I reached out toward the crouching Oujin. Not to help him up.

He could no longer fight. If he was forced to move any further, he would die. His complexion made that clear.

“Oujin. Lend me your katana.”

“...?”

I didn’t wait for an answer.

I grasped the hilt of the katana on my own and began drawing it from Oujin’s waist as he knelt. But just before the blade fully left its scabbard, Oujin grabbed the tip and stopped it. If I forced it free, his fingers would be severed.

“Oujin, if things continue like this, we’re all going to be wiped out.”

“...”

Well, of course. Right now, I was just a ten-year-old kid. Anyone would want to stop me. Even in my past life, I would have done the same.

But the words that came out of Oujin’s mouth were unexpected.

“...You mustn’t swing a katana like a sword… The blade will break…”

His entire face was drenched in cold sweat as he lifted his gaze.

Like Ilga, he too had now joined the ranks of the gravely injured. But we had no time. The monster would appear at any moment.

I reached out, trying to pry open his fingers. But just as my fingertips were about to touch his, Oujin muttered, almost in a groan.

“...Cutting rock… You must set the blade perpendicularly against the surface and draw it… Not even the slightest deviation… is allowed… But if one is a master, there is nothing… that cannot be cut… Not rock, not steel…”

“You…”

Was he entrusting this to me? Did he believe in me, a mere ten-year-old?

Blood dripped from his lips as his eyes pleaded with me.

“I understand. I appreciate the advice.”

“...But to accurately strike an enemy moving at that speed… it’s nearly… gu… gehh…”

Oujin let out a wet, choking sound and coughed up blood.

“That’s enough. I get it. Just rest.”

“……Sorry…”

Oujin tightly shut his eyes as if to endure the pain. In the next moment, his hand fell away from the blade. Just as his body was about to collapse, Miku knelt beside him and caught him with both arms.

“El-tan!”

I pointed toward the iron door at the top of the stairs.

“Don’t yell. I know. But this is a dead end. I have no choice. With both Void and Oujin like this, I’m the only one left who can do it.”

Most of my classmates were greenhorns. Worse than rookie knights.

Miku looked at me uneasily.

“You’re challenging it because you’ve figured something out, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you win?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a long shot.”

For some reason, a nostalgic feeling washed over me. I felt like I’d had this same conversation many times in my past life.

Ah, that’s right. Lili.

Even though she knew how strong Blythe was, she was always anxious. Watching each other on the battlefield, I often felt more worried about her.

As if to erase my drifting thoughts, Miku spoke again.

“I don’t care if you lose. Just come back alive.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“No! Promise me!!”

She was almost screaming.

The intensity, laced with frustration and desperation, left me momentarily speechless.

“...I’ll figure something out.”

“Okay.”

Miku wasn’t smiling like she usually did.

Turning my back on her, I began to move away from my classmates, replaying Oujin’s words in my head.

Toward the direction where the monster lay in wait.

The katana… It was long. If I held it in a lower diagonal stance, the tip would drag on the ground. I would have to be careful when swinging it. And as expected, it was still slightly heavy for me.

On this continent, most swords—regardless of size or length—were built as sturdy, straight blades meant to hack through enemies with sheer weight and force. But the katana, an Eastern weapon, was forged thin and sharp, emphasizing technique and slicing ability at the cost of fragility.

Its light weight greatly enhanced speed and precision, and its curved blade was specifically designed for drawing cuts.

Which meant that Oujin’s "Rock-Cutting" technique from the Karaburi Ittō-ryū could only be performed with a katana.

That was precisely the answer I had been seeking.

By sheer coincidence, Oujin had given me the key before the battle even began.

But could I really strike a monster moving at such incredible speed with absolute precision, setting the blade perpendicularly and drawing it through?

No. To be honest, even in my Blythe days, I wouldn’t have been certain.

Being "Formless," I had relied mostly on brute force, fighting in a rather haphazard manner.

Had I still been in Blythe’s body—one that had shattered even dragon scales—I could have wielded a thick, sturdy greatsword and simply crushed the monster’s head through sheer might… But now…

“...!”

Miku was the first to gasp.

The monster had stepped into the illuminated area of the magic lanterns.

It was no longer running.

It must have realized that this was a dead end.

It intended to corner us completely. To toy with us until the very last moment.

Its mouth twisted into a grin, splitting all the way to its ears.

Watching as its prey lost all escape routes and screamed in despair.

My classmates were panicking, pressing against the sealed iron door at the stairs.

There was no one left pounding on it.

No screams, no sobs—everything had been crushed under the sheer terror of the monster.

The damp dungeon was silent.

Only the sound of the monster’s footsteps echoed through the stillness.

“Haaah…”

My blood boiled.

It felt as if I had returned to the past.

My blood vessels expanded, my face flushed, and my body awakened, heat surging from my core to my extremities.

My nerves tingled. This feeling… It had been so long.

Sharpen it. Sharpen it even more.

More. More.

My lips curled into a grin.

A chuckle escaped, low and uncontrollable from the back of my throat.

Just like that monster.

I couldn’t let my classmates see this face.

Karaburi Ittō-ryū, Rock-Cutting.

It didn’t matter what it was called.

If it could cut that thing, then I would make it my own—integrate it into my "Formless" style.