Chapter 68: Uchiha Return

After the exchange was successful, the Gunbai Uchiwa appeared in the "Existing Items" section of the System Panel.

With just a thought, Blayn summoned it into his hands.

A massive, gourd-shaped fan materialized, its surface adorned with two pairs of red tomoe patterns on both sides. A chain was attached to the handle, giving it a unique appearance.

Blayn immediately noticed the weight of the fan, but with his current Strength stat, wielding it posed no issue.

Now that he had obtained the Gunbai Uchiwa, he had no plans to return just yet—he still needed to exchange for the Crimson Night Blade.

With that in mind, Blayn continued searching for Danger Beasts to hunt.

Thanks to his Mangekyō Sharingan, he easily spotted a Special-Class Danger Beast in the distance.

Coincidentally, it was in the same direction as Mine and Sheele.

As Blayn moved in to hunt the beast, the two, who had been stealthily approaching, unknowingly drew closer to him as well.

"I might as well test out the Gunbai Uchiwa on this thing..."

Gripping the fan tightly, Blayn eyed the massive, rhino-like Danger Beast in front of him.

The moment it noticed him, the creature charged at full force. Its enormous body made for an incredibly powerful impact, shaking the ground as it rushed forward.

The loud commotion startled Mine and Sheele once again, giving them a clearer idea of where to go.

By now, they had gotten close enough to catch sight of the person fighting the beast.

From their vantage point in the trees, they watched cautiously.

Due to their angle, they could only see the side of his face.

Aside from the strange white mask he wore, there was nothing else recognizable—except for the unfamiliar fan strapped to his back, which was likely not an ordinary weapon.

However, what they could recognize was his outfit—the distinct style of the Empire's Assassination Unit.

That information alone was enough to put them on edge.

Mine and Sheele exchanged grave looks. The fact that an operative from the Assassination Unit had made it this far was concerning.

But wasn't the Assassination Unit known for working in teams? Why was this masked man alone?

Or was his squad still nearby...?

Uncertain of the enemy's numbers, neither Mine nor Sheele dared to act rashly.

For now, they decided to observe. The masked man was currently dealing with the Special-Class Danger Beast, providing them with a chance to assess the situation.

They watched as the rhino-like Danger Beast barreled toward him at full speed.

Yet, the masked man didn't even attempt to dodge. He stood still, unmoving.

"Is this guy insane? He's just standing there waiting to get hit?" Mine thought in disbelief.

Sheele was equally puzzled, but when she saw him lift the fan from his back and take a defensive stance, she started to get an idea of what he was planning.

The beast's massive horn, larger than a full-grown adult, crashed straight into Blayn—only to be completely stopped by the Gunbai Uchiwa.

The impact, along with all the force behind it, was instantly absorbed. Blayn didn't even budge.

Immediately after, all the accumulated damage was converted into energy.

"Uchiha Return!"

With a single swing of the Gunbai Uchiwa, Blayn unleashed a violent storm.

The resulting gust was strong enough to shatter boulders.

Everything in front of him—rocks, trees, and anything in range—was completely torn apart. The rhino-like Danger Beast was no exception.

Its armored hide was instantly ripped open, chunks of its flesh torn away by the raging winds.

However, it wasn't quite enough to kill it outright.

After all, the Gunbai Uchiwa's ability relied on absorbing the opponent's attack and reflecting it back. In other words, the damage dealt depended on the power of the enemy's own strike.

Essentially, the beast had run headfirst into its own attack—but that alone wasn't enough to kill it.

Blayn swiftly followed up, swinging the Gunbai Uchiwa like a massive hammer.

Even without its reflection ability, the fan's base stats were superior to most Teigu.

With its armor broken and its body already heavily damaged, the Danger Beast was left completely vulnerable.

With a final, decisive strike, its massive head was sent flying.

As the body of the rhino-shaped Danger Beast stopped moving, Blayn earned System Points.

[Ding! The Host has hunted a "Special-Class Danger Beast" and received a reward: 20 System Points!]

Seeing this unfold, Sheele and Mine were both stunned.

They didn't understand the mechanics behind the round fan's ability, but their first thought was that it had to be a Teigu!

There were only forty-eight Teigu in existence, and not only had most people never seen all of them, but no one knew every detail about them. Even searching through the Empire's ancient records wouldn't provide complete information—they were heavily fragmented.

It made sense. No emperor would allow records to document Teigu too thoroughly. If those books ever fell into enemy hands, it would be like handing them a weapon against the Empire.

To Sheele and Mine, the fan in the masked man's hands was most likely one of the forty-eight Teigu.

From what they had gathered so far, this person was both a Teigu User and a member of the Empire's Assassination Unit. That was bad news.

Worse still, he wasn't among the known members of the Assassination Unit, which meant that at some point, they had gained another Teigu User.

The enemy kept evolving, making things even more dangerous for Night Raid.

Just then, Sheele and Mine noticed that the masked man had begun dealing with the Danger Beast's corpse—his back turned to them.

"Now's our chance to take him out!"

Without hesitation, Mine raised Pumpkin, ready to fire an energy blast.

This was their best opening. Sooner or later, they would have to fight him, and they couldn't afford to waste this opportunity!

"Wait! I think he's already noticed us…" Sheele warned.

The masked man had turned his head slightly to the right, his right eye casting a cold sidelong glance in their direction—almost as if he was warning them.

His gaze met Sheele's.

In truth, Blayn had sensed them from the start. Unless someone was completely out of his sight or capable of true invisibility, nothing could evade his Mangekyō Sharingan.

He simply hadn't intended to act unless they moved against him first.

As Sheele locked eyes with him, she took notice of his crimson pupils.

Those strange yet familiar blood-red eyes instantly reminded her of a certain boy.

"Mine… maybe he's not our enemy…"

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / PinkSnake