Shira, leaning on her sword, knelt on one knee in the dust, breathing heavily.
A metallic taste of blood welled up in my throat, and each breath sent a burning pain through my lungs. The power brought by the Second Activation receded like the tide, leaving behind a pervasive weakness that felt like my body was about to fall apart and a deep-seated exhaustion.
But he had no time to rest.
He raised his head, his gaze passing over the swirling dust, and locked onto the massive figure a few meters away— the Giant Rock.
The burly man, who had just been like a ferocious god, was now lying on his side among the rocks, his left hand tightly covering the horrific, bloody wound on his right shoulder that had been completely ripped open by the sword. Blood was gushing out from between his fingers, soaking the sand and stones beneath him.
He wasn't dead yet; his heavy, painful gasps proved he still posed a threat.
Shira's gaze involuntarily fell on the bulging ninja tool pouch at Giant Rock's waist, and on his Red Eye, which, even though he was heavily injured, were still full of wildness and killing intent.
He thought of the deadly traps set up in the One-Line Sky, the boulders above that could fall at any moment, and how this guy, if he still had a breath left, might throw a poisoned Kunai with his left hand, or use his last strength to shout a warning to his companions...
This child must not be allowed to live!
The thought, like an ice pick, pierced Shira's mind, bringing a sharp shiver. This wasn't the first time he had faced an enemy; he had fought to the death with missing-nin outside Kusagakure.
But Fang was captured by his teammates and brought back to be executed by Rasa, while Nighthawk was eliminated by Captain I Fūgetsu... This was the first time he had personally, at close range, ended the life of someone who had lost most of their ability to resist.
A sudden spasm shot through his stomach, and a wave of intense nausea, accompanied by a chill, ran down his spine. The fingertips of his hand gripping the sword trembled uncontrollably.
Two voices seemed to be fiercely battling in my mind: one coldly stating the law of the battlefield—last-hitting is the only way to ensure the safety of yourself and your teammates;
The other belongs to the soul from a previous life that lived in a peaceful era, expressing an almost instinctive resistance and fear.
"Cough... brat..." Giant Rock seemed to sense Shira's hesitation. A hint of madness and mockery flashed in his bloodshot eyes. He struggled, preparing to reach for the ninja tool pouch behind his waist with his left hand.
This action, like the last straw, broke the balance in Shira's heart.
The safety of his teammates, the success or failure of the mission, the porters who sacrificed their lives in previous battles... countless images flashed through his mind.
He abruptly closed his eyes, then opened them again in an instant. The last trace of wavering that belonged to an "ordinary child" was replaced by an almost cruel resolve.
"Hoo..." He exhaled a long, trembling breath, which smelled of blood, and stood up unsteadily, leaning on his sword.
His steps were unsteady, but he forced himself to move forward, one step, two steps, toward the enemy who was still struggling in his death throes.
"You..." Real fear finally appeared in Giant Rock's eyes, and he moved backward in vain.
Shira stopped in front of him, raising her blood-stained longsword high. The cold blade reflected a chilling glint in the dim light of the canyon.
He dared not look into the Giant Rock's eyes, his gaze fixed on the other's chest, which was still heaving violently and covered by crude leather armor.
The heart is usually on the left, but just to be safe, let's poke both sides...
On the battlefield where life and death are at stake, any stroke of luck could have fatal consequences.
There's no time to hesitate!
A fierce glint flashed in Shira's eyes, and with the last of her strength, she thrust her longsword down fiercely!
"Pfft!"
The sharp blade pierced through the leather armor, penetrated the muscle, and sank deep into the Giant Rock's left chest! A tooth-grinding, obstructing yet ultimately breaking through sensation came from beneath his hand.
Giant Rock's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes widened suddenly, and a strange "gurgling" sound came from his throat, filled with extreme pain and disbelief.
But Shira didn't stop! He gritted his teeth, even hearing the grinding sound of his own teeth, and endured the nauseating, life-threatening sensation coming from the hilt of the sword, before suddenly pulling it out!
A spray of warm, fresh blood splattered onto the back of his hands and face, the salty, fishy smell instantly filling his nostrils.
"Ugh--!" Giant Rock let out a short, miserable scream, his body convulsing violently.
Shira's hands trembled so badly he could barely grip the hilt of his sword. But he forced himself to raise the sword again, aimed carefully, and thrust it deep into the Giant Rock's right chest!
"Puff!"
The second strike! Deeper and more decisive!
The Giant Rock stopped convulsing, and the last glimmer of madness and fear in its wide-open eyes, like a candle flickering in the wind, was completely extinguished.
All that remained was an empty, lifeless silence, reflecting only a sliver of gray sky above the canyon.
Shira loosened her grip on the sword hilt, staggered back several steps, and only managed to steady herself when her back slammed heavily against the cold rock wall.
He looked down at his blood-stained, still uncontrollably trembling hands, then looked up at the now silent, massive body.
it's over.
A powerful surge of nausea, dizziness, and a vague emptiness assaulted his brain and stomach.
He bent over abruptly, gagging, but nothing came out; only a burning pain in his throat. Cold sweat instantly soaked through his inner shirt, mixing with the warm blood of his enemy and himself, sticky and icy.
Murder.
He really did kill someone with his own hands.
Even if the opponent is a ruthless bandit, even if this is a life-or-death battlefield, even if he has countless reasons to convince himself...
But when the feeling of life truly slipping away in your hands arrives, the heaviness and coldness still far exceed any imagination.
The shouts of battle and explosions that came from the middle of the canyon seemed distant and indistinct at this moment.
Shira leaned against the rock wall, breathing heavily in the air that smelled of blood and dust, trying to calm her pounding heart and churning stomach.
A few seconds, or perhaps longer. He roughly wiped the grime of sweat and blood from his face, and refocused his gaze.
Now is not the time to be weak! Our teammates are still fighting hard! The caravan is still in danger!
He forced himself to look away from the Giant Rock's corpse. His gaze fell on the boulders and ropes clinging to the cliff face—the source of the threat remained!
Shira took a deep breath, suppressing all discomfort, and stepped forward. With her still slightly trembling hands, she pulled the longsword stuck in the Giant Rock. The blade was stained red with blood, which dripped down the blood groove.
Shira reached the rope and swung her sword to cut it! The taut rope snapped, but the boulder above only swayed and did not fall.
There were still a few fixed footholds. Without further hesitation, Shira endured her weakness and discomfort, carefully and quickly climbing along the protrusions of the rock face, cutting and destroying all the remaining key knots.
Only after doing all this did he breathe a slight sigh of relief. At least, the threat of the boulder trap was gone.
He stood on the cliff face, looking down at the battlefield. Captain Reppu was still locked in combat with two missing-nin, his Wind Release were fierce, but fighting two against one was fraught with danger.
The puppets of the Sada Sasori brothers were still fighting, but their movements seemed less agile than before, and their Chakra consumption was obviously considerable. Asuka's figure darted among the bandits, but her speed had also slowed down, and she was in constant danger.
There's no time to recover! We need immediate support!
Shira leaped down from the rock face, landing unsteadily, but quickly regained his footing. He glanced at his blood-stained longsword, then at the main battlefield. His Second Activation couldn't be activated immediately; he felt extremely weak, but... he had to fight!
Holding his last breath, his eyes regained their clarity, and he charged once more toward the heart of the fiercest battle—the location of Captain Reppu!
This time, however, the way he charged forward seemed to carry an even heavier weight, a resolve forged in blood...