Now Uchiha Hikari understood why Esdeath said this move was made for her.
In their previous spars, Esdeath's biggest headache was Hikari's Susanoo. That chakra armor made it so even Esdeath's "Mokobotmo," which could freeze time and space, was useless against her.
On the other hand, while "Amaterasu" and "Tsukuyomi" were powerful, they could be countered or mitigated to some extent.
So now…
"Join them if you can't beat them, huh?"
In a split second, Esdeath commanded her ice giant, taking a massive step forward and swinging a colossal fist!
Ice Demon: Stage One!
The punch hadn't even landed, but the wild gusts from it already displaced the air, enveloping Hikari completely!
In a flash, Hikari gathered her breath and leaped, her petite frame dodging like a nimble cat. She crossed her arms, blocking the shower of debris kicked up by the attack.
At the same moment, the black pinwheel pattern in her eyes spun gently. "Amaterasu!"
Jet-black flames materialized, surging toward the ice giant's body.
But the giant's icy structure was so dense that even Amaterasu's thousands-of-degrees heat could only melt a thin surface layer, unable to reach its core.
As for regular Fire Style or other ninjutsu? No point even trying. Against a behemoth like this, they'd be like scratching an itch through a boot.
Hikari pursed her lips, starting to grasp how Esdeath must feel facing her Susanoo.
Looked like she'd have to…
She exhaled softly, pushing her eye power harder. Her body flipped and rolled again, dodging another barrage of ice spikes and the ice giant's fist.
In mere seconds, a dark red silhouette emerged behind her, rapidly forming bones, flesh, and armor. It towered like a skyscraper over the arena.
Susanoo: Fourth Form!
The next instant, Susanoo's arm shot forward, blocking the ice giant's punch in midair!
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed as milky-white shockwaves erupted from where their fists met, sweeping across the entire arena in a blink!
From the spectators' view, it was as if an invisible barrier exploded outward from the collision, scattering all nearby debris and leaving a hundreds-meter-high vacuum zone. Even the clouds above were briefly parted. It took seven or eight seconds for the air to rush back in, refilling the space.
"…Bring it on!"
Esdeath, high in the air, had a fiery glint of battle lust in her eyes.
Clearly, she'd been working on this "Ice Demon" move for a while.
Though built from ice and snow, the giant moved with surprising agility, not a hint of clumsiness. Each punch unleashed a series of milky-white sonic cones, strong enough to shatter a small mountain.
The fourth-form Susanoo was starting to struggle.
So Hikari pushed her eye power further, unleashing her Complete Susanoo.
Esdeath, tapping into the "Demon's Extract," boosted the ice giant's size and strength to nearly two hundred meters. It was still slightly smaller than the Complete Susanoo, but not by much. With the Demon's Extract sustaining it, any damage from the Susanoo healed almost instantly.
Of course…
This was partly because Hikari wasn't using her spiritual weapons.
The dark red greatsword aside, if she brought out "Fire Thunder God," this stalemate wouldn't last.
But tournament rules banned weapons, and Hikari had other plans for "Fire Thunder God" to counter one of Esdeath's moves. She was already quietly building up for it.
As the battle raged on, the two giants clashed repeatedly, sending visible shockwaves rippling through the air like waves on a lake.
Immense forces filled the arena, weaving an invisible field of energy.
The few remaining stone slabs on the stage, and even the distant venue buildings, were crushed, shaken, and pulverized under this unseen force, reduced to fine dust that scattered into the sky! Explosions rang out continuously.
At this point, even the barrier reinforced by Kikyo was starting to give.
Fine cracks appeared on the translucent shield.
Then, increasingly intense seismic waves spread from the arena floor, as if the entire earth was trembling.
The audience couldn't sit still anymore.
Over the past few days, they'd seen plenty of mind-blowing fights—Yamato vs. Roshi, Esdeath's earlier displays, and the skills of Brand, Akame, Nam, Goku, and others. But this scene still left their jaws on the floor.
Well… they hadn't yet witnessed the merciless Piccolo, who'd casually destroy entire cities.
Otherwise, aside from Bulma and Roshi, not a single spectator would've stayed.
"No way… are these two really human?!"
"The blue-haired woman's one thing, but this little girl too…? They're not gonna destroy the city, are they?"
"…Let's get farther back. We can watch the broadcast on TV—no need to risk it this close."
Soon, droves of spectators fled their seats, rushing outside. Those who stayed either had nerves of steel, refused to back down as self-proclaimed martial artists, or, like Goku, wanted to study the fight to improve. Even they were on edge, ready to bolt while watching the match.
Even Roshi's face was unusually grim.
He was the only one present who'd seen the Great Demon King Piccolo in person.
This scene faintly stirred a memory in his mind—
"If I'm not mistaken, that guy could grow massive too… Who are Bulma's friends? This kind of power—it's not far off from Piccolo himself, is it?"
Meanwhile, the blonde referee clung to his microphone, dutifully commentating despite the battle exceeding his comprehension. His words came out jumbled, and the TV broadcast, plagued by interference, flickered with static.
"…We might've gone a bit overboard."
Hikari glanced at the surrounding chaos.
Her fight with Esdeath was intense, to say the least. Even unintentionally, the damage to the tournament venue was severe.
But the organizers were probably used to it. This arena was destined to be wrecked by Goku's Great Ape form anyway, and years later, Piccolo Jr. would trash it again. This was just a sneak preview…
After another close-range clash, with Susanoo blocking the ice giant, Hikari spoke quickly. "This could go on forever. How about we both drop these forms, Esdeath?"
"You sure?" Esdeath raised an eyebrow.
"Absolutely."
The fight had already shown that Susanoo and the Ice Demon were evenly matched. Neither Hikari nor Esdeath could quickly defeat the other like this.
Without Senzu Beans, neither could sustain these forms for long—the energy drain was too much.
So why not switch to other moves?
So far, Esdeath hadn't used "Mokobotmo." In past spars, Hikari had relied on Susanoo to tank it, but now… she wanted to test a counter she'd been devising.
Maybe it'd surprise Esdeath.
Soon, both giants vanished, dissolving into scorching flames and icy mist.
Hikari and Esdeath landed back on the arena in human form, trading dozens of blows in close combat. Then Esdeath seized an opening, clasping her hands together to unleash her signature move:
"Mokobotmo!!"
With a low shout, a chilling ice-blue aura burst from her, spreading kilometers outward in an instant!
Where the cold passed, a circular curtain of light expanded!
Then, boundless ice froze everything in sight!
From Hikari on the arena to the blonde referee nearby, to Bulma, Roshi, and the audience in the stands… despite the barrier, everyone and everything froze in place. Light, sound, images—everything stopped.
From an outsider's view, it was as if the world had been draped in an ice-blue filter. Only the blue-haired figure with waist-length hair remained, slowly raising her head, gazing calmly ahead.
Crunch, crunch—
Footsteps echoed forward.
Esdeath, in her long boots, raised her right hand and walked toward Hikari.
"…Sorry."
"This time, I win."
As she advanced, frost cloaked her slender fingers, forming a narrow ice blade. Her gaze fixed on Hikari's pale, delicate face, a subtle emotion flickering in her eyes.
At this level of fighting, holding back wasn't an option. They'd agreed to go all out beforehand.
Of course, it wouldn't come to actual death.
Esdeath knew Hikari's resilience—unless decapitated or torn apart, she could recover fully. Worst case, Esdeath had a small stash of Senzu Beans to revive her.
But…
For some reason, Esdeath felt a flicker of anticipation, hoping to see a miracle from the girl before her—
"If it's you, maybe…"
Her thought cut off.
Esdeath's eyes narrowed, dismissing the notion. She stopped two or three meters from Hikari, turning her ice blade to aim at her chest.
Right at her heart.
The blade's tip touched Hikari's clothes. One small push would end the match.
But…
At that exact moment, Hikari, enveloped in the icy veil, twitched.
More precisely, her eyes twitched.
A tiny spark of flame appeared in the black pinwheel of her Mangekyo Sharingan, glowing with vibrant color.
"?!"
Esdeath's pupils contracted, the thought she'd suppressed surging back. Her hand froze mid-strike, her gaze locked on the girl.
Then…
Whoosh—
A faint breeze seemed to pass through.
With it, the spark in Hikari's eyes flared, blooming like a crimson flower or a dark red veil wrapping around her body.
In that moment, Hikari seemed to shift from monochrome to vivid color, "coming alive" in the frozen, lifeless world. She merged with the flames, radiating dazzling brilliance.
Literally "merged."
From Esdeath's view, Hikari's form blurred. Her black hair whipped like wild snakes, interwoven with countless streams of red light. Her face and body shimmered with fiery hues, exuding a heart-stopping heat that felt like it could melt anything too close.
This was the trump card Hikari had prepared—
Spiritual Weapon: Fire Thunder God!!
"Hey, Esdeath."
Hikari raised her head, like an elf cloaked in flames, flashing a bright, radiant smile at Esdeath.
But…
Esdeath had no time to admire it.
Shock overwhelmed the warrior princess, her face showing disbelief:
"You actually… broke through 'Mokobotmo'?!"
(End of Chapter)