Chapter 215 - Sword Of The Heart

-CRASH!

The intense battle between Stardust and Katana seemed to end the moment Stardust shattered Katana's sword.

While Katana was stunned looking at her broken Japanese sword, Stardust quickly threw a punch at her.

"Ugh."

Quickly throwing the remaining sword hilt to the ground, Katana nimbly launched herself backward.

She continued moving backward by kicking off the walls of several nearby buildings, finally stopping as she placed her hand on a rooftop. With her white uniform and hair fluttering, she swallowed a sigh.

"Huff...."

And toward Katana, who now appeared powerless without her sword, Stardust was flying with her fist glowing with intense yellow light.

*

[Is it over already?????]

[How to deal with a sword fighter: (1) Destroy the sword (2) The end LOLOLOLOL]

[Mango, the broadcast looks like it's going to end in less than an hour???]

*

While even the chat was bewildered that the fight would end so anticlimactically...

Katana, standing on the rooftop, quietly took a deep breath and simply reached her hand to where her scabbard had been.

"I didn't think I'd need to use this here...."

Despite appearing to be in a desperate situation, she spoke calmly.

Then she reached her hand toward the empty scabbard as if something was there.

And then—

*

[?????]

[What's happening?????]

*

Next to her, from that empty space.

A sword glowing with blue light emerged as if being drawn from an invisible scabbard.

No. To be precise, the sword was 'materializing' out of thin air with a blue glow.

Drawing out this sword of the heart that glowed with blue light and emanated a mysterious energy, Katana extended her arm to her side.

Then the wind began to blow with a flutter.

'...I didn't expect it to come to this.'

Katana thought as she controlled the sword made of swirling blue energy in her hand.

Japan's S-class villain Katana. The one who pacified all of Japan's rampaging villain factions with swordsmanship alone, established the Three Alliance Faction, and successfully pressured even the Association, essentially reaching the top of Japan.

In other words, she had never lost in one-on-one combat.

'....I didn't think I'd need to use this much power today.'

Katana quietly thought to herself as she caught her breath.

Unexpectedly, this hero called Stardust was too strong. Much stronger than what she had seen in the videos she'd researched. As if her abilities had evolved.

Among all the opponents she had faced in Japan, this was the strongest. No, Stardust seemed even stronger than that.

Katana decided to give it her all in this foreign land.

...Today's event seemed like it would give her an epiphany as well.

"Hup!"

With that, she swung her blue sword at the approaching Stardust.

Swiiiiiiing-

BOOOOOOOM!

"Ugh...!"

With a sudden chilling intuition, the sound of tearing wind, and the tremendous energy felt from the front,

Stardust quickly blocked her front with her glowing arm.

Then, the blue energy blade extending from Katana's sword collided with Stardust.

BOOOOOOM!

An enormous sound like a bomb exploding echoed through the sky.

With thick smoke scattered in the sky,

While the chat was in an uproar asking what happened,

As the smoke cleared—

"Haa... Haa..."

"...Huff."

Stardust gritting her teeth, staring at Katana,

And Katana, with her black hair fluttering, calmly pointing her blue sword at Stardust.

As Katana's blue blade flashed, Stardust's yellow light sparkled, and the chat rapidly burned up at that moment.

"Haha, now the real battle begins, everyone!"

Those watching the live video heard a familiar laughing voice.

Egostic, who had quietly disappeared from the screen, began to speak again.

***

"As expected."

After Katana's sword broke.

I nodded as I watched Katana facing off against Stardust with her blue sword of the heart.

Katana's ultimate weapon, 'Blue Soul Sword of the Heart.'

It's an incredibly cheesy name, but it was an actual secret technique that appeared in the original work.

Specifically, it was the secret weapon she drew out when her comrades were all falling due to an insider's betrayal.

'...Since that sword itself is made of a material that doesn't break easily, I honestly didn't expect it to come to this.'

Originally, Katana can crush most opponents with just her regular sword, so there's no need to draw out that heart sword. It's also unnecessary for one-on-one battles.

But in moments like now when her sword is brutally shattered, she has no choice but to draw it out.

The current Katana is on par with Stardust.

They'll probably have an intense, equal fight.

In the original work, Katana showed her prowess by slicing through a building with a single swing of her sword.

'...It's almost right in front of us, so I need to match Stardust with opponents like this for her to grow quickly.'

With the Moonlight Cult soon to bring a legion of monsters, and the world gradually falling apart, it's natural that I'm concerned about Stardust's ability growth. Since there's nothing bad about getting stronger quickly, I planned to help Stardust grow as much as possible while her body is fine and Kathedal is running normally.

'Especially since there's more and more to do now....'

As we're gradually passing the middle part of the original story, named villains are appearing one by one, and I need to pay attention to them too. Especially considering the presence and public fear shown by the main villains in the middle to late parts, the Ego-stream members need to step up to control public opinion.

In other words, when that time comes, I might not be able to focus on Stardust as much as I do now, so I'm helping her grow while I can.

'...And once her growth is complete.'

I should retire, rest, and focus on other things. It's a shame not to see Stardust directly, but given her personality, she'll probably be happy about it, so it doesn't matter. She'll probably sleep soundly with her legs stretched out, glad she doesn't have to worry about Egostic anymore.

"I'll think about that when the time comes..."

For now, I'll focus on Stardust.

With that thought, I used psychokinesis to bring the camera that was filming their battle over to me. I'll do some battle commentary. Of course, while pretending to commentate, I'll actually be promoting Stardust.

I appeared in front of the camera.

"Haha, now the real battle begins, everyone!"

Let's start talking.

Until the fight ends.

***

"And here... Ah! Stardust successfully blocks it! I heard no one has ever blocked Katana's sword beam, but Stardust just did it!"

*

[Wow hahahahaha]

[For real, I've only heard about Katana but she's really strong haha. But Stardust is amazing too]

[Overall, can anyone tell who's going to win? It's so intense]

[Wow, look at Stardust blocking Japan's top fighter's attacks with her bare body. Bartender, another drink here!!!]

[But seriously, it's much more fun with Egostic explaining everything. I said something was 2% missing earlier, but it was because Mango wasn't there hahaha]

[But Egostic, why are you just commentating from behind instead of fighting? That's unfair. Show us Mango fighting directly!!!]

[If Mango fights directly, he'll be knocked out by Stardust in one hit and taken to the Association... and then...]

[But why is Katana having this real fight with Stardust here?? I really don't know]

[Egostic asked her to... When Mango asks, everyone agreeing is 'common sense', right??]

[After Korea, now Japan too. Mango's charm spreading worldwide, damn]

[They even seemed quite friendly, MAYBE? Gasp....]

*

Glancing at the chat that was becoming more active than before, I continued my explanation. Of course, some useless comments came up occasionally, but that wasn't important.

The fight between Stardust and Katana was progressing quite intensely.

Katana, having told me she wanted to overcome her limits with this opportunity, was clearly giving it her all. And Stardust, for reasons I'm not sure of, seemed to be fighting much more angrily and intensely than when she fought me. ....Scary.

As more time passed,

Their fight became increasingly fierce, to the point where you could barely open your eyes due to the wind if you got close.

Finally, the end of the long battle came into view.

"...Hah!"

"....!!"

Stardust, taking advantage of Katana's momentary distraction,

Threw a punch at Katana's heart sword just like before.

I was surprised to see Stardust fearlessly punching the heart sword, which wasn't made of any material but energy.

But my concern was unfounded.

-CRASH!

"....Huh?"

*

[????????????????]

[Wait, that thing can break too???]

[Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch! Stardust Punch!]

[Her fist tears through the heart sword!]

[Star-kiyatho~ Stu-kiyatho~ This is K-hero, wow hahahaha]

*

Stardust had simply smashed the blue heart sword with her starlight fist.

As if she had never even considered this possibility, Katana's eyes widened and she momentarily lost her balance in mid-air.

That's when I finally teleported.

After catching Katana from behind as if embracing her, to end today's event here.

Actually, since Katana could just summon another heart sword, the fight would continue, but it had already been quite a while and was getting too intense, so it was right to end it here.

I'd just hold Katana's hand, give a broadcast ending message, and go home. Situation over!

That's what I simply thought.

...At that time.