Boom!!
The "heat" that incinerates all things violently clashed with the "force" that crushes everything!
Amidst the deafening roar, the heatwave that twisted the air was forcefully cleaved in two by the sheer colossal power, splitting and flowing to the sides!
The momentum of the axe-blade's strike remained undiminished, fiercely slashing against the thick arms that the giant ape instinctively crossed in front of itself for defense, like an invisible great blade!
Bang!!
Under the impact of this irresistible colossal force, the giant ape's massive body was directly pushed backward, its feet plowing two huge furrows in the ground.
It finally crashed heavily into the rock wall behind it, causing a tremor in the earth and letting out a roar of pain and fury.
The arm it held up to block the attack took the direct hit, and the tough defense made of lava and bone was forcibly breached, leaving a huge gash on the arm.
"This, such tremendous power..."
Kitsuchi, who had successfully landed a blow, was immediately delighted. Just as he intended to deliver another strike, he felt as if all the strength in his body had been completely drained after that one axe swing.
A strong sense of exhaustion washed over him, causing his formerly steady body to suddenly sway. He stumbled, falling onto one knee, barely supporting himself with the axe handle, his face deathly pale.
The power of Ame no Murakumo was still too great a burden for him, as he had not yet mastered it.
Behind him, Onoki glanced at the giant ape struggling out of the rock wall indentation.
Despite his reluctance, his seasoned experience made him choose the most rational option.
"Don't get entangled with it!" Onoki roared. "The Espada members might be arriving soon. If we don't leave now, it will be too late! All retreat!"
Before his voice faded, Onoki rapidly formed hand signs and slapped Kitsuchi's body.
Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique!
Kitsuchi felt his heavy body become much lighter. The father and son did not hesitate, rapidly fleeing in the opposite direction of the giant ape without looking back!
The other surviving Iwagakure shinobi, seeing this, suppressed the pain and fear brought by their casualties and immediately followed, retreating swiftly and wretchedly from this place of death.
Before leaving, Onoki's eyes coldly swept over the location where Hanzo had been.
It was long deserted, leaving behind only a scene of devastation.
"Hanzo! This grudge, this old man will remember!" Onoki cursed internally.
Snap! Boom!
Not long after the Iwagakure group retreated.
The giant ape forcibly pulled itself out of the rock wall, shook its dizzy head, and its crimson gaze locked onto the fleeing 'prey' in the distance.
"Roar!" It let out an even more violent roar, dropped to all fours, and was about to charge in pursuit.
However, just then.
Hiss!
The space above its head was forcibly ripped open, creating a dark fissure. A chilling, deathly silence permeated from within.
A figure slowly stepped out of the rift, hovering in mid-air.
The number "7" was clearly etched beneath his eye. His double pupils appeared extremely eerie, and he looked down upon the restless giant ape below.
The giant ape seemed to feel some kind of threat. Its forward charge suddenly slammed to a halt, its feet carving deep furrows in the ground.
It raised its head, its crimson eyes beneath the bone mask filled with vigilance and violence, staring intently at the figure in the air.
"My name is Caged Bird."
Espada Seven, Caged Bird, spoke, his tone flat, rigid, and devoid of any emotion. "By the order of that esteemed individual, I have come to take you back to Hueco Mundo."
"Please cooperate and come with me."
He nodded slightly, his movement carrying a sense of stiff courtesy, but the response he received was...
"Roar!!"
Only the giant ape's roar, filled with savagery and the desire for destruction!
Seeing this, 'Caged Bird' seemed to have anticipated this result. He merely adhered to the principle of "courtesy before force."
He spoke no further. Since words could not communicate, only power remained.
He slowly raised his right hand, aimed at the giant ape below, slightly spread his five fingers, and then pressed down.
Boom!!
An invisible gravity, as if the entire sky were collapsing, abruptly poured down upon the giant ape below!
The scorching sun beat down on the vast, boundless wasteland. Heatwaves distorted the distant scenery, and an aura of desolation permeated the air.
"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."
A heavy, pain-filled gasp broke the silence of the desolate land.
Hanzo dragged his left leg, which had completely vanished below the calf, hobbling and struggling to move forward.
Each step he took caused an agonizing, piercing pain that shot up his nerve endings, covering his forehead in fine cold sweat and making his face paper-white.
Although he had managed to stop the bleeding at the severed limb, faint traces of blood still seeped out, dripping onto the ground and trailing a long, intermittent, and shocking streak of blood behind him.
He had to leave the Land of Earth as quickly as possible and find a safe place to treat his wounds. Otherwise, blood loss and subsequent pursuers would be fatal threats.
However, just as he was enduring the sharp pain, trying to focus on discerning the direction.
Tap!
His footsteps abruptly halted.
An indescribable chill, as if originating from the instinct of life, instantly shot up his spine, making all the hair on his body stand on end!
Hanzo abruptly raised his head, his sharp gaze fixed intently on the area ahead.
About a hundred meters in front of him, a figure was quietly standing, having appeared at some unknown time.
The person was dressed as a monk, with an utterly ordinary face, as if he were merely an ascetic passing through the area by chance.
He carried no strong chakra fluctuations, or even any sense of presence, much like a random rock on the wasteland.
However, Hanzo's intuition was sounding a frenzied alarm, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.
It was not due to pain or fear, but the most primitive, instinctive reaction of a lower life form when faced with a higher existence.
"This person... is wrong! Terribly wrong!"
Hanzo's face was taut. His right hand moved toward the hilt of the sickle-chain at his waist, and the remaining chakra in his body began to silently gather.
In the instant he was on high alert, his mind racing to figure out the other party's intentions.
Without even a blink, without any warning, and without any chakra fluctuation.
The monk who had been standing a hundred meters away suddenly appeared right beside Hanzo.
The distance was so close that Hanzo could almost feel the slight airflow from the monk's robe brushing past. One hand had even grasped Hanzo's right wrist, which was reaching for his blade.
Hanzo's heart nearly stopped beating. His entire body's muscles froze, and his pupils contracted violently!
How is this possible?
He turned his head stiffly, catching the monk at his side with the corner of his eye.
The monk, or rather, Otsutsuki Isshiki, paid no mind to Hanzo's gaze.
He lowered his head slightly, his calm eyes carefully scrutinizing Hanzo's palm.
Looking at the diamond-shaped mark, Otsutsuki Isshiki's eyes couldn't help but narrow.
"Indeed," his voice was flat and low. "It is the 'Kāma'. However, is it merely a 'Kāma' that only houses power within the vessel?"
"Strange, besides that woman and me, did another clansman die on this planet?"
The essence of 'Kāma' is a compressed "backup file of an Otsutsuki."
This compressed file slowly "unfreezes" over time, or its "unfreezing" can be accelerated through combat.
When all the data is completely "unfrozen," the 'vessel's' body will be "overwritten" and "replaced" by the Otsutsuki clansman's data, thus achieving the clansman's reincarnation and revival.
However, another situation also exists.
If the chosen 'vessel' cannot bear the complete data of the Otsutsuki clansman, the 'Kāma' can be used as a pure "power container."
It can still store and release a portion of the Otsutsuki's power, but it will not result in the 'vessel's' personality being overwritten. It functions more like a powerful external force.
This type of 'Kāma' is usually a method Otsutsuki clansmen use to grant power to lesser foreign races. In Otsutsuki Isshiki's perception, Hanzo's 'Kāma' was of this type.
"Who exactly are you?"
Hanzo forcibly suppressed the overwhelming shock and instinctive fear in his heart. His voice was somewhat raspy, but he still tried his best to remain composed.
The words "Kāma," "clansman," and "planet" spoken by the other party completely transcended his scope of knowledge.
Otsutsuki Isshiki finally slowly raised his head, looking at Hanzo's face with cold indifference, as if observing a slightly special ant.
He did not answer Hanzo's question, but spoke in an unquestionable tone: "Take me to see your leader."
Otsutsuki Isshiki had already determined that this incomplete 'Kāma' in Hanzo's possession must have another Otsutsuki behind it.
And he intended to meet this "fellow clansman," or...
To deal with this potential variable.
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