Just when Shichikon thought death was certain and even his breathing stopped, the suddenly rising temperature and blinding light vanished, replaced by darkness and a sensation of weightlessness.
The sound of rushing wind was in his ears, and a gust of wind smelling of green grass inexplicably poured into his mouth.
Boom!!!
A dull, thunderous roar, which sounded as if it were behind some barrier, came from below.
Shichikon subconsciously looked toward the sound and light—in the darkness below, a mass of flames erupted from somewhere and vanished in an instant.
Below?
Shichikon suddenly snapped back to his senses.
This whistling wind, this bird's-eye view...
Was he in mid-air? Falling?
He had thought he was doomed, but he had actually been taken out of the cave?
But...
Falling from such a height, isn't that just another way to die?
Just as he was trembling with fear and lost in despair, a lighthearted voice that he would never forget even as a ghost rang out in his ear.
"Yo, is it thrilling?"
Shichikon snapped his head around. His eyes, gradually adjusting to the darkness, immediately saw the person beside him—Mamoru was holding him by the back of his collar with one hand, still wearing that same leisurely smile.
"This is much more exciting than a roller coaster. It's free, but it might cost you your life." Mamoru's voice was full of mockery.
"Aaaaaah! We're both going to fall to our deaths at this rate!" Shichikon screamed in terror as the wind whistled past his ears.
"Don't worry." Mamoru smiled incredibly 'kindly,'
"I'll use you as a cushion later. I guarantee you'll die and I won't."
"..."
Shichikon was instantly speechless, fear flooding his entire body.
He didn't know if this lunatic was telling the truth, but what if?
As they drew closer and closer to the ground, Shichikon's heart almost jumped out of his throat. He squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for the final impact.
However, the expected pain of being shattered to pieces did not come.
The momentum of the fall stopped abruptly. Shichikon couldn't help but open his eyes, they were already standing steadily on solid ground. Of course, the only one who could stand was Mamoru.
The moment the relief of survival surfaced, the excruciating pain of his ruined limbs swept through Shichikon's body like a tide once again.
"Aaaaaah—" He couldn't help but let out another shrill wail.
Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, and his body shook violently and uncontrollably from the extreme agony.
Mamoru indifferently let go of his hand.
Thud!
Shichikon collapsed onto the ground like a pile of mud. The vibration of hitting the ground triggered even more intense pain, causing his screams to suddenly spike, becoming even more heart-wrenching.
He ignored Shichikon's shrill screams and scanned the scene before him thoughtfully.
What was originally the entrance to the cave had now been completely destroyed. A large section of the mountain had collapsed, and giant rocks mixed with earth were piled into a mound, completely burying the cave entrance.
The scorched earth where he stood still radiated residual heat. The surrounding trees had been incinerated by the flames that had rushed out of the passage, leaving only charred black stumps pointing stubbornly toward the sky.
The air was filled with a pungent smell of smoke, making his nasal passages and eyes feel uncomfortable.
The faint night breeze was powerless to disperse the thick smoke. Instead, it swirled the ashes, making them drift like ghosts under the moonlight.
Mamoru squinted his itchy eyes, knowing full well in his heart that there was no way the mountain bandits in the cave could have survived. Under an explosion of such power, it was simply impossible for ordinary people to survive.
This realization made him sigh once again. It was so easy for a ninja to slaughter ordinary people.
What surprised him even more was that his heart didn't feel the slightest bit of resistance toward taking so many lives. Even he himself felt astonished by this discovery.
That's right, he hadn't viewed those dozens of bandits as fellow humans at all, but merely as livestock who deserved to die.
So many lives had vanished by his hand, yet his heart was exceptionally calm, as natural as considering whether to go to the bathroom first or take a walk after a meal.
He seemed to be gradually becoming fascinated by the power he possessed. Great power could mask cruelty, twist lies, and even turn lies into reality. f it couldn't be done, it only meant one wasn't powerful enough, and that people didn't fear your power enough.
Thinking of this, Mamoru slowly raised his hand to examine it. This was the very palm that had just held that 'miniature sun'. The palm was perfectly intact, without even the slightest burn mark left behind.
That 'miniature sun' was the product of integrating Fire Chakra into a Rasengan.
Ordinary people, let alone holding it in their palm, would be burned by the scorching high temperatures it emitted just by getting close.
It was entirely thanks to Infinity's protection that he could continuously inject Fire Chakra into the Rasengan without being harmed.
He was quite satisfied with the first combat performance of this new Ninjutsu.
Rubbing his sore eyes, Mamoru reined in his thoughts and turned his gaze toward Shichikon, who was slumped on the ground, and couldn't help but feel a headache.
Taking such a hulking cripple back would really be a hassle.
But since he had already captured Shichikon, he had to take him back for Miki to see, lest it affect the subsequent bounty distribution.
Feeling it was a bit of a bother, he scratched his hair annoyedly and eventually walked over to Shichikon's side. He leaned down, grabbed his collar, and dragged him forward.
Shichikon felt his collar suddenly tighten as his broken body was ruthlessly dragged across the scorched ground.
The pain he had just barely begun to adjust to instantly turned into an even more intense torment, shocking his fragile nerves.
"Aaaah! Wh-what are you doing? Stop it!" He wailed hoarsely, his voice broken by the intense pain.
"I kn-know I was wrong... please forgive me... stop it!"
Desperate pleas were mixed in with his sobs.
"Ugh... please, I can't take it anymore..."
Seeing Mamoru remain unmoved, he hurriedly threw out a bargaining chip, "I'll tell you a secret, a very big secret... just stop..."