Shigure approached steadily, his eyes exuding a vacant coldness. Rinne tried to stand, but her body refused to cooperate. The boy raised his sword above his head, like an executioner, all the while staring at her with those eyes devoid of emotion.
Despite the dire circumstances, a soft chuckle escaped Rinne's lips, a breathless, almost delirious sound. "Heh... hehehe..." The sound was almost eerie against the backdrop of the ruined street.
She straightened slowly, wiping a smear of blood from the corner of her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Isn't it ironic?" she mused aloud, her gaze locked onto Shigure. "Last night, I felt so ridiculously jealous of you."
The wind whispered through the broken windows of a nearby building.
"Everyone was celebrating your accomplishments," she continued, her voice both packed with bitterness and admiration. "They cheered you like you’re some kind of hero. And I felt so alone.”
She took a deep breath, feeling the cool night air fill her lungs. Overhead, the stars glittered coldly, uncaring to the turmoil below.
"I'll admit it," Rinne said, a sly smile curving her lips. "You really are strong, Shigure."
As she spoke, something shifted within her gaze. Her eyes began to change, the irises fracturing and multiplying. The colors deepened, swirling into a kaleidoscope of hues—emerald greens melding into sapphire blues, flecks of gold shimmering like tiny galaxies. It was a transformation that was mesmerizing and unsettling all at once.
Her eyes took on the complex structure of an insect's compound gaze. Countless tiny lenses formed, each one reflecting the world around her in miniature. It was as though she held entire universes within her stare.
"But you know…" she continued, "...I'm stronger."
The rain stopped.
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Rinne’s shoulder writhed where her arm had been severed, the stump alive with a nauseating kind of motion. The flesh pulsed, bubbled, and stretched, the skin twisting like something trying to claw its way free from inside her. The sound wasn’t much better—a sick, wet crackle as muscles reformed, flesh knitting together like threads pulled too tight.
Bone splintered outward next, jagged and raw, extending inch by inch with a grinding noise that could have been nails on a chalkboard if nails were made of wet stone. New tissue wrapped around it, stretching until it was a grotesque parody of an arm. Then came the final touches: fingers twitching to life, curling and uncurling like they were testing their joints for the first time.
By the time it was done, Rinne flexed the new hand like nothing had happened, though the glow in her eyes said everything. And those eyes—they weren’t human anymore.
Insect eyes.
Her pupils were gone, replaced by glinting, multi-faceted orbs, the kind you might see on a fly or a mosquito blown up to nightmare proportions. Each surface caught the light differently, splitting the world into sharp-edged fragments. Everything around her looked too clear, too detailed.
An insect’s eyes allow them to detect the slightest movements with incredible speed. About four times better than a regular human. With her sorcery that allows her to freely shapeshift into biological matters while ignoring the square-cube law, Rinne was able to replicate this complex structure perfectly. By all means, she was no longer the same person that she was a minute ago.
“Come at me, Shigure.”
Shigure didn’t hesitate. His katana swung down with the intent to kill.
But now, Rinne could see it. Every detail. Every movement. She sidestepped with ease, the blade cutting through the empty space where she’d stood a split second earlier. But she was already on the move.
Shigure frowned and lunged again, his blade slicing toward her furiously, but this time, Rinne’s movements were fluid—instinctive. She ducked, pivoting on her heel, then lashed out with her new arm, her fist enlarged to an abnormal size, swelling as she fed her mana into it. She swung it with all her might, her fist crashing against Shigure’s blade.
Shigure staggered, his katana vibrating from the force of the blow. Rinne saw his expression falter, the brief flicker of surprise.
She could tell that her attacks were having an effect. However, small of an effect it might be. But she needed more. She needed to force more mana from the pathways in her body. Take all the mana that she had and force them out.
Shigure’s only response was another brutal strike, his katana flashing through the air, slicing toward her like lightning.
But Rinne was ready. She dodged, twisting her body in impossible ways as her limbs morphed, elongating and contorting with her movements. She slammed her enlarged fist down toward him again, and this time, he raised his katana just in time to block it.
The clash rang through the streets, and for a moment, they were locked in a battle of sheer will—her abnormal strength against his relentless aggression.
Something inside Rinne snapped, and she felt a rush of adrenaline so pure, so raw, that it blurred the line between pain and exhilaration. Her entire body overflowed with energy, and she could feel the sharp, stinging ache in her muscles, the pain of forcing too much mana through her mana pathways, stretching them beyond their limits.
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Somewhere deep down, a voice whispered that she should stop, that she was pushing herself too far. But that voice was drowned out by the roar in her ears, the intoxicating thrill of the fight.
Her lips twisted into a wild grin, her eyes wide, almost crazed. Everything felt right. The pain, the struggle, the power coursing through her—it was perfect. She didn’t care about the consequences. She didn’t care if her body broke under the pressure, if she shattered every mana pathway she had.
Right now, all she wanted was to push further, to hit harder, to see the look in Shigure's eyes when she overwhelmed him. The future be damned; this moment was everything.
This was… Rinne realized. Euphoria!
The fight raged across the street, their speed so fast that they looked like the blurs of their clothing. Shigure struck again and again, his katana flashing in rapid succession while Rinne countered with her shapeshifting, parrying each of his strikes with ones of her own.
They tore through the streets, weaving between abandoned cars and shattered glass. Rinne’s laughter echoed between the buildings, wild and unhinged as she reveled in her newfound clarity.
Shigure gritted his teeth, his amber eyes narrowing as he slashed toward her. Rinne ducked just in time. She countered with a punch, her fist expanding mid-swing, slamming into his side with enough force to send him skidding across the ground.
Shigure grunted as he crashed into a parked car, the metal crumpling under the impact. He rose slowly, his katana at the ready. But Rinne could see it—he was hurt. Her attacks were landing, and for the first time in this fight, she had the upper hand.
Humans can display strange strength when their life's on the line, she thought, her mind racing. Hysterical strength, they call it. Her body felt lighter, her mana roaring inside her like a furnace. She could keep going.
She could beat him.
Rinne lunged forward, her feet pounding against the cracked earth as she closed the distance between them. Her eyes locked onto Shigure, who stood poised, katana in hand. She swung her fist, aiming for his midsection, but he twisted his body easily, his katana slicing down toward her head. She brought her arm up just in time, the blade sparking against her reinforced skin, sending a jolt through her bones.
They continued to exchange blows, rapid strikes that echoed across the deserted street. Finally, she saw her chance—a split second where his guard dropped—and she took it. Her leg shot out in a powerful kick, catching the hilt of his katana and sending it spinning away, embedding itself in the wall behind him. Shigure’s eyes widened, but he didn’t hesitate. They both rushed towards each other, hands reaching for each other.
Her fingers found his head, her grip iron-tight as she pulled him closer. His hand did the same, fingers twisting into her hair, holding her in place. And then the punches came—fists slamming into each other's skulls. Rinne's vision blurred with every hit, her head snapping back, the taste of copper filling her mouth. Her skull throbbed, each impact like a sledgehammer. She could feel her bones cracking, her body protesting, but she forced it to heal, the familiar warmth of her sorcery knitting her wounds as fast as Shigure tore her apart.
She knew this was a battle of endurance. She had to hold on. Shigure’s punches were slowing, the power behind them waning. He couldn’t heal like she could, couldn’t keep up the relentless pace forever. She saw it in his eyes—a flicker of exhaustion, a moment of weakness. And that was all she needed.
With a guttural yell, she drove her fist into his face, her knuckles connecting with bone, the force of the blow sending him reeling. His head snapped back, his grip on her loosening as he stumbled away, struggling to regain his footing.
Rinne pressed the advantage. She charged in ready to finish him off. But then she saw them—blades, razor-sharp, erupting from his flesh. They shot out like a sudden bloom of metallic thorns. Immediately, Rinne tried to jump back, her body taking in the air to avoid the worst of it, but it wasn’t enough.
Agony ripped through her as something sliced into her. Deep lacerations opened across her torso, her legs, even her arms, which she had instinctively raised to shield herself. Blood flowed freely, soaking her clothes and dripping onto the ground. She hit the ground hard, gasping, her body trembling as she tried to make sense of what had just happened.
Flying slashes!
Shigure could create blades from any point in his body and use them to unleash flying slashes. The captain had told her that Shigure’s sorcery was creating blades. That much she knew. But the part where he could create them from any point on his body? Yeah, that conveniently hadn’t come up.
One of the cuts had grazed her head, and she felt the warm trickle of blood snake down her face, pooling dangerously close to her eyes. Panic flared in her chest as the crimson streaks smeared across her sight, turning the world into a hazy, red-streaked mess. She clawed at her face with trembling hands, desperate to clear it, but the blood clung stubbornly, refusing to let her see clearly.
Shigure didn’t waste the opportunity. In a blink, he was upon her. The flesh of his fingers elongated, the ends transforming into long, silvery blades. Before she could react, he plunged them into her stomach.
Rinne gasped, her eyes widening as the blades pierced her flesh. The pain came quick, her muscles seizing as her body registered the wound. She could feel the cold metal inside her, her insides twisting around it, her vision darkening at the edges. Shigure twisted the blades, and she bit back a scream, her teeth grinding together as the agony overwhelmed her senses.
Shigure smirked, his expression one of cruel satisfaction. He tried to pull back, to tear the blades from her body, but Rinne wasn’t done yet. She wasn’t going to let it end like this.
Her hands shifted, flesh morphing into thick tentacles. They wrapped around his arm, tightening with an iron grip, holding him in place. She glared at him, her voice a low growl. “Did you know an electric eel can generate over 600 volts of electricity by using organs made up of electrocytes?” she hissed, her eyes narrowing. “Just now, I’ve recreated that organ and multiplied its density by 10. Meaning you will have 6000 volts of electricity coming at you! ”
Without waiting for a response, she let the current flow. The electricity surged through her tentacles, crackling as it traveled along the metal blades. The shock hit Shigure hard, his body jerking violently as the volts flooded his system. His eyes went wide, his mouth opening in a silent scream as his muscles spasmed uncontrollably.
His body convulsed, his legs starting to give out beneath him as the electricity ravaged his nerves. He could feel the burn, the searing heat coursing through every inch of his body, his heart pounding erratically as it struggled to keep up. The smell of ozone filled the air, mixing with the scent of burnt flesh.
Rinne released him, watching as he staggered back, his body trembling, his eyes unfocused. She didn’t give him a chance to recover. She moved forward in a blink, her fist pulled back, glowing with a fiery aura—a brilliant, purplish blaze of mana that swirled around her knuckles like a living flame.
“Time to wake up, Shigure,” she said, her voice calm, almost gentle.
She drove her fist into his chest, the force of the blow echoing through the empty streets like a thunderclap. Shigure’s eyes rolled back, his body going limp, the whites of his eyes the only thing visible. At that exact moment, the Kitsune’ Spirit burst out of him, its ghostly form wailing as it was expelled. The spirit twisted and writhed, its shape flickering before it dissipated into the night air, its cry fading to nothing.