“Huff…Huff…” In the Time Between the Slices while Curtana was Busy, Kále had Unsheathed his Skillful Grade Sword Sujihiki. And was staring at it, blood trickling down his face from a wound on his scalp.
“‘Sloopy’, ‘Heavy Handed’ That was what he said, right? My swordplay was rough and uncoordinated, it lacked finesse. Skill with no discipline.” Kále recounted the words that Hannibal Wolfheart had told him during their fight.
He felt lightheaded. Yet, felt so clear. His mind was calm, and yet his heart raced like a Racehorse. ‘My Swords…They're over there. I can’t see them. But I just know they are…’ Kále felt so acutely aware of everything around him. ‘It’s like…The Rubble…The Buildings…My Sword…They’re all…Breathing.’ Kále could feel the Very vibrations of everything around him, their ‘Breath’. It was caused by his mind being in a Hypersensitive state due to his injuries.
’A blade only cuts when it’s supposed to cut. For it is an Extension of its users' will.’' That was what Elder Hagane had told Kále so long ago.
Kále slowly raised his sword, and with full force swung it down at the side of him where a piece of rubble lay! And yet, barely a scratch was on its surface, nothing but a minor indent from the impact of the blade!
’Finesse.’ Kále thought as he raised the blade again, and then brought it down with just as much force! But this time his arm was laid slack at the last moment, and his wrist flicked! In the flash, the boulder split in two!
Kále, with a dizzy yet oh-so-clear mind, spoke aloud. “I get it now…” Turning his head, he faced Curtana who’d been staring him down this entire time, wide-eyed and confused as to what he was doing. She opted to do nothing because, by all accounts, he seemed mad! Utterly Insane! “Thanks”
Kále spoke, thanking the Swordswoman. Half Serious, Half Sarcastic. “Now I can cut Steel.”
Angry boiled under the surface as Curtana shifted her feet “Tch! Yeah! Well you won’t live long enough to see it!” She said as she faced her sword in front of her face and then shot the pointed end out in front of her! “Ittoryu! Thousand Shatter Blade!” The front half of the blade suddenly shattered into many shards of jagged, razor-sharp pieces of shrapnel, and shot straight towards Kále! The sound they made was like a whistle, zipping and cutting through the air!
“Issen-Ho!” Kále shouted as he shifted quickly on his feet and raised his blade horizontally to the side, and with newfound prowess, swiped it in front of him! The wind generated was no longer uncontrolled and wild, but was now focused and compressed into a single Flying Slash of Air!
The Compressed Wind shot out, and came in direct contact with the Shattered Pieces of Mercy! Utterly Stopping them in their Tracks before continuing forward straight at Curtana! Her eyes widened as she formed another blade in Mercy and Brought it up in the next split second, blocking the Flying Slash! Before the Air suddenly dissipated in a gust of wind! “Such Power! Seems like I Did underestimate you!”
Kále was in the middle of Sliding his Scabbards back into place having just picked them back up. “Don’t say?” He Taunted, undoing the Thobe that was in tatters and tossing it aside, the fabric flapping and fluttering to the ground.
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Kále Unsheathed Kikumori and Rokudai Senkusha and held them both in one hand. He then brought the hilt of the IV up to his mouth and clenched down on it before swiping both Kikumori and Sujihiki out to the side in a ready position. ‘Don’t let me down now…Masa’
“Three Swords?! I was wondering why you were carrying around that many blades! You look ridiculous!” Kále paid no mind to her taunt as he watched her own blade begin to grow. “Might as well pull out all the stops!” Her Blade didn’t just grow in length and width, but grew in dozens upon dozens of blades, all compressed into one another until all that remained was a jagged, razor-sharp mess of swords and blades, all put into one devastating weapon
“You Call that a sword?” Kále mocked. “Not just a sword. But A thousand. I counted.” She said with a sadistic and wild grin. Curtana, was in no way exaggerating when she said that Her sword Mercy contained one thousand blades…
The Next moments were tense. The tension was so thick that it was nearly palpable. Kále felt like he was on his last legs. And Curtana had already begun to sweat but was the one in better shape of the two.
But the first one to move was none other than the First Mate of the Red Sash Pirates! Kále bent forward and willed his legs of every ounce of energy they had left! Exploding forwards straight at Curtana who exploded forward not a moment later! The Two of them were over a dozen meters apart and quickly began to close in on one another “Sentoryu! One Thousand Blades Singing Death!”
“Santoryu Ogi!” The Two Swordsmen yelled out the names of their final techniques. Curtana raised the massive sword and drew it to the side for a horizontal attack, and Kále crossed both of his arms, all three blades at the ready!
The Collision was Monumental! The Sound of Metal against metal at extreme speeds that were utterly blinding to those that watched the fight at the wayside was an utter testament to the two's strengths! Curtana Swung her Blade of One Thousand Edges out in front of her, and Kále swung both swords out!
The Impact was only for a moment. Under a second. But Káles Strength, Technique, and Finesse proved superior as both of His blades cut cleanly through Curtana's massive wall of steel like nothing! The Two continued forwards, and it was clear in that single moment to Curtana what was happening! Kále used his last remaining sword between his teeth, and with superhuman strength and dexterity, swung his neck to the side! His Blade sliced through The Chryos Trading Companies Second in Command! Causing all her momentum to cease as Kále sped passed her!
“Yoma-Giri!”
Kále Skidded to a stop, body bent forward as both of his swords were outstretched to the Side.
Curtana, The Woman known as ‘Shatter Blade’ and worth ฿103,518,325, Exploded in a burst of blood from her fresh wound! The thousand blades of Mercy burst into two thousand cut-in-half blades around her, clattering to the floor as her knees buckled before falling to her knees, face slamming against the sandstone.
The Winner of The Swords; Masamune Kále