bubblegum princess

chapter sixty eight

⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒
welcome to the final show;
STATE LINES !
⭒˚‧ ︵‿⭒ཐིཋྀ ཐིཋྀ⭒‿︵ ‧˚⭒

𝞋𝞎

The roar of the crowd was deafening, a sea of voices chanting in excitement, yet to Seiren, it was nothing but a distant hum. Her focus was razor-sharp, her pulse steady, her vision locked onto the figure standing across from her—Shinki.

He stood with his usual composed posture, his expression an unreadable mask. He rarely displayed any emotions, his cold, impassive gaze watching her like a hawk.

The proctor raised his hand.

"Begin!"

Seiren wasted no time, her hands forming seals at lightning speed before she flicked her wrist, hurling a kunai straight at Shinki.

Clang!

As expected, a thick mass of iron sand erupted in front of him, forming an impenetrable shield. The kunai struck it—but instead of bouncing off, the iron began to tremble. Then, it melted.

A flicker of surprise crossed Shinki's eyes.

The scent of ozone filled the air as faint tendrils of purple lightning crackled over the iron sand. Seiren landed in a low stance, her kunai held at the ready, emerald eyes watching him like a predator.

Shinki didn't hesitate. With a flick of his fingers, his iron sand surged forward like a tidal wave, tendrils twisting and writhing like living creatures, aiming to engulf her whole.

Seiren twisted her body mid-air, her agility pushing her to the limits as she narrowly avoided the crushing grip of the metallic mass. She felt the rush of air against her skin as the iron sand missed her by inches, the sheer pressure sending shockwaves through the arena floor.

The audience held their breath as she danced through death itself.

She landed on the very edge of the battlefield, panting slightly, before her hands flew into another set of seals.

"Purple Lightning!"

A brilliant arc of violet energy exploded from her fingertips, the crackling light cutting through the air like a divine blade. The moment it touched Shinki's iron sand, the entire mass shuddered violently—then crumbled, turning molten at the edges.

From the stands, Kakashi watched with a proud gleam in his eye.

Seiren wasted no time.

Seiren barely had time to savor the reaction. Biting her thumb, she moved swiftly, pressing her hands together in a summoning seal. The chakra build-up sent an intense shiver through her limbs, but she ignored it.

Her Sharingan flared.

Her hands clapped together—and when they parted, golden threads of lightning chakra danced between them, spiraling outward like intricate, glowing veins.

"You taught her that?" Keishi's stunned voice rang through the air as he turned toward Kaizen. The man said nothing but stare at the arena below with worried gaze.

Shinki's sharp eyes flickered with realization.

Seiren had no intention of giving him a chance to escape.

With another clap of her hands, the golden lightning surged forward—not as a simple attack, but as a phoenix.

The thunderous cry of the lightning beast echoed across the stadium, its crackling form soaring through the air, illuminating the battlefield in a radiant glow.