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Chapter 73

The battlefield crackled with tension as Yoshika wiped sweat from her forehead, her Pyro flames still burning fiercely. Capitano's towering presence remained unmoved, his darkened blade humming with suppressed power.

"You continue to stand... even after that?" Capitano remarked, his deep voice laced with something close to admiration. "Your endurance is formidable."

Yoshika let out a breath, gripping her spear tighter. "Tch... you really don't get it, do you?" She smirked despite the aching in her limbs. "This isn't just my strength. This... is who I am."

The words echoed-deeper than just the present moment. Who she was.

A creation of Celestia.

But Yoshika had rejected that fate. She refused to be another pawn in Celestia's schemes.

She was Yoshika. And she would forge her own path.

Her flames flared violently, the air shimmering from the sheer heat. The golden-pink hue of her fire was no longer just Pyro-it carried something else. Something ancient, something that defied even Celestia's will.

Capitano's grip on his sword tightened. He could feel it now-her fire wasn't just elemental. It was something far greater.

Yoshika lunged.

Her spear became a streak of burning light, its floral engravings glowing as she twisted mid-air, bringing down an overhead strike. Capitano raised his sword just in time, but the impact sent a massive shockwave rippling through the ground.

The sheer force of her attack forced Capitano to slide back.

For the first time in the battle-he was pushed back.

Yoshika landed, fire swirling around her like a protective storm. Her breath was heavy, her body aching, but her spirit burned fiercer than ever.

Capitano let out a low chuckle. "You are more than what you seem."

Yoshika tilted her head, twirling her spear. "What gave it away?" she teased, though her expression remained sharp.

Capitano readied his stance again. "Then allow me... to test the full extent of your will."

He vanished.

In the blink of an eye, he was upon her, his massive sword swinging down with an earth-shattering force. Yoshika barely had time to react-she dodged by a hair's breadth, but the sheer pressure of the strike sent debris flying in every direction.

This time-he wasn't holding back.

The real battle had just begun.

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𝖠𝖭 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾: 𝗂'𝗅𝗅 𝖾𝗑𝗉𝗅𝖺𝗂𝗇 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗂𝗌 𝖪𝗂𝗆𝗂𝗄𝖺 𝗂𝗇 𝗇𝖾𝗑𝗍 𝖼𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋, 𝗌𝗁𝖾𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗌𝗈 𝗆𝗒 𝗈𝖼 𝖻𝗍𝗐!