The Fight Between Ishida and Kaede continued, as Ishida and Kaede challenged each other in their already intense fight, where Kaede's task was to put up a great challenge in front of Ishida and put an end to his quest right there by defeating him, on the other hand, Ishida's task was to defeat her and continue his quest and move on to his next & most probably the last Opponent of this quest.
Kaede's eyes narrowed, her voice calm but edged with challenge. "You're tougher than you look," she said, gripping her sword tighter. "But toughness won't end this. Let's see if you can keep up." She lunged forward, her blade slicing through the air. "Wind Breathing, First Form: Dust Whirlwind Cutter!"
Her attack was swift, a horizontal cyclone of slashes aimed at Ishida as she closed the distance in a blur. The wind whipped around her, tugging at his uniform, but he stood his ground, eyes sharp. "Moon Breathing, Second Form: Pearl Flower Moongazing!" he countered, his blade tracing crescent arcs that formed a shimmering shield of slashes around him. The dome of moonlight met Kaede's whirlwind head-on, the clash sending a sharp ring of steel through the quiet street.
The impact pushed them both back a step, their boots scraping against the pavement. Ishida's arms trembled slightly from the force, but his stance held firm. Kaede's cyclone dispersed, leaving faint trails of dust in the air. [HP: 1195/1400] [Fatigue: 47]
'Wait... She said something about the sword earlier, didn't she ..." Ishida suddenly remembered about the words Kaeda said at the very starting of their fight - Every swordsman's weapon is their soul - the words replayed in his mind, as a slight smile appeared in his face , "Got It!" He muttered
The realization flashed through Ishida's mind like lightning. Kaede's earlier words about swords carrying "far more weight than their wielders realize" now made brutal sense. His eyes sharpened, not on her body, but on the gleaming blade in her hands. If her sword is her soul in this battle… then breaking it ends the fight without killing her.
Kaede lunged again, her blade humming with wind. "Still smiling? Let's fix that—Wind Breathing, Fourth Form: Rising Dust Storm!" Whirlwind slashes spiraled upward from the ground, aiming to shred Ishida's legs.
But Ishida wasn't there. He sidestepped, his focus laser-locked on her sword's trajectory. Her grip tightens on the hilt when she finishes a technique… a split-second vulnerability. He let her strike pass harmlessly, then struck like a viper. "Moon Breathing, Tenth Form: Drilling Slashes, Moon Through Bamboo Leaves!" Three rapid slashes—not at Kaede, but at her blade.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The strikes hammered the flat of her sword, the metallic screech piercing the air. Kaede's eyes widened as vibrations rattled her arms, forcing her back. A hairline crack snaked across her blade.
[Kaede's Sword Durability: 85%]
"Clever," she hissed, regrouping. "But you'll need more than cheap tricks." She spun, gathering momentum. "Wind Breathing, Seventh Form: Gale, Sudden Gusts!" She launched into the air, blade whirling to unleash slicing winds.
Ishida didn't flinch. Her aerial attacks expose the sword's tip—the weakest point. He timed his counter to the millisecond. "Moon Breathing, Twelfth Form: Gibbous Revenants!" Phantom crescents flickered around his real strike, creating a feint. Kaede twisted mid-air to block the illusion—leaving her blade overextended.
Crack!
Ishida's true slash slammed into her sword's tip. The crack deepened, splintering toward the hilt.
[Kaede's Sword Durability: 52%]
Kaede landed unevenly, her composure fraying. "You're… irritatingly observant," she spat, but Ishida pressed his advantage.
"Moon Breathing, Third Form: Loathsome Moon, Chains!" Chained crescents harried her blade from multiple angles, forcing her into desperate parries. Each clash stressed the fractures in her steel.
Clang! Clang!
A chunk of her sword's edge broke off, clattering to the ground.
[Kaede's Sword Durability: 29%]
"Enough!" Kaede roared, her calm shattering. "Wind Breathing, Ninth Form: Idaten Typhoon!" She backflipped, unleashing a circular wind slash downward—a reckless, wide-area attack.
'Too wide. Too slow.' Ishida dove beneath the storm, rolling to her blind spot. "Moon Breathing, First Form: Dark Moon, Evening Palace!" A single, surgical crescent slash—not at Kaede, but at her sword's cracked guard.
Snap.
The blade shattered at the hilt, the broken steel spinning away. Kaede froze, staring at the jagged remnant in her hand.
[Kaede's Sword Durability: 0%]
[6th Opponent Defeated]
[EXP. Received : 400,000]
[Level uP - 65⬆️]{All Combined}
Ishida lowered his blade, chest heaving. "You said it yourself… a swordsman's weapon is their soul. I just… redirected yours."
Kaede's shoulders slumped, not in defeat, but in grim acceptance. She let the broken hilt clatter to the ground. "…So you did." Her sharp eyes met his. "**** ***** will be… fascinated by you. Don't disappoint in the final test."
Her form dissolved like the other of Ishida's opponent after their defeat in fight.
"I won't," Ishida muttered with a slight nod, as just like all the times before, the space around him turned completely dark.