Whenever the fog in an area thickened to a certain degree, terrifying creatures would inevitably emerge from within.
For some reason, Nyutaro, who was slumped in place, suddenly recalled the ominous words of an elder from the Cat Clan who had once ventured into the depths of the mist:
"The usual foggy area and the deep mist zone are two completely different worlds."
Thinking of this, Nyutaro hesitantly raised his paw. In the dense fog, his vision was so obscured that he could barely make out the outline of his claws, let alone the heart-shaped pads in the center.
"Curiosity killed the cat!"
This was not just an old saying—it was a truth the Cat Clan knew all too well. Their naturally inquisitive nature often lured them into dangerous situations.
"It's over, meow!"
Nyutaro's fur bristled, his pupils constricting in fear as he warily surveyed the thick mist. The oppressive atmosphere made every instinct in his body scream at him to flee, but his limbs felt frozen in place. He knew that once the haze reached this level, danger lurked nearby.
His heart pounded wildly. He should never have strayed so deep.
Just as Nyutaro silently prayed for a miracle, a sudden sensation startled him—something wet was beneath his paws.
"Huh? What's going on?"
A chilling realization crept over him. The ground was flooding. Before he could react, the water level rapidly rose, submerging his ankles in mere moments.
With a sharp yowl, Nyutaro leaped to his feet. His fur stood on end, ears flattened in sheer horror.
"Damn it! Where is all this water coming from?!"
If there was one universal truth, it was that cats hated water. And now, a flood was rising all around him.
Panic surged through Nyutaro as the water climbed past his waist, then his chest. His initial disgust transformed into terror. But no matter how much he struggled, there was nothing he could do.
As the tide swallowed his head, one final thought flickered through his mind:
"I lost… Meow can't swim…!"
Before darkness engulfed him completely, he made a desperate wish—if there was an afterlife, he would make sure to learn how to swim.
Mizuki Ryosuke maintained control over the water, stopping the rise at a depth of ten meters. In his grasp, he held the half-drowned orange cat, its drenched fur clinging to its trembling body.
His cold gaze flickered with menace. If this feline had been responsible for Terumi Mei's injuries, its fate would be worse than death.
However, seeing Terumi Mei shake her head slightly, Ryosuke relaxed his grip.
"Not the culprit, then."
The surrounding mist was unnatural. Despite the flood, the haze remained unchanged, neither dispersing nor compressing. It was a bizarre sight—the coexistence of water and mist forming a strange white ocean.
Ryosuke's attention returned to the orange cat. Without hesitation, he drove a sharp punch into its abdomen.
"PFFT—!"
The cat spasmed, coughing up a mouthful of water.
"Cough! Cough—!"
Despite its convulsions, no sound emerged.
The impact jarred Nyutaro back to full consciousness. His blurry vision focused on the terrifying figure looming over him—Mizuki Ryosuke, whose presence exuded a suffocating aura of death.
At that moment, Nyutaro realized that his life depended entirely on this human's whim.
The ninja's grip was firm, effortlessly suspending Nyutaro above the water. Below, the endless dark depths gaped like a bottomless abyss.
A visible shudder ran through Nyutaro's body. He didn't need to be reminded that if he were dropped, his death was guaranteed.
"Big brother, spare me, meow!"
A sudden voice echoed in Ryosuke's mind.
His gaze sharpened. The mist had suppressed all sound, so how was the cat speaking?
Observing closely, he deduced that the creature was using a specialized form of mental transmission—most likely a Yin Release technique unique to its species.
With a flicker of interest, Ryosuke immediately grasped the method and responded in kind:
"You have two choices."
"Either explain everything, or I drop you to drown."
Nyutaro's eyes widened. This was a secret technique of the Cat Clan! No outsider should be able to use it so effortlessly.
But there was no time for shock—his survival depended on compliance.
"I—"
Before he could speak, a sudden change disrupted the water below.
Ryosuke's sensory abilities, honed to precision, instantly detected something materializing beneath the surface.
Something was forming in the depths.
Reacting swiftly, Ryosuke unleashed a surge of water to disrupt the entity. But it was useless.
"Ice Release: Extreme Ice Structure!"
A wave of freezing air burst forth, instantly turning the water beneath him into solid ice.
Yet, just before the freezing took full effect, the unknown force completed its transformation.
Suddenly—
A gleaming white spike shot up from the water, aimed directly at Nyutaro.
"Boom!"
The ice held firm, blocking the attack, but Ryosuke remained on high alert. He immediately attempted to seize the attacker—only for it to vanish without a trace.
His eyes narrowed.
A minute later, the entire ten-meter water depth had been frozen into a solid block of ice, the cold intensifying its hardness.
Yet the entity was gone.
Deep within the ice, only thick mist remained.
But Ryosuke noted something peculiar—the haze within the frozen layer had weakened slightly.
"Even Yin-based mist is affected by extreme cold, however minutely."
A dangerous glint flickered in his eyes.
He had uncovered a crucial weakness.
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