"Your king has returned!"
Accompanied by Moryo's thunderous roar, scorching, searing magma spilled in every direction. With a series of hisses, it swiftly dyed the surrounding ground crimson.
The ninjas all leaped back to avoid it. However, with Moryo in front and Alucard's group behind them, they were trapped in the middle with very little room to maneuver.
"Lord Kisame!"
Nara Shikaku immediately called for help.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
A surging tidal wave, no less immense than the underground magma, crashed head-on into it. Half seawater and half fire, they stirred up a thick mist that filled the sky.
Though Kisame's Water Release was powerful, it could not directly withstand the magma's assault. However, after being cooled by the water, the magma turned into rock, greatly reducing both its destructive power and spread. It barely left them a patch of ground to stand on.
Within the dense mist, a tiny bat silently swept past Kisame Hoshigaki's ear. "Take the Shrine Maiden and escape!"
Kisame, having received the order, did not ask why. He immediately suggested to Shrine Maiden Miroku, "Your Highness, your strength has yet to recover. We should temporarily avoid Moryo's edge."
"You're right, but enemies are before and behind us. How are we supposed to escape?" Nara Shikaku asked.
"That's easy."
Kisame formed a simple hand seal. "Hidden Mist Technique!"
The water vapor that had only risen due to the clash between magma and water instantly billowed and expanded at a visible speed. In the blink of an eye, it had enveloped an area over a kilometer wide.
These were figures Hyuga Sōki had personally measured with his Byakugan.
"However... we still need someone to stay behind and draw the enemy's attention for a while, so they don't catch up before we've gotten far enough