Gyokko Appears
While Moyu was engaged in a fierce battle with Hantengu and its clones deep in the Mountain Forest, another battle was also unfolding on a relatively open area near a steep cliff to the north of Swordsmith Village.
Following Moyu's instructions, Mitsuri Kanroji and Muichiro Tokito arrived at the area ahead of time. As night deepened, mist filled the Valley, with only the faint sounds of distant village lights and blacksmithing faintly audible. The two held their breath, fully on guard.
"Muichiro, the Gyokko that Mr. Moyu mentioned... could it really come from here?" Mitsuri lowered her voice, her light green eyes warily scanning the surrounding darkness, the special heart-shaped tsuba and the soft black-pink Nichirin Blade in her hand slightly unsheathed.
Muichiro Tokito did not answer, but simply held his sword, leaning against a boulder, his mint-green eyes staring blankly into the depths of the mist, as if in a daze. But upon closer inspection, one could see that his aura had been completely contained, like a cheetah poised to pounce.
Suddenly, Muichiro eyes flickered slightly, his gaze shifting to an inconspicuous gray stone half-buried in the ground in the center of the open space.
Almost at the same time, Mitsuri also sensed it! A strange aura, cold, sticky, and with a fishy smell, suddenly spread from the vicinity of that stone!
"Here we come!" Mitsuri shouted, instantly entering battle mode.
Ripples spread across the surface of the gray stone, and then a strangely shaped pottery pot with twisted aquatic plant patterns slowly "floated" out of the stone! An ominous glow emanated from the spout of the pot.
"Oh dear~ How unpleasantly perceptive you are~" A high-pitched, smooth, and slightly mocking voice came from the pot, "I didn't expect to be discovered by two little mice the moment I set foot here~ How disappointing~"
A faint light flashed from the spout of the pot, and a strange figure slowly rose from it. Its upper body was muscular and deathly pale, lacking arms, but instead sprouting five tiny, infant-like hands on each side of its body; where eyes should have been, two green, constantly opening and closing lips grew, while on its forehead and below its chin, two golden pupils bore the characters "Upper Rank" and "Wu" respectively! This was the Gyokko's normal form!
"Demon!" Mitsuri cried out, her pink and green braids moving without wind, her Love Breathing already in operation, and a powerful aura bursting forth!
Muichiro instantly switched from "power saving mode" to "battle mode." Although his eyes were still empty, he exuded the ethereal yet sharp aura unique to the Mist Breathing, and his Nichirin Blade quietly unsheathed half an inch.
Gyokko's strange eyes swept over Mitsuri and Muichiro, lingering for a moment on Mitsuri's voluptuous figure and Muichiro's delicate face before letting out a chilling laugh, "Hehe~ One looks delicious, and the other is quite handsome~ Not bad, not bad! Looks like this trip wasn't in vain! As a reward for discovering me, you'll become materials for my new collection!"
He gave them no time to react, and with a sudden slam of one of his small hands on the side of the water-patterned pot! "Blood Demon Art: Thousand Needle Fish Kill!"
A sudden surge of eerie light erupted from the spout of the pot, and two enormous, brightly colored goldfish phantoms leaped out! The goldfish opened their massive mouths and, with a "pfft!" sprayed out countless fine, hair-like poison needles that shimmered with a ghostly blue light! The poison needles rained down like a storm, covering a large area where Mitsuri and Muichiro were located! Their speed was astonishing!
"Love Breathing - Sixth Form - Cat-Legged Winds of Love!" Mitsuri reacted with lightning speed, her body flipping and turning as lightly as a cat. The soft black and pink Nichirin Blade in her hand danced like the wind, forming an impenetrable curtain of blades! Clang! Clang! Most of the poison needles were precisely cut down and fell to the ground!
"Mist Breathing, Third Form: Mist Scattering Spray!" Muichiro's figure seemed to merge into the mist, his Nichirin Blade spinning at high speed, bringing with it a burst of rosy light, deflecting and shattering all the poison needles shot at him!
The first wave of attacks was easily neutralized by the two.
"Oh? You've got some skill~" Gyokko was slightly surprised, but then his strange laughter intensified, "Then let's make it even more exciting! Blood Demon Art: Octopus Vase Hell!"
He slapped his other small hand against another dark, speckled pot! Thick, black water gushed out of the pot, and several enormous, sucker-covered, and incredibly tough octopus tentacles suddenly stretched out, coiling around the two of them like giant pythons! The tentacles were not only incredibly strong, but also carried a powerful binding and squeezing force!
"Muichiro!" Mitsuri cried out.
"I understand." Muichiro replied succinctly. The two were perfectly in sync, acting as one!
"Mist Breathing, Fifth Form: Sea of Clouds and Haze!" Muichiro's figure blurred, instantly transforming into several afterimages. His fine and swift slashes surged towards the octopus tentacles like a tidal wave! Countless wounds were slashed across the surface of the tentacles, causing them to pause in their movements!
"Love Breathing, First Form: Shivers of First Love!" Mitsuri seized the opportunity, her supple body bursting with astonishing power and resilience. Her Nichirin Blade drew a huge, supple pink arc, like the trembling of a girl's heart during her first love, and slashed fiercely at the root of a tentacle weakened by the glow of the sunset!
"Swoosh!" The tough tentacles were severed by this terrifyingly powerful strike! Black blood spurted from the cut!
"Hehe! It's not over yet!" Gyokko Hu chuckled, and the remaining little hands moved simultaneously! "Blood Demon Art: Water Prison Pot!" A large amount of viscous liquid sprayed out from a wave-patterned bowl, instantly forming a huge bubble that enveloped Mitsuri, who had just landed! "Blood Demon Art: Ten Thousand Gliding Sticky Fish!" From the other sticky fish-patterned bowls, thousands upon thousands of sticky fish with sharp teeth, emitting a foul stench and deadly poison, surged out, rushing towards Muichiro like a tide!
"Miss Mitsuri!" Muichiro exclaimed, trying to come to her rescue, but was blocked by the swarm of sticky fish!
"It's alright! I can handle this!" Mitsuri remained calm under pressure, taking a deep breath, "Love Breathing, Second Form: Love Pangs!" Her Nichirin Blade, like the heart of a girl caught in the throes of passionate love yet filled with regret, became lingering and unpredictable, swinging violently, attempting to cut through the Water Prison Pot that trapped her! But the Water Prison Pot was extremely resilient, and conventional slashes could not break through it! Mitsuri felt her breathing begin to become difficult!
"Damn it!" Muichiro's eyes turned cold, and he unleashed the full power of his Mist Breathing, "Mist Breathing, Second Form: Eight-Layered Mist!" Eight layers of rosy light flashed out, slashing away large swathes of the swarming sticky fish! But the venom that burst out after the sticky fish died splattered everywhere, forcing Muichiro to dodge and retreat. A few drops accidentally got on his arm, and he immediately felt a burning pain and numbness!
"Hehe! You've been poisoned! Let's see how long you can last!" Gyokko said smugly.
Just then, a resolute glint flashed in Mitsuri's eyes! Armament Haki covered her arms, and she concentrated the power of Love Breathing and her own unwavering will into her hands!
"Drink!" Mitsuri shouted, gripping the hilt of her sword tightly with both hands. Her powerful grip, combined with her Breathing Style, channeled intense energy into the Nichirin Blade!
Buzz--!
The soft, black-pink Nichirin Blade in her hand rapidly emanated a bright pink light from its blade! Although the color wasn't as deep and crimson as the other Pillars, it still radiated a scorching aura! Red Nichirin Blade!
"Love Breathing, First Form, Shivers of First Love, Modified!" The slash, imbued with the power of the Red Nichirin Blade, struck the Water Prison Pot once more!
"Sizzle!" Like a red-hot iron cutting into ice, the tough Water Prison Pot was easily torn apart! Mitsuri was freed and gasped for breath!
"What?! Your sword?!" The smile on Gyokko's face froze, her four eyes fixed on the Nichirin Blade in Mitsuri's hand, which was glowing red. "It turned red?! What kind of trick is this?!"
"A trick to kill you!" Mitsuri's spirits soared, and she brandished her Red Nichirin Blade, charging towards Gyokko!
On the other side, Muichiro, enduring the numbness in his arm, saw the emptiness in his eyes dissipate, replaced by extreme focus. "Mist Breathing, Seventh Form: Oboro!" His figure became elusive, his speed suddenly increasing as he weaved through the swarm of sticky fish with unpredictable steps. His blade flashed, precisely targeting and killing the sticky fish, while simultaneously closing in on Gyokko! He also activated his Red Nichirin Blade, its blade a deep crimson, radiating both heat and ethereal beauty.
"Damn it! Don't underestimate me!" Gyokko was enraged by the two's counterattack, especially Mitsuri's eerie red blade, which made him feel threatened! He suddenly leaped out of the pot, and his body began to undergo strange changes! His skin was quickly covered with a layer of clear, transparent fish scales that were far harder than diamonds! His body became more slender and flexible, his lower body transformed into a fish tail, and his hands became sharp and webbed! He entered a serious state!
"Blood Demon Art - Killer Fish Scales!" After molting, Gyokko's speed and jumping ability increased dramatically, and his movements became extremely strange. Like a fish, he leaped and darted across the open space, his hands leaving afterimages as he grabbed at Mitsuri and Muichiro! His hands contained a strange power; once touched, anything would turn into a fish!
"So fast!" Mitsuri and Muichiro suddenly felt the pressure increase greatly! Gyokko's movement trajectory was unpredictable, and its attack angles were tricky and ruthless!
"Love Breathing, Fifth Form, Swaying Love, Wildclaw!" Mitsuri maximized the flexibility of her Nichirin Blade, wielding it with powerful, sweeping strokes to create a wide-ranging attack and force back Gyokko's surprise attack!
"Mist Breathing - Fourth Form - Flowing Water Slash!" With his incredible speed and precise swordsmanship, Muichiro slashed at the joints and gaps in the scales of Gyokko like flowing water!
Clang! Clang! The Red Nichirin Blade clashed with the fish scales of the Gyokko, sparks flying everywhere! The Red Nichirin Blade could damage the Gyokko, but its fish scales were extremely strong defensively. Although the Red Nichirin Blade countered its regeneration speed, it was still difficult to inflict serious damage in the short term! Meanwhile, the Gyokko's unpredictable movements and the threat posed by its hands forced Mitsuri and Muichiro to be careful, putting them in a tough fight!
"Hehe! So what if it's a red blade? It's pointless if you can't hit it!" Gyokko chuckled, summoning the goldfish poison needles and octopus tentacles again to attack in unison! The battlefield became even more chaotic!
Mitsuri and Muichiro stood back to back, desperately trying to defend themselves. Mitsuri was strong and her Red Nichirin Blade was powerful, but Gyokko's strange movements caused many of her heavy blows to miss. Muichiro was extremely fast and his swordsmanship was precise, but the effects of the poison in his arm were gradually becoming apparent, making his movements slightly sluggish. Moreover, the power of his Red Nichirin Blade could not be fully unleashed, so his threat to Gyokko was limited.
A prolonged defense is bound to fail! A miscommunication allowed Gyokko to seize the slight opening created by Muichiro's paralysis, its sharp webbed claws stabbing towards his throat like venomous snakes! Meanwhile, Mitsuri was entangled by two octopus tentacles and couldn't come to his rescue in time!
"Muichiro!" Mitsuri's eyes widened in fury!
At this critical moment—
Buzz!
A figure appeared before Muichiro without warning, like a ghost! It was Moyu who had arrived just in time!
Gyokko's determined claws slammed into Moyu's chest! However, the expected scene of flying flesh and blood did not occur! His claws, still an inch away from Moyu's body, seemed to have struck an infinitely extending invisible barrier, all its force was neutralized and frozen! It could not advance an inch!
"What?!" Gyokko's four eyes widened instantly, filled with disbelief and shock! (☉ˍ☉)
Moyu's Azure eyes coldly fixed on the Gyokko so close to his, and he calmly said, "Next, your opponent is me."
Before he finished speaking, the "Azure Star" at his waist was already drawn! The blade was instantly covered with a deep and steady crimson Red Nichirin Blade!!