Seeing this scene, a trace of confusion once again appeared on the Shinigami's gray-black skull.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I even doing here?
Wasn't it supposed to be the one harvesting souls?
So why did it suddenly feel like it was the one being harvested instead?
What kind of script was this?!
From the beginning—
It had arrived to collect a soul, only to see the target but never touch it, forced to stand there helplessly!
Then, when it tried to disperse its ghostly aura and escape early—
It was blocked by that red pillar!
And now—
Its arm was wrapped by this damn chain, and even its soul was starting to ache?!
What kind of ridiculous situation was this?!
What was wrong with humans these days?!
Why were the "ants" of this era all so outrageous?!
"Got it!"
While the Shinigami was still stunned, Kai's eyes suddenly lit up.
He pumped his fist excitedly.
"Just as expected from a brand-new trait! This chain-and-pillar combo is seriously powerful!"
He could feel it clearly.
His will and the chain-pillar were completely synchronized.
The moment the chain wrapped around the Shinigami's left arm, he could clearly sense the resisting will spreading from it.
A vast, icy aura of death flowed through the chain.
Normally, anyone touched by such power would be frozen into dust.
But under the suppression of the Infinite Lock, that terrifying power was like a wild horse with a bridle forced into its mouth.
It could only kick and struggle.
Completely powerless.
"Come on now, Shinigami buddy. Stop struggling."
Kai floated upward through the air and casually patted the cold skull—like an adult teasing a child.
Of course, his hand passed through empty air.
But in terms of aura, he absolutely refused to lose.
"Look, technically we've already fought. That means we're acquainted now."
"You came all the way from the Pure Land…"
"You didn't even get a meal, and now you've lost an arm…"
"Cough—what I mean is, that's pretty awkward."
Rubbing his hands together, the baby-fat still lingering on his face gave him an expression full of exaggerated sincerity.
"So how about this…"
"How about I visit the Pure Land sometime? You tell me the way!"
"Or maybe you stay here and chat with me a bit longer?"
"Don't worry. Just ten minutes. I promise I won't talk more than that!"
The Shinigami: …
For a moment—
It was completely speechless.
Its enormous skull slowly turned.
The hollow eye sockets fixed on the endlessly chattering boy before it.
Bullying ghosts wasn't enough—
Now he even wanted to tie it up and keep it?!
Humiliating.
An unprecedented sense of humiliation surged inside its chest.
"ROOOOAR!!!"
Another earth-shaking roar exploded across the battlefield.
This time filled entirely with powerless rage.
The Shinigami suddenly raised its remaining arm.
It no longer attempted to grab the boy.
There was no point.
It couldn't catch him anyway.
Instead—
It grabbed the chain.
If the human can turn into sunlight…
Surely the weapon can't do the same.
Actually—
If the chain also turned into sunlight, that would be perfect!
Then it could escape immediately!
Whoever wanted to deal with this world could come themselves.
Because it certainly wasn't coming back.
With that thought, the Shinigami raised its massive skeletal hand.
The death-law power wrapped around it condensed into a terrifying mass.
Then—
It slammed downward.
The momentum looked almost suicidal.
As if it wanted to destroy the chain even at the cost of itself.
But the expected scene never appeared.
The chain did not turn into sunlight.
Instead—
The Shinigami's raised right arm crashed directly into its own left arm.
BOOOOM!!
BOOOOM!!!
Death laws and sealing laws collided violently above the Hokage Tower.
The skeletal palm clashed with the Divine Law Chain.
Yet—
There was no blinding explosion.
No dazzling flash.
Only a strange annihilation.
The air vanished.
The rain disappeared.
Even light itself seemed to cease existing within that space.
POP—
At the center of the collision, a dark singularity rapidly formed.
Swallowing everything.
A collision at the rule level.
Silent—
Yet far more terrifying than any ninjutsu.
CRACK!
Black chakra radiating from the chain flickered violently within the Shinigami's grasp.
Streams of dark energy were erased.
Streams of ghostly light were consumed.
Even the red pillar nailed into the void trembled violently.
"Damn… a god really is something else. That strength is insane!"
Kai, the owner of the chain, felt a freezing force surge through the chain toward him.
It raced directly toward his mind.
Toward the very core of his soul.
"A desperate gamble, huh?"
"But if you think you can find my soul's core…"
"…why don't you try?"
Kai shook his head.
Instead of resisting directly, he activated another trait.
Low Presence.
Over the years, he had mastered this ability thoroughly.
Even standing face-to-face, others could barely notice him.
Unless—
He deliberately made himself noticeable.
SWOOSH—CRACK?!
The invading death-law power suddenly froze.
It was like a radar losing its target mid-flight.
The death energy circled around his body again and again.
Completely lost.
And just as confused—
Was the Shinigami.
Its face once again showed unmistakable bewilderment.
It had nearly sacrificed an entire arm to create that attack.
So where had the power gone?
Just then—
Another system notification appeared before Kai's eyes.
[You have conversed with the projection of the Pure Land's Will (Shinigami) for ten minutes.]
[Attempting to copy trait…]
[Copy successful.]
[Congratulations. You have obtained the special trait: Blade of Judgment (Black).]
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