Ch.478 Shattering Echo

"Arghhh!"

When the giant Tenseigan on the moon channeled a massive surge of Tenseigan chakra into the Otsutsuki Branch elder's corpse, the supposedly dead elder let out a pained roar.

But the sound didn't come from his throat—it seemed to emanate from his abdominal cavity.

Uchiha Shinji narrowed his eyes, not letting his guard down but growing even more cautious.

In his Byakugan's vision, a rejection reaction he was all too familiar with was unfolding within the elder's corpse.

Tenseigan chakra was known for its gentleness, but its potency was undeniable.

The mysterious person's chakra consisted of Moryo's absorbed chakra and the chakra of Shinno's engineered 'Zero Tails.'

If merely stored or used, Tenseigan chakra might coexist peacefully with these two.

But once fused at the cellular level, Tenseigan chakra couldn't harmonize with them, leading to an all-out clash at the cellular level.

The mysterious person, with his Ghost King powers, had formidable flesh. It was awe-inspiring.

Yet even he couldn't endure every cell becoming a battlefield, his body torn apart by chakra at the cellular level.

Unable to hold out long, the mysterious person, in his blood cascade form, fled the elder's corpse in a panic, forcibly escaping the chakra rejection.

Shinji, quick to act, unleashed 'Amaterasu'!

Whoosh!

Instantly, the blood cascade, just emerging from the corpse, was ignited by 'Amaterasu' black flames, burning in the sky.

Shinji kept one eye on the burning blood cascade while cautiously urging his 'Susanoo' to bring the elder's corpse closer.

Though his Byakugan confirmed no anomalies remained, he prudently applied a 'Four Symbols Seal,' wrapping the corpse in a storage scroll and sealing it.

Then, his gaze shifted back to the blood cascade hit by his 'Amaterasu.'

Compared to before, the mysterious person's blood cascade was significantly diminished in both size and aura. It no longer instilled the instinctive dread Shinji felt from a mere glance.

This confirmed that his spur-of-the-moment killing blow had indeed dealt a severe blow to the mysterious person.

In those brief moments, the mysterious person had lost nearly all the chakra absorbed from Moryo and 'Zero Tails,' along with over eighty percent of his cellular tissue, depleting much of his Ghost King flesh power.

He was gravely weakened!

Assessing the mysterious person's state, Shinji instantly predicted his next move. Using 'Jikibi,' he alerted his subordinates on the ground to prepare for the mysterious person attempting to restore himself by devouring the shinobi's flesh.

Swish!

As expected, the blood cascade dove from the sky toward the battlefield, targeting the shinobi below, just as Shinji anticipated.

Perhaps due to repeated losses against Akatsuki, the mysterious person avoided Karin's group, charging straight at the five great ninja villages' ranks.

Seeing the blood cascade approach, the Third Hokage's face darkened. "All units, on guard!"

At the same time, Jiraiya completed his seals, slamming his hands to the ground. "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Boom!

A massive earthen wall rose, blocking the blood cascade!

The cascade struck the wall, producing muffled thuds. Blood seeped into the wall, attempting to penetrate, while the 'Amaterasu' black flames clung like maggots, following the blood through!

Using the time Jiraiya's wall bought, the barrier and sealing teams took position.

The mysterious person, barely seeping through, sensed danger. Continuing would not only prevent him from devouring flesh to recover but might cost him his life. He swiftly turned, retreating to an empty clearing.

Reverting from his 'Blood Demon Art,' he resumed his human form, though the 'Amaterasu' flames still clung, burning his already weakened body, relentlessly sapping his strength.

Bathed in sunlight, he stood on the cratered battlefield!

"What's he planning?"

In that moment, the question flashed through everyone's minds, including Shinji's.

But then, the mysterious person plunged a hand into the ground, yanking out a ghost hiding underground to avoid sunlight. He devoured it in one bite, slightly replenishing his state.

Chewing the ghost, he laughed maniacally. "I've lost, but don't think you'll get off easy! You'll all die with us! Hahaha!"

With that, he raised his lamp!

Swish!

Instantly, dim yellow light shot from the lamp, tearing open space!

"No, he's trying to escape!"

Shinji's heart sank.

This was the best chance to eliminate the mysterious person. If he escaped to the Demon Slayer world, killing him would require chasing him there!

Without hesitation, Shinji unleashed his lamp's power while urging his 'Susanoo' to dive toward the clearing.

The mysterious person, about to flee, froze, staring at Shinji in shock. "You!?"

Only now did he realize the ninja world's true 'Lampbearer' wasn't Nagato, with his Sage-like eyes, whom he'd fought to the death, but this seemingly ordinary Akatsuki member who had ambushed him from the sky.

But it was too late.

Shinji's lamp emitted a light brighter than his, disrupting the spatial gate to the Demon Slayer world, trapping him.

Simultaneously, Shinji's 'Susanoo' longsword, carrying immense force, slashed down!

For the first time since becoming a 'Lampbearer,' the mysterious person felt panic. Facing the approaching 'Susanoo,' he lost all his prior composure.

Repeated use of 'Blood Demon Art' wasn't without cost.

He was nearly spent, only slightly restored by devouring the ghost. Otherwise, he couldn't even maintain human form.

If his body was shattered now, he might never recover. Instinctively, he raised his lamp overhead, shielding himself while pushing its power to the absolute limit!

Clang!

Shinji's 'Susanoo' longsword struck, and a shattering echo resounded across the battlefield!