The entire space was filled with an intricate web of silk threads—countless, razor-sharp, and nearly indestructible.
Once trapped, an enemy's fate was sealed.
A simple flick of the finger, and the threads would slice through flesh without resistance. A single mistake, and one's head could be severed instantly.
Sakuragi shuddered at the sheer precision and lethality of it all.
Then, suddenly, his eyes lit up with excitement.
"Sakiya! Chief! Supreme Leader! I want to learn this!!"
Seeing him so eager, Sakiya grinned, stood on her toes, and patted his head as if rewarding a loyal subordinate.
Her eyes curved into mischievous crescents.
"Hmph~ As expected of the 'Final Demon'! The organization will definitely consider you for the next promotion."
"Uh…"
Sakuragi froze.
His face turned red. His whole body stiffened.
[This is so embarrassing!!]
The rest of the group stared in silence.
The scene felt… off.
Sakuragi was much taller than Sakiya, yet here she was, standing on her toes, patting his head like he was a child.
It looked ridiculous.
Chihiro snorted, trying to hold back her laughter.
Ino… wasn't sure how to react.
[Wait, so this 'death pact' organization has promotions based on sucking up to the boss?]
Meanwhile, Tsuchiya Tsukigami's eyes burned with jealousy.
[Wait… I want a head pat too!!]
Sakiya didn't let Sakuragi stay embarrassed for long before continuing her explanation.
"Ahem, back to the point. To learn this technique, you first need to understand the basics of puppet techniques—specifically, the Chakra Threads."
"Chakra Threads?" Sakuragi repeated, intrigued.
Sakiya nodded. "Once you get stronger, you'll be able to replace these steel wires with Chakra Threads entirely. But for now, you'll need to find the right kind of thread—**reinforced steel wire, for example—**and combine it with your precise chakra control. That's when this technique will truly shine!"
With a proud smirk, she pulled out a coil of steel wire. "I'll demonstrate."
She stepped lightly, and—
Ding—
The magic circle beneath them rippled like water.
In an instant, the illusionary battlefield faded, returning everything to normal.
Sakiya's expression hardened as she stared forward.
"Divine Shot—First Thread!"
With a flick of her fingers—
Boom!
The steel wire shot forward, piercing straight through a wooden target in the distance.
"This is the Divine Shot Thread."
She didn't stop there. With another sharp movement, she whipped the steel wire in her hands, weaving through the air at high speed.
"Dance of the Ropes—Heavenly Silk!"
Moving swiftly across the field, she spun and maneuvered, creating an intricate web of razor-sharp wires in a matter of seconds. The steel threads crisscrossed the entire training ground, glinting under the light with an eerie beauty.
It was stunning.
It was also terrifying.
Then, with one final leap, Sakiya landed outside the webbed area—holding the core thread in her grasp.
Her chakra flared.
She pulled.
"Taboo—Death Cutting Field!"
SHING—!
In an instant, the wires snapped back together like a closing trap.
Everything caught inside—the wooden targets, the training dummies—were sliced to pieces.
Sakuragi's jaw dropped.
The others were frozen in shock.
Sakiya simply dusted off her hands and smirked.
"Hmph. That was just the basics," she said casually. "You can enhance the wires by infusing them with different elements—lightning, fire, wind... the cutting power will be even greater."
She raised her hand again, wrapping steel wires around her wrists and ankles before taking a poised stance.
"And this…" she said, closing her eyes,
"…is the Scarlet Dance—Death Lotus."
She moved.
Each step, each turn, each graceful motion of her dance sent silk threads whipping through the air.
She was elegant. Deadly. Unstoppable.
Chihiro and Ino watched, completely mesmerized.
They imagined it—
Sakiya dancing across the battlefield, her enemies falling one by one as her threads carved through them like a graceful executioner.
A dance of death.
A performance of scarlet beauty.
"Too cool…!"
Both of them felt a surge of excitement.
But deep down, they also knew—
This level of control was beyond them.
Sakuragi was already picturing himself using the technique in the future, grinning as he watched Sakiya's elegant movements.
"This is perfect! It's made for me!"
Sakiya stopped her dance, the silk threads around the field settling into a dense web. She looked down at the now empty strands in her hands, her expression slightly disappointed.
"That ended too fast."
With a flick of her wrist, she gathered the steel wires back into a tight bundle. Then, blinking thoughtfully, she turned to Sakuragi.
"Well, that's the gist of it. Here, I'll give you these wires."
Sakuragi stared at the tangled mess she handed him, looking completely overwhelmed.
"This…?"
Sakiya clapped a hand on his shoulder, her voice full of exaggerated encouragement.
"Work hard, and master this technique! I'll make sure you get promoted."
Sakuragi looked at the wires, then back at her, his excitement fading into despair.
"…How am I supposed to do this…?"
Sakiya gave him another firm pat on the shoulder, pretending to be an elder passing down wisdom.
"Well, let's start simple. First, practice Chakra Threads."
And just like that, Sakuragi was left to figure things out alone.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines...
Tsuchiya Tsukigami couldn't wait any longer.
Eyes shining, he turned to Sakiya expectantly.
Sakiya studied him carefully, tilting her head in thought.
Tsuchiya held his breath.
[What kind of cool technique will I get?]
After a long pause, Sakiya sighed.
"Hmmm… You don't have any particular strengths. No big weaknesses either… Just very average. This is tricky."
Tsuchiya froze.
Sakiya tapped her head with her finger, clearly deep in thought. Then, with a decisive nod, she said:
"Well, I'll teach you a really strong fire technique. You seem to use Fireball Jutsu a lot."
Tsuchiya blinked.
"…Just Fireball? That's it?"
Sakiya shrugged. "I mean, if you had exceptional chakra control or huge chakra reserves, I'd have something way flashier. But…"
She trailed off, giving him a meaningful look.
Tsuchiya glanced down at himself, suddenly feeling like the most unremarkable person in the world.
"…I'm just… average?"
Seeing his disappointment, Chihiro walked over and gave him a reassuring pat on the back.
"Hey, don't worry! You don't even know what kind of Fire Jutsu it is yet. Maybe it's super cool!"
Sakiya smirked, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
"Of course, it's cool. All of my techniques are the perfect blend of power and spectacle!"
She turned to the empty field, her expression sharpening.
"Watch closely!"
Her eyes flashed.
She raised her hand, aiming towards the distant trees.
A glowing red circle formed beneath her feet, pulsing with heat.
A fiery halo flared around her.
"Blacker than black, darker than darkness… this is my true crimson light!"
The magic circle beneath her spun faster, flames rising like liquid glass.
"When the time of awakening arrives, the chaotic principles of the void will manifest as destruction itself!"
A series of glowing circles stacked in front of her outstretched hand, forming a tunnel of energy.
"Burn! Burn! Burn!
By the strength of my will, I command destruction—a power beyond compare!"
Heat shimmered in the air.
The ground beneath her cracked.
Chakra surged around her as her right eye flashed red.
"Inferno Spiral!"
A blinding light erupted from her hands.
The others barely had time to react.
A fireball the size of a small sun shot forward at unbelievable speed.
It vanished into the forest.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then—
BOOM.
A massive explosion tore through the woods, sending a wave of heat crashing outward.
A shockwave rippled through the ground.
The sky turned orange.
The force of the blast hit them seconds later, sending dust and wind rushing towards them.
Chihiro and Ino's eyes went wide.
"Wait…"
"…Is that a shockwave!?"
Panic hit.
"RUN!!"
_________
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