"Mm."
"Haha, that strong, huh?"
"It really hurt a little. You really are a cruel person."
The desolate life faded away, and the phantom of the great serpent vanished as well. Sakumura panted heavily and opened his eyes again.
A battle like this—
Could it really still be called a battle?
Sakumura's body lurched, and he dropped to one knee. Only by supporting himself with Crane Feather did he avoid collapsing completely.
The price Sparrow Stance exacted from his Saint Graph really was... too great.
But.
So what?
He had already won.
"This is fine too..."
Blood stained the corners of Shuten Douji's lips as she muttered with a bitter smile.
"A tale where the evil oni wins... I suppose no one would want to hear that, would they?"
"Ahh, it hurts, it hurts. It's been... so long since I last felt pain like this."
Shuten Douji rubbed at her chest.
There—it was covered in blood.
Sakumura's sword had left an irreparable wound there—and she could not even be bothered to heal it.
There was a massive hole. A heart—or rather, a Spirit Core—should have been there, but now there was nothing at all.
Her life had entered its countdown. For some reason, she still remained here.
—She was still struggling.
Though no one knew why she was still struggling.
"Ah..."
She was still smiling.
"I already... did my best, you know?"
With a rustle—
Struggle had its limits after all.
The oni's body tipped backward, turning into drifting golden particles as it fell.
"Lady Shuten Douji..."
Watching Shuten Douji fade away, Fujimaru Ritsuka felt strangely upset.
Even though, just a few hours ago, Shuten Douji had been stirring her claws around inside his stomach.
Come to think of it, had Lady Shuten Douji done something to my Magic Circuits