Yuzuru's Byakugan was purer and more powerful than Kaguya's, and its range of detection far exceeded hers. That was why Yuzuru dared to wander so openly through the Shinobi World. As long as he sensed Kaguya's presence in advance, he could escape first and keep her from learning that he was still alive!
Therefore, before Kaguya ate the Chakra Fruit borne by the God Tree, Yuzuru had plenty of time to leave hidden measures throughout the Shinobi World without Kaguya discovering them...
"Heaven Burning, Sea Boiling!"
As the Firebird's furious, magnetic voice rang out, everything within a thousand li of it was engulfed in its unique Tri-Color Flames. From afar, it looked like a gigantic fireball a thousand li in diameter. At the center of that fireball, the Firebird stared fixedly at Yuzuru with flame-colored eyes. Yet to its disbelief, Yuzuru remained completely unscathed, as if the ultimate move it had unleashed with all its strength was nothing more than an impressive-looking but useless display to him!
Yuzuru floated in the air. Whenever any Tri-Color Flames near him approached his body, his Eye Technique shrank them and stored them in the time-stilled alternate dimension connected to Daikokuten. This sight greatly shocked and stunned the Firebird. After all, its special Tri-Color Flames were its greatest support in becoming one of this world's great Yokai!
What was more, this time, the Firebird had used the Natural Energy within a thousand li as fuel to create this vast sea of flames! Yet it still could not harm Yuzuru...
"To ignite all the Natural Energy drifting within a thousand li at once, you really are no ordinary being!"
Yuzuru looked down at the Firebird. He appeared calm and unconcerned, but in truth, he was continuously expending Dōjutsu Power. It was not a problem in the short term, but if this continued for too long, even his Dōjutsu Power would become difficult to sustain. If he wanted to defeat and subdue the Firebird, he had to end this quickly!
Otherwise, once the Firebird noticed something, the difficulty of subduing it would only continue to rise...
Upon hearing this, a humanlike grave expression appeared on the Firebird's face. It knew that the person before it was far stronger than it was, and his abilities seemed to counter its own as well. For the time being, it had no way to deal with Yuzuru at all!
After considering it again and again, it decided to retreat. Since it could not afford to provoke him, it could only run. It had never considered fighting to the death. After all, it had only one life, and a place to live was not worth going that far for.
As for pride, what was it compared to its life?
"Trying to run?"
Under the meticulous observation of Yuzuru's Byakugan and Golden Rice-Character Eyes, the Firebird's decision was reflected in its expression and gaze, giving him an idea.
"But no matter what you intend to do next, there is only one outcome for me!"
As Yuzuru thought this, his figure suddenly vanished before the Firebird's eyes. No matter how it sensed, it could not detect Yuzuru's location, as if he had disappeared into thin air!
The Firebird found this extremely strange. Something unusual was bound to be amiss, and since it had already been considering retreat, the instant Yuzuru disappeared, it decisively flew into the distance. With several flaps of its flame-wreathed wings, it rapidly fled the area. As it left, the Tri-Color Flames within a thousand li also went out within a dozen breaths, like flames deprived of their source.
After flying several thousand li north in one breath, the Firebird finally slowed down slightly and uneasily sensed behind itself, but found nothing.
"That guy probably didn't chase after me, right?"
The Firebird muttered to itself. It had always been a peace-loving creature. What it liked most was soaking in the magma of Flame Mountain, sleeping and cultivating. It usually avoided provoking other Yokai forces, yet disaster had fallen from the sky. Not only had the other party destroyed its home, he had now forced it into becoming homeless!
If that guy dares to keep chasing me, I'll really fight him to the death!
That was what the Firebird was thinking at that moment.
"Not running anymore? If you're done running, then I'm making my move!"
A familiar yet unfamiliar voice rang out, making the Firebird jolt all over. It looked around, pushing its sensing ability to the limit as it searched its surroundings, yet it still could not find the owner of that voice!
Yuzuru found the Firebird's reaction somewhat amusing. After shrinking himself earlier, he had quickly approached it, then silently clung to one of its flaming feathers and followed it for hundreds of li.
Yuzuru's Eye Technique also came with a special ability to interfere with perception. That was why the Firebird had been unable to sense his location from beginning to end...
"Black Rods!"
In his particle state, Yuzuru slowly drifted away from the Firebird's body. After putting some distance between them, he swiftly and accurately shot the particle-state Black Rods into the Firebird's wings, left and right chest, and tail!
"Restore!"
Then, with the activation of Yuzuru's Eye Technique, the particle-state Black Rods abruptly returned to their original form inside the Firebird's body. They pierced through its body from within, leaving it unable to control itself as it plummeted straight from the sky. From afar, it looked like a burning meteor crashing into the earth!
The Firebird slammed heavily into the ground, smashing out a huge crater. The soil and plants several meters around it were scorched black by the flames on its body. This was the result of it desperately driving the Tri-Color Flames within itself, trying to melt the black rods that had suddenly appeared in its body!
But what drove the Firebird to despair was that no matter how it urged its life-bound flames, the Black Rods showed no sign of melting. Moreover, it could feel the Natural Energy within its body draining away at an outrageous speed. The culprits were undoubtedly the several black rods embedded in its body!
The loss of Natural Energy directly left the Firebird without the strength to resist. Even the flames that had never once gone out on its body began to weaken, while the fiery color deep in its bird eyes gradually faded...
Seeing the Firebird in this state, Yuzuru immediately revealed himself and stood before it. Then he slowly crouched down and said to the Firebird in the tone of a victor, "You lost!"
The powerless Firebird heard Yuzuru's words and merely struggled to raise its head, looking at him with complicated bird eyes. It did not beg for mercy. Instead, it wore a proud, unyielding expression. If it begged for mercy, it would undoubtedly look pathetic. It was the emperor incarnate of flames, once a flame Yokai renowned in every direction, a terrifying existence known to the creatures of this world as Blaze Calamity...
How could it possibly beg for mercy?
Sob, sob...
I'm just a homebody bird. I don't like causing trouble, so why did this bastard have to come after me...?
Not only did he destroy my home, but now it looks like he wants to kill me too...
But I don't want to die yet...
Sob, sob... I'm so miserable...
I'm so pitiful...
The Firebird whimpered miserably in its heart, but its bird face still maintained an arrogant and untamed expression.
Before Yuzuru, whose perception was exceedingly sharp, this scene was like a stubborn child throwing a tantrum. It was terrified out of its wits, yet its face was full of defiance.
"Do you want to live?"
A wicked smile appeared on Yuzuru's face as he spoke softly.
"Huh? You're not going to kill me?"
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