"Uh, same to you, Mr. Leiva... not sure why you're here, though," Jackie's eye twitched as he responded to Leiva's so-called holiday greeting. It was hard to believe this could be considered festive at all.
Looks like this Halloween is ruined… Jackie thought to himself.
As the smoke cleared, Jackie noticed the purple-red mask on Leiva's face—one of the Shadowkhan masks from Shendu's palace. His eyes widened in realization. "That's the ninja mask from the Shadowkhan generals, Leiva... you…"
Leiva turned to glance back but remained silent. In an instant, the entire street was swarmed by countless Ninja Warriors, far more than Paco had summoned with the Mini Warriors' mask.
"Kill them." With that cold command, Leiva began pursuing Paco, who had been thrown into a nearby building, but not before tossing an onion in Tarakudo's direction.
No need for pleasantries, Leiva thought. Let him wash his eyes with that instead of wasting time on a pointless argument.
"How dare you hurt Paco the Dark God Destroyer!?" Recovering from the punch, Paco jumped back out of the wrecked store, his face filled with rage.
"I've made up my mind—I'm going to tear you to pieces!" Paco roared, summoning countless Mini Warriors from the shadows to clash with Leiva's Ninja Warriors.
In an instant, the battle engulfed the entire street, turning the neighborhood into a battlefield for the two armies. Cars, buildings, and even innocent bystanders fled in terror, while Jackie and his team were reduced to mere spectators.
"Die!" Paco lunged at Leiva with his claws, but his untrained attacks lacked any real strategy or skill. Despite the mask's boost to his physical abilities, it was clear he had no idea how to properly fight. His wrestling techniques were no match for a battle-hardened warrior like Leiva.
"Are you even a warrior?" Leiva taunted, easily sidestepping Paco's attack. His right arm bulged with muscle as he pulled back for a punch, his body twisting to generate massive force from the ground up.
WHOOOOOSH!
The air roared as Leiva's devastating right hook plowed straight into Paco's exposed chest.
THUD! Even standing dozens of feet away, El Toro Fuerte could hear the sickening thud of the impact.
"Aaahhh!!" Paco's thin frame folded over Leiva's fist like a ragdoll, and he immediately began vomiting from the sheer pain of the blow.
With Paco still impaled on his fist, Leiva swung his body upward. The boy's lightweight frame was sent flying into the air like a helpless doll, highlighting the stark contrast in their size and strength.
A powerful gust of wind swept across the area as the punch landed, tearing up flowers and plants that lined the road.
Even though Paco seemed to be done for, Leiva wasn't the type to leave things unfinished like Jackie and his team. He was a seasoned warrior, and mercy wasn't part of his approach.
"Water Dragon Ascend." Leiva murmured, lifting his right hand that wore the [Black Marlin] ring.
Unlike the original Water Dragon Ascend, which took a toll on its user's stamina, Leiva wielded the power with ease. The ability to control water molecules within a vast range was at his disposal.
The ground began to crack and split as water molecules rose from every nearby sewer and pipe, coalescing into serpentine shapes.
Dozens of ten-meter-long water dragons took shape, complete with sharp horns and ferocious fangs. They shot into the air and converged on the airborne Paco, colliding with a massive splash of water.
"Aaaahhhhh!!!" Paco's screams of agony echoed as the high-pressure water dragons battered him mercilessly.
El Toro Fuerte panicked. "Paco!"
Splurt!
Blood sprayed out in every direction, painting the street in crimson as the violent assault continued.
The aftermath was a grisly scene. Blood mixed with water rained down over the street like a macabre downpour. The air was thick with the scent of iron.
"P-Paco... is he okay?" Jade asked, her voice trembling in disbelief.
But before anyone could answer, the sight and smell overwhelmed Jackie and the others. They all began to retch uncontrollably. Despite their experience battling demons, they were still ordinary people unused to seeing such carnage.
Leiva, on the other hand, remained calm and unaffected. Thanks to the [Black Marlin], his butler's uniform stayed pristine, not a drop of blood or water touching him.
His gaze shifted around the battlefield before settling on Paco's battered and rapidly weakening form. Leiva began walking toward the fallen boy.
As he walked, the bloody water retreated from his path, forming a clean walkway leading to Paco's body. "Miss wouldn't want me dirtying her gift," he muttered.
Leiva crouched down, reaching for the Mini Warriors mask on Paco's face. "The ninth mask... hmm?" He frowned, tugging at it but finding it wouldn't come off easily.
"Hey, Mr. Leiva!" Jackie called out, seeing an opportunity to defuse the situation. "The Shadowkhan masks need a special solution to be removed. We can help you take it off without killing him!"
Leiva's hand pressed firmly against Paco's chest as he replied coldly, "Heh... a solution? That's too troublesome. Dead men don't need masks."
"What?! No, no, wait! Mr. Leiva, please!" Jackie pleaded.
BOOM!
With a deafening rumble, the ground beneath Paco split apart, sinking into a deep crater.
In an instant, the Mini Warriors vanished as if they had never existed.
Through the swirling dust and debris, Leiva stood up, now holding the orange mask in his hand. Though the air was thick with smoke, Jackie knew—Leiva had won.
"The ninth mask is mine! Shadowkhan, retreat!" Leiva commanded. As he spoke, all of the Ninja Warriors began sinking into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.
With no more Shadowkhan to hold him back, El Toro Fuerte rushed over to Paco's limp body like a madman. "Paco!"
Jackie, meanwhile, stood frozen, replaying Leiva's words in his mind. "The ninth mask?"
That can't be right. Three of the masks are still locked away in Section 13. That means Leiva only has two…
"Wait, no…" Jackie muttered to himself, a dreadful realization dawning on him. "Leiva's been missing for half a month. He must've been collecting the remaining masks during that time, and now he has at least four more!"
The pieces started to come together. "If Leiva says this is the ninth mask... that means…"
"Oh no! His target is Section 13!!"