At that moment, Qin Yi's eyes suddenly lit up, and a sharp smile spread across his face. "Find King Chengdui," he commanded the staff beside him.
The Parliamentary Institute worked with remarkable efficiency. Within a few breaths, live drone footage was transmitted directly to his terminal, displaying two figures in the holographic projection.
"Aizen. King Chengdui." Qin Yi narrowed his eyes and stood up. After a moment of thought, he spoke again. "Bring Yhwach here."
The subordinate nodded and vanished instantly.
A short while later, Yhwach arrived. Looking directly at Qin Yi, he asked in a deep voice, "The battle at the front lines is at its fiercest. Why have you called me here?"
Qin Yi smiled. "Since we are allies, the most critical battle naturally requires both of us."
"The most critical battle?" Yhwach asked, looking puzzled.
"That's right. The battle we are about to fight is the one that will truly decide the outcome of this war." Qin Yi's expression turned dead serious.
A sharp light flashed in Yhwach's eyes, and he fell silent. After a moment, he said calmly, "In that case, let's move."
Qin Yi smiled and stepped forward. In an instant, both men vanished.
Watching them leave, Gandalf stepped up to the main console. "Have the Parliamentary Institute continuously report battlefield conditions and map out the next wave of attack routes. And get me a status report on King Yuanli immediately." The orders were barked out in rapid succession, and the staff immediately threw themselves into their work.
Moments later, an urgent report arrived. "There's a situation on Madara's front! An unidentified individual has appeared on the battlefield. He's... extremely powerful." The staff member's voice cracked with tension, clear shock written across his face.
Gandalf stiffened. "Show me the footage."
"Yes, sir!"
The holographic display shifted instantly, locking onto the chaotic battlefield where Madara was fighting.
"Honor is something that should be upheld for an entire lifetime. And in you, I see honor." A steady, heavy, weathered voice echoed from the projection.
Then came a blur moving at incredible speed. To call him wind-like wasn't quite accurate, he was faster than the wind, and far harder to catch.
His sword came down.
Madara was sent flying hundreds of meters once again. The repulsive force surrounding him shattered like fragile paper with a sharp crack.
Pfft!
Tumbling through the air, Madara's breathing grew slightly ragged, his expression darkening. Against this man's blade, the repulsive force of his Shinra Tensei was completely useless, displaying none of its usual absolute dominance.
Looking down, Madara noticed his armor was already ruined. The invisible sword energy had somehow sliced through both his armor and robes without him even registering the strike. Several wounds had opened across his body, but fortunately, his powerful regenerative abilities kicked in, stitching the flesh back together at a rapid pace.
In the blink of an eye, the injuries had completely recovered.
Madara slowly raised his head, his breathing steadying once more.
"Your strength exceeds my imagination," he said, "and frankly, it's difficult for me to understand. I can tell you're not from the Nie Kingdom. Even the way your power manifests is something I can't see through. But none of that matters."
He suddenly tore the ruined armor from his body, exposing his torso. Eight well-defined abdominal muscles, broad pectorals, and a perfectly balanced physique came into view, every line packed with explosive power.
"What matters is that this battle is going to excite me."
His voice carried fearlessness, excitement, and an overwhelming thirst for battle.
The weathered man narrowed his eyes slightly. Slowly, he slid his sword back into its scabbard, quietly watching the legendary ninja. "So, you still have more tricks up your sleeve," he noted calmly.
Madara didn't answer. He slowly raised his right hand and spread his fingers across his face.
Crack... crack... crack...
The sound of bones grinding echoed through the air.
His fingers moved downward from his forehead. When he pulled his hand away, a grim white skeletal mask had appeared on his face.
Boom!
At the same time, a black-and-red aura filled with ominous energy erupted outward, shooting straight into the sky.
Powerful. Madara was now far stronger than before.
His figure vanished almost instantly, transforming into a blur of speed.
Whoosh!
The air exploded behind him.
Yasuo's eyes sharpened. His sword was already out of its sheath, slashing forward the exact millisecond Madara disappeared.
"Hasagi!"
A whirlwind rose from empty space before him. Then the tip of a short blade pierced through the air, appearing directly in front of Yasuo. Strangely enough, Yasuo's sword edge met the blade's tip with perfect precision.
Bzz,
Sword edge and blade tip collided. There was a brief pause.
Then a shocking scene unfolded.
Yasuo's sword cut directly through the blade's tip. It continued forward without resistance, splitting the entire weapon down the middle. In the blink of an eye, half the weapon had already been sliced apart.
Madara's masked face emerged from behind it, his crimson eyes narrowing.
Strong. Yasuo's swordsmanship was unimaginably powerful.
"Hasagi!"
Yasuo twisted his wrist. His sword shattered the remains of the weapon apart and whipped straight toward Madara's throat.
Madara's gaze remained dead cold. His waist suddenly twisted, his entire body spinning horizontally through the air like a top. A breath later, he re-oriented himself and launched a counter-offensive. Like a dragon coiling through the storm clouds, he surged forward, closing the distance in an instant.
His fists struck like dragons, crashing toward his opponent. With only a sword in hand and at such close range, Yasuo was unable to swing properly. He was forced onto the defensive, retreating step after step.
Madara pressed the attack relentlessly. His fists, feet, knees, and elbows all blurred into a seamless, violent torrent.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
In the space of moments, the two exchanged twenty-eight clashes. Yasuo was driven back over a hundred steps, yet despite the relentless assault, Madara still failed to injure him.
His eyes narrowed. Madara suddenly lowered his body and leaped backward to gain space.
A breath later, the white skeletal mask extended downward. It wrapped around his neck, then spread across his upper body. The ominous aura surrounding him intensified even further, his eyes burning with an increasingly ferocious light.
"ROAR!"
A beast-like howl escaped his throat. Madara lunged forward like a tiger pouncing on its prey.
Yasuo held his sword at the ready. For the first time, a trace of genuine seriousness appeared in his eyes.
"You have earned my recognition. Remember my name. I am the Gale Sword Hero, Yasuo."
The moment the words fell, his body blurred like the wind itself.
The next instant,
The two collided head-on in midair.
Bzzzz!
Space trembled. A ring of shockwaves exploded outward.
Then the ground beneath them collapsed, the destruction spreading layer after layer in every direction.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
After three successive blasts, the earth within a radius of a thousand meters had completely caved in, forming a massive crater.
The two stared at one another. Yasuo narrowed his eyes, sword in hand.
Then he suddenly retreated.
His sword point aimed directly at Madara.
"Weakness."
(End of Chapter)
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