Takai and Keanu stood frozen while Lilo slashed at the hair, White Rose releasing a white sickle from its blade and flying at full speed against Lilinoe.

Lilinoe, on the other side, simply side-stepped, with the blow coming so close to her as to cut a few tips of her long hair.

Then, both charged forward, moving with inhuman speed and grace, almost blurring in front of Takai’s eyes as they exchanged blows.

“Is this the best the great Lilo Moana can do?” Lilinoe taunted the other girl.

Unlike Lilo, she wielded a larger sword whose metal had thick, dark red veins.

And not only was her sword different, but her style, too, completely contrasted with Lilo’s.

She seemed to flow around Lilo’s attacks, with insane mastery over positioning that allowed her, despite the larger blade, to be as fast, if not faster, than the Tempest-Water-empowered Lilo.

“I can’t wait for you to help me create my Cursed Sword,” Lilinoe called out, a wicked grin spreading across her face. “I’ll plunge your own blade into your heart after I snatch it from your hands. Even though I don’t like your little, puny sword, I’ll make it work all the same. And don’t worry, I’ll treasure it dearly.”

“You’ll never get the chance,” she growled, her voice barely audible over the roar of her Tempest Water surrounding her body.

Takai watched in trepidation.

The display of Skill and power before him was beyond anything he had ever imagined.

He knew, with crushing certainty, that either of these fighters could obliterate him without breaking a sweat.

“They’re... they’re monsters,” he whispered, his voice trembling.

Keanu nodded, his face pale.

“This is the level of the truly elite of the nobles, the level of a Chosen,” he murmured. “The gap between us and them... it’s like comparing a puddle to the ocean.”

As the battle raged on, Lilinoe’s eyes flickered towards Takai.

Even in the midst of combat, she found time to mock him.

“Look, little brother,” she called out, effortlessly dodging one of Lilo’s swings. “This is what true strength looks like. This is what Father saw in me and not in you.”

Takai flinched as if struck.

Lilo’s expression darkened further at Lilinoe’s words.

“Don’t you dare speak to him,” she snarled, her attacks becoming even more ferocious.

The Tempest Water around her intensified, small sparks of Mana crackling within the swirling mist.

“Aww, how sweet,” Lilinoe laughed, parrying a particularly vicious thrust from Lilo. “The Promised Slayer has a soft spot for the weakling. How utterly pathetic.”

Lilo let out a wordless cry of rage, her Tempest Water exploding outward in a massive wave. The force of it sent Lilinoe skidding backward, her feet leaving deep furrows in the ground.

“We... we need to go,” Keanu said, his voice snapping Takai out of his daze. “Remember why we’re here. Professor Iakopo needs us.”

Takai nodded, tearing his eyes away from the battle with effort. “You’re right,” he said, his voice hoarse. “Let’s go.”

But right as they were about to turn, Lilinoe used her first Skill.

“[Silver Mirage].”

In an instant, a shimmering figure materialized beside her. It was as if someone had poured liquid silver into a mold of Lilinoe’s form.

The doppelganger stood there, an exact copy made entirely of Silver Water, its surface rippling and catching the light.

“What...” Takai gasped, his eyes wide with shock.

Lilo’s stance shifted, her grip on White Rose tightening as she faced not one but two opponents.

The Silver Water clone moved in perfect sync with Lilinoe.

“Let’s see how the great Promised Slayer handles this,” Lilinoe taunted.

Both Lilinoes—the real one and the silvery one—charged forward.

Lilo found herself on the defensive, her Tempest Water swirling frantically as she tried to fend off attacks from two directions at once.

Even while empowering herself with the Wind Water Affinity that the practice with her Family’s Soul Weapon had granted her, Lilo felt herself pushed back.

The real Lilinoe’s sword clashed against White Rose, the impact sending sparks flying.

At the same time, the Silver Water clone’s blade, formed from its own liquid body, swept in from the other side.

Lilo barely managed to dodge, the watery edge passing mere inches from her face.

“I’ll call my Cursed Sword Black Rose. Isn’t that cute?” Lilinoe laughed manically.

Lilo gritted her teeth, her Tempest Water surging outward from her body in a spray of blades in a desperate attempt to create some distance.

But Lilinoe cut right through the attack with her sword coated with Mana Crystallization.

Takai watched in horror as his half-sister and her watery twin pushed Lilo back step by step.

Finally, Lilo managed to land a solid hit on the Silver Water clone, White Rose cleaving through its midsection.

But the wound simply closed up, the liquid reforming as if nothing had happened.

In that moment of distraction, the real Lilinoe struck.

Her sword flashed in the sunlight, moving faster than Takai’s eyes could follow.

Lilo let out a cry of pain, stumbling backward.

A deep gash had opened across her chest, blood staining her white clothing crimson.

“Lilo!” Takai shouted, taking an involuntary step forward.

Lilinoe turned, her eyes locking onto Takai. “Stay right there, little brother,” she said, her voice dripping with mock concern. “You wouldn’t want to miss the show, would you? Your little girlfriend is about to die.”

Lilo struggled to her feet, one hand pressed against her wound. Her breathing was labored, but her eyes burned with determination. “Is that... all you’ve got?” she panted angrily, raising White Rose once more.

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“Why? Are you getting tired, perhaps? Is that all a Chosen has to offer, really?”

Lilo looked Lilinoe dead in the eye and brought White Rose in front of her, parallel to her body, the tip of the blade standing against the sky.

Takai had been about to jump in, hoping to help Lilo in some way, but a sudden Mana pressure swept the surroundings raising a huge cloud of dust and sand.

“Here we go,” Lilinoe cackled, “that’s what I was expecting! We’re finally getting serious.”

“You’ll regret this,” Lilo said, her voice slightly distorted by the crazy amount of Mana that was gathering in her body.

“[Tempest Soul],” Lilo intoned, her voice resonating with power.

In an instant, her form seemed to blur and shift.

The Tempest Water surrounding her body coalesced into a swirling vortex, lifting her slightly off the ground.

Her hair whipped wildly in the self-generated maelstrom, and her eyes glowed with an otherworldly light.

The air crackled with energy as Lilo’s transformation was completed. Her body seemed to shimmer and pulse with power, the Tempest Water now an integral part of her being. Lilinoe’s eyes widened slightly, a flicker of uncertainty passing across her face for the first time.

“Now,” Lilo said, her voice echoing strangely, “let’s see how you handle this.”

In a blur of motion, Lilo vanished. She reappeared instantly behind Lilinoe, White Rose already slashing through the air.

Lilinoe barely managed to bring her sword up in time to block, the impact sending her skidding backward.

“Blinking?” Lilinoe said, frowning.

Blinking was the ability to teleport in short bursts, a tremendously rare skill that only very high-level people were usually capable of.

Lilo started blinking in and out of existence, attacking from all angles.

She was showing what being the heir of the Moana Family—and most importantly their Chosen—really meant.

Lilinoe’s doppelganger was soon cut into ribbons of water so small that it disappeared into a small shower of water.

The real Lilinoe, instead, kept backstepping, incapable of keeping up with Lilo’s new speed, power, and, most importantly, blinking ability.

Finally, Lilo broke through.

White Rose slipped past Lilinoe’s guard, opening a long gash across her arm.

Lilinoe hissed in pain, stumbling back.

Before she could recover, Lilo blinked again, appearing behind her, trying to impale her.

Lilinoe managed to twist out of the way, but another quick slash opened a second wound on her back.

“This is what power looks like,” Lilo said, her voice cold. “Give up now, and I might let you live.”

Lilinoe’s face contorted with rage.

“You think this was all I could do?” she spat. Blood dripped from her wounds, staining the ground beneath her feet. “I am the Sword Demon’s one true heir!”

With a snarl of effort, Lilinoe raised her sword.

“[Silver Mist]!” she shouted.

Instantly, a thick, silvery fog began to pour from her blade.

It spread with unnatural speed, quickly engulfing the entire area.

The mist was so dense that Takai could barely see his hand in front of his face.

“Lilo!” he called out, panic rising in his chest.

But his voice seemed muffled, swallowed by the strange mist.

Inside the fog, Lilo found herself completely disoriented.

Her enhanced senses, which had served her so well moments before, were now useless.

The mist seemed to absorb sound and distort her perception of space.

“Where are you?” Lilo shouted, spinning in place. Her voice echoed strangely, coming back to her from all directions.

Suddenly, pain exploded across her leg.

Lilo cried out, stumbling.

A blade of mist had materialized out of nowhere, slashing at her calf before disappearing.

Before she could recover, another blade struck, this time cutting across her back.

Lilo tried to blink away, to escape the mist.

But every time she reappeared, she found herself still surrounded by the thick fog.

It was as if the mist itself was everywhere.

More blades appeared, striking from all angles.

Lilo fought desperately, swinging White Rose in wide arcs, trying to ward off the attacks.

But for every blade she deflected, two more seemed to find their mark.

Blood began to soak through Lilo’s clothes, dripping onto the ground beneath her.

Her movements became slower, more labored.

The constant attacks and the drain of maintaining [Tempest Soul] were taking their toll.

“What’s wrong, Promised Slayer?” Lilinoe’s mocking voice seemed to come from everywhere at once. “Having trouble seeing through the mist?”

Lilo gritted her teeth, trying to focus. But the loss of blood was making her dizzy.

Her vision swam, the silvery mist blurring into indistinct shapes.

She stumbled, nearly falling.

The attacks continued relentlessly.

Blades of mist materialized and vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving cuts and gashes all over Lilo’s body.

She tried to fight back, but it was like swinging at shadows.

Finally, Lilo’s legs gave out.

She fell to her knees, White Rose slipping from her grasp.

[Tempest Soul] flickered and died, leaving her vulnerable and exposed.

One last blade of mist struck, opening a large gash across her chest.

Lilo collapsed, her body hitting the ground with a dull thud.

She was in a pool of her own blood.

Then, her eyes fluttered closed as consciousness slipped away.

Slowly, the mist began to dissipate.

As it cleared, Takai and Keanu saw Lilo lying motionless in a pool of her own blood.

Lilinoe stood over her with a triumphant smile on her face despite her own injuries.

“And so falls the great Promised Slayer,” Lilinoe said, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

“Well, well,” Lilinoe chuckled, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. “The great Promised Slayer, brought low by a mere ‘cultist.’ Again. Just like father did. Oh, how the nobles will weep when they hear of this.”

She circled Lilo’s motionless body, her eyes gleaming with cruel delight.

“I wonder what they’ll say at the Academy? Will they mourn their lost champion, or will they simply move on to the next puppet they can groom?”

Takai stood frozen, his whole body shaking. He felt sick to his stomach, torn between fear and the desperate need to do something - anything - to help Lilo.

“What’s the matter, little brother?” Lilinoe taunted, turning her attention to Takai.

Takai’s legs felt like jelly, but somehow, he managed to take a step forward. His voice trembled as he spoke.

“K-Keanu,” he said, not taking his eyes off Lilinoe, “y—you need to go. Now.”

Keanu hesitated, his hand on his weapon.

“Takai, I can’t just leave you here-”

“GO!” Takai shouted, his voice cracking with fear and desperation. He could feel his bladder threatening to give way, but he stood his ground. “Please! You know what to do!”

Lilinoe laughed, a cold, mirthless sound.

“Oh, how touching. The weakling thinks he can play the hero.”

After a moment’s more hesitation, Keanu turned and ran, disappearing down the street.

Lilinoe didn’t even spare him a glance, her attention fully on Takai and the fallen Lilo.

With deliberate slowness, Lilinoe bent down and picked up White Rose, Lilo’s fallen weapon.

She held it up, admiring how the blade caught the light.

“Such a beautiful sword despite its size,” she mused. “It’s almost a shame to use it to kill its own master.”

As Lilinoe took a step towards Lilo, Takai’s body moved almost of its own accord.

He leaped forward, placing himself between Lilinoe and Lilo’s unconscious form.

His legs shook so badly he could barely stand, but still, he spread his arms wide as if his frail body could somehow shield Lilo from harm.

Lilinoe raised an eyebrow, pointing White Rose directly at Takai’s chest.

The tip of the blade hovered just inches from his heart.

“My, my,” she said, her voice soft and dangerous. “Aren’t you full of surprises? But tell me, little brother, do you really want to throw your life away for her?”

Takai said nothing, his throat too tight and fearful of speaking.

But he didn’t move.

“You don’t have to die here, you know,” Lilinoe continued, her tone almost conversational. “You’ll never be as strong as me, of course. That ship has long since sailed. But Father is here, on this very island. Wouldn’t you like to meet him? To finally have a chance to prove your worth?”

For a moment, just a brief instant, Takai felt a surge of longing so intense it made his chest ache.

To meet his father, to finally have a chance to earn his approval... it was everything he had ever wanted.

But then his eyes fell on Lilo, lying broken and bleeding on the ground.

He thought of her kindness, her strength, the way she had been nice to him with respect despite his weakness.

And he knew, with a clarity that surprised him, that he couldn’t betray her.

Not even for the chance to meet his father.

“N-no,” Takai managed to choke out, his voice barely above a whisper.

Lilinoe’s eyes hardened.

“No? You would throw away your only chance to be something more than a pathetic weakling? For what? Some noble girl who would never look twice at you if you weren’t useful?”

Takai said nothing, but he didn’t move. He could feel his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from his chest.

“Very well,” Lilinoe sighed, raising White Rose. “If you’re so eager to die, who am I to deny you?”

At that moment, as the blade began its downward arc, Takai knew he was going to die.

But he also knew, with a certainty that surprised him, that he couldn’t let Lilo die.

Not when there was still something he could do.

Closing his eyes, Takai reached deep inside himself, to the core of his being, where the technique Principal Kaimana had imparted to him was.

[You will lose all your current Skills if you accept the ‘Heavenly Heart Rending Technique.’]

[Do you accept?]

[Yes | No]

This was an effect he hadn’t been told about by Principal Kaimana.

The old man had probably not even bothered since Takai wasn’t compatible with the Skill at all, and learning it would have meant his death anyway.

At this point, accepting it would mean refusing to be everything that his dad had ever been.

And not only that.

He knew this was going to kill him.

He knew it.

But with a mental wrench that felt like tearing his own soul in half, Takai pulled at the technique and unraveled it.

[You have learned the Heavenly Heart Rending Technique.]

The next moment, Takai felt as if his body had been pierced by a thousand swords.