Though Thunder Tiger Penta Kill couldn't pursue the rapidly retreating Akaza due to its waning momentum, why didn't Horitake seize the moment to chase and finish him off?
Wasn't this the perfect chance to slay Akaza?
It wasn't that Horitake didn't want to press forward—he physically couldn't.
Unleashing Thunder Tiger Penta Kill had pushed his body beyond its limits, leaving him temporarily rigid.
This was unavoidable. Executing such an overtaxing technique came at a cost.
Across from him, Akaza, who had shot backward, also faltered.
He spat a mouthful of blood midair, crashing heavily to the ground.
His high speed caused him to tumble several times, bouncing like a stone skipping across water—falling, rising, falling, rising, falling again—five times before coming to a stop.
Lying on the ground, Akaza struggled to his feet.
Rising too quickly aggravated his wounds, and he coughed up another spray of blood! Clutching the horrific gash that nearly split his body in half, fear crept into his heart.
The wound was too deep, too long, ravaging his internal organs. Due to Horitake's lightning suppressing his regeneration, Akaza couldn't heal anytime soon!
Fortunately, as a demon—Upper Moon Three, no less—his vitality was absurdly resilient.
Even with such a grievous injury, Akaza wouldn't die.
But the thought filled him with dread.
The wound was deep, but not deep enough.
Had he not formed the aura shield in time, buying himself a fraction of a second to retreat less than half a meter, the consequences would've been unthinkable!
What consequences?
Without that shield, without that sliver of time, Horitake might have cleaved him in two! At best, his spine would've been severed!
Please—a severed spine, combined with lightning's suppression, would've crippled Akaza entirely!
But as it stood, Akaza retained a significant portion of his strength!
Standing, he raised his head, assessing Horitake's condition. With a twist, he realigned his fractured right arm, the bones—broken by impact, not lightning—knitting back together.
Meanwhile, Horitake's brief rigidity passed.
He looked up at Akaza, his expression complex.
To be so gravely wounded yet act as if nothing happened.
He recalled Akaza's performance moments ago. In a near-certain-death scenario, Akaza had minimized his damage with the perfect response!
Horitake couldn't help but praise, "Worthy of Third Brother… You might be even trickier than Douma."
His admiration wasn't baseless.
He recalled the original story's final battle, where Akaza, even after losing his head, transcended demonic limits, nearly becoming invincible.
Douma, by contrast, was helpless once beheaded.
Gazing at Akaza's blood-soaked lower body, Horitake sighed again. "You demons are truly unreasonable. Wounded like this, yet not only alive but still brimming with strength."
Akaza sneered at Horitake's words. "A pity Lord Muzan issued a kill order for you. Otherwise, I'd invite you to become a demon! You'd surely rank among the Upper Moons—maybe even Upper Moon One."
Horitake shook his head with a cold smile. "Thanks for the sentiment, Third Brother, but I've no interest in becoming a demon. I still want to bask in the sun, to live with my loved ones under its light."
His aura grew frigid, the smile fading into an expressionless mask. "Since your strength's taken a hit, Akaza, I can't let this chance slip."
Tiny purple arcs sparked across Horitake's body. "These next moves were meant for Kokushibo."
The arcs grew into streams of purple lightning. "But your valor, Akaza, exceeded my expectations. So I'll unveil them early—to send Third Brother off in style!"
Horitake's eyes snapped open, bright purple lightning flowing smoothly across his body. "Thunder Breathing: Third Form—Overlord State Activate!"
The shimmering purple lightning enveloped him, activating Overlord State. His attack, defense, speed, and agility surged to new heights!
Seeing Horitake's thunderous, godlike presence, Akaza instinctively sensed danger.
His ever-active Destructive Death: Compass Needle warned him: Horitake was now immensely perilous!
But demonic pride and martial honor forbade Akaza from bowing or fleeing!
His ferocity reignited, he stomped the ground. "Technique Deployment!"
With a hum, the twelve-pointed snowflake array reappeared beneath his feet!
His aura erupted in a torrential surge! Though it accelerated his bleeding, Akaza ignored it. He was ready to fight Horitake to the death!
Bright purple lightning coursed over Horitake, who, in Overlord State, unleashed his next move.
Searing purple lightning flowed from his arms to Radiance's blade, transforming it into a blazing purple thunderblade.
Wasn't this Thunder Slash?
No—far more than that.
Across from him, the desperate Akaza struck first! "Destructive Death: Final Form—Blue Silver Chaos Afterglow!"
This was Akaza's ultimate technique! Centering himself with Compass Needle, he unleashed hundreds of terrifying aura missiles in all directions, each infused with his fist's might, blindingly fast and devastatingly powerful—near impossible to defend!
This time, in his desperation, Akaza didn't scatter the missiles omnidirectionally.
He focused them forward, targeting Horitake, unleashing a relentless, chilling barrage that seemed to obliterate everything in its path!
Akaza's arms blurred into afterimages, hammering out Blue Silver Chaos Afterglow! "Die, Horitake!"
Horitake raised his head, calmly facing the onslaught.
The concentrated Blue Silver Chaos Afterglow was like facing a modern rocket barrage!
Worthy of Third Brother…
Muttering to himself, Horitake unleashed his newly developed technique. "Thunder Breathing: Twenty-First Form—Thunder Slash One Hundred Eight Flashes!"
His eyes blazed, lightning seeming to flicker in his pupils, his presence unyielding and inviolable!
Brandishing the Thunder Slash purple blade, he charged forward!
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