Chapter 44: Blood Star Explosion!

The Kusagakure ninja's face flushed with excitement upon witnessing this scene!

Even though he was human, and even though these monsters ate people and would eventually eat him too, at this moment, he felt immense satisfaction!

So what if he had to betray humanity to survive? He would sell out everyone if it meant staying alive.

Even if he had to die, he wanted to be the last human to die!

Terrifying.

The mindset of such a person was truly terrifying. Some people are born to kneel, without any backbone—what can you do about it?

Just as the long-haired man was about to meet his end, the blue monster suddenly lost its balance and uncontrollably toppled to the right.

With a thunderous crash, its massive body hit the ground heavily.

Upon closer inspection, the blue monster's right forelimb had disappeared.

In its place stood a young man with a slightly pale face, a cold gaze, but a posture as straight as a sword, wielding an exaggeratedly large blade.

The long-haired man stumbled backward and only then noticed that the water whip binding his legs had been cut. It became clear that someone had saved him.

"Th-thank..."

"Save your thanks for the next life. Now, get lost so you don't get in my way."

Uh...

He hadn't expected his savior to be so... straightforward!

The long-haired man quickly compared his waist's thickness to the blue monster's arm and decided he wouldn't survive even one blow. So, he swiftly retreated.

Rude or not, if a few harsh words could save his life, the long-haired man would gladly take the insults forever.

But before leaving, he had to say one more thing.

"Sir, please be cautious of that guy over there. If I'm not mistaken, he must have somehow gained the trust of those monsters. The one that came over didn't attack him."

A killing blow!

The ninja's face immediately changed.

After all, being a traitor isn't so bad if no one knows, but once your identity is exposed, it's not just contempt you'll face—you'll be in a very awkward situation.

But then, remembering the powerful figure behind him, he calmed down again.

So what if they knew?

Everyone here would die eventually.

Many survivors were still alive because the monsters treated them as bait, hoping to lure more people here.

Otherwise, this place would have long since become a wasteland.

Shinsuke said nothing, not even sparing a glance at the traitor. All his focus was on the monster before him.

Judging by its size and the speed and power it had shown, this creature was far above those of levels 4, 3, or 2.

When Shinsuke slashed at it, he felt a rare resistance, though slight—it was proof of the monster's tough hide.

"Roar!"

The monster, with a head resembling a dinosaur's, roared as it struggled to stand.

Shinsuke gripped his massive blade and slashed at the creature's other forelimb!

Though there was some resistance, Shinsuke's immense strength easily severed the limb.

The blue monster, which had just lifted its head, collapsed to the ground again, crashing face-first.

As the monster screamed in agony, Shinsuke moved behind it with a swift dodge.

In no time, the once-imposing blue monster was left crippled on the ground.

Feeling it was enough, Shinsuke jumped onto the monster's back, preparing to deliver a decapitating blow.

But just as he raised his blade, the monster, still groaning beneath him, suddenly flashed a cunning look in its eyes.

Suddenly, the brown fur on its back came to life, launching countless steel needles at Shinsuke's position!

On closer inspection, those weren't just fur—they were tiny brown creatures with eyes, camouflaged as the monster's fur!

Even Shinsuke hadn't anticipated such a development, and it was too late to withdraw his blade.

A ruthless glint flashed in Shinsuke's eyes. He immediately accelerated his blood flow, and a familiar 'X'-shaped scar appeared on his forehead as he entered his Red Scale state.

Splash!

Blood sprayed!

The blue monster's neck was half-severed, and it let out a piercing scream.

But Shinsuke, who had vanished from the monster's back and reappeared on the ground a short distance away, frowned slightly.

His last strike had only cut halfway through.

Even with such a severe wound, the monster continued to howl and struggle, refusing to die, demonstrating its incredible vitality.

Suddenly, Shinsuke groaned.

He had been hit by several of the steel needles during the unexpected attack.

The wounds themselves weren't the issue—the real problem was that the needles were coated with deadly poison!

Shinsuke immediately slowed his blood flow to the minimum necessary for movement, to delay the poison's spread.

Though he possessed immortality and could grow stronger after each death, Shinsuke knew his immortality was not perfect.

If he were dismembered, life and death would lose all meaning.

Moreover, after each "death," he would experience a nearly three-second delay before regaining consciousness, like reconnecting after a disconnection. So, he instinctively avoided death during combat unless absolutely necessary.

He had no desire to end up like Hidan in the original story, in a pitiful state.

Nor did he want to be torn apart and eaten by these cursed spirits.

With a focused application of his Blood Manipulation technique, Shinsuke forced the steel needles out of his back along with the poisoned blood.

For someone who could control his blood entirely, this was a minor issue.

Once most of the poison was expelled, he immediately stopped the bleeding.

"I'm going to eat you!"

Roaring in pain, the blue monster, with its half-severed neck, glared at Shinsuke with bloodshot eyes, opening its gaping maw.

Shinsuke calmly crushed two blood packs, manipulating the blood within to form a spherical shape.

[Blood Manipulation: Blood Star Explosion]!

As the monster's jaws closed in, the blood sphere floated right into its mouth. Suddenly, the smooth surface sprouted countless spikes, transforming from a ball into a spiked mace.

Boom!

With a resounding explosion, the blood sphere detonated.

Each spike, formed from Shinsuke's blood and hardened to its densest form, burst out within the monster's mouth!

In less than a breath, the blue monster's head twisted and deformed before finally exploding like a balloon.

Blood-red spikes flew in all directions, skewering the tiny brown creatures on its back!