The sheer shock of the moment had finally left Shin's body and he could finally discern the weapon in his adopted sister's hands. The black gleam of the blade shone in the light of the moon. The massive aura it gave off was nearly on par with that of Yasuos' own form. It felt similar to the corrupted miasma that permeated the forest only it was far more tamed.

"Did you hear what she called out?" Kureha asked, keeping her tone low.

"I did," he replied.

Ryuuou.

The legendary blade of the Founder of Serikawa Village and his ancestor, Akatsuki Furude. Such a Mystic Gear was being invoked by Asia at this time? He did not know what to think. Was it just pure luck or was there something more to it? Either way, he chose not to think. Instead, he capitalized upon the opportunity.

As Yasuo looked on, infuriated by the sudden turn of events, Shin vanished from his spot and reappeared behind the man. In a rapid motion, he made an X-slash, slicing into his unsuspecting flesh.

The turn of events surprised both Asia and Yasuo as Yasuo stumbled forward, howling in pain. He quickly turned and sliced the air behind him with his knife hand, only to miss Shin entirely.

"You insolent mother-"

He jumped into the air, having felt a sense of urgency. As he flipped, he made brief eye contact with Asia, who vanished from the spot underneath.

A tremendous force slammed into him as he was thrown further into the air. Kureha's Battle Avatar of Vritra had its limbs extended.

And in that same instant, a cyclone of flames swallowed him whole and set the entire night sky ablaze.

All three of them landed around the firestorm. Ravel had one hand outstretched and another making a hand sign, using the Inter-Promoting Cycle to drastically amplify the power of her fire.

A howl of frustration ripped through the roaring flames. In an instant, the flaming tornado was shattered to pieces. Yasuo hovered in the air, breathing heavily. A violet miasma surrounded his heavily injured body. The horn on his head had been broken off by the attacks and he glared down at his attackers.

"You… insolent… impure…"

"Shut it, you inbred bastard. It's over," Shin said, pointing Suwasumeragi at him. His eyes flashed blue and red for added effect.

"Master, his body cannot contain the power for much longer. Unlike you, who wields a Mystic Gear, his body is not properly equipped to handle my power," Mori informed.

Asia frowned and looked over to her older brother. "He's gonna break down. What do we do?"

"Break down?" Shin asked.

"Mori said that her power is devouring Yasuo from the inside out. I… I don't want to kill anyone," she said quietly.

Shin's enhanced senses picked up on her words and he sighed. "I know you don't but… at this point in time, it's either him or us. We can worry about the morality of sparing our enemies later."

He spread his feet apart and lowered his stance slightly.

"Ran. Get ready," Shin ordered.

Ran manifested next to him and nodded. She inhaled, gathering oxygen in her mouth. A small puff of air escaped, igniting into black flames.

"Asia. Kureha. Ravel. Give me an opening. I'm going to try to end this in one hit. If what Asia is saying is true, then one hit is all it'll take," Shin said.

He carefully eyed Yasuo. The leaking aura was a clear sign that his body was now no longer capable of fully containing it. The more damage he took, the more he would decompose. And thanks to Asia, Shin knew of a way to end it.

Onee, I know you told me that it's still flawed but I'm going to bank it on this one shot. I'm going to use it, Shin thought.


The villagers of Serikawa and those who toured knew not of the battle raging on outside their village. The barrier Tenma had placed had been reinforced by the Inter-Promoting Cycle and the old man was confident that it could withstand an attack from Susanoo himself.

And so, Akane, who had not seen her grandfather fight since she was smaller than Kon's fox form, watched as the old man danced across the battlefield.

The massive youkai stood virtually no chance against him and it reminded her every so often that Tenma Furude was once the most powerful member of their clan and still is one of its top members.

His sword swings were graceful and did not displace the air around him. The cultists that had come swarming out alongside the youkai fell in droves and the large beasts that had targeted him were littered in cuts.

Cuts left by his Mystic Gear, the Zokazanshin.

"Onigari-Ryu: Mutoobororenge - Mugenzan."

A straight line ripped across reality and in an instant, multiple people lost their heads.

The others were skewered by a rain of golden arrows as Kon hovered in the air, firing them en masse.

"Akane?" Jingwei asked, eyeing her Contractor with some concern in her eyes.

"I haven't seen Grandpa fight in a long time. It's kind of surreal," she said. "And Mom and Dad too."

She watched as her parents fought in sync. Her father fired shots that erased entire portions of the targets it hit, firing with exact precision greater than that of her brother's. Her mother flashed from one spot to another, swinging her blade gracefully as if in a waltz, and left a trail of bodies in her wake.

Her father, a wielder of a Sacred Gear known as Oblivion Plume, and her mother, the former heiress of the Furude Clan. The two were still as strong as ever, possessing enough skill to fill two spots in the current generation of the Seven.

Her aunt appeared in a flash of lightning and brought her sword down, ripping a fissure across the land and disorienting a massive youkai.

"Focus on the battle, Akane," her father said, holding back the massive talon of an Inuhoo.

With one swift motion, he threw it into the air before disappearing and hitting it with a few blows in certain spots of its body. He landed in front of her and pushed his glasses up as the supposed ayakashi-level Youkai exploded in a shower of blood.

"Small bombs, Dad?" Akane asked, gripping Sakura's handle.

"Of course. Though, I wish this was more of a challenge you know. Your Mom and I have been lacking any good fights ever since that incident when Shin was 5," Rowan said. "But-"

His words were interrupted.

A gleam of silver flashed in his vision and Rowan glanced over his shoulder. A cultist took one more step before peeling apart like a split banana.

"Still as fast as ever."

Akane and Jingwei turned to the side to see Riser throwing a cultist aside.

"Riser, is now really the time to be flirting with my daughter?" Rowan asked, twirling his pistols.

"Dad, if that was what you think flirting was, then I dread to hear stories of how you got Mom of all people to fall for you," Akane said.

Riser held in his laughter as Rowan sputtered at her words. Saying nothing, the older man pointed his pistol into the air and fired, dispelling an errant fireball from a Nine Tails. He quickly turned on his heel and stared at the second wave of Shuen Cultists.

The world distorted and warped. The literal pressure and heat began to seemingly warp the very fabric of the world before it imploded into a fiery sphere that shook the ground violently,

The Law of Power.

As a former member of the Seven Stars, Rowan Faulkner had access to the Law of Power. A Law that governed the Stars. A cosmic Law of the Universe that was more physical than that of the other Laws.

"Kari and I will stay here with Ayaka to keep them off the village. You and Riser forge on ahead and back up Shin and the others," Rowan said. "Vivi is already returning to Shin but the space where they're fighting Yasuo is becoming distorted thanks to Moryo's powers. Kari and I will stay here and keep things under control."

"I should say the same to you but…" Akane thinned her lips, knowing her parents were good at controlling their own strength.

"Don't worry. Your mother and I will be fine. Besides, we haven't had the chance to stretch our legs since that catastrophe back in the 90s," Rowan remarked.

Akane sighed and sheathed her sword. "Be careful not to destroy the country, Dad. These guys aren't as durable as the Canaanite Goddess of the Abyss."

She glanced at Riser, who nodded.

"Lady Jingwei, let's go," she said. "With any luck, they should still be-"

A bright light caught their attention. A massive pillar of orange flames ripped through the night sky, sending a wave of heat washing over them.

Riser recognized the energy signature immediately. "It's Ravel."

The two nodded at each other before running headlong into the swarm of deranged Shuen cultists.


"Master, be careful."

Mori's words echoed through her head.

Asia back-stepped narrowly avoiding Yasuo's heel. She kept hopping back as Yasuo pursued her.

The older man's hands moved furiously, attempting to dismember her with repeated uses of Seiken.

As his hand arced across the air, Asia dropped into a stance and drew Ryuuou, parrying his metal gauntlet. She then twisted on her feet and drove her foot into his gut, sending him flying across the clearing.

He crashed through several trees before he could right himself in mid-air. But by that time, Kureha had already grabbed him and slammed him into the ground before dragging him across the dirt and launching him into the air.

Ran and Ravel appeared on each side unleashing a torrent of black and orange flames. Ravel vanished in a burst of flames as Ran raised her hand into the air, levitating the swirling orb. She closed her hand and the sky was alight in a sonorous explosion of black and gold fire.

An inhuman roar ripped through the air. A burst of violet energy ripped through the sky, tearing the clouds apart and causing battering winds.

"Rgggghhh…" Yasuo's eyes were bloodshot. His veins began to glow, forming a crisscrossing pattern that snaked itself underneath his skin. Violet energy began to waft out of his right eye. He held his hand out and gathered the violet aura around him.

"Master." Mori manifested next to Asia. "He's going to use the Fusion Flare."

"Fusion Flare?" Asia asked.

"It's one of my attacks. A breath of highly concentrated flames that is capable of wiping out an entire city in one blast. If he lets it loose, everything within a few kilometers will be vaporized and the blast wave will level everything within several hundred kilometers," Mori informed. "We need to stop him before he can finish the attack."

"How would we even stop an attack of that scale? Shin's still prepping his attack," Kureha said.

"Leave it to me," Asia said.

"You?" Ravel asked.

"The only way we can counter Moryo's power is with Moryo's power. Mori, can we…?" Asia asked.

"If we do use the Mystic Gear Armament, your body will suffer ill effects. You've had no training in it," Mori said.

"It doesn't matter right now. Asia, Ravel, Ran, and I will keep him distracted for you. You… err… real Moryo? Mori? Whatever, help her get into Mystic Gear Armament," Kureha said.

With those words, the three vanished from their spots and began attacking Yasuo.

"Are you ready?" Mori asked.

Asia gripped Ryuuou tightly and nodded.

"Just know, after you exit this state, you will be in extreme pain. You won't be able to move for a few days," Mori said.

"That's fine. I have a few tricks of my own to mitigate the damage… hopefully," Asia said, stroking the silver ring on her finger. She glanced at Mori, who was looking intently at Yasuo. "Mori… I…"

"I know. But… like you said, I have to take a leap and trust others. I'm trusting you with this, Master. Besides, both you and Akatsuki once said that it is merely the nature of a person to be selfish. So I'll be selfish this once and give what little power I have to protect you," Mori said.

Asia's eyes widened slightly before a smile graced her face. Her green eyes shined and she spread her feet apart, channeling her energy into the sword. "Haaah…. Wait… is there something I have to do for this?" she asked.

"No, we don't need to do a memory link like we did when you first accessed the gear. Some users have a chant to help them activate it so I'll teach you the chant for this one since you're using it for the first time," Mori said. "Just focus on channeling your power through your body and into the blade simultaneously."

Asia nodded.

"Now, chant with me," Mori said.

"O' blade, who cuts through this illusory world…

"Through the will of the dragon which rules this world's fragments,

"Disperse this false reality and illuminate the fragments of the world's truth!"

"Matoi Kajiri: Kakera Ryuujin - Come forth at once!"

A pillar of light shot into the sky. Swirls of energy circled Asia before sinking into her. Her clothes changed into a black bodysuit. Silver scale plating wrapped around her waist and shoulders. Black dragon scales appeared on her right leg and a black wrapping appeared on her lower right calf. Her eyes changed color to a bluish-violet with a tinge of red and a black hair ornament resembling horns appeared on her head. Her once golden blonde hair was bleached and became paler.

Shin, who was building his divine power, watched with some awe in his eyes. "She just started and she can already use Mystic Gear Armament. I guess I need to step up my game." His right eye turned blood red and he nearly doubled over due to the amount of power suddenly surging through his body.

That woman's divine power… and her Stigmata are so… heavy!

"So you're using it?"

Shin's eyes widened. It's just like with Vivi…

"Are you not going to say anything?" she asked.

"What do I have to say to someone like you?" he said, grinning through the pain. "Didn't I tell you? I'm going to grab that power with my own two hands."

"... You're a little different from when we last fought. Hmph, don't think this is enough to convince me of your resolve. For someone I sponsor, you're still weak and it looks like you still have that foolish goal of defending the White Horseman," Yaldabaoth said.

"Heh, come say that to me next time we meet. I'll show you how hard I've been working this past month," Shin said. Black and blue aura flooded from his body and began to slightly distort the space around him.

"Hmph, at least you're no longer aiming to become a hollow shell of your own self. I'll see you down this foolish path, Shin. And… I'll take you up on that offer next time we meet so get strong. I don't want our next encounter to leave a bitter taste in my mouth," she said.

Shin felt her presence vanish from his mind. He bit his cheek and continued channeling the power, watching the battle before him unfold.

Asia shifted her heel and took off, rupturing the ground beneath her with sheer speed.

Senko is a good way to gain speed but when it comes to maneuvering, too much speed can result in tunnel vision. You need to get a good feel of your surroundings before you hone in one target. Knowing your environment is the difference between life and death in combat.

Dad… Asia thought. Her eyes glowed as she took everything in. Asia flooded body with her angelic power and vanished.

She became golden flashes of light that appeared and reappeared in several different areas. Her eyes trained themselves to focus on one target. Yasuo Amawaka. Her senses extended as she avoided every obstacle in the way.

"Come on." Veins pulsated under the surface of her skin as adrenaline coursed through her body. Her breath became like mist and ignited into small violet flames.

"Haaah!"

A loud resounding boom shattered the air and knocked aside several trees as Asia turned into a streak of yellow light.

"Onigari-Ryu: Mutoobororenge - Mugenzan!"

Yasuo sensed her rapidly approaching presence a second too late. He turned to see a momentary flash of yellow light.

The flash etched a yellow line into reality, severing the air and light. A gust of wind exploded from the point of impact, severing every tree within a dozen meters of Yasuo and Asia.

Blood exploded from Yasuo's body as a deep wound etched itself into his shoulder, going all the way down to his mid-torso.

"Gaaahkk! Arrhh… you bitch!" Yasuo gasped as blood poured profusely down his body. "You insolent Italian fuck!"

Violet mist began to pour out of the wound, slowly repairing it. He quickly turned and swiped his hand, sending a cutting wave toward Asia.

Asia turned and felt an intense pain slice through her midsection.

"ASIA!" Kureha yelled.

Blood sprayed from her wound as she stumbled in mid-air, her wings barely able to keep her afloat. Her crimson essence flowed out of the wound, and parts of her innards were beginning to slip out.

"Kchh…" Asia used every ounce of her willpower in order to stay conscious. Her left hand flew to her torso, pressing against her wound.

"An eye for an eye… a tooth for a… tooth?"

Yasuo's eyes widened when Asia's eyes turned green. Her silver rings were enveloped in a violet aura and green lines traced themselves across her exposed flesh.

"You can't hurt me while I'm like this," Asia said, removing her hand. The wound closed up rapidly, leaving no trace behind.

"Impossible. Impossible! Seiso Entei!" Yasuo swiped his hand, sending several flaming waves toward Asia.

The waves sliced into her, leaving numerous cuts on her body. However, a similar warm light enveloped those wounds and they vanished as quickly as they appeared. Asia's glowing green eyes stared ominously into Yasuo's.

"I fused Twilight Healing to my body. It's instinctively healing me whenever I get hurt," Asia said. She held Ryuuou up. "You can't win…"

"Raaagggh!" Yasuo charged at her, talons splayed and ready to slice her to pieces.

Asia shifted her legs and dashed forward, swinging Ryuuou as she did. "Gotamashiki!"

Yasuo coughed as five deep cuts were sliced into his skin.

"Everyone!" Asia yelled.

A violet blast of energy slammed into Yasuo, sending him higher into the air while missiles made of orange and black flames slammed into him.

"Kkkhhbbh! Ahhhh!" Yasuo let loose a massive torrent of bright violet flames at them.

"Perfect Cube!"

A violet barrier encased the flames, containing them before they could detonate.

"Wha-?"

He turned to see Shin holding his hand out. "You…"

Shin ignored his words and lowered his core, taking a lunging position. He held Secace upward closer to his jaw while Suwasumeragi remained level with his abdomen. His heel moved slightly and he kicked off, kicking up a metric ton of dust and dirt.

Faster! Move even faster!

His body flickered as he vanished and reappeared from place to place, moving rapidly toward Yasuo in a zigzagging fashion.

With one powerful leap, Shin took off toward the air, using his momentum and Senko to create pressurized blasts of air in order to run toward Yasuo.

"Stay away!" Yasuo yelled, firing a torrent of violet flames toward Shin.

However, Shin vanished and was replaced by Vivi. Yasuo's face contorted in rage and surprise when she snapped her fingers. A massive torrent of glowing blue water manifested from behind her, taking the form of a western dragon and swallowing the flames.

"Hmph! I love that spell. You love that spell too, right, Shin?" Vivi asked.

"What spell-!?" Yasuo turned to see Shin behind him.

Shin let out a battle cry as he spun, sending them both upward spinning slash with Suwasumeragi and Secace. The two blades were engulfed in holy power, slicing easily into Yasuo's flesh and causing the man to cry out in pain.

As Shin reached the apex of the technique, he threw Secace into the air and gripped Suwasumeragi with both hands. The katana was engulfed in a black and red aura that distorted space and time.

"Sousei Onigari-Ryu - Soumetsu Rasen!" Shin performed a powerful, ruinous downward slash with Suwasumeragi.

Space-Time was split open as Shin sliced through the fabric of the dimensions. It was an absolute attack like that of the Goddess he once faced. Reality slid apart, resembling cracked glass, before sliding back together.

The reality-rending slice sent a wave that split the land open, carving a trench across the forest of Mount Benizakura. The wave traveled through Yasuo, slicing through a portion of his heart and aorta.

Shin landed on the ground and held his hand out to catch the falling Secace.

Yasuo hit the ground not a second later, landing with a heavy thud. He lay there unmoving, blood pooling around his form.

Shin panted as he fell to one knee, using Secace and Suwasumeragi as support. "Eat shit… bitch," he said.

"Onii!"

"Shin!"

He turned to see Kureha and Asia running toward him with Ravel and Ran in tow. Shin gave them a bloody smile before feeling both of their weight slam into him. He let out a small gasp before catching his balance and hugging them both.

"Onii! You're okay!" Asia said.

"Yeah, Vivi really saved me back there," Shin said, sending her a grateful expression.

"Hmph, who else would save you, Shin?" Vivi said.

"Ahaha," he laughed before wincing in pain. "Guys, my ribs."

Kureha and Asia pulled away.

Shin looked at Asia, noticing her new form. "So… one day of having a Mystic Gear and you already have its Mystic Gear Armament?"

"I have… Mori to thank for that," Asia said.

Upon hearing her name, said girl manifested next to her and smiled.

"So… you're really Moryo? The Dragon of Fragments, Moryo?" Kureha asked.

"Yes, I am," she replied.

"So all that stuff with Akatsuki Furude sealing you was…?" Ravel asked.

"It wasn't real," Asia said. "There's more to this story than we thought but… she was sealed underneath the mountain by Akatsuki's daughter, Ouka Furude, after Akatsuki was killed defending the village from the Five Principal Clans."

"The Five Principal Clans?" Kureha asked.

"Mmm. Himejima, Kushihashi, and Shinra, I think they were," Asia replied.

"Hmm… we can talk about this with Mom later. For now." Kureha nodded toward Yasuo's still form. "Is he…?"

"Yeah," Shin said, straightening himself with Ran's help. "I made sure… of it."

Asia glanced at her older brother. "You used that God's Authority. Is this what you and Onee were working on by the creek?"

"Yeah. Controlling her power and making it work with my fighting style. It's a very strenuous technique that I only use as a last resort," he said. His eyes drifted to the collateral damage caused by the attack.

Asia nodded and turned to Mori.

"Now, all that's left is for you to take your power back, Mori," Asia said

"Hmph, hopefully with this, we can end this centuries-old conflict," Mori said, floating toward Yasuo. She landed before his still body and reached out to place her hand on his head. However, her instincts reacted and she jumped back.

"What's going on?" Asia asked.

"It's not over. Get back now!" she yelled.

Yasuo's still body slowly rose, twitching and cracking as he did.

"What? That attack! I made sure to target his heart!" Shin yelled, picking up his swords.

The winds began to howl and a heavy miasma began to set over the area. The ground shook violently and dry lightning raced across the sky.

"He is dead! Without a host, the power is beginning to escape and run rampant. The only thing keeping it from completely exploding outward and sinking the entire country is that his corpse is acting as an anchor for it!" Mori said, raising her arms to block the buffeting winds.

A swirl of violet semi-translucent smoke rose from Yasuo's corpse, snaking its way into the air. The smoke split, branching into several dragon heads. Their eyes glowed a bright red and they opened their mouths to let loose an ear-piercing screech.

Everyone covered their ears, feeling as if their ear drums would rupture from the roar alone. Its aura surged forth, sending waves of wind across the area. Tornadoes began to form and lightning crashed down.

In the distance, the raging battle slowed to a stop when they heard the powerful roar.

"What… is that?" Rowan asked.

"It's Moryo," Akari replied, narrowing her eyes.

Each head spat forth beams of highly concentrated violet flames that razed the land. Explosions occurred, rupturing the surrounding area. One of the heads aimed at Serikawa Village in the distance and fired.

The beam slammed into Tenma's barrier, heavily distorting it before detonating violently.

It fired another beam, this time aiming for the battlefield.

Rowan rushed forward and held his hand out, blocking the beam. He squinted slightly as he felt the pressure of the beam begin to push him back increment by increment. Rowan clenched his jaw before closing his fist and crushing the beam with his bare hands.

"Rowan!" Akari called out.

Rowan said nothing and looked down at his hands. There were slight burn marks on his palm. He closed his fist and looked off in the distance.

"Shin… Asia," he said.

"Are you alright?" she asked, running up to him.

"Yeah. Just a few burns," he said. "I might use Oblivion Plume's Balance Breaker." Rowan looked down at the pistol in his hand.

"No need for that."

The two turned to see Tenma walking toward them with Kon.

"Dad, it's going to fire another beam at us-"

"Just watch." Tenma eyed the heads as it gathered flames within one of its mouths. The flames swirled and condensed into a compact violet sphere. In a split second, it let loose another beam of violet flames. The force of the firing ripped through the air and the beam traveled at extreme speeds.

However, before the beam could reach them, it was stonewalled by a golden barrier that suddenly appeared around the village.

"That barrier is…"

Ayaka turned when she heard rapid chanting in the distance. An older woman stood at the entrance of the village. Her eyes were closed and her hand was held upward with her thumb curled in and her fingers pointing to the sky.

"M- Mom!?" Ayaka said in shock. "I thought you were in Kyoto!?"

"Late entrance, Sakurai," Tenma said.

"Don't interrupt me, idiot." Sakurai opened her eyes, revealing golden irises. She looked at the massive shadowy dragon in the distance. Behind her, exorcists from the Three Families of Serikawa Village were lined up, ready to fight the massive dragon before them.

Akari glanced at her mother before focusing her gaze back on the massive shadowy dragon in the distance. "Akane… Shin… Asia…"


Vivi slowly lowered the barrier. The entire group had been launched away from the base of the mountain by the sudden surge in energy.

Shin stumbled out and almost fell to the ground but managed to maintain his balance. He focused his gaze on the titanic phantom before them. It was beginning to make its way toward the village, indiscriminately incinerating and razing the landscape as it passed. One of its beams fired into the sky, escaping the Earth's atmosphere, while another fired far into the distance before detonating in a massive explosion of violet light that was faintly seen from their location.

"Ok, that's one more thing to deal with," he said. "Vivi. Think you can make a bunch of dragon-slaying weapons?"

"That won't work."

The two turned to see Mori hovering in front of Asia. She had a few wounds on her body from blocking a majority of the blast's impact to defend her Master.

"Mori! Are you-" Asia was interrupted by Mori's words.

"I'm fine. But more importantly, we need to go," she said. "My power is currently being anchored by his corpse. And that thing has enough power to devour this entire country and go on a rampage in the mainland."

"Then we need to stop it," Shin said. "Why did you say dragon-slaying weapons won't work?"

"Because in technicality, that isn't a dragon. It just happens to take the shape of one. I'm the actual dragon. That is just my power manifesting itself through mindless rage and anger. It is a purely incorporeal entity made of rage and wrath. An amortal and soulless entity," she explained.

"So what? It's unkillable?" Shin asked.

"That's a dumb question. Can you kill sadness?" Mori asked.

"Er…" Shin scratched his cheek, having realized the stupidity of his question.

"Then, we need to hold it off. We can't let it leave the forest, much less get out of the province. This is your power by the way. You must know something we can do," Shin said.

Mori looked down. "I'm sorry but I'm not omniscient. This is something beyond even me."

"Shin!" Shin's eyes widened when he heard a voice in his ear. He glanced out of the corner of his eye and saw a small orange magic circle rotating next to his head.

"Onee?" he replied.

"What the hell's going on? Riser and I almost got blasted away by that. What is that thing?" Akane asked.

"It's Moryo's power. It's using Yasuo as an anchor. Mori said that if it gets out of the forest, it's going to devour the country and the mainland," Shin said.

"... Aunt Ayaka just called me. Grandma's back and their leading exorcists to try and stop that thing but nothing they're doing is working. Which is why I need you and the others to get clear," Akane said.

"Get clear? What are you-"

"I'm going to use the Ama-Kakera-no-Ken to destroy it," she said.

Shin bit his lip. "Right. We're going to get clear. Give us five minutes."

Akane said nothing and cut the call.

He turned towards the others with a grim expression on his face.

"What?" Kureha asked.

"We need to run. Now. Onee is going to use the Ama-Kakera-no-Ken," Shin said.

Upon hearing the urgency in Shin's words, Ravel wasted no time and began drawing up a magic circle. The circle engulfed the clearing.

"Let's go. On the circle now!" Ravel said.

No one bothered the argue with her and hastily stepped onto the magic circle. Ravel held her hands out and closed her eyes as light began to envelop them. As it grew brighter, the circle flickered and the light dimmed.

"What? What's going…?" Ravel asked, confused.

"My aura. It's disrupting the flow of magic here. Your magic is going to be interfered with if you try to cast a spell," Mori said.

"Well, that's great. What now?" Ravel asked, continuing to attempt to teleport.

"Run. We'll try to at least get to the tree line before Onee uses it. Come on!" Shin said.

The group ran as fast as they could. Asia, along with Ravel and Kureha, rode on Mori's back as she flew through the air at breakneck speeds. Meanwhile, Shin rode on Ran as she ran through the woods with Vivi flying right next to him. They ran and ran, avoiding the berserk youkai on the way with desperation.

"I can see the treeline!" Asia said.

After a few seconds, they broke through, landing on a dirt path that was surrounded by rice paddies. The group ran for a few more minutes before sliding to a stop.

The ground shook violently and they could see Moryo's errant power making its way slowly out of the woods. Its lumbering body leveled everything in its path and they could see various spells bombarding it to no avail. One of the heads opened its mouth and fired another beam of energy.

The beam of energy was intercepted by a high-speed blue energy bolt.

"That's Dad," Shin said. "They must be close by-"

An immense and sudden pressure fell upon the area. The group slowly turned their head and saw a faint red light at the top of Mount Benizakura. The winds began to grow faster and the Moon grew dimmer and dimmer with each passing second. In contrast, the red light began to grow even brighter than ever before.

"I never thought I'd see it again," Mori said. "In person that is. Akatsuki said that this was a technique she developed after countless battles and periods of meditation. A truly peerless sword art. A sword whose essence ends where it begins.

"The essence of divinity. A blade that is formless. An edge, though shapeless, slices and penetrates every space. A blade that negates the concept of defensive maneuvers, whether it be evasion, blocking, or mental quarantine," Mori said. "A blade that can kill a truly immortal being."

"But you're still alive," Shin said,

"Ouka did not master it at the time. Instead, the blade severed me in half," she replied.

Shin cast a communication circle. "Onee, we're out of the woods."

"I guess that's my cue," she said.

Upon the mountain, Akane eyed the dragon carefully. Red touki swirled around her, disrupting her immediate environment. Stone crumbled to dust and winds battered the surrounding area. Her eyes glowed a bright red and she held her hand out before her. This technique, despite its absolute power, was not without drawbacks. At this very moment, her body was channeling an ungodly amount of ki, enough to severely crack the Earth's crust in a catastrophic manner that would be akin to that of a global extinction event. And as such, her body had a limit.

"Thirty minutes. That's enough time," she said. "I'll finish this in one hit."

"Akane."

She turned around to see Riser standing behind her. Despite the intense, turbulent conditions her body was generating, the man still stood next to her, clearly abusing his regenerative abilities. Though, Akane could tell that even this state was too much for him to bear for much longer.

"Don't worry. I know. I'll finish this up and we can go to the festival together," she said.

Riser nodded and smiled. "Yeah, finish this. I have something important to tell you after."

Akane raised an eyebrow before smiling. "Thanks for softening her up for me, Shin-chan." She spread her feet slightly apart and held her arms forward as if she were holding a sword.

"O' Peerless Sword. Thou who art Divine. Thou who art formless and vast. Beyond hatred, fury, and wrath. From the lowest specks of sand to the Highest Heaven, nothing stands before thee.

"For thou art a blade who cannot be defined by strength or design. Shatter my mortality and fracture the lofty Heavens of the Immortal Gods," Akane chanted.

A pillar of light formed within her hands and burst forth, piercing the skies above. In every direction, no matter the distance, within this country, all eyes could clearly see the spire of heavenly red light that towered into the sky with seemingly no end.

And in that instance, the spire vanished, rapidly condensing into a brilliant red odachi within Akane's hands.

"Ama-Kakera-no-Ken."

Akane shifted her foot, letting loose a powerful gust of wind. She held the blade before her, pointing its tip toward Moryo's corrupted aura. Her eyes trained on her target and hyperfocused her senses on it and only it.

Without disturbing so much as a grain of dirt beneath her feet, she vanished from her spot.

"Onigari-Ryu: Divine Art…" she uttered.

One of the phantom's heads spotted her and opened fire.

Akane twisted her body and sliced into the fire beam, using her momentum to push through and slice it in half.

The beam split, landing and striking two different areas in the forest.

She increased her speed and rushed past it, reappearing in front of it.

"Fushigiri," Akane said.

She swung the blade upward with such precision that those watching were unaware if the blade had actually struck its target. The swing left a visible red line as if someone had taken a red pen and drawn a line across a photograph. It was only when the incorporeal being made of pure power began to split down the middle did they see the devastation the technique had wrought.

Akane had made sure to minimize the damage done by the attack.

"She… split the sky open," Asia said in awe.

Above them, the entirety of the Earth's atmosphere had been split open, revealing the depths of the void of space above. The rift spanned as far as the eye could see, stretching into the distance.

On the ground, it suffered a small amount of damage from the initial upward swing. A large fissure dug deep into the Earth and split most of the forest in half.

As Akane dispersed the blade, Moryo's power faded, scattering into harmless particles and streams of violet light.

And with a hard thud, Yasuo's corpse hit the ground, its link to Moryo's power having been severed. His body began to crumble away, devoured by whatever remained of the Dragon of Fragments power. And as his corpse faded into dust and was blown away by the dying breeze, the sun broke over the horizon and signified that at long last.

The night had ended and the battle was finally over.


Ama-Kakera-no-Ken

"Do not cling to fantasy when you swing your blade, Akatsuki. Doing so shall imprison your mind.

"Therefore, when you take up the blade, you must swing with a head as clear and pristine as water."

"But father, how can a person with an empty head ever hope to win a battle?"

Akatsuki then laughed as she remembered such a memory.

"The Heart is the key. Purify yourself of all worldly dichotomies and step forth into the void. Let your heart be your blade."

And so, the blade, which was a reflection of her own humanity, shone in the night. A reflection of all she held dear.

Within the void where she stepped, they were everywhere and nowhere.

[]

Sousei Onigari-Ryu

A God once posed him a question and he answered to hide his own insecurities.

"Musou means 'Dream' or 'Void'. Since I'm stepping out of my own hollow existence, I should name it appropriately, right?"

He smiled at the woman, who once gave him a dream and path to walk upon, and so that woman watched as he carved his own path with his blades and stepped into the future.

And as he swung his sword and solidified the "Genesis" of his technique, she pondered upon that smile.

"Ah, it's the same smile he had back then..."

[]

Sakurai Furude

The former prodigy Princess of the Amawaka Clan and rival to Tenma Furude.

A strict and hardlined woman who often got into conflicts with her eldest daughter.

Though her frigid exterior may make others think twice of her actual demeanor, she is in fact,

an overbearing woman yet caring all the same.

[]

Moryo

The Demising Black Dragon and the Dragon who rules over the World's Fragments.

She has accompanied Akatsuki since the Ancient Days.

After an ancient feud, Moryo was forced to enter a deep slumber following the death of her beloved master.

Time was twisted and marred her original form. Now, all that's left is considered by many to be an incarnation of evil.

Contrary to popular belief, she is a shy yet brave girl whose favorite food is mochi dango.


And with this, we have 2 more chapters left of the arc! After this, I'll go on a break with this so I can finalize some things with the next arc which takes place in Romania. It further involves the Horsemen like Volume 3 did... to some extent and the end of this arc which I should really call stop calling a mini-arc because it was like... 18 chapters. Sheesh. Anyway, I have completely broken away from main canon mostly and the rest of the arcs from here are going to be mostly their own. I will have a few arcs from canon sprinkled here and there but now, it's mostly their own arcs. Volumes 1-3 were basically using canon as a guideline but from here on out, it's on its own.

With this, I shall see thee all in the next chapter. Don't forget to review, even though you won't.

PSA: I see all the "Why didn't Shin blow up the park when he was trying to save Issei? The park was empty, why didn't he do it?" Well, my smooth-brained answer was... Issei was still in the park. Would you blow up a building to save someone from being killed in the same building?