Chapter 280: Ultimate Benevolence, Merciful Release!
Bang!
A huge impact sound broke Hana Hiranaka's emotional outburst, also providing a way out for Minoru Hiranaka, who was about to suffocate under his wife's despairing gaze.
The massive head of the white snake landed from the air, and that increasingly terrifying Mercenary Tao descended leisurely from the sky.
"Woman, the ingredient this time is a Sage. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Kaito Shirogane landed like a nimble cat, silently, but the wind stirred by his movement carried a piercing killing intent.
He seemed completely unaware of the huge rift that had formed among the group, simply instructing Hana Hiranaka to prepare the meat of this rare White Snake Sage.
Hana Hiranaka lowered her head, hiding the despair and hysterical look on her face under her hair, and silently walked towards the overly massive white snake head.
Normally, she would have collapsed on the ground in fear upon seeing such a huge white snake, but for some reason, after witnessing so many deaths, she had become increasingly desensitized to blood, flesh, monsters, and the like.
She took out the special knife Mercenary Tao had left with her earlier and silently tried to cut off the snake meat for cooking with her head down.
Uchiha Shisui wanted to ask something, but Kaito Shirogane didn't give him the chance, speaking first:
"It's a pity that the toad sage escaped with a brat from the Uchiha clan, tsk."
Uchiha Itachi's gaze instantly sharpened, and Uchiha Shisui also looked at Mercenary Tao guardedly.
"What Uchiha clan brat?"
Both had ominous guesses in their hearts. Kaito Shirogane, with a mischievous smile, teased:
"Probably a child named Uchiha Sasuke~"
Clang!
The sounds of two swords being drawn occurred almost simultaneously. In the time it took Minoru Hiranaka to blink once, he saw two powerful ninjas holding a long and a short blade against Mercenary Tao's neck from both sides.
Ran also reacted a moment later.
Kaito Shirogane himself had absolutely no reaction. His expression was composed, and he even leaned back without reducing the amplitude of his movements.
"Be careful, you two Uchiha. If you accidentally scratch me, you'll get hurt."
Uchiha Itachi and Shisui's movement control was equally terrifying. As Mercenary Tao leaned back, they rotated their blades, completely avoiding cutting his neck.
However, four Sharingan eyes were coldly locked onto Mercenary Tao.
"Sasuke, what happened to him?!"
Kaito Shirogane looked at these two, who were evaluated as the Uchiha clan members most aligned with the Will of Fire. Similarly, when it came to the lives of others, they couldn't treat everyone equally.
He looked at Uchiha Itachi playfully, the mockery visible to the naked eye.
"See, no matter how much you emphasize so-called capacity, so-called future, when your brother is involved, everything else gives way, doesn't it? Heh..."
Uchiha Itachi completely ignored Mercenary Tao's mockery. As long as something happened to his brother, no matter who the opponent was, he would use every means possible to kill them.
He couldn't describe to others his joy after seeing his brother born—the warmth of a lonely soul gaining a blood relative; the joy and miracle of witnessing new life after seeing too much loss and death.
Kaito Shirogane narrowed his eyes, not because he was angry, but because he truly felt pleasure at this moment. Watching these plot characters with strong personalities become twisted because of his [Heart], feeling the Uchiha bloodline surge within them due to emotions.
The feeling of provoking a genius's nerves with just words delighted him.
He looked at Uchiha Itachi as if looking at a rare toy.
"Relax, that little guy has probably become a subject of the Golden Order. Even if he is unfortunately killed, he can return to the Golden Erdtree through [Erdtree Burial]. How... blissful..."
Kaito Shirogane's tone was strange. Uchiha Itachi's face was ashen; he couldn't feel even a shred of happiness from such a thing.
Golden Order, Erdtree Burial—these words now falling into Uchiha Itachi's heart almost made him visualize his young and innocent brother gradually turning into a cold, inhuman being.
Moreover, he didn't think [Erdtree Burial] was anything wonderful. The bonds between people became indestructible through various life-and-death situations, just as he persisted in holding his brother tightly when the war came.
If there was no witness of [Death], then everything would lose its weight. Would he become a brother who casually discarded his swaddled brother, waiting for him to be reborn in the form of [Erdtree Burial]?
Ultimately, if humans no longer reproduced, grew, and died in human form, were they still humans?
Did those guys walking out of the Golden Erdtree with golden luster in their eyes really share any moral commonality with humans!
Uchiha Itachi instantly understood his thoughts. He turned to look at his most respected elder brother.
"Shisui... something like the Golden Order can't save this world at all!"
The Sharingan in his eyes trembled violently due to intense emotions, showing signs of change.
Uchiha Shisui, having witnessed everything in the town just now, was also in hesitation. Just as he didn't know what to do...
Minoru Hiranaka suddenly shone with brilliant golden light. He spread his hands, assuming a strange prayer stance. The next moment, golden light soared into the sky.
In the sky, the Golden Erdtree seemed to cooperate with this golden light at this moment, completely obscuring the entire sky. The sun's light was completely covered, and the world turned dim yellow.
Kaito Shirogane sensed something and turned his head. In the dim sky, a huge meteor ignited everything from the air, crashing down with a boom. The atmosphere began to burn. That terrifying meteor scattered countless golden glows along the way, like a brilliant aurora, spanning across half the sky.
The scattered golden glow almost formed an incredibly vast golden ribbon falling from the sky.
That was the Golden Star, the messenger of the Greater Will, a product of the Golden Order, and the supreme guardian of the Elden Ring. At the same time, it was also the symbol of the Golden Order—the Elden Beast!
[Based on DD99115435's actions, core plot character Uzumaki Naruto has disappeared from this world. Related plot lines are being removed. Massive distortion has occurred in this world.]
[Based on DD99115435's actions, core plot character Uchiha Sasuke has joined the Golden Order faction.]
[The Greater Will has intervened in this world ahead of schedule.]
[Special Unique Event: Descent of the Age of the Erdtree, Phase Two ended early.]
[Settlement in progress. Reincarnator Ex051 Completion Rate: A]
*[You have obtained Golden Dew (Rare) 3.]
Minoru Hiranaka slowly floated up from the ground. The golden light inside him became more and more intense. The armor on his body began to fail to withstand the power of the Golden Order, turning into a golden style bit by bit, then shattering into golden sand.
In a moment, Minoru Hiranaka had turned into a figure wearing tattered clothes. His hair began to grow uncontrollably, and his black hair quickly turned red in the golden light.
His physique also became fit and robust, his size becoming huge, far surpassing ordinary people.
Hana Hiranaka, who was trying to roast the White Snake Sage's meat, sensed the change. She looked up and saw her husband becoming unrecognizable.
"Minoru..."
This time, the woman wasn't hysterical. She just whispered her husband's name softly. She saw her husband lower his head to look at her, the last warmth in his eyes disappearing completely. In the end, only high and mighty indifference remained, like a god overlooking all living beings.
Accompanying the huge blessing ribbon falling from the sky, visible to the naked eye, the blessing of the Golden Order began to cover many people in this world.
Tragedies similar to the riverside town would be staged on a large scale. Accompanied by Minoru Hiranaka, who was shaped into an [Empyrean] by the Greater Will, and the Elden Beast brought by the Golden Star, they would purge the native forces of this world in the form of the most cruel and terrible war.
Eventually, the Golden Order would seize control of this world, just as it defeated the Dragonlord and Giants in the Lands Between, enveloping this Naruto world under divine rights and laws as well.
Minoru Hiranaka—no, rather the gradually [Empyrean-ized]Minoru Hiranaka—stood in the air, his red hair constantly dissipating backward with the golden glow. He didn't look at his former wife but extended his hand towards Kaito Shirogane.
"Mercenary Tao, you have the capacity to become a Lord..."
[Special Trial: Ultimate Benevolence Phase Two ended. Phase Three started.]
[Optional Mission: Benevolent Decree triggered.]
[Mission Description: The Empyrean Minoru Hiranaka invites you to crush all opponents in this world and spread the Golden Order to every corner.]
[Mission Reward: Special Sequence - Virtue Sequence I: Decree (100%); Special Milestone: Elden Lord (Unique & Rare) (Completion Rate higher than S+)]
Kaito Shirogane just looked up at Minoru Hiranaka, whose appearance and even [Heart] seemed to have been completely changed. Before he could speak, his clothes were grabbed from behind by a hand.
That hand exerted so much force that Kaito Shirogane thought if the opponent's strength were just a bit greater, it might cause slight damage to his skin and be judged as an attack, thus being burned to death by the [Flame Dragon's Scales].
"Mr. Mercenary Tao..."
The woman's voice was hoarse and cold.
Kaito Shirogane turned his head slightly, his eyes carrying a chilling purple intent. Hana Hiranaka panicked slightly. She thought this Lord Mercenary Tao probably already knew what she wanted to say.
And, he had been waiting for her to speak!
But she had to speak at this moment. She realized that since her town was destroyed, her husband had been tainted by something unknown.
That was why he ignored the dangers she might encounter to send out so-called intelligence.
That was why he turned a blind eye to the deaths of everyone in the town.
That was why he remained indifferent to the massacre just now.
The woman's brain worked frantically. She threw all her husband's problems onto the Golden Order. Only in this way could she accept that her most beloved husband had become what he was now.
"Mr. Mercenary Tao... although I only cooked a few insignificant dishes for you, can I request you..."
She suddenly knelt on the ground. The force was so great that blood from her knees quickly seeped through her skirt.
"Oh?"
"What do you want to request of me?"
Kaito Shirogane asked knowingly. He lowered his head, his eyes greedily absorbing the malice in the woman's heart. He really wanted to know what tone and emotion that woman, who had "unscrupulously" used that mouth to express love for her husband not long ago, would use to request him... to kill her husband.
Ha~ Thinking of such a thing, the malicious smile on Kaito Shirogane's face, reflected by the Satsui no Hado, almost distorted his features.
At the same time, another thought in Kaito Shirogane's mind calmly analyzed his state. He judged that his current state might be the result of the Satsui no Hado approaching a threshold; he had already been deeply affected.
He was curious whether he would enter a realm like the so-called [Oni] or become something like [Evil Ryu] after breaking through Satsui no Hado LV4.
Moreover, because a place like the [Goddess's Abode] existed, as long as he paid enough price, negative effects could also be suppressed.
"I want to beg you, help Minoru... find release..."
The woman raised her head. Two lines of tears kept sliding down, and mucus also flowed down unconsciously. Her face became quite ugly, her clean skin wrinkled together, tears and mucus intertwining.
But Kaito Shirogane, who should have wantonly mocked a woman in this state, found the smile on the corner of his mouth disappearing bit by bit. He didn't get the malice he wanted.
This woman was sincerely begging him to save her husband.
"Minoru isn't like this. I know the real him must be trapped somewhere in that body, watching everything he does in pain. Minoru is very kind... he wouldn't do such cruel things..."
The woman rambled on, annoying Kaito Shirogane. He didn't understand why there was such a thing.
Clearly wanting him to end a person's life, yet emanating the scent of mercy and kindness from the bottom of her heart. She was trying hard to embrace her husband, begging him with benevolence to kill her husband.
[Optional Mission: Merciful Release triggered.]
[Mission Description: The woman Hana Hiranaka benevolently begs you to kill the Empyrean Minoru Hiranaka, burying the tragedy of the Age of the Golden Order.]
[Mission Reward: Special Sequence - Virtue Sequence I: Merciful Release (100%); Special Milestone: Blasphemy (Unique & Rare) (Completion Rate higher than S)]
Tsk, Kaito Shirogane shook off the woman's hand in disgust. Beneath the Empyrean Minoru Hiranaka in the air, Uchiha Shisui and Uchiha Itachi stood opposite each other.
Their expressions were different. Uchiha Itachi said calmly:
"Shisui, you must release that jutsu..."
Uchiha Shisui didn't argue. He also had great doubts about the Golden Order at this moment. An Age of the Erdtree without death, yet obtained through mass slaughter—this kind of thing was subversive to his Ninja Way.
Boom!
The terrifying temperature in the air suddenly rose.
In the sky, that huge Golden Star finally burned completely, revealing the terrifying form of the Elden Beast inside.
But before the Golden Star could crash to the ground, from extremely far away, a terrifying beam of light blasted over, hitting the Elden Beast in mid-air.
Accompanied by intense hissing, the Elden Beast fell from the sky.
Kaito Shirogane saw clearly; it was a Tailed Beast Ball, and its intensity far exceeded ordinary Tailed Beasts.
Minoru Hiranaka, undergoing Empyrean transformation, didn't change his expression. His figure, wrapped in golden light, quickly soared into the sky.
Kaito Shirogane watched this scene and made a choice.
[You have accepted the Optional Mission: Merciful Release.]
[Special Trial: Ultimate Benevolence, Phase Three started — Merciful Release.]
Kaito Shirogane didn't wait for Uchiha Shisui to make a decision. At this moment, he finally broke free from all shackles. No more Minoru Hiranaka or Hana Hiranaka to bind his actions in this world.
He could finally do whatever he wanted. Ha~
(End of Chapter)
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