"Now it's your turn!"
Gurd's entire body radiated waves of heat, his muscles bulging with veins as he fully entered combat mode.
Facing countless undead monsters, transforming into Groudon would easily leave him bogged down. The more agile human form was better suited for mobility.
To capture the rebels, first capture their leader!
Gurd grinned widely and shouted.
"Hey, I've got a question for you!"
"..."
Imu didn't respond, but showed no intention of attacking either.
Clearly permitting Gurd's question.
Gurd chuckled.
"Are you a man or a woman?"
"..."
Imu froze for a moment, her eyes instantly narrowing into triangular slits.
She was furious!
"Swish!"
Gurd's vision blurred abruptly as a black arrow suddenly shot toward his face at an unbelievable speed.
Not Gunko's arrow—it was the Demon's tail!
Gurd instinctively leaned back, the arrow whizzing past his face, the sheer force of the wind making his skin sting.
But the attack wasn't over. After missing, the tail swiftly changed direction, aiming straight for Gurd's heart this time!
Now prepared, Gurd's right arm sprouted a Shell, spreading out like a shield to block the incoming strike!
"Groudon's Shield!"
"Boom!"
The tail struck the shield, the terrifying force sending Gurd skidding backward, his feet carving a hundred-meter-long trench into the ground.
"Swish!"
The tail retracted.
Imu glared coldly at Gurd.
"Watch your tongue, mortal!"
"I know you're angry, but don't be so hasty."
Gurd rubbed his chin, evaluating with utmost seriousness. "I'm guessing you're a woman—and a very petty one at that!"
"..."
Imu raised her double-barreled shotgun.
"Bang!"
A dense spread of bullets engulfed Gurd!
"Rat-tat-tat-tat!"
Gurd tensed his muscles, the bullets bouncing harmlessly off his body as he continued his verbal assault.
"No denial? Guess I was right."
"..."
Imu's eyes burned with fury.
Without her command, the Nightmare Monsters all charged at Gurd, each attack shaking the earth.
Their exaggeratedly massive size was their greatest weapon.
Gurd darted swiftly through the horde of monsters, his gaze locked onto Imu hovering in the air, never wavering for a second.
She was currently in a possessed state, likely unable to use her full power, but her abilities were far too bizarre—getting hit even once would spell disaster.
Ivankov and Mori had their very minds twisted after turning into Demons!
"Too many monsters."
A colossal Skeleton warrior swung its massive blade down, while a dragon opened its maw and spewed Flame.
Many of the monsters wielded unique abilities.
"Authority Country!"
Gurd swung his greatsword, a cylindrical shockwave shattering the Skeleton warrior's skull before he leaped up, charging through the Flame toward the dragon!
"Clang!"
Gurd burst through the flames, his greatsword cleaving into the dragon's forehead!
"ROAR!!!"
The dragon collapsed with a wail!
But soon, the Skeleton soldier and the dragon rose again, their wounds regenerating rapidly. Already capable of infinite revival, they now possessed true immortality, making them even more troublesome.
"Endless."
Gurd jumped onto the dragon's back, sprinting along its spine before leaping onto another Nightmare Monster, closing the distance to Imu.
Fighting the Nightmare Monsters was pointless.
To stop the enemy, Imu had to be dealt with first.
Gurd leaped once more, raising his greatsword with both hands to strike down at Imu.
"Clang!"
The great sword clashed against the trident, erupting with black Conqueror's Haki lightning that ravaged everything around them.
Even the Nightmare Monsters couldn't get close!
Gurd gripped his massive sword tightly, glaring at Imu.
Imu returned the gaze coldly.
"You cannot kill Imu."
"That thorny old man shouted an 'Im' before he died. Is your name Imu?"
"..."
"Guessed right again."
Gurd grinned.
The next moment, an arrow-tipped tail shot toward his neck from the side!
"The same trick won't work twice!"
Gurd jerked his head to the side and bit down on the tail, his teeth turning black from Haki Coating as he tore into it viciously.
"Ugh!"
Imu's face paled. With her right hand, she blocked the great sword with her trident while her left hand swiftly opened toward Gurd.
A Magic Array materialized!
Then, pitch-black cannon barrels extended from the array!
Gurd's eyes flickered. Using the great sword for leverage, he leaped upward as cannonballs shot past beneath him, slamming into the Nightmare Monsters.
BOOM!!!
A blinding explosion!
Gurd flipped midair, landing behind Imu. Just as he was about to strike, Imu had already flashed away, reappearing dozens of meters away.
Her speed was terrifying!
"Wings?"
Gurd lost his footing and plummeted toward the ground.
Imu immediately flapped her Demon wings, diving toward Gurd at breakneck speed. Her trident ignited with Devil Fire as she thrust it toward his chest!
Confidence gleamed in her eyes.
Gurd sensed the danger!
Given Imu's Conqueror's Haki—stronger even than Kaido's—even if he transformed into his Groudon Form for defense, there was a chance he'd be pierced through.
Her Haki was too overwhelming!
But danger was also opportunity!
"Cliff Sword!"
A massive stone pillar erupted from the ground, surging upward at incredible speed!
Gurd adjusted his posture, landing precisely on the rapidly ascending pillar as he charged toward Imu above!
"Using the pillar as footing?!"
Imu was briefly stunned by Gurd's maneuver but didn't hesitate. Instead, she accelerated further.
Future Sight—activated!
In the vision of the future, her trident would pierce his body first!
Victory was hers!
Gurd stood atop the stone pillar. When the distance between them closed to within ten meters, a surge of Observation Haki enveloped his entire being.
"Block!"
He hadn't mastered Future Sight—not because he couldn't, but because he had no interest in it. That didn't mean he was unprepared.
By severing his connection to the world around him using Observation Haki, he could block an enemy's Future Sight, rewriting the future!
Simply put, it was a mental barrier that intercepted the enemy's next perception of his presence.
Ssshh—!
The trident grazed past his waist, carving a deep groove into his red armor—just a fraction deeper, and it would have pierced his body.
This was the first time someone had breached his defenses head-on.
But "almost" wasn't enough.
Gurd closed the distance, circling behind her in an instant. He stomped down on her back while seizing both of Imu's Demon wings with his hands.
"What?!"
Imu was stunned.
Her Future Sight had failed!
The next moment—agony!
RIIIP!
Her Demon wings were torn off violently, blood gushing like a fountain!
Imu crashed onto the pillar's peak, tumbling several times before stopping. Immediately after, sharp stone spikes impaled her hands and feet, pinning her in place.
Imu's gaze remained calm.
Gunko's body was too frail to bear the full extent of her power, and this descent had not been adequately prepared.
Failure was understandable.
The man's towering frame blocked out the sunlight.
Imu looked at Gurd, her gaze still unwavering.
"You cannot kill Imu."
"I know."
Gurd's smile was eerie.
The opponent was merely in a possessed state, and with an immortal body to boot. Trying to kill the true form far away in the Holy Land was nothing short of a fool's dream.
But it didn't matter if she couldn't be killed.
"If you want to escape, now's your chance."
"Are you looking down on Imu?"
Imu glared coldly at Gurd, clearly with no intention of fleeing. Once the Nightmare Monsters arrived to break the siege, she would be free, and her body would regenerate.
Losing one move didn't mean she had lost the war.
She could never lose!
"Keh keh keh, you brought this upon yourself."
Gurd grinned savagely, cracking his knuckles before lifting Imu—to her utter shock—and pinning her across his lap.
Imu sensed danger.
"What are you doing?!"
"Something universally enjoyable, of course!"
Since the flesh couldn't be destroyed, spiritual victory was the next best option!
Gurd raised his palm, crackling with dark Inazuma, and—under Imu's disbelieving stare—brought it down hard.
SMACK!!!
The drum suffered a devastating blow!
"AAAHHH!!!"
The woman's scream pierced the heavens!
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