Chapter 33

[3rd Person POV]

Ryan looked at the God of Sea in front of him with a grim expression. The deity easily blocked his attack.

"Not bad! Dance of the Fire God, huh? The only surviving God of Fire is Amaterasu. Is this dance for her?" the God of Sea inquired.

Ryan only smiled and replied, "Maybe."

With that, Ryan jumped and swung his sword downward.

Hinokami Kagura: Dance.

A stream of fire descended, creating a pillar of flames. Instead of being hurt, it made Susanoo laugh. "It is the fire of the sun, indeed!" He chuckled and swung his sword at Ryan. "Take this!"

Ryan grunted as Susanoo's heavy swing hit his sword, straining his arms. With a single blow, Susanoo's attack had already damaged Ryan's arms. However, it didn't deter Ryan from continuing his assault.

Ryan shifted his blade slightly, causing Susanoo's sword to bounce off as he parried the attack. He seamlessly transitioned into the next form and executed a front flip.

Hinokami Kagura: Fire Wheel.

A circular fire appeared and flew at Susanoo, who still wore a grin. Unable to block the attack, Susanoo dodged to the side. However, before he could react, Ryan had already entered the next form.

Hinokami Kagura: Raging Sun.

Ryan unleashed two consecutive attacks, sending arcs of fire toward Susanoo. With ease, Susanoo raised his sword and cut down the flames. His grin widened as Ryan emerged from behind the dissipating fires, moving into his next form.

Hinokami Kagura: Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance.

Ryan released a flurry of attacks, pushing the God of the Sea back. Watching from the sidelines were two beautiful women, Yasaka and Amaterasu.

"Not bad. Even though my brother hasn't made a move yet, he managed to make him grin like that," Amaterasu praised Ryan's prowess. Yasaka, however, looked worried. She knew that once Susanoo made a move, the tide of battle would change. She turned to Amaterasu and asked, "Lady Amaterasu, can I ask why you need to do this? You want to reward him, right? Not testing him."

Amaterasu nodded and replied, "It's because of my tsundere brother."

"T-Tsundere?!" Yasaka exclaimed.

"Yes. He wanted to reward him, but he didn't want to do it the regular way. This is just an excuse for him to give Ryan his blessing."

"I see," Yasaka said, not fully understanding but nodding in agreement.

"Oh my," Amaterasu exclaimed in surprise as she saw the form of an Eastern Dragon appear from Ryan's movements. Yasaka nodded in acknowledgment as she too witnessed the fire dragon flying at Susanoo with frightening speed.

This continued for a few seconds before the dragon stopped flying when Susanoo held his ground.

"Not bad! You're interesting, mortal! No, Ryan! Let's dance even faster!" Susanoo laughed and pushed Ryan back, attacking with a speed only a higher-level being could match. The spectators saw the long dragon shrink in size as Susanoo's attacks intensified.

Ryan struggled to push back, his attempts momentarily halting Susanoo's advance, but only for a second or two. Susanoo kept pushing him, and after a minute, the dragon from Hinokami Kagura: Sun Halo Dragon Head Dance disappeared into thin air, allowing Susanoo to land a clean hit on Ryan.

"Oh, shit!" Ryan exclaimed as he hit the wall, creating a massive crack.

"Are you okay?! I forgot to hold back," Susanoo said, concerned. He wanted to fight, not kill Ryan. He was about to help the mortal when he noticed the determination and fighting spirit in Ryan's eyes. His worry turned into excitement, and he shouted, "Amazing! This is amazing! Yes! Keep holding onto that determination, Ryan! That's what makes humans so interesting! They are the most fragile but the most resilient creatures! Determination! That's what lets humans challenge gods! Come!"

Susanoo swung his sword, and thirty vacuum winds flew at Ryan.

Ryan dodged all the attacks while controlling his breathing. He made sure to absorb enough natural energy to enter Sage Mode.

"Come on, Ryan! Is that all you can do?! Dodging?! Where's that determination I saw?!"

Ryan entered Sage Mode and halted his movements. Susanoo stopped his attack, surprised.

"Oh? Are you done?" Susanoo asked, shaking his head.

"No. You're done running. Good! Take this!"

Susanoo gripped his sword with both hands, and water started to surround it. He swung his sword, releasing a water arc toward Ryan. Unlike the wind blade, this water blade was three times faster.

However, before the water blade could hit Ryan, it was sliced in two.

"Something's not right," Amaterasu said, frowning as she watched the fight.

"What is it, my lady?" Yasaka asked.

"Ryan's Raging Sun has changed."

"Changed?"

"Yes… At first, it felt like the chaotic state of the ocean, but now… it feels like a calm ocean."

Ryan intercepted all attacks so accurately and swiftly that it seemed as if he were standing still. If not for Amaterasu's Divine Nature and Yasaka's senjutsu mastery, they wouldn't have been able to perceive his movements.

Seeing that he couldn't win by attacking alone, Ryan decided to change his tactics. He needed to go on the defensive and switch to Water Breathing instead of Sun Breathing. Now, he was using the last form of Water Breathing, Dead Calm.

Using his enhanced awareness from Senjutsu, he could employ this technique despite his lack of training. He used his Sage Mode not to attack but to heighten his senses, allowing him to do so.

Susanoo, sensing a familiar oceanic scent emanating from Ryan, became even more excited. He increased his attacks as he closed in on Ryan, wearing a grin on his face.

Even though Ryan could destroy most of the attacks, he couldn't evade all of them. Some of the water blades managed to hit his body. This was the weakness of the Eleventh Form of Water Breathing: Dead Calm. He couldn't counter a large number of attacks that exceeded his physical prowess.

Susanoo grinned and dashed forward.

He appeared in front of Ryan and swung down his sword. Ryan managed to block the attack, but his arms started to shake from the impact. However, as he exited his Dead Calm state, Ryan used his Natural Energy to enhance his physical power.

Ryan pushed Susanoo away and released a flurry of attacks.

Water Breathing Third Form: Flowing Dance.

The attack was meant to let him move like flowing water, but each time he moved, Susanoo was already there, taking him back to his original position. Susanoo was no longer just defending; he was also attacking Ryan now.

Ryan's body was full of injuries, slowing him down.

Finally, after fifteen minutes of fighting, Susanoo appeared in front of Ryan. Before he could block the attack, his sword hit Ryan on the head. The blow was so strong that it pushed Ryan to the ground, creating a crack upon impact.

If not for his Senjutsu, Dragon Slayer Magic, and Total Concentration Breathing, Ryan would have gone unconscious. However, Ryan could only see a blurry image of Susanoo sitting on his chest. After a few seconds, he could make out Susanoo's grinning face.

He could only sigh and say, "It is my total defeat." He said in disappointment. "It looks like I will not receive that sword, huh?"

Susanoo's face changed into surprise and confusion.

"Huh? Why? You passed my test."

"What? I didn't even land a hit on you."

"Of course, you didn't. I'm still a god, you know? It would be embarrassing for me if you managed to hit me."

Ryan blinked for a few seconds before saying, "So, I passed your test?"

"Yup!"