Resting the back of Oujin's blade on my right shoulder, I stepped forward with my left foot, bending both knees deeply. Twisting my body until my back nearly faced forward, I waited for the monster’s charge.

Even as sweat trickled down my forehead and into my eyes, I did not blink.

The thing approached leisurely, grinning ominously. It didn’t see me as anything more than a mere insect.

“That arrogance will be your downfall—!”

The moment I muttered those words to draw its attention, our eyes met.

No, those weren’t eyes—they were orbs of pure crimson. I couldn’t tell where it was looking. Yet, if there was ever a stray child among a herd of prey, most monsters would fix their gaze on it first. They would make it their priority target.

The moment came suddenly.

Without any warning, the creature kicked off the ground. Its mouth split ear to ear as it hurtled toward me at incredible speed.

So—

You’ve never experienced this before, have you?

The instant it leaped, I also kicked off the ground, maintaining my stance as I closed the distance at full speed. In a heartbeat, we were at zero range.

I gave it no time to think. My speed overtook its awareness.

The creature faltered, its footing unsteady.

—…!?
Surprised, are you…!?

But it was too late. By the time it tried to attack, I had already slipped deep into its space—so deep that even its fists overshot me. We had already crossed paths.

I slid through its legs!

At such a close range, even fists were useless. The proper distance for a sword strike had long passed. But I had charged with my blade drawn back behind me on purpose. That meant my effective range was now behind me.

And so—

“Ooooh—!!”

As we passed each other, I slid my blade along its legs.

Against the undulating surface of its moving body, I pressed the blade perpendicularly and pulled.

A sharp metallic screech rang out as I landed behind it, while the monster came to a stop behind me.

“Tch!”

Too shallow. It barely cut.

Just like with Gladius earlier, my blade had merely grazed its surface.

Cutting rock—mere imitation won’t suffice, huh…?

But at that moment, the monster distanced itself, wary. This time, it lowered its stance, pointing its gaze directly at my blade.

“No…”

I had seen it. The monster, despite having taken Void’s devastating Bundi Daggers head-on and ignoring Miku’s stab aimed at its eye, had gone out of its way to dodge Oujin’s slashes. And now, my blade had unsettled it.

It instinctively understood the weapons and techniques that could harm it. If that was the case, there was only one thing to do. Once more. No—however many times it took.

At that moment—

A faint crack.

Something flesh-colored, like a shard of metal, fell from its leg onto the stone floor.

The mark left by my blade.

I had cut it. Just a little. A mere surface wound. But—

A drop of red blood trickled down. The creature stared at its knee in bewilderment, eyes as red as the blood itself.

“Perpendicular to the surface, not cutting, but pulling—the Karaburi Itto-ryu’s rock-cutting technique…”

Far from perfect. But even as an imitation, it had worked. More than that—it was the only technique capable of cutting this thing.

Now that I knew—

Silently, I sprinted through the shadows.

“Do you really have time to look away?”

My blade slashed across its torso. The creature leapt back at the last moment, but a shallow cut still formed across its chest.

I had aimed to split it from left flank to right. But Eremi’s small body had made my lunge too shallow.

“Tch…!”

The creature barely reacted to the wound. It immediately counterattacked, swinging its arm to decapitate me.

I almost parried with my sword—but hesitated. Instead, I tilted my head. The wind of its swing grazed my earlobe.

A sharp pain.

Sweat and blood flew sideways at the edge of my vision.

“…”

Had I tried to block that, my blade would’ve shattered. That would have been the end.

Fortunately, it only took a piece of my ear.

I could still fight.

“Ooooh!”

The moment I readied to counter, its kick came flying.

I folded my arms around my sword and leapt back, bracing myself.

“Guh…!”

The world spun.

Launched backward with incredible force, I barely managed to land, sliding to a stop—only to look up and see it already closing in.

Its red eyes bore down on me, its glowing fist thrust forward.

…I won’t make it—

“—!!”

But just before the fist struck, a shadow lunged from behind.

Blood rained down.

“Void!?”

“GRAAAAAAH!!”

Void had wrapped both arms around the monster’s right arm, stopping its glowing fist—not its punch, but the entire limb.

The blood spraying everywhere wasn’t from the creature. It was all Void’s.

He roared, shaking the battlefield with a cry that reached the very soul.

“You can do it, right—EREMIYAAAAAA!!”

I had fought alone. In the cold, dark depths, I had swung my sword alone.

Then, a fire lit within me.

Burning hot, swelling, pushing back the cold. An explosion of heat that consumed my entire being.

The beast within me—Blythe—responded with a roar.

“OOOOOOHHH!!”

Void was holding it down. Even an imitation would work now.

No hesitation.

I rose and swung my blade down at its head.

Perpendicular to the surface. The moment of contact—pull.

The monster tilted its head desperately to evade.

No matter!

If I couldn’t kill it, I would carve its flesh and break its bones!

The blade bit into its right shoulder.

A sharp sound rang out, and the monster’s right arm separated from its body. Void, still gripping it, tumbled to the stone floor.

The creature let out a piercing scream.

—GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!?

Blood spurted from its shoulder like a fountain as it clutched the wound in agony.

“Now! Kill it!”

“OOH!”

Before Void’s shout even finished, my blade slashed across its neck.

The blade cut in—but stopped halfway, stuck in the bone.

Was it the cheap steel, or my own lack of skill?

Still, I had severed its artery. No living thing could survive this.

It was over.

I exhaled. Void collapsed onto the ground.

But the next moment—

“Guh…!?”

A crushing impact hit my face. I was sent flying.

Blood streamed from my right eye.

The world turned red.

Damn. I let my guard down.

The dying monster loomed over me.