"Boom!"
The two slashes collided. Dirt exploded, shockwaves tossing leaves into the air.
"Rumble!"
They ground against each other for a moment, then canceled out.
"Yohohohoho… You did it," Ryuma laughed. "You've crossed over, young Swordmaster."
"Yeah…"
Ain exhaled and flicked her blades.
"Sha, sha, sha!"
They sliced the air with a different weight, a different presence.
"It feels… completely different now."
"In that case, round two—be careful, Ryuma-senpai."
"Yohohohoho… I wouldn't have it any other way."
He launched another flying slash along with his charge.
Ain's twin blades darkened with Armament Haki.
Clang!
She cut the slash apart.
"Ding!"
The next instant, her crossed blades caught Shusui head-on.
"Yohohohoho… So you weren't using Armament before," Ryuma said, amused. "You were holding back just to break through?"
"Pretty much," Ain admitted, shoving his blade away and lunging back in.
Her attacks came faster now, her twin swords weaving a relentless pattern that even Ryuma had to work to answer.
"You see now, Moria?" Jin asked, still smiling. "Told you not to jump to conclusions."
"Damn it…"
Moria watched, face sour, as Ain's duel evened out.
"She wasn't even using Haki just now?"
"Yeah. I told her to avoid using it if she could," Jin said, flicking ash off his cigarette.
"Pressure works better that way. And it seems it worked quite well."
"If your subordinate's already broken through, why aren't you leaving?" Moria snapped.
"Because I haven't gotten what I came for yet."
Jin's eyes flicked to the blade in Ryuma's hands.
Shusui.
"You… you want that sword?" Moria's face turned red. "Dream on, White. Try it and I'll report you to Sengoku right now!"
He could swallow getting smacked around. He could swallow his prized zombie being used as a whetstone.
But giving up Shusui too?
What do you take me for?
"Go ahead," Jin said, unimpressed. "That sword's wasted in your hands."
Jango winced.
"You're really just saying it out loud, huh, Boss…"
Out in the clearing, Ryuma and Ain separated again, circling.
"Yohohohoho… Though this body can't use Armament Haki, the blade itself is already a black blade," Ryuma said.
"The difference isn't that big."
"Nose Song Three Verse—Swallowtail Barrage!"
Three slashes fanned out in a deadly cross.
"Two-Sword Style—Gale Split!"
Ain's twin blades released two spiraling arcs that chewed straight through the incoming slashes.
She landed lightly, face calm.
"Ryuma-senpai, you're incredible," she said.
"Oh? Is that praise?" he chuckled.
"Yes."
Ain tightened her grip.
"You can't use Armament, but the blade is a black blade. It's not far off. And you can't use Observation either, can you?"
"You noticed," Ryuma laughed. "Well done, girl."
"You weren't hiding it," Ain said. "You've been relying entirely on experience and fundamentals this whole time. Just like White-bro said—a Sword God."
"In that case, please keep going."
"I still need to familiarize myself with this new realm."
"Yohohohoho… Then come," Ryuma replied happily. "Beat me, and you may take Shusui. Help me find it a worthy owner."
"Deal."
Ain drew both blades back, crossing them.
"Two-Sword Style—Iaido."
"Whoosh!"
A massive slash ripped forward, so fast it left afterimages.
"Yohohohoho… Iaido, huh? Then…"
"Nose Song Three Verse—Arrow War!"
"BOOM—Rrrrrumble!"
The clash was bigger this time, the shockwave flattening trees in a ring around them.
"Whoosh!"
Ain kicked off into the air with Moonwalk.
"Two-Sword Style—Dragon Tornado!"
Her blades carved a spiraling column of sword aura that roared down like a dragon.
Ryuma skated backward, letting the tornado shred the earth just in front of him.
"Mm?"
He sensed something and looked up.
Ain was already diving, both blades descending.
"Nose Song Three Verse—Draw Slash!"
"Two-Sword Style—Swallow Flow Slash!"
"CLANG!"
Their weapons met, sparks spraying.
"Shing shing shing shing—"
Sword aura exploded, carving new scars into the ground and stone.
"Growing fast, aren't you," Jin murmured, watching, a small smile tugging his lips.
Yeah. Those blades weren't wasted.
Give it a few years, and "Grandmaster" won't just be a dream.
"Damn it," Moria hissed.
He flicked a glance at Perona and jerked his chin.
Perona understood immediately and nodded.
"Roger!"
One of her Negative Hollows drifted slowly behind Jin, ready to fly through him and turn him into a weeping wreck.
The moment it got close—
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, little miss," Jin said without looking back.
Perona froze.
He noticed?!
Jin turned his head, golden eyes lidded.
"Moria," he said, voice almost bored. "Trying to sneak attack someone with Observation Haki… using a girl who doesn't even have Haki?"
"Was your brain scrambled by Kaido that badly?"
"Don't you dare mention Kaido!" Moria roared.
His body swelled, veins popping on his forehead. Shadows writhed around him like smoke.
"Ohh? Looks like 'Kaido' is still your favorite nightmare," Jin said blandly. "Can't even hear the name anymore?"
"You brat…!"
Moria teetered on the edge of exploding.
"If you're going to throw hands, hurry up," Jin added, smiling.
Moria froze.
Because now he could feel it—raw, unfiltered bloodlust pouring off Jin like a storm.
This brat would actually kill him.
Moria's shoulders slumped.
"Stand down, Perona," he croaked.
"Huh? Really, Lord Moria?" Perona almost sobbed in relief. She'd been about to launch when an invisible weight had slammed down on her, smothering her lungs.
"Stand down," Moria repeated. "We can't win this one."
Perona and Hogback hurried to his side as he turned and trudged away, his broad back somehow small. The swagger of a Warlord was nowhere to be seen.
Jin watched him go and sighed.
Yeah. The fight with Kaido really broke you.
"If it were the old Shadow Lord Moria… he might've just gone all in, win or lose."
"Lord Moria, wait for me!" Perona called, fluttering after him.
"Lord Moria, what about Absalom?" the bat-creature piped up nervously. "He's still in their hands…"
"…Hmm?"
Moria stopped, blinking.
Right. Absalom.
He spun back around.
"Marine! Return my man. Do what you want and I won't interfere," he said, glaring.
Jin tapped his chin.
One creepy beastman… for a black blade.
Yeah. That's a fair trade.
"Let him go," he said.
Jango obeyed, snapping open the cuffs.
Absalom staggered forward, rubbing his wrists.
Jin called out, voice flat.
"Oi, you stitched-up creep."
Absalom froze mid-step, cold sweat pouring down his back.
Moria and the others tensed, ready to jump in.
No matter what, they weren't letting their comrade get executed in front of them.
Jin gave him a look of pure disgust.
"Watch yourself from now on," he said.
"Don't stare at the women around me with those pervy eyes again. I will kill you next time."
"I—I—I got it!" Absalom stammered.
Moria's group blinked.
So… he held him just for that?
"Scram," Jin added. "You won't get another warning."
"Yes, sir, thank you, sir!"
Absalom practically crawled back to his side.
Jin ignored them and focused back on the fight.
Ain was pushing harder now, her sword aura sharper, Ryuma's movements just a little slower. Whether it was her adaptation or his body's limit, the tide was turning.
"Yohohohoho… Nose Song Three Verse—Swallow Rush!"
"Two-Sword Style—Swallow Flow Slash!"
"CLANG!"
They passed each other.
"Whoa, Ain!" Jango shouted as she dropped to one knee, both swords stabbed into the ground to support her, blood spilling from her mouth.
"Panicking already?" Jin barked without turning. He was smiling.
A fresh cross-shaped wound split open across Ryuma's chest.
"Yohohohoho…" Ryuma laughed, smoke curling from his lips. "I lose."
Flames began to lick up his body.
"I heard you say those blades she uses were given by you," Ryuma said, turning his masked face to Jin.
"Mm. A twin-blade Grandmaster entrusted them to me," Jin replied. "Told me to find them a successor."
"Yohohohoho… I see."
Ryuma looked at Shusui in his hand.
"In that case, I entrust this blade to you as well."
He tossed the sword.
Jin raised a hand and caught the black blade, feeling the weight and stubborn will in the steel.
"With pleasure," he said.
"Yohohohoho… Then I can finally move on," Ryuma murmured.
The flames surged, engulfing him.
A moment later, a black shadow ripped free and shot skyward like smoke.
Jin walked over to Ain and crouched.
"Congratulations, Ain," he said. "You're now a twin-blade Swordmaster."
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
Golden fire flowed from his palm into her body.
Every cut and stab on Ain's body lit up with pale gold flames. Flesh knit together, blood stopped, pink skin smoothing into place without a scar.
"Didn't disappoint me, did you, White-bro…" Ain muttered, tension draining out of her.
Then she slumped forward, completely spent.
Jin caught her and eased her down carefully.
AUTHOR'S NOTE — BONUS & EARLY ACCESS
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