The two Ashiho brothers glanced at each other, guessing that Makiya had used some secret technique to confirm the enemy's numbers. But... what was the point of knowing the specific count? If they couldn't win, they couldn't win. The gap in raw power was too vast; any fancy tricks would be useless.
A second later, the three of them stared wide-eyed, their minds going blank as if they had forgotten how to think.
Makiya pressed his palms together, and a terrifying torrent of chakra surged from within him. The chakra was so dense it became tangible, enveloping him in a blue aura of energy. His majestic aura shot into the sky, instantly dispersing the dark clouds of war.
A tsunami-like flood of chakra washed over Miroku and the others. Faced with this energy, Miroku lost her usual composure, her lips parting so wide they could have fit a fist.
'This energy... even Moryo doesn't come close.'
Invisible pressure radiated from Makiya, causing the air throughout the capital of the Land of Demons to stagnate. Everyone felt a weight in their hearts, a sense of impending doom.
Makiya shifted his hand signs. After weaving three seals, the chakra torrent instantly turned searing and violent. Within the blink of an eye, it transformed into golden flames that soared upward. Destructive power vented recklessly, and the air sizzled as it warped from the intense heat.
The golden sea of fire hung in the sky like an inverted ocean, blotting out the sun. The surrounding world was illuminated by golden light, as if coated in a layer of gold dust.
The soldiers in the city instinctively stopped what they were doing and looked up at the sky with glazed eyes, unsure of what was happening.
Even the unstoppable Undead Legion halted their advance, standing in place to look up at the heavens. Their stone eyes lacked expression, yet one could sense the shock and unease of their controller.
The sea of fire surged, condensing under Makiya's control into countless flying swords. The sharp blades slowly emerged from the flames, hanging high in the sky.
Twenty-five thousand flying swords—exactly one for each of the twenty-five thousand stone statues!
"Go!"
Makiya swung his arms, and his presence changed abruptly. The twenty-five thousand flying swords fell from the sky like raindrops, cutting through the air in streaks of brilliant light, like a meteor shower.
The breathtaking scene didn't last long. The swords moved faster than the eye could follow, splitting into four golden torrents that surged toward the four corners of the capital.
Each streak of light seemed capable of tearing space itself, whistling sharply as it pierced the air. When the 25,000 piercing whistles merged, the entire capital of the Land of Demons trembled.
The golden flying swords accurately struck every stone giant. The once indestructible statues were like butter meeting a hot knife; they were pierced from the crown of their heads straight down to their cores, leaving glowing red burn marks.
One sword for one stone giant—no mistakes, no collateral damage. Under Makiya's supreme control, every giant met its destined blade, facing the inevitable path of being pierced and melted.
The searing golden flames not only destroyed the stone structures but also released a constant stream of heat from the blades embedded within, clashing with the cold energy inside.
The physical destruction was merely on the surface; the key to ending the Undead Legion lay in the constant erasure of that special energy. The half-melted statues trembled violently, attempting to reform, but as the cold energy was depleted, the stone became pale and brittle, finally crumbling into rubble.
The noisy battlefield fell silent. Aside from the plumes of black smoke staining the sky and the heavy thuds of the stone statues collapsing, there was no other sound. The soldiers, who had been prepared for a fight to the death, were dumbfounded. One couldn't help but pinch his thigh hard.
'It doesn't hurt. It's a hallucination!'
The soldier realized everything. He figured there was no way someone in reality could do such a thing; he must still be dreaming.
"Ow!"
A cry of pain came from his side. A squad leader rubbed his thigh and glared at him. The pained shout traveled far across the quiet battlefield, drawing everyone's gaze.
The deathly silent battlefield seemed to come back to life. Some soldiers even fell to their knees on the spot, thanking the Priestess for the miracle they had sent to save them.
"Idiot, this clearly isn't the Priestess's power," the squad leader said, kicking the embarrassing soldier over.
"Then whose is it?" the soldier asked stubbornly.
The squad leader was momentarily speechless. In the soldiers' eyes, the Priestess was the most powerful being. If it wasn't her, then who? It couldn't possibly be the ninja who had just come to visit the wall, could it?
Moryo:
The demon Moryo, spying through the Undead Legion, fell silent. 'Is this a ninja? This isn't anything like the information I gathered after I broke out last time.'
'How many years have I been sealed? Are current ninjas this strong?'
Thinking back to the grand words he spoke just after breaking the seal, Moryo felt a wave of emptiness. 'Conquering the world and whatnot... maybe I should forget it. Looking at the situation, I probably can't even rule the Land of Demons. Maybe I should change directions, head west, and try to take over the Land of Swamps.'
'Ninjas are too dangerous; it is better to avoid them.'
Moryo was very practical. Self-preservation was an instinct carved into the souls of intelligent beings. Retreating before a powerful enemy wasn't embarrassing.
He could absorb the resentment produced by humans to grow stronger. Given enough time, the energy Moryo could accumulate was nearly limitless. One day, he would surpass that ninja.
'If all else fails, I can just outlive the other person. Humans are short-lived creatures. No matter how strong they were, they only ruled for a few decades. I could sleep through one sealing cycle, and the human rulers would have changed several times over.'
Having made up its mind, Moryo immediately began to act, severing its connection to the seal entirely, planning to flee toward the Land of Swamps.
Miroku:
On the top-floor terrace of the Priestess's palace, Miroku and the two brothers were also silent. Their brains had short-circuited for a moment. One of them didn't even notice the katana slipping from his hand and clattering to the floor.
"So... so strong!" Miroku swallowed hard. The feeling of suffocation made her gasp for air; the moment the fiery meteors fell, she had even forgotten to breathe.
It turned out Konoha really intended to help the Land of Demons. Makiya wasn't some disposable pawn. Just as he said, there was no need for a massive army—he alone was enough!
Miroku watched as Makiya slowly stood up and patted the dust off his backside. Her chest heaved. If it were him, could he solve the tragic fate passed down for a thousand years in the Land of Demons?
The position of Priestess seemed glorious, ruling as the head of a nation, but in reality, it was just a tool for sealing Moryo—a sacrifice to be made when necessary.
Miroku hoped this duty would end with her generation, so the suffering wouldn't have to be passed on to her descendants.
"Lord Makiya!" Manta Ashiho suddenly dropped to his knees, pressing his body low. His forehead and nose touched the ground. "I apologize for my previous arrogance. Please, you must save the Land of Demons! Save Lady Miroku!"
Makiya tilted his head and looked at Manta. "Arrogance? When?"
Manta's words baffled him. Had the guy offended him just now? He hadn't noticed.
"It's fine, I don't mind," Makiya said with a wave of his hand. He looked at Miroku, who had regained her composure, and waved again. Golden flames condensed into a broad sword that slowly descended.
"Come on, let's go settle this Moryo business. If all goes well, I can still make it home for dinner."
Makiya stood on the flying sword and beckoned to Miroku. Seeing her confused expression, he reached out and grabbed her priestess robes, pulling gently. Her pale feet in wooden clogs stepped onto the flying sword.
"Ah, Lord Makiya, you..."
Before Miroku could finish her cry of surprise, the flying sword took off. The sudden G-force from the ascent caused her to instinctively wrap her arms around Makiya's arm, burying it deep between her breasts.
'Truly a Priestess skilled in sealing techniques!'
Makiya lamented inwardly. He tried to pull his arm out, but the 'seals' of her chest were incredibly firm. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't extract it.
Distracted by the sensation on his arm, Makiya couldn't focus entirely on controlling the sword. As a result, the golden blade drew perfect arcs in the sky, tilting left one moment and surging upward the next. It was an act of god—absolutely not intentional.
Miroku cried out repeatedly, her body pressed tight against Makiya's back, her heart pounding. The thrill of flying for the first time sent hormones rushing through her body, a strange sensation echoing in her mind.
Gradually, Miroku became accustomed to the feeling of flight and realized the sword was very safe. Her beautiful eyes shot Makiya a look before she quietly let go and smoothed out her wrinkled robes.
Makiya also returned to normal, dutifully piloting the flying sword as they vanished into the clouds.
On the ground, the Ashiho brothers looked up at the sky. A sour, bitter feeling filled their chests. Although the man was powerful, the brothers still felt like drawing their swords to challenge him.
But neither could fly. They could only watch helplessly as their goddess drifted further away. The air was thick with the scent of jealousy.
According to the tradition of the Land of Demons, when a Priestess reached marriageable age, if she had no suitor of her own, a suitable male would be chosen from the serving Ashiho family to marry her.
This was to ensure the stable inheritance of the Priestess's power. Since the Priestess lived her life within the palace walls, she had no chance to meet others. This meant Miroku's husband would, barring accidents, have been chosen from between the two brothers.
But now...
Both understood that certain things had changed forever.
The wind whipped past their hair. Under Miroku's guidance, Makiya flew over a shrine nestled deep in the mountains.
Moryo's sealing site was directly below. Currently, the enemy hadn't fully broken out, but even from a distance, Makiya could feel that sinister energy.
It was truly massive!