Watcher 13's agonized screams abruptly ceased. His body shot upright, his hands pressing tightly against his chest, and a sinister light burned in his eyes. A manic grin stretched across his face as he glared viciously at Shingen. "Did you think this would defeat me? How naive and ridiculous!"
A layer of eerie, violet radiance erupted from his body, starting from his heart and rapidly spreading outward to envelop him entirely.
"Self-Sealing Technique!" Watcher 13 shouted in a guttural tone, slamming his hands together with a fierce determination.
Shingen instantly felt a surge of formidable counterforce rushing back through the ethereal sword. It surged into his body, and his face paled as a metallic tang filled his throat. He swallowed hard, but a trace of blood still trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Watcher 13 laughed maniacally. "Did you think I'd fall so easily? My sealing technique is unbeatable! Not only does it protect my weak points, but its backlash will teach you a lesson!"
Shingen's hand trembled, the runic glow of the ethereal sword dimming. A searing pain coursed through him, forcing him to stagger and drop to one knee.
Watcher 13 sneered triumphantly. "How does it feel, tasting the consequences of your own attack? That's what happens when you overestimate yourself!"
But Shingen slowly raised his head, sweat beading on his forehead as his sharp gaze pierced through the distance. He spoke in an icy tone, "Your so-called sealing technique isn't invincible."
Watcher 13's grin faltered, then twisted into a scornful smirk. "Big words for someone who can barely stand!"
With a deep breath, Shingen forced himself upright, though his body wavered. He gripped the ethereal sword tightly as a faint light once again flickered along its edge. His voice, low but resolute, rang out: "Every ability has its limits. If you think your seal can truly withstand my power, then let's find out."
Without waiting for a response, Shingen slashed the ethereal sword toward the diamond-shaped glyph suspended in midair. Though shrouded in violet sealing light, the glyph began to glow intensely under Shingen's indomitable will, resisting Watcher 13's suppression.
Watcher 13's expression darkened as he roared, channeling even more energy into the sealing technique. "Impossible! How are you still resisting?!"
Shingen let out a powerful shout, an aura of energy radiating from his body. His voice echoed like a tolling bell. "Your so-called invincibility is a delusion. Witness who will truly prevail!"
The ethereal sword erupted in a violent tremor as Shingen's words ended, destabilizing the sealing light. Watcher 13 staggered, clutching his chest with a look of disbelief. "No... my technique can't be broken!"
Shingen's eyes glinted with cold determination as he advanced step by step, the sword in his hand pointing unwaveringly at his foe. "This battle will soon reveal who has the last laugh."
Raising the ethereal sword once more, Shingen appeared to strike at empty air, but each swing delivered invisible, razor-sharp blows that drove Watcher 13 further into despair.
"Your so-called invincible sealing technique is nothing but self-deception," Shingen remarked coldly, his strikes swift and relentless, each one precisely targeting Watcher 13's vulnerabilities.
Watcher 13's earlier arrogance gave way to desperation as he dodged frantically, only to find that the attacks disregarded spatial logic, manifesting where he believed himself to be safest. Gritting his teeth, he roared, "What is this sorcery?!"
Shingen offered a faint, disdainful smile. "The Void Blade rends space itself. Did you really think you could evade it?"
Watcher 13 attempted a counterattack, but every time he summoned the sealing light, the sword's strikes interrupted him from unexpected angles. Wounds began to accumulate across his body, minor at first but enough to unravel his composure.
"Curse you! Do you think this is enough to defeat me?!" Watcher 13 bellowed, straining to muster another sealing spell. But as he gathered energy, a thin fissure appeared in the void, and the ethereal sword thrust through it, aiming directly at his head.
Watcher 13 barely evaded the fatal blow, retreating just in time. However, the blade grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep gash. He cursed vehemently. "You dare break through my technique?!"
Shingen remained silent, his gaze as icy as ever. The ethereal sword wove an invisible web of strikes, encircling Watcher 13 and leaving him no escape.
"Enough!" Watcher 13 roared, his body erupting in radiant light, transforming him into a glowing beacon. His voice, laced with madness, reverberated. "You may be strong, but I'm a Watcher—a true power! You cannot win!"
Shingen sneered, the ethereal sword humming in sync with his resolve. His tone was calm yet cutting. "A true power? Your strength is nothing but a tool for bullying the weak. Against true resolve, your techniques are meaningless."
He raised the sword high, its glow intensifying until it seemed to tear at the fabric of reality. With a decisive slash, the air fractured into spiderweb-like cracks, which exploded into a devastating shockwave.
Watcher 13's attempts to defend himself with sealing light were futile. The sword's ethereal blade struck from impossible angles, bypassing his defenses. In a final, desperate moment, multiple strikes pierced his body, blood spraying in arcs.
Standing firm, Shingen let the sword tremble in his grasp, taking a deep breath to steady himself. His gaze remained as sharp as ever. "A Watcher? You're nothing more than a delusion."