[ "Don't even think about it!"
Kazahana Koyuki saw right through Uchiha Hoshi's intentions. It was true that she lacked close-combat capabilities, and with Hoshi possessing a Honkai Beast body, the First Herrscher could tear her to shreds in an instant if she got close.
But was Kazahana Koyuki really that easy to approach?
An even denser hail of Subspace Lances erupted from the voids, streaking toward Uchiha Hoshi. The lances were like lethal arrows flying toward their target.
Without exception, every single lance was shattered by Hoshi's floating cannons. Although Koyuki controlled a vast number of lances, Hoshi's funnels were just as numerous. Even though she was only a clone and the Authority her Core could manifest was limited, it was more than enough!
"If this is all you've got, you're going to die."
Watching the sky full of lances raining down on her, Hoshi showed no fear; instead, she looked genuinely excited. This was exactly the kind of battle she lived for!
Why had she created this clone? Aside from bolstering her strength, it was to enjoy combat exactly like this. If becoming stronger was just for the sake of power, it would be far too boring.
"Aha~ Let me see just how far your Authority can go!"
Hoshi made a grasping motion with her right hand, and a blue-and-white, uniquely styled two-handed greatsword appeared. She had forged it on the spot using Honkai Beast claws.
The sword was 1.8 meters long; when stood upright, it was taller than she was. The blade was so sharp it seemed capable of slicing through space itself, and the blue and white colors twined around the length of the blade like two coiled serpents. As soon as the sword touched her hand, she swung it, cleaving through several Subspace Lances that had reached her face, proving its lethal sharpness.
"Damn it!"
Seeing her attacks fail to hinder Hoshi, Koyuki's expression soured. "If the Subspace Lances can't kill you, then..."
Uchiha Hoshi, who was charging toward Koyuki, suddenly felt the ground beneath her tremble. In the next instant, the floor under her feet vanished into thin air. Her expression shifted, and she immediately manifested a platform beneath her, preventing herself from falling into the trap.
But immediately after, the ground on her left and right bulged upward, slamming together toward Hoshi in the center, intending to crush her into pulp.
Watching this familiar sight, Hoshi had a momentary flashback to a certain figure. But she quickly snapped out of it, gripped her greatsword with both hands, and swept a circle of blade-light around her. Instantly, every piece of matter that touched the light was severed in two.
Koyuki wasn't surprised. This was a low-level trap; she hadn't expected it to kill Hoshi. It was merely a distraction.
While Hoshi was dealing with the trap, the Subspace Lances around Koyuki shifted. They transformed from razor-sharp spears into what looked like incredibly supple ribbons. Under her control, dozens of these transformed ribbons snaked toward Hoshi.
Using the cover of the floating debris, the ribbons slipped through Hoshi's blind spots and appeared right before her eyes. By the time she noticed them, it was too late.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The ribbons instantly coiled around Uchiha Hoshi like a spider capturing its prey, leaving only her head exposed. The ribbons continued to tighten, and sparks flew where they rubbed against Hoshi's body. It became clear that these weren't soft cloth—they were sharp, flexible swords!
"The First Herrscher is nothing special."
Looking at the captive Hoshi, Kazahana Koyuki let out a cold taunt. ]
Jiraiya: "Can the weapons summoned by Kazahana Koyuki actually change shape like that?"
Rasa: "More than that, she seems to be able to manipulate the ground of that dimension. It seems her claim of controlling that entire space wasn't a lie."
Minato Namikaze: "This is far more formidable than the Flying Thunder God Technique."
Senju Tobirama: "So this is an Authority? It seems the Uchiha Mangekyo cannot even compare to this."
Uchiha Izuna: "You @!%@, what exactly do you mean by that?"
Uchiha Madara: "..."
Madara remained silent. As one of the people who understood the Sharingan best, he knew that the eyes—especially the Mangekyo—were not as simple as they appeared. The Sharingan gave the Uchiha a massive advantage among peers, and the Mangekyo granted them unique Dojutsu. Before a Mangekyo awakened, no one knew what power those eyes would hold.
Even so, Madara had to admit that Mangekyo techniques still had significant limitations. The Authorities displayed by these two Herrschers, however, seemed to have no flaws at all. He wondered how their Authorities would stack up against the Rinnegan.
[ Boom! Boom! Boom!
On the other side, the battle between the two Honkai Beasts was far more spectacular. By comparison, the fight between the two Herrschers looked like two children playing with water guns.
The clash of the beasts was tearing the Imaginary Space apart. Countless meteorite-like structures were shattered, and landmasses the size of continents were being hammered down. The two beasts continued to sink deeper into the depths of the Imaginary Space. If the fight continued, they risked becoming lost in the void forever.
However, as the companion beast of the Second Herrscher, Space Tearer was influenced by Koyuki, gaining claws capable of rending space and the ability to phase between reality and the Imaginary Space like a ghost. This ability gave Space Tearer the confidence to fight recklessly within the void.
And what about Star Eater?
She was the same! Don't forget, she was the companion beast of the First Herrscher, possessing the ability to grow by devouring other Honkai Beasts and gaining their traits. After swallowing Space Tearer's arm, she had acquired its abilities!
Gradually, Space Tearer realized that its opponent's claws were looking more and more familiar.
BOOM!
Finally, Star Eater adapted to Space Tearer's attack rhythm and predicted its flicker location, slamming a claw down. Before the newly appeared Space Tearer could even finish its attack, a claw struck its chest, sending it tumbling back.
Space Tearer didn't actually have a teleportation ability; its "flickering" principle was simple: it exited the Imaginary Space into the real world, adjusted its position there, and then re-entered the Imaginary Space.
Now, Star Eater could do it too!
Star Eater:Simple. I can do that. I'm adapting! ]