"Whoosh—!"
Amid the howling wind, the dagger Kurusu Kunoichi had sent flying with a single slash spun like a windmill through the air, arcing upward.
A moment later, the tip of the dagger slammed into the ceiling of the carriage, embedding itself there.
"Swish—!"
Facing Fang Li, who had lost his weapon, Kurusu Kunoichi's eyes turned fierce. His katana sliced through the air with a sharp whistle, becoming a bright crescent arc as it came crashing down toward Fang Li.
And Fang Li's repeated retreat had brought him against the wall, leaving him no room to step back even half a pace.
In other words, Fang Li could not evade this strike.
At once, cries of alarm rose from all around.
Ikoma especially watched the scene unfold with his eyes widened to their limits, his gaze nearly splitting apart.
Kurusu Kunoichi showed no reaction. His expression remained cold, his eyes vicious, and his katana descended upon Fang Li like lightning, utterly without mercy.
At that instant, Kurusu Kunoichi was certain of his victory.
Yet just as Kurusu Kunoichi's slash was about to land on Fang Li, Fang Li suddenly tensed and leaped straight into the air.
"Clang—!"
Accompanied by a piercing clash of metal, Kurusu Kunoichi's assured strike struck the wall Fang Li had retreated to, throwing up fierce sparks and leaving a white mark across it.
This time, it was Kurusu Kunoichi whose palm went numb from the recoil, making him grunt.
Even so, Kurusu Kunoichi forced his head up and looked above.
There, Fang Li had leaped into the air and flipped upside down, his feet landing on the carriage ceiling as though he were hanging from it. His Ice-Blue Demon Eyes swept toward Kurusu Kunoichi.
"—!"
Kurusu Kunoichi felt a chill course through his entire body, a shadow of death rising in his heart.
At that moment, Fang Li reached out and tightly gripped the dagger embedded beside him.
Gravity finally began to take effect, dragging Fang Li downward.
But before that could happen, Fang Li stomped hard against the ceiling. Like an arrow falling from the heavens, he shot toward Kurusu Kunoichi below, the dagger in his hand flashing with a cold gleam like a sharp fang.
"Too naive!"
Kurusu Kunoichi's expression sharpened as he abruptly raised his katana, holding it above himself in defense.
Unfortunately, Kurusu Kunoichi did not know that such an obvious block was exactly what Fang Li wanted.
"Then I won't miss this time, right?!"
Descending from above, Fang Li raised his dagger high. His Ice-Blue Demon Eyes clearly saw the Death Lines on the blade of Kurusu Kunoichi's raised katana.
"Even a weapon, if I can see its 'death,' I can kill it!"
The instant his words fell, Fang Li's raised dagger slashed down.
This time, Fang Li struck the Death Lines on Kurusu Kunoichi's katana with perfect accuracy.
Thus, the sharp dagger cut through the steel weapon as easily as though it were slicing into fragile paper.
"Snap—!"
Like a branch being broken, Kurusu Kunoichi's katana was cleanly severed.
"What?!" Kurusu Kunoichi was stunned.
At that instant, Fang Li landed on the ground and took a step forward, driving himself into the embrace of the now-unarmed Kurusu Kunoichi.
Kurusu Kunoichi's expression changed again and again.
But by then, it was far too late to react.
An icy sensation struck Kurusu Kunoichi's nerves.
The dagger flashing with cold light pressed tightly against Kurusu Kunoichi's throat, slightly piercing the skin and causing a trace of blood to seep out.
"Drip..."
Blood slowly trickled down the dagger pressed against the tiny wound and fell to the floor.
Kurusu Kunoichi looked at the face inches from his own, his eyes shifting rapidly.
"Huff... huff..."
Fang Li breathed lightly as his Ice-Blue Demon Eyes quietly faded, revealing a pair of dark pupils filled with exhaustion.
All sound around them vanished at once, leaving only dead silence.
Everyone stared at Fang Li holding his dagger to Kurusu Kunoichi's throat, unable to say a word for a long while.
What a familiar sight.
Three days earlier, on the Martial Contest arena, Fang Li had held his dagger to Kurusu Kunoichi's throat just like this and claimed victory.
However, back then, rather than defeating Kurusu Kunoichi, Fang Li had outwitted him.
Fang Li had won that battle at the cost of being injured.
Three days later, Fang Li had once again won against Kurusu Kunoichi.
But this time, Fang Li had won openly and honorably.
Thus, no one had anything to say. Only Ikoma wore a look of delighted surprise.
Even after a long while, no one broke the silence.
In the end, Fang Li was still the first to speak.
Looking at Kurusu Kunoichi's ever-changing eyes, Fang Li suddenly smiled.
"So, that means I win, right?"
Just like the scene of their match three days ago.
Just like the words spoken when that match ended.
Kurusu Kunoichi stared fixedly at Fang Li. After a while, he closed his eyes.
"You win..."
Those words confirmed Fang Li's victory.
Rank B Side Mission completed. Obtained 5000 Exchange Points.
As the system notification sounded in Fang Li's mind, Kurusu Kunoichi had already turned around and begun walking toward the door leading to the carriage ahead.
"Kurusu." Kibito Aragane could not help but speak. "Are you planning to stay out of this?"
Kurusu Kunoichi stopped walking and replied without turning around, "This is an agreement between him and me."
Kibito Aragane had nothing to say.
But the samurai around them began speaking up one after another.
"But, Kurusu, that guy is with those two monsters!"
"If we let them go, who knows whether they'll turn everyone on the Iron Fortress into Kabane?!"
"When that happens, we'll all die!"
The voices of the samurai made Kurusu Kunoichi suddenly open his eyes and sweep his gaze around them.
His gaze was as sharp as a blade.
The samurai's voices came to an abrupt halt.
Under those circumstances, Kurusu Kunoichi spoke coldly.
"I am a samurai. Don't make me abandon even a samurai's most basic honor."
The samurai could no longer say anything.
"B-but they're Kabane!"
Only a very few still struggled to protest.
Kurusu Kunoichi said expressionlessly, "I have already agreed not to interfere. As for what you choose to do, that has nothing to do with me."
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