Chapter 130: The Invisible Enemy
To the spectators, it seemed as if Ryosuke was fighting thin air.
But from Ryosuke's perspective, the situation was entirely different.
Two identical Elder Lynxes were launching coordinated attacks from both his left and right, their razor-sharp claws slicing through the air in an attempt to tear through him.
Ryosuke weaved through the onslaught, narrowly evading the strikes of the seemingly invisible elder lynxes.
After his illusion technique failed and was reflected back upon him, causing him to suffer a devastating kick, the elder lynx had no choice but to unleash his trump card.
Perhaps it was that humiliating kick that ignited Elder Lynx's fury. Now, his attacks were completely ruthless, each move intending to cripple or kill.
Because of his previous encounter with Ryosuke and Cat Nosuke, Elder Lynx had remained wary of the young man's Shadow-Style techniques.
However, the elder lynx believed that his Yin Release Secret Technique: Invisibility gave him a natural advantage against Ryosuke.
Yet that belief had shattered the moment Ryosuke's kick had landed squarely on his face.
The elder lynx now understood—Mizuki Ryosuke's Shadow-Style was merely the tip of the iceberg.
As he clashed with Elder Lynx, Ryosuke quickly adjusted his assumptions.
Originally, he had thought that the elder lynx was an illusion-type shinobi beast—once his genjutsu was broken, he would be defenseless.
But he had severely underestimated his opponent.
The elder lynx was a highly capable close-quarters combatant, and when combined with his Yin Release: Stealth Mirage, he became an incredibly deadly invisible assassin.
Through their exchanges, Ryosuke had also made another crucial observation—
The two lynx elders attacking him were not clones.
Clones, especially those made through Shadow Clone Jutsu or similar techniques, would struggle to withstand this level of sustained combat.
"Boom!"
Seizing an opening, Ryosuke executed a spinning hook kick, forcing both elder lynxes to retreat momentarily.
In that brief pause, ice began to crystallize over Ryosuke's body, his Ice Armor and Holy Cloak manifesting once more.
Then, forming a one-handed seal, he immediately unleashed Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame (Katon: Gōka Mekkyaku).
This was the very same technique that, in the Fourth Great Ninja War, had demonstrated its terrifying might against the Five Kage.
A massive tidal wave of flames engulfed the battlefield, instantly incinerating everything in its path.
Even compared to the Fire Dragon Bullet of Takeda Yoichi or Wind-Fire Bomb of Terumi Mei, the overwhelming scale of this attack was like comparing the brightness of the sun to candlelight.
Below the stage, several prepared Ninja Cats quickly activated a protective barrier to shield the audience from the lingering flames.
Only now did the ninja cats realize how much they had underestimated Mizuki Ryosuke.
As the flames dissipated, Elder Lynx's expression finally showed genuine fear.
At the very moment the inferno had surged forward, he had been forced to sacrifice one of his incarnations in order to propel himself upward, desperately clinging to the ceiling of the Colosseum.
Had he been even a second too slow, he would have been reduced to cinders.
Unlike Boss Cat, Elder Lynx did not possess an absurdly durable body. Defense had always been his greatest weakness.
Now, he had made up his mind—this battle was no longer worth it.
No matter what benefits Mizuki Eiro had promised him, no amount of gain was worth throwing his life away.
After all, as long as he lived, there would always be other opportunities.
However, Ryosuke had already anticipated this.
Even if he hadn't, it wouldn't have mattered—because at this point, it was far too late to escape.
Realizing that Elder Lynx was no longer within the arena, Ryosuke's gaze shifted upwards—toward the ceiling.
Sure enough, there he was.
"Water Style: Water Severing Wave!"
With a single-handed seal, Ryosuke unleashed a high-pressure, razor-thin water blade toward the elder lynx.
"Shhhk!"
The sheer force of the attack sliced through the rock ceiling like paper, narrowly missing the elder lynx, who dodged just in time.
But Ryosuke had already analyzed his opponent's abilities:
• Genjutsu Mastery
• Stealth Techniques
• Exceptional Close-Quarters Combat
• A Near-Perfect Clone with Undetermined Properties
Of all these, the only mystery that remained was the true nature of Elder Lynx's duplicate.
But at this point, Ryosuke had no interest in finding out.
He had more than twenty ways to end this battle.
Without hesitation, Ryosuke formed a new hand seal.
"Fire Style: Dust Hiding Technique!"
A thick, gray smoke billowed from his mouth, rapidly spreading throughout the Colosseum.
Unlike standard smoke bombs, this high-temperature dust cloud was not just a visual obstruction—it actively burned everything it touched.
The ninja cats in the audience, protected by their barrier, could only watch in horror.
Even the elder lynx, a seasoned assassin, felt his heart tighten.
His normally agile movements were being restricted, his options dwindling as the burning smoke closed in on him.
Within moments, his fur began to singe.
The acrid stench of burning hair filled the air.
Worse yet, every breath he took caused scorching-hot dust particles to enter his throat and lungs.
The sensation was unbearable—as if molten iron was being poured into his chest.
The elder lynx gritted his teeth.
He had lost.
There was no way out.
No matter how much he struggled, this was checkmate.
At this moment, he was a trapped animal, and Ryosuke was the hunter.
Finally, he made his decision—
He would surrender before it was too late.
But just as he opened his mouth to admit defeat—
"!!"
An intense, blinding light erupted within the smoke.
For a brief instant, it was the only thing visible in the suffocating darkness.
An ominous, monstrous presence lurked within that radiance.
The elder lynx's body froze.
And then—
Everything vanished.
The burning dust, the suffocating heat—all of it disappeared in an instant.
Instead, the elder lynx found himself standing in the middle of a massive, endless labyrinth shrouded in darkness.
Not a single ninja cat was in sight.
There was only himself and the void.
A chilling realization settled in his mind.
"Genjutsu…!"
Before he could even react, his vision blurred, and the world around him faded into darkness.
In the real world—
Elder Lynx collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.
The match was over.
Mizuki Ryosuke had won.
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