Mizuki Ryosuke's instincts told him he had landed, but none of his senses could confirm the presence of solid ground beneath him.
Immediately, he pushed his sensory perception to the limit.
However, something strange happened—the thick mist in this space compressed his perception range to just one meter around his body.
With such a restricted field of awareness, it was as if he had become both blind and deaf in an unknown battlefield.
Even more unsettling was the fact that Ryosuke could not determine where the powerful impact that struck him earlier had originated from.
During the moment of impact, his normally razor-sharp battle instincts had failed to register the attack.
This realization heightened his vigilance to its absolute peak.
Unknown terrain. Unknown enemy. Unknown space.
A shinobi of his stature understood the golden rule: panic leads to destruction.
A weak mind collapses in the face of the unknown. A calm mind thrives within it.
A sudden burst of cold air escaped from his body, and in the next instant, ice began covering his skin, rapidly forming an exoskeletal armor of pure frost!
In the world of shinobi, the Third Raikage had developed the strongest shield, the Lightning Release Chakra Mode, by using high-voltage chakra to continuously stimulate his cells, making his body as hard as steel.
Possessing near-invincible defense and enhanced reflexes, the Third Raikage's combination of speed and strength was feared across battlefields.
Using the same principles, Mizuki Ryosuke had devised his own armor—but instead of Lightning Release, he wielded Ice Release.
Frost Armor.
Unlike the Raikage's method, which relied on continuously energizing the body, Ice Release operated in reverse—by drastically lowering temperatures, he compressed water molecules into ultra-dense ice, creating a protective shell even harder than steel.
Ice, when frozen at extreme temperatures, gains unmatched durability.
And ice had another unique feature—plasticity.
This meant Ryosuke could continuously compress and reshape the armor's structure, making it more compact while simultaneously increasing its defensive capabilities.
His Frost Armor functioned in two phases:
1. First, a layer of hardened ice formed across his body, creating a base defense.
2. Then, he compacted it over and over, maximizing density to reach absolute hardness.
At its final stage, the defensive power of Frost Armor could rival—even surpass—the Raikage's Thunder Armor.
And in theory, as long as his body could withstand it, the Frost Armor's density could be stacked infinitely!
At this moment, however, Ryosuke had not yet pushed it to its absolute limit.
Ice Release Secret Technique—Frost Armor: Saint Cloth Form!
If an observer could see through the fog right now, they would be shocked by Ryosuke's transformed appearance.
His armor, though transparent and white, bore an uncanny resemblance to the Sagittarius Gold Cloth from a certain anime in his past life.
Even the wings of Sagittarius had been perfectly replicated—though they had no ability to grant him flight.
Instead, the wings acted as both defensive shields and concealed weapons. With a mere thought, Ryosuke could detach them, unleashing them as ice projectiles that detonated upon impact.
With the Frost Armor fully materialized, Ryosuke felt a slight sense of relief.
But his task was not over.
He, Terumi Mei, and Mitsuhiko had all been dragged into this strange misty space when the stone gate activated.
His first priority was to reunite with Terumi Mei.
However, the fog's density made it impossible to gauge the size of the space or locate her visually.
Fortunately, Ryosuke had planned ahead.
Before entering this battle, he had given both Mei and Mitsuhiko an Ice Kunai infused with Three-Tails' chakra, instructing them to keep it close at all times.
These weren't just weapons—they were tracking markers.
Isobu's chakra, unique among tailed beasts, was imprinted within them.
As long as they remained within a certain distance, Ryosuke could sense the wisps of tailed beast chakra lingering around the kunai, allowing him to pinpoint their location.
"Isobu, I need your help."
A deep, gruff voice rumbled in his mind.
"No problem."
"Ryosuke, Mei's chakra signature is… to your right."
Trusting the Three-Tails' guidance, Ryosuke adjusted his stance and moved rightward.
After walking several steps, Isobu suddenly spoke again.
"No! The signal is fading. Are you sure you're heading the right way?"
Ryosuke stopped. Frowned.
He had followed Isobu's instructions precisely.
"…Isobu, are you absolutely sure about the direction?"
"What?!"
The Three-Tails sounded annoyed.
"Boy, are you doubting me? What do you think I am, a senile old turtle that can't tell left from right?!"
A ridiculous mental image flashed through Ryosuke's mind—a confused turtle spinning in circles, struggling to tell left from right, before finally toppling over onto its shell.
He immediately shoved the thought away before Isobu could sense his amusement and explode in rage.
"Of course not." Ryosuke kept his tone calm. "I just need to confirm something."
A sharp gleam appeared in his eyes.
"…I think I understand what's happening now."
He took a deep breath and pivoted—this time, deliberately moving in the opposite direction.
"Isobu… now what?"
"Hmm…" The Three-Tails grumbled. "Wait… it's getting closer—"
"No, it's getting farther away again!"
Ryosuke narrowed his eyes.
A pattern was emerging.
First, he walked forward.
Then, he turned right.
Now, Isobu was telling him the signal came from the rear—which meant…
"…Spatial distortion."
A serious expression crossed Ryosuke's face.
Something in this mist-filled space was warping directions.
But now that he had identified the anomaly, he could start working around it.
Bit by bit, step by step, Mizuki Ryosuke adjusted his path, carefully correcting for the shifting space, as he closed the distance between himself and Terumi Mei.
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