Boom.
A heavy thud echoed.
Shisui's body was sent flying, crashing hard into the ground. He struggled to sit up, eyes locked on Mangetsu, who had completely changed form.
His upper body was now covered in thick, bone-like armor. Long spikes stuck out from his neck and shoulders. His arms had turned into massive crab claws, tapping the ground with heavy thuds.
Doujin Artist: A c-crab?
Curly-haired Guy: It's a crab. No matter how you look at it, it's a crab.
Machete Girl: I wonder if it would taste good cooked.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: ?
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Calm down, Kotono. That's an Arrancar, not a real crab!
Wig Guy: Yeah, there's no crab roe inside.
Doujin Artist: The hell you talking about crab roe for?! That's not the point here!
Bad Guy from Soul Society: Speaking of crab roe, it really is delicious. Too bad we don't get much freshwater seafood in the Seireitei. The last time I had crab was two years ago, during a meeting of the Women Soul Reaper Association.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Why's it hard to get freshwater seafood? I thought there were rivers in the Soul Society too? Don't the rivers have fish?
Bad Guy from Soul Society: They do, but the fish and other creatures there are made of spirit particles. Outside the Seireitei it's okay, but inside the Seireitei, it's almost impossible to raise them. They can't handle the spiritual pressure leaking off the Soul Reapers.
Machete Girl: Oh, I see. I learned something new today.
Amegakure Village's Angel: The crab we uploaded to the group—can Hana eat that?
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Any living creature with flesh and blood can't enter the Soul Society, right?
This is an Actor: It's fine. The system inside the group chat automatically changes any item in the marketplace to make it compatible across all worlds, so there won't be any rule conflicts.
Curly-haired Guy: That's way more convenient then.
Amegakure Village's Angel: Hana, I'll go buy a couple of pounds of crab from the market and upload it later… just remember to check.
Bad Guy from Soul Society: Got it, thanks a lot.
Doujin Artist: Wait, aren't you about to fight a big battle? And you still have time to go buy crab?
Amegakure Village's Angel: It won't affect anything.
While everyone in the stream was busy chatting about crab, the fight between Uchiha Shisui and Hozuki Mangetsu on screen had reached a fever pitch.
Facing Mangetsu in his Resurrección form, Shisui activated his Susano'o. A massive green energy giant stood tall, bringing down its glowing blade with force.
Boom.
A huge blast shook the ground. A deep, long gash—dozens of meters long—split the earth.
"So this is Susano'o?" Somehow, Mangetsu was already standing on the green giant's shoulder. "Impressive power... but too bad." He raised his crab claw high and swung it straight at Susano'o's head.
Crack.
A sharp snapping sound.
In Shisui's shocked eyes, cracks spread like a spider web across Susano'o's surface.
"Too slow!" Mangetsu swung again. The top of Susano'o's head shattered with a crash.
Thud.
The powerful shockwave sent Shisui crashing to the ground. With a splatter, blood shot from his mouth.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
The crab claw tapped the ground as Mangetsu slowly walked toward him. "You should just give up. Ninja powers alone aren't enough to beat me."
Doujin Artist: This Mangetsu guy is so cocky!
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Seriously! And that smug face—makes me want to punch him just from looking at the screen!
Curly-haired Guy: Hey, hold on. Whose side are you even on? Technically speaking, Mangetsu's one of us, right?
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Uh, well…
Amegakure Village's Angel: No, he doesn't count. In Anzen-san's plan, he's one of the Arrancars marked for death. So he's just a pawn.
Machete Girl: I see now.
Bad Guy from Soul Society: A pawn, huh? That's Aizen's usual trick.
Wig Guy: Marked for death? So Mangetsu's going to lose to Uchiha Shisui in the end? Doesn't look like it at all right now.
Doujin Artist: That's 'cause Shisui hasn't gone all out yet.
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: Wait till he starts using Hollow powers.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Even a weaker version of Ichigo has cheat skills. No way he's gonna lose to just the No. 9 Espada. Right, Anzen-san?
This is an Actor: You guys already said everything. I've got nothing left to add.
Doujin Artist: Pfft, Anzen-san sounds so helpless right now.
Shark-Faced Guy: I think it sounds more like he's doting on us.
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: Huh?
Doujin Artist: Doting…? Wait, what do you mean doting…?
Eriri's cheeks turned bright red as her mind instantly filled with all kinds of strange images.
Curly-haired Guy: That's right, it's called doting. A father spoiling his daughters—isn't that how it should be?
Scarlet Lotus Fairy: ?
Skirt-Flipping Maniac: A father and his daughters?
Doujin Artist: Gin, what the hell is wrong with you?! Go die, just go die!
The fantasy in Eriri's mind shattered with a loud "crack," and she suddenly felt really uncomfortable.
Machete Girl: Anyway, Shisui can still power up. But the other two… things are looking rough for them.
Amegakure Village's Angel: Yeah, Tobirama Senju and the Third Raikage are about to collapse. As for Namikaze Minato... you'd better see for yourselves.
The scene changes.
Right now, Namikaze Minato is in a spacious hall, brightly lit from all sides. In front of him on a raised platform sits a red-haired girl, looking down at him from above like a queen on her throne.
They face each other. Minato is shaking, his face full of disbelief. "Ku—Kushina?"
*Whoosh!*
A golden chain slices through the air, aimed straight at Minato's chest like a sharp dagger.