As Sakuya and I continued our intense danmaku battle, the air crackled with energy. She gracefully evaded my slash projectiles while countering with her own barrage of knives.
Her movements were precise and calculated.
"That was a great start," Sakuya remarked, her eyes locked onto mine.
I nodded, catching my breath. "You're really skilled, Sakuya."
She smirked, twirling her knives. "And you're not bad yourself, Shun."
But then, Sakuya stopped time, leaving me momentarily frozen in place. As she resumed time, a wave of knives came flying towards me.
I stepped back ("Blood Sign: Tendril Chains") creating crimson chains that followed Sakuya's movements and deflected some of the knives.
However, I couldn't block them all, and I got hit. I dropped down to my knees, panting from the impact.
"Is that what the butler of the Scarlet Devil Mansion can do? You're disgraceful to Lady Remilia," Sakuya taunted, pointing her knife at me.
I clenched my crimson blood sword, "Heh, don't underestimate me."
("Scarlet Sign: Raining Tears.") Thousands of crimson spears, knives, and blades materialized in the sky above, casting an ominous shadow.
With a deliberate motion, I pointed toward Sakuya, and a torrent of crimson projectiles erupted from above, hurtling toward her with incredible speed and precision.
Sakuya calmly raised her palm, stopping the barrage of knives in its tracks. Time seemed to slow down as she gracefully took out more knives and countered my attack.
The two barrages collided, creating a cacophony of steel sounds.
"Not bad," Sakuya said as time resumed its normal flow. "You should know by now... I won't hold back."
She took out a steel dagger and charged forward, throwing more knives toward me. I quickly activated my ("Blood Sign: Tendril Chains") again, trying to deflect and dodge her attacks.
The chains followed her movements, but Sakuya's speed was incredible, and managed to outrun the chains
"She's going head-on!" I thought stepping back to avoid her knives.
Sakuya's eyes gleamed as she continued to press the attack. "You'll have to do better than that, Shun!"
I gritted my teeth and focused my energy, trying to match her movements.
After what felt like an eternity, I managed to counter one of Sakuya's attacks, sending her knives veering off course.
Seizing the opportunity, I swung my crimson blood sword with all my might, creating a powerful shockwave of crimson energy.
The shockwave clashed with Sakuya's barrage, creating a spectacular display of light and power.
As the dust settled, Sakuya and I stood facing each other, both breathing heavily from the intense battle.
"Looks like we're evenly matched," Sakuya said, a small smile on her face.
("Private Square: And Then Will There Be None?") spell card. An intricate web of knives enveloped the battlefield, forming a deadly trap.
I quickly activated my ("Scarlet Sign: Crimson Tempest,") sending a powerful shockwave of crimson energy to disrupt her attack.
I gritted my teeth, refusing to give up. I activated my "Blood Sign: Blood Moon Elegy," enveloping the battlefield in a crimson mist that obscured our vision.
within the mist, the moon's light seemed to take on an eerie crimson hue.
As the mist slowly cleared, Sakuya and I stood facing each other once again, both breathing heavily from the intense battle. The garden around us bore the marks of our danmaku exchange, with flowers and trees singed by the power of our spell cards.
"You've improved, Shun," Sakuya said, wiping sweat from her brow.
"And you're still as formidable as ever, Miss Sakuya."
She smiled, "It's been a while since I had such an exhilarating battle."
"But I think that's enough for today," Sakuya added, taking out her crimson pocket watch. With a snap of her fingers, time came to a standstill. "The World!"
Everything froze around me, and I stood there, momentarily suspended in time. However, my relief was short-lived as I noticed more knives appearing in the air, surrounding me within my area of frozen time.
"Oh no, this is going to hurt."
Time resumed its flow, and the barrage of knives rapidly closed in on me. Despite my best efforts to dodge and deflect, I couldn't avoid them all. The blades struck with precision, and pain surged through my body as I was filled with wounds from the relentless assault.
Unable to move, I could only endure the onslaught as the knives pierced my flesh. The intense pain overwhelmed me, and I struggled to stay conscious.
After what felt like an eternity, the barrage finally stopped. I fell to the ground, breathing heavily and covered in wounds.
It took me three long days to recover from the injuries inflicted by Sakuya's devastating "The World" spell card. But despite the pain, I couldn't deny the thrill