Chapter 146: Duel Between the Red-Eyed and Black-Eyed Sisters: The Arrival of a Third Party-Infinite Immortal(His given name was Qi, and his courtesy name was Fangyuan.)

The two-on-two battle, which had originally formed with Leone's joining, was once again plunged into a precarious state by the arrival of Kurome and her companion.

"Haha, young people are certainly full of life. Wukong, go keep that shield-bearing uncle and the blonde guard company, and let them rest in peace." Two figures, one old and one young, emerged from the edge of the cliff. Naturally, they were the Martial Emperor and Wukong.

"Is Master not going to make a move?"

"A battle among the young is not a place for an old man to meddle. Your master will just watch from here."

"Understood, then I shall go." Wukong bowed respectfully, then moved with the agile grace of an ape across several bounds into the thick of the battle, drawing both opponents into his sphere of combat.

"Sister, I'll handle this fire-breathing guy. Kurome is all yours." Leone grinned, and under her fierce assault, Buls was forced to slowly retreat away from the area.

In just a brief moment, changes had happened too fast; of the six-person melee just moments ago, only the fateful twin sisters remained. The swirling dust caught the hems of their skirts, yet not a single person was there to witness this rare and beautiful scenery.

"Want some?" The heavy atmosphere of mutual staring was utterly shattered the moment Kurome pulled out a biscuit. Even more maddeningly, Akame actually nodded.

It was fortunate that no one witnessed this scene, otherwise they wouldn't have known what kind of expression to use for their sarcastic remarks.

"Ever since we were little, Sister took such good care of me, always protecting me from harm." Kurome picked up a biscuit and popped it into her mouth.

"Because... I am the older sister. Left to fend for ourselves, we became assassins of the Empire, continually carrying out orders from above to eliminate those who defied the Empire... believing that what we were doing was right." Akame bit into a biscuit as well, her gaze complex and filled with memories.

"During the days when we were finally reunited after being raised in different divisions, we were the greatest assassination squad. Though there were difficult times, we pushed through them because we were together. I relied on my sister so much back then, didn't I? As long as I was with my sister, I was happy." Kurome wore a blissful smile as she recalled the days they spent together.

"Yet... yet... yet Sister betrayed the Empire, betrayed me, and joined Night Raid. Why? Even though I tried so hard to stop you." Kurome was still smiling, but her smile had turned somewhat distorted and warped. "Being left all alone was so agonizing, so every single day I only thought about... killing my sister."

"If you kill me, will you attain redemption?" Facing Kurome's aggressive stance, Akame made no move.

"There is no redemption. Just as I said before, by doing this, Sister will become entirely mine, and we can be together forever. That way, you won't be able to abandon me and leave alone ever again." The Yatsufusa blade pointed at Akame as Kurome smiled.

"I once invited you as well, but you chose a different path." Akame drew Murasame, the tip of her blade likewise pointing at Kurome. The two gazed at each other for a moment before clashing in combat.

Although they had been separated for some time, both sisters knew each other's strength intimately. Originally, Akame held a slight advantage in skill, and Kurome's movements were slightly slower than usual due to the burden of Yatsufusa.

It didn't take long for Kurome to be suppressed somewhat. It was believed that given enough time, the victor would be Akame.

However, the world is not a simple numerical system where one plus one equals two; every individual within it is fraught with variables.

"You have grown considerably stronger than before, no wonder you had the confidence to battle me." Esdeath stood atop a massive pillar of ice, gazing straight ahead, her long black hair fluttering in the wind as Qi hovered in the air before her.

"What a pity, I still can't take you down. Whether it's your Sovereign Form or your breakthrough in Qi cultivation to the fifth layer, you handle it all with ease, and even your spiritual strength is terrifyingly formidable." Qi hovered in the air with a grave expression.

"Although you possess an ability akin to immortality, it seems to consume a massive amount of energy. After fighting for such a short time, you are already no longer at your peak. If you don't pull out some ultimate moves, you are going to lose. For instance, that silvery giant orb of yours."

Esdeath smiled like a blooming flower; whenever she looked at this young man, she seemed incapable of wearing her trademark sadistic smile.

"You haven't used that ultimate move that freezes time and space either." By comparison, Qi's expression was much more serene.

"Knowing that I cannot kill you, using Mahapadma to freeze time and space would be utterly meaningless. It would merely waste my stamina and narrow the gap in our consumption."

Esdeath swung her ice sword and launched another charge. Having fought twice now, she seemed to have realized that Qi's recovery speed was astonishingly fast. Allowing the idle chatter to drag on would be to his benefit.

"Who goes there? To dare peer upon our romantic duel from the sidelines is truly unpleasant." Mid-charge, the ice sword in Esdeath's hand had already been hurled forward, striking squarely into a boulder and shattering it on the spot.

True to expectation, two figures leapt out from behind it—a man and a woman, namely Tatsumi and the maiden from Gensokyo of another world, Hong Meiling.

"As expected, we were discovered. We originally intended to wait until both of you were exhausted before making our move." Tatsumi shrugged, his eyebrows twitching slightly.

"What a hassle. Didn't I say earlier we should just knock everyone else out directly and then spar with this martial arts expert? You insisted on hiding and waiting!" Hong Meiling rubbed her hands, her gaze fixed on Qi with eager anticipation.

"Oh? This is the first time anyone has been so arrogant in front of me. A few days ago, after participating in my tournament, you vanished right after the first match. Back then, I already wanted to test your strength. Since you've delivered yourselves to my doorstep, come at all once. I, Esdeath, will take you all on."

Exhibiting her sadistic smile as she wished, Esdeath charged forward, preparing to face three opponents single-handedly.

"Wow, could you also be a martial arts expert? No one else in Gensokyo knows martial arts; they just sleep all day... No, guarding the gate all day is so boring. Since I finally got the chance to come out, play with me!"

Hong Meiling kicked off the ground. Seemingly exerting very little force, her speed was ferocious and blindingly swift as she appeared before Esdeath, her right hand tracing an arc while her left hand supported and cradled a sphere.

Esdeath's pupils constricted to the size of pinpricks; the opponent's speed had surpassed what her eyes could even capture.

Mahapadma was triggered instinctively. The surrounding world was frozen once more, leaving only Esdeath capable of movement. Seeing the fist that had already touched her clothing, Esdeath wore a smile.

No matter how fast your speed may be, unless you are truly unkillable, remain dormant in this frozen time and space. Gathering an ice sword in her hand, she thrust it directly toward Hong Meiling's heart.

The very next moment, within this frozen realm where only Esdeath could move, Hong Meiling shattered the ice from within, smashed the ice sword to pieces with a single punch, and struck Esdeath heavily in the abdomen.