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Ose’s condescending attitude made Mira hum in admiration. She didn’t expect him to grasp the great Mira’s abilities so quickly.

“Impressive. To discern my trace ability just from my swordsmanship… You have quite the discerning eye. Have you perhaps met my original form before?” (Mira)

She narrowed her eyes sharply, and her voice turned serious. Enemies that have encountered her original body must be faced with care. Because this means they have survived.

“Indeed. I have witnessed the destructive prowess of the goddess of destruction, also known as the Tyrant Demon Lord and the Greedy Demon God, on the battlefield. At the time, I lacked a demon’s physical form and was equipped with nothing more than cheap gear from a dispatch soldier, so I was overlooked.” (Ose)

“I see. Surviving an encounter with my original form as a demon makes them a formidable foe, but with such circumstances, it’s understandable.” (Mira)

“Fufu, back then, I admired that strength. Her overwhelming brilliance captivated me, and I yearned for strength—unparalleled strength. Eventually, I became strong enough to be chosen by a demon.” (Ose)

Ose reminisced while speaking, and he soon shifted his gaze back to her. His eyes carried a mix of disdain and pity.

“Though you are but an Artificial Spirit modeled after her, such trace abilities are laughably inadequate. I shall swiftly defeat this false hero.” (Ose)

“You underestimate my trace ability at your peril. My swordsmanship has already reached a level equal to yours.” (Mira)

Ose launched his first attack with both swords in hand. He closed the distance in a single step while raising both arms horizontally as if spreading wings, like a bird of prey striking its target.

Mira met his advance with her Million Blade.

“Hah!”

“Hmm!”

Their breaths were faintly audible as both of them vanished, leaving only the clash of their blades. The metallic screech and sparking embers, like sparklers, marked the collision of sword tips in midair.

To any observer, it would have been a sight of pure astonishment. Despite the immense difficulty of such precise timing and synchronization, the razor-sharp points of their blades repeatedly nullified each other’s strikes. What’s more, this wasn’t a one-off exchange. Similar flashes of steel filled the space with countless afterimages.

A whirlwind erupted where Mira and Ose should have been, leaving only the scars of their high-speed battle etched into the ground.

Their seemingly eternal dance of blades tilted the scales ever so slightly when a single strike was deflected.

━━━Toward Mira’s favor.

“My trace ability can surpass the original.” (Mira)

That single deflection was all Mira needed. She spotted a minute imbalance in Ose’s stance, something only a superhuman could notice.

“Take this, and this, and this!” (Mira) 

Mira launched a relentless barrage in a fraction of a second. Her blade aimed to tear Ose apart, expecting the fight to end, but…

“You surpass even me. A novel experience indeed.” (Ose)

[Falling Leaves and Flashing Blades.]

A flash of light produced glowing leaves as Ose’s swords concentrated mana, blocking Mira’s thrust.

Yet she remained unfazed.

“You’ve resorted to magic to defend against my attack. A fatal mistake.” (Mira)

[Falling Leaves and Flashing Blades; a Storm’s Fury.]

Adding another verse to the original’s Words of Power, Mira summoned glowing leaves that turned into a violent storm aimed at Ose.

She believed Ose couldn’t withstand this assault. That he would be reduced to pieces. But…

“Surpassing the original, huh? Truly an incredible power. Yet…” (Ose)

Ose countered with composed words. A whirlwind emanated from him, shattering the storm of blades like fragile glass and dissipating the violent winds into a mere breeze.

Ose stood unharmed, swords lowered.

“What!? This can’t be! It should have been impossible to block that!” (Mira)

The tracing of the sword technique of Ose was flawless. She thought that, even if it didn’t defeat him completely, she would still be able to deal serious damage. The fact that it failed to leave even a scratch was entirely unexpected.

“Your power is indeed formidable. However, it has one fatal flaw. That is…” (Ose)

Ose closed in on Mira with a gliding step, capitalizing on that moment of disarray. Determined not to overlook the enemy’s movements, which exceeded her predictions, Mira initiated a trace and slashed.

Yet, the strike that had deflected Ose’s blade earlier was now smoothly redirected with a fluid motion as soon as it made contact. A sharp pain shot through her shoulder as her posture faltered.

“Ugh!? Did his skill improve?” (Mira)

She immediately retreated with a backward step as soon as she realized she had been cut, but blood flowed freely from her shoulder. 

She quickly stopped the bleeding and healed the wound, but the fact that she had been struck was the real issue. It indicated that the enemy’s movements changed ever so slightly. It seems even his stats have increased.

“Exactly. My body hasn’t yet fully assimilated Ose’s power. Even now, my physical capabilities are strengthening, and my swordsmanship improves accordingly.” (Ose)

“Kuh… I see. So every attack is effectively a first strike. That is indeed the natural enemy of the trace ability…” (Mira)

Speaking of which, the Space Library had analyzed that the demons were not yet in their complete forms, stating that they assimilate power into their bodies while they rest. The fact that this process could continue even while awake was unexpected.

“Thank you for the warning. I now understand that fighting with a sword puts me at a disadvantage. However, my trace ability doesn’t simply mimic the capabilities of the enemy before me.” (Mira)

Quoting icy words traced from Botis, she prepared to counter with magic but abruptly stopped herself.

(Ah… If I use magic here, Vapula will absorb the energy. That’s not an option right now.) (Mira)

“It seems you just remembered that you can’t use magic here!” (Ose)

“Ugh, so I have no choice but to fight with my sword until Pla-san defeats Vapula.” (Mira)

Ose unleashed a series of strikes with a thin smile on his face. His sharp slashes grew increasingly precise and faster, surpassing her ability to fully trace them.

Even as she traced his swordsmanship, the gap in skill left her with minor cuts that gradually accumulated. This unexpected turn of events made her tighten her lips in bitterness, as though she ate something as unpleasant as bitter melon.

(This is bad… I’ll lose at this rate. My body is a special custom-made Artificial Spirit. If it’s destroyed, it will take an unimaginable amount of time to repair.) (Mira)

Swords clashed and positions shifted as the fierce battle between Mira and Ose continued. Vapula’s flesh walls and ground were cleaved apart, leaving afterimages of the combatants lingering in the air.

“To endure this long with mere tricks… Your determination is admirable. But this is the end!” (Ose)

Mana surged sharply into Ose’s blade as he prepared to finish Mira off with a decisive blow. His physical prowess also spiked, suggesting he has been holding back.

It was clear she couldn’t counter this power difference. She would surely fall if this continued.

(Kuh, I have no choice. I didn’t want to resort to this, but I cannot allow myself to be defeated.) (Mira)

Mira resolved to make a bitter decision, saw Ose step back, sheath his twin blades, and adopt an iai stance.

“This ends here, impostor! Prepare to face my ultimate technique!” (Ose)

[When different paths cross, they transform into a road to death.]

Ose took a single step forward. Though it was only that, the ground split soundlessly, Vapula’s flesh dissolved, and a deep rift like a canyon formed. A mist of blood sprayed out from the divided flesh, drenching the surroundings, as Ose stood with his twin blades already drawn.

Ose’s technique was simple yet devastating. A sword technique specialized solely in cutting down opponents.

“I thought this would end things…but it seems you had a trump card as well.” (Ose)

Ose relaxed his stance and gave a wry smile without confirming Mira’s death.

“Indeed, Ose. I’ll commend you for forcing me to release my reserved resources.” 

As the blood mist danced in the air, Mira, who should have perished, reappeared, stepping lightly onto the ground as though descending from the heavens.

She swept back her black hair with an irritated expression, and glared at him. When Ose unleashed his ultimate attack, she had no choice but to reallocate resources reserved -with tears in her eyes- for other skills to enhance her physical abilities.

Her physical strength can’t be compared to just before. The resulting boost in power brought her close to the capabilities of the Super Minor Villain Red transformation.

Though Ose must have sensed this elevated strength from her aura, he showed no sign of losing his composure.

“Excellent. It seems I’ve fulfilled my role.” (Ose)

“Huh? Care to explain what you mean by that?” (Mira)

A bad feeling washed over her as she tried to question him. She clicked her tongue, spun around, and assumed a defensive stance.

“You’re the manager of the Space Library, aren’t you? The objective was to disable your authority. Honestly, it was a gamble, but it seems to have worked.”

A doll-like girl floated into view from the darkness, laughing with the exaggerated motions of a ventriloquist dummy. 

She clicked her tongue and listened, frustrated that her role as manager had been exposed.

“We communicated via thought and concluded that your removal was necessary for Harkein’s victory. So we gave it a try.”

“Tch, how dishonorable. You’ve sullied the name of a samurai, Ose.” (Mira)

“A samurai is always scheming. Though, I admit it was an act.” (Ose) 

It is vexing, but he was correct. She disabled her most critical skill to secure her resources, which consumed 70% of her capacity. Restoring it would take time. How many traps did they set in this dungeon?

“It seems my escort has arrived. I shall take my leave. Next time, I hope to fight you in a state where I have completely taken in the power of Ose. If possible, against the real you, not an impostor.” (Ose)

“Ahahaha! I foresaw your frustration, and it’s delightful to see it play out. With this, we should be able to halt the Space Library’s interference. Farewell!” 

The doll approached Ose, summoning a magic circle that transported them away.

Mira stomped the ground, throwing a tantrum, and holding back tears. They successfully manipulated her into disabling her skill. This would greatly hinder her actions moving forward.

(Ugh, I’ve lost the skill that lets me teleport when Pla-san brings out snacks. This is a critical blow. I won’t forgive you, Ose and that doll!) (Mira)

Glaring at the sky with resentment, Mira once again vowed to destroy Harkein.

Incidentally, the Space Library management resource only consumed less than 1% of her capacity.

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