Chapter 24: Blood-Slaying Extreme Shadow

"You are the first opponent besides my father to push me into such a wretched state."

A trickle of blood spilled from Aki-moto Rei's lips. He reached up with his left hand to wipe it away, his gaze complex as he looked at Kuroha Itsuki. The languor and disdain that had defined his expression until now finally vanished.

"You are not the first."

Kuroha Itsuki replied coldly, his words heavy with hidden meaning.

Not the first what?

To the ever-arrogant Aki-moto Rei, the statement took on a peculiar weight.

"Arrogant. Truly wild. But you have the capital to be arrogant."

Aki-moto Rei laughed aloud. In just three quarters of an hour, Kuroha Itsuki had progressed from a fighter who only knew how to hack and slash to one who could perfectly mimic his "Ghost Blade" technique.

When one genius meets another, a violent collision is inevitable.

"I wonder, can you truly mimic everything?"

Aki-moto Rei smeared the blood he had just wiped from his lips onto the edge of his blade. He grinned, revealing blood-stained teeth, his eyes burning with madness.

"Mimic?"
"What does that mean?"
"Is it possible that the 'Ghost Blade' Kuroha Itsuki just used was something he copied on the spot?"
"No way, how could that be possible?"

Aki-moto Rei's words sent the disciples on both sides of the arena into an uproar.

"What is the background of this Kuroha Itsuki? Why does he know my secret technique?"

Aki-moto Ya frowned as he watched Inoue Izumi, who was leisurely sipping tea nearby. His tone betrayed his dissatisfaction; his own unique, secret technique had been performed by a mere brat from the Koga clan, a reality he found impossible to accept.

"He is my successor."

Inoue Izumi watched Kuroha Itsuki on the stage, as if seeing his younger self, just as full of spirit and vitality. Memories flooded back, reminding him of when he and Aki-moto Ya were just like the two young men on the stage.

"Wait, he’s using a forbidden technique."

Inoue Izumi slammed his hand on the table, preparing to stand and intervene.

"Izumi, are you intending to attack a member of the younger generation?"

Aki-moto Ya placed his hand over Inoue Izumi’s, simultaneously releasing his own pressure. The implication was clear: if you move, I move.

"This move is also one you taught him yourself, isn't it?"

Inoue Izumi snorted coldly and sat back down. It was not fear that held him back, but a desire not to escalate the tension between the Iga and Koga clans. If he insisted on intervening, Aki-moto Ya would follow suit, and a clash between the two masters might ignite a full-scale war between Iga and Koga.

Although the Iga clan held a slight edge in overall strength, the cost of victory would be devastating, potentially leading to their removal from the world's top assassin organization rankings. This was the reason the relationship between Koga and Iga remained so delicate.

Inoue Izumi sat down. He did not need to consider his own safety, but as the leader of Iga, he had to consider the lives of his people.

"Blood-Slaying Extreme Shadow."

With his own blood staining the katana, Aki-moto Rei performed a series of eerie maneuvers. His speed was extreme, and in a flash, the silver blade turned blood-red, radiating a pungent, visceral scent as he transformed into a red blur and lunged at Kuroha Itsuki.

Kuroha Itsuki sliced his own finger with his blade, mirroring the action, smearing the blood onto his steel. His mind raced, deconstructing Aki-moto Rei's movements while desperately trying to replicate them.

Aki-moto Rei’s movements were too fast, his technique too bizarre. Before Kuroha Itsuki could complete his form, the blade was already upon him.

"Boom."

Kuroha Itsuki felt his ears ring violently. His vision went black, then flashed bright, and everything he saw turned a deep, visceral red.

Beneath his feet was a river of blood. The people around the stage were all spurting blood from their bodies. The pungent, metallic stench made him feel nauseous.

Dizziness consumed him.

Blood began to rain from the sky. The downpour intensified, falling in sheets as if the heavens were pouring blood onto the earth. Kuroha Itsuki was surrounded by flowing gore, his vision completely obscured.

"Hum."

A sword burst from the sea of blood, thrusting toward him.

"Clang."

Enduring the headache and vertigo, Kuroha Itsuki blocked the strike based solely on instinct.

A red, blood-drenched figure darted from one waterfall of blood into another.

"Ah—"

Kuroha Itsuki roared, trying to shake off the pain, but found his head throbbing worse and his consciousness blurring.

A familiar figure appeared in the reflection of the blood waterfall. It was a woman.

Who is she?
Why does she feel so familiar?
Do I know her?
Why can’t I remember?
Ah, my head hurts so much—

"Ah—"

Kuroha Itsuki swung his katana wildly, charging into a waterfall of blood only to emerge from another.

"My head—why, why, why can't I remember!"

"Clatter."

The katana fell from his hand. He clutched his head and collapsed to his knees, repeatedly slamming his forehead against the ground. Blood flowed from the wounds he inflicted upon himself.

"Kuroha!"

In the stands, Inoue Izumi saw Kuroha Itsuki suddenly collapse and cease all resistance, engaging in self-mutilation. He realized the boy had fallen victim to the forbidden technique, trapped within the illusion of the "Blood-Slaying Extreme Shadow."

"Now is the time!"

Aki-moto Ya smiled cruelly. This was the perfect opportunity to cut down Kuroha Itsuki. If the boy really had learned his secret technique on the fly, such a genius could never be allowed to survive!

The spectators below were stunned. They did not understand what had happened or why Kuroha Itsuki had suddenly broken down, behaving like a madman and harming himself.

Aki-moto Rei, standing nearby, gripped his blood-stained silver katana and lunged toward Kuroha Itsuki.

In Kuroha Itsuki’s world, a blood-red figure, wielding a blood-red blade, was thrusting toward him. He wanted to resist, yet he felt no desire to fight back. He was in agony, extreme agony. At this moment, he even wished for the blade to pierce his body quickly, to put an end to his suffering.

"Hum."

A lock of Kuroha Itsuki’s hair fell to the ground, scattering in the wind.

"It seems you are also just a pawn."

Aki-moto Rei’s blade stopped mere millimeters from Kuroha Itsuki’s scalp. He cast a light glance toward Inoue Izumi in the VIP seating. Such a genius was about to be executed before his eyes, yet the man remained indifferent—exactly like his own cold-blooded father.

Just a moment ago, he had seen a flicker of something in Kuroha Itsuki’s eyes, an emotion a cold-blooded assassin should not possess.

And that was an emotion he, too, harbored.

Both were geniuses, sharing a mutual sympathy. Both were pawns, nursing the same inner resentment.

Aki-moto Rei withdrew his blade. He did not take Kuroha Itsuki’s life; instead, he stepped forward and kicked the boy hard, sending him flying off the stage.

The moment Kuroha Itsuki was kicked off the stage, everything returned to normal, and he was back in reality.

He collapsed beneath the platform, clutching his chest and gasping for air.

The members of Iga finally reacted, rushing to Kuroha Itsuki’s side to protect him. They had witnessed his talent firsthand; such a prodigy was invaluable to Iga’s future. To prevent further attacks from Aki-moto Rei, they shielded him, and those closest helped him to his feet.

"Rei!"

Aki-moto Ya was shocked and deeply dissatisfied that Aki-moto Rei had not finished him off. He slammed the table and gave his son a subtle look, signaling him to finish the job. A genius like that remaining in Iga was a direct threat to Koga.

"The match is over. Kuroha Itsuki has lost. The winner is Koga."

Inoue Izumi stood up. There was no need for silence now. He openly admitted Iga's defeat and walked quickly toward the group guarding Kuroha Itsuki.

As the Iga disciples saw their leader approaching, they cleared a path. With the leader present, Aki-moto Rei could not strike again.

Inoue Izumi reached Kuroha Itsuki, crouched down, and touched his forehead. He rolled up the boy's sleeve and placed his index and middle fingers on his pulse to check for internal injuries.

"Master, I saw a woman just now. Who is she? She feels so familiar."

Kuroha Itsuki looked at Inoue Izumi, biting his pale lips, his voice weak.

Inoue Izumi’s brow furrowed slightly upon hearing this. Could he have remembered something?

"Don't think about it for now. Focus on healing your wounds."

Inoue Izumi remained silent for a moment, speaking calmly as he examined the injuries.

Perhaps the forbidden technique Aki-moto Rei had used had forced him to see images buried in his subconscious.

It seems, he thought, that the seal will need to be reinforced.