Krimin's eyes widened as he felt the constraints surrounding Anissa begin to weaken. The ground underneath them trembled as she raised her hand into the air.
“Let me show you what a blade truly is.” she declared.
The blue aura that had been emanating from her coalesced into a translucent azure sword, one with no hilt, only an edge, one that held within it a deep ocean, the depths of which were unknowable.
Deep within her iris, was an image of a blood-red crow unseen. Its red hue standing out in contrast to the azure color that consumed her.
As Anissa pressed her hand down onto the blade, blood dripped down, forming a handle that mirrored the shape and contour of her own hand.
Krimin watched in disbelief as he was pushed back by the weight of Anissa's sword. Despite the blade remaining still, the pressure was immense. It was as if the entire depth of the ocean was concentrated within a single, slender weapon. The force behind it defied gravity, leaving Krimin struggling to regain his footing.
“The blade has always been within us.”
She stood up slowly, a profound sense of clarity washed over her, as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a newfound understanding
“We merely need to become vessels powerful enough to wield it.”
Krimin felt the unyielding sharpness of her blade, of her intent, it had surpassed his.
Her sword intent had evolved to the stage of Coalescence.
Intent of any kind when related to a weapon, evolved in very distinct stages. Initially it manifested as a feeling when wielding the weapon, gradually after wielding the weapon long enough it would evolve into an invisible miasma.
But after that stage came the true transformation, the miasma collecting and forming a translucent variation of the intent.
There were naturally more evolutions, but he was unsure of them.
“Coalescence.” he muttered as he held his saber up in a defensive stance.
One might have expected him to have a cautious expression on his face, or maybe even one of fear.
But in this moment he only felt one emotion, awe, sheer awe.
The air shook as the battle started once more.
Anissa clashed against him, before sending him hurling into a particularly thick tree.
“Now I ask, when will you stop this facade and wield a true blade?” she turned his previous question around on him as her left hand ran along the translucent blade.
Blood fell from her palm onto the ground, but she was unfazed. Some would describe her actions as lunacy.
But to her these actions were natural, how better to appraise your blade then feel its lethality for yourself?
Krimin emerged practically unharmed from the bushes, he would not fall so easily.
“FOR THE BEASTIAL ORIGIN AND THE MONARCH OF ITS WRATH!!” He yelled as he charged at her with his saber.
The translucent blade clashed against the saber and sparks flew at the site of impact.
Krimin used his strength to deflect the blow and swipe at Anissa.
Anissa evaded the blow, her movements fluid as she ducked and maneuvered gracefully. Her blade followed her movements and sliced towards Krimin's leg.
He responded by leaping over her.
Mid air he thrusted his saber, aiming for the top of her skull.
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She blocked the attack by holding her blade above her, it pushed down on her head but dealt no substantial damage.
Krimin landed and caught a glimpse of the tip of his saber.
It had bent inwards.
It was clear that Anissa’s translucent weapon was more durable than his saber.
He swiped it again, hoping to catch her back exposed.
To his surprise she bent over backwards and slashed her own weapon.
The blades deflected each other once more.
If the battle continued much longer, it would be Krimin who would be left without a weapon.
Anissa was about to swing her blade again, her eyes glowing an even deeper blue color.
She whispered almost instantly. “Ocean Splitting sword, fourth form, Repeating Torrent”
Krimin felt a great force behind this attack, it would surely shatter his saber.
As the sword embarked on its path it stopped.
*SMASH*
Anissa flew sideways as a fist appeared where she had stood.
“Demonic bastard, looks like you’re struggling.” Orion as he turned to look at Krimin. His man bun was in disarray, and his robes battered and torn from an earlier fight.
Krimin frowned as he saw Orion, bloodied and battle torn.
“You shouldn’t have interfered!” He spoke in a furious tone.
Orion looked over to Daiyu who was still clutching her head in pain. "What the hell happened to her?"
Krimin ignored his question and continued to repeat himself. "Don't. Interfere. In. My. Battle."
Orion shook his hand dismissively.
“Everyone’s goddamn dead, I’m not leaving anything to chance.”
"I didn't realize ambushing someone aligned with the orthodoxy's moral code." Anissa said as she limped out of the bushes.
Her shoulder hung at an awkward angle. She gritted her teeth and reached up, pushing it back into place.
She winced from the pain, but her determination remained unfazed. She glared at Orion and Krimin, her eyes still gleaming with a deep intensity.
'Two against one?' She taunted, a hint of mockery in her voice. “Seems like you might actually have a chance now."
Feng Zhiming’s arrogant demeanor had begun to rub off on her, but little did she know If Feng Zhiming saw the scene he would shake his head, he was not the type of man to face two opponents of such a calibre especially since their strengths were an estimation at best.
Orion was about to reply with a hateful comment, but he withheld himself.
“I am a mature man now.” He thought as he tried his best to ignore Anissa’s taunts.
His conversation with himself was interrupted as he felt a barrage of strikes, hammering him on his chest.
They didn’t penetrate his skin but he did feel a rib or two fracture.
“What the hell?” Orion looked around trying to find an assailant, while clutching his aching chest.
“There's no one else here, it was a delayed attack.” Krimin told him as he raised his saber once more.
The attack from earlier had been interrupted but its effects were still there.
Once a technique like a sword form had been set in motion, completely stopping it was impossible, the attack may be weaker or distorted. But it was guaranteed that something would occur.
Orion had stood at the exact spot the sword had been traveling, naturally the strikes from her attack came at a delayed pace and struck his chest.
Orion stood up quickly, fighting through the pain. “With the two of us here, a little girl like her shouldn’t be an issue.”
He focused his gaze on Anissa who was slowly walking towards the two of them.
“Why is she walking towards us... Shouldn't she be running? This feels like the opposite of what should be happening.” Orion asked with a puzzled expression, as he raised his eyebrow.
It was clear she was at the Qi condensation stage like the rest of them, so what math did she do that made her feel like she could fight the two of them?
“Look closer.” Krimin’s eyes weren’t fixed on Anissa but the blade in her hand.
He did not feel confident that his Saber which had clashed with her blade previously, would be able to endure much more.
Orion did as he asked.
The blade in her hand showed no signs of weakening, with every step Anissa took, it only became more vibrant, slowly consuming the miasma emanating from her.
“She… she’s actually becoming stronger, as she fights.” Orion mumbled as he got into a half fighting stance, unsure about what to do.
Krimin’s grip around his saber tightened. “This entire time, with every blow we exchanged, her understanding of the sword she wields only grew.”
Orion's earlier confident demeanor flickered, and a hint of caution crept into his expression.
“What shitty luck, after fighting all those demonic bastards, now I have to fight an actual monster.” he chuckled. "Is it too late to pretend I wasn't here?"
"Why don't you ask her?" Krimin replied.
The barrier of Qi condensation that had been cast over them.
Did not extend to sword intent.
And the thing approaching them, was nothing if not, the greatest wielder of intent in this forest.