On the Sea of Clouds Plaza, a battle that had dragged on for more than a decade finally reached its fiercest point. Blood Nightmare and Silent Fate fought side by side against Blood Hermit, and though they had been forced onto the defensive at first, the sword in Blood Nightmare's hand gradually changed the balance between them. Its power was close to that of a spirit treasure, and each time it struck, the pressure bearing down on Blood Hermit grew heavier.

Sword light crashed down and split into countless afterimages, blurring together until it was almost impossible to tell which strike was real. Then, in the next instant, one slash cut through all the illusions and landed squarely on Blood Hermit, splitting him cleanly in half. Before the two halves could fall apart, however, some unseen force dragged them back together, fusing the wound so perfectly that...