That is the signature move of the operative Lycoris, which is exactly what makes her so dangerous. But the kid manages to read her patterns and gets ready to strike back. The woman is stunned that he knows so much about her hidden techniques. He taunts her, asking what she is going to do now that her identity is out in the open.
The mercenary stays quiet, trying to figure out how that boy got so strong. Then she thinks back to the past, back when she saw his potential to become Nightshade. With her instincts screaming, the old lady prepares for the worst. Knowing he is a massive threat, she can feel that the person standing across from her is a true demon, hungry for a fight. And she realizes he is the exact same beast she has been chasing all these years.
The operative decides to unleash her true dance, faster and more beautiful than before. She moves with deadly grace, like she is dancing through a field of spider lilies. With a fierce look, she performs her final technique to close out the battle.
The main character remembers Lycoris's ultimate move, the dance of shadows. He knows that is his old master's most powerful strike, so he braces himself. Akari and Katagiri are terrified by the speed and absolute ferocity of the attack. The kid focuses, telling himself not to be fooled by the path of the blade, but to track its tip. With superhuman speed, he dodges and parries the incoming strikes with his bare hands. His movements are so fast they are almost impossible to see with the naked eye.
Even with all his skill, he knows he cannot afford to mess up for even a second. The mercenary's blade grazes him, but he keeps fighting without losing focus. He regrets not having his old body, because with it she never would have landed a hit on him.
Suddenly he realizes her edge was laced with something extra. He figured she would have a trick up her sleeve, since the red spider lily is toxic. The old lady calmly tells him that the toxin only causes muscle paralysis. Then she reveals another toxic flower, the amaryllis, which she uses for her secret strikes. With her opponent locked up, she moves in to deliver the finishing blow.
The kid feels his legs give out and drops to the floor, unable to move a muscle. The operative sees her window and prepares to strike with a totally victorious look. She unleashes her dance of shadows, throwing out a relentless combination of hits. A flawless strike, designed to finish the job without leaving any room for defense. The blade swings toward the main character, who looks completely helpless on the ground.
With a triumphant smirk, the old lady believes she has finally won the fight. But the kid catches her off guard again, managing to dodge the fatal blow. Shocked, the mercenary cannot believe he slipped past her ultimate attack. She stares at him in disbelief, unable to process how he moved that fast.
A demonic shadow rises up behind the main character, showing his true nature.
The kid grabs the mercenary's collar and slams her into the floor with everything he has. With a look of pure rage, he proves that the tables have entirely turned. The old lady lies there in pain, totally stunned by the sudden flip in the fight. Her blade drops, spinning on the ground until it stops right at the main character's feet.
He picks up his former master's weapon with a look of absolute disgust. Without hesitation, he strikes her chest, ending the battle once and for all.
The operative stares at him, full of surprise and respect, in her final moments. Down on the floor, she accepts her loss to the student who finally surpassed her. The main character tells her she still could not catch up, even after all this time. With a pained look, he tells her he will see her again in the underworld. The woman replies that she will be waiting for him by the Sanzu River for a rematch. In her final words, she mentions that blooming in red is also quite a beautiful sight.
Akari and Katagiri watch the aftermath completely shocked and lost for words.
The kid staggers to his feet, feeling the toxin's heavy effects on his body. He spits the poison onto the floor, trying to pull himself together after that wild battle. Katagiri approaches him, worried, and asks if he is okay, and if he caught any of the toxin. The main character admits that he is not doing great, and that he only delayed it with his breathing. He used tactical breathing to keep his heart rate down in an extreme situation.
The bodyguard offers to call in an underground doctor connected to the Shido group, but the kid turns him down, saying that a toxin user always keeps the cure handy. So he searches the fallen operative's gear and finds exactly what he needs.
Then, holding a pocket watch, he announces that he found their next clue.