Shinji's hundred-meter-tall, fully realized 'Susanoo' stood nearly as tall as the meat cocoon before it. With a single swing of its blade, the earth shook, and the mountains trembled. Though the cocoon reacted instinctively, its veins and muscles contracting rapidly, it was no match for the speed of Shinji's 'Susanoo.' The blade sliced through its midsection, cleaving it in two!
As the cocoon was bisected, a torrent of blood gushed from the severed ends like a waterfall, filling the vast cavern with a rancid stench.
The momentum of Shinji's 'Susanoo' blade didn't stop there. After cutting through the cocoon, it slashed into the cavern's rock wall, causing the entire chamber to quake violently.
Despite the sheer dominance of this strike, Shinji showed no trace of satisfaction.
His gaze sharpened, locking onto the severed section of the cocoon. In an instant, a blaze of black flames erupted at the focal point of his vision!
Dojutsu 'Amaterasu'!
From a distance, Shion watched as rocks crumbled and black flames spread. The once-menacing giant cocoon had been sliced in half. Her mouth fell open. "So… so strong!"
Knowing Shinji was the Akatsuki's 'A' was one thing, but witnessing him unleash the full might of his 'Susanoo' was another entirely. Even having seen Shinji sweep through the ghost domain earlier, the sheer awe inspired by this hundred-meter-tall golden 'Susanoo' was on a completely different level!
Inside the cavern, dust billowed, and debris scattered.
After being cleaved by Shinji's 'Susanoo,' the massive cocoon rapidly shriveled. Combined with the incineration of 'Amaterasu's' black flames, the cocoon's surface charred and smoked heavily!
From within the diamond-shaped space at the forehead of his fully realized 'Susanoo,' Shinji narrowed his eyes.
The cocoon had triggered his 'killing intent perception,' proving it wasn't just a passive target to be struck. Even now, he remained vigilant.
Squinting, he tried to peer through the 'Amaterasu' flames to discern what was gestating inside the cocoon.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
But at that moment, countless tendrils of condensed flesh, accompanied by piercing shrieks, shot out from the shriveled cocoon, lunging toward Shinji's 'Susanoo'!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In an instant, the tendrils, tipped with sharp, hooked claws, struck the armor of Shinji's 'Susanoo,' producing a series of shrill, grating sounds.
Shinji's expression darkened.
He realized these flesh tendrils carried a force far beyond his expectations. Cracks began to form on the armor of his fully realized 'Susanoo'!
"Such power from mere flesh? What is this thing!?"
He was inwardly shocked.
The fully realized 'Susanoo' could shrug off many A-rank ninjutsu, and even some S-rank techniques struggled to scratch it. Yet these flesh tendrils, relying solely on raw physical power, had reached such a level—this was enough to stun him!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
More tendrils shot out from the cocoon, assaulting Shinji's 'Susanoo'!
Shinji wasn't one to sit back and take a beating. Channeling his dojutsu, he urged 'Susanoo' to counterattack.
Both the long blade of Shinji's fully realized 'Susanoo' and the tendrils erupting from the cocoon were absurdly powerful! The cavern's sturdy walls were as fragile as tofu before them, shattering on contact and breaking under their strikes!
In no time, the already trembling cavern teetered on the brink of collapse!
Inside another tunnel, Sasuke suddenly froze, turning to Haku beside him. "Did you feel something?"
Haku nodded lightly. "It's like an earthquake."
Sasuke glanced toward the dark tunnel ahead. "Could it be… one of the other teams got ahead of us and is fighting the Ghost King?"
Haku naturally shared the same suspicion.
He knew that the other two teams, especially Karin's group, were significantly stronger than their own, so it was entirely reasonable for them to have progressed faster in their sweep and exploration.
Sasuke declared, "We can't let them outdo us. Let's move!"
With that, he tapped his foot, shooting forward like an arrow released from a bow.
"Haa…"
Haku exhaled softly, activating his breathing technique to keep up.
Karin and Yakumo, already speeding through their tunnel, also felt the faint tremors ahead.
"An earthquake? Or a battle?" Karin muttered to herself.
The range of her 'Kagura Mind's Eye' was even smaller than Shinji's 'Jikibi,' so she couldn't yet sense what was happening ahead.
Yakumo, meanwhile, instructed Ido, who floated beside her, "Go check what's up ahead!"
"Got it!"
With a whoosh, Ido transformed into a crimson streak, darting forward.
Karin and Yakumo exchanged a glance, then silently employed the 'Body Flicker Technique,' boosting their speed once more!
Kimimaro and Neji, in their combined state, were different from the other two teams.
They were the fastest. While the other groups were only beginning to feel faint tremors in their tunnels, rocks were already falling in theirs.
"Someone's fighting up ahead!"
Without hesitation, their three minds in sync, they accelerated again, moving through the tunnel like ghostly apparitions!
Back in the cavern, one side wielded immense dojutsu and chakra, while the other had just harvested the blood-flesh essence of four cities. The battle quickly reached a stalemate.
Though the underground cavern was vast, it couldn't withstand the clash between the fully realized 'Susanoo' and the giant cocoon. Soon, the ceiling was pierced, and cold moonlight spilled through the breach, illuminating the dust-choked cavern.
Panting lightly, Shinji sized up the monstrosity before him.
The cocoon's outer shell had been burned away by his 'Amaterasu' flames, revealing a grotesque, shapeless mass of flesh within. The dangerous tendrils had extended from this massive, aberrant blood-flesh.
"What is this thing!?"
Shinji's expression grew grim.
It wasn't that he feared the monster before him. He was simply eager to capture the mysterious figure and withdraw from the Demon Slayer world, with no desire to waste time on this flesh creature.
Suddenly, a massive surge of energy erupted from within the flesh monster.
"Chakra!?"
Shinji froze, a look of disbelief crossing his face.
At that moment, the giant flesh monster shot into the air, sprouting countless sharp tendrils like a sea urchin!
These tendrils were already difficult to handle, but now, amplified by a torrent of chakra, they became even more terrifying!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After a deafening roar, the dust settled, and the surroundings were utterly transformed. Only Shinji's fully realized 'Susanoo' stood, barely holding its ground!
At that moment, Shinji realized something, staring intently at the airborne mass of flesh. "Is it the mysterious figure? Has it lost control and mutated?"