The vein patterns on Gyokko's face gradually emerged, and thick blue veins bulged out on his forehead.
The mouth that replaced his two eyes opened wide, unceremoniously spitting saliva, making Mizuki slightly wonder if the eyes located near his mouth would catch the spray coming from above.
"Are your eyes defective!!!" Gyokko's eyes were bloodshot, and the veins crisscrossing his face even squeezed out blood, showing the extent of his fury.
He got angry.
Mizuki, who had been observing Gyokko's expression, sighed calmly.
Seriously, he even resorted to such low-level trash talk.
In the end, he bit the straight hook. I've never seen an enemy easier to fool than this.
Obsession truly is terrifying.
I admit that this inherent obsession of yours is indeed a mandatory trait for a mad artist.
But... under the fury of jealousy, Gyokko completely abandoned the idea of retreating.
How dare she say his pots were bad, say his pots were defective, say his pots were asymmetrical!
How dare she!!!
Gyokko's head was pounding with blood. He grabbed ten ceramic pots with the small, centipede-like hands growing on his sides, then aimed all the pot mouths directly at Mizuki.
A putrid aura emanated from them.
"Blood Demon Art: Ten Thousand Gliding Slime Fish!!!"
What emerged from the mouths of the pots were countless Slime Fish, dense, continuous, and intertwined like several thick tentacles closing in on Mizuki.
A massive fishy stench mixed with the putrid demon aura rushed at her, but Mizuki's slightly furrowed brow instead relaxed.
It's great that he's a brainless fellow.
Mizuki calmly exhaled white breath, advancing toward the school of fish instead of retreating.
"Oh? You didn't choose to run away, but are actively approaching me?" Gyokko's agitated body bent slightly forward.
"Snow Breathing, Fifth Form: Snow Run."
Like fish leaping over the Dragon Gate, the school of fish charging toward the gate crashed into the final surging snowy wave.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In just a moment, the densely interwoven Slime Fish were swept away by the sharp, decisive snow wave, given no chance to resist.
Only a few physically damaged Slime Fish, those on the outermost edge of the attack, dropped to the ground, twitching slightly with residual activity.
Gyokko's expression, which had just been agitated and furious, instantly cooled down significantly.
This woman... is a monster!!
But how dare she call his pots defective? That is absolutely unforgivable!
Just as the atmosphere grew more stagnant, an explosion that echoed through the night came from the Swordsmith Village.
Mizuki subconsciously looked back.
Sure enough, he wasn't the only one?
The distance was a bit far, and the detection of the aura was intermittent, but she could confirm it wasn't Kokushibou.
If it were Kokushibou, the commotion wouldn't be this small.
Tokito is also there, so everything should be fine... A perfect chance!!!
The moment he saw Mizuki turn her head, Gyokko's eyes lit up, and two ceramic pots appeared in his hands.
"Thousand Needle Fish Kill!"
Several goldfish leaped out of the pots, their cheeks full, spitting out dense needles that shot toward Mizuki.
Gyokko had no intention of killing Mizuki with a single move; it was difficult to decide the outcome of a battle between demons with such crude actions.
Well, as long as he could stall this woman here and wait for Hantengu to succeed.
Gyokko was focused on this plan.
The dense needles shot into the ground, gleaming silver under the moonlight.
Mizuki, who had been standing on the ground, had vanished without a trace.
"Where is she?" Gyokko's pupils suddenly contracted, and then he heard a calm question from behind him.
"There's another demon present. Who is it?"
A chill ran down Gyokko's spine. He tried to turn around but was already sliced in half.
He reappeared from a pot nearby and chuckled twice: "Who knows~"
"Perhaps it's that Lord."
Mizuki calmly held her Nichirin Blade: "Does that mouse have the courage to crawl out of the sewer?"
"...I was talking about Upper Rank One, that Lord," Gyokko weakly defended himself.
"No difference," Mizuki muttered.
...
What is the deal with these two? Aren't they siblings?
Can someone really look down on their elder brother this much?
He recalled that Daki, that idiot, was quite fond of Gyuutarou, wasn't she?
Why is it the opposite with you?
Gyokko suddenly felt terrible for Kokushibou. Not only was he scolded by the Boss because of his sister, but he also didn't get a kind look from her.
Unfortunately, the person he had to face now was the monster sister who was exactly like Kokushibou. He couldn't smile at all.
Gyokko's expression darkened slightly. There was no choice, even though the timing wasn't fully ripe yet.
Mizuki's advancing steps paused. Something... was moving through the quiet mountain forest.
Putrid auras mixed with a fishy stench appeared one after another in the forest.
Is this... a Blood Demon Art?
"Shoo shoo~" Gyokko chuckled twice. "Have you noticed?"
"You thought you had tied me down, didn't you?"
"But now you can only watch helplessly as the village is destroyed."
Massive figures breaking through the mountain forest appeared in Mizuki's sight under the moonlight.
They were creatures carrying ceramic pots on their backs, resembling giant fish, yet they possessed arms similar to those of a frog or a human, heading down the slope toward the Swordsmith Village.
Down the mountain, Swordsmith villagers returning with Nichirin Blades bore the brunt of the attack and were immediately intercepted by several Fish Monsters.
Mizuki flashed forward, rushing down the mountain.
Gyokko only saw the figure flash past, and his beloved Fish Monsters were brutally dismembered, with the ceramic pots on their backs neatly sliced into several pieces, making one marvel at her swordsmanship.
Mizuki glanced at the Fish Monsters rushing toward the village in the distance, and without even saying thank you, she turned back without hesitation.
As long as she cut down the controller, these Fish Monsters would naturally dissipate.
Never sacrifice the greater good for the sake of small gains.
The cold blade reflected the moonlight and pierced Gyokko's eyes. He subconsciously averted his gaze, thinking to himself.
"This is bad. She got her hands on the blade."
The sense of crisis in his heart instantly exploded. At this point, obsessing over the ugliness of the pots was no longer important.
It's impossible to reason with monkeys who don't appreciate art.
Just as Gyokko transformed into black water, preparing to retreat into his pot, a chill struck his heart without warning.
It was a long-forgotten sense of life-threatening danger.
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