The Final Vigil

"Is dodging really any use?"

The dark incarnation swung its lightning sword once more.

"Here, there are only barriers between hearts—there is no distance in space. You can't escape..."

Everything was a reflection of the mind. This place seemed infinitely vast, yet there was nowhere to hide. In a battle of wills, there was no such thing as luck.

The massive sword swept out, raising a web of purple-black lightning that covered every route Sasuke Uchiha could take.

Faced with this, Sasuke could only hold on with difficulty. Having just endured enormous mental exhaustion, he had no choice but to raise Susanoo once again.

But before Susanoo could fully take shape, he was forced to raise its skeletal arms and cross them in front of himself, blocking Futsunomitama's slash.

This time was even worse than before. The two arms were like reeds, severed without holding back the divine sword for even a moment.

Fortunately, that brief delay was enough for Sasuke to evade once more.

"How long are you going to keep running?"

The dark incarnation pressed forward relentlessly, and Futsunomitama's power grew ever greater. As time passed, Sasuke's disadvantage in combat strength would only become more apparent.

But none of that was absolute. Battle had always been a means of buying time. Before one side was thoroughly defeated, advantages and disadvantages did not truly matter. The key was what Sasuke himself intended to do...

"Running away? Yes, never daring to face it head-on has always been troubling. I've been torn up over it too... But no matter what, I won't let some counterfeit that peered into my heart make decisions for me."

"You're lying. Your hatred was once entirely focused on Itachi Uchiha. Ever since your hatred for him faded, you've tried to shift it onto others. But what