Forgive me, Kuina ......

The stormy attack of Kuina stalled because she had lost the target in front of her eyes.

Whether visual nerve or Kenbunshoku Haki, unable to capture the other party's presence, like suddenly disappeared in this space in general.

Vanished in this space ... Kuina suddenly alerted, until now, Apophis seems to have not used his other ability with the swordsmanship.

Too late to overthink, a blade appeared out of nowhere in front of Kuina's eyes, the sharpness of the tip of the blade, in her pupil occupied by the expanding range, so that Kuina's eyes have kind of stinging feeling.

"Danger!" Kuina's forehead oozing beads of sweat, in this instant, the coordination of Kenbunshoku Haki and body to the extreme finally is in the final stage of the head back, barely deflected the target of the attack.

Almost the instant she was out of danger, Kuina held her sword up with both hands and counterattacked it smoothly.

Apophis's fact is too experienced in combat, not waiting for the blade to close in, jumped into the other dimension proactively.

Kuina spread out her Kenbunshoku Haki, capturing every fluctuation in the surrounding space.

This time, the place where Apophis appeared was directly above.

The blade pressed down, and Kuina raised her sword against it.

The shock wave visible to the naked eye stirred in all directions, with the ground where Kuina was standing as the center; the cracked ground spread rapidly like a spider web.

The next moment, Kuina was knocked out by the powerful force.

It has to be said there is indeed a vast gulf between the top battle power and those located below the top.

Even though Kuina was already extremely close to this level under several outbursts, the actual gap still existed.

"Damn! I still can't?" The more enraged she was, the clearer Kuina's mind became instead.

She clearly "knows" that Apophis provoked her, should be to test her strength so that she grows in anger, just like Apophis invited her father to fight, only strong enough to make a person of Apophis's level breakthrough themselves under pressure.

Otherwise, she did not believe that the legendary cold and stern Apophis would be a talkative and mouthy guy.

"The only thing I can rely on right now is the resonance with Nidai Kitetsu." Kuina, while dealing with the opponent's attack with difficulty, while sinking to think, "I have gotten Nidei Kitetsu not a short time ago, but never as smoothly as today."

"On the one hand, it's because I've made a new breakthrough in the level of swordsmanship under the pressure of death; on the other hand, perhaps it's because of facing Apophis, the former master."

According to the information known to Kuina, Apophis, after obtaining the meito sword named Ame no Habakiri, gave this one weapon out to his subordinates. Still, no strong person used the sword among the three Demon Gods under him, which also let Nidai Kitetsu, a weapon that once belonged to Goko, wholly reduced to a middle-level cadre's saber.

This situation is naturally an unacceptable shame for the Demon Sword, which is known for devouring its master with demonic evil.

Therefore, when facing the common enemy that is Apophis, it will have such a high resonance with Kuina.

After thinking about this, Kuina said in a deep voice to Nidai Kitetsu, "I can feel your anger and shame, if you also want to take revenge, please lend me all your power, please!"

The blade trembled lightly and emitted a humming sound.

The next moment, as if the dead aura that it had suppressed for countless years frantically gushed into Kuina's body, and the Demon God illusion behind it materialized out.

The powerful aura almost rendered the surrounding sky into a blood color.

"Huh? I really underestimated you a bit!" Apophis whispered, then slashed his sword across the front.

Kuina indifferently swung her sword forward, and the Demon God behind her followed suit as if the power of both had merged.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

With one blow, the whole island was split into pieces.

The shock wave's power was transmitted to the sea and instantly set off a hundred-meter-high wave, lapping the shore in wave after wave, causing the fish and shrimp sea animals in the surrounding waters to fall like rain.

Both of them flew backward almost simultaneously, but Kuina knew that she was still slightly at a disadvantage.

"Is this the power of Goko? It's already been strengthened countless times, but in the end, I can't even beat him!" Kuina secretly appalled at the same time, the more shocked in her heart about the strength of Longinus!

Although she had followed Longinus for a short time, she had never seen her teacher use his full strength, and it seemed that no matter what kind of opponent it was, it was just a dusty existence in front of her teacher.

After seeing the power of Apophis, she was even more puzzled; in the end, what kind of strength to make Apophis such a top battle power are sworn to follow to the death.

Kuina suddenly felt a little strange; why did Apophis not attack her?

Looking up, the previously fierce Apophis was now on one knee, one hand covering his chest, one hand on his sword, and even his body was trembling a bit.

"He was seriously injured by me?" This thought popped up in Kuina's mind, and then denied at the first time, "Impossible, the collision just now is clearly I am in the lower wind, even if I have to be injured, it should be me who is injured."

"Could it be that ... is a hidden wound left in the body?" When thinking of this, Kuina's eyes abruptly brightened up.

"Damn it! Why is it at this time ...," Apophis whispered, looking up at Kuina; his eyes not only did not retreat but instead, he became more and more fierce, "It seems that you must be dealt with as soon as possible to do so!"

The moment the words fell, Apophis disappeared from Kuina's sight.

"Not good!" Kuina, greatly alarmed in the heart, brings Kenbunshoku Haki to the extreme, swing Nidai Kitetsu, instinctively crossed the sword back to turn behind.

Boom!

A manic wave of air erupted, and both figures flew backward.

But the two did not pause, directly in mid-air to adjust their body shape, stepping on the air, in the most direct way to rush towards each other.

After experiencing these battles, Kuina also understands the truth. In this kind of top battle power confrontation, there can not be the slightest hesitation or retreat; if not fierce enough, it is destined to be eaten by others.

Therefore, it is presented on the island as a violent and vicious battle to the extreme. Every minute and every second, there is blood in the splash, unable to see the figures' trajectory as two red light collided violently in the sky, the island below the two is in just a few minutes experienced the whole process from the split to shattered.

Kuina's eyes have been dyed red with blood, and when she opened them, she could only see a world of blood and the tremendous force numbed her arms, so she could use her will to continue fighting.

"After all, is it time to lose?" As if to confirm Kuina's sigh, the next moment, she was thrown away by a slash and landed heavily on a larger broken slab.

Kuina did her best to stand up, and in her barely opened eyes, a shaky figure was approaching.

Kuina wanted to lift Nidai Kitetsu to continue to fight. Still, her arms are heavy as lead, it is difficult even to lift, also can not maintain the transformation long ago, she returned to her original form, she can only watch the figure in the world of blood approach.

Finally, Apophis arrived in front of her.

Just when Kuina closed her eyes and waited for death, she felt a big cold hand on top of her head.

"Forgive me, Kuina, this is the last time ..."

Bang!

It was the sound made by the body-slamming heavily on the ground.

She opened her eyes and saw Apophis fall in front of her body; Kuina was not happy or excited; there was only endless afraid.

"Just, the sound just now was ..." Kuina trembled and turned over the fallen body, unmasked, and what appeared in her eyes was a familiar yet unfamiliar face.

"A lie, right? Father should have died a long time ago!" Kuina's voice was hoarse, tears filled her eyes, and her right hand lifted as hard as it could to touch the face, but she was too afraid to put it down.

At that moment, an ocean breeze was blowing.

A ring rolled off the body of "Apophis", and then, the whole person was turned into ashes and scattered in the wind.

"No, no, don't, stay for me, stay for me!" Kuina was frantically swinging her hands, trying to catch the remnants of ash back.

But, in vain.

A few moments later, in front of Kuina's body has only clothes and masks left, everything before, as if it was a hallucination.

"Why? Why is it like this?" Kuina cried and punched the ground, "Who can tell me, why is this?"

Published in Qidian, September 27, 2019