Pillars of lava erupted, picking off their targets with precision. Every eruption meant another person had died there.
Yet no matter what they tried, they could not stop them.
But their sacrifices were not entirely meaningless. They had created Namiashi Raidō's one and only chance to strike.
"Konoha Style Swordsmanship: Deathless Slash!"
Namiashi Raidō poured all his vitality, spirit, and chakra into that single strike.
He only had the strength for this one strike. After using it, he would be bedridden for a month, and his lifespan would be greatly shortened.
But he used it without hesitation anyway.
In an instant, his entire body became a streak of lightning, hurtling toward Shanhu.
Seeing this, Shanhu could not help sneering. "I won't fall for the same move twice. Let me show you what despair really is!"
He had noticed Namiashi Raidō's little movements long ago. Leaving him alive until now had been deliberate, too.
Now it was time to destroy their hope with his own hands.
A pillar of lava erupted instantly. No matter how fast Namiashi Raidō was, he could not escape its "guaranteed hit" effect, and the lava immediately engulfed him and washed over him.
By then, he was less than two meters from Shanhu.
With another tenth of a second, perhaps he could have worked a miracle...
And then a miracle really did happen!
A figure wreathed in flames, his entire outer flesh melted by the intense heat and his face disfigured like an evil spirit's, actually burst out of the pillar of lava and reached Shanhu.
"Hhh..."
Although Namiashi Raidō could no longer speak and had even lost sight in one eye, the force of his presence still allowed Shanhu to read what he wanted to say.
Die!
Namiashi Raidō thrust his blade into the third eye