Bengtie, I'm really not a villain!

The name Raiden Mei is destined to be branded with shame, along with her family and village.

[But when you saw Raiden Mei's trembling, beautiful eyes, it was as if you were seeing an even more delicious sight.]

[You fanned Raiden Mei's slightly trembling macarons with abandon, and unleashed your Iai Slash with even greater arrogance.]

"Did you hear that drumbeat? It doesn't sound like a triumphant victory. They probably didn't have the upper hand in the battle."

"It's all because you weren't there, you deserter!"

"It's all because you weren't on the battlefield that a battle that could have been won was lost."

"You are a disgrace to the Raiden family. How can you still be called the hope of Izumo?"

[You seem oblivious to the fact that you are the culprit who prevented Raiden Mei from stepping onto the battlefield, and you ridicule Raiden Mei in every way.]

Meanwhile, her hand continued to mercilessly and brutally slap her macarons.

Your words relentlessly stung Raiden Mei's eyes, lashing out at the very thing she dared not face, causing her guilt to burst forth like a dam breaking, accompanied by tears.

Chapter Ninety-Five: Tattooing Your Name

Because she truly heard that the sound of the war drums was not the triumphant and exhilarating sound of a victorious return.

This means that Izumo did not gain much advantage in the battle between Izumo and Takamagahara, and may even have suffered a defeat where they were at a disadvantage.

Although Raiden Mei isn't so arrogant as to think that her mere presence could change the entire course of the battle.

But when I heard of my hometown's defeat, the self-reproach and shame for not being able to step onto the battlefield and contribute were indelible humiliations.

[Raiden Mei doesn't know how you could predict things so accurately, how you could foresee everyone's return and defeat, but...]

However, your actions have deeply offended the family honor and the land she so desperately wants to protect!

As Raiden Mei's despair and anger reached their peak, those intense, almost tangible negative emotions finally reached the climax you'd been waiting for!

Under the influence of the "Blade Spirit" entry, those twisted emotions surged like a torrent, flowing into the blade.

The blade, already glowing red-hot like a candle flame from the previous emotional attention, once again emitted a dazzling light like the blazing sun, illuminating the entire house as if it were daytime!

A strange phenomenon then occurred: the originally plain scabbard, under the corrosive influence of this force, became like ice and snow meeting the scorching sun.

The scabbard melted away at a speed visible to the naked eye, turning into wisps of mist that drifted into the air.

The knife, now reborn, has been completely transformed!

The patterns emerging from the blade resembled the gaping maw of an ancient ferocious beast, each line exuding savagery and ferocity.

[A faint black aura swirled around the blade, the countless bolts of lightning that emanated from Mei's hatred and rage, materializing in the air!]

With the effects of "Blade of the Soul" completely revitalizing the sword, you finally no longer imprisoned Raiden Mei.

[As you fanned Raiden Mei's macaron one last time, releasing your hand from her snow-white neck, Raiden Mei was astonished to find that she had regained her strength!]

[So you stopped drugging Raiden Mei earlier, and stopped letting her be suppressed by fatigue and drowsiness.]

[One major reason is to allow Raiden Mei's already near-extreme, twisted emotions to finally erupt!]

[Therefore, with Raiden Mei's complete collapse, she broke through the remaining limitations of the medicine within her body, and at the same time regained the power to break free from your restraints.]

Although Raiden Mei broke free from your control, her leaping motion did not harm you in the slightest, not even a scratch on your clothes.

On the contrary, what made Raiden Mei's heart sink was that she was indeed completely under your control, as if you had seen right through her.

The most obvious example is that when she angrily stood up, she not only didn't touch you, but you actually guided her as if she were dancing along.

Finally, when she landed safely, Raiden Mei was still in your arms.

You were still fiddling with her macarons, but before the anger in her eyes could surface, you fanned your shoveling and slammed her in front of the knife—

The moment Raiden Mei saw that sword, her anger towards you vanished.

[Only then did Raiden Mei finally notice that the knife, which had always been used as a candle flame in the house, had transformed into a form she had never seen before.]

The legendary sword that Raiden Mei obtained from her family—a sword they claimed to have acquired at great expense from an unknown, mysterious master—appeared strangely menacing, as if she had never seen it before!

[It is precisely because her family has devoted so much effort to Raiden Mei that Raiden Mei, unable to even stand on the battlefield with that famous sword to serve her homeland and her family, feels such devastation and guilt.]

The appearance of the famous sword displayed before Raiden Mei at this moment filled her with surprise and doubt, and for a moment she even forgot the anger in her heart.

Why is it that the renowned sword, which the entire family went to great lengths to acquire, able to transform at this moment?

As a samurai who wields a sword, Raiden Mei could certainly sense how terrifying this ferocious blade was.

[That weapon alone was enough to earn Raiden Mei's praise; it was clearly an elite weapon capable of cutting through all other common weapons.]

But what lies before her now is an even more terrifying existence.

The instant she gripped the hilt of the knife, a cold yet powerful force surged through her body from her palm.

As Raiden Mei was immersed in the shock of the sword, the patterns on the blade, which were originally covered with hideous designs, seemed to come alive.

The patterns slowly spread from the blade, transforming into jet-black threads that snaked towards Mei's body.

In an instant, the threads wrapped around Raiden Mei's arm, then spread rapidly across her body like greedy vines.

Her fair skin was covered by these mysterious knife patterns. Mei was horrified and furious to discover that Jing Ye's mark was hidden within these knife patterns.

That was the memory she least wanted to recall, the memory she hated most.

However, this brand seemed to be yet another humiliation from Jing Ye, instantly reigniting the anger in her heart.

However, the anger and the power emanating from the blade intertwined. As the blade patterns wrapped around it, Raiden Mei could clearly sense that the black aura that had previously surrounded the blade had become even denser.

[Like tangible black flames, they danced wildly around her.]

[Raiden Mei's swollen eyes meant she didn't need to wear eyeshadow; the sadness lingering in her eyes was the most poignant makeup.]

[Along with the menacing blade and the pattern engraved with your name on her skin, Raiden Mei revealed an unprecedentedly fierce and chilling beauty.]

[Raiden Mei's blade slashed down, and with a sharp whoosh, the roof of the house was instantly ripped off!]

Where the blade sliced ​​through, the air seemed to be torn apart by the sharp edge, emitting a piercing shriek.

The black aura surrounding the blade surged instantly, transforming into a massive black crescent moon that roared towards the distant mountains.

A deafening roar resounded; where the sword energy struck, rocks shattered and dust billowed!

[Raiden Mei displayed a power she herself couldn't believe, staring in disbelief at the monstrous blade in her hand as she wielded the mountain peak that had been sheared away!]

With a wave of his hand, he could level mountains, as if even the stars in the sky were no match for him.

Is it possible for a young girl in the prime of her life to wield the power of ED?

To Raiden Mei's astonishment, she could wield this sword with remarkable ease, possessing the power it contained.

[It was as if the power originated from within herself, without any obstruction whatsoever.]

[She is more adept at using all the knives Raiden Mei has ever used, and her power is terrifyingly unmatched by any other knife.]

However, what caused Raiden Mei a complex and conflicting feeling was that this knife, which bore the weight of her pain, was also the most suitable weapon for her.

That power carried Raiden Mei's past despair and anger, yet at this moment it became her strongest support.

Raiden Mei could clearly feel a strange resonance between the sword and her soul, as if this power originated from within her own heart.

With each heartbeat, the blade trembles, as if the two have become one.

[It was only then that Raiden Mei realized that the battle between Izumo and Takamagahara was not yet over.]

The villagers have not yet returned, and the "war drums" that were just heard have not appeared.

[It turns out that the "war drums" that Raiden Mei had just heard were merely the thunderous roar caused by the torrent of emotions that erupted when the sword was "reborn."]

In other words, she still has a chance to salvage the situation.

Now that she's heading to the battlefield, perhaps she still has a chance to make amends and redeem herself.

[And Raiden Mei looked at you, clearly indicating that you had given up on suppressing her.]

[Could it be that you've imprisoned her for so many days just to give her such a terrifying and convenient weapon?]

But how exactly did you manage to transform the weapon that even the Raiden family coveted? How did you acquire such astonishing and terrifying power...?

Who exactly are you?

Raiden Mei thought she had seen you since she was an infant and witnessed everything about you.

[This is evidenced by how unwilling you are to handle a knife, and by how you forge them.]

[But why are you able to display a feeling that Raiden Mei finds so unfamiliar, as if she's never seen it before?]

Whether it's your sudden drugging and humiliation, or this incomprehensible and beyond-knowledge-based power,

[The fact that the sword, coveted by the entire Raiden family, has undergone such a transformation means that either your forging skills far surpass those of the person who forged it, or... you are the swordsmith himself.]

[Raiden Mei doesn't even know that your sword-forging skills have made your village and even the entire Izumo Province famous!]

[Raiden Mei initially thought that sword forging was just a hobby of yours, although she had occasionally glimpsed your concentration and depth when forging swords, witnessed the strength of your swinging hammer, and realized how ferocious your power was.]

However, because you drove Raiden Mei away while you were forging the sword, she couldn't see anything further, and therefore Raiden Mei is unaware of your true identity.

[Only at this moment did Raiden Mei truly feel a profound shock.]

The shock created an unfillable abyss within her heart.

That crater was painstakingly carved out of you by yourself, bit by bit, with the scabbard.

[Raiden Mei pondered and pondered, but could not explain your power no matter how she tried, and could only murmur in a daze]

"Just who... are you?"

[The only response to Raiden Mei is your enigmatic smile lurking in the shadows.]

[Then, you gesture towards the distant battlefield, leave two pieces of clothing behind, and turn to leave.]

Although you didn't say anything, your meaning was clear: send her to the battlefield.

[And the clothes you dropped were a unique outfit that perfectly suited Raiden Mei's figure, yet allowed her to showcase the patterns on her body.]

[When you wear that outfit, everyone can see the pattern with your name embroidered on Raiden Mei's chest and lower abdomen.]

Despite the menacing knife marks, most people might not be able to make out your name...

But ultimately, it's still something that's displayed on the outside.

[As if demonstrating her ownership to you, as if branding her as your possession, Raiden Mei bit her lip in shame.]

Raiden Mei doesn't understand your purpose in doing this, why you imprisoned her, and why you're releasing her now.

Why did you initially forbid her from going to the battlefield, but now you're giving her the opportunity to go?

Many of your actions are incomprehensible to Raiden Mei, but she has no time to think about them.

After countless days and nights, the war between Izumo and Takamagahara had reached an unknown stage.

[It may be nearing its end, it may be in a tense stalemate, or it may have already concluded...]

But no matter what, Raiden Mei must rush to the battlefield to serve.

Therefore, Raiden Mei suppressed her doubts about you, as well as her anger and questions, all buried deep in her heart.

[Regarding your drugging and humiliating behavior towards her, Raiden Mei will definitely settle accounts with you when she returns.]

[Right now, Raiden Mei's eyes were fixed on the distant battlefield as she leaped into the air without stopping.]

What horrified Raiden Mei once again was that the power emanating from the blade sent her hurtling past like a whirlwind.

In the blink of an eye, she could leap over mountain peaks, her feet moving with incredible speed as if she were walking on clouds.

With this sword at her aid, Raiden Mei felt more confident and believed she could arrive before the battle ended...

[And you stood there, staring in the direction Raiden Mei had gone, your gaze fixed on her receding figure.]

[You've been planning to forge a suitable knife specifically for Raiden Mei for a while now, but due to time constraints, you haven't started yet.]

[The only thing you can do right now is to transform the sword in Raiden Mei's hand through the effects of "Spirit Blade".]

[This is equivalent to reforging the blade through Raiden Mei's inner emotions.]

[So that the blade, imbued with Raiden Mei's emotions, can resonate with her heart.]

[And your Observation Haki makes you realize that the crisis that would have put Raiden Mei in a difficult and seriously injured battle on the battlefield is now a thing of the past.]

[Your previous claim that "the battlefield is about to end and everyone will return" was nothing but a lie to deceive Raiden Mei.]

[You're just making Raiden Mei believe she's about to face criticism from her family and village, pushing her to the brink of despair and causing her mental state to completely collapse.]