When the Raiden Shogun raised her hand to charge the Musou no Hitotachi, every corner of Inazuma could see the churning lightning in the sky, as if it would fall at any moment and destroy the entire city. Every corner of Inazuma could hear the deafening thunder.
At this sight, all the people of Inazuma looked up in terror at the sky. For ordinary folk like them, they had never witnessed such a horrifying scene in their entire lives.
The moment they saw it, they thought of one name: the Raiden Shogun. They knew she was strong. They had heard the legends of Musoujin Gorge. But only now did they truly witness her terrifying power with their own eyes.
Meanwhile, outside Tenshukaku, Kazuha was running desperately, gasping for breath. Faster. Faster. Tenshukaku was right there. He might still save his friend. But the sudden appearance of the terrifying lightning filled him with despair.
He knew—the Raiden Shogun was about to strike.
"No—there must be a peaceful way to resolve this. Why must she swing that blade? Please stop!"
Though despair gripped his heart, he kept running. He knew the swordsman's greatest strength was speed. He wished with all his heart that his friend would use that speed to dodge the Shogun's blade.
"Move—let me through—don't block the way!"
The closer he got to Tenshukaku, the denser the crowd of onlookers became. He pushed past them desperately, forcing his way toward Tenshukaku.
...
Inside Tenshukaku, the Raiden Shogun raised Musou Isshin, which had shaken heaven and earth, and looked coldly at the swordsman before her. To her surprise, even now, as the blade was about to fall, his face showed no terror, no fear—only a hint of excitement.
She was curious. What method would this swordsman use to meet the Musou no Hitotachi?
Moved by this thought, she unconsciously slowed the speed of her swing. Under everyone's shocked gazes, she swung the Musou no Hitotachi.
Though the swing was slower, its power was undiminished. Bearing the force of countless bolts of lightning, it surged toward the swordsman, as if to tear apart heaven and earth.
On the other side of the dueling ground, the swordsman watched the Shogun swing her blade with grave intensity. To his shock, once the blade was in motion, he could not evade it. No matter where he hid, he could not escape that terrifying strike.
As the blade fell, he made a decision that stunned everyone. Still clenching the sword in his teeth, he raised his right hand with all his strength and hurled that sword like a projectile toward the incoming lightning.
Then he hurled the second sword from his left hand with the same speed and power. Two swords flew into the path of the thunderous light.
Only the third sword, still clamped between his teeth, remained. He grasped it with both hands, raised it, and swung his own third strike with all his might.
Three swords against one. That was his final gambit.
Everyone was amazed by his ingenuity. Everyone waited for the outcome.
In an instant, the thunderous light collided with the first hurled sword. With a crack, the lightning devoured the blade, shattering it instantly.
To everyone's shock, after destroying the first sword, the thunderous light showed no sign of weakening. Its speed did not diminish. It raced forward.
In the blink of an eye, it met the second sword. With another crack, it devoured and shattered that blade as well.
Still, the thunderous light did not weaken. It flew straight toward the swordsman at the rear.
In that moment, everyone except the Raiden Shogun held their breath. Some even closed their eyes.
The swordsman had finally fulfilled his wish—he had witnessed the Musou no Hitotachi.
In truth, the moment the blade was swung, he knew that even three swords could not stop it. But he still used all his strength, in his best condition, to meet the Shogun's ultimate strike.
Almost instantly, the Shogun's blade met the last sword in his hands. As expected, like the previous two, the sword shattered under the pressure of the thunderous light. The lightning passed through the fragments and struck the swordsman.
It was over. Even giving his all, even preparing three swords, he could not withstand that strike.
In the moment before death, the swordsman looked at the lightning-filled world, at the Shogun's supreme martial skill. Countless insights flooded his mind.
So this was the pinnacle of martial arts. So the Raiden Shogun's blade was this powerful.
In his final moment, facing death, he felt neither fear nor regret. Only a bitter smile.
With a crash, the thunderous blade, witnessed by all, fell upon the swordsman.
Perhaps the three swords had weakened its force. Perhaps the Shogun had held back, not using her full power. In any case, the blade did not cleave him in two as everyone had expected. Instead, it tore open half his body and sent him flying through the air.
It hurt. So this was what death felt like.
In the moment before his consciousness faded, he seemed to hear a faint voice:
"Please—don't die."
That voice. So familiar. Was it you, Kazuha?