As Ranmaru entered Cursed Seal · First Stage, everyone present stood frozen, eyes wide at the sight before them.
A body over two meters tall, muscles bulging to an impossible degree, skin dark gray like hardened stone.
On top of that, a beastly, chilling aura poured off him, flooding the training field.
The entire arena fell so silent that not a sound could be heard.
"Th-this… is that really the same little brat from just now?!"
A voice of disbelief finally broke through the silence.
Among the crowd, Haruna's mouth had turned into an "O" shape, unable to close again.
No matter what, she never imagined that the kid who had been half a head shorter than her moments ago could suddenly become so overwhelming.
The chunin who had stepped forward to stop him stumbled back in shock, stammering:
"Wh-who are you?"
"My name is Ranmaru." Ranmaru lifted one massive arm and, out of habit, touched his small head with it, speaking shyly.
Now his palm was two or three times larger than his own head. Seeing that gesture, the watching shinobi twitched, half-afraid he might accidentally crush his own skull.
Not far away, Chojuro and Ringo Ameyuri, sitting and observing, both gawked with exaggerated expressions.
"Th-that… that's the kid you brought back?"
Chojuro looked at Ringo Ameyuri, stammering.
"It's him. Just what did Yuto-dono do…"
Ringo Ameyuri stiffly nodded, her face frozen. From Ranmaru's body, she could feel a suffocatingly dangerous aura.
If Yuto were here, he'd only shrug. Ranmaru's state was the result of both chance and accident.
Even Yuto hadn't expected just how deep Ranmaru's obsession with having a healthy body ran.
Unable to move for so long, combined with his desperate desire for recognition, Ranmaru's fixation with strength surpassed Yuto's imagination.
The cursed seal didn't just amplify chakra—it also warped the body according to the user's innermost obsessions.
If Ranmaru had received Orochimaru's curse mark, his transformation would have been limited, at best twisting his body or legs.
But Yuto's version allowed Ranmaru to absorb cursed chakra endlessly until his body could hold no more.
With that immense energy, he had shaped a body like a perfect monstrous titan.
Unfortunately, he had only ever reached Cursed Seal · First Stage. For some unknown reason, he could never enter the so-called Second Stage. Yuto had always found that a pity.
The Hozuki jonin, after a brief daze, shifted his gaze to Chojuro.
No matter how he looked at it, this boy did not seem like a Mist shinobi.
Noticing the look, Chojuro hesitated, then glanced at Ringo Ameyuri. He suddenly remembered—behind Ranmaru stood Yuto-dono.
Could Ranmaru's entry into the Seven Swordsmen trials actually be Yuto's will?
Thinking this, Chojuro gave a subtle nod.
Seeing it, the Hozuki jonin gestured secretly. Hidden shinobi melted away into the crowd.
Ranmaru's face brightened with excitement. Reaching out, he effortlessly lifted the blade he had failed to move before—Explosive Blade · Droplets.
Completely unaware how close he'd come to being attacked.
The chunin who had retreated several steps swallowed hard, then stepped forward again. Looking up at Ranmaru, he whispered:
"If… if you've chosen the Explosive Blade · Droplets, then… then let's begin."
All eyes immediately turned his way.
How could they not, with Ranmaru's hulking body so impossible to ignore?
The Explosive Blade · Droplets was fused with detonations, its strikes explosive and devastating.
Among the Seven Swords, its difficulty of use was second only to the Long Blade · Stitch, but in terms of danger, it ranked number one.
For both wielder and opponent alike.
The sword had two edges: one a normal blade, the other lined with scrolls like explosive tags.
The wielder had to control both the number and timing of blasts. Misjudging meant blowing yourself up while the enemy walked away unscathed.
That was why it was considered the most dangerous of the Seven Blades.
"Begin!"
The chunin locked eyes with Ranmaru and shouted.
BOOM!
The ground shook. Ranmaru's hulking body erupted forward with a speed beyond imagination.
The echo of his step hadn't even faded before he was in front of the chunin.
Holding the sword, he didn't swing the edges—he simply brought the flat of the blade down like a slap.
The chunin only saw a blur. An instant later, the sword's flat was inches from his face.
It stopped just short, the threat of death washing over him, cold sweat breaking across his body.
WHOOSH!
The delayed shockwave from the swing struck like a small Wind Release, blasting the chunin off his feet and hurling him into a tree.
The arena fell silent again. Such terrifying strength and speed!
He hadn't even used the blade's explosive edge—just his body alone was enough to defeat a chunin effortlessly.
Now, every gaze on Ranmaru carried wariness. Against someone like this, only ninjutsu or genjutsu could restrain him.
Let him close the distance, and it was certain defeat.
Ranmaru scratched his head, looking embarrassed. He hadn't held this power long, and still couldn't fully control it.
"P…passed…"
From where the chunin had been blown, a faint broken voice called out.
//Check out my P@tre0n for 20 extra chapters on all my fanfics //[[email protected]/Razeil0810](http://[email protected]/Razeil0810)