Chapter 282 281: The Final Burst Part 1
Chapter 282 281: The Final Burst Part 1
The ground beneath Echo's feet cracked, and he felt a jolt of pain in his bones as he tried to resist Seimei's downward sword slash.
By all means, he should have been able to send Seimei flying by now and launch a vicious counterattack.
But suddenly, the moment Seimei's blade met his metallic claw, it felt as if the power behind Seimei's slash increased severalfold.
To explain it in simpler terms…
He just wanted to swat the cotton ball away. But the moment he touched the cotton ball, it suddenly turned into a solid, stainless steel wrecking ball intent on crushing him with the sheer weight and lethal force.
At least, that was what he was feeling right now.
And he had no idea how it happened.
But this couldn't go on. Echo thought as his eyes sharpened.
Since he couldn't take the attack head-on, he would deflect it.
Echo tilted his metallic claws to a precise angle, causing Seimei's blade to slide down.
At the same time, Seimei also fell from the air. So, he twisted his body mid-air, which allowed his feet to touch the ground.
Tenseigan: Gravity Domain Compression—Reverse(5x)
As soon as his feet touch the ground, Seimei immediately used Tenseigan's ocular technique to lower the effect of gravity on his body, allowing him to make a 360-degree turn at a lightning-fast speed.
He spun his body so fast that Echo couldn't find the opportunity to launch a sudden attack on him, despite possessing Swift Release Kekkei Genkai.
And how could he? He was still busy dealing with the bone-deep pain and internal muscle tissue damage that Seimei's lightning-natured chakra-induced vibrating blade had inflicted on him.
The moment he came to his senses and wanted to attack the boy, Seimei had already completed his full, 360-degree turn.
Crackle! Crackle!
Seimei's blade crackled with violent lightning bolts slithering across its edges as he swung his blade downward in a diagonal angle, moving from left to right, dead-set on slicing Echo in half.
And as if that wasn't enough…
Tenseigan: Gravity Domain Compression—Amplification(5x)
He made his blade five times heavier than usual by using localized gravity amplification, increasing its lethal offensive force severalfold.
The hairs at the back of Echo's neck stood up in alarm.
He felt an intense sense of crisis. He knew that if he took the hit head-on, he was done for. He couldn't dodge it in time either.
So, he decisively activated the best defensive technique in his arsenal.
Swift Release: Rending Shell Technique
As soon as he cast the technique, a semi-spherical field of Swift Release chakra carrying an immense amount of kinetic energy was formed in front of him, specifically designed to resist Seimei's sword strike.
The moment I block this attack of yours, I will make sure to punch a hole through your stomach, boy. But don't worry, I won't kill you. Not now. Echo stared at Seimei maliciously.
He wasn't afraid.
Only a handful of people could breach the defense of his Rending Shell Technique. Even Reina's Pillar of Hell Jutsu failed to break his defense.
Could a mere chakra-infused sword strike break through the technique?
Impossible. Absolutely impossible.
Unfortunately for Echo, Seimei still had tricks hidden under his sleeves.
Chiii! Chiii! Crackle! Crackle!
The aura of the violent lightning bolts on Seimei's blade intensified even more as he unleashed the full power of his LV7 lightning affinity.
Lightning Release: Chidori Katana—Vibrating Lightning Edge
Violent arcs of purple lightning seemed to become tame and gather across the edges of the blade.
Dense lightning-natured chakra enveloped the blade of his ninjato completely, making it vibrate in a frequency so high that a mere touch from the blade could destroy the internal structure of anything it touched, even without the power of lightning.
Boooooooom!
Seimei's sword slash, which had its power amplified by increased gravitational force and added weight, crashed heavily on the semi-spherical defensive chakra field protecting Echo with a loud booming sound.
Crackle! Crackle!
And then, lightning that had gathered on Seimei's blade exploded violently, spreading destructive lightning bolts all around Seimei and Echo.
The vibrating blade and the lightning damage cracked open the Swift Release chakra field, causing Echo's eyes to widen in disbelief.
Seeing the danger, he decisively activated Swift Release: Shadowless Flight to escape.
He was fast. But Seimei's blade was faster.
Slish!
Although the lightning-natured chakra on Seimei's blade had been exhausted to break through the Rending Shell Technique, the blade still managed to slice through the flesh of Echo's right chest, less than a millimeter short of cutting through the ribs and slicing his lungs.
Spill~
Blood gushed out of Echo's wound on his chest. And the remnant vibration of Seimei's blade shook Echo's internal organs, leading to minor internal injuries, which caused blood to well up in his throat and leak from the corner of his lips.
Still, he successfully widened the gap between him and Seimei by activating the Shadowless Flight technique at the last moment before the blade could reach his ribs or internal organs.
Shit!
Echo cursed inwardly as he endured the burning pain in his chest and the agony of internal injury. Then he made his muscles contract to close the wound on his chest temporarily to prevent blood loss.
But Seimei wasn't planning on giving him even a moment of respite.
Seeing the injured Echo creating distance between them, Seimei smiled maliciously and said, "Trying to get away? Heh!"
Seimei immediately reversed the effect of gravity on himself and shot forward like a blur. He appeared beside Echo like a ghost and slashed down at him. And while slashing down, he also amplified the gravity on his blade, making it far heavier than usual again.
Clang! Crackle!
Sparks flew in the air, and lightning arcs exploded all around them as soon as Seimei's lightning-natured chakra-infused blade met Echo's Swift Release chakra-infused metallic claws.
Although Echo intercepted the slash with his metallic claws, he focused more on parrying the attack and using its force to create more distance instead of foolishly trying to block it.
He had already learned his lesson. He wouldn't fall for the same trick twice.
Still, the force behind Seimei's slash inflicted biting pain in the bones of his right hand that he used to parry the slashing attack.
Fuck, that hurts. How can a boy like him push me to the brink? And that Uchiha girl is also waiting for the right moment to strike. A single moment of carelessness in front of them will cost me my life.
No, this can't go on. Should I just flee? As long as I am alive, I can always go after this kid later. Yes, I should retreat now. But how? They are not giving me any moment to breathe.
Echo's thoughts churned as he activated the Shadowless Flight Jutsu to retreat a few tens of meters at a moment's notice.
And Seimei also reversed the gravitational force on himself and went after Echo before crossing blades with him.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Seimei's ninjato and Echo's metallic claws clashed nonstop as they flashed all over the place.
Seimei kept modifying the effect of gravity on himself as he clashed with Echo and followed his trails, not giving him a single moment to breathe.
They clashed hundreds of times in a single minute. Both of them suffered from several lacerations during that time.
Fortunately, with my inner armor and Earth Release: Hardening Jutsu, the number of lacerations I have suffered is limited. My wounds are shallow, and they will heal in a few minutes as I channel the Yang Release chakra throughout my body.
On the other hand, this shady guy…
Seimei mused and looked at his opponent.
Due to the initial injury that Seimei had inflicted on Echo and his constant harassment, Echo had revealed plenty of openings in his defense.
And Seimei, like a good and obedient ninja, took advantage of those openings and struck hard, leaving behind at least six more bone-deep lacerations on Echo's body.
But this guy's survival instincts are off the chart. He dodged every single fatal attack at the last second. I kinda understand now why Reina hates the Swift Release users. But when did she face someone with Swift Release Kekkei Genkai?
Hmm?
Maybe she came across someone with this Kekkei Genkai, or the Uchiha clan's archive has records about them.
Seimei pondered as he narrowed his eyes.
He was about to chase Echo to launch another attack when his instincts screamed danger.
With his Tenseigan, he could see Echo gathering a large amount of Wind Release chakra and molding it to release a rather powerful Jutsu.
And from the looks of it, it was probably going to be an AoE attack.
Echo, who had already suffered from numerous cuts and injuries, watched Seimei approach him with a cold, chilling gaze.
When Seimei was less than ten meters away, he unleashed his accumulated chakra and released his Jutsu.
Wind Release: Repelling Tornado Slicer
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A nearly ten-meter-tall tornado made of sharp wind blades was formed around Echo. The tornado expanded outward in the blink of an eye into a semi-spherical dome shape, intent on repelling and slicing apart any opponent it touched.
Seeing the incoming tornado of wind blades, Seimei didn't panic or retreat.
Thanks to his Tenseigan, he wasn't caught off guard.
He halted his advance and channeled a large amount of fire-natured chakra.
Instead, when the quickly expanding tornado of wind blades was just less than five meters away, he released his own Ninjutsu that he invented for both attack and defense.
For this Jutsu, I have to thank that AA-rank lava demon. Seimei mused as the Jutsu materialized.
Fire Release: Radius Blast
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