A sudden, wet explosion erupted from Tetsuya's body, spraying sticky crimson blood in every direction. Kenshin's instincts screamed danger as the blood splattered onto his Wind Chakra Mode, sizzling on contact.
He barely managed to escape the majority of the spray, landing on an intact section of the rooftop.
"Kaede!" he called out, his voice edged with urgency.
Kaede stood frozen in place, the acidic blood clinging to her body and melting through her flesh. The pain was unlike anything she'd felt before—not overwhelming in damage but sharp and searing, an agony that dulled her usual sadistic enjoyment. She let out a low, guttural groan, her body trembling.
Kenshin's eyes darted between her and the blood eating through the rooftop. He knew he couldn't leave her there. In a burst of movement propelled by his Wind Chakra Mode, he darted toward her, grabbing her by the waist.
The acidic blood was starting to melt her skin faster than her regeneration could keep up, and her expression twisted in disgust.
"This is disgusting," she hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "It's not even pain—it's just filth!"
Kenshin didn't respond. His sharp gaze caught sight of the palace pond below. Without hesitation, he surged into the air, carrying Kaede.
The acid was beginning to sting his own skin despite his chakra coating, and the roof beneath them gave a loud crack before collapsing entirely.
He didn't stop. Kenshin twisted in midair and hurled Kaede into the icy pond below, diving after her a moment later. The freezing water was a jolt to his system, but he felt the acid washing off immediately, the burning sensation subsiding.
Kaede emerged moments later, her bright red eyes blazing with fury, her regenerating flesh already knitting itself back together. Her dark hair clung to her face, dripping wet, and her lips curled into a snarl. "That thing—" she spat, her voice low and dangerous. "It's crossed a line now!"
Kenshin climbed out of the pond beside her, his gaze snapping upward to Tetsuya. The creature stood amidst the ruins of the palace roof, his writhing appendages stretching in every direction. He lashed out with the tendrils, capturing guards and servants alike.
Screams filled the courtyard as Tetsuya peeled the skin from his victims with horrifying precision, the raw, skinless bodies dragged toward him before being absorbed into his grotesque form.
Tetsuya's body swelled grotesquely with every victim, his monstrous frame growing larger and more distorted. His skin bubbled and stretched as he towered over the palace courtyard, his monstrous form casting a shadow that swallowed the flickering torchlight.
"More... I need more!" Tetsuya's voice rumbled like a thunderstorm, his appendages crashing through the palace walls as he fed on the helpless survivors. "What's wrong, boy?! Feeling scared?! Helpless?! Just wait a moment. I'll add you to myself as well!"
Kenshin and Kaede stood side by side, staring at the now-towering monstrosity. Kaede's lips curled into a feral grin, her rage barely restrained.
Tetsuya was not longer dangerous to her—but he had succeeded in doing something far worse. He had made her angry.
Kaede's furious expression softened for a brief moment as she turned her head to Kenshin, a mischievous glint in her violet eyes. "Master," she called out, her tone strangely calm amidst the chaos, "would you like to see something?"
Kenshin frowned, the sudden shift in her demeanor catching him off guard. "What are you—"
Her lips curled into a chilling smile, her fangs glinting faintly in the moonlight. "I haven't shown you my tigress form yet," she said, her voice low and sultry, carrying an undercurrent of menace.
Kenshin's confusion deepened. "Tigress form?"
Kaede didn't bother waiting for an answer. With a sudden, forceful movement, she grabbed him by the collar and yanked him closer, her face mere inches from his. Her eyes burned with wild intensity. "This is for your injuries," she whispered, before pulling him into a fiery kiss.
Kenshin barely had time to process the warmth flooding into his body before she broke the kiss, her smile deepening with a wicked edge.
"Watch closely, Master," she murmured as she shoved him backward with surprising gentleness. Her words softened into a whisper only for him. "You'll need to fight this... during our final battle."
Before Kenshin could respond, Kaede flung him through the air with precise aim. His body soared towards where Kira and Konan stood.
The two scrambled to catch him, Konan instinctively cushioning his landing with her paper constructs. Kenshin barely acknowledged the impact as his eyes remained glued to Kaede.
Kira's golden-green eyes sparkled with excitement as she stared at the transforming Kaede. "Oh, this is awesome," she muttered, her tail swishing eagerly.
Konan, meanwhile, stared at Kenshin, baffled. "Is she always this… dramatic?"
Kenshin ignored her, his focus locked on Kaede.
Standing in the courtyard, Kaede crouched low, her hands pressed against the ground. Her body began to shift and contort, and the sound of bones cracking filled the air.
A guttural, primal roar tore from her throat, shaking the very foundation of the courtyard. Her body expanded rapidly, her dark black fur bristling and gleaming under the moonlight.
She grew larger with every passing moment, her limbs elongating and rippling with muscle. Her transformation ended with her standing on all fours, now a massive sabertooth tigress, her crimson eyes blazing with fury and power.
Her sheer size rivaled Tetsuya's grotesque form, and the ground beneath her cracked under her weight.
Kaede let out a low, rumbling growl, her voice a deep, guttural snarl. "You've made a grave mistake, vermin. You dared to anger the demoness of the cat tribe."
Tetsuya paused for a moment, his grotesque form faltering as he took in the sheer presence of the transformed Kaede. His writhing appendages slowed, as if even his monstrous instincts warned him of the danger.
Kaede's lips curled into a wicked snarl. "This power…" she growled, flexing her massive claws that ignited with bright red flames, "not even the Nekomata could defeat me."
Without waiting for Tetsuya's response, she lunged at him, her speed almost impossible for her size.
Her burning claws raked across Tetsuya's flesh, turning it to ash with every strike. Tetsuya howled in pain, his regeneration struggling to keep up with the relentless damage.
But the monstrous foe wasn't finished. He roared and retaliated, his tendrils flailing in every direction, slamming into Kaede with bone-crushing force. She growled and bit down on one of the appendages, her flaming fangs severing it entirely.
The battle raged on, each of Kaede's strikes searing through Tetsuya's flesh faster than he could recover. Still, Tetsuya fought desperately, using his size and power to hold his ground.
Suddenly, Tetsuya's monstrous tendrils lashed out in desperation, writhing across the crumbling palace courtyard. They snatched up the fleeing servants, their terrified screams piercing the chaos.
Among the captives were those trying to protect a small child—the innocent daughter of the monstrous man himself.
The tendrils grabbed at everyone indiscriminately, peeling skin and absorbing them into Tetsuya's grotesque mass, leaving only hollowed screams and melted remains.
Tetsuya's appendages coiled around the little girl, her piercing cries cutting through the destruction. For a moment, the massive creature hesitated, his monstrous form faltering.
It was as though some shred of humanity fought to emerge, but it was gone as quickly as it came. The tendrils began to tighten, aiming to rip the girl's skin apart.
Kenshin's eyes flared with rage as he acted in an instant. His katana slashed through the air with precision, slicing the tendrils before they could harm the child.
With a burst of wind chakra, he propelled himself forward, scooping her up in his arms and flying back toward Konan and Kira.
"It's okay, kid. I'll protect you." Kenshin said firmly, placing the trembling girl in Kira's arms. His Mangekyo Sharingan glowed ominously as he turned his gaze back toward Tetsuya.
Konan stepped forward, her face etched with concern. "Kenshin, you can't—this is too dangerous! You might not survive this!"
Kenshin's glare was resolute. "Shut up and watch," he snapped, his voice sharp but not unkind. "I'm not the kid I was a few months ago. I've grown stronger—strong enough."
Before she could respond, Kenshin leaped into the air, his wind chakra mode propelling him toward Tetsuya. As he closed the distance, the skeletal form of his Susanoo began to materialize around him, its fiery red aura glowing against the night sky.
With a thunderous punch, the skeletal Susanoo's arm collided with Tetsuya's face, the impact reverberating through the air like an explosion.
The blow sent Tetsuya's massive form staggering backward, the force of it enough to crack the Susanoo's arm. Kenshin grimaced, his chakra reserves straining as he stabilized the construct.
"Impressive," Kaede's voice echoed telepathically in his mind, laced with approval. "But how do you plan to fight something this massive when you're still so small, Master? Your construct nearly lost it's arm with one punch only."
Kenshin smirked, his determination unwavering. "You're not the only one who can get bigger."
He landed on the ground, focusing intently as the skeletal Susanoo began to evolve. The red aura grew more intense, and the construct's form became more defined.
Flesh began to form around the bones, and massive legs materialized, anchoring it to the earth. Finally, a complete humanoid figure towered over the battlefield—a fully formed Susanoo.
The effort left Kenshin breathing heavily, his wind chakra mode flickering and ultimately dissipating as he funneled everything into maintaining the massive construct.
He glanced at Kaede, who had paused mid-battle to watch, a rare and impressed smile gracing her sabertooth face.
Kira, meanwhile, stared at the spectacle, her heart sinking. She clutched the child tightly, her golden-green eyes reflecting the towering Susanoo. Jealousy gnawed at her—'Am I the weakest one here?'
Her master was undeniably one of the strongest she had ever seen, and even now, Kira struggled to grasp the full extent of his power.
Kaede, on the other hand, was a force of nature, the strongest in the room without question, and had never once gone all out against any of them.' What could I have done in a battle like this?'
Kira clenched her jaw, forcing herself to quell the feelings of inadequacy. She might not have the strength to stand beside Kenshin in combat, but there was one thing she could do. She vowed silently, her grip on the girl tightening.
"I'll protect his heart," she muttered to herself. "I'll support him when no one else can. If I can't fight by his side, then I'll be the one he can rely on when the battle's over. I'll be the thing he needs most, his friend."
Meanwhile, Kenshin and Kaede's relentless onslaught continued, each attack chipping away at Tetsuya's monstrous form. Kaede's claws left burning trails of destruction across his flesh, while Kenshin's Susanoo delivered devastating punches and slashes that rattled the battlefield.
Meanwhile, Tetsuya's daughter clung tightly to Kira, burying her face in the catgirl's chest. Her small frame trembled uncontrollably as she sobbed in fear, her hands pressed firmly over her ears to block out the horrifying sounds.
Tetsuya's pained groans and screams echoed across the ruined palace grounds, a haunting reminder of the chaos.
Tetsuya's body began to falter, the strain of maintaining his monstrous form evident in every sluggish movement. Kenshin and Kaede's combined might had brought him to the brink, and it was clear he couldn't last much longer.
Kaede's voice rang out in Kenshin's mind, her tone calm yet laced with finality. "Please step back, Master. It's time to end this."
Kenshin hesitated for a brief moment before withdrawing his Susanoo and leaping back to a safe distance. He landed near Konan and Kira, his eyes fixed on Kaede as she turned to face the weakened Tetsuya.
Kaede's massive sabertooth form crouched low, her glowing red eyes narrowing as her fangs began to shine with an intense crimson light. She inhaled deeply, her chest expanding as flames swirled within her maw.
With a powerful roar, she unleashed the full might of her attack. "Demon's Breath!"
A torrent of bright red flames erupted from her mouth, engulfing Tetsuya entirely. The flames roared like an inferno, consuming his colossal form in seconds. Tetsuya's agonized screams reverberated across the battlefield, a chilling sound that made even Kenshin grimace.
The flames burned hotter and brighter, turning Tetsuya's monstrous body to ash. The heat radiated across the devastated palace grounds, warping the air and leaving the ground scorched.
When the flames finally subsided, all that remained of Tetsuya was a mountain of ash, smoldering faintly in the aftermath.
Kaede turned to Kenshin, her massive sabertooth form shimmering before reverting back to her humanoid figure. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand and smirked victoriously. "It's done, Master," she said, her tone dripping with satisfaction.
Kenshin, however, crossed his arms and deadpanned at her. "If you could do that, what was the point of all this? You could've ended the fight from the start."
Kaede averted her gaze, scratching the back of her head with a sheepish smile. "Well… I needed to be excited enough for that," she admitted. "I can't just unleash an attack like that at the beginning of a fight. My stronger moves are tied to my will to fight. I need time—and a good fight—to build up to it."
Kenshin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "So, what you're saying is… this whole thing could've ended a lot sooner if you didn't need to enjoy yourself first?"
Kaede grinned unapologetically. "Pretty much. But hey, you have to admit, it was fun, wasn't it?"
Kenshin groaned, shaking his head. "You're impossible."
Kenshin knelt beside Tetsuya's daughter, gently placing a hand on her shoulder as she continued clutching her ears, tears streaming down her small face. "It's okay now," he said softly, his voice calm and steady. "You're safe."
The girl, however, didn't seem to register his words, her cries still filled with desperation. "Papa… where's Papa? Did the monster hurt papa?" she sobbed, looking around as though expecting him to appear. Kenshin's chest tightened. She didn't know—that the monster they had just defeated was her father.
Kenshin sighed, deciding not to press the issue. He let her stay in Kira's arms, sobbing until exhaustion overtook her. Soon, she fell asleep, her face buried against Kira's chest.
Standing up, Kenshin brushed the dirt from his clothes and turned his gaze toward the ruined palace. Their mission wasn't over yet. "We need to find the former daimyo," he said, his tone resolute. "She's the reason we did all this. We can't fail now."
Konan nodded silently, already donning her mask. Kenshin followed suit, pulling his own mask into place. Together, they headed toward the palace, with Konan leading him to where she sensed the barrier holding the former daimyo.
The devastation was immense, with much of the palace reduced to rubble. Kenshin summoned his adamantine sealing chains, their golden glow illuminating the wreckage as they cleared away debris with ease.
Eventually, they uncovered the barrier—a faintly glowing, intricate construct of chakra that still stood strong despite the destruction.
Kenshin frowned, striking the barrier with his chains. To his surprise, it held firm. "Stubborn thing," he muttered under his breath.
Reaching into his pouch, he retrieved his entrance scroll and activated it, disappearing into the Uzumaki library.
Ashina Uzumaki awaited him, already holding out a scroll. Without a word, Kenshin took it, nodding in silent gratitude before returning to the battlefield.
Back at the barrier, Kenshin unrolled the scroll and placed it carefully against the barrier. The barrier trembled, its glow dimming before crumbling entirely, its remnants sealed within the scroll.
Kenshin tucked the scroll away and stepped inside, descending into the underground cell.
The cell was surprisingly intact, untouched by the devastation above. In the corner, a young woman in her early twenties hung from shackled wrists.
Her body was stripped naked, covered in blood and bruises, her breathing shallow and labored. She had clearly endured severe torture, with numerous marks concentrated on her breasts, a grim testament to her captors' cruelty.
Kenshin approached cautiously, but as he neared, the woman suddenly swung her leg toward him in a desperate attempt to defend herself. Though the kick lacked strength, it caught him off guard for a moment.
He caught her leg gently, his voice calm but firm. "Please stop. We're not your enemies."
The woman glared at him, her eyes fierce despite her battered condition. Kenshin couldn't help but feel a flicker of admiration. 'She's tenacious,' he thought. 'I wasn't expecting this from a daimyo, especially in her condition. I'm impressed.'
Carefully, Kenshin unshackled her wrists. The moment she was free, her body collapsed forward, and Kenshin caught her, quickly wrapping her in a blanket. She trembled violently, clutching the fabric tightly around her.
"Kaede," Kenshin called out, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Heal her."
Kaede, who had been watching silently from the entrance, reluctantly approached. She knelt before the woman, her expression unusually gentle as she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.
The woman's eyes widened in shock, and despite her weakened state, she managed to push Kaede away. But the effort startled her—she shouldn't have had the strength to do that. Looking down at her body, realization dawned on her.
Her wounds were gone. The bruises, cuts, and burns that had marred her skin were completely healed. She touched her arms and chest, her trembling fingers tracing the smooth, unblemished surface of her skin.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she looked up at Kenshin, her voice barely a whisper. "Who… who are you?"
Kenshin met her gaze, his expression unreadable behind his mask. "We're the ones sent to bring you back, rightful Daimyo of the land of grass, Amaya-sama." he said, calling her by the name that Konan had mentioned earlier.
Amaya clutched the blanket closer to herself, her fear giving way to confusion and disbelief. "I… I thought I was going to die here," she said softly, her voice cracking.
Kenshin nodded grimly. "You would have. But not anymore. We're here to make sure you're safe."
Amaya's lips quivered, and for the first time in what seemed like eternity, a flicker of hope entered her eyes.
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Once again, thank you everyone for your continued support and power stones. And as always, please give me your power stones and comment your opinions. They make a big difference and motivate me to write more.