Katsuya Uchiha also sensed someone else arriving, but he had no time to pay attention to them. All his attention was focused on Kazemori Masaki before him. His opponent was far stronger than expected, forcing him to proceed with caution.
Before the cracks in Susanoo could mend under the influx of chakra, a tremendous force slammed down from above, knocking it back to the ground before it could rise. It was the same technique Kazemori Masaki had used when he first appeared, which he called "Pseudo-Shinra Tensei."
The cracks in Susanoo worsened again, leaving it on the verge of collapse. Then a figure crashed into it, smashing it to pieces.
Kazemori Masaki charged straight into Susanoo and slashed at Katsuya Uchiha. But just before his blade struck, his movement abruptly stopped. He immediately changed the course of his sword, tracing a succession of arcs. Amid the flashing sword light, Katsuya Uchiha appeared a short distance away.
Katsuya Uchiha looked somewhat disheveled. He had just tried to use his dōjutsu to swap himself with a substitute, but at the very instant Kazemori Masaki was about to strike, he had located Katsuya Uchiha's true position and redirected his blade.
Katsuya Uchiha had no choice but to use his dōjutsu to swap places repeatedly. After several exchanges, he put some distance between himself and Kazemori Masaki and called the souls to swarm him.
Kazemori Masaki did not choose to destroy the souls. Instead, he pushed them away with natural energy, keeping them from approaching. After learning the nature of Katsuya Uchiha's ability, he seemed to have grown gentler toward these souls.
Once Katsuya Uchiha had gained some distance, he hurriedly steadied his breathing to recover the excessive amount of chakra he had consumed in such a short time. As he recovered, he looked