"Why don't I see the ocean yet?" Magna wondered aloud. Unsurprisingly, he had lost the race to Luck again, but he felt no resentment this time. After the life-and-death battle they had just experienced, his bond with everyone had only deepened.
"Magna, you haven't seen the ocean before, have you? We've been looking at the ocean this whole time!" Luck laughed.
"Uh... Of course I know there's an ocean ahead! I'm asking why that kid Asta hasn't caught up yet!" Magna glared.
"Asta has fallen asleep!" Vanessa and the others caught up and said, "It seems the battle earlier was just too mentally exhausting."
"Indeed, look at how restlessly he's sleeping—moving his hands, shifting his body!" Noelle said, hugging Asta from behind.
"Waaah!" Seeing this scene of him being flanked from both sides, Finral started crying again.
"Finral, don't cry, brother will hug you!" Gordon approached Finral, but Finral didn't seem to notice at all; he just felt a bit chilly...
"Shu..."
"How long do you plan on loafing around? Fly faster!" Yami suddenly appeared and bellowed angrily.
"Ahhh! Captain Yami, I'm flying, I'm flying!" Seeing Yami was like a mouse seeing a cat; Magna immediately sat up straight and accelerated wildly.
"You're Grey, aren't you?" Vanessa asked, momentarily stunned.
"Haha, Magna is so silly!" Grey transformed back into her original appearance and laughed happily.
"I didn't realize Grey was so mischievous!" Noelle's initial impression of Grey changed. In her mind, she had always thought Grey was just a large, rotund person who only knew how to go "Shu, Shu," but now it seemed she was just a mischievous girl!
"She often plays pranks with Finral; she's only recently started to calm down." Vanessa chuckled, but noticing the'sleeping' Asta becoming restless again, she couldn't help but wonder to herself: Is Asta actually sleeping or faking it? Why are his hands so mischievous!
Of course, Asta was faking it! While pretending to sleep, he acted as if he were talking in his sleep: "My shoulders hurt so much... If only someone could give them a massage!"
"Huh? Was that Asta talking just now?" Noelle asked, stunned.
"He must be talking in his sleep!" Vanessa said.
"It sounds like his shoulders are sore. Come to think of it, he carries such a heavy greatsword every day; his muscles must be aching!" Noelle began to massage his shoulders as she spoke. This made Asta ecstatic—he hadn't expected Noelle to be developing such wifely qualities!
Of course, Asta wasn't just indulging in the comfort; he was also taking stock of his strength. Now, thanks to the Mangekyo Sharingan, he had another major trump card. In battle, he could not only open the Eight Gates but also use Susanoo.
However, currently, Susanoo consumed a massive amount of Chakra, and he couldn't maintain it for very long. Still, having an additional path for growth was a good thing. At present, Susanoo was divided into the initial form, first form, second form, third form, fourth form, and the complete form, along with various variants.
The initial form of Susanoo could only manifest arms and ribs. While it could be used for basic attacks, defense, protection, and control, it was very rudimentary. Fortunately, the system had provided him with the first form directly.
The first form of Susanoo appeared skeletal, with Chakra completely enveloping his body, significantly boosting both his defensive and offensive capabilities. The only drawback was that the soles of his feet were left exposed, and a powerful enough blow could knock him out of his Susanoo form. The advantage was the addition of weapons; even though they were simple handheld ones, his strength had seen a significant increase.
The next upgrade, the second form, would build upon the skeleton by covering it with meridians and flesh, wrapped in a coat of Chakra. It could unlock curse marks and allow the use of exclusive weapons and Ninjutsu!
(^) This meant he could use the Susanoo versions of the demon-slayer sword and demon-slaying sword, which was absolutely incredible! Moreover, this form of Susanoo offered the best balance. Even the big shots in Hokage, like Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sasuke, frequently used this form before obtaining the Six Paths power. Not only was it energy-efficient, but its power was also sufficient. Furthermore, in this state, Susanoo could use a versatile long-range Ninjutsu—the Yasaka Magatama. In short, it was perfect!
This could completely replace the currently somewhat lackluster Eight Gates. After all, even if he opened the Gate of View, his current physical condition wouldn't make him invincible. In short, he still had to train; after this mission, he would intensify his training regimen. He absolutely could not let this passionate youth go to waste!
"The town ahead is so lively; it's no less impressive than the Royal Capital!" Vanessa exclaimed as she looked at the town that had appeared before them.
"Everyone, this is Larkay Town! We've arrived!" Noelle said, her beautiful eyes brightening.
"Great! We're finally here! This is the beach!!!" Magna was extremely excited. After all, as a former small-time hoodlum from a village, he had rarely even left his village, let alone come to the most famous vacation spot in the country!
"Marie, did you see? This is the ocean!" Gauche was even more excited. If they weren't currently in mid-air, he probably would have already knelt down. With such beautiful scenery, Marie would surely love it, and she would definitely like him, her big brother, even more!
"Where is the Captain?" Finral asked.
"Let's just head to the beach first. We're conspicuous enough that the Captain will surely find us!" Vanessa suggested.
"Alright! To the beach!" Everyone rushed toward the coastline.
"Seafood! Seafood!" Charmy was already drooling onto the ground. Without hesitation, she dove into the waves, and within moments, she had caught a lobster several times her size.
"Cotton Creation Magic: Sheep Cook!" Charmy had already started cooking.
"Yo! Ladies over there, have you ever seen the beautiful Moon Bloom flower? If not, go on a date with me tonight, and I can take you to see it!" Finral had already changed into his swim trunks and swooped down in front of two young women dressed in skimpy outfits.
"No way!" "Pervert!" Because Finral was being too overzealous, the two young women immediately rejected him.
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