Malphegor
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Ch. 126: The Execution: The Warning
🕑 Added 2024-09-05 15:59:00 +0000 UTC"Rise with all your might! My youth!"
"Burn and roar!"
"The Fifth Gate of Limit..."
"Open!"
Forgive me, father. I must push beyond my limits once more.
Guy opened two of the Eight Inner Gates, instantly unleashing the Fifth Gate, transforming his body into a fiery red color as his veins bulged on his forehead. Massive green chakra surged from his body.
"Anomalous energy spike detected. Recalibrate defenses!" The Mi-Go chittered in their alien language, their bodies twitching with what seemed like confusion and curiosity.
Before the Mi-Go could react, Guy vanished from his spot, and in the next moment, a spinning kick landed on its head.
"Feel the power of youth!"
"Severe Leaf Hurricane!" Guy shouted as his foot connected with the Mi-Go's head.
"Physical impact exceeds parameters!"
With just one kick, Mi-Go's body shot across the stone-paved plaza like a cannonball, crashing into the distant wall.
Before that Mi-Go could even hit the ground, Guy had already teleported beside another Mi-Go, driving his bent elbow into its side.
"Leaf Rock Crushing Square!"
Although this taijutsu move had been used earlier, it was just a regular attack before. Now, with Guy having opened the Fifth Gate, both his speed and strength were massively enhanced, making the technique's power incomparable.
"Structural integrity compromised. Initiating emergency protocols." The second Mi-Go's body vibrated as it tried to absorb the impact.
Its body was instantly deformed from the precise impact to its side, and like the first, it was sent flying.
The sight of two Mi-Gos being blasted away quickly drew the attention of more around them, with five or six immediately turning their weapons toward him.
"Formation Delta-3. Neutralize the high-energy threat!" A Mi-Go commander ordered.
However, with the speed Guy possessed after opening the Fifth Gate, dodging their attacks was no problem. His rapid movements stirred up the stone tiles of the plaza, and his red-green figure blended in with the debris flying in the air, making it difficult for the electric orbs from Mi-Gos to hit him directly.
Mi-Go's attacks seemed completely ineffective against him in his Eight Inner Gates form.
"Target too agile. Activate psionic disruptors!" The Mi-Go commander chittered.
Guy continued his assault, kicking more Mi-Gos into the air. The sight of their comrades being knocked away further attracted the attention of even more Mi-Gos, causing their formation to collapse in chaos.
Watching from the grandstand, Shikaku observed the sudden shift in the battle.
Incredible. Guy might actually turn this battle around.
The ninja forces, who had been on the verge of defeat, now had a glimmer of hope, all thanks to Guy's overwhelming combat power. More and more Mi-Gos shifted their focus to him, abandoning their assault on the nobility in the stands. This gave the Daimyō and other dignitaries a chance to escape.
Duy, you've truly raised a fine son.
Shikaku quietly admired Guy's prowess for a moment, but quickly refocused, analyzing the situation. Despite Guy's astonishing strength, he knew that this powerful state wouldn't last long.
To his dismay, he also noticed that the Mi-Gos Guy had kicked away were starting to stir again, their legs twitching even as they lay flat on the ground.
Not even dead?
The resilience of these creatures far exceeded his expectations, likely due to their advanced biological armor technology. Realizing that it was impossible for them to annihilate all the Mi-Gos, he came to a decisive conclusion.
He crouched down beside the trembling Daimyō, who had curled up in fear beneath the throne instead of fleeing.
"Daimyō-sama, I must leave you briefly."
"D-don't leave me here!" The Daimyō whimpered.
Shikaku didn't wait for permission. He leaped down from the grandstand into the plaza.
"Everyone, gather here!"
Instantly, nine chunin disengaged from their battles and appeared at his side.
"We can't afford to get entangled with these Mi-Gos any longer. I'm assigning tasks now. Guy and I will stay behind to hold them off. The rest of you, escort the Daimyō and the dignitaries to Konoha for safety."
"Understood?"
"Understood!"
"Disperse!"
The eight chunin scattered in an instant, leaping away from the plaza, leaving only Shikaku and Guy at the center.
"Subjects attempting escape. Intercept?" A Mi-Go soldier called out to its commander.
"Negative. Focus on primary threats." The commander responded, its attention fixed Guy.
"Guy, it's you and me now."
"It's an honor to fight alongside you, Shikaku-san."
Back-to-back, Guy faced the Mi-Gos hovering above the execution platform, while Shikaku faced the ones on the ground.
I've never stretched my shadow this far before. It's now or never. Shikaku pushed his technique to its limit.
"Shadow Sewing Technique: Black Spider Lily!"
With quick hand seals, his shadow twisted slightly, then stretched out like black flower petals, reaching toward the Mi-Gos in the plaza.
The Mi-Gos, unfamiliar with Shikaku or the secret techniques of the Nara clan, made no effort to avoid the shadows and were promptly trapped.
"Mobility impaired by unknown force!" A Mi-Go soldier screeched as it found itself unable to move.
In an instant, dozens of Mi-Gos were immobilized by his shadow, which spread across the plaza like a massive black spider lily. The Mi-Gos tried to raise their weapons, but each time their limbs twitched, the shadows pulled them back down.
However, this was Shikaku's limit.
Even with his expert shadow control, holding so many Mi-Gos at once left him with no energy for further techniques like the Shadow–Neck Binding Technique.
Meanwhile, Guy couldn't afford to attack the restrained Mi-Gos on the ground, as the ones hovering above still posed a threat, and he needed to protect the now immobilized Shikaku.
"Dynamic Entry!" he shouted as he leaped towards the airborne Mi-Go.
At that moment, the Mi-Go on the execution platform began to move.
It slowly stood, dragging its heavy chains, its head changing colors, seemingly communicating with the Mi-Gos in the air.
Two of the airborne Mi-Gos seemed to understand and descended toward the platform.
Shikaku, seeing this, desperately tried to stretch his shadow further to bind the descending Mi-Gos. But the shadow, already thinned to its limit, couldn't reach any further and retracted.
"Guy! I can't hold them much longer!" Shikaku called out.
"Just a few more seconds, Shikaku-san! I'll finish this!"
Damn it, I'm at my limit. Shikaku withdrew some of his shadows, unable to control any more Mi-Gos.
The two Mi-Gos landed beside their chained comrade, pulled out a strange metallic tool, and sprayed a blue mist over the chains.
"Initiating release protocol, commander." One of the Mi-Go soldiers reported.
Frost immediately formed on the chain, and with a simple tug, the imprisoned Mi-Go broke free. After resolving the situation, three Mi-Go flew into the sky together.
Standing on the ground, Guy remained in the state of the Fifth Gate, eager to step forward and stop them. However, ensuring the safety of Shikaku took priority. He had to protect him from potential attacks from the Mi-Gos flying above.
"Shikaku-san, can you still fight?"
Shikaku's eyes darted from the sky to Guy, then back again. "Barely," he admitted. "But something's changed. They're not attacking."
Strangely, after the Mi-Go on the ground communicated with the others, the ones in the sky seemed to calm down and refrained from further attacking.
The Mi-Go that had been freed from the chains flew into the air, turned to look at the square and the stands, focusing on Shikaku and Guy, the only two humans left.
Suddenly, one of the Mi-Go swooped down, its claws closing around a wounded noble who had been unable to flee.
"No! Please! Someone help m-" The noble's cry was cut short as the Mi-Go lifted him into the air.
"Silence, specimen," the Mi-Go buzzed. "Your contribution will advance our understanding."
What happened next would haunt Shikaku's nightmares for years to come. The Mi-Go began to extract the noble's brain. The process was swift, clinical, and utterly horrifying. He found himself analyzing the procedure. Is this what they've been after all along? Our brains?
The Mi-Go casually discarded the now-lifeless body, letting it fall to the ground. Guy trembled with restrained fury, his fists clenching at his sides.
"Shikaku-san... we can't just stand here..."
"We must. For now. They're sending a message."
In a peculiar buzzing voice that mimicked human speech, the lead Mi-Go said: "Humans, is it chakra?"
"That must be chakra."
"They know about chakra?" he whispered, more to himself than to Guy.
This Mi-Go mentioned chakra twice in a row because it had witnessed Tsunade's green chakra firsthand and even plotted to obtain it, only to be thoroughly beaten as a result. During its subsequent capture and study by human ninjas, this Mi-Go continued observing humans. Through this, it began to understand the nature of chakra.
The Mi-Go is a race that worships technology. They believe that the true great power in the universe comes from the Great Old Ones they revere. However, the only power that can truly be controlled in the mortal world is the power of technology.
Initially, it assumed that chakra was some form of technology, sparking a desire to acquire it. But after careful observation, it realized that chakra wasn't technology but a form of energy. Humans in this world could use this energy to perform a variety of feats, including binding its fellow Mi-Gos on the ground.
The Mi-Go buzzed again, its alien features somehow conveying curiosity. "Your chakra... fascinating energy. Not technology, but power nonetheless."
Both Shikaku and Guy couldn't help but tremble slightly at the Mi-Go's words. All along, they had believed they were the ones studying the secrets of the Mi-Go. In reality, it had been observing them just as closely, even understanding the existence of chakra.
We've severely underestimated their intelligence, Shikaku realized.
As he marveled at the Mi-Go's comprehension, the Mi-Go in the sky continued speaking.
"Humans, we do not wish to be your enemies. We only want to act in the shadows of this planet."
"And what exactly does that entail?" Shikaku asked cautiously.
"Do not attempt to find us."
"Do not attempt to disturb us."
"Do not attempt to be our enemies."
"This is merely a small warning."
Guy muttered under his breath, "As if we'd simply ignore your presence!"
The Mi-Go seemed to ignore his comment, pressing on with its speech:
"Humans, you must remember."
"This universe holds many beings beyond your imagination. We are but a lowly kind among them."
What exist out there if the Mi-Go consider themselves lowly?
"But our fury is something you cannot withstand."
"Buzzz..."
The Mi-Go concluded its emotionless speech with a high-frequency buzzing sound. This sudden buzz slightly shook Shikaku's concentration. His control over the chakra supporting his shadow technique wavered.
This minor slip caused his Shadow Possession Jutsu, which had already been pushed to its limit, to break prematurely, freeing the dozens of Mi-Go under its control.
Guy immediately dropped into a fighting stance. "Here they come, Shikaku-san! Ready yourself!"
But Shikaku held up a hand. "Something's not right."
As he and Guy immediately stood together in a defensive stance, these Mi-Gos did not attempt to continue attacking the two remaining humans. Instead, they flapped their wings and lifted off the ground.
Just like that, they watched as dozens of Mi-Gos flew off into the distant sky, disappearing completely from view.
---
In the Hokage's meeting room, the leaders of Konoha sat in deliberation. Present were not only Hiruzen, Danzo, and the two long-serving advisors of Konoha, but also Tsunade as well as the heads of the major clans in Konoha.
At the table were Fugaku of the Uchiha clan, Hiashi of the Hyuga clan, Shikaku of the Nara clan, Inoichi of the Yamanaka clan, Choza of the Akimichi clan, Shibi of the Aburame clan, and Tsume of the Inuzuka clan.
On the periphery of the meeting room stood several anonymous ninjas wearing animal masks.
The ninjas in the room were fiercely debating the Mi-Go's warning, which Shikaku had just relayed, when a forceful voice cut through the discussion.
"What an utter humiliation!"
"This is disgraceful!"
"This defeat is intolerable!"
"We must immediately dispatch all of Konoha's ninjas to punish them!"
That voice belonged to Danzo.
"The Daimyō's estate was attacked, and many nobles and officials from the Land of Fire were killed by them. Konoha cannot let this go unanswered."
"I believe we should launch a large-scale operation to hunt down the Mi-Gos across the Land of Fire and completely eradicate every Mi-Go hiding within our borders!"
His proposal stirred excitement among the masked ninjas, although the heads of the major clans remained silent.
"The Mi-Gos must be avenged!"
"Those vile monsters need to be punished!"
Seeing the fervor of the ninjas, Danzo allowed a faint smile to creep across his lips.
"Silence!"
Suddenly, an even stronger voice commanded the room. It was the Hiruzen.
Cough, cough
"Please calm down."
The room fell silent, all eyes turning to the Third Hokage.
"I understand your anger, but we need to consider carefully before deciding whether Konoha should go to war with the Mi-Gos."
"From the information we've gathered, the Mi-Go are not creatures of our world. They come from a distant place called Yuggoth. We don't know where Yuggoth is or how many Mi-Gos live there."
"But what we do know is that they are the most powerful race in that world. Furthermore, they can sense the location of our world through a symbol unique to their race."
"The reason they attacked the Daimyō's estate was because the captured Mi-Go secretly carved this pattern in a cave, which summoned the large number of Mi-Gos that attacked the execution grounds."
"So, if we choose to declare war on them, we will essentially be declaring war on the race of another world. I trust you all understand what that means."
"We would be making enemies of an entire world, not a shinobi village."
