At that moment, a silhouette slowly emerged from the thick cloud of dust and ash.
"Still standing…"
Arton narrowed his eyes as Mihawk's figure became clearer. His tone carried a blend of astonishment and respect.
Mihawk's clothing was torn to shreds, his body covered in cuts and bruises, and blood stained his form. Yet, even in this battered state, the Black Blade Yoru remained firm in his grasp, unyielding as ever.
"The power of your swords is truly extraordinary," Mihawk remarked between heavy breaths. "But Arton… this fight isn't over yet."
With those words, he raised Yoru, pointing its tip directly at Arton.
Though his body was exhausted, Mihawk's gaze remained sharp—unwavering and unbroken, like a blade that refused to dull.
"You're truly a monster," Arton muttered with a wry smile as he gripped his weapon tighter, preparing to face Mihawk's relentless resolve once more.
It seemed this epic battle was far from reaching its conclusion.
However, it was equally terrifying.
Arton squinted slightly as he watched the scene of the explosion unfold. Suddenly, his eyes focused sharply, using Transparent World to clearly see Mihawk charging toward him with his Black Blade Yoru.
"This guy…"
After assessing Mihawk's state and gauging the remaining magic power within himself, Arton quickly invoked Projection Magic, materializing two blades—Gan Jiang and Mo Ye—in his hands.
At that moment, Mihawk closed the distance, arriving directly in front of him.
Clang!
With a single strike, Mihawk sent the blades in Arton's hands flying, hurtling past him. But he wasn't done. Mihawk immediately followed up with another swift slash.
Arton, unfazed, projected another pair of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye blades to parry the attack.
Clang!
Once again, the swords were flung into the air.
"How many more times can you keep projecting?" Mihawk asked, taking a deep breath and shifting into a stabbing stance with Yoru poised.
In response, Arton smirked, almost as if answering the challenge, and projected a third set of Gan Jiang and Mo Ye.
"Projection, loaded!"
Hum!
Brilliant light erupted from the blades in Arton's hands. In the blink of an eye, the short swords elongated, transforming into shimmering long blades adorned with scale-like patterns.
"Interesting," Mihawk remarked, his lips curling into a smile at this new display.
Without hesitation, Mihawk increased the force behind his strike, sending Yoru streaking toward Arton like a black blur.
Whoosh!
Arton moved almost in unison with Mihawk. Their blades clashed in midair, producing a resounding impact and a gale that swept through the battlefield.
Zoro, Sanji, and the others watched as Arton's dual swords blocked Mihawk's Black Blade, believing that Mihawk's assault had been halted. However, in that instant, Mihawk twisted his blade with a sudden flick.
What had been a rigid, unyielding Yoru now moved like a graceful, slippery fish. It maneuvered perfectly through the narrow gap between Arton's two swords and pierced directly into his chest.
Splurt!
A sharp sound echoed as blood sprayed forth, staining both Arton and Mihawk's blade.
"Tsk, this again," Arton muttered as he glanced at the wound. "At this rate, it's really going to turn into some kind of family curse, isn't it?"
Arton looked down at the Black Blade embedded in his chest, his expression tinged with frustration.
"This time, Arton, it seems the victory is mine… hmm?" Mihawk began to declare, only for his sharp ears to catch the distinct sound of something spinning rapidly toward him. The noise came from behind, and its target was unmistakably his back.
Reacting instinctively, Mihawk attempted to withdraw Yoru from Arton's chest to parry the approaching threat. However, he found the blade firmly trapped, locked in place by Arton's now-enlarged Gan Jiang and Mo Ye blades.
"Triple-Linked Crane Wings." Arton's lips curled into a smirk as he uttered the phrase in a calm tone.
Hearing those words and noticing the confident grin on Arton's face, Mihawk hesitated for a brief moment. That fleeting hesitation proved costly.
Splat. Splat. Splat. Splat.
Four distinct impacts struck Mihawk's back at different points, sending sharp pain coursing through him. Only then did Arton release Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, allowing Yoru to finally slip free from his chest as Arton stepped back.
Simultaneously, faint glimmers of light began to rise from Arton's body once again.
Tashigi: "Those blades in Mihawk's back… are they the four short swords that Arton had been knocked away earlier?"
Whitey Bay: "So it was deliberate. Arton planned for those blades to be struck away in advance?"
Charlotte Smoothie: "He mentioned Triple-Linked Crane Wings. That must refer to this specific technique using those three sets of short swords."
Charlotte Custard: "But how could the swords spin back like that? Could it be that this set of short swords Arton projected has its own unique effects?"
Boa Hancock: "Mihawk's injuries—he's in no condition to continue fighting, is he? For him to sense the incoming blades only at the last moment and fail to defend with Armament Haki… has he weakened to such an extent? Weak enough to be unable to even muster his Haki?"
Doll: "Considering that Mihawk has been fighting against Arton's multiple templates, one after another, while Arton restores his stamina and heals his wounds each time he updates a template, Mihawk doesn't have such luxuries."
Kujaku: "Not to mention, whether Arton was using Nami's Thunder Movie template or Emiya Shirou's, he's consistently demonstrated overwhelming power. Mihawk ending up like this is no surprise… Wait, what's with the light emanating from Arton?"
Hina: "Is Arton about to ascend again? This is troublesome!"
Ulti: "The previous Emiya Shirou template was already terrifyingly strong. If this template progresses further… Could it be that Arton is truly reaching the level of the Four Emperors?"
Whitey Bay: "Is Arton about to gain the strength of Senji Muramasa?"
Gion: "…"
Gion stared silently at the scenes unfolding in the journal replica, her words stuck in her throat. Her tightly clenched fists, however, were a clear testament to the tension and unease she felt.