"ROAR!!!"
The 'Asura' behind Gintoki immediately let out a roar.
This time, through the vibrating air, he heard the sound clearly.
Maynard, meanwhile, saw the purple glow around 'Asura' grow even more intense.
All six of its arms moved at once.
Four of its weapons wove together into a net, fiercely meeting the claw strike threatening Gintoki's life.
The two dark-blue jewels also blazed with light.
They formed an azure energy barrier before Gintoki.
But the result was—
A scalp-numbing series of tearing, shattering, and booming sounds.
They rang out one after another in an incredibly brief instant.
Before Colonel Maynard's full-powered 'Blood Arena: Hunting Claws,'
'Asura's' defenses were shattered layer by layer.
The four purple weapons were effortlessly severed.
The azure barrier burst like fragile glass.
The aftershock even tore apart those seemingly sturdy six arms on the spot.
In the end, a pitch-black right hand, like the hand of the Shinigami,
Emerging amid the violently dispersing blue and purple light,
Inescapably clamped around Gintoki's neck, slammed him heavily into the ground, and firmly suppressed his instinctively struggling body.
Colonel Maynard crouched halfway down, staring directly into Gintoki's unwilling eyes as he said coldly:
"Kid, whatever you want to protect, you need strength to back it up."
"Get this straight. You're fighting a Marine Colonel."
The immense force gradually cut off Gintoki's breathing.
His face swiftly turned red, then purple.
His hands weakly tried to pry apart those iron-pincer-like fingers, but it was futile.
Above him,
'Asura' seemed to have exhausted its strength as well, its figure becoming translucent and scattered.
At last, under Maynard's indifferent gaze, it dissolved into specks of purple light.
"Gin-chan—!!!"
Kagura, who was locked in battle with Major Debes,
Caught sight of the scene from the corner of her eye and immediately let out