Chapter 113: Against The Incredible Deadly Techniques Of The Young Genius Ninja, Riven Holds His Ground!

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As the clones exploded into thick clouds of smoke, sharp shuriken flew toward him from every possible direction. Most of them bounced harmlessly off his hardened skin, yet a few found the small crevices between the plates of his armor where he was not completely protected.

He had already turned his skin into hard metallic iron, and the stacked power of several defensive skills should have left him completely invincible against physical attacks.

And yet...

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

Dozens of explosions suddenly engulfed him, covering his entire body in roaring flames, freezing ice, and crackling lightning. His armor hardened for a brief moment before it began to crack and fall away from his skin in large pieces.

"Oh? This is..."

Hanzo’s descendant appeared on the ceiling in just a split second, smiling down at Riven with open pride and pure joy.

"You’re not the first one I’ve faced with seemingly ’impenetrable’ defenses!" he laughed loudly. "I’ve fought all manner of armored beasts before. From Adamantoise to Mithril Armored Bears, and many other monstrous creatures that roam the clan’s forest!"

"Is that so?" Riven wondered calmly.

"A mixture of rapid temperature changes can make even the hardest metals gain cracks and eventually break apart!" the young ninja continued with laughter. "My shuriken aren’t quite like the ones you know, Riven!"

The young ninja leaped toward Riven without hesitation, unsheathing a pair of long katana and swinging them together in perfect harmony. Black petals danced wildly around him as the image of a full moon surged into existence behind his back.

"Kishin Enbu – Demon-God Waltz!"

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

Riven was fully prepared. He intercepted the dozens of rapid attacks with his pair of massive swords, unleashing his own techniques at incredible speed that almost matched the ninja himself.

He followed immediately with Abyssal Assault, Blade of a Thousand Venoms, Assassination Shadow Blade, and combined them all together with Netherworld King Swordsmanship.

His powerful attacks intercepted the ninja’s strikes with incredible dexterity. Potent blows aimed at his neck were blocked seamlessly while the two men moved freely across the walls, the ceiling, and even through the shadows themselves.

"Hah! Hahahaha!"

The young ninja laughed more and more as Riven continued to surprise him with every exchange. He quickly infused his katanas with dense cursed energy and sent them flying toward Riven like living weapons.

"Awaken, Cursed Blades, Masa-Mune!"

The swords exuded thick waves of dark energy and transformed into a pair of monstrous spectral samurai that charged at Riven from left and right at the same time.

It turned out these were the ninja’s personal familiars.

SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!

CLASH! CLASH! CLASH!

Riven rapidly avoided the deadly and lethal cutting attacks that cleaved apart the surrounding walls and nearby rooms, causing entire storage areas to collapse under the force of exploding cursed sword energy.

"Hahahaha! Here I come, American!"

Kagehisa laughed wildly as he reached Riven’s back in a single second, moving through a trail of black petals. His demonic spear shot forward and aimed straight for Riven’s spine!

CLASH!

"Hah! I got you! You’re still too big and too slow— Eh?"

To his complete shock, Riven had deliberately dropped from his previous position and caught Kagehisa’s spear just as it barely missed his spine, instead piercing deep into his armpit.

"I got you, kid. And I am not letting go!"

"L-Let go of my clan’s precious treasure, you damn— HAH?!"

Kagehisa screamed in disbelief as Riven lifted the entire spear by its blade alone, shocking him even further with the display of raw strength.

Then, with all his power, Riven swung the spear and the ninja still attached to it against the nearest wall.

CRAAASH!

The young ninja, refusing to release his demonic spear no matter what, was smashed hard against the stone. He vomited a thick mouthful of blood before Riven finally let go and immediately followed up with a series of relentless Abyssal Assault attacks.

Slashing blows and massive fists reached Kagehisa from every possible angle without pause.

"?!"

To the ninja’s incredible senses, the onslaught felt almost...

Like a natural disaster!

A massive wave of pure darkness surged from every single direction at once, attacking him before he could even prepare his next move.

"D-Damn it!"

He blocked the blows with incredible dexterity and amazing footwork, calling back his two blades that had been stuck in the walls after Riven kicked them away. He swung them furiously while throwing his spear toward Riven again after infusing it with spiritual energy.

"Secret Weapon Onslaught!"

All three weapons attacked Riven from every angle at once. Explosions of cursed spiritual energy erupted constantly and began to overwhelm him!

CRASH!

CRASH!

CRASH!

He defended by placing both arms forward and crossing them in front of his head as he was pushed back over and over. Deep slashing gashes rapidly covered his arms and chest.

"Hahahaha! I got you!"

Kagehisa laughed triumphantly and refused to let go of his momentum. He immediately began forming rapid hand signs and unleashed a series of ninjutsu techniques one after another.

"Sainen-ji Sanctuary!"

FLUOSH!

A domain-like illusion technique unfolded within a split second.

"Who do you think you are?! Do you truly believe you can even face the Hattori Clan’s greatest genius?! Take this, Riven Claymore!"

TRUUUM!

"?! A domain...!"

Riven was unable to stop the technique in time and was quickly dragged into another "world" made entirely of spiritual energy.

Kagehisa smiled as he stood atop a high tower and looked down from above. The battlefield had completely changed into the dark outskirts of the mountains of Japan.

It was night. The stars shone clearly in the sky while a blood-red moon gazed down at Riven with a menacing presence.

At the same time, behind Riven stood a phantasmal temple that exuded deadly spiritual and cursed energy — a perfect recreation of the ancient Sainen-ji Temple.

Within this zone he immediately felt his senses becoming duller and his strength beginning to wane under the heavy pressure.

"I see," Riven said while calmly looking around at the new environment. "I knew you were an amazing ninja, but to think you’ve mastered Spiritual Arts to the point of summoning your own Spiritual Terrain, a true Domain!"

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