That mass of blood-red chakra wasn't an attack, but a piercing signal.
As the scroll was forcibly torn open, red light burst through the cavern like pus, unleashing a shrill wail. The sound echoed through the enclosed underground space, shattering the silence in an instant. Under the red light's influence, the half of Wildcat's body that had been frozen by frost suddenly seemed to come alive in a bizarre way. His unfrozen left hand clamped onto the rock wall, and he forced himself upright.
"Damn it... You think getting the mission scroll means you'll make it out of here alive?"
Wildcat's voice rasped like a broken bellows. His only good eye, his right, stayed fixed on Mizuki Han, brimming with madness. He didn't care about the scroll's secrets. What he wanted was to use the energy surge it had triggered to blast the boy who had thwarted him time and again into oblivion.
The water pooled around them seemed to come alive under the trembling red light. Wildcat squeezed every last bit of chakra from his body, forming hand seals at a pace that bordered on self-mutilation.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
The water in the cavern seemed to be pulled by an irresistible force, surging together in an instant to form a fearsome water dragon. It hadn't taken shape naturally; it was wrapped around shattered stalactites and ice fragments from the cavern, and charged at Mizuki Han with enough force to smash through the rock.
It was a killing blow.
In a cavern this narrow, facing a massive torrent with nowhere to dodge, any attempt to evade would be futile. The roaring water dragon was reflected in Mizuki Han's pupils. His heart pounded in his chest, and the sense of imminent danger sent his blood racing.
Retreat? There was nowhere to go.
Block it? His chakra was already spent.
The shadow of death fell over him once more, and the icy sensation of suffocation was stronger than ever. Mizuki Han's mind raced. He didn't try to figure out how to evade the attack. Instead, he focused all his attention on the water dragon's "physical structure."
Water was liquid.
Ice was solid.
Changing from liquid to solid required more than just lowering the temperature. It required an instant rearrangement of the molecules.
"Since you've brought me so much water, I'll take all of it."
Mizuki Han's lips curled into an utterly cold smile. He didn't retreat a single step. Instead, he charged straight at the water dragon. His hands traced an intricate pattern before him, and he poured every last bit of Ice Release chakra in his body into the surging water.
The air temperature plunged.
"Ice Release: Condensation!"
With that low utterance, cold seemed to pour from every pore in Mizuki Han's body. Less than two meters away, the water dragon's fearsome head suddenly froze in place. A layer of glittering frost spread from its head down its body at a visible speed.
"Crack—crack—"
The crisp sounds of breaking ice rang out in a chorus, like a grand symphony. In less than half a second, the once-rampaging, destructive water dragon had been forcibly frozen in midair. It remained poised with claws outstretched, transformed into a huge, translucent ice sculpture—a beautiful yet terrifying work of art.
Wildcat's savage grin froze on his face. Staring at the scene in disbelief, he let out a hoarse "Hrk, hrk." "Th-this can't be! You're out of chakra!"
Mizuki Han's face was white as paper, his eyes bloodshot. He truly had no chakra to spare. That last move had nearly drained his life force. But he had taken advantage of the fact that the water dragon was made of water, using extreme cold to forcibly change its physical state. He had turned his enemy's strength against him and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.
In that instant, the tide of battle turned completely.
Mizuki Han lightly tapped the ice dragon's head with his toes and pushed off.
"Crack!"
The ice dragon groaned under the strain, a huge fissure splitting its surface. Riding the force of the recoil, Mizuki Han shot into the air like an arrow loosed from a bow.
He leaped toward the cavern ceiling, his body tracing an elegant yet deadly arc through the air.
Below, Wildcat was swaying, weakened by the backlash from being forced to form hand seals and the consequences of having his attack frozen. His good left hand trembled from overexertion. The defensive posture he had taken left his chest and neck fatally exposed beneath Mizuki Han's leap.
Mizuki Han was airborne, his field of vision suddenly wide open. Looking down at the elite Anbu who had once stood above him, he felt no joy of victory—only the indifference of someone looking at a corpse.
He adjusted his posture in midair, bending his knees slightly as his right hand reached for the ninja tool pouch at his waist.
"It's over."
He spoke softly, but his words carried the weight of death's verdict.
He had no point to push off from in midair, leaving his body entirely at the mercy of gravity. But to him, this wasn't a disadvantage. It was the perfect position from which to "drop a bomb."
He swiftly pulled out two kunai wrapped with Explosive Tags, his movements smooth and fluid, without a hint of hesitation. If he threw them now, he could use the force of the blasts to shift his position in midair and land precisely above Wildcat.
The frozen water dragon sculpture was beginning to collapse under the tremendous force it had endured.
"Rumble—"
Chunks of ice shattered and fell like a meteor shower, completely blocking Wildcat's view.
Wildcat frantically swung his left hand to ward off the ice falling from above. With his vision obstructed, he failed to notice the cold killing intent hanging over his head.
Shielded by the falling chunks of ice, Mizuki Han's figure blended in with the glittering fragments. Like a falcon diving from the heights, he suppressed every trace of his presence, waiting only for that final strike.
The kunai in his hand spun at his fingertips.
Three meters.
Two meters.
One meter.
Wildcat seemed to sense something and abruptly looked up. His one good eye widened with terror. Through the gaps between the ice, he saw the boy above him.
That boy was descending from the sky like a god, radiating absolute coldness and murderous intent.
Behind him, the frozen water dragon's remains gave one last crack, as if playing the overture to the end of the battle.
Mizuki Han's right arm drew back sharply, the kunai wrapped in an Explosive Tag poised between his fingers.
He didn't just intend to throw the kunai. He planned to use the instant of the explosion to turn his own body into his final weapon and pierce straight through his enemy's defenses.
Just as he was about to throw it, Wildcat suddenly let out a desperate roar. Without a thought for his own safety, he hurled the still-glowing mission scroll toward Mizuki Han, trying to use the energy of its explosion to blow them both to pieces!
In midair, the kunai and the scroll were about to collide.
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