"Lo-Logan!"
Magistrate Morimura instinctively stepped back, shielding those in front of him with trembling hands.
Logan's reputation had already spread throughout the entire Water Kingdom. Magistrate Morimura never expected someone so infamous to appear in his jurisdiction—let alone walk in so boldly!
After the initial shock wore off…
It turned into wild excitement.
If he could aid the Seven Ninja Swordsmen in taking down Logan, the feat would bring him immeasurable merit.
Morimura had already paid a hefty bribe to the daimyo, but his promotion had stalled—he lacked a glorious accomplishment to silence any doubters.
Now, that opportunity had walked right to his doorstep.
An opportunity for greatness.
This was luck—pure, unbelievable luck!
"Assist the two Lords and kill the traitor Logan!" Morimura commanded the Evil Wolf, barely able to contain his glee.
"Yes!"
The Evil Wolf unsheathed his ninja sword and crouched in a ready stance. Nearby, two or three guards rushed to alert the samurai and soldiers stationed throughout the county.
Biwa Juzō raised his executioner's blade and sneered. "You're Logan? The rogue ninja from Konoha… Tell me, do you know Might Duy?"
Logan didn't answer. Time was not on his side—the longer he lingered, the more samurai and shinobi would arrive as reinforcements.
"Take one down first!"
He took a deep breath. Ripple energy surged through him. The horse beneath him neighed wildly, steam rising from its nostrils like a war machine preparing for battle.
With a pull on the reins, Logan charged forward. Horse and rider leapt over the ruined wall like a living battering ram, heading straight for Magistrate Morimura, who was cowering at the rear.
"You think you can just ignore me?"
Biwa Juzō's voice oozed venom as his massive executioner's blade sliced through the air toward Logan.
But Logan didn't even glance at him.
He calmly replied, "Any questions?"
Enraged by the dismissal, Biwa Juzō swung his blade harder and faster.
But that's what Logan had been waiting for.
The Platinum Star appeared in a flash. Logan slashed in one direction, while his Stand drove a powerful punch from another.
A perfectly timed pincer attack.
Despite appearances, Logan's words—**"Take one down first"—**weren't aimed at Morimura.
Officials like him could be killed anytime.
The real threats were Biwa Juzō and Kurosuki Raiga.
Taking down even one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen now would shift the tide of tonight's battle entirely.
Clang!
A jarring clash echoed out. The force of the impact reverberated, creating lingering vibrations in the air.
Logan's massive blade was suddenly intercepted by two reverse-edged swords.
It was Kurosuki Raiga.
Blue sparks crackled across Raiga's skin. With his mastery of Lightning Style and the power of his twin swords—Thunder Blades: Fang—he could move at extraordinary speeds during combat.
"You're cocky just because you took down that watermelon-headed fool from the mountains?" Raiga sneered. "Let me—"
Before he could finish, a sharp hissing noise cut through the air.
Chi-chi-chi...
Silver-white flames erupted from the back of Logan's bandaged sword, burning away the wrapping.
What emerged was a monstrous weapon—a straight, heavy, black blade with jagged edges. The force it emitted was unnatural, violent, and overwhelming.
Raiga's expression shifted.
"What kind of sword is that?!"
Black Blade: Destruction.
Forged by Master Dao, the blade held 108 internal channels that mimicked the flow of ripple breathing. When infused with Ripple energy, its power increased exponentially.
Logan wasn't a master swordsman. This wasn't about finesse. It was pure, brutal domination through strength and speed.
Raiga lasted less than half a second before being blown away.
The Evil Wolf, who had been preparing to join the fray, froze mid-step.
One hit.
Just one blow—and Raiga, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, had been launched like a ragdoll.
Terrifying.
In mid-air, Raiga twisted and landed, channeling lightning through his blade to stabilize himself. Thunder rumbled overhead, and a bolt of lightning surged down into his raised sword.
Thunder Blade: Fang shone brightly.
"Thunder Burial: Thunder Feast!"
Bolts of lightning crawled across the ground like glowing snakes, converging on Logan with a roar.
Simultaneously, the Evil Wolf formed hand signs and summoned three ninja wolves with wings. The beasts howled and lunged at Logan in unison.
Raiga's eyes narrowed. His goal wasn't to defeat Logan—just to force him back and give Biwa Juzō time to recover.
However…
Logan turned and met his eyes for a brief instant.
Raiga's heart dropped.
"He's seen through me!"
Suddenly, Star Platinum grabbed Logan with one hand and seized Juzō's massive blade with the other. With a heave, the two were hurled out of the courtyard.
The onlookers gasped.
"What… What is he doing?"
"Did he run?"
"Why take Biwa Juzō with him—was it a mistake?"
But Raiga understood, and his heart turned cold.
"He's forcing a one-on-one!"
The Evil Wolf also realized what had happened—and broke out in a cold sweat.
How terrifying…
Logan not only had immense power, but also precise tactical awareness.
He knew that killing one of them while surrounded would be difficult. So, he forcibly created a time gap—dragging Biwa Juzō away to isolate and eliminate him before anyone could interfere.
---
"You chose me as your first target?" Juzō muttered. "I'm flattered, really."
"Any questions?" Logan replied coolly.
Same words.
Different context.
Juzō wasn't angry—he understood now. Logan didn't look down on any opponent. He simply treated all enemies the same: as obstacles to be destroyed.
Taunts and words meant nothing. Psychological tricks wouldn't work now.
The two fell silent.
Beads of sweat gathered on Juzō's forehead.
The intel was wrong.
According to reports, Logan could summon an invisible evil spirit and didn't engage in ninjutsu or taijutsu himself. They'd assumed he was a summoner-type, perhaps similar to a ninja beast handler.
That's why they devised the current strategy:
Juzō would block the Stand, while Raiga—faster than anyone—would kill Logan directly.
But no one expected Logan himself to fight with such terrifying skill.
With the Ripple's Second Stage and the Black Blade: Destruction, Logan could go head-to-head with Star Platinum for brief periods.
Juzō swallowed hard.
"He's a monster with no weaknesses."
No… There was still one weakness: Ninjutsu.
If Raiga could return and they attacked with ninjutsu together, they might suppress Logan.
But until then…
Logan slowly walked forward, the Black Blade dragging across the ground.
Juzō felt a chill run down his spine.
"Water Style: Hidden Mist Jutsu."
A thick fog rolled across the field, blanketing everything in white.
Juzō vanished into the mist.
Logan waited a moment, then asked softly, "Aren't you coming to kill me?"
His voice echoed through the mist like a ghost's whisper.
Juzō, now ten meters away, froze.
The Hidden Mist Jutsu was perfect for assassins. He just needed to wait. He would not approach within two meters of Logan—ever again.
"If you're not coming," Logan's voice said again, "then just stand still."
"Don't move?"
Was this another trick?
Juzō hesitated. He feared that moving might trigger some unknown counter, but standing still felt just as dangerous.
Then he heard a faint buzzing.
Buzz... buzz...
Juzō looked up.
Egg-sized objects dropped from the sky.
Dozens of them.
His eyes widened. "No…"
Mini missiles.
BOOM!
A chain of fiery explosions erupted, dispersing the mist in an instant.
Raiga, Morimura, the Evil Wolf, and the others rushed toward the clearing.
What they saw—
Logan standing tall in the flames.
As if a demon had just walked out of the gates of hell.
pàtreøn (Gk31)