Shisui and Yamato suddenly appeared at the mouth of the cave, instantly shattering the tender, intimate moment of Miroku hugging Yue.
Both of their faces flushed red.
Even Yue—normally thick-skinned as iron—felt a little embarrassed.
"Yue, you're injured?"
The moment Shisui entered, he spotted the bandaged shoulder and spoke with concern.
"It's fine. Just a scratch."
"Looks like the enemy is even tougher than I expected…"
Shisui's expression grew grim.
"Actually… before Moryō launched his attack on the Land of Demons, he came to me personally. He wanted me to cooperate with him."
Miroku revealed the information calmly, showing she wasn't someone Moryō underestimated.
"I believe Miroku will definitely succeed at sealing Moryō,"
Yue said immediately.
After all, she was his woman now.
Of course he had to hype her up with a rainbow-colored compliment.
"Yue, are you sure you're okay? Should we rest before moving on?"
Shisui still looked worried.
"No need. I'm in peak condition. Let's move immediately—the later we go, the more the Land of Demons will suffer."
Now that the Land of Demons was basically his in-law's country, Yue had to say something righteous.
Besides, his chakra had already recovered halfway.
By the time they reached the Land of Swamps, he'd be nearly at full strength again.
Miroku heard his words, and her heart warmed—she understood exactly why Yue cared about her homeland.
Shisui sighed.
"Alright then. Yue, since you're hurt, let me carry Miroku for the rest of the way."
"Ah—NO! No need! I said I'm fine—I'll carry her! Say no more. Let's go!"
Yue panicked.
Miroku was his.
Even for a friend as close as Shisui, he absolutely wasn't going to let him carry her.
Such intimate contact?
Absolutely not.
Yue quickly hoisted Miroku onto his back and vanished from the spot.
Shisui stared after him helplessly.
Sometimes Yue said things he didn't understand and even acted oddly for no reason.
The party raced through forests, crossed mountains and rivers, and soon approached the border of the Land of Swamps.
The journey was silent.
Yue was fully alert, expecting at any moment another "justice from above" sneak attack from some hidden enemy.
Dying to a random ambush would be way too humiliating.
"Yue… the song you sang earlier—it was beautiful. Could you teach me someday?"
Miroku asked softly from his back after they stepped into the Land of Swamps.
"Mm. I know many beautiful songs. I'll sing them all for you—only for you."
"…Okay."
Her arms around his shoulders tightened slightly.
They crossed a bridge into a shrine complex—only to find the area surrounded by an army of black-armored warriors, standing motionless like terracotta soldiers.
Apparently, this was Moryō's lair.
"Don't bother with those things. Lots of them, but slow. We'll rush straight through."
As captain, Shisui gave the command.
The three of them ignored the sluggish shadow soldiers and slipped into the shrine's interior.
Beyond the shrine was a hidden passage leading into a vast underground chamber.
"Yomi, we have company," said a white-robed man.
Yomi sneered.
"So the Shura squad really got taken out… looks like these brats have some skill. Let's give them a warm welcome."
The two vanished instantly, preparing to ambush.
"BOOM!"
With a thunderous crash, Yomi and the robed man struck first.
"Yue, take Miroku and go ahead! Yamato and I will handle these two."
Shisui called out.
"Trying to run? Not happening!"
Yomi launched tentacles toward Yue and Miroku—
—but the moment they pierced the bodies, the images dissolved.
A genjutsu.
He had fallen for Shisui's illusion without noticing.
Yue continued carrying Miroku deeper until they reached the deepest chamber.
A man sat upon a throne-like seat.
Seeing Yue and Miroku arrive, he showed no surprise.
"So you've finally come," he said calmly.
Yue set Miroku down and stood in front of her, studying the man—
no doubt the final boss of this dungeon: Moryō.
And honestly… he had a pretty handsome villain design.
Moryō rose slowly.
"Must we be enemies?
Your power… combined with mine…
We could defeat the Five Great Nations and rule the world."
"No interest."
Miroku said firmly.
Yue felt his heart swell with pride.
That's my woman—so cool!
"Oppose me and you will die," Moryō replied calmly.
Dozens of black tentacles shot toward them.
Just as Yue prepared to defend, Miroku raised her left hand.
A violet barrier flared to life, blocking every tentacle.
Strange glowing sigils lit up under her feet as she formed hand seals.
A massive violet barrier formed around them, sealing them with Moryō inside.
She lifted her hand and her body rose into the air.
Several huge spheres of light materialized at her sides and fired beams toward Moryō.
Yue stared, mind blank.
"Holy—! 666! She's transforming into a magical girl!?"
The beams dissolved the tentacles instantly.
Miroku pressed both hands forward—
A gigantic pillar of light engulfed Moryō.
"AAHHHH!"
Moryō shrieked as the purification light burned through him.
A massive black mass burst from his mouth, shooting downward into the earth.
His physical body collapsed.
Moments later—
Black energy surged upward from below like giant tails—each tail glowing with the power of a tailed beast.
The floor beneath Yue shattered violently.
Yue grabbed Miroku and leapt downward with the falling debris.
Below them lay the enormous true body of Moryō.
"Hold on tight!"
They fell toward a landscape full of lava pits—exactly like Yue remembered from the film's final battle.
A massive black tail burst upward with lava.
Yue used a falling boulder as a stepping stone and flashed sideways with Body Flicker, holding Miroku tightly as he dodged the attacks.
Then all the black energy pillars converged toward them—
"Wood Release: Domed Wooden Shield!"
A massive wooden shield like a ring of fangs erupted from the ground, surrounding and protecting them in a 360-degree sphere—
Yue's strongest Wood-Style defense.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The barrage hammered the wooden dome, shaking it violently.
"Still holding… good."
Yue exhaled.
But the technique had eaten half his chakra.
One more like that and he'd be dry and waiting to die.
Yue began restoring chakra as fast as he could.
~------------------------------------
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