed the power of Eastern Dying Will Flames?
Before the harmonizing power of the Sky Flames, all beings were equal. Bubble had no chance of escaping from that giant hand.
White Grip.
A technique that used Dying Will Flames to form a huge hand and seize the enemy. Weaker opponents could be crushed to death outright by its overwhelming grip strength.
After completely restraining Bubble, Tsunayoshi could finally begin testing his companions' suggestion.
With a thought from Tsunayoshi, the white dragon immediately understood. It lunged at the huge fish tail and bit down hard.
Bubble instantly let out a shrill scream.
The torn wound was bloody and raw. It seemed Noel's guess had been right—the tail was Bubble's weak point!
The white dragon returned to Tsunayoshi's side with a hint of excitement. It also knew that its attack had finally inflicted real damage.
Tsunayoshi gently stroked the white dragon's head.
It was time to end this.
Dense Sky Flames spiraled around Tsunayoshi's right hand, forming the shape of a drill. In his Sky Resurrección state, this was a technique on the same level as the X-Burner.
Jet Cannon!
A thick blast of Sky Flames erupted onto Bubble's tail. Bubble did not even have the strength to scream. Her eyes were filled with nothing but despair.
The farce was over.
As her tail was destroyed by Tsunayoshi, Bubble's body gradually began to collapse. She turned into countless specks of Reishi and scattered into the air. Already consumed by despair, Bubble used the last of her strength to turn her head toward Ginjō.
In that instant, the softest part of Ginjō's heart was pierced by Bubble's fragile gaze.
It was as if the being before him was not some dragon, but a living, breathing person.
Yūko-chan?
Ginjō gritted his teeth. Bringer Light propelled him toward Bubble.
When Bubble saw Ginjō move, her eyes softened.
In the name of Bubble, she could no longer wait for Ginjō. During his flight toward her, Bubble had already become a thing of the past. The fairy-tale dragon from the West had completely dissipated.
His heart felt hollow.
Had he done something wrong?
No. He had not.
Ginjō did not think there was anything wrong with rejecting Bubble. He only felt regret that he had failed to see Bubble off at the very end.
Ginjō lowered his head dejectedly.
He could not even say a final goodbye. He really was a bastard.
"Gin… jō… san…"
A soft voice came from above him.
Ginjō hurriedly raised his head. It was Yūko. A translucent Yūko was drifting down from above.
In the name of Bubble, she could not wait for Ginjō's farewell. But by gathering the last traces of her magic, she could still resolve Ginjō's regret as Yūko-chan.
She loved this man who had given her love.
She did not want him to shed regretful tears because of her.
"Yūko!"
Ginjō quickly stood and held Yūko in his arms. Rather than holding her, it was more accurate to say he was cradling her. In her current state, Yūko no longer had any of the weight she had possessed as a human. She was only a mass of Reishi about to disappear.
"Being able… to see you… truly is… wonderful…"
Yūko-chan's smile was still so gentle, capable of soothing all the exhaustion in one's heart.
It was precisely because of that smile that Ginjō had fallen so deeply.
He had spent his life running himself ragged for Xcution. He had thought he had finally found a harbor where he could rest, only for the heavens to play an enormous joke on him.
"Yūko-chan, don't say anything. Rest properly. Everything will be all right!" Ginjō used the same words Yūko had once used to comfort him, now trying to comfort her in return.
"Gin…"
"I'm here!"
Afraid that Yūko would be unable to say her next words, Ginjō immediately answered.
"Ginjō…"
"I'm here!"
Bitter tears passed through Yūko's translucent body. Ginjō forced himself to hold back his sobs, but the floodgates at the corners of his eyes would not close no matter what.
"Ginjō, did you…"
"I loved you!"
Ginjō did not deny that he had loved Yūko.
What he could not accept was a monster taking Yūko's form, approaching him, and toying with the feelings he and Yūko had shared.
"That is… wonderful…"
A happy smile appeared on Yūko's face. The magic Bubble had left behind could no longer sustain her body. Beneath the full moon, she left behind her final farewell.
"Arigatō… sayonara…"
Just like in the fairy tale, the little mermaid could not be together with the one she loved in the end.
She turned into a cluster of bubbles and vanished…
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