First Erosion (Part 2)

First Erosion (Part 2)

A sharp hiss tore through the roar of the waves. First Erosion's arms and neck erupted with bizarre flexibility and strength, striking from different angles like massive pythons snapping down to bite!

Bluish-gray limbs sliced through the air with piercing shrieks, weaving together with the ghostly gleam at their fingertips into a net of death that covered every avenue of Shuji's escape.

The boy's body twisted at the absolute limit in the smallest possible motions, like a top that had lost its balance, borrowing the rise and fall of the waves to evade.

The sharp sounds of tearing came without end. Black claw shadows flashed past his temple, shoulder blade, and ribs like lightning, each one narrowly slicing through the air. The foul wind they stirred scraped painfully against his skin. Several fresh tears instantly appeared in Shuji's dark vest. The fabric fibers were corroded by poison, their edges rapidly blackening and hardening.

Shuji's figure traced an elusive path through the surging waves.

First Erosion's attacks grew increasingly savage. His elongated limbs lashed about like uncontrolled whips, sending spray flying across the sea. Excited hisses rolled from his throat as he reveled in the pleasure of his prey's dying struggle.

"Water Release: Water Thousand Needles."

Splashed seawater and droplets hanging in the air transformed into tiny Senbon under the drive of chakra.

First Erosion laughed wildly. "Useless! Useless! A technique like this!"

Shuji's expression did not change as he simultaneously unleashed another technique. "Wind Release: Explosive Current!"

Combined Ninjutsu—Storm Rain Thousand Needles!

Water formed the frame, wind the blade! He drew in a deep breath, his chest swelling like a bellows, then violently exhaled toward First Erosion!

Whoosh—!!!

A ferocious hurricane, condensed almost into substance, swept toward First Erosion while carrying countless azure water needles as fine as cow hairs. Every needle spun at high speed, propelled and accelerated by the incomparable force of Wind Release, becoming a sky-filling rain of destruction!

The blue-white storm of needles covered an enormous range, instantly enveloping First Erosion's main body and all his frantically flailing bizarre limbs! The rain needles spun like Death's spindles, ready to grind everything within their range into dust!

The fanatic gleam in First Erosion's eyes suddenly froze as his instincts sounded an alarm! He let out a strange cry, and all his elongated limbs shrank back toward his body like startled venomous snakes! He crossed his arms tightly before his head, bent his legs slightly to lower his center of gravity, and curled his whole body up, concealing his vital torso—especially the area covered by the dark chestplate—behind his defensive posture as much as possible. At the same time, a denser bluish-gray sheen instantly surfaced across the skin of his exposed limbs.

Puff puff puff puff puff—!!!

A dense barrage exploded with the sound of torrential rain striking banana leaves! Countless rapidly spinning azure water needles slammed viciously into First Erosion's curled-up limbs! Most struck his tough bluish-gray skin as if hitting oil-soaked old vines, tearing countless fine white scratches into it with their spinning tips. After producing teeth-grating friction, they shattered into even finer mist.

However, there were simply too many needles, and their range was far too broad! Some struck from vicious angles, slipping through the gaps between his flailing limbs like maggots clinging to bone and converging fiercely upon the chestplate First Erosion was desperately protecting!

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

The hard metal plates collided with the water needles in a string of piercing metallic clashes! Dense sparks erupted wildly across the dark armor's surface, as though a patch of miniature fireworks had suddenly been lit! Every impact brought tiny but extremely rapid vibrations that traveled through the armor and deep into First Erosion's body!

First Erosion's curled body shook violently under the continuous, savage barrage, as though repeatedly hammered by an invisible giant mallet! The bluish-gray skin on the arms shielding his head and face was repeatedly sliced and abraded by countless fine water needles. Deeper furrows began to appear, faintly exposing the strange bluish-purple muscles beneath, while viscous black fluid slowly seeped from the tiny wounds.

The chestplate bore the densest attacks. Its hard metal surface was quickly covered in pitted impact dents and white marks. Even the edges of several small plates finally let out faint "crack" sounds under the relentless bombardment of countless water needles!

A piece of armor the size of a fingernail finally shattered after taking dozens of consecutive, precise water needle impacts at the same spot! With a piercing sound of tearing metal, it sprang from the main chestplate and tumbled into the churning sea below!

The instant that plate flew off—First Erosion's body, curled in defense, suddenly stiffened! His cold green eyes, fixed on Shuji through the gap between his crossed arms, abruptly contracted! An almost instinctive panic, surpassing even his will to fight, shot through his nerves like an electric current!

First Erosion's hand instinctively, tightly, and frantically clamped over the spot where the chestplate had just broken open! The movement was so fast it was nearly uncontrolled, carrying the naked terror of having his deepest secret exposed!

Just as expected!

A cold gleam flashed in Shuji's eyes. His opponent's sleeveless outfit was due to his technique, so if he wore a chestplate, the area beneath it could only be his weak point.

"You're courting death!" First Erosion roared, thoroughly enraged, his voice mixed with humiliation and brutality.

He abruptly lowered the hand protecting his body. The masked face twisted in fury, and his exposed eyes completely transformed into vicious beastlike vertical pupils! The bluish-gray coloring over his body surged at once. Viscous black fluid poured in great quantities from the wounds on his neck and arms as if boiling, covering the damaged skin and accelerating its healing while releasing an even more pungent, sweetly foul stench.

First Erosion no longer cared about defense. His arms stretched out madly, becoming two enormous siege hammers covered in barbs as they bombarded Shuji with the terrifying force to tear everything apart! His offensive was several times more violent than before, a completely reckless style of trading injury for injury and life for life!

Yet the storm raging in his heart was even more turbulent than his berserk assault.

The water needles were still gathering, and the powerful wind showed no sign of weakening. A technique like this, with such power, had to consume a tremendous amount of chakra! Yet the Konoha ninja opposite him seemed not to feel the slightest strain.

If this continued, he would be worn to death!

A cold poisonous snake called retreat quietly coiled around First Erosion's enraged heart. Though his attacks remained fierce, a faint gap had already appeared beneath that desperate momentum.

He needed space. He needed to escape this damned frontal battlefield completely covered by the other man's ninjutsu!

Just as the faint desire to retreat caused an imperceptible hesitation in First Erosion's assaulting arms—

Shuji stepped forward sharply, straight into those wildly dancing black giant arms!

"Water Release: Reverse Whirlpool Coffin."

The seawater infused with Shuji's chakra, together with the sea beneath his feet, suddenly let out a deep roar! In the stretch of sea dozens of meters before him, an invisible giant bowl seemed to slam upside down! Heavy circular walls of water, spinning at high speed, thundered up on all sides! Several inches thick, their internal currents were furious and turbulent, roaring like a colossal millstone!

In an instant, First Erosion and all the space around him were completely sealed within.

First Erosion's two wildly flailing giant arms smashed viciously against the water wall!

Puff! Puff! Amid dull impacts, the thick, rapidly spinning water wall shook violently and caved inward, water spraying outward like an explosion! Yet the wall was not breached. First Erosion let out a muffled groan as the tremendous recoil traveled back through his mutated arms, churning his blood and forcing both arms to rebound!

The Wave ninja stared in absolute horror at the heavy, rapidly rotating walls of water closing in from every direction—his escape route had been completely sealed! The immense suction generated by the spinning water walls even began tugging at his body where he stood! Meanwhile, the rotating force diffused and rebounded the power of his blows layer by layer!

Shuji stood outside the violent water prison, steady as a reef amid the surging waves. The five fingers of his right hand were spread wide toward the enormous water cage trapping First Erosion, precisely maintaining the form and power of this massive Water Release. The sea breeze stirred the loose hair over his forehead, revealing eyes as calm as a deep pool. There was not the slightest wild joy of victory in them, only cold scrutiny and control.

Inside the water prison, First Erosion was like a ferocious insect trapped in amber. The rapidly spinning water walls blocked most of the light, leaving the cage dim. The thunderous roar of rushing water was infinitely amplified, deafening to the ears. He wildly swung his mutated limbs, smashing them again and again against the heavy water walls, but each attack was deftly deflected and dissolved. The immense recoil only made his body stagger more unsteadily within the prison.

Viscous black fluid poured faster from the wounds scattered across his ruptured skin, trying to repair the damage, but the constant washing of the high-speed currents greatly slowed the healing. Under the dim light of the water prison and his violent movements, the fine cracks in that dark chestplate and its glaring small gap became even more conspicuous.

During one sway of his body, a stream of water shot out, piercing straight through First Erosion's body via that gap.

Blood trickled down.

The Wave ninja finally collapsed, powerless.

(End of Chapter)