The ocean had gone strangely quiet.
The battle between the surviving World Martial Artist General and Mizuna had reached its limit.
The General floated above the water, surrounded by a deep crimson aura.
The blood that had previously been flowing from his wounds was no longer falling into the sea.
Instead—
It began turning into mist.
The red mist rose around his body and was slowly absorbed into his spiritual energy.
His wounds stopped bleeding.
His aura grew stronger.
The General looked at his hands.
"So this is it…"
The crimson energy moved through his body.
"My own blood…"
He clenched his fist.
"…has become my own power."
Mizuna watched silently from across the ocean.
The General suddenly raised one hand.
"Come."
The blood-red aura gathered around his arm.
Mizuna responded immediately.
She raised both hands.
The entire ocean behind her began moving.
ROOOOOOAR!
A gigantic wall of water rose into the sky.
It was so enormous that the General looked almost microscopic beside it.
Mizuna brought her hands forward.
"Go."
KRAAAAAASH!
The massive wave rushed toward him.
The General didn't move.
He simply raised his hand.
"Blood Art…"
The crimson mist concentrated around his palm.
"Blood Sword."
A weapon formed from his own blood.
He swung it.
SHIIIIING!
The blood weapon cut through the incoming wave.
The enormous wall of water split apart.
Water crashed down on both sides of him.
The General flew straight through the opening.
"Now it's my turn!"
He appeared in front of Mizuna.
She immediately created a water blade.
The General blocked it with his blood weapon.
CLANG!
Mizuna created another.
He dodged.
Another.
He ducked beneath it.
A giant water hammer appeared above him.
"Seriously?!"
He jumped aside.
BOOOOM!
The hammer smashed into the ocean.
The General counterattacked with a blood spear.
Mizuna surrounded herself with a rotating water shield.
BOOM!
The spear shattered against it.
Mizuna then formed several weapons from the surrounding water.
Swords.
Spears.
Chains.
Blades.
All of them rushed toward the General at once.
"That's a lot!"
He moved through them.
One passed beside his shoulder.
Another narrowly missed his leg.
He spun through the air and kicked away a water blade.
Then Mizuna appeared behind him.
The General turned.
Too late.
BOOOOM!
A powerful water strike sent him flying.
He recovered in mid-air.
"She's really strong…"
Mizuna raised her hand again.
The ocean responded instantly.
The General smiled.
"Then I'll finish this."
His crimson aura suddenly became much brighter.
Mizuna prepared another attack.
But instead of attacking her—
The General lowered his weapon.
"Blood Art…"
Mizuna paused.
"Nullify Manipulation."
A wave of crimson spiritual energy spread across the battlefield.
There was no explosion.
No destructive force.
No wound.
Nothing happened to Mizuna's body.
For a moment, she simply stood there.
Then—
Her red eyes began losing their unnatural glow.
The water surrounding her body started falling away.
Her gigantic Guardian form slowly disappeared.
Her enormous figure became smaller.
The water flowing through her hair dissolved.
Her clothes returned to normal.
And the red glow in her eyes vanished completely.
Mizuna's bangs slowly fell back over her eyes.
The confident Guardian who had commanded the entire ocean disappeared.
The shy Mizuna returned.
She looked around in confusion.
"...Where am I?"
The General smiled.
"It worked."
He lowered his hand.
"But that technique…"
His breathing became heavier.
"…I can only use it once."
Mizuna looked at him.
"What did you do?"
The General laughed weakly.
"Something I've never been able to do before."
He looked toward the ocean.
"That technique doesn't hurt anyone."
"It only breaks manipulation."
Mizuna slowly understood.
"You… brought me back?"
"Yeah."
The General's body suddenly lost strength.
His crimson aura disappeared.
His eyes closed.
"Looks like… that's enough…"
He began falling.
"Hey!"
Mizuna quickly moved through the air.
She caught him before he could fall into the ocean.
For a moment, she simply held him.
She looked at his unconscious face.
Then she blinked.
"...He looks…"
She became quiet.
"Handsome."
Her cheeks became slightly warm.
She quickly looked away.
"W-Why did I think that?!"
She created a platform of water beneath them and gently laid him down.
The General remained unconscious for a while.
Eventually—
His eyes opened.
"...Huh?"
He looked around.
Then he realized he was lying on Mizuna's lap.
His eyes widened.
"WAIT."
He immediately sat up.
"WHAT?!"
Mizuna jumped.
"Ah!"
The General moved away in embarrassment.
"R-right… okay…"
He covered his face.
"This is so embarrassing."
Mizuna looked at him.
"What?"
"I passed out…"
He pointed at himself.
"…and apparently slept on a girl's lap."
He shook his head dramatically.
"Absolutely embarrassing."
Mizuna became shy again.
The General looked at her.
"Hey, you."
Mizuna pointed at herself.
"M-Me?"
"Yes, you."
She looked away.
"...Yes?"
The General froze.
His heart suddenly started beating faster.
My God.
She's cute.
He stared at her for a second too long.
Mizuna tilted her head.
"Is something wrong?"
"N-No!"
He immediately looked away.
"I was just…"
He started mumbling.
"Your voice is… I mean, your hair… no, that's not what I meant…"
Mizuna watched him.
A tiny smile appeared on her face.
The General noticed.
"I…"
He sighed.
"I really don't know how to talk properly."
He scratched his head.
"Forget it."
Then he smiled.
"You know what?"
"What?"
"From now on…"
He pointed toward her.
"I'll call you Shy Girl."
Mizuna's face turned even more embarrassed.
"Shy Girl…?"
"Yep."
"That sounds…"
She hesitated.
"...embarrassing."
The General laughed.
"Then it's perfect."
Mizuna quietly smiled.
The General looked toward the distant battlefield.
"Come on."
He stood up.
"Let's head back to the main battlefield."
Mizuna hesitated.
Then she slowly reached for his hand.
The General looked at her hand.
Then at her face.
Mizuna looked away shyly.
"...Let's go."
The General smiled.
"Yeah."
Their hands met.
Mizuna activated her teleportation.
A bright blue light surrounded them.
WHOOSH!
The two disappeared from the ocean.
The Guardian battles were finally over.
The five sisters had been freed.
But now—
Everyone was returning to the main battlefield.
And waiting there was the real battle.
The battle between the Guardians…
and Leo and the others.
The Guardian Arc had ended.
The Main Battle was about to begin.
To Be Continued…