Tsk tsk, not bad, this mature beauty. Cloud couldn't help but whistle internally upon seeing Mizuki.
This face, this figure, this presence—she's basically a premium version of Mature and Vice! Too bad she's a villain, otherwise I'd definitely try to physically persuade her into the harem.
[System: Warning to Host—please do not harbor unrealistic fantasies about high-danger targets. This target has completely demonized and cannot engage in normal communication. Recommendation: proceed directly with humanitarian destruction.]
Tch, no fun. Cloud pouted.
Mizuki's gaze slowly swept over the people below, as if examining lambs awaiting slaughter. When her eyes fell on Cloud, they paused briefly.
"Oh? Among you insects, there's actually one slightly stronger specimen. On you... I smell that little worm's (Amakusa's) aura, and also... a hint of godly scent that I find quite distasteful." Her eyes flickered with curiosity and greed. "Interesting. Your soul must be quite delicious."
"Old hag, big talk!" Haohmaru couldn't hold back anymore. He pointed at Mizuki and roared, "Stop playing ghost tricks up there! If you've got the guts, come down and fight me fair and square!"
"As you wish."
A playful smile appeared on Mizuki's face.
She rose slowly. The next instant, her figure appeared before Haohmaru without warning!
Teleportation?!
No—more bizarre than teleportation! Spatial distortion!
Haohmaru was shocked, but his battle instincts made him react instantly.
"Secret Art: Senpuu Retsu Zan!"
A violent tornado of sword energy roared toward the nearby Mizuki!
However, Mizuki merely extended a single finger toward the tornado and lightly tapped.
"Spatial Severance."
Hummm—
Haohmaru's sword tornado, still half a meter from Mizuki, suddenly split down the middle as if cut by invisible scissors, then eerily dissipated into thin air.
"What?!" Haohmaru's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
"Too slow. Too weak."
Mizuki's voice echoed in his ear like a curse.
Her massive scythe traced an elegant purple arc, slashing toward Haohmaru's neck.
"Not good!"
Just as Haohmaru was about to be decapitated, Ukyo and Genjuro struck simultaneously from nearby!
"Secret Sword: Tsubame Gaeshi!"
"Kiriha Ougi!"
Two lightning-fast slashes attacked Mizuki from different angles, attempting to save Haohmaru through diversion!
"Oh? Two more little bugs."
Mizuki's face still wore that lazy smile. She didn't even bother looking at the two incoming strikes. Around her body, space warped once again.
Ukyo and Genjuro's slashes, upon entering that distorted space, suddenly... changed direction!
Splurch!
Genjuro's blade cut into Ukyo's shoulder.
And Ukyo's sword sliced across Genjuro's chest.
Both men grunted, retreating with fresh wounds on their bodies, eyes filled with disbelief.
Their attacks had been redirected to hit each other?!
"Game over."
Mizuki's scythe was already at Haohmaru's throat.
At that critical moment—
"Drink! Break!"
A Buddhist shout rang out. Gaira's massive staff swung toward Mizuki from the side with tremendous force!
Jubei's twin blades also transformed into cold streaks of light, targeting Mizuki's lower body!
"Somewhat interesting. A tank and an assassin?"
Mizuki finally abandoned her attack on Haohmaru. Her form flickered, disappearing again.
When she reappeared, she was behind Gaira and Jubei.
"Demon Realm Transmigration: Hundred Demons' Wail!"
She stabbed her scythe into the ground!
BOOM!
Centered on her, a massive black magic circle instantly spread across the ground! Countless pale arms formed from resentment reached out from the circle, grasping at everyone present!
"Watch out!" Hanzo shouted, his form flickering repeatedly, trying to avoid the ghostly hands.
But these hands seemed endless, and they could pass through physical defenses to attack souls directly!
"Ahhh!"
Some weaker warriors were instantly seized. Their bodies rapidly withered as their souls were forcibly dragged into the underground magic circle, their agonized screams piercing the air.
"Damn it!" Haohmaru roared, slashing at the ghost hands, but his blade passed through harmlessly.
Physical attacks were useless!
"This is... soul attack!" Nakoruru cried out. She quickly channeled natural power, forming a green protective barrier around herself and Rimururu, barely resisting the hands' erosion.
Just as the entire Subjugation Alliance was about to be wiped out by this single attack—
"Playing with souls? You're showing off swordsmanship to Guan Yu, wielding an axe before Lu Ban."
A lazy voice cut through the despair.
It was Cloud.
From start to finish, he'd stood in place without moving an inch. Those soul-devouring ghost hands automatically dissolved and retreated when they came within three meters of his body—as if they'd encountered their natural predator.
His soul, fused with Orochi's will and the spiritual power of countless KOF world fighters, was more blinding to these minor ghosts than ten thousand suns!
"Hm?" Mizuki's gaze settled heavily on Cloud. "You... can actually ignore my Hundred Demons' Wail? Your soul is quite special."
"Special? No, no, no. My soul is just more... hardcore."
Cloud smiled. Looking at his teammates—battered, struggling, some already falling—under the ghost hand assault, he shook his head.
"Looks like warm-up's over. You tickle-masters have been at it for ages and the BOSS's health bar hasn't budged. Guess this whale has to step in personally."
He took one step forward.
Just one step.
A force combining sacred, domineering, cold, destructive, creative—countless contradictory essences forming the embryonic form of "Dimensional Divine Power"—exploded from within him!
BOOM—!!!
That power detonated like an invisible nuclear bomb within this Demon Realm Domain!
Every ghost hand attacking the group couldn't even manage a whimper before being instantly purified and vaporized, vanishing without a trace!
...
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