"Gurgle..."
Trapped in the Water Prison Pot, Sakonji Urokodaki exhaled the last few pitiful bubbles from his lungs.
My vision started to go black.
When you're about to suffocate, your brain will always kindly give you a free slideshow of your life story.
At this Urokodaki's mind was like a VIP movie theater.
He saw those mischievous kids who used to sweat on the Mount Sagiri.
I saw Sabito and was always smiling.
And then there's Giyu Tomioka, who always huddles in a corner, with a blank expression, unable to utter a single word for ages.
"That unlucky kid Giyu, what will he do if he can't find a wife in the future...?"
Urokodaki sighed inwardly, feeling somewhat dazed.
Even though he's almost on his deathbed, the old man is still worrying about the marriage of his autistic apprentice.
Outside the Water Prison Pot!!
The Upper Rank Five — Gyokko —is floating around this large water sphere.
"Tsk tsk tsk, this won't do."
Gyokko shook her head in disdain, and muttered annoyedly from her misplaced mouth.
"Too slow!! It's just too slow!!"
"Although watching the prey struggle in the water fits the tone of avant-garde art."
"But!! This kind of death lacks explosiveness!! It lacks that kind of chilling visual impact!!"
The Gyokko circled the water sphere once, looking at Sakonji Urokodaki. The more it looked, the more it felt that this thing was a failed, defective product.
"And this old man couldn't even let out a scream; it was like watching a silent film."
"How does this showcase my Gyokko Master's amazing artistic talent?!"
Thinking of this, Gyokko decisively snapped his fingers.
"Smack!"
"Splash--!"
The Water Prison Pot was instantly punctured, spilling water all over the ground.
The water flow has stopped supporting the bottom.
"Thump."
The Urokodaki crashed heavily onto the muddy ground.
"Cough cough cough... Ugh..."
Upon being exposed to fresh air, Urokodaki's body instinctively convulsed violently, gushing out large mouthfuls of dirty water.
He lay in the mud, completely drained of energy, not even the strength to move a finger.
But this sudden relief, ironically, forcibly dragged him back to reality from his whirlwind of illusions.
"Hey, hey, you're awake? You old man."
Gyokko stared down at Urokodaki from his high vantage point, letting out a strange, unpleasant laugh.
Don't rush to thank me for my magnanimity.
"I just feel that letting you die from such a mundane and uninteresting existence is a real disservice to the creative passion I've been holding back for so long."
Gyokko slapped his chest hard with his two short arms.
The surrounding air suddenly became filled with a foul stench.
"I'll use your broken body as a sacrifice!!"
"Open your dog eyes wide and see clearly!! This is a truly magnificent wrap-up that will go down in history!!"
"Blood Demon Art: 10,000 Gliding Sticky Fish!!"
After that shout...
Several enormous, bizarre pottery jars, more than ten times larger than the previous ones, appeared out of nowhere from mid-air.
Then came the infamous scene that triggered trypophobia on the spot.
"Pfft!!"
Countless monstrous fish with sharp teeth and covered in disgusting slime spewed out of those giant jars like a volcanic eruption!
One, ten, one hundred, one thousand!!
A full ten thousand!!
This isn't a figment of imagination; it's a solid, real number!!
These ten thousand strange fish, carrying deadly poison, formed a dark, foul-smelling cloud in mid-air.
They opened their gaping maws, covered in serrated teeth, and green, venomous liquid dripped down from between their teeth.
This scene was like being in the underworld.
They circled in the sky for half a second, then simultaneously turned their heads around.
"Go!! My little darlings!! Gnaw him until there's not a bone left!!"
Gyokko excitedly jumped around on the spot, just like a symphony conductor who was having a blast!
At this time, Sakonji Urokodaki.
He could only lie on his back in the mud, staring at the black, poisonous cloud that seemed ready to devour him.
The old man had lost all the strength to even draw his knife.
"Is this the end of the series...?"
Urokodaki muttered to himself, a helpless, bitter smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.
The first wave of poisonous fish was less than ten meters away from Urokodaki's nose.
"Boom!!"
At the edge of the woods a kilometer away,
Several large trees, each requiring several people to encircle, were smashed into splinters by a monstrous, brute force.
A pale blue afterimage, shrouded in bloody steam, burst forcefully out of the woods!
Giyu Tomioka.
He finally arrived just in time!!
Giyu's signature two-tone haori was now tattered and torn, and his face was covered in bloodstains from tree branches.
Giyu's deep blue eyes were fixed on what was in front of him.
He saw his master lying motionless in the mud.
I even saw those ten thousand highly venomous monster fish biting right at my master!!
My brain instantly switched to overclocking mode.
My maximum burst speed is not enough!!
Even if I broke my leg running, it would still take me at least five seconds to get to my master!
Giyu's pupils suddenly contracted!!
"Draw your sword!! Draw your sword!!"
His brain was frantically processing commands.
But what tricks can we use?!
Water Breathing - Eleventh Form - Nagi
No!!
Nagi's defensive perimeter has an upper limit; at most, she can protect the small area around herself.
The distance is too far now; it can't protect the master at all!!
Water Breathing - Twelfth Form - Storm?
That won't work either!!
These ten thousand strange fish were swarming in from all directions, like a fan, covering my face.
Even if Lan can kill a thousand, the remaining nine thousand can still tear the master apart alive!!
Water Breathing is too soft.
Its continuous flow is simply perfect in one-on-one defense and drawn-out battles.
But in an environment where a single wave of attacks is needed to clear the field, however...
Water Breathing is simply too weak.
What about the Moon Breathing?!?
Giyu's fingers trembled violently.
That's even more ridiculous!!
The Moon Breathing strikes are too powerful, and the accompanying crescent moons are completely uncontrollable.
To unleash Moon Breathing from such a distance.
Those indiscriminate cutting storms will probably slice the monster fish to pieces and, incidentally, turn the chef lying on the ground into sashimi!
All tactical plans!!
All skill combinations!!
In this instant, the only conclusion reached was a dishearteningly daunting question.
It's beyond saving!!
It's completely too late!!
An unprecedented sense of powerlessness struck him hard in the heart.
Breathing has become unbearable!!
His teeth bit down so hard they dug into his lip, and blood immediately gushed into his mouth.
But he felt absolutely no pain.
The panic deep inside him had long since swept away his rationality!
"Why?!?"
"Why is it that every time things get really tough, I can only watch helplessly as they die in front of me?!"
"No..."
His eyes were so red they looked like they were about to bleed.
His eyes were fixed intently on the air.
Those monstrous fish with venomous fangs had already opened their gaping mouths.
The closest one was at most a meter away from Sakonji Urokodaki's eyeball.
"Tick-tock--!"
Time!!
At this moment, it was as long as a stretched noodle.
That's practically a death warrant!!
It's the scythe that the King of Hell swung down!!
Giyu extended his hand.
Even though the distance was vast, he still futilely stretched out the hand that was gripping the Nichirin Blade.
Want to grab something
But all they managed to catch was the icy cold night wind!!