Chapter 187 Standoff and Interaction

"We won...we won, waaaaaah!"

Kanao's tears fell in large drops. She had been unable to cry all along, even though she was sweating profusely and her sister Kanae's death had made her extremely sad and trembling. But for some reason, she cried this time, and the tears wouldn't stop.

Yuichiro watched, unsure how to comfort them, and even the usually carefree Inosuke began to cry. After a long while, the two calmed down a bit, and Yuichiro stepped forward and patted them on the shoulders.

"Let's go."

The moment the door was pushed open, the surroundings suddenly trembled. The three, who were already exhausted, lost their balance. Ichiro quickly pulled away Inosuke, who was almost injured by the spikes, and he grimaced in dissatisfaction.

"Who did this? There are traps everywhere."

He stepped forward to check, and after confirming there were no problems, waved to the two who were supporting each other. Just as they took a step, a loud 'crack' was heard, and the ground beneath Ichiro's feet split open. He reached out to grab the edge, but his stiff hand froze for a moment before he fell to the ground.

"Ichiro!!"/"Cook!"

Kanao and Inosuke rushed forward, but were a step too slow and watched each other fall.

——

Iwakatsu looked at Muichiro, his eyes slightly narrowed. He could indeed tell the difference between the two brothers at a glance. Yuichiro always looked like someone owed him money, while Muichiro, even when expressionless, had wider eyes, which made him look more adorable for a teenager.

What should I say?

Yan Sheng pondered inwardly, a sense of embarrassment and unease creeping into his heart. They had been silently facing each other for quite some time, an indescribable tension filling the air. Yan Sheng had already realized this was the place from the original story; he hadn't paid attention during practice, but now he recognized it.

He considered whether he should draw his sword to show his support, but seeing Muichiro's hand trembling slightly, he instantly dismissed the idea. The situation had unfolded so suddenly, and he hadn't even transformed into his six-eyed form; if the other party was acting this way, he'd better not cause any trouble.

"you……"

Iwakatsu's sudden words caused Muichiro to tense up instantly. Muichiro stared intently at Iwakatsu, every subtle movement and every breath tugging at his nerves. The aura emanating from Iwakatsu was like an invisible mountain, pressing down on Muichiro so much that he could hardly breathe.

At this moment, time seemed to stand still, and a delicate balance filled the air.

Upper Moon One.

Muichiro didn't believe he could handle this alone; his body instinctively resisted. Seeing the cold sweat pouring down Muichiro's back, Iwakatsu tilted his head, deciding to say something to break the suffocating silence.

“Ji Guoyan Sheng”.

"What?" The sudden voice caught Muichiro off guard, his gaze unexpectedly meeting hers. He stared blankly at Iwakatsu, whose golden eyes, etched with Upper Moon One, were as deep as an abyss, making it impossible for him to look away.

“That was my name, when I was a human being,” he said slowly. “And you are the descendant of the nation… which means I am your ancestor.”

Iwakatsu said calmly. He was now certain that Ichiro hadn't told his beloved younger brother, and the amount of information in Iwakatsu's words caught Muichiro off guard. Descendant? I'm actually his descendant? Upper Moon One? Doesn't that mean…

"You can control the Primordial Breath?!"

"..." Great, I've broken down.

Iwakatsu opened his mouth, his body reflexively radiating a dangerous aura. The sudden change instantly calmed Muichiro, his hand gripping the sword also becoming steady. He drew his Nichirin Blade, appearing in front of Iwakatsu in a flash, and swung the blade with a leg press.

"Breath of the Mist, Second Form, Yae Mist".

The mint-green Nichirin Blade traced graceful arcs through the air, unleashing a series of multi-hit combos that instantly enveloped the surroundings in a white mist. Iwakatsu's voice came from behind Muichiro, carrying a barely perceptible hint of approval. He gently stroked his chin, his gaze fixed on every movement and detail of his opponent.

"Xia...very good, excellent technique."

Iwakatsu initially wanted to stop the fight, but the moment he saw his opponent's move, he changed his mind. The experience was more interesting than reading the original story; it was quite entertaining.

Muichiro was startled by the sudden sound behind him. He quickly turned around, crouching low to the ground, maintaining a wary stance. He raised his Nichirin Blade again, aiming at Iwakatsu. However, Iwakatsu did not attack. Instead, he stood still, silently watching him with his golden eyes.

"Breath of the Mist, Form of Five, Sea of ​​Mist and Clouds".

Tiny slashes flew out rapidly like stars, instantly filling the surroundings with a dazzling array of colors, as if the entire space had been dyed with a dreamlike hue. Iwakatsu watched as Muichiro gradually enveloped him, dodging the attack with a quick movement. His hand instinctively touched the hilt of his sword as he looked at his opponent.

"Muichiro... he's quite impressive, his swordsmanship is so refined..."

Muichiro frowned, staring intently at Iwakatsu, somewhat surprised that he hadn't even touched the hem of the other's clothes. He suddenly realized that Iwakatsu seemed to know his name, which he hadn't mentioned. Puzzled, he quickly adjusted his stance, his body once again enveloped in a thick mist, preparing to launch a new attack.

"Breath of Mist, Seventh Form: Oboro!"

As Muichiro moved, he appeared and disappeared like a phantom in the mist, his blade slashing towards Iwakatsu with unpredictable speed. Iwakatsu looked at the dense mist surrounding him and dodged the blade the moment it was about to strike. After dodging for the third time, Iwakatsu finally understood the principle behind this move—to confuse the opponent by creating large differences in speed and then deliver a fatal blow in an instant.

"good…"

Before Yan Sheng could finish speaking, he suddenly flashed forward, instantly closing the distance to Muichiro and grabbing him. His arms and waist were encircled and he was lifted up. Muichiro didn't react in time, struggling but unable to break free.

"What are you doing! Let go of me! Let go!"

Muichiro tried to move, but his hand holding the Nichirin Blade was completely immobilized, and his legs kicked wildly in mid-air but he couldn't break free.

Damn, that's fast, it's not even in the same league.

"Quiet down."

Yan Sheng was helpless; they were making too much noise, and he couldn't do anything about it. He decided to take them to find Ichiro. Thinking this, he turned to leave, but just as he lifted his foot, he heard a loud bang, and a bullet flew by.

Yan Sheng naturally noticed, and after glancing at it, he vanished from his spot. Xuan Mi stared at the sudden emptiness in his vision, the voice coming from behind him, and the gun in his hand disappearing as well. He stiffly turned his head, and Yan Sheng's slightly lowered eyes appeared before him.

"Sneak attacks are not... appealing."

Yan Sheng looked down at him, holding Genmi's gun in one hand. He raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but observe it.

"This thing..." I've always wanted to play with it!