Ryukotsusei (Part 2)

"Have you finished your last words? If so, let's begin! Even if you were the one to awaken me, I won't show any mercy because of that.

I've been asleep for hundreds of years, and I'm starving! You shall serve as my food!"

As he spoke, Ryukotsusei tore a boulder over ten meters in size from the cliff and hurled it at Yae Sakura.

"Zanshin!"

Watching the boulder crash toward her, Yae Sakura instantly entered the state of Zanshin, and everything around her slowed significantly.

She drew her Spirit Blade in a flash, and a massive crescent-shaped sword qi slashed at the boulder, cleaving it in two.

The moment she split the rock, she locked onto Ryukotsusei...

Flash Step!

She appeared directly atop Ryukotsusei's dragon head. A hideous human face grew from the dragon's skull; what was once a majestic dragon demon looked far less impressive due to this face.

As Yae Sakura materialized on the dragon's head, the Spirit Blade Cherry Blossom Blizzard in her hand thrust directly toward that human face.

Not good...

Before Yae Sakura could drive the blade in, the human face on the hideous dragon head suddenly spewed a cloud of black smoke.

At that very moment, countless streaks of Crimson Cherry Sword Qi erupted from Yae Sakura's body, relentlessly shredding the dragon's head.

Mark of Killing Intent, activate!

She pushed through the black smoke, and her Spirit Blade finally pierced the human face.

But just as it sank in a foot, a powerful repulsive force erupted from Ryukotsusei. Yae Sakura was instantly repelled dozens of meters away and began to plummet toward the ground.

Yae Sakura fell from hundreds of meters in the air, striking the earth like a boulder and cracking the ground beneath her...

"As expected, I'm fine..."

Yae Sakura grabbed her Spirit Blade and climbed to her feet. Falling from hundreds of meters up, she felt nothing more than a slight discomfort—she was perfectly fine...

Well, that made sense. If Kiana, a B-rank Valkyrie, could survive a fall from that height, then an SSS-rank Valkyrie certainly could.

Though that B-rank Valkyrie White Comet could also transform into Moonlight.

"Damn you! How dare you wound me! I will have your life!"

The human face on Ryukotsusei's head bled, filled with rage...

The Spirit Blade possessed a one-hundred-percent damage bonus against non-human entities. Even though she had only managed to pierce it a foot deep, it caused Ryukotsusei immense pain.

Ryukotsusei opened his hideous maw, and terrifying demonic energy gathered within. Layers of faint light barriers enveloped the energy erupting from his throat, instantly compressing it to one percent of its original size.

The white orb of demonic energy was compressed into a brilliant point of light, causing the surrounding space to show signs of collapse.

With a thunderous sonic boom, the compressed energy sphere shot toward Yae Sakura like a cannonball, traveling at at least supersonic speeds.

However, to Yae Sakura in the state of Zanshin, that speed was nothing special.

Despite the power of the attack, Yae Sakura did not dodge. Instead, she drew her other blade, the Void Blade.

The moment she drew the Void Blade, she activated Ouroboros.

Attacks entering the domain of Ouroboros slowed to a crawl. Yae Sakura slashed the Void Blade in her left hand directly into Ryukotsusei's compressed energy sphere.

The energy sphere was devoured by the Void Blade at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"What..."

Seeing Yae Sakura use a strange katana to consume his own attack, Ryukotsusei froze.

"Returning this to you!"

Yae Sakura swung the Void Blade once more, and Ryukotsusei's own attack was sent flying back at him. The massive dragon had no time to dodge and was struck, along with the valley floor beneath him.

Like a nuclear explosion, a massive mushroom cloud rose into the air, sending countless rocks and shockwaves flying.

When the dust settled, the massive valley had been transformed into a crater thousands of meters wide...

Ryukotsusei lay within, looking worse for wear, but he was not dead.

"As a Great Demon, is this all the strength you have? It doesn't quite match your appearance!"

Yae Sakura, holding her Spirit Blade in one hand and the Void Blade in the other, leaped to a surviving high point and looked down at Ryukotsusei in the crater...

"Half-demon, you are strong! But this is not my true power. Having been sealed for hundreds of years, I have less than a tenth of my strength remaining. Do you dare wait for me to recover before we fight again?"

"What do you think?"

Wait for him to recover?

What a joke!

Although she was confident she could easily handle him even at his peak, Yae Sakura had no desire to let a tiger return to the mountains.

Ryukotsusei was no benevolent demon. Once he was free after being sealed for so long...

It would be a disaster for humanity.

Of course, those were all excuses; Yae Sakura simply wanted to kill him now to obtain the Crystals. As for the main quest to defeat fifteen Great Demons, her battle with Ryukotsusei was already a victory.

"I see... but to kill me, Ryukotsusei, this level of strength is far from enough."

Ryukotsusei's wounds began to heal, and within seconds, he seemed fully restored.

He took to the air once more, opening his massive maw...

Countless demonic energy bullets rained down on Yae Sakura like a barrage.

Facing these projectiles, Yae Sakura merely needed to wave her twin blades, and the energy bullets could not even get close to her.

Just then, another massive white energy sphere, crackling with electricity, appeared in front of Yae Sakura as if it had teleported.

"The same trick won't work on me twice."

No matter how much energy he threw at her, it only served to increase the power of the Void Blade.

Yae Sakura slashed the Void Blade into the energy sphere, and it was instantly absorbed. Gripping the blade, she felt it surging with energy.

She glanced at Ryukotsusei, who was swimming through the clouds above, and activated Flash Step once more...

She appeared on Ryukotsusei's body again. The Void Blade carved into his steel-like hide, leaving a massive wound.

"Damn you!"

He let out a cry of pain, and Ryukotsusei's massive dragon claw swiped at the "ant" on his body.

"Sometimes, bigger isn't always better, don't you agree? Ryukotsusei?" Watching the claw descend, she entered the state of Zanshin. Everything began to slow, and just as the claw was about to strike her...

Yae Sakura performed an ultimate dodge...

Flowing Sakura Slash!

She unleashed the sword qi surrounding her body, slashing at the dragon claw. However, the claw was incredibly tough, and the attack caused little damage.

Eyeing the dragon's head, Yae Sakura rushed forward again, but Ryukotsusei seemed to have anticipated her intent, and a repulsive force erupted once more.

Just as Yae Sakura was being pushed back, she immediately activated the ultimate skill of Flame Sakitama.

"Cherry blossoms... scatter!"