Ghost Sword Underworld Guidance

"Whirlwind Slash!"

Before the burly Colonel could land, he extended his twin swords and spun his body into a blur. A massive, crescent-shaped slash descended instantly toward the deck.

Watching the incoming strike with a calm expression, Bai Ina drew Black Blade Dawn without haste. He bent his knees and launched himself forward, his explosive strength propelling him like a bolt of lightning.

Bang—

The air rippled. Bai Ina's figure, blade in hand, collided instantly with the circular slash. With a crisp snap, the attack failed to hold for even a heartbeat before shattering into countless fragments.

The moment the slash broke, a pitch-black wave of energy erupted from the Black Blade, soaring skyward and slamming into the Colonel. Under the sudden impact, the Colonel's expression shifted. He felt a mountain of force surge from his swords through his entire body, as if struck by a giant hammer. He was forced back several meters before landing in a clumsy, back-flipping heap.

"Good, interesting. I am Sa Kaiyang. What is your name?" Sa Kaiyang shook his numb fingers, a savage grin remaining on his face, though his pupils were now filled with gravity.

Bai Ina glanced at him indifferently, holding Dawn level before his chest, showing no intention of answering.

Sa Kaiyang frowned, tightening his grip on his swords, and sneered, "Then I'll just have to interrogate you once I've captured you!"

Taking long strides, Sa Kaiyang moved slowly toward Bai Ina. As he drew close, he stomped hard on the deck, his body shooting forward as his twin swords struck at Bai Ina from treacherous, razor-sharp angles.

"Two-Sword Style—Tiger Hunt!"

Feeling the terrifying blade-force nearing his face, a flicker of gravity crossed Bai Ina's features. The next moment, relying on his exceptional flexibility, Bai Ina tilted his body and retreated sharply, narrowly evading Sa Kaiyang's strike.

In the next second, his incredible agility allowed him to shift his feet in a bizarre posture, appearing eerily at Sa Kaiyang's left flank. With his physical prowess surging, a translucent, pitch-black aura manifested on the Dawn held in his right hand, radiating a bone-chilling coldness like that of the Nine Underworlds as he swung it viciously toward Sa Kaiyang's neck.

"Iai Slash—Elegy of the Soul!"

This strange attack made Sa Kaiyang raise an eyebrow, a look of gravity surfacing on his face, though he was not overly panicked. He inverted his right sword upward while crossing his left sword behind it, forming a cross.

"Two-Sword Style—Ten Directions World."

Clang! The black blade met the crossed swords, sparks flying everywhere. A massive shockwave erupted from the point of impact, blowing away all the Marines and Revolutionary Army soldiers fighting in their vicinity.

Seeing this, both sides twitched their lips. After exchanging glances with their respective opponents, they fought while retreating, distancing themselves from the two combatants.

The icy chill and the raw physical power made Sa Kaiyang shiver instinctively. The force transmitted through his crossed swords forced him to retreat several steps before he could fully dissipate the momentum.

Compared to Sa Kaiyang's repeated retreats, Bai Ina appeared much more composed, his feet sliding back only half a step before he stood firmly in place.

"What a strong runt!" With a look of shock in his eyes, Sa Kaiyang shook his aching, numb palms. A heavy, stifling pressure began to rise from his body, and he closed his eyes, emitting an aura that Bai Ina found vaguely familiar.

Runt?

Bai Ina's face darkened behind his mask, but as he sensed the aura emanating from Sa Kaiyang, his expression tightened. He had seen this aura before; although it was much weaker than what he had witnessed in the past, there was no doubt it was the aura of Armament Haki.

Having suffered greatly under Armament Haki before, Bai Ina dared not underestimate his opponent. His body tensed instinctively, and a bone-chilling coldness began to radiate from his entire frame.

The combatants on the deck shivered involuntarily. Glancing at the two figures in the center of the deck, they looked on with great trepidation. Eventually, they ceased fighting altogether, retreating to opposite sides and standing far away from the battlefield.

They had realized that fighting near these two monsters was more dangerous than the battle itself. Moreover, the final outcome would surely be decided by these two; there was no point in them fighting, so they might as well stay far away to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

Staring gloomily at Sa Kaiyang, Bai Ina felt a growing sense of tension in his heart, especially when he noticed the energy in the surrounding air beginning to fluctuate violently. This tension manifested clearly on his face.

"This is my strongest technique. Let's see if you can take it." Sa Kaiyang spat out the cold words, raising his twin swords as a faint layer of Armament Haki manifested upon them.

"Two-Sword Style—Elysium!"

As Sa Kaiyang's shout faded, the air began to ripple. He shot forward, visible waves appearing around him as if his immense power were tearing the very atmosphere apart.

Seeing this, Bai Ina's expression turned grave. His physical power surged, pouring entirely into the Black Blade Dawn. As the energy infused the blade, the eerie chill it released grew colder, and ghostly, netherworld energy manifested on the sword, forming clusters of black mist that writhed like skulls along the steel.

"Great Shock—Ghost Sword Underworld Guidance!"

The moment the deep shout fell, the now-gray Dawn in Bai Ina's hand cut through the void with extreme coldness, slashing horizontally toward the oncoming Sa Kaiyang.

Wherever the black blade passed, the space itself seemed to distort, as if being gnawed upon by the skull-like mist on the sword.

The strike, swift as a black hole, arrived in a flash. Before the watching Marines and Revolutionary Army soldiers could even process the moment of impact, a thunderous explosion erupted across the warship.

Boom!

As the thunderous sound faded, wood chips from the shattered deck sprayed into the air. A shadow was suddenly sent flying backward from the debris, his feet digging deep furrows into the deck.

After sliding back more than ten meters, he slammed heavily into the cabin, causing it to burst apart. Only then did the figure come to a halt, swaying before collapsing to the ground. When everyone looked over, the Marines gasped in horror—the figure in such a wretched state was none other than the Marine Colonel, Sa Kaiyang!

Staring fixedly at Sa Kaiyang, who was deathly pale with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, the Marines swallowed hard. They, along with the Revolutionary Army on the other side, turned their gaze toward the spot where the wood had shattered. Cracks spread out from the center, stopping only after several meters, and at the heart of the destruction lay a massive hole over a meter wide.

Bai Ina stood at the edge of the crater, his breathing ragged and his face slightly pale.