The instant the serpent moved—
FLASH!
A streak of light crossed the dark water.
Before Yamato no Orochi could react, Salim had already disappeared.
A moment later, he reappeared beside Ton.
He grabbed Ton's body and pulled him away from the serpent, then surrounded him with a protective box made entirely from glowing arrows.
Salim filled the inside with oxygen.
He looked at Ton through the barrier.
"Stay safe like this and wait until I finish this job."
Then—
WHOOSH!
Salim vanished again.
He appeared directly in front of the enormous serpent.
The two stared at each other.
Neither spoke.
Neither moved.
For a moment, the entire underwater world became completely silent.
Then both charged.
They had no choice but to settle this with their fists.
Salim clenched his hands.
I'm actually using this for the first time...
I'm not even sure what I'm capable of.
He looked at the energy surrounding his body.
But it looks like it works well.
His three eyes focused on the serpent.
Now I have to be ready and finish this fight.
INSIDE SALIM'S MIND
Everything became dark.
The voice of the Eye of Mahakaal echoed through the emptiness.
"Give yourself to me."
Salim looked around.
The voice became harsher.
"You are weak."
A pause.
"You loser."
Salim's expression tightened.
"You can't even save your own people."
Salim clenched his fists.
"I can."
The voice laughed.
Salim looked directly toward the enormous eye floating within the darkness.
"And I will."
He took a breath.
"Just lend me your power."
The eye slowly opened.
BACK UNDERWATER
Yamato no Orochi suddenly pulled backward.
The energy radiating from Salim had become so bright that his entire body was almost impossible to see.
Only a massive silhouette surrounded by blue-white light remained visible.
Ton slowly opened his eyes.
"Ahh... what is with this light?"
He looked around.
"And where is Salim?"
He tried to move.
Then he realized something.
"Why am I trapped in a box?"
Ton punched the arrow barrier.
THUD.
Nothing happened.
He stared at it.
"This doesn't even open."
Then he looked toward the overwhelming light in the distance.
His eyes widened.
"That... is Salim?"
The light suddenly began fading.
All of it flowed toward Salim's third eye.
The energy disappeared into it.
The eye glowed brighter than ever.
Salim stood motionless in the darkness.
This is my energy.
Once it fades... I lose the fight.
He looked toward the serpent.
So I can't waste it.
Yamato no Orochi didn't wait.
The enormous serpent lunged toward him.
But—
Salim was already behind it.
He slowly lifted his hands.
He stared at them in awe.
This is...
He looked at his own glowing fingers.
My new form.
Suddenly—
a massive blast came directly toward him.
Salim turned.
The attack struck him.
The surrounding water shook.
But when the energy disappeared...
Salim was still standing.
Not a scratch.
Yamato no Orochi's expression changed.
Then the serpent smiled.
Its enormous body twisted through the water.
The surrounding ocean began changing color.
Green spread through the water.
Salim's eyes widened.
Poison.
The water around them became toxic.
Anything that touched it began dissolving.
Salim immediately fired an arrow toward the serpent.
But it was too late.
The poison had already spread throughout the area.
He turned toward Ton.
"TON!"
Salim rushed toward him.
He fired an arrow.
CRACK!
The arrow struck the protective box.
The barrier shattered.
Ton immediately swam out.
"MOVE!"
Both of them began swimming away from the poisoned water.
Behind them, the green ocean continued spreading.
Yamato no Orochi opened its enormous mouth.
A concentrated beam formed inside it.
Then—
BOOM!
The beam tore through the water toward them.
A deep voice echoed through the ocean.
"Humans can't survive this."
The serpent's eyes narrowed.
"Both of you are done."
Ton suddenly stopped.
Salim looked back.
"Ton?"
Ton turned toward the serpent.
He pointed at Salim.
"I will handle this."
Salim's eyes widened.
"Ton, wait—"
Ton had already turned.
He charged straight toward Yamato no Orochi.
His reptilian features became more pronounced as his body pushed through the water.
He clenched his fist.
"I am not a human."
BOOM!
Ton's fist struck the serpent.
The water erupted around them.
Yamato no Orochi recoiled.
Ton attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Every punch carried the full force of his mutated strength.
The serpent tried to counter.
Ton dodged.
Another attack.
Another dodge.
Another punch.
The serpent's movements became increasingly desperate.
Ton wasn't giving it any opportunity to recover.
Salim watched from a distance.
Ton is actually holding it back...
The battle continued.
Finally, Yamato no Orochi made a decision.
The serpent stopped.
The poisonous water slowly began disappearing.
It chose to remove the poison.
It didn't want to waste any more of its energy.
Ton immediately looked toward Salim.
He gave him a signal.
Salim understood.
He raised his bow.
The remaining energy around his body began gathering.
His three eyes focused.
The bow trembled in his hands.
Everything I have left...
The energy condensed into a single mystical arrow.
The surrounding water began glowing.
Salim pulled the string back.
The serpent turned toward him.
Its eyes widened.
Salim released.
WHOOSH!
The mystical arrow traveled through the water.
Straight toward Yamato no Orochi.
The serpent tried to move.
Too late.
The arrow pierced directly through its heart.
The enormous serpent froze.
Its body slowly weakened.
Blood spread through the surrounding water.
Its massive body finally collapsed into the depths.
Salim lowered his bow.
Ton swam toward him.
Neither said anything.
Then—
CRACK.
Something moved beneath them.
The ocean floor began splitting apart.
Salim and Ton looked down.
Ancient stone shifted beneath the sea.
A massive gate slowly emerged from the darkness.
Its doors began opening.
Behind them was a passage leading deeper underground.
Salim stared.
Ton's expression changed.
After everything they had gone through—
they had finally found it.
THE UNDERGROUND PRISON.