"Hmph! Can you only shoot arrows from a distance!"
Tohka shouted, her Astral Dress radiating an even more dazzling light. She pushed off with her feet, and her figure instantly transformed into a purple gale!
She moved at high speed in a Z-shaped trajectory, skillfully weaving through the gaps between the lightning arrows. Every time her toes touched the ground, she burst out with astonishing speed, closing the distance to the "Heavenly Judgment"!
"Tsk!"
The "Heavenly Judgment" clicked her tongue. The opponent's agility exceeded her expectations, especially while she needed to divert her attention to suppress the resistance within her body.
She could only constantly fine-tune the aiming of the spatial gates, attempting to predict Tohka's landing spot, but she was always a beat too slow!
Tohka's figure was like a phantom. At times, she dashed right up close, Sandalphon cutting down with the force of tearing air, forcing the Herrscher to hastily construct spatial barriers or lightning shields to block; at other times, she instantly retreated the moment she landed a hit, causing the Herrscher's planned counterattack to strike empty air.
"Bang!"
"Clang!"
"Boom!"
The sounds of clashing metal and energy explosions were incessant. Tohka, relying on her superior speed and close-quarters combat skills, continuously launched fierce surprise attacks like a torrential storm.
The "Heavenly Judgment" appeared quite flustered, spending most of her time on passive defense. The defensive barriers she constructed constantly rippled under Sandalphon's fierce strikes, and even began to show cracks.
A trace of barely noticeable anxiety flashed across the face of the external "Heavenly Judgment."
During one moment when Tohka used the recoil force of a lightning strike to try and distance herself again, a sharp light flashed in the Herrscher's eyes!
"Now! I've got you!~☆"
She stopped trying to track Tohka's elusive figure, instead instantly condensing a massive amount of spirit power into an extremely small point in front of her!
Just as Tohka's Sandalphon was about to strike again, in that precise instant where her old strength was spent and new strength had not yet been born—
A small, diamond-shaped shield, so solidified it was nearly black, with dark purple lightning leaping along its edges, appeared perfectly placed on the inevitable path of Sandalphon!
"Clang—!!!"
An extremely dull, massive sound, as if striking the soul, erupted!
Tohka's determined sword strike seemed to have hit the hardest substance in the world. All the impact and kinetic energy were not only unable to breach the defense but were entirely absorbed by that bizarre shield!
Immediately after, a terrifying counterforce, far exceeding the power of her attack, slammed into her body along the sword, like a fully charged volcano!
"Too weak!~☆"
The "Heavenly Judgment" sneered, and her left hand's five fingers abruptly clenched!
"Pfft—!"
Tohka was hit as if by lightning, violently spitting out a mouthful of blood. Her entire body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, and Sandalphon nearly slipped from her hand!
The chest area of her Astral Dress showed visible damage, and her aura instantly became weak.
The "Heavenly Judgment" elegantly withdrew her hand, and the shield that had absorbed and reflected the damage dissipated into specks of purple light.
She looked at Tohka, who had been critically injured and flung away, a smug smile mixed with playfulness and complete control appearing on her face. Mimicking a red-clad figure from a fragmented memory, she snapped her fingers stylishly.
"Royalguard, kid~☆"
The frivolous words, filled with absolute confidence, clearly spread across the battlefield.
"D-damn it..." Tohka endured the intense pain, barely steadying herself in mid-air. Her amethyst-like eyes were filled with anger and unwillingness.
She looked at the seemingly invincible enemy in the sky, then at the AST members below who were still immobilized and despairing, and at Shido, who might be worried about her in Heaven...
"Hahahaha! Did you see that? This is the consequence of resisting this King!~☆"
The "Heavenly Judgment" let out a triumphant and maniacal laugh, seemingly enjoying the pleasure of crushing her opponent.
A feeling of desperate resolve surged in Tohka's heart.
She couldn't let this continue! She must... she must use stronger power!
She abruptly looked up, her gaze directed toward the clouds, as if seeing Shido's form within the golden cloud layer.
Then, she used all her strength, holding Sandalphon, and rapidly ascended toward the high altitude!
"Hmm?"
The "Heavenly Judgment" watched her actions with interest and did not immediately pursue, wanting to see what other tricks this tenacious bug could pull.
Tohka flew higher and higher until she reached a certain critical point. She tightly grasped Sandalphon with both hands, injecting all her spirit power into it without reservation. She directed a sky-ripping shout toward the empty void above her head:
"—Roar!! 'Last Sword' (Halvanhelev)!!!"
Following her shout, a massive, ancient bronze throne, radiating endless majesty and the aura of oblivion—[Last King's Throne]—slowly emerged from the void!
Then, under the gaze of the "Heavenly Judgment," whose smile had slightly faded, Tohka swung Sandalphon and fiercely slashed at the throne that belonged to her!
"Boom—!!!"
The throne was cleaved open by a single sword strike. Huge fragments collapsed and disintegrated, transforming into countless torrents of energy shining with purple light. Like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, they frantically converged toward the Sandalphon in Tohka's hand!
The form of Sandalphon underwent a tremendous transformation amid the surging energy. The blade rapidly lengthened and widened, inscribed with ancient and mysterious patterns, finally becoming a massive two-handed sword, over ten meters long, that seemed capable of cleaving stars!
A colossal spirit pressure burst forth from Tohka like a tsunami, sweeping across the entire sky!
Holding the [Last Sword], she pointed the tip of the blade at the "Heavenly Judgment" below, her eyes burning with unyielding fire and the determination to protect.
"This next sword... will surely... cut you down!"
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