The Black Blade pierced Shalnark's chest like a bolt of lightning.
A ghastly, bloody hole opened in his chest.
The wound was fatal.
Strictly speaking, Silva had created this opportunity for Moyu to attack.
Before tossing the Black Blade to his Shadow Clone, Moyu had not actually known what benefit this little setup would bring to the battle ahead.
He had simply put the principles of adapting on the fly and thinking three moves ahead into practice during the fight, gradually finding an opportunity to turn his setup into a killing move.
He had chosen Shalnark as his target solely because Shalnark was missing an arm and a hand.
In that condition, even if Shalnark could react to a sudden attack, he probably could not mount an effective defense.
That made Shalnark the primary target.
What Moyu did not know was...
To adapt to his disability, Shalnark had subsequently spent considerable time and effort developing his Conjured Mechanical Arm ability.
But he had only had so much time to master it. Even if he reacted, his Conjuration speed could not keep up with his intention to defend.
So, however many variables there might have been, some things had already been decided the instant Moyu chose Shalnark.
After landing the blow, Moyu used Shadow Shift again without hesitation and returned to his original position.
"Shalnark!!!"
At that moment, Pakunoda's and Kortopi's cries reached them.
Franklin had never expected anything like this to happen, and he lost focus for a brief moment.
Moyu keenly caught that lapse. He immediately stepped forward with his right foot, conjuring the Black Blade anew as he raised his arm, and thrust straight at Franklin's chest.
But a veteran of countless battles like Franklin would hardly give him an opening over that.
He reacted at the last