Malphegor
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Ch. 124: The Execution: Invasion
🕑 Added 2024-10-05 15:57:03 +0000 UTCThe mansion of the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, though it may sound like a private residence, is actually a grand palace. It houses many of the country's nobility, including the Daimyō himself, the highest authority in the Land of Fire.
Such grandeur. It's easy to forget the power concentrated here. Shikaku observed the opulent surroundings.
The ultimate punishment, known as extreme execution, has long been a part of the legal system of the Land of Fire. This involves a public beheading, often carried out in front of a large crowd. The condemned are typically criminals guilty of serious offenses. The executions serve both as punishment and as a warning to the populace.
"I've heard stories about these executions. They say the crowd can get quite... enthusiastic," Ebisu whispered.
"Shh! This isn't a public spectacle. It's different this time," his companion said.
However, executions within the Daimyō's mansion are a special exception, reserved for political offenders who have dared to challenge the Daimyō's authority or individuals of significant status. Only such offenders are given the honor of being executed within the palace.
But this creature, Mi-Go, was special among the special.
It was a killer without any specific agenda, having unintentionally challenged the authority of the Land of Fire by murdering one of the Daimyō's ministers. Due to its horrifying appearance, a public execution would have been inappropriate. Thus, at the suggestion of the Third Hokage, the execution was to take place within the Daimyō's mansion, attended by the Daimyō and other prominent figures of the Land of Fire.
On the palace square, a large group of officials and nobles were seated in the stands, watching as a giant prison carriage was slowly pushed onto the execution platform.
"Make way! Clear the path for the prisoner!" a guard shouted as the carriage approached.
"Prisoner? What kind of criminal requires such measures?" a noble whispered to his neighbor, eyeing the massive, cloth-covered cage curiously.
After a brief wait, a tall, long-faced man dressed in luxurious robes slowly walked onto the platform, surrounded by guards and servants.
"All rise for the Daimyō of the Land of Fire!" a herald announced.
He looks as indecisive as ever. I hope he doesn't complicate things. Shikaku watced the Daimyō's slow approach.
All the nobles of the Land of Fire immediately rose and bowed to this man, their lord and ruler, the Daimyō of the Land of Fire. He was an unimpressive-looking man, always seeming lethargic.
The Daimyō surveyed the area and quickly spotted the massive prison carriage, still covered with a black cloth, on the execution platform. Pointing toward it, he asked, "Is the monster in there?"
"Yes, Daimyō-sama," Shikaku, who was standing nearby, replied with a bow.
"Hmm..." The Daimyō pondered for a moment before a sudden idea struck him. "Can we uncover it now and take a look?"
This is exactly what I was afraid of.
Shikaku found himself in a difficult position. There was still some time before the official execution at noon, and uncovering the creature too early might lead to unforeseen complications. After all, the Third Hokage had specifically warned that if the Mi-Go escaped human control and flew away, it would be nearly impossible to catch it again.
Moreover, the Mi-Go's thought process was entirely alien to them, making it impossible to understand. Even the mind-reading techniques of the Yamanaka clan were ineffective. With only a month of research on the creature, there was still much uncertainty about its capabilities. To minimize risks, the execution needed to proceed cautiously.
The Third Hokage's warning vs. the Daimyō's command. What a troublesome situation.
However, the Daimyō's orders had to be obeyed. With no other choice, he reluctantly instructed the guards to remove the black cloth from the prison carriage.
"Steady now. We don't want any surprises," Asuma said as they moved to untie the cloth.
Nine chunin, who were standing guard around the carriage, moved to the sides and untied the cloth. Slowly, the black covering was lifted, revealing the extraordinary entity inside the iron cage.
Before laying eyes on the creature, everyone had imagined countless possibilities—grotesque features, an enormous body, and so on. But all these ideas fell short of what they now saw. The pinkish body of the creature, while not overly large, was more shocking than anything anyone had ever witnessed.
It had no facial features. Instead, vile tentacles writhed like maggots where its face should have been.
"By the gods, what is that thing?" one noble exclaimed.
"I think I'm going to be sick..." another muttered, turning away from the horrifying sight.
The Daimyō and the assembled nobles were struck speechless, unable to find words in their human language to describe the terrifying sight. They could only stare in shock at the Mi-Go, uttering nonsensical murmurs.
"Wow..."
"What..."
After staring for what felt like an eternity, the Daimyō finally regained his composure. He pointed toward the creature on the execution platform.
"I-is this thing... safe?"
The question was directed at Shikaku, but the Daimyō's broken sentence was hard to interpret. Was he asking whether the Mi-Go was inherently safe, or was he worried about his own safety?
After a moment of thought, Shikaku assumed the latter and reassured him. "Rest assured, we've considered that. The execution will proceed safely."
"Oh... good, good," the Daimyō sighed in relief. "That's... good."
As the shock and fear persisted among the onlookers, the appointed hour for the execution finally arrived. The executioner nervously stepped onto the platform, holding a scroll detailing the Mi-Go's crimes. Standing hesitantly by the cage, he began reading the charges aloud, his voice trembling.
Just read the charges and step away. Don't look at it. Don't think about what it is. The executioner tried to steady his nerves as he unrolled the scroll.
"Prisoner Mi-Go, guilty of sabotaging the timber industry of the Land of Fire, murdering Minister Heiji of the Daimyō's court, killing Ishitaro of the Abe family, killing numerous civilians, bringing weapons of mass destruction into the Land of Fire, conducting illegal mining operations on our soil, and inciting widespread panic within our borders..."
"For these combined offenses, on behalf of the Daimyō of the Land of Fire, I hereby sentence you..."
"To extreme execution!"
The executioner's delivery was comically absurd. Typically, he would be sentencing a human, where the term prisoner would make sense. But for the Mi-Go?
And as per the ritual, the executioner had to turn and face the prisoner when delivering the final words. Yet, as he turned to face the creature, his legs visibly shook, making it unclear who was truly being executed here.
After reading the sentence, the executioner fled the platform, leaving only a muscular executioner with a large sword and the nine ninja standing guard.
As the time for execution arrived, Asuma jumped onto the cage, unlocking the padlock at the top. Instantly, the cage's iron bars opened like the petals of a flower.
Yet, the Mi-Go did not gain its freedom. All of its limbs were securely bound by chains, held tightly by the nine ninja surrounding it.
"Hold tight. Don't give it an inch."
The executioner, accustomed to dealing with gruesome scenes, did not seem as frightened as the previous official. He confidently walked up to the Mi-Go's oval-shaped head, ready to assume the posture for a beheading.
But just as the executioner raised his blade, the Mi-Go emitted a strange, low buzzing sound.
The sound's frequency was so high that it caused a sense of overwhelming fatigue. While the nine ninja remained relatively unaffected, the executioner dropped his sword and staggered forward. To everyone's horror, he collapsed off the platform, bleeding profusely, his fate unknown.
"What's that sound? My head..."
"I feel... dizzy..." a noble muttered, swaying in his seat.
"Everyone, cover your ears!" Shikaku shouted, his own head pounding from the strange frequency.
"What's happening? Guards!" the Daimyō cried out in panic, stumbling back from the platform.
"Stay back, Daimyō-sama! It's not safe!" Shikaku warned, moving to protect the ruler.
"You…"
"You cannot… judge me…"
"You cannot kill…"
"You cannot kill me…"
The Mi-Go spoke, its words fragmented and unsettling.
"Ah!"
"Did that monster just speak?"
"Did it actually say human words?"
"How terrifying!"
The Daimyō and the gathered nobles were reluctant to believe what they had just heard, but the fact remained undeniable: the creature on the execution platform had indeed spoken in human language. Though its voice was faint and intermittent, everyone in the execution ground heard it clearly.
"Quick! Kill this monster! Hurry!" The Daimyō pointed at Mi-Go on the execution platform in a panic. His legs trembled so much that he nearly collapsed from his seat.
This is humanity—proudly declaring itself the highest form of intelligent life in the world, sitting on a throne looking down on all other creatures, arrogantly believing that no other being could ever challenge their reign.
It was precisely this arrogance, this belief in their superiority, that caused them to panic when they saw their unique ability to use language being easily mastered by another life form, fearing that their throne could be seized.
Little did they know, the abilities of the Mi-Go went far beyond just speech. The human language, with its monotony and inefficiency, was no more sophisticated than the cries of apes or the neighs of horses to these creatures.
At the Daimyō's terrified command, the executioner quickly ran to the platform, holding a large sword, preparing to execute Mi-Go. He stood next to its elliptical head, raising his blade to strike.
However, before the sword could fall, Mi-Go once again emitted a low, rumbling hum. Immediately, the executioner's hand froze in mid-air, and just like the previous one, his body moved uncontrollably. He staggered to the edge of the platform and fell off.
"You can't kill me."
"You won't."
Hummm... hummm...
The string of humming noises that followed sounded eerily like laughter, as though the Mi-Go was mocking everyone present.
"Kill the monster now!" the Daimyō shouted, either enraged or terrified, his hands trembling even more violently, but he still issued the command.
"My lord, please calm yourself. The ninja will handle this," an advisor whispered, trying to soothe the panicking Daimyō.
Nearby, Shikaku knew that it was finally time for the ninjas to step in and execute Mi-Go.
It's toying with us. But why? Shikaku tried to understand the creature's motives.
Originally, the execution of the creature could have been handled directly in Konoha, but it was instead escorted to the Daimyō's palace to be carried out there.
There was only one reason for this: to establish the authority of the Daimyō's court.
The authority was aimed not only at the Mi-Go, an alien life form, but also at Konoha. The Mi-Go had killed a minister of the Daimyō, and if Konoha had executed it on their own, it would undoubtedly have been seen as an overreach.
Konoha's responsibility was merely to capture the creature; the actual execution had to be carried out by the Daimyō. Thus, when Shikaku noticed that Mi-Go might have other abilities, he did not immediately have the ninjas replace the executioner from the Daimyō's court.
As for its ability, it seemed like some kind of hypnosis, likely effective only on ordinary people. If it worked on ninjas, the Mi-Go would have already escaped. However, he found it strange that the Mi-Go had chosen to conceal its power for so long, only to suddenly reveal it now.
Did the creature have another plan in mind?
Fearing that delays could complicate things, he decided to act now that the Daimyō had given the order.
What a drag. Shikaku's eyes narrowed as he made his decision. With a single glance, nine chunin ninjas immediately understood. They drew their kunai and surrounded Mi-Go.
"On my mark. Three... two... one..." Asuma said.
"For Konoha and the Land of Fire!" his companion replied, tensing for action.
The Mi-Go's biological armor had already been removed by Konoha in advance, and its body was not particularly strong, almost comparable to that of a human. If those nine kunai struck its head, the Mi-Go would surely die.
As the ninjas closed in, slowly surrounding it, a series of loud, droning sounds suddenly filled the sky. The humming grew louder and more intense, bombarding the ears of everyone present, like a relentless mental assault.
"What's that noise?"
"What's happening?"
"My ears... it hurts!"
The nobles on the platform were thrown into a state of chaos again. The hum was a torment to human ears, and the soundwaves created a painful resonance, making it even worse.
"Don't let it distract you!" Asuma shouted to his comrades, fighting against the disorienting noise.
Standing on the platform, Shikaku looked up in shock, seeing the crowd descending into disorder. He turned his gaze toward the sky, the source of the sound. Above the Daimyō's palace, dozens of fiery orbs streaked downward like meteors, their hums resonating through the air.
"Look! In the sky! What are those things?" a guard cried out in alarm.
"Everyone, take cover! Now!" Shikaku shouted the Daimyō and other nobles.
In that instant, he understood: Mi-Go had been waiting for them all along.
"Kill it now!" he then yelled to the ninjas on the platform.
The ninjas, less affected by the sound than the ordinary people, immediately leapt forward with their kunai, charging at Mi-Go from nine directions.
Suddenly, nine blue orbs of light descended from the sky at incredible speed, stopping the ninjas in their tracks. Though the light orbs didn't strike the ninjas directly, they scorched the stone surface of the platform.
Everyone looked up again to see a number of strange creatures hovering in the sky above the platform. Several Mi-Gos floated in the air, wielding electric guns aimed at the ninjas.
"Secure the perimeter. Neutralize all threats," a Mi-Go commander chittered in its alien language.
The fiery orbs in the sky grew brighter and brighter until they finally crashed onto the plaza, erupting in explosions that sent dust and flames swirling across the square. As the dust settled, even more Mi-Gos emerged from the craters, their flexible legs scuttling as they aimed their electric guns at every living thing that wasn't one of their own.
Shikaku stared in disbelief at the scene before him. Even he, known for his calm and composed mind, couldn't remain calm in the face of the dozens of Mi-Gos that had suddenly appeared.
What a drag... How did we miss this? An entire invasion force, right under our noses. When had they arrived in the sky? There was nothing there just moments ago... Space-Time—
Before he could think further, the Mi-Gos in the sky launched their attack. Blue bolts of lightning shot from their electric guns, striking down several nobles on the platform. Their bodies convulsed, faces turning black as they collapsed.
"It burns! Help me!" a noble screamed as he was struck by the alien weapon.
"Evasive maneuvers! Don't let those bolts touch you!" Asuma shouted to his comrades.
The power of the Mi-Go's electric guns could be adjusted, and these sudden attackers showed no hesitation, firing lethal bolts at the humans below. On the ground, the Mi-Gos that had arrived like meteors also joined the assault, their electric guns firing wildly at the nobles on the platform.
"Targets in reach. Eliminating human resistance," a Mi-Go soldier clicked in its alien tongue as it methodically fired its weapon.
"Protect the Daimyō! Form a defensive perimeter!" Shikaku ordered, trying to organize a defense against the overwhelming assault.
Our jutsu... it's useless against these weapons. What can we do? Ebisu dodged another bolt of alien energy.
In an instant, the Daimyō's palace was filled with the screams of the dying.
"Save yourselves! Every man for himself!" a noble cried out as he fled in panic.
"Where are my guards? Protect me!" the Daimyō wailed, his earlier bravado completely shattered.
