118 Meido Zangetsuha
"Kurome..."
Among the four, the only one who paid attention to the girl was Kirito.
Previously, Kurome had been providing support, so Kirito had not focused on her, instead using his healing abilities on the more severely injured Roger and Shanks.
But he never expected that the support, Kurome, with the heart of a carry player, would recklessly attack after the three of them were blown away. And then the match was concluded.
"Huff..."
Taking a deep breath, Kirito took a stance.
"Twin Blade Ultimate Technique - Solar Eclipse!"
In an instant, Kirito unleashed twenty-seven consecutive strikes. The twenty-seven powerful slashes merged into a black sun, rapidly assaulting Ailin.
Swish!
Facing Kirito's strongest ultimate move, Ailin unleashed a hundred-meter slash, but this strike was instantly shattered upon hitting the black sun, its explosive shockwave unable to slow the black sun's advance.
"Oh? Not bad."
Sensing the power of this sword technique, Ailin released his Zanpakuto for the first time in the battle against them.
"Bankai - Meido Tessaiga!"
Instantly, Ailin's Zanpakuto grew massive, its blade transforming into a black spatial force taking on an iridescent sword form.
Then, Ailin swung the Meido Tessaiga towards the incoming black sun.
"Meido - Zangetsu Slash!"
A crescent-shaped spatial blade flew out, suddenly expanding upon hitting Kirito's Solar Eclipse into a ten-meter diameter circular space that completely absorbed the Solar Eclipse before dissipating.
"Hm?"
"What kind of ability is that? By the look of the Zanpakuto, it's Tessaiga, no doubt. But when did Tessaiga gain such immense power?" Kirito was astonished.
Everyone present in Ailin's realm was basically familiar with each other's abilities. But Kirito had never known that Tessaiga possessed spatial powers.
No...
Recalling that they had seized the King's Seal this time, Kirito quickly realized that this newfound power of Tessaiga must have emerged in the past few days.
"Indeed, a power worthy of Ailin's immense efforts to obtain... But to expect us to surrender just like that is impossible!"
"Twin Blade - Solar Eclipse!"
This time, Kirito transformed directly into a massive black sun carrying destructive might as he bore down on Ailin.
"Meido Zangetsuha!"
This time, instead of a crescent moon, Ailin unleashed a circular Meido- the full moon of the underworld!
This circular Meido rapidly flew towards Kirito, forming a cylindrical spatial path that absorbed everything in its trajectory.
Kirito, embodying the black sun, could not escape its pull either. When this cylindrical Meido dissipated, everything in front seemed to cease existing, all things rendered void.
Ailin then swung out a Remnant Moon Slash towards the charging Roger and Shanks.
Facing this slash less than two meters long, Roger and Shanks were extremely cautious. After all, they had just witnessed Kirito devoured by that circular Meido.
"Godly Avoidance!"
"Godly Avoidance!"
Roger and Shanks erupted their reiatsu, channeling most of it into Haoshoku Haki wrapping their Zanpakuto, then clashing against the incoming Remnant Moon.
Boom!
After Roger and Shanks' slashes struck the Remnant Moon, it abruptly expanded into a ten-meter Meido that absorbed all surrounding existence.
"Huff huff..."
The immense suction force emanating from this Meido forced Roger and Shanks to unleash their full reiatsu to stabilize themselves.
They knew that once pulled into that Meido, this battle would be their defeat. Of course, the current situation made their defeat virtually inevitable.
Against such absolute power, they had no chance of victory.
Another Remnant Moon Slash passed by, this time severing Roger and Shanks into two pieces...
***
"Damn it!"
Kensei Muguruma was covered in blood, the tiger claws on his fists unleashing powerful wind blasts that shattered any skeletons they struck.
Kensei's Bankai Tekken Tachikaze could generate raging winds around him, further concentrating that explosive wind force into the tiger claws on his fists. Upon striking an enemy, he could channel that explosive power directly into their body, inflicting devastating damage.
But now, the skeletons summoned by Setsuna Takemaru's Bankai could withstand Kensei's surrounding gales. Kensei had to shatter each surrounding skeleton one by one with his punches.
From time to time, he still had to endure attacks from Setsuna's strongest technique - Prison Dragon Break.
Kensei could now feel his movements slowing - a symptom of excessive blood loss.
"Damn, is this the end?" Kensei inwardly cursed his weakness. He was too weak to even avenge Mashiro.
Suddenly, Kensei sensed something and looked up. The sky above had transformed into a starry black cosmos, brilliant stars flowing within. This starry expanse then spread outwards, eventually consuming all the black clouds in the sky.
Roar!
With the clouds obscuring the heavens dispersed, Setsuna's manifested Underworld was broken.
Under the scorching sun, the purple hellish soil began evaporating into purple mist that dissipated in the sunlight.
Deprived of the Underworld's influence, this area reverted to the human realm.
Having lost the Underworld's enhancements, the skeletons Setsuna had summoned reverted to their original strength.
Now Kensei's raging winds could finally demonstrate their full might, pulverizing any skeletons that approached.
"How is this possible?"
Setsuna widened his eyes in disbelief that the blade breaking his Bankai was Tessaiga!
In his memory, he was Setsuna Takemaru, the strongest of the three weapons - Tenseiga, Tessaiga and himself.
Only Tenseiga and Tessaiga together could defeat him.
But now, the mere Tessaiga had shattered his Bankai... Even if wielded by Ailin, that was too outrageous.
"Yaaaahhh..."
In the few breaths Setsuna was stunned, the heavily injured Kensei had already charged towards him, the remaining skeletons unable to impede his advance.
"Hmph, being defeated by Tessaiga in Ailin's hands, I accept it wholeheartedly. But what are you? Daring to challenge me?"
"Prison Dragon Break!"
A purple draconic miasma accompanied by a raging tornado engulfed the charging Kensei...
"Tessaiga..."
Setsuna gritted his teeth. After returning to Ailin, he would probably be mocked endlessly by Tessaiga for having his Bankai broken. Yet this was reality, and he could not refute it.
As the Prison Dragon Break dissipated, Kensei emerged covered in blood, barely standing. But he still staggered forward, instantly appearing before Setsuna and grabbing his waist with one arm.
"I've got you now!"
Kensei's face twisted into a ghastly smile as he pressed the tiger claws of his other fist against Setsuna's stomach.
Kensei had expended his remaining strength. His only hope now was the explosive force concentrated in his tiger claws by his Bankai.
Bang bang bang...
This explosive force surged madly from Kensei's tiger claws into Setsuna's abdomen, causing his expression to contort.
"Let go, you madman! Let go!"
Even as he spoke, Setsuna pummeled Kensei's back with his free hand, each blow making Kensei cough up blood. But this only made Kensei tighten his grip on Setsuna, channeling the last of his strength.
"Damn you!"
"Go to hell!"
Seeing Kensei only grow more tenacious under his attacks, Setsuna raised his Zanpakuto high to stab down at him.
"Shick..."
The sharp blade pierced Kensei's chest, but the blood-soaked Kensei only smiled. For he had already unleashed his full explosive power into Setsuna's body.
Bang!
"Ahhhhh..."
The massive explosive force detonated continuously within Setsuna, inflicting catastrophic damage. The shockwave even blew Kensei away.
Watching Setsuna being ravaged by the successive blasts, Kensei slowly closed his eyes. "Mashiro, I've avenged you..."
Swish!
Ailin's figure appeared between Kensei and the battered Setsuna. Seeing Setsuna badly injured by the explosive force, Ailin gained newfound respect for Kensei.
Though Kensei's victory came from fortunate timing after Ailin devoured Setsuna's Bankai, seizing that slim chance to turn the tides was still admirable.
After Kensei's explosive force was spent, the gravely wounded Setsuna could no longer maintain his form, leaving only a slightly broken Zanpakuto behind.
With a thought, the Zanpakuto on the ground dispersed into blue spiritual particles, having been reclaimed by Ailin's Unlimited Blade Works.
This operation to seize the King's Seal had achieved complete success.
Setsuna was severely injured but would recover with some rest.
As for recreations like Roger and Shanks that Ailin had forged as weapons, their forms were already recorded in Unlimited Blade Works spatial realm. Ailin only needed to expend some reiatsu to reforge them, not start from scratch.
