Remembrance of Regret

Riiip!

The giant claw gouged furiously at the ground, its sharp talons tearing thin cracks into the hard earth. The next moment, the beast slammed its paw down. A huge crater instantly formed, and with that immense force behind it, the beast sprang more than ten meters forward before lunging at Bai Ina with a furious roar.

Its enormous shadow cast an oppressive darkness across the ground. Bai Ina looked up at the massive creature bearing down on him like a mountain.

His expression was grave. He bent his knees slightly and drove his foot hard into the ground. His hunched body shot off like an arrow, racing in the opposite direction from the beast.

Seeing Bai Ina flee, the thoroughly enraged beast dropped onto all fours. Its speed surged again as it gave chase to the tiny creature running ahead.

The beast's speed on all fours was far beyond what Bai Ina could match. The chase had lasted less than a minute when he began to feel the foul wind behind him growing stronger. Clearly, the beast was steadily closing in.

Bai Ina gritted his teeth, his face hardening with resolve. His running body suddenly pivoted, and he swung the Black Blade in a wide arc.

"Black Prison!"

With a low shout, a crescent-shaped black slash shot straight toward the beast's neck. The instant it touched the beast, the slash abruptly swelled, its ends joining together like a black collar fastened around its neck.

But it kept spinning, cutting repeatedly at the beast's neck. The effect was negligible, however; it merely sent out a string of sparks before dissipating.

"That defense..."

Bai Ina's expression darkened even further.

The time he had lost delivering that attack was enough for the beast to close in behind him. Its massive paw came crashing down with terrifying force. If that blow landed, even Bai Ina's exceptional flexibility wouldn't keep him from being smashed into a pulp.

"Iai Slash—Black Flame!"

Bai Ina quickly sheathed the Black Blade, then drew it again at even greater speed. But the enormous slash wreathed in black flames wasn't aimed at the beast. It shot straight toward the ground beneath its paw.

Boom!

A huge hole appeared beneath the beast's foot. The sudden loss of ground threw its body off balance, and the paw it had swung at Bai Ina veered aside, passing just over his head.

The tremendous force sent Bai Ina stumbling, but once he regained his footing, he stomped hard against the ground. With a muffled thud, his body rocketed upward, leaving a curved crater behind.

"Fang Thrust—Elegy of the Soul!"

Frigid energy from the depths of the netherworld gathered along Black Blade Dawn. It looked like an enlarged version of Dawn itself, and with a fierce gust of wind, it cut through the air and struck straight at the beast's other, unharmed eye.

Since its body was so heavily armored, that uncovered eye was his only chance to injure the beast.

As he drew closer, a hint of delight appeared on Bai Ina's face.

But just as the great sword was about to reach the beast's eye, Bai Ina clearly saw a mocking glint pass through it. His heart sank.

Clang!

Metal clashed against metal. The beast had closed its eye at the very instant the great sword reached it, causing the blade to strike its hard eyelid instead. A tremor surged from the hand gripping the sword through Bai Ina's entire body, numbing him.

Whoosh!

At that very moment, the beast's giant claw struck, sweeping into Bai Ina with nothing to stop it.

Bai Ina was sent flying backward, blood trailing through the air. He hurtled dozens of meters before finally slamming into a giant tree. The towering tree behind him exploded, scattering broken branches everywhere.

His body slid helplessly to the ground. Blood covered him from head to toe, and he kept coughing it up.

"Roar!"

At last, the beast had swatted away that pesky fly. Excited, it beat its chest with its paws, producing a series of dull thuds.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

After coughing up several mouthfuls of blood, Bai Ina used Black Blade Dawn to prop himself up. Feeling pain throughout his body, he gave a bitter smile.

Thud.

A shadow blotted out Bai Ina's view. He looked up and saw the beast's horribly contorted face. With a roar, it brought its claw straight down toward him.

If that blow landed, Bai Ina had no chance of surviving!

Am I going to die?

A bitter smile tugged at Bai Ina's lips. He had thought about how he might die, but never imagined he would be killed by a beast, swatted like a fly!

Perhaps it was a vision that came before death. Faces began appearing in Bai Ina's mind.

Kuina, Loxi, Zongcilang, Hijikata Yoshitoyo... Kubo Yamato, and the others. One familiar face after another flashed through his thoughts.

And then, something changed...

Time seemed to stop. Everything around Bai Ina suddenly fell silent, while all sorts of profound sounds reached the depths of his soul. The abrupt change left him dazed for a moment, despite having already lost hope. But soon, he understood.

"Even without that wooden plank, I still couldn't get in. I don't know why. I just feel like I'm missing something—a certain catalyst. Only when I encounter it will I have a chance to truly reach that realm."

His earlier words to Sa Kaiyang surged through Bai Ina's mind.

A catalyst... I've found it.

He had found what he had been missing: the catalyst was the realization that came between life and death, something that could only be attained on the brink of death.

"I can hear it... your breathing!"

The whisper slowly escaped Bai Ina's lips. Kuina's beautiful face appeared in his mind.

A gentle beauty suddenly softened Bai Ina's features. Nostalgia, longing, and tenderness flickered across his expression, finally becoming a wistful, heartrending love. Black Blade Dawn rose silently in his hand.

"A stream of green water flows through my heart, a gentle breeze brushes the wounded soul. Three thousand ripples, so lovely and serene; my brows remain furrowed, though my heart is like autumn waters. Whom do I gaze upon? Who holds my heart captive?"

A silver-white glow shimmered along Black Blade Dawn. Its black blade turned as white as snow, soft and... sorrowful!

"First Slash—Remembrance of Regret!"

The silver-white light suddenly blazed forth. Even the daylight could not conceal its radiance. It seemed to last an instant, and yet it felt like ten thousand years...

As the light faded, Bai Ina and the beast came into view. The beast's claw had not come down; it remained frozen in midair.

Bai Ina slowly slid the sword back into its sheath. The instant Black Blade Dawn was fully sheathed, a line of blood appeared across the beast's body. In a fraction of a second, blood burst into the air, forming a vast rain that blotted out the sky.

Thud!

With a muffled impact, the beast split in two and fell to the ground, making the earth tremble.

As the beast fell, Bai Ina staggered, but he forced himself to steady his body. He looked toward the people aboard the warship, their faces alight with joy, and smiled warmly.

He began walking toward the warship.

"Roar!"

Just then, roars sounded again. Several giant beasts burst out of the forest, charging straight at Bai Ina.

Bai Ina stopped in his tracks and looked toward everyone aboard the warship. A reluctant smile crossed his face...

P.S. Thanks to "Light Dust?", "Dragon Ascending to the Heavens' Book Fan," and "Book Friend 151113000630753" for the tips. Thank you for your support!

P.S. I've just gotten out of the Little Black Room, so this update is a little late.