The silence of the night was broken by the sound of our breathing. The battlefield was in tatters, marks of explosions and cuts decorating the ground like scars from a war fought between titans.
Natsu joined my side and her condition was the worst among us. Blood was dripping from her wounded shoulder, and a horrible bruise was forming on her face. Small cuts covered her arms and legs, but her eyes still burned with determination. Jimei, on the other hand, was pale, blood running from the corner of his mouth, and his posture was more unstable. I was the lucky one. My body ached, but I was still in fighting shape.
Shuro watched us, a manic smile forming on his face. And oh, how I wanted to wipe that damn smile off of him.
"Well? Are you tired of playing shinobi?" He mocked, spinning his chain in his hand.
I exchanged glances with Natsu and Jimei. Our bodies were battered, but none of us would retreat. We couldn't do that. With a silent nod, the battle resumed.
I clapped my hands together, furrowing my brow as I concentrated my chakra, feeling the energy surge with intensity. Natsu raised her right arm, her left still hanging useless at her side. Jimei, subtly, began forming hand seals.
"Maboroshi Ashi (Phantom Step)"
I began to move, using my favorite technique, leaving illusory images with every use. Shuro's eyes widened slightly, but instead of retreating, his smile grew even wider.
"Oh? At least you have a few tricks up your sleeve… Too bad I have a weapon up mine!" His laughter echoed across the battlefield. "Time to heat things up! Enkou Kusari! (Flaming Chain)"
His weapon ignited with crimson flames, the metal crackling with intense heat. He hurled the fiery kunai toward me. The heat from the blade was so intense I could feel its sting in the air around me. I dodged instinctively, appearing at a different point, only to see another strike coming at me.
I dodged again. And again.
The deadly dance continued, each dodge bringing me closer to the right moment. My eyes quickly shifted to Jimei.
'Come on, hurry…'
I thought anxiously while activating my technique again to avoid another attack. My chakra wouldn't last forever. He was finishing his hand seals. Just a little more...
Shuro laughed, switching between attacks and insults.
"I'll turn you into barbecue and keep your body as a trophy!"
That's when it happened.
Jimei finished his jutsu.
For some reason, Shuro abruptly turned and threw his weapon away from me. This was it, it must have been Jimei's genjutsu. I smiled. The opening was created.
"Damn genjutsu… I've always hated this crap…" he muttered, making a hand seal to break free from the technique.
But before I could act, Natsu, despite her injuries, was the first to advance.
"Hakke Shōsen! (Eight Trigrams: Rising Palm!)"
Her strike was aiming Shuro's chin, forcing him to react defensively. It was a feint. The real strike would come from me. But Shuro still needs to avoid Natsu's attack.
He narrowly dodged Natsu.
"You trust your weapon too much!" Natsu shouted.
And then she smeared blood from her bleeding shoulder across his face. Shuro instinctively closed his eyes, roaring in rage.
"That damn girl, is that blood?!"
The opening was wide open.
I appeared before him, sliding across the ground and delivering a low spinning kick.
"Gekirin Kyaku (Dragon's Wrath Kick)"
It was a quick sweep kick where I focused my chakra into my right leg to enhance the power of the attack and hit the opponent's legs.
In my past life, I saw dragons portrayed as symbols of power and majesty. But they were also cunning, striking with deadly precision when the opening appeared. I wanted my kick to be like that.
The attack hit Shuro's calf with force, and I heard the crack the moment I struck. His body wavered, and he was falling to the ground, just in time for Natsu to take advantage.
"Hakke Shōsen!"
Her open palm strike to Shuro's chest sent him flying away. But I needed to ensure he stayed incapacitated.
I ran toward him and leapt high into the air. My thoughts whirled as I adjusted my position. I had been inspired by the Tatsumaki Senpukyaku I had seen so many times while playing Street Fighter in my past life.
In taekwondo, it was important to use the hips, using centrifugal force to increase the power of the strike. By combining my rotational force with the chakra concentrated in my legs, I created this move, a strike that sliced through the air like a blade.
"Tsuin Reppu Kyaku (Twin Tempest Kick)" I shouted, putting all my remaining strength into that kick.
I struck his jaw with my right foot, but didn't stop there, spinning my body and kicking his jaw again.
I heard the dry sound of something breaking. Crack.
Shuro flew through the air, landing at an awkward angle. His body lay still. Was that it? Had we done it? I sighed in relief. Jimei ran toward us, a huge smile on his face.
"Ken-kun! Natsu-chan! We did it!" Jimei shouted excitedly.
A smile formed on my face without me even trying to stop it. I was happy to see that a similar smile was on Natsu's face, even though she was bleeding heavily. She seemed happy that the nightmare was finally over.
"Yeah, Jimei, great job with the genjutsu." I said, looking at my friend.
"Ah…" He scratched the back of his head, looking quite embarrassed. "It was nothing, just the Mugen Atoashi (Endless Footsteps), it's an auditory genjutsu that makes you hear footsteps coming from different directions."
"Well, it was really useful, thanks to that we got a good opening." I said, genuinely impressed.
That was it, we had finally done it, and by the skin of our teeth. My chakra was nearly exhausted from all the Phantom Step usage, and Natsu didn't seem in any condition to do anything. I threw myself to the ground, relieved.
But my relief didn't last long when a strange sensation gripped my body. I heard a noise and lifted my head to look at where Shuro's body lay, still inert on the ground. Thank goodness, for a moment I thought I was in a slasher movie.
But then, he moved.
What is this? Was I in a ninja version of Scream? At least I could have had a Courtney Cox beside me to make this more bearable. I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but he continued to move and my heart stopped when I saw him rise.
The mask covering half of Shuro's face dissolved. His face was covered in blood. His mouth, or what was left of it, was a horror of twisted flesh. His jaw was broken and crooked. Teeth fell from his bloodied mouth, and his left leg was twisted at an angle that was definitely unnatural. But it was his eyes that terrified me.
Pure murderous delirium.
"No way…" My voice came out as a whisper. "How is he getting up?!"
We stood frozen, watching the horrific scene unfold before us. I tried to get up, but my body felt heavy, aching, even moving my fingers was painful.
Was this how I was going to die? Killed by some bastard who wasn't even important enough to appear in the manga?
It was then that a voice echoed across the area, and I had never been so happy to hear that voice as I was in that moment.
"Enka no Shō (Palm of Eternal Flame)"
It was Dekai.
He appeared like a vengeful specter, the palm of his hand touching Shuro's back with such gentleness I almost thought it was the Hyūga clan's taijutsu. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, a ghastly scream cut through the night.
Shuro's body began to bubble. His skin burned from the inside out. His eyes exploded, spraying black blood. His whole body writhed in agony.
What was that? The smell of burning flesh filled the air, and I instinctively covered my nose with my hand… He was… He was burning from the inside out.
And then, he fell.
Smoke escaped from his mouth and ears. He was dead.
Dekai looked at us, his expression stern, but with a glimmer of pride.
"Sorry. I'm a bit late." He said, with a smile on his face.
Yes, he was very late, but I couldn't say anything. I just let myself collapse to the ground, exhausted.
I survived.