The sea of flowers bloomed, and every sound fell silent at that moment. The blue Ceros filling the sky, the anxious calls, the crunching of chewing—all of it sank into deathly silence.
The next moment, countless petals drifted onto Stark's white clothes. The vivid red petals against the pristine fabric were dazzlingly striking.
The flower on his shoulder slowly withered, and as its petals fell away, Stark felt his strength and life gradually draining from his body.
Waves of icy chill surged up from the depths of his heart. Looking at Asano Kiyoshi in the distance, the laziness vanished from Stark's face. He knew that if he continued facing Asano Kiyoshi with this attitude, he might very well die here!
He looked at Ninny, who had transformed into a pack of wolves beside him. A deeply concealed resolve flashed across his face as he said to her, "Ninny, in the battle ahead, you must not use your true body, no matter what. Even if I die, you have to escape as best you can. As long as you're alive, we'll meet again someday."
Ninny, now transformed into a pack of wolves, merely turned back to look at Stark after hearing his words. She did not answer immediately, so Stark asked again, "Ninny, did you hear me? Don't be stubborn!"
The crimson petals continued devouring their Reishi pressure and life force. Ninny looked at Stark beside her and nodded slightly.
The next instant, the wolves she had become pounced toward Asano Kiyoshi. The wolves, each wreathed in blue flames, reached his side almost instantly.
Asano Kiyoshi had originally intended to stop them with Dankū, but in the brief instant his attention split, a deep-blue blade had already appeared before his eyes. The black flames around him were like paper before that