In battles between shinobi, any act of toying with an enemy out of overconfidence in one's strength is a gross disrespect to one's own life.
Just moments ago, when Hane Genma was slammed into the floor, he was at his weakest. From that point on, he could only grow stronger...
If the enemy failed to end his life in that moment of vulnerability, they might never get another chance.
Jigo Yurei was right. When Genma was in an extremely disadvantaged state, his "Spore Technique," used to absorb chakra, was indeed little more than a parlor trick. But once Genma's strength began to surge dramatically, the "Spore Technique" became terrifyingly lethal.
After seizing a sufficient amount of chakra, Genma's combat prowess only grew more formidable.
Earlier, Genma could only sneak small amounts of chakra during battle, catching his opponent off guard. But now, he was openly plundering it.
After piercing the heart and draining every last drop of chakra, the tendrils of the Jiongu surrounding the "Fire Release Mask" shriveled instantly, like seaweed left to dry under the sun for weeks. They lost their toughness, strength, and killing power, becoming no stronger than strands of hair.
Giving his opponent no time to react, the chakra within Genma surged violently, almost reaching an ionized state, and erupted once more.
Boom!
The entire wall, along with its connections to the main structure, shattered under the force of his chakra explosion. Like a massive piece of debris, it was torn from the keep of Kikyo Castle and plummeted into the castle town below.
A dull thud echoed through the city, startling countless civilians and some of the hired shinobi employed by the daimyo. They finally noticed the commotion at the top of the keep.
Using the recoil, Genma launched himself like a projectile, slamming directly into another Jiongu attribute mask. The two collided, tumbling violently several times before crashing into the opposite wall.
One of Genma's arms was unresponsive, forcing his attacks to look clumsy and desperate. Even so, when the scene froze again, his palm had predictably pierced through yet another mask.
"Fire Release: Head Carving"
In the blink of an eye, having lost two attribute masks, Jigo Yurei's composure shattered. He could no longer hold back.
Another Fire Release mask opened its mouth, gathering chakra before unleashing a sea of flames without hesitation.
Unable to form hand signs to counter, Genma faced the oncoming inferno with the simplest, most direct response.
With a violent burst of chakra, his body surged forward, dragging the room's airflow with him. In an instant, the raging flames collided with an invisible wave of force.
As the flames were forced to curl back by the air current, Genma's form pierced through the fire wall like a swift arrow.
He passed through the sea of flames unscathed, not a single spark clinging to him.
Kid, ever heard of fluid dynamics?
Breaking through the flames, Genma charged at another attribute mask. Jigo Yurei, of course, manipulated the targeted Jiongu mask to dodge.
But Genma was faster, his movements ferocious, like a ravenous beast pouncing. His lightning-fast form left no room for reaction.
Destroying another mask and seizing yet another surge of chakra, Genma's previously broken arm finally reconnected.
He flexed his fingers lightly, feeling slight discomfort but no major issue.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Shockwave"
Forming hand signs, he unleashed the technique. In an instant, waves of water surged through the sea of flames.
A fountain erupted with Genma at its center, expanding layer upon layer, extinguishing the surrounding flames one by one. From the massive breach in the wall, the water cascaded down the keep, forming a waterfall that plunged into the depths below.
Splash!
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave"
At the same time, Genma angled himself oddly, using the Water Severing Wave as a "water bullet." In a straight line, it pierced through the fourth Jiongu attribute mask in an instant.
It was a pity—destroying a mask with such a long-range technique meant Genma couldn't absorb its chakra.
At this moment, Jigo Yurei finally realized his mistake. Dispersing the masks as "clones" was a poor decision, only giving his opponent the chance to pick them off one by one.
He quickly recalled the remaining four masks, then dashed toward Genma at blinding speed.
Bang!
Genma blocked Jigo Yurei's full-force punch with one hand. The latter's arm, still cloaked in black ink, had previously dealt devastating blows. But now, those same strikes felt feeble and powerless.
In terms of physical strength, Genma held the absolute advantage.
"Cough… cough," Genma rasped. "Earth Release and Lightning Release… those are the only two natures your real body can use, right? Not much different from me."
After repeatedly employing high-speed, brutal combat techniques, Genma's dynamic vision had begun to keep pace with his opponent's speed. Jigo Yurei's speed was merely the result of stimulating his body with Lightning Release chakra—not even close to a specialized piercing technique like "Chidori."
Genma's fingers clamped down on Jigo Yurei's fist, preventing him from pulling his arm free.
Then, with a sudden jerk, Genma drove his knee mercilessly into Jigo Yurei's elbow. With a sharp crack, the strike bent the arm开始
arm backward at the joint.
The blow was so forceful that, after the violent impact, Genma's brows twitched involuntarily from the sharp pain shooting through his lower leg. Despite his overwhelming strength, his body—though enhanced by Boil Release—was not durable enough to withstand such a head-on clash with his opponent's defensive technique.
As expected, his kneecap was likely shattered.
He'd been a bit reckless. Considering his current physical state, three of his four limbs were heavily damaged, barely functional. In some games, his entire body—save one leg—would be flashing red.
After breaking his opponent's arm, Genma didn't let go. Using his half-broken leg to barely support his weight, he suddenly launched a fierce kick into Jigo Yurei's abdomen.
Jigo Yurei spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward uncontrollably.
The violent tug on his broken arm tore it further, snapping it in two in an instant.
With a thud, Jigo Yurei's body smashed into the wall, experiencing the same fate Genma had endured earlier.
Genma didn't care whether his opponent could regain control of the severed arm. He tossed it lightly into the air, then quickly formed hand signs:
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet"
Under the relentless blaze, the arm was rapidly reduced to "skinless bone." Though it didn't burn to ash instantly, the white, porcelain-like bone bore no trace of the Jiongu tendrils.
Trading a half-broken, "regenerable" leg for the permanent loss of his opponent's arm—Genma figured he came out ahead in that deal.
But truthfully, his "head-on" approach was somewhat reckless. For a Jiongu user, losing an arm was trivial. Even if you hacked them into pieces, they'd remain as agile as ever.
"Cough… cough…" Jigo Yurei struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall, coughing up blood. "Since you're a Bloodline Limit shinobi, why didn't you use your abilities from the start?"
He'd seen plenty of shinobi play weak to bait their enemies, but he'd never seen someone nearly play themselves to death. What kind of fetish was this?
Genma fell silent for a moment, then coughed as well.
"Cough… cough."
"At the start… I didn't know how."
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