Watching this, Kuroko swallowed hard. So this is the power of Lord Hatake Kusuo? He has mastered the power of Sun Breathing to such an extent. At that moment, the members of the Demon Slayer Corps were not just shocked; their loyalty and admiration for Kusuo grew even stronger.
The rumbling continued for a long time. The once-smooth platform was now a pile of rubble. A gentle, green energy began to seep out from the cracks in the ground.
"With the sealing jutsu gone, it seems the energy of the Stone of Gelel has been completely released," Ibiki said, directing his men to start collecting the scattered mineral fragments with containers.
As they were busy working, a vibrant green stone appeared in the center of the palace. It was about the size of an egg and glowed with a pure green light. The chaotic, volatile energy of the mineral ore in the palace immediately became docile, drawn towards the stone.
"This must be the legendary Heart of Gelel," Ibiki said in a low voice. Years ago, when he was still just a regular ninja, he had participated in a search for this very object. Only when the concentration of Gelel reached a certain level could it, through repeated compression, form a small, bead-like core. When such an object was formed, the power of the entire Gelel mineral vein would be concentrated within it.
As Hatake Kusuo and his team searched the ruins for other traces of the civilization, they failed to notice another person walking into the cave from outside.
"The Stone of Gelel. Yes, this is it."
The newcomer was an impeccably dressed man. Hatake Kusuo had some impression of him. He was, in essence, a master con artist named Haido. He was always talking about creating a "new world," but in the end, it was all just a pretext to obtain the Stone of Gelel.
"This... this is..." Haido was visibly ecstatic. "It's the Heart of Gelel! Who dares to compete with me for it!"
Haido tore off his fine clothes, revealing a powerfully muscled physique. The sophisticated demeanor was gone, replaced by an air of arrogant power.
"Lord Kusuo," Ibiki's senses were sharp. He had noticed Haido and his group the moment they entered.
"Oh?" Haido looked at them with disdain, like a god gazing upon mortals. The look irked Kusuo.
"Who are you?" Kusuo noted their unfamiliar attire. They weren't wearing the red cloud cloaks of the Akatsuki. It seemed they weren't part of that organization. Then who are they? Kusuo frowned.
Haido wore a special glove on his hand. Ever since he had entered the palace, he had been absorbing a significant amount of the ambient energy.
"That belongs to Lord Kusuo!" Kuroko, seeing this, felt a surge of indignation. He drew his blade and charged straight at Haido.
As Kuroko lunged, a malicious smile spread across Haido's face. "Engage."
Haido watched with extreme arrogance as three figures immediately rushed to intercept Kuroko. Caught in mid-air, Kuroko had no leverage and was forcefully knocked back several meters by the combined attack.
"Kuroko!" Ibiki stepped in front of him, sizing up Haido and his followers. The four of them were now standing on the ground, the one who had just attacked looking proudly at Ibiki.
"Lord Haido, I will retrieve the Heart of Gelel for you now," said Kamira, who had transformed into a bat-like figure. She bowed to Haido and started towards the Heart.
"Stop!" Kuroko yelled, pushing himself up from the ground.
Hatake Kusuo, however, remained calm, sitting quietly and observing the scene. For him, this was an opportunity—a chance to test the strength of his subordinates. Haido and his four followers had already been enhanced with the essence of the Stone of Gelel, so their power within this palace could not be underestimated.
The members of the Demon Slayer Corps had drawn their swords. Just as Ibiki was about to speak, Haido spoke from behind him.
"Go, Kamira. Let them witness the power of the Stone of Gelel!"
Hearing this, Kamira looked back at Haido with a grateful expression. "Yes, Lord Haido!"
Ibiki stared at Kamira. It seemed Haido had thoroughly brainwashed his followers. The other two men with Haido also advanced toward the Demon Slayer Corps, their bodies beginning to transform. One grew even more massive and muscular, his strength seemingly boundless. The other grew thick fur, also taking on a half-human, half-beast appearance.
The three of them charged swiftly at the Demon Slayer Corps, but Kuroko and the others showed no signs of fear. Ibiki glanced at Kuroko, then at Kusuo, and instantly understood his leader's intention. He was giving them a chance, a test of their true strength.
Augmented by the Stone of Gelel, the three enemies were extraordinarily strong, and any normal wound would heal almost instantly. From a distance, Haido's body was slowly turning black as he absorbed vast amounts of Gelel energy.
Kusuo watched them. Kuroko's body had only just begun to recover. It seemed that without the aid of the Stone of Gelel itself, simply absorbing the ambient energy here was not an easy task.
The Heart of Gelel in the center of the palace was glowing an ever-deeper shade of green. From Haido's greedy eyes, it was clear that the Heart's power was nearly finished being absorbed.
"Lord Kusuo," Kuroko glanced at Kusuo, his grip tightening on his sword.
At that moment, the three enemies made their move. Three figures, as ferocious as wild beasts, instantly closed the distance. Kuroko skillfully lunged to stab, but his blade passed through his opponent with no apparent effect. In a matter of breaths, the wound on his opponent's body had healed completely.
"This..." Seeing this, Kuroko realized the gravity of the situation.
"Their recovery speed is incredibly fast," Ibiki said grimly from the side. "Only by striking faster can we hope to injure them."
-------
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