At that moment…
A meteor trailing crimson flames tore through the deep night sky, crashing precisely in front of the stone house!
In an instant, the impact from the heavens unleashed a torrent of force, forming milky-white shockwaves that blasted the surrounding air away! Within a dozens-meter radius, a massive vacuum zone formed!
Serpentine cracks snaked outward in all directions, and the sound of collapsing stone walls echoed in a chaotic chorus!
*BOOM!*
Dust filled the air!
Amid the clamor, Uchiha Hikari extinguished the light source on her protective suit. Shielded by the skeletal frame of Susanoo, she gently touched down, scanning her surroundings.
The cluster of stone buildings she'd seen from the sky was gone. In its place lay a field of shattered ruins.
The spider-faced "Father" had vanished as well.
All the demons in the Spider Family were taken in and raised by the true Lower Rank Five, Rui. By consuming Rui's blood, they gained spider-like Blood Demon Arts similar to his. Among them, "Father" was the closest to Rui in strength, boasting extraordinary physical power, regeneration, and a body as hard as stone. He could even molt to further enhance himself.
If the *Ryūsei Senkō* (Meteor Flash) she'd just used had been as powerful as the one against Danzo, even a literal rock would've been ground to dust.
But…
Right now, Uchiha Hikari only had one-fifth of her chakra left. Plus, she'd deliberately offset her landing point slightly. So, "Father" was only torn into pieces by the sword light and buried under the rubble. He'd probably crawl out soon.
"Little… Hikari?"
A rustling sound came from the pocket of Hikari's jacket.
Bulma, trembling, gripped the edge of the pocket and peeked out, her face pale. "Are we… still alive?"
"…I'd say so."
Hikari replied softly.
She'd been keeping an eye on Bulma during the descent, shielding her with one arm and wrapping some chakra around her chest to prevent Bulma from being flung out of the pocket. Still, the freefall experience was clearly a bit *too* thrilling.
"Um… Hikari, can I come out now?"
Bulma hesitated, her face shifting from pale to red as she mumbled, "I… need to change my pants…"
"…"
Hikari froze for a second, subtly sniffing the air and catching Bulma's meaning. But her tone was firm. "No."
"Huh?"
"Because the fight's not over… Something's coming."
As Hikari's words fell…
A sharp, grating sound erupted from the ruins ahead.
First, a massive arm burst from the debris, followed by a towering, dark figure that slowly pushed aside the stone slabs. Standing up amidst the collapsed ruins, the figure was four or five meters tall, like a small mountain, radiating suffocating pressure.
—Though the pressure might've been more convincing without the massive, still-unhealed gashes carved by sword energy across its body.
Bulma instantly shrank back, clutching the inside of the pocket and trembling.
Hikari, however, gave "Father" a brief glance before shifting her gaze to the side.
There, in the woods to the right of the clearing…
At some point, a short, white-haired boy in white clothes had appeared silently, staring at them with cold, murderous eyes, an almost imperceptible killing intent radiating from him.
Hikari tilted her head. "Lower Rank Five, Rui?"
No response.
After a brief stare-down, Rui spoke coldly, "You… deserve to die."
"You destroyed the home our family depends on. You'll pay for it. Father, kill her!"
"ROAR!"
The battle erupted in an instant.
On Rui's command, "Father" let out an explosive roar, hurling a several-meter-long stone slab toward Hikari. He charged forward, his massive fist tearing through the air, aiming to crush her into a pancake!
Facing the twin gusts of force, Hikari gripped her short blade and took a deep breath.
"Water Breathing, Fourth Form: Striking Tide!"
Her blade danced!
In that moment, blue water ripples appeared in the air. As Hikari twisted her waist, the ripples became a tidal wave of continuous slashes, meeting the incoming slab. In a blink, the slab shattered, and her blade, unchecked, sliced toward "Father's" oncoming fist!
*CLANG!*
The blade met the fist, and Hikari instantly felt a surge of overwhelming force through the edge. But her expression remained calm, even composed enough to switch breaths. "Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash!"
A faint golden arc sparked, then stretched sharply!
With Thunder Breathing active, Hikari's short blade accelerated, cleaving through "Father's" fist, splitting half his arm and even the bones within! But the blade, unable to withstand such intense force, snapped in half mid-strike.
*CRACK!*
As the blade broke, Hikari leaped back, swiftly retreating from "Father's" attack range.
The next second, his massive fist slammed into the ground, leaving a deep crater!
"Huff…"
The distance between them widened rapidly.
"Father" roared in pain, ignoring the fountain of blood gushing from his arm. He yanked out the half-blade embedded in his bone and hurled it at Hikari. She casually deflected it with the remaining half of her blade, sending it flying.
Looking at the broken weapon in her hand, Hikari frowned slightly.
"Guess the forging at Konoha's ninja tool shop isn't that great. It can't even handle this level of impact."
"Next time I'm back, I'll need to find a proper weapon… Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword seems decent. Maybe I can ask him for one?"
On the other side…
Rui's eyes narrowed, as if he'd already seen the outcome. "I thought you were a Hashira from the Demon Slayer Corps. Turns out you're just bluffing… Father, she's yours. By dawn, I want her corpse hanging at the foot of the mountain."
"…"
A brief silence.
Hikari sighed softly. "I was planning to test some new moves on you guys, but… forget it. Hey, Lower Rank brat, let me ask you—have you ever seen me at my *peak*?"
"?"
Rui paused, turning back with a puzzled look.
Then…
His eyelids twitched violently as his gaze met a pair of blood-red eyes!
"Genjutsu: Shackling Stakes!"
(Chapter End)