"Mm... cough..."
Kokomi gradually regained consciousness. Her first reaction was not to lift her gaze to assess the situation ahead, but to clutch her chest and cough violently.
"Cough... cough... pfft..."
Crack~
The next second, a mouthful of bright red blood spilled from her lips, staining the ground in a shocking splash of crimson.
"..."
She stared silently as her once-white silk gloves were soaked through with her own blood. Her eyes dimmed for a brief moment. Her body instinctively tried to drag her back into shock and unconsciousness—but she refused to yield.
"Shogun-sama..."
She murmured the name in a hoarse whisper. A faint glimmer returned to her dulled eyes. Though her body longed to collapse and sleep, she forcibly propped up her internally injured form, rising little by little...
(Shogun-sama... Shogun-sama... Shogun-sama!)
She repeated the name again and again in her heart, as though drawing strength from it—enough to stand once more, even if every step left her drenched in cold sweat from the pain.
"Mm~! Cough~"
Another mouthful of blood rose to her lips. Crimson trailed from the corner of her mouth. She staggered, nearly falling again—only to be caught by Ei, who flashed to her side in an instant.
"Don't push yourself anymore... Leave the rest to me."
Ei had been observing the battlefield the entire time. The enemy's defense was airtight, leaving no opening. Ayaka was already struggling to hold on. Seeing Kokomi force herself back to her feet despite her heavy injuries, Ei could not help but stop her.
Forget it... I will do it myself... Even without the proper method.
"No, Lady Ei. Please leave it to us. We can finish this... This is the only thing we... can do... for Shogun-sama—for you..."
Kokomi nearly collapsed into Ei's arms, yet the stubborn resolve in her heart would not allow it. She knew that if she fell now, she would never stand again. Though she was the Divine Priestess of Watatsumi Island—a strategist untrained in martial arts—her determination was no less than that of any warrior.
"But you're already... Haa... Treat your wounds first."
Ei urged her.
"There is... no time... Miss Kamisato is reaching her limit as well. I cannot leave everything to her. Forgive me... Lady Ei..."
She gently but firmly freed herself from Ei's grasp and began walking toward the two figures locked in oppressive confrontation ahead.
"..."
Watching her retreating back, Ei pressed her lips together and lowered her gaze to the special form of Musou Isshin in her hand. Her heart trembled.
[Ei... believe in those children.]
Makoto's voice soothed her.
In truth, Makoto could hardly bear to watch either. But for the Shogun to return to normal, they had to take this risk. And she believed in the Shogun's judgment—in these two young women who would not disappoint them.
"...Mm."
Ei calmed her heart and let her body dissolve into lightning once more, concealing herself from sight.
"...Mm... cough... mm..."
Kokomi staggered forward, her eyes unfocused, her face deathly pale. The pallor was striking against her already fair complexion. Her bangs were disheveled, her feathered robe stained with dust. As she stumbled step by step, she suddenly felt something strange beneath her feet.
She lowered her head slowly and saw that her right foot was now bare except for the white stocking, while her left still wore its sandal.
"...Mm, cough... Don't... get in the way."
She muttered faintly to the remaining sandal, then decisively slipped it off as well. Now she stood barefoot upon the ground. Her toes curled slightly against the earth, feeling the grit scrape against the fabric of her stockings—using the sensation to keep herself awake.
Then she performed an action that even startled Ei and Makoto.
Slowly, she raised her hands and removed the pair of fin-shaped horn ornaments from her head, leaving herself without adornment.
Tap...
As the ornaments fell, she parted her lips.
"...Blessing of the Deep Sea."
Hummm~
In the next instant, her Vision erupted with brilliant azure light. Water shimmered around her body, lifting her gently into the air. A translucent, crystalline mantle formed behind her, flowing like a phantom ribbon. The same blue radiance filled her eyes.
Humm!
At that moment, with her eyes tightly shut, surging hydro elemental particles burst from her entire body, saturating the space around her with mist and drifting droplets. A deep, echoing cry—like that of a colossal dragon beneath the ocean—reverberated through the air.
"...!"
Ei's eyes widened.
[This child... is not simple. Even I feel a trace of unfamiliarity in this power...]
Makoto murmured in astonishment.
Indeed. They had once sensed a similar strangeness from Orobashi. Why, then, did it appear within this girl?
In the next second, from the very spots where her horn ornaments had once rested, true fin-shaped purple dragon horns emerged. They were identical in shape to the ornaments she had worn—as though those adornments had merely concealed them all along.
"Shogun-sama... Though I am not one inclined toward battle... I can become one for you. For your sake, I, Sangonomiya Kokomi... can do anything. Even if it means giving everything I have."
Her voice, once gentle as flowing water, now carried an ethereal chill. Her expression grew distant—colder than usual.
Whoosh!!
In the next instant, her entire body transformed into a streak of water-light, skimming across the ground at astonishing speed as she shot toward the thunderous puppet ahead.
On the other side...
Bang!
"Mm!!"
Ayaka gritted her teeth as she blocked another strike head-on. She was forced back several steps, nearly losing her footing. Before she could even catch her breath, the puppet swung again—giving her no reprieve. She raised her blade once more to defend.
Bang!
"!!"
The violet blade struck precisely against the guard of Snowswept Sakura. The impact numbed her hands with pain. She braced her legs against the ground with all her strength—yet with a sharp crack, the sole of her sandal split apart.
"Ignorant mortal. You still overestimate yourself."
The puppet pressed down coldly.
"...Heh... You underestimate me."
Ayaka met her gaze with icy defiance.
Splash!
The moment her words fell, several ice blades materialized above them and shot toward the puppet in unison.
Hummm~
The puppet merely raised a hand. A lightning shield formed around her, blocking the ice effortlessly. Then she unleashed thunder once more, channeling electro energy directly through Ayaka's frost-infused blade and into her body.
The next instant—
Crackle!
"Aaaah!!"
A violent surge of high-voltage electricity coursed from Ayaka's arms throughout her entire body. She screamed involuntarily. Her legs buckled under the current, dropping her to her knees. Her hands lost strength. She collapsed there, her body convulsing uncontrollably.
Thud!
The puppet floated forward and seized her by the throat, lifting her effortlessly with one hand.
"Mm~!"
Dragged back to awareness from the convulsions, Ayaka felt suffocation seize her. She struggled instinctively, legs kicking and twisting. The color drained from her once-fair face.
The Shogun, in her law-bound state, watched her pitiful struggle without a trace of mercy. Her grip tightened further.
"Ah... cough..."
Pain flared along Ayaka's neck and spine. The light in her icy eyes dimmed, rolling upward involuntarily. Yet in the next moment, she forced herself back to clarity, tightening her grip on Snowswept Sakura to strike.
But that small motion had long been anticipated.
"Foolish."
Crackle!
Another burst of thunder erupted through her delicate body.
"!!!"
Unable to cry out with her throat constricted, she could only convulse once more.
Clatter!
Her weakening fingers finally slackened. Snowswept Sakura slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground. Her remaining sandals dropped beside the blade. Freed from their restraint, her white tabi socks dangled limply, no longer pristine but marred by charred black marks and the faint scent of scorched fabric. Similar burns marked her body as well.
Splash!
The puppet seemed almost intrigued by her state. She drew her closer, bringing their faces nearly touching.
"..."
Ayaka's unfocused gaze met the puppet's cold eyes. Her body still trembled from residual current.
"Why do you defy this body?"
The puppet asked in an ethereal tone.
"..."
Ayaka said nothing—not from unconsciousness, but from refusal.
"For the sake of past ties, this body will grant you one chance to live. From this moment onward, return to my side as before. Obey me. Devote yourself solely to me. Otherwise, do not blame this body for showing no mercy."
The puppet offered her terms.
Ayaka's dull pupils stared at her as though looking at a stranger. Then, upon hearing those words, a faint, scornful smile curved her lips.
"...?"
Seeing the cold smile on the girl's lips, the puppet gripping her frowned, clearly displeased.
A tear slid down the puppet's right eye—that was the Shogun's consciousness weeping. Unlike the cold left eye, the right pupil clearly reflected Ayaka's miserable state. It trembled, filled with sorrow, tears streaming without cease. Yet the puppet did not even notice her own right eye crying. She continued to stare at Ayaka with icy indifference.
"Ayaka... Kamisato Ayaka... lives for only one purpose... for Shogun-sama."
Ayaka's gaze rested on that tearful right eye. Despite her frail face still twitching from the lingering current, an expression as gentle as flowing water surfaced for a fleeting moment—an intermingling of affection, longing, and love.
Hearing her words, the puppet mistakenly believed they were meant for herself. Her brows eased slightly.
However—
Ayaka's eyes shifted abruptly to the left eye.
Her expression turned cold.
"And you... are not her..."
Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed the streak of water-light rapidly approaching from behind the puppet—a Sangonomiya Kokomi unlike any she had seen before.
"!"
The puppet's pupils trembled, as if struck by something unseen.
"You are merely... an impostor..."
Ayaka rasped.
"Ignorant mortal! You dare mock this body!"
The puppet snapped, anger flaring. The look of betrayal that crossed her face filled Ayaka with a strange sense of satisfaction.
Her heart was already filled entirely with Shogun-sama. There was no place left for you!
The puppet raised her blade, about to sever Ayaka's head—
Splash!
In the next instant, a massive yet majestic water dragon surged upward from behind her, jaws wide as it lunged down upon the puppet!
Splash!
Caught mid-discharge of lightning, the puppet was too late to evade. A torrent of hydro energy drenched her body. The thunder she had been emitting instantly backfired under the overwhelming water element.
Her movements faltered.
"Kamisato Art—Frostfall!"
In that critical instant, Ayaka flicked her left hand. The folded fan hidden within her sleeve snapped into her grasp. She flung it open, gathering immense cryo energy, and with her final burst of strength, fanned it forward!
Whoosh! ×N
With a single motion, a swirling vortex of ice formed—like a roaring blizzard—rushing point-blank toward the puppet.
"!!"
Faced with the combined assault, the puppet released Ayaka at once. Ayaka dropped heavily to the ground but did not pause. Gritting her teeth through the agonizing residual electricity, she snatched Snowswept Sakura from the ground and—without bothering to put on her sandals—slid across the surface in a swift, gliding step, her stockinged feet skimming the earth.
Hummm~
With the cryo vortex before her and the water dragon behind, the puppet decisively erected a shield.
High above, Kokomi hovered in the air. Seeing this, she formed another seal with both hands.
A second slender water dragon coalesced from pure hydro energy, spiraling protectively around her like a guardian of the deep.
With a push of her palm—
"Roar!"
The dragon lifted its head and unleashed a torrent of water-elemental breath directly against the puppet's shield.
The puppet was now caught between two forces—cryo vortex from one side, hydro breath from the other.
Ayaka, several meters away, did not remain idle. As her unleashed Frostfall raged forward, her eyes and body shone with icy brilliance. Her Vision glowed with cryo light. Lowering her stance, she assumed the opening posture of an iaido strike.
In her mind, she returned to the courtyard of the Kamisato Estate—rows of bamboo lined before her, spaced just like the distance to her opponent.
"Haa..."
She exhaled softly. Then every last trace of cryo within her erupted.
Crack!
Even the ribbon binding her high ponytail snapped. Her long hair cascaded free, spreading weightlessly in the air.
"Kamisato Art—Hyouka Suigetsu!"
Her breath left her lips in a faint frost.
Hummm~
In an instant—she drew her blade.
Slash!
A colossal arc of ice tore through the air, splitting the space before her. Its focal point struck precisely against the puppet's thunder shield.
The ground trembled. Frost spread in rippling layers across the surface.
"Feel the wrath of the deep... This is the power of water!"
Kokomi drifted through the air like a mermaid, sweeping her hands outward. In that moment, the Plane of Euthymia transformed into a vast azure ocean. From the surface of the sea emerged countless hydro-formed creatures—schools of fish, crawling beasts of land, even deep-sea vishaps—together with the two water dragons, all converging upon the puppet at the center.
At that instant—
The cryo blade arc and the wrath of the sea intersected at a single point.
Crack!
The puppet's shield shattered completely.
"!"
Her face no longer held only coldness—but shock. Under the combined eruption of ice and water, she staggered back several steps. Frost began to form across her body.
Hummm~
Then—time stilled.
Only a delicate streak of lightning passed silently through the puppet's body.
Crack...
Fragments scattered.
Before anyone could react, Ei stood there—Musou Isshin plunged into the puppet's chest.
The puppet's expression twisted into true terror.
"This is— You—!!!"
"It is time for you to disappear."
Ei's voice was cold.
She twisted the hilt as though turning a key.
Click!
With a crisp sound, the blade dissolved like flowing light into the puppet's body. Violet radiance condensed into a human-shaped phantom—the true form of that law-bound consciousness.
The phantom grasped the puppet's forehead with both hands and wrenched violently—ripping the consciousness free from the Shogun's body.
Once separated, it was no longer the dignified form of the puppet but a distorted entity—similar in outline to the Shogun, yet grotesque and warped.
"You—!! Even now you would defy this body?! Defy eternity?! Do not forget, Raiden Ei! I am who you once were!!!"
It shrieked hysterically, especially at Ei, who was steadily approaching.
"You were indeed."
Ei held Musou Isshin in its restored form before her.
"But I am no longer the Raiden Ei of the past."
"I have not abandoned eternity. I have found a new eternity—one where people pursue their dreams. Where there is new life, there will be dreams. And through those dreams, this nation will continue to move forward."
"You! Those who defy eternity deserve death!!"
The twisted consciousness roared and lunged at her.
"And your existence defies the eternity I now protect. You have harmed those around me. Therefore... do not blame me for showing no mercy."
Hummm~
Ei raised her blade and slashed.
Space itself split apart.
The distorted entity twisted, dragged into the rift, and dissolved like scattered dust.
"Aaaahhhhh!!!"
The scream warped and faded, vanishing into nothingness.
The Plane of Euthymia, once filled with the roar of battle, returned to its former silence.
The Shogun's restored body slowly collapsed, unconscious, about to fall helplessly to the ground.
"!"
Ei flashed forward at once, catching her. She knelt upon the ground, holding her tightly without a word.
[Ei... leave the Shogun's consciousness to me for now. You watch over her body.]
"Mm... She may not..."
[It does not matter. Even if she does not acknowledge me, that is fine. I only wish to tell her a few things.]
"...All right."
Hummm~
In the next instant, Makoto's consciousness returned to the Shogun's heart once more.