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Yoshika’s spear met the enemy’s blade in a clash of raw force. Sparks flew as the weapons ground against each other, the sheer impact sending a gust of wind rippling across the battlefield. Her opponent, clad in dark armor with an eerie crimson glow, barely flinched.

Furina, still catching her breath from her own battles, recognized the danger immediately. This wasn’t just another soldier—this was someone on a completely different level.

“Who are you?” Yoshika demanded, eyes narrowing.

The figure’s lips curled into a cold smile. “I am Il Capitano,” he spoke with an unsettling calm. “One of the Fatui Harbingers. And you, Daughter of the Tsaritsa, are in my way.”

Yoshika’s grip on her spear tightened. She had heard of him. Unlike the cunning Arlecchino or the unpredictable Tartaglia, Capitano was a force of pure power—an unstoppable warrior with strength rivaling even the gods.

Before Yoshika could react, Capitano struck again.

A powerful downward slash forced her to sidestep, but even as she dodged, the ground beneath her cracked from the sheer force of his attack. With inhuman speed, he followed up, driving his knee into her stomach.

Yoshika barely had time to block with her spear, the impact still sending her skidding back. Her breath hitched, but she refused to falter.

Furina saw the exchange and felt a pang of unease. Yoshika, who rarely struggled in battle, was being forced onto the defensive.

“We need to help her!” Furina shouted, already moving forward, but a hand gripped her wrist.

It was Arlecchino.

“Stay back,” Arlecchino said, eyes locked onto the fight. “This is her battle.”

Furina gritted her teeth. “But—”

“She won’t lose.”

Despite the chaos surrounding them, Furina found herself believing Arlecchino’s words.

Because Yoshika wasn’t just fighting for herself.

She was fighting for Fontaine.

For Snezhnaya.

For everything she loved.

The Shift in Battle

Capitano swung his sword again, but this time, Yoshika didn’t dodge.

Instead, she met the attack head-on.

The force of their clash sent shockwaves through the battlefield, but Yoshika didn’t falter. Her dark pink eyes burned with determination, and for the first time, Capitano’s expression shifted.

“You’re stronger than I expected,” he admitted.

Yoshika smirked, despite the blood at the corner of her lip. “And you’re slower than I thought.”

With a sudden burst of speed, she flipped her spear in an elegant motion, aiming a precise strike at Capitano’s chest. He barely blocked in time, the force pushing him back for the first time in their fight.

Furina clenched her fists. Yoshika was winning.

But then—

The air changed.

A sinister pressure filled the battlefield, suffocating and overwhelming.

Capitano raised his free hand, and for the first time, unleashed his true power.

The battlefield darkened, a crimson aura surrounding him. The sheer weight of his energy sent Fontaine’s soldiers reeling, even forcing Neuvillette to take a step back.

And Yoshika, standing at the center of it all, felt the full force of Capitano’s wrath.

Her spear trembled in her grasp.

But she didn’t back down.

She never would.

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𝖠𝖭 𝗇𝗈𝗍𝖾: 𝖻𝗋𝗈 𝖳𝗌𝖺𝗋𝗂𝗍𝗌𝖺 𝗐𝗈𝗎𝗅𝖽 𝖻𝖾 𝖬𝖠𝖣 𝗂𝖿 𝗌𝗁𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝖺𝗋𝖽 𝖼𝖺𝗉𝗂𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗈 𝖺𝗍𝗍𝖺𝖼𝗄𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝖽𝖺𝗎𝗀𝗁𝖾𝗋🙏 𝖺𝗅𝗌𝗈 𝗍𝗁𝗂𝗌 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗒 𝗂𝗌 𝖻𝖾𝖿𝗈𝗋𝖾 𝖭𝖺𝗍𝗅𝖺𝗇'𝗌 𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁𝗈𝗇 𝗊𝗎𝖾𝗌𝗍 𝗌𝗈 𝗒𝖾𝖺𝗁 𝖢𝖺𝗉𝗂𝗍𝖺𝗇𝗈 𝗂𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗋𝖾