Rod vs. Kanzaki Kaori [End]

Having used the power of a "Saint" for too long, Kanzaki Kaori's body was already on the verge of collapse. She had realized this.

Yet there was no panic in her heart, no confusion, nor any despair.

For some reason, despite being on the brink of death, Kanzaki Kaori felt an unprecedented exhilaration. This was the fullest extent of her strength since birth. To be able to fight such a powerful opponent—she would have no regrets even if she died.

It was as though she had been born for this battle, as though she had come into this world solely for this fight!?

Because of that, at this very moment, Kanzaki Kaori cast aside all her past doubts. She had even thrown Index's safety to the back of her mind. Right now, Kanzaki Kaori only wanted to use her final strike to put an end to her life!?

"Now is the time for the end!?" The blood loss from Kanzaki Kaori's body had already reached what ordinary people would call a lethal amount. The blood spilling from her soaked the blade, and as if responding to her resolve, the sword began to hum and tremble.

The blade turned blood-red, eerie and ghostly.

"Is that so? Thank you." A moving smile curled across Kanzaki Kaori's lips as she responded to the blade in her hand.

There was no explosive surge of magical power, nor did any sharp aura emerge. Kanzaki Kaori merely sheathed her sword and assumed the stance for an iaijutsu slash in midair.

This was a transformation of realm—an art comprehended between life and death, transcending the domain of mortals. The ultimate martial skill.

"As expected of you, Kanzaki Kaori. You really have brought me so many surprises. Subarashii!?" Kanzaki Kaori's abnormality delighted Rod even more. Only an opponent like this could make his fighting spirit burn so fiercely—no schemes, no tricks.

There was only a simple contest of strength!?

Whether it was a breakthrough between life and death or a hidden trump card, this was how a battle between two opponents should be answered. This was the best!?

Kanzaki Kaori entered a state of perfect clarity. Everything around her became incomparably slow, and every sound had faded away. Her eyes held only that figure, whose face wore an unrestrained, flamboyant, utterly exhilarated smile.

For some reason, she could not stop smiling. It was truly wonderful that she had met him!

The nine miniature suns created by the explosions of Rod's Flame Technique: Open illuminated the night sky over the Japanese islands.

The nine bursting miniature suns began to converge under Rod's control. Though night had already fallen, a sun one-third the size of the moon gradually formed and hung high in the sky—no, its brilliant radiance shone upon the earth.

The terrifying blazing sun, its savage heat, scorched everything in the sky, twisting the atmosphere.

It seemed as though everything in the world was about to be devoured by that blazing sun.

"So hot!?"

"What's going on!?"

"I feel like I've been thrown into an oven!?"

Academy City below was affected by the high temperatures, and countless steel structures began to melt.

"Hey, hey, hey, isn't this too ridiculous!?" Stiyl Magnus, who had already awakened from unconsciousness, stared blankly at the sun hanging in the sky. At some point, the cigarette at the corner of his mouth slipped free and began to burn!

"That guy again!?" Suzushina Yuriko punched a dent into the wall. She did not need to think to know whose handiwork the sun in the sky was. Even she could not help but feel fear at that godlike power capable of forming a sun with one's bare hands.

"Who could actually fight that guy to this extent?" Yet Suzushina Yuriko's thoughts were quickly filled by another emotion: unwillingness—the frustration of being unable to make him use his full strength.

The entire Academy City seemed to have turned into a mountain of flames. The scorching heat baked the earth, waking countless people from peaceful dreams. When they looked up, all they saw was a radiance brilliant beyond compare.

"Is it the end of the world!?" In an instant, the entire city fell into panic, believing that Earth was heading toward the sun.

"Let's decide the victor with this move!?" The two voices spoke in unison.

Rod swung the blazing sun in his hand down at Kanzaki Kaori. Kanzaki Kaori's blade light suddenly pierced through it, a slash that transcended space and time striking the blazing sun head-on.

"Merciless Sun!"

"Terminating Nanasen!"

The two ultimate attacks collided, erupting in an extreme brilliance that seemed ready to swallow everything in the world.

And within that ultimate light, a threadlike blood-red slash appeared.

An attack surpassing a nuclear explosion erupted completely in an instant, like the cataclysmic impact of an asteroid striking Earth.

The violent tremors caused the Japanese islands themselves to suffer a massive earthquake. The quake triggered a tsunami, which completely submerged Japan's coastal cities.

The terrifying shaking continued for several minutes. The ultimate radiance quietly faded, leaving behind only a cloudless night sky.

A gigantic human-faced bird raced through the night sky. On its back lay the utterly battered Kanzaki Kaori, along with Rod, whose wound stretched from his left shoulder to the right side of his abdomen. His organs visibly pulsed through the gash as large amounts of blood slowly flowed down.

"You really never disappoint me, Kanzaki Kaori. I think I'm falling for you." Rod smiled and activated the Reverse Cursed Technique to heal himself. Yet just as his skin was about to be perfectly restored, he stopped, leaving behind the scar that ran from his left shoulder to the right side of his abdomen.

Scars were symbols of a man's glory, and also Rod's recognition of Kanzaki Kaori's strength.

Kanzaki Kaori's slash had broken through Earth's atmosphere. If its direction had not veered far off course, it should have been able to split the moon in two.

When Kanzaki Kaori unleashed Terminating Nanasen while caught between life and death, she had already reached a level capable of destroying a planet.

Within Kanzaki Kaori's life-flashing-before-her-eyes vision, In a white space, Kanzaki Kaori looked back on her life.

I, Kanzaki Kaori, had been an extraordinarily lucky person since birth. Before I was even born, I had been designated as the female pope of the Amakusa-Style Crossist Church. I possessed talents that allowed me to succeed without effort; I could gain the admiration of everyone around me without doing anything; every day brought surprises even I never expected; even when assassinated, I would survive by sheer luck—bullets would miss for no reason, and even if a bomb exploded beside me, I would miraculously emerge completely unharmed.

But I could not forgive this "lucky" life that brought "misfortune" to those around me. Afraid that my immense power would drag my companions of the Amakusa-Style into danger, I chose to leave them.

To protect those by my side, I could only suppress my desire to be with them and choose loneliness.