Chapter 250: A Cruel Mercy
The logical, tactical part of Chojuro's mind screamed that he had made a catastrophic error. He should have fled to the Land of Iron, to the summit of the Five Kage, and revealed Uchiha Ren's terrifying power. That was his duty. But the heart, frantic with concern for the Mizukage who had always believed in him, had overruled all reason. He had charged in blindly, selectively ignoring the chasm of power between them, and now, his foolish valor had not only failed to save her but had likely doomed them both. A wave of bitter self-recrimination washed over him.
Ren, for his part, seemed to find the entire situation mildly interesting. He had barely acknowledged Chojuro's existence before, but now, his attention shifted fully to Mei, a weird, calculating glint in his eyes.
"Oh? Let me handle you?" Ren repeated, his voice a low, insinuating murmur. "Anything?"
Mei bit her lower lip, the metallic taste of blood a sharp contrast to her fading hope. She met his gaze, forcing a steely resolve into her own. "That's right. You let my guard go, and I am yours to command."
Internally, her mind raced. Agree to anything. Wait for Chojuro to get clear. Then, strike. A suicide attack. Whatever it takes to wound this monster, even if it's the last thing I do.
"Mizukage-sama, you can't—!" Chojuro's protest was a strangled cry, cut off by Mei's sharp, desperate command.
"Silence! I am still your Mizukage! The decisions I make are not yours to question!" She turned her burning eyes back to Ren. "Well, Uchiha Ren? Do we have a deal?"
"Heh. The terms sound... appealing," Ren said with a light, almost pleasant smile. Then, in the span of a single breath, his expression iced over, his voice dropping to a killing frost. "But it seems you have forgotten a crucial detail."
He vanished.
There was no blur of movement, no puff of smoke. One moment he was before Mei, the next he was standing in front of Chojuro. Before Mei could scream a warning, before Chojuro's brain could even register the movement, Ren's foot swept out, catching the young swordsman in the chest with a sickening crunch. Chojuro was thrown to the ground, the air blasted from his lungs. Before he could gasp, Ren's boot came down, pressing his head into the dirt with crushing force.
Ren looked directly at Mei, his playful gaze a weapon in itself. "What possible leverage do you believe you hold to negotiate with me?"
It's over. The thought was a final, heavy stone in Mei's heart. He was right. A prisoner, broken and helpless, has no right to make deals. She closed her eyes, the last of her defiance extinguished.
"Damn you!" Chojuro snarled, his voice muffled by the earth. He thrashed beneath the weight, his muscles straining, but Ren's foot was immovable, a mountain pinning an ant.
"Someone of your insignificance," Ren mused, his tone conversational as he looked down, "daring to posture before me, Uchiha Ren. Is it ignorance or sheer stupidity? What should I do with you? Crush your skull here as an example? Or perhaps... you could try begging. If you amuse me, I might just let you scurry away." The casual, almost lazy tone was belied by the sliver of genuine killing intent that seeped into his chakra, a psychic cold that made Chojuro's blood run cold and a primal fear flicker in his eyes.
"Go to hell! Kill me if you want! I'll never beg!" Chojuro spat, the words brave even as his body trembled.
"Oh? Truly unafraid of death?" Ren's chuckle was a soft, dangerous thing. "Then allow me to grant your wish."
Slowly, deliberately, he drew the Ryūko from his waist. The air itself seemed to waver as the red steel caught the light, emitting a palpable, scorching heat that made both Mei and Chojuro flinch. Mei's eyes widened; even in her despair, she could feel the extraordinary, hungry power within that sword.
"NO!" The scream was torn from Mei's throat as she saw Ren raise the blade, its point aimed directly at the back of Chojuro's skull.
Chojuro squeezed his eyes shut, bracing for the searing, final impact. He felt the intense heat on his skin, the promise of oblivion.
But the blow never landed.
After a long, suspended moment, he dared to open his eyes. He turned his head slightly and saw the red blade buried in the earth, mere centimeters from his face. The heat radiating from it was blistering his cheek, but he was alive.
Ren had missed. On purpose.
Chojuro's entire body went limp with a shockwave of relief, his mind reeling. "Why...?" he whispered, confusion warring with the dregs of his terror. "Why didn't you...?"
"Hmph. No reason," Ren sneered, offering no explanation, no satisfaction. "Just feeling... charitable. Now, get lost."
Before Chojuro could process the words, Ren's foot shifted and kicked him with the force of a cannon shot. Chojuro was hurled through the air, tumbling across the clearing before landing in a heap against a tree, his body screaming with fresh agony. He was alive, but broken, his fighting spirit and his body shattered for the day.
Ren didn't spare him another glance. He turned, sheathing the Meteor Blade, and walked back towards the paralyzed Mizukage.
Mei had watched the entire exchange, her heart a frantic drum in her chest. She had seen the killing intent in Ren's eyes, felt its reality. That he had stayed his hand at the last possible second made no sense. Uchiha Ren was not known for mercy. He was a vortex of vengeance who consumed his enemies whole. This act of seemingly random leniency was more unsettling, more psychologically cruel, than a swift execution would have been.
Yet, as she saw Chojuro's still form in the distance, a shallow rise and fall to his chest, a fractured, illogical wave of relief washed over her. He was alive. For now, that was enough. She looked up at Ren's approaching figure, her eyes filled with a new, profound kind of dread. What did he want, if not their deaths? The uncertainty was its own form of torture.
💀 WANT TO READ AHEAD? 💀
👉 JOIN MY PATREON — Patreon.com/The_Ripper_87
════════ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ⬛ ════════
🔥CURRENTLY AT Chapter 366: The God Descends
⚡ SUPPORT THE STORY WITH YOUR POWER STONES! ⚡
🖤 EVERY STONE AND EVERY PLEDGE HELPS KEEP THE STORY GOING! 🖤