The sky instantly turned a dim crimson, as if stained with blood. The Two Realms Exchange Meeting venue had vanished, replaced by a vast expanse of barren black earth. A scarlet full moon hung high overhead, and the entire world became suffocatingly oppressive.
Toshiro froze where he stood. For a moment, he found his body unable to move freely. Every step took tremendous effort, and the sword in his hand seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
Yet in the next instant, the scene abruptly shifted. For some reason, he was bound to a cross. No matter how he tried to break free or raise his Spiritual Pressure, it was useless.
Itachi appeared before him, still holding that blade that emitted a silver gleam.
The sword was pressed against his neck. Toshiro's eyes widened uncontrollably. He felt it becoming difficult to breathe and could only force his mouth open to gulp down air.
"You lost."
The sharp blade cut through flesh. In an instant, the world spun around him, followed by an intense sensation of weightlessness and an inverted world. He saw his headless body still bound to the cross.
Am I... dead?
Swish!
Toshiro's vision blurred, and he abruptly came to his senses. The previous scenes shattered into fragments, and his body went limp as he dropped to his knees.
The ground beneath him was smooth and covered in ice chips. Toshiro remained silent for a long while.
He raised his head. Itachi was still standing some distance away, surrounded by a deathly silent audience and snow-white Reiatsu Stone walls.
Toshiro swallowed. "Just now..."
Was it all fake?
But why had the feeling of nearing death as his head was severed felt so real? He could not help reaching up to touch his neck. It was still intact.
Toshiro looked