Blazing flames engulfed Barladi.
Griffin, who had been spinning rapidly, came to an abrupt halt mid-air. Treading on the atmosphere, he ascended higher while swiftly forming hand seals with his fingers.
Having anticipated situations requiring hand seals, he had never ceased training his speed over the years.
Unfortunately, speed alone wasn't enough—effective hand seals demanded precise Chakra control. With Griffin's current level of Chakra control, five seals per second was his absolute limit.
Click—
As the final seal fell into place, Griffin roared:
"Ice Release: Six-Staff Ice Prison!"
There was no real need to vocalize Ninjutsu activation, but...
Don't you shout when playing a bomb card in a game?
...
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Six massive pillars of ice erupted from the sea, originating from the epicenter of the fiercest flames.
The instant they formed, the ice pillars tilted inward and extended icy mirrors, coalescing into an enclosed hexagonal prison.
"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!"
Trapped within the narrow confines of the ice walls, the flames transformed into a crimson vortex, continuously scorching the inner surfaces. The conflicting pressures of ice and fire caused the air to rumble with low reverberations.
Barladi's agonized screams echoed within, gradually compressed by the alternating torment of ice and fire into low, guttural moans.
Shut the door to beat the dog, light the fire in the cage—a timeless tactic.
...
Griffin retreated to Kuma's side, casually seating himself on the giant's shoulder while catching his breath.
Kuma extended his palm: "If it's fatigue, I can push it out for you."
The terrifying aspect of the Paw-Paw Fruit ability was that it could repel not just physical objects, but even intangible concepts like 'fatigue' and 'injuries'.
Others might question Griffin about his unusual abilities, but Kuma wasn't the type to pry into others' secrets.
...
Shaking his head, Griffin watched Barladi crashing about within the fiery ice prison: "Just some ability overuse, nothing serious."
The conventional ninja combat approach involved intelligence gathering, tactical traps, and seeking one-hit kills after spotting openings—not opening with large-scale Ninjutsu.
Different worlds required different tactics. What worked against glass-cannon ninjas proved ineffective against people from this world.
Their powerful physiques allowed for greater margin of error. When combatants were closely matched, victory typically came down to endurance battles.
...
BOOM!!!!!
A thunderous explosion echoed across the sea as Barladi's massive form shattered the ice prison. His body was covered in severe burns, some still smoldering, presenting a horrifying sight.
"Truly... a monstrous physique."
The tomoe in Griffin's Sharingan swirled as he analyzed Barladi's condition, unable to contain his amazement.
This guy had already exhausted eighty to ninety percent of his stamina fighting Kuma, approaching the execution threshold.
That's why he'd tried to play friendly, attempting to psychologically delay Kuma's assault.
...
Even so, Griffin's strongest physical attacks still couldn't finish him off.
His entire combo had only managed to lower the execution threshold slightly for the already severely wounded man.
And this was just a Makapaka Tribe member with Giant bloodline—their physical prowess was already this formidable.
At age five, she single-handedly killed a giant and was hailed as the Iron Balloon—Big Mom. And then there's Kaido, known as the strongest creature on land, sea, and air. Just how absurdly thick must their health bars be...
Right now... I'm still far from reaching the level of the top-tier powerhouses on the seas.
...
A person's mindset and character are largely influenced by their physical state. The simplest example is that when one's body is unwell, their mood won't be good either.
The Uchiha bloodline inevitably affects Griffin—arrogance, for instance.
This isn't to say Griffin has been possessed, but rather that his body, soul, bloodline, experiences, and insights have collectively shaped who he is now.
After receiving the reward and experiencing an instant surge in strength, Griffin committed the same mistake all Uchiha—or rather, the vast majority of people—would make.
I've just leveled up and strengthened! How unsatisfying would it be if I didn't show off a little!
...
Still, compared to a certain "Sunny Boy," he retained some self-awareness.
As the most fragile damage-dealer on the field, if his combo didn't finish off the enemy, he needed to quickly retreat to his team's carry.
Ignoring the flames burning on his body and his worsening injuries, Barladi didn't choose to flee but instead moved closer to where Kuma was.
He looked at Griffin and continued asking, "How is Saint Luo... doing?"
"Dead."
Griffin spoke indifferently.
"You're called Barladi, right? I overheard what you said."
"If you believe serving the Celestial Dragons is such an honor, why not kill yourself and join your master?"
"Or perhaps... deep down, you know you never truly wanted to pledge loyalty to the Celestial Dragons. You've just been hypnotizing yourself to survive."
"There's a technical term for that back in my homeland—some kind of syndrome, where victims develop emotional attachment to their abusers under extreme circumstances."
"I'm not blaming you. It's a biological survival instinct."
Griffin chuckled lightly, stretching out his hand as he watched Barladi draw nearer, his eyes seeping with a chilling Eye Power.
"Submit to your instincts once more. There's no shame in it."
"Swear allegiance to me—for your fallen comrades, for a future of freedom."
Step...
Step...
Barladi drew closer and closer.
Kuma watched him with a complicated gaze, eventually letting out a soft sigh.
He couldn't bring himself to kill Barladi.
Not just because of his inherently kind nature, but also because... this might be his last clansman left.
Even if Barladi was responsible for Ginny's death, even if he...
He simply couldn't do it.
If Barladi could turn back from his misguided path, Kuma was willing to forgive him.
...
Very close now.
Less than ten meters away.
Barladi lifted his head, his horrifically disfigured face breaking into a radiant smile.
"Mr. Griffin, wasn't it you who gave me this new name..."
"Chrysanthemum."
"Pure and beautiful loyalty. Did you know... in all these years, Saint Luo never once called me by my name."
"But in just these past two days, he said it seventeen times."
"Maybe you're right... but I don't want to make another choice anymore. It's enough..."
"To wither away as 'Chrysanthemum'—that's the best ending I could ask for."
Crack—
In an instant, bones cracked and roared!
Barladi transformed into what seemed like a black lightning bolt, channeling everything into his fist as he launched a ferocious assault toward Griffin!!
Griffin remained motionless, his face as calm as still water, as if he hadn't reacted.
"NO!!"
Kuma roared, his palm instinctively thrusting forward, releasing a powerful shockwave that slammed into Barladi.
BOOM!!!
Blinding white light engulfed him.
...
...
When the radiance faded, Barladi's body fell like wild grass in windless air.
Kuma stepped forward and caught his broken form, feeling the fading life force with trembling hands. His emotions were too complex for words.
He could forgive Barladi, yet couldn't quite call it regret...
What was wrong was...
His first instinct should have been to slap Barladi away to protect Mr. Griffin—so why had he used a shockwave instead?
"I influenced your judgment."
From Kuma's shoulder, Griffin spoke calmly, the crimson fading from his eyes.
Just now... he had used the Sharingan to interfere with Kuma.