"Open… system shop… exchange… Broken Edge!"
Even forming the thought nearly cost him his consciousness. As the words echoed in his mind, Natsume Yō felt himself teeter on death's edge.
Shlick!
A phantom sound—steel ripping through flesh, followed by a strangled cry. Then, sweet air rushed back into his lungs. His head cleared, vision stabilizing.
"Cough—! Huff, huff!""Damn… just one step away from dying right here!"
Dropping to his knees, Yō gasped like a drowning man pulled ashore. His lungs and skull screamed for oxygen. Sweat rained down his pale face.
"You little bastard!"
Clutching his bleeding chest, Umegawa Jōsuke charged with a roar. He hadn't expected the half-dead boy to suddenly strike with such a vicious, unpredictable move. If Yō hadn't been half-conscious, if Jōsuke hadn't reacted instantly… he'd already be a corpse.
Swish!
Yō barely had time to think. His fingers fished a kunai from his pouch—one wrapped with an explosive tag—and he hurled it.
"Explode!"
BOOM!
The blast lit up the earth, shockwaves rippling as choking smoke swallowed the clearing. Yō retreated immediately, wary of an ambush.
"Lightning Release — Ground Strike!"
A thunderous voice burst from the haze. Arcs of lightning raced across the soil, screaming toward Yō. The crackle alone made his scalp prickle.
"Wind Sword Technique!"
The perfect counter. Wind shears tore through the lightning, shredding it apart.
Shlick!
The follow-up gale blade scattered the smoke, carving open the clearing—but Jōsuke's figure was gone.
"Die, brat!"
The roar came from behind. Two kunai stabbed forward, fangs aiming for Yō's spine.
Clang!
But Yō had been waiting. He spun, blade intercepting the strike, forcing Jōsuke back. Using the recoil, he slid away, fingers flying through hand signs.
"Bind!"
"Damn it!"
For a heartbeat, Jōsuke froze—his body snagged by the Binding Technique. But he ripped free with brute force, muscles straining.
Yō only smirked. He never counted on it holding. All he needed… was a moment.
"Wind Release — Wind Cutter!"
Another blade of air screamed out, faster than thought. Jōsuke's eyes went wide—he hadn't expected the relentless follow-up.
Shlick!
Blood sprayed. A jagged gash ripped open his chest, staining the earth crimson.
"Bind!"
Yō's voice cracked like thunder as the jutsu hit again, locking Jōsuke mid-struggle. In that frozen second, Yō lunged in, kunai flashing.
The rogue's eyes bulged with horror as cold steel traced his throat.
Shlick!
Blood fountained. Jōsuke collapsed, eyes frozen wide as Natsume Yō—The Stray of Konoha—ended it in one stroke.