Suddenly, an unexpected change occurred!
From the small mountain of ice crystals, formed by the disintegration of Takemikazuchi's massive body, a blinding flash of light burst forth.
It was the core!
Although Takemikazuchi was annihilated by Sakura's ice blade, its divine authority still existed—a fist-sized crystal with lightning flowing through it.
At this moment, this dormant core seemed to be awakened by Raiden Mei's intense emotions.
“Buzz—!”
A low hum echoed through heaven and earth.
That purple core floated up, radiating a dreamlike, magnificent purple light.
Then, that light firmly locked onto Raiden Mei, who was standing nearby.
“Ugh!” Raiden Mei cried out in pain.
She suddenly raised her hand to cover her forehead, and between her fingers, purple electric arcs actually burst out!
Immediately after, to Shi Hui and Sakura's astonished gazes, an even more incredible sight unfolded.
The pulsating electric arc on Raiden Mei’s glabella solidified; a purple lightning bolt appeared, outlining a sword hilt with strange patterns.
Next, came the slender, straight blade, wrapped in electric arcs.
And in the center of that hilt, there was a crystal-like groove structure.
Shi Hui was surprised to find that, apart from the difference in color and the aura flowing around the blade, this katana, forged from lightning, was not much different from the long sword at Sakura's waist.
The moment this purple long sword materialized.
“Whoosh—!”
The energy core, suspended in the air, transformed into a streak of light and shot precisely towards the hilt of the purple long sword.
“Clang!”
A clear and pleasant chime rang out.
The energy core, containing Takemikazuchi's divine authority, was perfectly and seamlessly embedded into the crystal-like groove in the center of the hilt.
The size and shape were a perfect fit, making it a unified whole.
It was as if this groove was born to accommodate this core.
The moment the core was embedded, the blade burst into a brilliant light, with purple halos swirling incessantly.
A terrifying lightning pressure, enough to make one's heart palpitate, suddenly spread out. This sudden dramatic change completely exceeded Raiden Mei's comprehension.
Her mind went blank, but her body, driven by instinct, reached out and gripped the purple long sword.
“Ugh ah ah ah—!!!”
The instant her fingers touched the long sword, a piercing shriek erupted from her throat.
It was the excruciating pain of her very essence being forcibly transformed.
Then, on both sides of her forehead, above her temples, her bones and skin convulsed, bulging and deforming.
Pffft! Pffft!
Accompanied by a grating, subtle sound, two sharp red horns forcefully pierced through the fair skin of Raiden Mei's forehead!
These horns were asymmetrical.
The left one was slightly thicker, like a lightning-struck tree, shimmering with a dangerous light.
The right one was slightly more slender, with a gently inward-curving tip, possessing a strange beauty.
The intense pain nearly made Raiden Mei faint; her legs gave way, and she knelt on one knee, only managing not to collapse completely by supporting herself with the purple long sword plunged into the scorched earth.
She slowly raised her head, looking at the hand holding the sword.
On the back of that hand, several subtle purple markings had appeared at some point.
As if sensing something, she reached up and touched her forehead, an unusual, tingling sensation dancing on her fingertips.
As if accepting her fate, Mei let out a helpless sigh to herself.
“As expected… it has come to this….”
“Ah… I really want to touch her horns, I’m so curious, so curious!”
For some reason, Shi Hui suddenly recalled this sentence.
Beside them, Sakura’s pupils slightly contracted, a very complex emotion flashing through them.
“Miss Mei, please allow me to address you as such.”
Sakura’s cool, clear voice rang out again.
“It seems its choice is stronger than your own will.”
Sakura’s gaze shifted from Raiden Mei and looked towards the low-hanging thunderclouds in the distance.
She slowly raised her hand, not to grasp her sword hilt, but to gently brush away a strand of hair that had fallen before her eyes.
“Do not mind it; this is our destiny.”
“Neither you, nor I, nor any other wielder of the chao sword, can escape.”
“All we can do is use the authority of the gods to strike down the gods above the High Heavens.”
Sakura looked at the purple long sword in Mei’s hand.
“Welcome back, ‘Naru’.”