The venom on the stingers was extremely potent. It began spreading the instant it touched their blood. The flesh around both their wounds rapidly turned purplish black.
An intense numbness swept through their bodies. Their movements began to slow. The speed of their sword swings dropped sharply. Both were instantly forced onto the defensive.
Gyokko sensed that his stingers had struck their targets. He burst into smug laughter. The sound echoed through the smoke.
"Hahaha! Now that my deadly venom is inside you, your whole bodies will soon be paralyzed. You won't be able to move a single finger. Be good and become my works of art!"
Yuichiro gritted his teeth. He struggled to stay conscious. The venom was beginning to blur his vision. He knew they could never win fighting separately. He shouted Muichiro's name, deciding to change tactics.
The two stood together again. Yuichiro took a deep breath. He looked at the gradually thinning smoke around them and Gyokko's indistinct figure. A bold tactic took shape in his mind.
"Listen, we can't keep fighting separately. Gyokko is extremely cunning, and he's incredibly fast. We have to kill him in one strike," Yuichiro told his younger brother quietly.
Muichiro listened carefully.
"In a moment, I'll use the last of my strength to unleash Ashen Wolf Smoke over the widest area possible. We'll work together, one in the open and one in hiding. I'll draw all his attention. You use Mist Breathing to stay hidden and look for the instant he exposes an opening. Understand?" Yuichiro's gaze was resolute.
Muichiro nodded solemnly.
"Understood, brother. I won't miss the chance."
Their tactics settled, Yuichiro endured the numbness brought on by the deadly venom. He roared, pouring all the strength remaining in his body into his Nichirin Blade.
"Come on, you ugly