Foundational Understanding

Dragging this out would do no good either. Orochimaru could not hold on much longer. By its nature, the Shinigami dealt relatively little damage to tangible entities, but inflicted tremendous harm on souls and minds. A hulking thing like the Eight-Headed Serpent could not cause much damage to the Shinigami. Other than blocking attacks and serving as a moving target, it had little use.

If Orochimaru decided to quit or slack off at this point, that would not be good for Mizuki either. There were still several matters that required Orochimaru's help, so it would not do to make their relationship too tense.

Besides, there was no need to drag things out any further. The Shinigami was basically under control already. Continuing the erosion might affect its abilities. Dreamplay and the Shinigami were not entirely of the same kind, and excessive conflict in a short period would benefit neither side.

With that thought, Mizuki formed hand seals with both hands and used the Body Flicker Technique to arrive beside the Shinigami. He pressed a hand against the shoulder of its enormous body, then drove his chakra to activate the sealing array on the Shinigami with all his strength.

In an instant, the Shinigami, which had been majestically slashing at the Eight-Headed Serpent, froze. The last traces of instinctive consciousness were utterly wiped out, and the ghostly blue flames in its eyes went dark. Then specks of crimson light began to flicker, echoing the power of Dreamplay as it spread wantonly through the surroundings.

"Success!"

After such long planning, it had finally borne fruit.

As for how much the Shinigami enhanced Mizuki's combat power, the answer was actually very little.

The nature of the Dead Demon Consuming Seal determined that it was neither a conventional ninjutsu nor a power that could