Just as Raiden Ei curled up and sobbed, the battle on the other side also reached its conclusion.
Although the Burning of conviction can elevate power, it ultimately has its limits.
Kujou Sara's conviction stemmed from protection, from Raiden Ei.
At this moment, witnessing her Shogun being humiliated, her blade stolen, and even curling up on her knees, this conviction was like charcoal doused in ice water, dimming amidst stinging pain and helplessness.
In her state of severe mental shock, flaws inevitably appeared in her moves.
Clorinde was completely different; her conviction came from King.
Seeing Lord King easily defeat the Raiden Shogun, her conviction was instead like oil poured onto a fire, growing even more intense!
"An opening!"
At the very instant Kujou Sara lost her focus due to Raiden Ei's crying, purple lightning flashed in Clorinde's eyes as she captured that fleeting opening!
Her figure transformed into a straight beam of thunder, thrusting forward.
The lightning sword in her hand became one with her, aiming straight for Kujou Sara's center in the swiftest manner!
"What?!"
In a rush, Kujou Sara held her bow horizontally to block.
"Clang—!!!"
The ear-piercing explosion of clashing metal erupted!
Click!
The Shadow-Bane Longbow in Kujou Sara's hand, which had accompanied her in battle for many years, snapped in the middle!
The broken bow slammed violently into her chest and abdomen.
"Pfft!"
Kujou Sara spat out a mouthful of blood, her whole body flying backward like a kite with a broken string, slamming heavily into the distant wall before sliding limply to the ground.
She tried to prop herself up, but her arms gave way and she collapsed again, only able to lift her head with difficulty, her purple eyes staring fixedly at the center of the hall.
There, the Raiden Shogun she had sworn her life to was curled up in Yae Miko's arms, her back trembling like an abandoned child.
And she, the General of the Tenryou Commission, couldn't even manage to approach and comfort her, only able to sprawl there like a beaten dog.
"Shogun... Sama..."
Kujou Sara gritted her teeth, blood mixing with bitter tears as they slid from the corners of her mouth and eyes simultaneously.
Unwillingness, humiliation, self-reproach, heartache... various emotions intertwined like poisonous vines around her heart, nearly suffocating her.
She hated her own incompetence!
But she didn't even have the strength to stand up anymore.
Kujou Sara lay prone on the ground, her fingernails digging deep into the cracks of the shattered floor tiles, letting out a beast-like whimper.
Clorinde slowly sheathed her sword, her chest heaving slightly; her sword-hand was also trembling from overexertion, and the webbing of her thumb had split and was seeping blood.
But she stood straight, her gaze still sharp; she swept her eyes over the fallen Kujou Sara, and after confirming she was no longer a threat, she paid her no more attention.
Clorinde turned around, her gaze landing on King.
The battle just now had squeezed her conviction, her will, and even her Vision to their limits.
She could feel that some kind of shackle seemed to have loosened.
After her desire and will reached their peak, she seemed to have touched a faint, indistinct threshold.
Something inside her body was undergoing a transformation.
Although Clorinde clearly understood that she still had a long way to go to even see Lord King's back.
But the direction forward had never been so clear.
King did not look at the outcome on Clorinde's side.
He trusted Clorinde; Kujou Sara's defeat was already within his expectations.
King's gaze fell upon the curled-up Raiden Ei and Yae Miko, who was holding her tightly; it lingered for a moment before moving away.
He did not speak to disturb them, just standing there quietly, still holding the "stolen" musou isshin in his hand.
The sea breeze blew through the dilapidated dome and the gap in the gates of Tenshukaku, bringing the faint, panicked clamor of the distant populace, making this scene inside the hall appear even more delicate.
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