Nezumi searched through the rubble for the entrance to Tensai's underground bunker. It previously sat at the foot of a tree, marked by hidden reference points. However, Nezumi's technique destroyed all patterns leading to the hatchway.
"I should hurry," Nezumi said as he probed the floor. "My people should already be halfway across the ocean."
He swept away a pile of leaves, revealing a rusted trapdoor set into the ground.
While reaching for the handle, he was distracted by a gust of wind.
As he snapped his head to the side, a fist slammed into his cheek, sending him tumbling through the air.
Upon getting back to his feet, Nezumi looked up at Cora. During their last encounter, her clothes were reduced to nothing more than skimpy garments.
Amused, he began to chuckle.
"So, your last resort is seduction. In that case, maybe I'll consider returning Valerie's blade." Nezumi laughed mockingly.
Cora's breaths grew heavy as she increased her blood flow.
"Crystal Prana: Crimson Flow!"
Using Crimson Flow, Cora can crystallize her blood in order to regulate and amplify aspects of her blood composition, such as body temperature, pulse rate, and red blood cell count, thereby enhancing her stamina and overall physical capabilities.
However, until now, Cora never fully utilized this technique due to its repercussions. In exchange for these heightened levels of power, Crimson Flow increases Cora's blood pressure, actively causing ruptures in her arteries, veins, and heart, resulting in excruciating pain.
Dried blood oozed through Cora's open wounds.
"Don't flatter yourself, Nezumi..." She remarked.
She dashed forward, dealing a blow that flattened Nezumi's face and made his ears buzz with pain.
"... You were never really my type anyway."
***
"I wonder," Kurome ruffled his hair, "How would you two describe my eyes?
"I've never seen them personally. But those who have and lived to tell the story have all presented different depictions. For instance, Tensai described them as the 'personification of emptiness.' And my mother called them a 'blank canvas.'
"Take a closer look," Kurome's eyes widened, "Tell me what you see."
Aziel and Ujinari avoided eye contact.
"Fighting such a formidable opponent without my vision is no easy task," Aziel brooded.
Ujinari's cloak dropped to the ground. "Aziel, there's no time to contemplate our situation," He said as he dashed toward Kurome.
Kurome weaved the blow, slipping under Ujinari's outstretched fist. He swiftly unleashed his own fist in a fast jab, slamming into Ujinari's ribs with a satisfying crunch.
Ujinari grunted but instantly retaliated with a right hook. Kurome slipped backward, barely avoiding the strike. Unfortunately for Kurome, the sudden movement upset his balance, and he staggered back.
Before regaining his balance, his ears perked up. Responding to the faint noise of a blade swishing through the air, Kurome instinctively sidestepped, narrowly turning Aziel's head-cleaving slice into a thin gash across his face.
Of all the people Aziel could work with, Ujinari was one of the most compatible. Because he had a fighting style practically identical to Hashira's, Aziel had no problem adjusting and reading his moves to augment their attacks.
Ujinari dropped to the ground sweeping Kurome off his feet and setting the stage for Aziel, who thrust his palm toward Kurome.
"Mirror Prana: Piercing Wind Palm!"
Aziel launched a large invisible mass of wind, blasting Kurome into the distance. Ujinari followed up by intercepting Kurome's trajectory midair and aiming a punch at his jaw.
Kurome threw his arms up, absorbing most of the impact with his brace. He landed on his feet, practically unarmed by their barrage of attacks.
Aziel twirled his scythe, summoning hundreds of transportation mirrors around the vicinity. Having experienced Hashira's death multiple times, he and Ujinari retained an adequate understanding of Kurome's techniques and how to avoid them.
They teleported throughout Aziel's mirrors, disappearing and reappearing all around Kurome.
Kurome simply stood in place, channeling prana into his fists.
"Doragonken: Twin Dragon Fists!"
Forming large dragon-shaped shrouds on his fists to increase attack power and range, Kurome slowed his breathing to focus on his opponents' movements.
Aziel pounced first. He emerged from a nearby mirror, instantly swinging his scythe upward.
"Mirror Prana: Flame Pillar!"
A twirling pillar of flames plunged at Kurome, who narrowly leaped out of harm's way. The second he escaped Aziel's flames, Ujinari dealt an upward kick, sending Kurome high into the air.
Aziel soared into the air and attempted a follow-up attack, but Kurome anticipated his movements and rammed his foot into Aziel's neck, sending him tumbling into the distance.
With Aziel temporarily out of the picture, Kurome wasted no time. He dropped to the ground and rushed at Ujinari using the full extent of his power.
Understanding that a single misstep could be fatal, Ujinari kept his eyes low, dodging and blocking Kurome's dragon fists by reading the movements of his feet.
Despite Ujinari's efforts, Kurome exploited his amputated arm, making sure to apply pressure to the left side of his body.
Upon gaining the upper hand, Kurome immediately went for the kill, aiming a jab straight at Ujinari's heart.
Kurome's fist made contact, but instead of the sound of flesh tearing, he felt and heard glass shatter around his fist.
"A mirror?" Kurome muttered.
After the shards cleared out, Kurome sensed Aziel in the distance.
Aziel covered ground quickly, moving at speeds that divided the land.
His scythe slammed into Kurome's dragon fists.
They clashed relentlessly, but neither man yielded his lead.
Expecting that Ujinari would interrupt their fight, Kurome kept a lookout for him as he prioritized Aziel.
Aziel handled his scythe with finesse, transporting his body and blade through a series of mirrors, attempting to overwhelm Kurome with speed.
Kurome focused entirely on sensory but let his guard down as he heard muffled footsteps.
"Aziel," Kurome remarked as he dashed forward, "You're finished."
As Kurome drilled his dragon fist into Aziel's body, Aziel dissolved into thin air.
"A clone," Kurome noted, unaware of the mirror materializing behind him.
Aziel's blade emerged from the mirror, followed by the sickening crunch of shattering bones and spewing blood as Kanashimi skewered Kurome's spine.
Kurome dropped to his knees as his face went pale. He felt blinding pain for a moment, but it faded to a dull ache.
Ujinari materialized from a nearby mirror, sprinting toward a seemingly helpless Kurome.
Kurome grinned as his face regained color.
He pulled Kanashimi out of his body, causing blood to leak from the open wound.
"I've been impaled more times than I can count," Kurome announced, "To me, it's nothing more than a flesh wound."
Kurome floored Ujinari with a downward kick and turned his attention to Aziel.
Kurome sliced at Aziel, but Aziel evaded and disarmed Kurome, recovering his blade.
"You can have your blade," Kurome leaped into the air, "It won't change a thing."
Kurome swept his leg back in a big arc, landing a spin kick to Aziel's jaw and sending him flying into a nearby mirror.
"Now then," Kurome turned to Ujinari, who lay helplessly on the floor.
Kurome pried Ujinari's eyes open and locked gazes with him.
"Have another look," Kurome said as Ujinari fell victim to his prana.
***
"I don't like these odds," Tensai stated as he glared at the unfavorable matchup.
"Why don't we level the playing field," he twirled his finger, summoning several hundred ash mounds carrying pale corpses.
Two more ash mounds appeared, each carrying a vertical coffin.
The lid of one coffin fell, revealing the corpse of a withered yet muscular man.
The ground grumbled as the bodies brimmed with life.
The muscular man, followed by the hundreds of rejuvenated corpses, joined Tensai at the summit, glaring down at Raijah, Teo, and the Shi family.
"What's going on?" Someone asked aloud.
Gado tremored, "H-he's revived the Korosu clan. That burly man in the front. He's their leader..."
"... Warui."