Chapter 187: Ch.187 I Still Like Your Defiant Nature
"A blade like yours cannot kill me!"
As the flames surged forward, their scorching heat almost tangible, Uchiha Shinji neither dodged nor flinched, and even the panicked look on his face moments earlier had disappeared.
Rengoku Kyojuro remained expressionless. Without any hesitation due to Shinji's words, his blade moved decisively and unwaveringly towards Uchiha Shinji.
In the distance, Sasuke reflexively closed his eyes, as if he couldn't bear to watch a fellow Uchiha, one with the Mangekyo Sharingan, get cut in half by the orange-haired swordsman.
Swish!
In just a split second, Rengoku's blade sliced through Shinji's body, entering from his left shoulder and exiting through his right waist, cutting Shinji into two.
Poof.
However, in that very moment, Shinji's bisected body vanished in a puff of white smoke.
It was clear that the Shinji who had been sliced in half under the protection of Susanoo Tomoshibi was nothing more than a shadow clone!
Rengoku paused only slightly, then raised his guard, brandishing his sword and scanning his surroundings cautiously.
Then, he noticed that the previously damaged part of Susanoo Tomoshibi had suddenly recovered.
Not only that, but Susanoo's extended arms plunged into the yellow sand beneath it, sealing off any escape route from below.
In an instant, Susanoo Tomoshibi, which was originally used to protect Shinji, had transformed into a prison, trapping Rengoku Kyojuro inside!
There was no doubt that Rengoku had fallen into Shinji's trap.
Given Shinji's cautious nature, it was impossible for him to enter the sandstorm personally. For someone wielding the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, summoning a Susanoo with a shadow clone was not a burden.
Throughout the battle, Shinji had refrained from revealing his real body and was instead using his clone to test Rengoku's strength.
Upon realizing that this Flame Pillar from the Demon Slayer world was not only incredibly fast but also immune to sunlight, Shinji immediately understood that conventional methods wouldn't suffice to defeat him. Therefore, he began planning to trap his opponent.
The turning point was when he discovered that Rengoku's attacks could actually damage Susanoo, even in its partial form.
After all, even in its partial form, Susanoo was an extraordinarily resilient defense. Only attacks on par with Tsunade's strength, Raikage's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, or Danzo's combination of Wind Release techniques could damage Susanoo at this level.
So, Shinji devised a clever ruse, feigning panic to lure Rengoku into breaking through Susanoo and coax him into entering its interior.
Once trapped within Susanoo, Rengoku's speed was useless, leaving Shinji to finish the battle at his leisure.
As for whether Rengoku could break free of Susanoo again, Shinji wasn't concerned in the slightest.
Rengoku's strikes couldn't shatter Susanoo in one blow; it required at least three powerful consecutive strikes in the same spot to create even a small opening.
But what Rengoku didn't know was that as long as Shinji had enough ocular power, he could repair Susanoo whenever he wanted. If he wished, he could even activate the full-bodied Susanoo right now, meaning Rengoku was stuck.
In an instant, the tide of the battle shifted dramatically!
From afar, Sasuke was just as taken aback.
Shinji's strategy was simple yet effective—he exploited Rengoku's unfamiliarity with the Mangekyo Sharingan, setting up a meticulous trap. As a fellow Uchiha, Sasuke quickly understood the ruse.
However, he had never imagined that the Mangekyo's Susanoo could be used in such a way. He mused to himself, "A's mastery of the Mangekyo Sharingan must surpass even that person's..."
On the battlefield, though he was trapped, Rengoku's expression remained unperturbed.
Swish!
Suddenly, the real Shinji emerged from the yellow sand in the distance.
Once he appeared, he wasted no words and immediately cast the dojutsu, Amaterasu, targeting Rengoku Kyojuro within Susanoo.
In just a blink, the black flames of Amaterasu descended upon Rengoku.
Rengoku shifted, narrowly evading the black flames of Amaterasu.
However, seeing the black flames ignite the sand beneath and spread rapidly, his previously composed face finally showed a hint of surprise.
Shinji slowly approached the imprisoned Rengoku within Susanoo, stating, "Your blade lacks killing intent."
In the confined space of Susanoo, Rengoku struggled to avoid the black flames that were spreading quickly, eventually finding himself cornered.
Shinji had already come near.
Only Susanoo stood between Shinji and Rengoku.
With a cold, detached expression, Shinji spoke to Rengoku: "Let me grant you release."
Instantly, the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan beneath Shinji's mask flared with an eerie light.
With his ocular power unleashed, the black flames inside Susanoo erupted, filling the interior and engulfing Rengoku's body completely.
Engulfed in the black flames of Amaterasu, Rengoku's body immediately began to char and blacken.
Although he could resist sunlight, he was defenseless against the searing black flames of Amaterasu. Within moments, his body began to disintegrate under the intense heat, eventually turning to ash, bit by bit.
No demon could withstand the black flames of Amaterasu!
And yet, from start to finish, Rengoku's face never showed fear or panic. It was as if, just as Shinji had said, he had been waiting for this release.
Shinji sighed, then simultaneously deactivated both Susanoo and Amaterasu.
Using Susanoo as a furnace to trap an opponent and burn them alive with Amaterasu was not something that an ordinary Mangekyo wielder could do.
It was important to note that the dojutsu Amaterasu could only be cast and extinguished, and once unleashed, it targeted without distinction between friend or foe. Only those who possessed the dojutsu, Kagutsuchi, could shape and control the black flames of Amaterasu!
Thus, while Rengoku was being burned by the black flames, Shinji's own Susanoo was also suffering the scorching effects.
Fortunately, he possessed the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, capable of enduring it!
By this time, Sasuke had also reached the battlefield. Staring at the remains of Rengoku among the yellow sand, he muttered, "A warrior of such strength... just... vanished like that?"
Shinji glanced at Sasuke. "What else did you expect?"
Sasuke instinctively took a step back, speaking respectfully, "You..."
Suddenly, Shinji laughed. "I still like you better when you're defiant."
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