The Death of Gyokko

Gyokko's two strange eyes were fixed on the suddenly appearing Moyu, especially his posture of taking her full-force claw attack unscathed, and the Nichirin Blade that instantly ignited with a crimson flame-like light. A storm raged in her heart! What was that invisible barrier? And this red blade... just like that pink-haired girl's! No, this blue-eyed boy's red blade felt even more dangerous!

"You... what are you?!" Gyokko's sharp voice trembled slightly, and her body instinctively slid back several meters to distance herself from Moyu. The transparent fish scales around her body shimmered, and she entered a state of maximum alert.

Moyu didn't answer his nonsense. His Azure pupils were coldly fixed on the Gyokko, as if he were looking at an inanimate object. The crimson light on the "Azure Star" was stable and restrained, radiating a scorching aura that evaporated the surrounding mist.

"Mitsuri, Muichiro, step back and rest. I'll take this Urinal." Moyu said without turning his head, his indifferent tone making it seem as if Upper Rank Five was just a child who could be killed at will.

"Yes, Mr. Moyu!" Mitsuri Kanroji responded immediately, pulling Muichiro Tokito, who was still somewhat unwilling but whose arm was still numb, back a short distance away, while remaining vigilant and ready to provide support at any time. She looked at Moyu's tall figure and the crimson katana with trust in her eyes. Muichiro's empty eyes also focused on Moyu, with a hint of curiosity.

"Hmph! Playing tricks!" Gyokko suppressed her unease, let out a strange laugh, and slammed the few remaining small hands on either side of her body towards the several pots with different patterns hanging at her waist! "Don't think you're so great just because you blocked one attack! Let me show you true art! Blood Demon Art - Thousand Needle Fish Kill! Octopus Vase Hell! Ten Thousand Gliding Sticky Fish! Attack!"

He simultaneously unleashed three Blood Demon Art! Two illusory goldfish spewed out a rain of poisonous needles, several giant octopus tentacles burst from the ground and entangled him, and a tidal wave of foul-smelling slimy fish surged forth! The three attacks were overwhelming, almost completely sealing off all of Moyu's escape routes! Their power far exceeded that of his previous attacks against Mitsuri and Muichiro!

"Mr. Moyu, be careful!" Mitsuri exclaimed.

However, faced with this devastating combined attack, Moyu didn't even move a step.

"Spell forward rotation -- Cang."

He raised his left hand, and in front of his palm, a fist-sized, deep black sphere radiating terrifying gravity instantly condensed! It wasn't for attack, but rather as a singularity for defense and Annihilation, so that Gyokko's attack wouldn't affect Muichiro and Mitsuri!

Buzz--!

The moment the pitch-black "Azure" appeared, the surrounding light seemed to be swallowed up! The poisonous needles, tentacles, and sticky fish that came at the moment entered the "Azure's" gravitational range, their speed decreased sharply, their trajectories distorted, and they were forcibly pulled, compressed, and ultimately Annihilation into the most basic energy particles, which were then absorbed into the black sphere and disappeared without a trace!

A rain of poisonous needles? Annihilation!

Octopus tentacles? Annihilation!

Sticky fish frenzy? Annihilation!

Gyokko's all-out attack, determined to succeed, melted away silently like ice and snow under the sun in the face of "Cang's" absolute gravitational field! It didn't even cause a ripple!

"No... Impossible! My art! My collection!!" Gyokko's four eyes widened as if they were about to burst, letting out an incredulous scream! This was completely beyond his comprehension! What kind of Blood Demon Art was this?! No, there was no demonic scent at all!

"Art?" Moyu dispersed the "Azure Star" from his palm, his voice filled with undisguised sarcasm. "Treating killing and distortion as art, your taste is truly disgustingly low." He walked forward step by step, the crimson "Azure Star" dragging on the ground, leaving a charred trail.

"Damn it! How dare you insult my art!" Gyokko was utterly enraged, his artist's pride brutally wounded! He screamed, his supple, molted body springing upwards, his claws, covered in hard fish scales, tearing through the air with a piercing shriek as they clawed at Moyu in unpredictable arcs! "Blood Demon Art - Killer Fish Scales!" This time, he pushed his speed to the limit, his claws creating a flurry of afterimages, sealing off all of Moyu's escape routes! He was going to turn this blue-eyed boy's body into the most "beautiful" fish-shaped collectible!

"Too slow."

Under the absolute insight of the Six Eyes, the seemingly unpredictable attack trajectory of the Gyokko was as clear as the lines on the palm of one's hand. Moyu lightly tapped the "Flowing Cloud Step" with his feet, his figure weaving through the claw shadows like a ghost, dodging the attack by the slightest margin each time. The crimson "Azure Star" sometimes blocked, sometimes thrust, precisely striking the weak points of the Gyokko's claw attacks!

Ding ding--!

Sparks flew! The Red Nichirin Blade collided with the diamond-hard fish scales, producing a series of explosive sounds! With each collision, the purifying and scorching power contained within the Red Nichirin Blade eroded the scales of the Gyokko, leaving fine scorch marks! Although it could not break through the defense instantly, it was continuously consuming his ghostly energy and regenerative power!

"Damn it! Why can't I hit you! Your movements..." Gyokko became increasingly alarmed as he fought, realizing that every attack he made seemed to be anticipated by his opponent. The frustration drove him almost mad! He suddenly changed his move, feinting with one claw while the other silently grabbed at Moyu's side, his fingertips wreathed in a strange energy that could turn objects into fish!

"Azure Flow Breathing - Second Form - Mirror Dissection."

Moyu seemed to have been waiting for this moment. The blade of "Azure Star" slashed horizontally at a subtle angle. It was not a head-on collision, but rather a precise "reflection" of Gyokko's claw attack, like a mirror. At the same time, the tip of the blade flicked upwards, aiming at the open armpit exposed by Gyokko's attack!

"Laugh!"

The crimson blade easily pierced the fish's scales, leaving a small, charred hole! A sharp pain shot through him!

"Ouch!" Gyokko cried out in pain, retreating rapidly. Looking at the wound under his armpit that was slowly healing, he was both shocked and furious! The Red Nichirin Blade! The power of this red blade was far greater than that of the pink-haired girl! Moreover, the opponent's swordsmanship was too exquisite, completely countering his strange movement technique!

"No! We can't fight in close combat!" Gyokko instantly assessed the situation and considered retreating. Their strange eyes darted around wildly, then suddenly let out a sharp sneer, "Hehe! Blue-eyed brat! You do have some skill! But do you think I'm the only Upper Rank here? It's been so long, those fragile swordsmiths in the Swordsmith Village have probably already been slaughtered by my companions! If you rush back now, you might still be able to collect their corpses! Haha!"

He wanted to distract Moyu with words and create an opportunity for her to escape.

However, Moyu's expression remained unchanged, not even a flicker of emotion in her eyes. She simply looked at him as if he were an idiot and said indifferently, "Idiot. Why do you think I only came now?"

Gyokko's laughter abruptly stopped, and all four eyes froze simultaneously. "You... what do you mean?"

"What I mean is," Moyu slowly raised the crimson "Azure Star," its tip pointing at the Gyokko, "That cowardly accomplice of yours, who only knew how to split into clones and hide, Upper Rank Four: Hantengu, has been dealt with by me. I will send you down to join him as soon as possible."

"Wh... what?! Impossible!" Yu Gyokko was struck dumb, her body trembling violently, her voice becoming shrill and piercing, "That Hantengu is annoying, but his abilities... how could they be defeated by you so quickly... you're lying to me! You must be lying to me!"

While Hantengu's main body wasn't particularly strong, his clones combined were far more powerful than him, possessed exceptional survivability, and were extremely difficult to deal with, especially with their four clones and combined form! How long had it been? How could this blue-eyed brat have defeated Hantengu in such a short time and arrived here unscathed? He simply couldn't believe it!

"Believe it or not." Moyu was too lazy to waste words with him. With a swift movement, he closed in again! The crimson blade light transformed into deadly streaks of light, sweeping towards the Gyokko!

"Damn it! I'll fight you to the death!" Gyokko was completely enraged by Moyu's attitude and realized that there was no hope of escape, so he frantically activated the Blood Demon Art! He no longer held back and activated all the remaining pots at the same time! More goldfish, octopuses, and sticky fish were summoned, and there were even some strange aquatic monsters covered in corrosive slime! He himself hid in the monster horde and kept using "Killer Fish Scales" to launch sneak attacks!

In an instant, the entire open space transformed into a bizarre aquatic monster paradise, with all sorts of attacks raining down on Moyu like a storm!

"Stubborn to the end." Moyu's eyes turned cold, and he finally stopped holding back.

"Azure Flow Breathing - Third Form - Myriad Forms Mimicry - Blazing Flame"

The crimson light of the "Azure Star" in his hand intensified, and his swordplay suddenly changed! It was no longer a single technique, but a perfect fusion of the spiral cutting of "Vortex Slash," the energy deflection and decomposition of "Mirror Dissection," and the ultimate purification power of the Red Nichirin Blade! The sword light sometimes swept away all summoned creatures like wildfire; sometimes it was like a leech, precisely targeting and killing the core of the pot on the monster's back; sometimes it was like a mirage, easily deflecting and counterattacking the Gyokko's attacks!

Pfft--!

Wherever the crimson blade flashed, goldfish shattered, octopuses broke apart, and sticky fish turned to ashes! The monster army summoned by the Gyokko was rapidly wiped out at a visible speed! The cores of the pot on his back were pierced one by one, and the power of the Blood Demon Art plummeted!

"No! My collection! My artwork!" Gyokko watched as his painstakingly crafted pot and the monster he cherished were so easily destroyed, his heart bleeding, almost driving him mad! He charged at Moyu recklessly, his claws flailing wildly! "Kill you! I will definitely kill you!"

"Let's end this."

Moyu stared at the jade Gyokko, which appeared to be insane and riddled with flaws, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath and frantically poured the immense magical power and Mental Energy within his body into his left hand!

"Spell Reversal - Hellfire Full Power!"

A dark red sphere, more solid and profound than the one he had used against Zohakuten, radiating a soul-freezing aura of destruction, rapidly condensed and expanded in front of his palm! This time, "He" was larger and darker in color, and the repulsive and Annihilation power it contained caused the surrounding air to groan in agony! Space distorted violently, and light was completely swallowed up!

Gyokko's charging figure suddenly froze, his four eyes fixed on the dark red sphere, an overwhelming fear instantly engulfing him! His beastly instincts screamed a warning: Run! Run! You'll die! You'll definitely die!

He tried to escape, but his body was subtly bound by that terrifying force field, making his movements sluggish!

"No... no... Lord Muzan... save..." he cried out in despair.

Moyu remained expressionless as she gently pushed the dark red sphere out.

"Annihilation."

The dark red "He" flew silently toward the Gyokko. It wasn't fast, but it carried a sense of spatial lock-on and despair, as if there was no way to dodge it!

Gyokko frantically waved its claws, trying to defend itself, summoning the last few monsters to block its path, while simultaneously maximizing the defense of its entire body's fish scales!

However, it was all in vain.

The moment "He" touched the monster, it vanished into nothingness without a sound. The instant it touched the fish-scale defense, the diamond-hard scales shattered and dissipated like paper. Finally, the dark red sphere precisely pierced into the Gyokko.

Gyokko's movements froze completely; the terror, resentment, madness... all his emotions were frozen. He looked down at the rapidly expanding hole in his body, its edges flashing with dark red lightning.

"My... art... is not yet..." he uttered his last weak murmur.

The next moment, a dark red light erupted from his body, completely destroying and disintegrating his form! Not even a trace of ash remained! Only a charred crater was left in the spot.

Upper Rank Five - Gyokko, confirmed dead.

[Defeat Upper Rank Five - Gyokko, Coins +45000.] The system notification sounded.

Moyu slowly lowered his left hand, catching his breath slightly. The exertion of using "He" at full power was still enormous, but he was much more skilled than last time, and the recovery was faster. He sheathed his sword, and the crimson blade returned to its Azure.

In the distance, Mitsuri Kanroji and Muichiro Tokito, who were holding the fort, were already dumbfounded.

Mitsuri dropped open, her light green eyes filled with shock. "It's... it's over? That powerful demon... just... disappeared like that?" Although she had confidence in Moyu, she hadn't expected the battle to end so decisively, especially the final attack with the dark red sphere, whose destructive aura made her heart pound.

For the first time, a violent fluctuation appeared in Muichiro Tokito eyes. He stared intently at Moyu, then looked at the spot where the Gyokko had disappeared, and his mint-green short hair seemed to stand up slightly. He instinctively felt that the power Moyu used at the end was far beyond his comprehension.

"Mr. Mo, Mr. Moyu! Are you alright?" Mitsuri reacted and rushed over, asking with concern. Muichiro also silently followed.

"I'm fine." Moyu calmed his breathing and looked at the two of them. "How about you? How are your injuries?"

"I'm fine! I'm just a little weak!" Mitsuri quickly shook her head and moved her arms. "Muichiro's arm was poisoned, but it doesn't seem serious."

Muichiro also raised his arm; the numbness had lessened considerably. "Hmm, almost there."

Moyu nodded. "Let's go back to the village to rest and deal with this. Everything should be fine tonight." With two Upper Rank attacking in quick succession, Muzan shouldn't make any further moves anytime soon.

"Yes!" Mitsuri nodded vigorously, a relieved smile spreading across her face. "Great! The Swordsmith Village is saved! Everyone's safe!"