The Thrill of the Kill!

"Trying to run?"

Shouya's voice came from the smoke, edged with mockery. "You little Konoha brat, did you think a cheap trick like that would fool me?"

Inoue Tsukasa's pupils contracted. He struggled, but the Chakra Threads tightened around his ankles as though they were alive, biting painfully into his skin.

Gritting his teeth, he snatched a Kunai from his tool pouch and slashed hard at the threads.

The moment the Kunai touched them, an invisible force knocked it away with a sharp metallic clang.

"Useless."

Shouya emerged slowly from the thick smoke. Firelight flashed coldly across his goggles, and a sneer curled his lips. "My puppet strings aren't ordinary Chakra Threads."

Tsukasa's face grew paler. He forced himself to stay calm, his mind racing through the situation.

He was no match for Shouya. But if he could delay him for even a second, he might buy Aoba and Rin time to escape.

He searched the surrounding terrain for anything he could use, but explosions and smoke had ravaged the forest. His options were painfully few.

Meanwhile, Aoba and Yukimura Rin sprinted through the trees. Branches scraped their cheeks, leaving thin trails of blood.

Aoba's breathing grew ragged. His chest felt scorched, and every breath was like swallowing a fistful of needles.

He couldn't help looking back. All he saw was fire blazing in the distance, while the aftershocks of explosions made the ground tremble.

"Tsukasa... He'll be okay, won't he?"

Aoba's voice shook. He tried not to imagine the worst, but the image of Tsukasa facing Shouya alone kept flashing through his mind.

"Don't think about that!"

Rin's voice was hard as iron. She grabbed Aoba's arm and pulled him faster. "Tsukasa stayed behind so we could live! If you go back now, you'll make his sacrifice meaningless!"

Aoba