Kagutsuchi stood in the sea of fire, like a malevolent god rising from the heart of flames.
The flames in his hands were like living things, sometimes transforming into knives, sometimes into spears, and sometimes scattering into dozens of fire whips that lashed out at Shinsei from all directions.
With each swing of his hand, the surrounding trees were scorched black, and the ground was burned and cracked into patterns resembling a tortoise shell.
"You outsiders always think you can bring chaos to the world," Kagutsuchi said, his voice like two red-hot irons grinding against each other. "But the fire of this world has always recognized only me."
As he spoke, he suddenly waved his hand, and the flames in the sea of fire simultaneously rolled back, as if drawn in by something, condensing into a three-zhang-tall fire beast above his head.
The fire beast had three horns, no hooves, and only seven or eight fiery tails that swung in the air. It opened its mouth and spat out a huge wave of fire that pressed down on Shinsei.
Just as Shinsei was about to dodge, the fire wave suddenly split in the air, turning into dozens of fireballs that completely surrounded him.
Shinsei had no choice but to take the hit head-on. He Hand Seals, and his Chakra spread out like flowing water. Water and fire collided, the mist exploded, and the air churned like boiling water.
Several fireballs were chipped away by the water vapor, and the rest crashed to the ground, creating several large craters.
Shinsei was thrown back several steps by the blast wave, half of his sleeve was scorched, and the skin on the back of his hand was peeling off.
What terrifying flames! Flames composed of Natural Energy were filled with extreme heat. Shinsei could block the Natural Energy, but it couldn't stop the overflowing temperature.
Kaguya remained silent behind him, only casting a beam of blue light around him to shield him from the remaining flames.
Shinsei turned around and saw that her brows were furrowed, as if she was enduring something.
"Stay away," Shinsei whispered to Otsutsuki Kaguya as he turned around.
Now he can only use his true skills, ignoring the throbbing in his eyes.
Kaguya refused and only took three steps back.
Kagutsuchi stood on the fire beast's shoulder, looking down at him.
"What, aren't you going to run? There's no escape now."
He spread his arms, and the fire in the entire forest began to gather at his feet.
Shinsei's Mangekyō Sharingan suddenly twitched.
It wasn't pain, it was hunger. Kaguya's words echoed in his ears, "Your eyes are hungry."
He knew he couldn't hold it in any longer.
"You forced me to do this," Shinsei said in a low voice.
He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, blue patterns spun wildly in his pupils.
Chakra surged forth like a burst dam, condensing into a white skeleton on his body, followed by layers of muscle and armor.
The giant rose from the ground, a hundred meters tall, and Shinsei stood on its forehead.
This Susanoo entirely white with a hint of blue, like extremely cold ice, or like a lingering soul. When flames struck it, only a few wisps of white smoke remained, like boiling water splashed on a stone.
Kaguya was protected by Shinsei, huddled in that cold shadow.
He looked down at the giant who had suddenly appeared, his eyes filled with astonishment.
" Susanoo's divine technique!"
Kagutsuchi changed for the first time, and the fire beast beneath him shrank by half.
"How do you know this? Who are you?!"
Shinsei stood on Susanoo's forehead, looking down at him, his voice amplified by the giant, as if crashing down from the clouds.
Why is it considered Susanoo's divine technique?
"When a sage cultivates to the extreme, he awakens a divine power that belongs only to him. We call it a divine skill. Susanoo's divine skill is this giant. In the entire Takamagahara, only he can use it. You—" Kagutsuchi.
"You're not a hermit from Takamagahara. I've never seen you before! Where did you steal you from?!"
Shinsei did not answer. The giant raised his palm and slapped it down on Kagutsuchi as if swatting a fly.
Kagutsuchi his hands together, and all the flames in the entire sea of fire surged up, forming a wall of fire thirty feet high in front of him. The giant's palm landed on the wall of fire, white smoke billowed into the sky, and Kakkō flew everywhere.
Kagutsuchi was pressed down until his knees were buried in the ground, and he was half-kneeling.
His flame armor cracked, and sparks flew out of the crack like blood.
"I am the Flame of Takamagahara!"
Kagutsuchi roared and pushed the wall of fire upwards, actually lifting the giant's hand by half a foot.
But Shinsei didn't give him a second chance. Susanoo its other fist and slammed it down from the side.
The wall of fire shattered into countless sparks, Kagutsuchi flew backward like a stone launched by a slingshot, crashing through half of the scorched forest before finally rolling into a deep pit that had just been burned out.
He struggled to stand up, but the fire in his body was almost extinguished, and his limbs felt as weak as if they had been pulled out.
Shinsei's Susanoo slowly dissipated. He landed at the edge of the pit and slowly made his Earth Flow.
The blue light still lingered in his eyes, making him feel as hungry as if he were being stabbed. He walked up to Kagutsuchi and looked down at him.
Kagutsuchi's mouth was open, only gurgling sounds coming from his throat. The cracks on his body had spread to his face, and pieces were falling off like burnt-out charcoal.
"You..." Kagutsuchi wanted to say something, Shinsei didn't hear him.
He reached out, his fingertips Kagutsuchi's chest. The Mangekyō pattern in his eyes suddenly bulged outwards, like a snake flicking its tongue.
Kagutsuchi's entire face contorted, his body rapidly withered, and the red beneath his skin peeled away bit by bit, like layers of torn paper.
Finally, he transformed into a ball of pure crimson light, which was absorbed into Shinsei's eyes.
Shinsei felt a jolt throughout his body, as if a river of fire was pouring into his blood vessels from his eyes.
He lost control, his legs buckled, and he collapsed to his knees, his hands pressing against the ground, his whole body burning hot. Kaguya ran over from a distance, supported his shoulders, and called to him.
" Shinsei! Shinsei!"
After a long while, Shinsei slowly raised his head. His eyes had changed.
The patterns were deeper and brighter, as if a silent fire was burning inside. He opened his hand, and a tiny flame emerged from his fingertips.
It wasn't fire simulated by Chakra; it was real fire. He glanced at Kaguya, his lips twitching as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he only uttered a hoarse sentence.
I ate it.
Kaguya supported him, saying nothing, only holding him tighter. Lin Hai was almost completely burned.
The charred wood was pitch black, and ashes floated in the air like an endless rain. The distant sky was tinged with a dark red, as if someone had ripped open a hole in it.
Shinsei leaned against her, smelling the acrid odor filling the air, and slowly closed his eyes.
Kaguya looked at Shinsei, who had his eyes closed, and reached out her fair and slender hand to stroke Shinsei's face.
Her beautiful eyes slowly shifted from surprise to sorrow. Tears streamed from Kaguya's eyes, down her pale face, and onto the ground.
"I'm sorry, I should have remembered."