Chapter 577 - 186: The Deathmatch Concludes!

Chapter 577: Chapter 186: The Deathmatch Concludes!

He hurriedly stepped back... Though he avoided Mukiwa’s frontal attack, the hard sole of the wooden clogs still grazed his calf.

Scythe Weasel felt as if a piece of skin had been scraped off his calf, and his whole leg burned with pain.

The hasty retreat caused Scythe Weasel’s posture to become uncontrollably chaotic.

This time, it was Aoto’s eyes that burst with an awe-inspiring light!

The "Qi Stream" on Scythe Weasel shook... The guidance of the "Qi Stream" reappeared.

Except, this time it wasn’t guiding Aoto on how to evade.

It was guiding Aoto on how to attack!

At this moment, a short yet cloud-piercing and stone-shattering shout came from Aoto’s chest—now’s the time!

In a flash, Aoto pulled Ghost-Slaying to his chest, the flat blade pointing straight at Scythe Weasel’s chest, with his shoulders, waist, and legs... his whole body coiled like a spring centered on his right leg.

In the next instant, this "spring" snapped open!

The force accumulated within released in a single breath! Aoto leaped powerfully.

His body, his sword, both collided heavily with Scythe Weasel!

Success or failure—all depended on this strike!

Aoto, charging forward, the blade’s tip glinting with cold light pointed directly at his chest... all of it caused Scythe Weasel’s expression to change dramatically! The blood drained from his face!

His chest being pierced with such a stab... even if he didn’t die, he’d only have half a life left!

Scythe Weasel clenched his teeth, disregarding everything to raise his sword vertically, bracing it in front of Aoto’s stabbing blade, hoping to deflect Aoto’s strike.

—No need to worry!

Scythe Weasel thought to himself.

—This guy’s sword can’t hit me! Though its speed and power are decent, my sword speed can definitely keep up with the trajectory of his strike!

—Watch me knock your sword down in mid-air!

Determined in his heart, Scythe Weasel gripped the hilt tight, his eyes fierce, vowing to slash down Aoto’s incoming blade!

"Ha—ah—ah—ah—ah—!"

Rarely vocal in battle, Aoto emitted a forceful Qi Union shout at this moment.

At this moment, Aoto’s state of mind... was surprisingly serene.

His mind devoid of any extraneous thoughts.

Only one thought remained—defeat him!

In this critical juncture, unbeknownst to Aoto, his personal system interface’s talent list underwent another transformation.

The starlit purple glow emitted by the Eightfold Banner of No Regrets talent turned into a firefly-like brightness in this instant!

The breaking wind rapidly approaching Scythe Weasel suddenly changed.

The tip of Ghost-Slaying pulled out a straight beam as if it would pierce through the wind and everything ahead of it!

This beam illuminated the surrounding darkness, and also brightened Scythe Weasel’s rapidly paling face!

What is happening—Scythe Weasel had no time to question the strange change unfolding before him; both speed and strength of the beam had suddenly surged, already reaching him!

At this critical moment, it was Scythe Weasel’s muscle memory that saved his life.

The muscle memory honed through countless battles took action; muscles responded a step ahead of his brain, slicing toward that beam, aiming to knock it down.

Clang—!

The "Fire Spirit" danced at the point where the swords met!

This duel... vanished in the blink of an eye.

Lasting less than half a second, Scythe Weasel’s beloved sword was forcefully bounced back! The light composed of the tip or blade of Ghost-Slaying broke through Scythe Weasel’s defense, continuing to pour into his body!

Though Scythe Weasel’s earlier block didn’t succeed in deflecting Aoto’s blade, it did alter the trajectory of Aoto’s thrust.

The blade tip aimed at Scythe Weasel’s chest shifted due to the trajectory deviation, instead piercing his left shoulder.

Thunk!

The muffled sound of skin and muscle being sliced by the blade dominated the space between Aoto and Scythe Weasel.

Ghost-Slaying’s blade pierced through Scythe Weasel’s left shoulder, all the way until the blade guard pressed against the clothing at Scythe Weasel’s left shoulder.

The intense pain caused Scythe Weasel’s facial features to contort, his thoughts shattering in his mind.

Aoto and Mukiwa’s offensive did not cease!

Mukiwa now delivered a precious assist to Aoto.

Pa!—Mukiwa promptly stepped forward again, approaching Scythe Weasel’s left front, swinging his right leg to kick towards Scythe Weasel’s head.

The wind whipped, rustling Mukiwa’s bright red kimono.

With Ghost-Slaying still in his left shoulder, Scythe Weasel’s consciousness blurred from the pain, his reaction to Mukiwa’s pursuit was half a beat slow!

His beloved sword, deflected by Ghost-Slaying’s stab, too late to retrieve... too late for any effective defense, Scythe Weasel had to endure the agony in his left shoulder, choosing to "sacrifice the small to save the big," curling his left arm to block Mukiwa’s kick.

Thunk!

The muffled sound of leg hitting firm flesh accompanied by the sound of bone breaking was heard.

Mukiwa’s attack finally landed solidly on Scythe Weasel’s body, his entire left arm suddenly swelling red, twisting bizarrely.

Injuring Scythe Weasel’s left arm... this wasn’t the greatest impact of Mukiwa’s strike.

The greatest impact of Mukiwa’s strike was buying Aoto valuable time for his next move.

Aoto didn’t waste the effort and time in reclaiming Ghost-Slaying.

After deeply stabbing Ghost-Slaying into Scythe Weasel’s body, Aoto released the hilt, reached for his left waist, and drew out the Wakizashi hanging there.