Facing the oncoming tearing storm, Shiraishi, Ruri, and Ayane had no intention of evading. Ayane took the lead, disappearing in a flash. She leapt into the sky above the controlled Kumo ninja, extended her palm, and forcefully pushed it downward.
The chakra emanating from her palm effortlessly pierced the air barrier, striking the Kumo ninja on the back.
Boom!
The Kumo ninja succumbed to the fatal blow, the roar abruptly ceasing, and the storm assaulting the rocks came to a halt.
A sizable crater appeared the ground, and the Kumo Ninja lay motionless, blood from his body staining the surrounding ground and walls.
The force of the slap not only destroyed the appearance of the Kumo ninja but also disrupted the chakra pathway within his body.
Deprived of the ability for chakra transmission, the dark-consciousness-infused purple-black chakra could no longer control the ninja's body.
The ninjas being controlled by Moryo's power began to move, one after the other, emitting inhuman cries as they charged towards Ayane.
Their body's were shrouded in a deep and intensely dark aura, their eyes blood-red, they exhibited a bloodthirsty frenzy. Like wild beasts, they reverted to hunters and prey in the most basic sense.
"What a hassle."
With a slight smile, Ayane gathered chakra in her palms, her body swirling violently.
"Rotation!"
The massive chakra sphere unfolded along the narrow cave passage, generating a fierce storm that autonomously drew the controlled ninjas into the core of the sphere.
Then came the sound of bodies being torn apart, and the once-blue chakra sphere was now tinged with vivid red, presenting an eerie sight.
The spinning sphere gradually ceased, and Ayane, with her clothes and hair settling. She let out a light breath. All the besieging ninjas lay defeated on the ground.
Their bodies displayed a miserable sight, none intact, their expressions twisted in pain and frozen in agony. Before their death, it seemed they had endured something very terrifying, marked by intense fear.
Seeing Ayane's already death with the situation, Shiraishi approached casually, squatting down to examine the body of the ninjas, pondering.
"Despite the enhanced chakra, it appears they have lost their innate combat consciousness. As experimental material, they prove rather promising."
A ninja's abilities wasn't solely determined solely by their chakra volume.
While ninjas with a large chakra volume held an advantage in various battles, however fighting isn't so casual. Combat proficiency and the type of jutsu employed could also determine the outcome.
Either Moryo is unfamiliar with or indifferent to controlling humans for combat. Maybe with too many humans under it's control, it doesn't care about the difference in quality..It treated all humans as equal regardless of their individual qualities
Certainly, Moryo truly regarded all humans as objects of domination.
"Let's proceed to the sealed place in the ancestral hall."
...
After dealing with the ninja soldiers obstructing their path, the trio continued their journey deeper into the cave.
As they advanced, the unmistakable and powerful thudding heartbeat of a particular creature became more pronounced, resonating endlessly throughout the cave.
The influence of thr dark power getting more and more stronger. It was an energy different from ninja chakra. It had the capability to evoke the most primal desires in within the mind of a huma, effectively manipulating their minds.
Those with insufficient chakra power and weak consciousness risked becoming mere playthings in the hands of the demon upon encountering this dark force.
Fortuitously, the current reach power remained limited, sparing humanity from widespread manipulation. If Moryo's influence were to expand unchecked throughout the ninja world, it would be a troublesome ordeal. The ninja world might transform into the dark kingdom Moryo had envisioned, a nightmarish realm on Earth.
A fierce and scorching wind persisted from the cave's depths as they approached the end of their path. Before them lay an immensely vast natural cave.
At the cave's bottom, fiery magma bubbled in and out, revealing a colossal shadow concealed within, peacefully slumbering in the molten depths.
Narrow, rocky pathways crisscrossed the magma, providing a dangerous route for people to traverse. These old routes, worn down over time, raised doubts about their stability, leaving one to wonder if walking on them might cause an immediate collapse, plunging people into the searing magma below.
Sweeping his glance around, Shiraishi spotted a beautiful and holy figure standing on a nearby rocky path, looking fixedly in a specific direction.
The figure was none other than Miroku.
This marked one of the rare occasions Shiraishi witnessed Miroku's true appearance, as their interactions typically occurred through a veil.
The Miko focused on a point about a hundred meters away, where an undamaged stone chair stood. Seated on it was a being more monstrous than human, shrouded in darkness.
The creature's form remained humanoid, but darkness enveloped its appearance, like a bottomless abyss. Only its eyes, resembling the cave's magma, burned with an eerie divine light.
The trio couldn't help but catch their breath, feeling a sudden tension. Unbeknownst to them, sweat had gathered on their foreheads, their gaze fixed warily on the dark figure seated on the stone chair.
"Remarkable, being able to look upon my dark essence without losing consciousness. As humans, you are truly outstanding."
The pitch-black figure on the stone chair lavished praise upon the three, its voice clearly reaching them despite the distance. Then, the figure turned its attention to the motionless Miko.
"You've found three very capable allies, Miko."
The Miko nodded.
"If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have allowed them into such a dangerous place. The world has gone through multiple ninja wars and too much darkness has risen. Your strength has almost grown to the point beyond my control."
The dark figure sighed, reminiscing about something.
"Every time, it's the same. Why concern yourself so much with humans? You are forced to give up your happiness because of that stupid ninshu sect. For this corrupted world."
The Miko's gaze remained steady, indicating an unwavering stance against their diverging paths.
"I understand. no matter which generation you all remain innocent and stubborn."
While sighing, Moryo, rose slowly from the seat, fixing fiery red eyes on the Miko.
"However, this time, I plan to bring an end to your sad fate. Just like your ancestors, become a part of my essence. This is the ultimate fate for you all."
After speaking, in the cave illuminated by the bright magma, the darkness enveloping the pitch-black figure suddenly stirred restlessly, as if attempting to break free from some unseen shackles.
The Miko, at this point, made no attempt to halt the monster. In truth, she couldn't restrain the creature in this moment.
The ninja world had experienced multiple ninja wars, and the large amount of negative energy fluctuations produced had been absorbed by the demon, increasing its power more than ever.
On the contrary, her strength had weakened due to childbirth, which proved to be extremely unfavorable at thr moment.
"You're not here to stop me? Well, that's fine. I'll obediently fulfill my thousands.of years long desire by wiping out a few insignificant human pests. Witness the power of darkness!"
As if using a jitsu, a white circular seal suddenly illuminated the ground beneath the stone chair.
A sacred aura enveloped Moryo's soul, and the pitch-black figure emitted a wretched cry of pain. Amidst the cries of excruciating pain, there eas a sense of joy.
It was working. The dark power accumulated for so many years could independently break the seal. Therefore, the more the holy light caused its soul pain, the more it realized the weakness of this sacred power. It was similar a dying struggle, like the last gasp of a spent crossbow.
A fierce and exhilarating joy erupted unabated from within.
The power of darkness commenced expanding its domain, turning the holy white light into an enchanting purple, which then eroded the dark shadows.
Evil lights and shadows unfurled recklessly within the cave.
When the dark shadows spread, it swallowed up the entire seal, the pitch-black figure began to distort, unable to maintain its human appearance.
On the hot rock wall, an extremely ferocious and hugr monster black shadow cast its projection. A black tail resembling a large snake descended from above.
The ground, maintaining the sealing barrier, instantaneously crumbled to dust, invisible to the naked eye.
Then, the massive black figure transformed into a dark torrent, hurtling toward the magma below.
An imperceptible fluctuation centered on the magma, casting a scorching blood-colored beam of light upwards.
This blood-colored beam of light expanded and undulated in all directions, forming a colossal blood-colored halo that completely shrouded the entire mountain range.
The mountain began emitting tearing sounds, and large rock chunks tumbled from above.
"YAAAAAAAAAAAA—"
The demon's roar pierced their eardrums, the ancient demon, bathed in the glory of the magma, fully awakened. Countless pitch-black tentacles extended upwards, twisting and swaying, resembling a frenzied dance of demons without discernible size.
Within the view, the demon's body hidden in the magma might surpass the size of a tailed beast.
The three approached the Miko. Shiraishi gazed down at the magma, then turned to the Miko, inquiring, "Can it be sealed?"
The Miko shook her head, stating, "No, the darkness this time is too immense. We must find a way to weaken the dark part of the demon."
"No problem, that's why we're here." Shiraishi assured.
In fact, Shiraishi had long contemplated on how to deal with Moryo, cooperating with the Miko to reseal it. As most of the Miko's power had been transferred to her daughter Shion, and Shion had yet to master the substantial power needed to deal with Moryo, her role could be overlooked.
"It seems Shiraishi-san has obtained the information he needed."
"Yes, I tested it before coming here, and it went beyond expectations. However, the final sealing will still be in your hands.."
Ninja sealing jutsu weren't ineffective against Moryo, but ninjas, being human harbored too many selfish desires which posed a challenge. To seal Moryo, one had to abandon those desires and become a 'perfect existence' like the Miko. However, it was a challenging feat.
Shiraishi believed he couldn't achieve it. The essence of being human lay in the reluctance to let go of so many things and the multitude of desires needed to be released. But this aspect would serve as nourishment for Moryo, it could be exploited.
Yet, he didn't perceive humanity as weak or the "stupid creatures" Moryo claimed.
The Miko visibly relaxed at Shiraishi's statement. If Shiraishi's solution failed, the only option would be to restore her power from her daughter Shion to seal Moryo once more. However, this would make Shion's future confrontations with Moryo extremely difficult.
As Moryo claimed, the Miko were but symbols of sorrow. With each war, Moryo's dark power surged, making it increasingly difficult for them to seal.
Despite this understanding, the major powers continued to revel in war.
The inability to confront the darkness within the human heart was the root cause of the Miko's taboo against the world.
"So, here we go."
Shiraishi didn't engage in needless chatter. He produced a scroll from his pocket, forming seals with his hands.
An orange-red clay pot, half the height of a person appeared in front of them. This pot was the coveted amber purifying pot left by the Sage of the Six Paths.
"Otsutsuki Hagoromo's sealing treasure? He contributed to the reason I had emerged from the darkness. Sage or human, you're all just a bunch of foolish insects."
Sensing the familiar aura of the pot, countless human-sized blood pupils gleamed from the magma. However, the tone remained lofty and composed, akin to an emperor surveying the world.
"Die!"
Uttering the word, Moryo anticipated the grim scenario of the humans devastated under its power, an unimaginable joy surged from within.
Countless tentacles resembling giant pythons emerged from the magma, lunging at Shiraishi location.
A towering blood-colored giant appeared, it stood firm, swiftly swinging its blood-colored sword, severing the dark tentacles. Purple-blue fluid sprayed from the wounded tentacles, leaving a horrifying deep sword mark on the opposite rock wall.
"The eyes of the cursed clan? Your eyes show darkness, but they still pale in comparison to mine!"
More tentacles surged from the magma, unleashing a relentless storm of attacks.
Ruri, armed with dynamic vision remained unfazed, deftly warded off the demons' onslaught with her blood-colored giant sword.
At that moment, Ayane sprang into action. She leaped upward, clasped her hands together, and managed to grip the tip of one of the tentacles.
Moryo's submerged body sensed something wrong, moving involuntarily as its main body began emerging from the magma.
"This woman... is she truly human?"
Moryo watched as the woman anchored herself against the cave wall, using a tentacle as leverage to pull her body out from the magma below. It was the first encounter with such a daring ninja, engaging in a seemingly reckless act.
"Come out!"
Ayane's resounding shout accompanied the surge of senjutsu chakra coursing through her, amplifying her physical strength even more. The terrifying force penetrated the outer layer of the tentacles, impacting the interior, and unleashed a menacing dark energy toward the submerged body.
Moryo grunted in pain, perhaps the first time it had suffered such an assault from a human in a long time.
Though it could endure surface attacks, this direct attack on the inside by the woman was a rare occurrence. Yet, it could only inflict minor suffering since its body lacked organs, rendering such attacks ineffective.
Moryo's relief was short-lived, for Ayane had already achieved her objective. Its body protruded from the magma. While only partially exposed, it was a startling sight.
Ruri wasted no time, commanding the giant Susanoo to deliver a devastating slash with its colossal sword.
Cries of pain echoed through the cave, assaulting eardrums with a sharp, unpleasant noise akin to a stone scraping glass.
Flesh and blood parted, a section of the body severed. The part linked to numerous eyeballs and tentacles, influenced by an unknown force, began converging toward the amber pot in front of Shiraishi.
"Absurd..."
Expecting more from the humans, Moryo was disappointed by the level of their ability.
Although the amber pot held suppressing power against tailed beasts, it proved ineffectual against a creature like Moryo. Chakra served merely as a conduit for Moryo's darkness, which originated from the human desires, opposed the essence of tailed beasts. The sealed treasure designed for chakra couldn't be as effective against Moryo.
The mouth of the amber pot burst with white sacred light, and the pot's body emitted golden barrier with seal. It exerted a terrifying suction on Moryo's body and soul.
"Damn it! It's fused with her power!"
Moryo seethed with anger, losing parts of its body and soul. The unexpected alliance with the Miko further fueled its rage.
"Lending the your power to humans casually. Are humans truly worth your sacrifice? Answer me, Miko!"
Moryo's anger stemmed not just from losing part of itself but also from the Miko's trust in humans.
Why do they engage in such sacrifice? Why fight on behalf of humans? Why persist in this struggle? Their thousands of years being embroiled in this entanglement, wasn't that sufficient reward for humans? Obviously they were no longer human... or do they still retain the 'human heart'?
How pathetic! How stupid!
For some unknown reason, Moryo harbored a desire to annihilate everything.. Particularly watching the Miko sacrificing themselves for stupid humans. Weren't they of the same kind? The only two in the world. Moryo failed to comprehend why beings of the same kind would kill each other, locked in a thousand-year-old cycle of tragedy.
These detestable humans and the stupid ninjas were responsible for creating such a sorrowful world. If it weren't for these creatures, Moryo believed it could attain sacredness and light. In its eyes, humans were unworthy of seeing such sacredness.
"I'm going to destroy everything in this world and welcome back my true companions—"
It was going to build a dark kingdom without any human presence. The Miko alone will be the light which illuminates the darkness. This long-cherished wish was on the brink of realization. No one was allowed to destroy it.
"Go to hell! You filthy bugs!"
Dark torrents spewed from the magma. Different from the tentacles, it was a different kind of darkness, the most fundamental crystallization of Moryo's condensed darkness.
Regardless of their strength there would be a gap within their heart, human desires made them vulnerable before this darkness. The spreading dark torrent, overwhelming like an immense ocean, became nearly impossible to resist.
In an instant, the trio's location was engulfed, leaving the world painted in black. Only the square where the Miko stood remained untouched.
"Haha, let it spread, keep spreading. This world will soon be mine! Maitreya, do you see? This is humanity! They are the real evil compared to me! Faced with my darkness, they only serve as nourishment to increase my strength!"
Moryo laughed loudly, releasing the feelings boiling within. In its blood pupils under the magma, a burning desire to destroy the world emanated. A twisted and crazed pleasure, an unparalleled moment of joy.
To Moryo, humans were merely a group of bugs corroded by its darkness, a proof of their selfish and greedy nature.
"Indeed... my suspicion was correct."
A voice, out of place, interrupted Moryo's laughter.
The torrent of darkness disappeared. Despite successfully assimilating into his body, Shiraishi stood unscathed. He twisted his neck with a smile, his eyes clear and bright, untouched by the Moryo's darkness.
"!?"
This scene defied comprehension. Why wasn't the man affected by the darkness? It seemed impossible; suc energy should be an attack no human could resist. Was he somehow one of its kind? No, there was no similar aura emanating from him. He was just a human. Why?
Countless questions flooded Moryo's mind, yet there was no satisfactory answer.
"Haven't you noticed yet?"
"What?" Moryo's tone wavered.
"I told you from the beginning, I've seen through your tricks. The darkness and evil you spew are merely using chakra as a medium to control erosion. During our earlier encounter, I learned all your intelligence, weaknesses, and your methods for the manipulation."
"Did you…"
"As you suspect, my body no longer contains chakra. Regardless of how powerful the darkness becomes, blocking the transmission of chakra renders it useless."
In the ninja world, Chakra was believed to carry one's will.
Moryo's ability to control humans stemmed from chakra's unique channel for transmitting to their consciousness. This made humans defenseless against Moryo.
As long as a human body possessed chakra, Moryo could exploit it to corrode them with darkness. To confront Moryo, one had to strip chakra from their body. However, humans would die without chakra.
It was inconceivable that Shiraishi, without chakra, could remain alive and well.
"Impossible! Humans who have lost their entire chakra can't-!"
"Miko have their ways, and humans have theirs. Don't underestimate the power of the humans. Humans aren't as helpless as you believe, demon."
Shiraishi's resolute and indifferent voice resonated in the vast space, dealing another blow to the monster's already wounded heart, provoking a furious roar beneath the magma.
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