Wind blades, fire bullets, lightning needles, rock bullets, high-pressure water guns... A frantic barrage of Chakra Ammunition of five different attributes was unleashed.
But that female knight seemed to have eyes in the back of her head. Although she didn't look back, she had a perfect understanding of the situation behind her.
Her movements were agile. As she ran, she dodged the bullets by moving left and right, finally executing a combat roll to get behind a large boulder.
Whoosh~
The mechanical bird passed over the top of the boulder.
The female knight flipped up onto the boulder, bent her legs slightly, and leaped into the air. Holding her greatsword with both hands, she raised it high above her head and slashed towards the mechanical bird in the sky.
Crackle~
The sound of thunder echoed through the canyon.
Dazzling lightning gathered on the sword blade and poured out as its owner swung it down.
For an instant, the sky was filled with thunder and lightning.
The mechanical bird sensed the danger behind it and tilted its body, trying to dodge.
But it was a little too late.
How could the speed of lightning be compared to that of a mechanical bird?
The moment the enemy swung the sword without dodging, the chance to evade was already lost.
Pakura and Kana were just about to jump away.
Suddenly, a stream of sand shot over, blocking them.
Puff!
The lightning struck the sand and was conducted away.
The danger was averted. The mechanical bird spun in the air, turning to face the attacker. The Scorch Release cannon at its center was gathering intense heat.
"Save your Chakra, let me handle this!"
Pakura commanded firmly, standing up and forming hand seals.
The mechanical bird obeyed the command, retracting its cannon and focusing on flying.
An orange fireball gathered between her hands. The terrifying energy fluctuations made Kana, who was beside her, feel extremely horrified.
Having lived in seclusion in the deep mountains since childhood and only staying in small Shinobi Villages like Shimogakure, she had never seen such a terrifying Ninjutsu.
Just its precursor fluctuations were enough to make her heart race with fear.
"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"
The soccer-ball-sized fireball was dropped just as the mechanical bird flew over the female knight's head.
The terrifying energy was released, transforming into a high-temperature energy wave that spread outwards. When the energy wave expanded to about thirty meters in diameter, it suddenly collapsed inward. With a loud bang, it turned into flames that exploded skyward.
However, before being engulfed by the explosion, the female knight had already flown out.
Yes, she flew.
She had now completely transformed. Her brown eyes had become slitted pupils. Blue animal fur had grown around her wrists and ankles. The canine teeth at the corners of her mouth were long and sharp. A pair of bat wings had sprouted from her back.
It was like a vampire from Ryuji's past life's novels, transformed.
She flapped her wings and instantly broke the sound barrier, chasing after the mechanical bird.
Seeing this, Kana sneered, "Chasing recklessly without even having intelligence. You're asking to die!"
"Keep her alive."
Pakura reminded her timely.
Kana gave her a deep look, then finally nodded. "Cover your nose and mouth."
After warning her, she began to form hand seals.
"Ninja Art: Blood Mist!"
Poof!
Her blood turned into mist, erupting from the pores all over her body, instantly obscuring vision.
Because the speed was so fast, the mechanical bird had already flown far away by the time the blood mist spread, while the female knight exactly charged right into it.
But she also covered her nose and mouth.
"I heard your conversation!"
The blue-haired female knight grinned ferociously. Holding the greatsword in her empty right hand, she charged out of the blood mist and slashed forward.
Whoosh!
A large hand made of sand suddenly shot out from the side, wrapping around her right hand and most of the sword blade.
Then, with a sudden yank, it pulled her towards the ground.
Boom!
The female knight crashed into the ground, causing a slight tremor.
Amidst the dust, she stood up shakily, leaning on her greatsword. Blood from her forehead flowed down her cheek, and combined with her fierce animal pupils, it looked somewhat frightening.
But the people she faced now were not ones to be intimidated by a terrifying appearance.
Through the dust, she looked at the two people slowly approaching from a distance, her expression somewhat dazed.
"It's actually Senjutsu..."
Ryuji stopped about ten meters away from the female knight, a surprised expression on his face. "No wonder Sensor-type Shinobi couldn't detect you. It's this level of Sage Mode."
Sage Mode is a mode where the user absorbs Natural Energy and combines it with their own Physical Energy and Spiritual Energy to create Senjutsu Chakra.
In this mode, a person's overall strength increases exponentially. Even a physically weak person can lift boulders several times their size.
But Senjutsu Chakra has a huge impact on a person. If one cannot balance the Natural Energy, Physical Energy, And Spiritual Energy properly, the body will naturally transform.
It might turn animals, plants, or even inanimate objects like stone. The stronger the control over Senjutsu Chakra, the lesser the degree of transformation, and the greater the power gained.
The person before him had undergone significant beast transformation, clearly indicating poor control over Senjutsu Chakra.
But because of this, they were closer to nature, making it difficult for Sensor-type Shinobi to distinguish them from the natural world.
This reminded Ryuji of the antagonists from the original movie, Legend of the Stone of Gelel.
Also from the western continent, also wearing knight armor, also able to transform... Although this group was clearly much stronger than those in the movie, the similarities were too many to ignore.
'Those people in the original got their power from Gelel Stones. If this group is from the same place, they should be similar.'
Thinking this, Ryuji looked towards the female knight's chest plate.
Embedded in the center of the metal breastplate was a dull stone. Given the armor's style and the stone's placement, anyone would consider it a decorative accent on the armor.
'It really is a Gelel Stone!'
'So, the power contained within the Gelel Stone is Senjutsu Chakra?'
Ryuji pondered for a moment, then looked at the female knight. "Can you tell me your origins and purpose?"
"Do you think I would?"
The female knight couldn't help but sneer. However, she raised her sword, pointing it at Ryuji. "Even if you kill me, Gareth-sama will avenge me."
"I see." Ryuji said regretfully, "That's truly a pity."
The moment the words fell, Aka disappeared.
When she reappeared, she was in front of the female knight, her right hand already thrust into her chest like a knife-hand strike.
"How can you be so fast!?"
The female knight's eyes widened.
"No matter how powerful the weapon, if the user is too weak, it can't unleash its due power."
Under the female knight's disbelieving gaze, Aka pulled out her heart and squeezed it lightly.
Instantly, excruciating pain and weakness spread throughout her body, forcing her to her knees.
The two women who had just flown back on the mechanical bird and stopped in the distance, witnessing this scene, couldn't help but cover their mouths.
This was too bloody.
"You know?"
Aka spoke cold words, like an emotionless machine. "Although the heart is a vital point, it's not so fragile that one touch kills. If you have the relevant knowledge and are careful, you could fill the entire heart with sewing needles without causing death."
"Of course, since the heart is the body's power source, injury to it will certainly cause corresponding reactions."
"Dizziness, weakness, unbearable pain... Well, I've never actually seen what it looks like specifically."
"But now we can try."
"Stick sewing needles all over your heart, then put it back and stitch the wound, using medicine every day to keep you awake, and then..."
"Stop talking! I'll talk, I'll tell you everything!"
Before Aka could finish, the female knight's psychological defenses shattered, and she surrendered voluntarily.
The corners of Aka's mouth curled up slightly, forming a charming smile.
But to Pakura and Kana watching nearby, this was simply the smile of a demon.
Especially Pakura, who couldn't stop shivering.
She had known Aka for a long time, always thinking of her as a gentle and kind older sister. When she played at Ryuji's house on ordinary days, she never acted like an outsider and freely ordered Aka around.
When hungry, she'd ask Aka to cook; when tired, she'd ask her to help heat water for a bath; sometimes when they met on the street, she'd have her help buy groceries...
In short, she often ordered Aka around without restraint.
But now, witnessing this scene, she felt a wave of terror.
'What do I do? I wasn't very polite to her before. Will she hold a grudge? Will she do this to me when I'm not paying attention?'
Fortunately, Ryuji and Aka's attention was on the female knight, and Kana was also equally terrified.
Otherwise, seeing this trembling Pakura version of a scared expression, they'd probably burst out laughing!
"Your strength has increased again."
Ryuji came close to the female knight, praising Aka first, then looked at the female knight. "Now, I ask, you answer. Don't say anything unnecessary. If I think you're lying, I'll stick a needle in your heart."
Hearing this threat even more demonic than the red-haired woman's, the female knight couldn't help but shudder. Any thoughts of stalling for time by lying instantly vanished.
"Yes."
"Where do you come from?"
"We come from across the continent, from a place called..."
"Alright, no need for the specific name. I wouldn't know it anyway." Ryuji interrupted her, continuing, "What is your purpose here?"
"To search for the ruins of an ancient empire."
'Just ruins, not a vein of Gelel Stones? Is it that they don't know about the vein under that huge city ruin, or are they trying to play the information-hiding game?'
Ryuji pondered briefly, then beckoned to Aka.
She smiled slightly, creating a sewing needle from Lightning Release Chakra, and gently stuck it in.
"Ahhh..."
Instantly, the female knight screamed, her body curling up in pain.
"Why?! I wasn't lying."
"But you withheld information."
"I didn't... Wait, no!"
Seeing Ryuji signal Aka to stick another needle in, she quickly changed her tune to stop him.
Ryuji smiled, continuing, "Let's continue from before. I ask, you answer. If you withhold information or lie, there won't be a second chance."
"Yes, yes, yes!"
The female knight nodded profusely, sweating heavily, enduring the pain.
"So, who is strongest and weakest among you six, and what are your abilities?"
"The strongest is the leader, Gareth. He can transform into a Lion King. The second strongest..."
After interrogating, Ryuji got the answers he wanted.
Finally, he asked, "What is the level of strength on your continent?"
The female knight thought of something, suddenly looked up, staring at him in horror, "You want to attack my homeland!?"