It was not a violent explosion, but a deep, majestic roar.
Pure white flames, searing hot and thick as liquid, surged from the hilt and instantly engulfed the entire blade!
Rather than burning quietly, the flames slowly flowed and rose along the blade as though alive, radiating suffocating heat and light.
The air warped, light was swallowed, and everything around the blade blurred and shimmered.
The flames were so purely white that they seemed capable of cleansing and burning away every impurity. Their form resembled molten glass or lava more than fire, viscous and heavy.
Holding his sword in one hand, Shinji faced the rain of gold filling the sky and swept it sideways with an almost casual motion.
"Flame Mark Stasis."
Where the blade passed, a concentrated, crescent-shaped trail of thick white flame remained suspended in the air. Instead of dissipating immediately, it lingered as though solid, forming a short-lived barrier of fire!
The incoming Gold Dust Shuriken struck the white flame mark. First, they slowed sharply, as though caught in thick mud. Then their tips reddened at astonishing speed, softened, and finally melted into crimson droplets that fell to the ground!
The flame mark easily neutralized most of the first wave. Shinji evaded the few remaining shuriken with deft footwork.
Rasa's pupils contracted sharply! The temperature and properties of those flames far exceeded ordinary fire release! "What jutsu is that?!"
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Spear!" Thicker, more densely compressed gold dust spears tore through the air, their power and speed far surpassing the shuriken!
This time, Shinji chose to charge.
The sand beneath his feet burst into a small crater as he shot forward, meeting the rain of spears head-on!
Flowing Blade Like Flame became an ever-extending whip of white fire in his hand. Rather than clashing directly,