Seeing Mōryō freeze in shock without making a move, Shiki rested his sword on his shoulder and smiled.
"What's wrong?" he asked lightly. "Is something like this really that hard for you to understand?"
"Swoosh!"
Mōryō may have still been reeling, but Shiki had no intention of standing around like a fool.
His figure vanished in an instant, and when he reappeared, he was already beside one of Mōryō's heads.
"Let me wake you up first."
His sword fell.
Just like before, the head burst apart like a bubble, exploding without the slightest resistance before dissolving into the air.
By the time Mōryō reacted, only one head remained.
"How is this possible?!"
Losing a head by itself was not what shocked him most.
What truly horrified Mōryō was that no matter how he tried to circulate chakra, the parts that had been severed showed no sign of recovering.
"You… what exactly are you?!"
Why?
Why did a human possess such a terrifying power?
"It's getting annoying, you know…" Shiki said, sticking a finger into his ear as if Mōryō's roar was nothing more than a nuisance. "Is it really that hard for you to accept that I'm stronger than you?"
Mōryō's eyes immediately turned bloodshot.
His last remaining head swelled from rage, but beneath that fury was something even stronger.
Fear.
No matter how desperately he tried, the heads that had been cut off would not regenerate.
That meant only one thing.
The golden-haired human before him truly had the power to kill him.
A thought flashed through Mōryō's mind. Letting out a furious roar, he lunged forward.
"Die, human!"
But halfway through the charge, he suddenly changed direction.
I have to take the priestess first…
He was not stupid. Mōryō had already realized that continuing this fight was meaningless. If this went on, he might really die here.
And he had only just been freed.
How could he accept that?
"…Now you've gone and done something stupid."
Of course, Shiki had seen through his intentions immediately. He let out a quiet sigh and shook his head, almost as if he pitied him.
Then his figure blurred.
In the next instant, he appeared in front of the terrified Shion and raised his sword high.
"Lion Might: Lightless Moon."
This was a new sword technique he had created by combining the power of the Golden Lion template with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
"No—! How can this be…?!"
Mōryō let out an unwilling roar as the slash struck his final head and cleaved through it with absurd ease.
He frantically tried to pour chakra into the severed part to force regeneration.
But it was useless.
"No… this… this can't be…"
His voice trembled with unwillingness.
"I… am… immortal…"
But the cracks continued to spread.
The chakra that made up his body began to collapse, crumbling into black ash.
"You… human…"
"Swoosh…"
Mōryō's massive form disintegrated completely, scattering into black particles that vanished into the air.
Shion stared blankly at the empty space where Mōryō had been, her lips trembling slightly.
"…It's over?"
Rin exhaled slowly, her tense shoulders finally relaxing.
Shiki flicked his blade lightly, dispersing the last traces of chakra.
"Yes," he said casually. "It's over."
The sealed land, which had been shrouded in darkness for countless years, finally returned to calm.
But the surrounding area was already in ruins. Cracks spread across the altar, and pieces of stone began to crumble and fall.
Shiki glanced around.
"This place is about to collapse. Let's move."
Shion nodded quickly, still struggling to process everything that had just happened. Rin stepped closer as well, and the three of them headed toward the exit.
Outside, sunlight spilled across the broken entrance.
—
Kushina was in the middle of smashing another stone figure into pieces when she suddenly paused.
"…It stopped."
The sword energy that had been bursting out continuously from inside had vanished.
Kurenai noticed it too.
"The ominous chakra…" she murmured. "It's gone too."
Before either of them could say more, faint footsteps echoed from the entrance.
Both women turned at the same time.
From the dust-filled opening, a familiar figure walked out first—golden hair, sword resting casually on his shoulder.
Behind him followed Shion and Rin.
Kurenai's eyes lit up instantly.
"Shiki-nii!"
Without hesitation, she stepped forward, relief written clearly on her face.
Kushina punched apart the last stone golem, then crossed her arms, studying him briefly before glancing toward the destroyed entrance behind him.
"So you finally came out," she said. "You took your time."
Then she asked directly, "So it's finished?"
"Mm."
Kurenai stopped in front of him, quickly looking him up and down as if confirming he wasn't injured.
"You're fine, right?"
Shiki smiled faintly. "Did you expect anything else?"
Kurenai shook her head immediately. She knew Shiki's strength better than anyone here, but knowing he had been fighting a monster like Mōryō still made her worry. The relieved expression on her face didn't fade.
Behind them, Shion stepped forward hesitantly.
Her gaze lingered on Kushina and Kurenai, then settled on Shiki before she gave a small bow.
"…Thank you."
Kushina waved her hand dismissively and jerked her thumb toward Shiki.
"Don't thank me. He's the one who did everything. You're safe—that's what matters."
"Yeah," Kurenai added gently from the side, smiling softly. "You don't need to worry about that anymore."
Shiki sighed lightly.
"…You're both making a big deal out of it."
Rin smiled faintly as she looked at everyone gathered together. Then she noticed something missing. Glancing around, her expression turned slightly worried.
"Umm… where is Kakashi?"
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