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Chapter 11

Escanor’s radiant fist descended, its golden glow illuminating the entire area. The air vibrated with the sheer intensity of the attack, and the heat alone seemed to bend reality itself. The force of the blow was enough to level everything in its path, a direct hit capable of obliterating anything caught in its wake.

But Kisame was not done yet. In the split second before Escanor’s punch made contact, a faint ripple of chakra spread out across the battlefield, a warning to Escanor’s senses. The moment Escanor’s fist collided with nothing but air, the ground beneath his feet cracked and trembled as if the entire earth was reacting to the massive displacement of energy.

Escanor’s grin faded, his gaze darting across the now-empty clearing. He had expected a direct hit. But Kisame wasn’t one to be caught so easily.

Then, a pulse of chakra surged from the mist, sharp and concentrated. Escanor's eyes narrowed.

Before he could react, a massive wave of water erupted beneath his feet, sending him stumbling backward. Water from the earth below shot up like an endless tide, engulfing the area with a deafening roar. The sound of the crash was almost overwhelming, but it was nothing compared to the force of the water itself, which wrapped around Escanor’s body, coiling like a massive serpent, restricting his movements.

---

Escanor floated, suspended in the massive, ever-growing water prison that Kisame had summoned around him. His golden aura still blazed brightly, lighting up the entire forest with a searing glow, but it was being slowly overwhelmed. The immense volume of water swirled around him, moving with an unnatural force. Kisame’s chakra was saturating the area, manipulating the very currents themselves, and Escanor could feel the pressure building with each passing second.

The water was rising, pulling at him, constricting around his limbs. Despite his overwhelming power, he was being slowly submerged, sinking deeper into the ever-expanding prison. His feet kicked against the thick currents, but there was no escaping it. The water pulled him under. The burning heat from his body had little effect now, unable to evaporate the sheer volume surrounding him.

"I can feel you straining, Escanor," Kisame’s voice echoed, smooth and calculating, from somewhere within the prison. "But even the mightiest of suns cannot burn forever underwater."

Escanor’s eyes narrowed. His body was still glowing with golden light, but the water seemed to press in on him, absorbing his energy as if it were siphoning the very life force from him. His pride, normally unshakable, faltered for a split second. "This isn’t supposed to be possible."

His feet shifted beneath him as he twisted, breaking the surface of the water briefly with a surge of strength. His entire body radiated heat, but the water immediately began to close in again, pushing him down. He needed space to fight, air to breathe. But this... this was Kisame's domain. The very essence of the ocean surrounded him, suffocating and relentless.

"You've trapped me in your prison, Kisame," Escanor shouted, his voice unwavering despite the suffocating pressure. "But the sun will always rise."

Kisame’s laugh came from all directions, a deep, rumbling sound that reverberated off the water, mixing with the splashing of the waves. "The sun rises, yes... But it will set again. And when it does, you'll find that the depths of the sea never forget."

Escanor gritted his teeth. His mind raced for an answer. The prison was suffocating, but it wasn’t enough to hold him forever. He was the sun.* He would burn through anything that stood in his way.

But even as the thought crossed his mind, he felt Kisame’s presence grow stronger, more concentrated, as if the very water had become an extension of his will. "I need to end this. Now."

Escanor let out a bellowing roar, his body crackling with golden energy. He forced himself to rise again, pushing upward against the sea’s relentless pull. But each time he rose, the water pushed back harder. It felt like being in the heart of a storm, every direction filled with endless waves crashing against him, dragging him back down.

And then, it happened. Kisame’s form broke through the water in front of him, his grin wide as he swung Samehada down with immense force. The sentient sword clashed against Escanor’s forearm, sending ripples through the water with the impact. Escanor winced, the heat from his body searing through the water, but it didn’t stop Kisame.

Kisame’s grin only grew wider as he pressed the attack. He slashed once more with Samehada, the blade cutting through the water and creating a shockwave that sent the water spiraling around them. Escanor’s body was forced to spin with the force of the strike, but he managed to bring his arm up to block, his golden aura flaring up in response.

But Kisame wasn’t done.

Without warning, he dove back into the water, disappearing from Escanor's sight. The sea closed in around Escanor, drowning him in an almost oppressive weight. His legs were submerged, his waist now almost fully covered, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths. The pressure was unbearable, but Escanor’s resolve didn’t falter. His golden light flared again, causing the water around him to boil, but it wasn’t enough to escape.

Kisame’s voice sounded from beneath the water, his words sharp and biting. "I told you, Escanor. This is the ocean’s domain. You burn bright, but even the brightest light fades in the depths."

Escanor's gaze hardened as he lifted his head, his entire body glowing with a radiant fury. He clenched his fists tighter, feeling his chakra surge once more, reaching for that last burst of power. His body was beginning to wear down under the strain, but his spirit would not allow him to yield. "I will not drown."

With a yell, Escanor thrust his hands outward, his golden aura expanding with immense force. His energy shattered the surface of the water around him in a burst of steam, the boiling water evaporating in all directions as he propelled himself upward, breaking free from Kisame's prison for just a moment.

For the briefest second, Kisame's face emerged from the depths, his eyes filled with calculation. "You're not as powerful as you think, Escanor. The sea is always watching."

Escanor smirked, even as the water began to reclaim him. "We’ll see."

His aura flared brighter than ever before. The sun might be sinking, but it was far from done.

He was far from done.

Tbc

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