Who had arrived?
Kokushibo, of course!
He could not have fallen too far behind. Tetsu no Sosuke knew he had no way to kill him.
His initial barrage had failed to do it, and on his own, he stood no chance.
That left him only one choice... stall for time!
Until when?
Until Akaza was dead!
On any other day, that might have been difficult.
But today was different.
Surrounded by four Pillars and one Quasi-Pillar, Akaza's defeat was only a matter of time.
More importantly, the five fighters had spent days training together. Their coordination had improved their strength by leaps and bounds, leaving Akaza no chance to fight back.
His death had been expected all along.
The only problem was keeping Akaza and Kokushibo from joining forces.
If those two teamed up, the tide would turn. Akaza would not be the one to die—Tetsu no Sosuke and everyone with him would.
So at that moment, Tetsu no Sosuke had only one choice!
Run!
Draw Kokushibo away.
Kokushibo was obsessed with the Breath of the Sun—and with Tetsu no Sosuke himself. Tetsu no Sosuke believed that even if Kokushibo knew joining forces with Akaza was the right move, his first instinct would still be to chase him.
And events unfolded exactly as Tetsu no Sosuke had predicted.
Kokushibo chased after him without a second thought.
That was when his advance knowledge of the area paid off. Knowing the terrain and everything around him, Tetsu no Sosuke easily shook Kokushibo and immediately doubled back.
He had prepared for either outcome.
If Akaza was still alive, he would join the others and cut him down in a swift, overwhelming assault.
If Akaza was dead, they would carry out the other plan!
"Plan Three!"
Tetsu no Sosuke gritted his teeth as he