This was a sealed chamber. If Shigeo's Jiton (Magnet Release) barrier were attacked, he would have felt it instantly—but nothing touched it. The technique remained completely intact. And the danger drawing near wasn't from a summoned beast; if it were, his sensory ability would have detected it.
"Whoosh—!"
A violent surge of force struck from behind.
Shigeo twisted aside and leapt into the air, hovering as he focused his senses. The killing intent persisted, yet he still couldn't pinpoint the source.
"What the hell is this…?"
A strange chill crawled into his thoughts. Then it hit him—ghosts!
He recalled that Shion, the priestess of the Land of Demons, had once sealed evil spirits herself. Ghosts were real there. Could the old shrine maiden have summoned spirits as well?
He was right.
The old woman had indeed called upon vengeful ghosts to attack him.
Such spirits couldn't harm anyone with a strong will. But those whose minds wavered—who carried guilt and fear—were vulnerable, allowing the ghosts to seize them and strike through their weakness.
The ghosts surrounded Shigeo, wailing and howling. One moment they shrieked like banshees, the next they danced like the Hyakki Yakō—the Night Parade of a Hundred Demons—trying to devour his soul or possess his body.
But Shigeo's will was unwavering, his heart calm. The endless assaults left not a scratch.
As the moments passed, his suspicion hardened into certainty. The killing intent came from ghosts.
Across from him, the old shrine maiden began to panic. The ghosts were useless—this young man was immune! Was she truly going to die here today?
Then her eyes darted to the corpses on the floor. In desperation, she shook the bell wildly, forcing the ghosts to dive into the bodies.
If spiritual attacks didn't work, then she'd use physical ones.
The possessed corpses lurched up and charged. Some even tried forming hand seals, attempting ninjutsu—but the chakra within their bodies no longer matched the ghosts' attributes. Only the occasional fluke produced a weak, unstable jutsu.
"Doton: Tsuchikakure no Jutsu!" (Earth Release: Earth Concealment Technique!)
A puff of dust.
"Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" (Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!)
A splash of pitiful water.
Shigeo frowned. "What a joke."
He inhaled deeply, then exhaled a surge of molten energy—Yōton: Ryūka no Jutsu! (Lava Release: Melting Flow Technique!)
The corpses ignited instantly, flames consuming them to ash. Let's see how she manipulates them now.
"Jingle… jingle…!"
Through the flickering firelight, Shigeo saw the old woman trembling violently, shaking her bell like a madwoman.
The cavern began to quake. A freezing wind rose, swirling violently toward him.
Golden light burst from Shigeo's body as he entered Sennin Mōdo (Sage Mode). His chakra radiated outward, illuminating the entire chamber in radiant gold.
Now he could see them—hundreds of ghosts, twisting grotesquely as they lunged at him like rabid beasts.
He launched jutsu after jutsu, but none affected them. His techniques passed through like smoke. It was as if they existed in another dimension.
He thought back to the tale of Mōryō, the demon sealed by Shion's mother. She had used her life to bind the spirit, and Shion herself could only control such entities through sacred incantations.
But Shigeo didn't know those spells. Without Sage Mode and his golden chakra defense, he wouldn't even be able to see them, much less survive.
Then he realized—beyond the shrieks and howls, he could still hear the rhythmic chime of the bell, and the old woman's steady muttering of her curse.
His eyes sharpened. He darted forward in a blur, appearing before the remaining defenders.
Hyōton: Hyouheki no Yaiba! (Ice Release: Spear Wall!)
Crystalline spikes erupted, impaling the five cultists who still guarded the old priestess.
Shigeo reached out and snatched the bell from her trembling hands.
"Legend says that in 'wolf and jackal,' it's the jackal who plots while the wolf acts. You—" his deep blue eyes shifted to a blood-red glow—"are the jackal of this Orchid Sect."
The old woman clutched her eyes shut, body shaking violently as if denying reality.
He seized her wrist, tightening his grip. Shōton: Shinkei Dansetsu Keshō! (Crystal Release: Neural Disruption Crystallization!)
Her brow broke into cold sweat. She gritted her teeth but didn't scream, refusing to beg.
Shigeo didn't intend to kill her. Too many had protected her—she was the key to everything. She had led the ritual, she knew the truth. He couldn't waste such a source of information.
With the bell silenced, the ghosts vanished instantly—dispersing like mist, their summoning broken.
"Lady Priestess has been captured!"
The shout came from outside. A moment later, explosions shook the tunnels.
The remaining cultists were rushing in—but Shigeo had no time to waste on foot soldiers.
He grabbed the old woman, shifted his chakra, and activated Ikuukan Ten'i (Spatial Transfer). Both vanished from the chamber.
They reappeared atop another mountain peak on the island. The red light from the previous altar was gone. The full moon hung quietly above, glowing pale yellow across the sea.
"I'll ask once. Where are the Hyūga clan members? And the brides used for sacrifice?" His voice was low, dangerous, a kunai's edge hidden in calm tone.
The shrine maiden's legs trembled, her frail body sagging as his finger pressed against her throat. Eyes shut tight, wrinkles deepened across her face. Blind, deaf, or simply defiant—it didn't matter. She refused to answer.
Shigeo snorted coldly. His finger moved to her forehead. He wouldn't pry into her mind just yet. If she could summon spirits—then she would learn what true terror was.
In his consciousness, the Jūbi (Ten-Tails) stirred. Shigeo projected its monstrous image directly into her mind.
"Ahhhh!"
The giant beast roared toward her, claws stretching, its chakra storming like a living nightmare.
The woman's soul shuddered. She was no longer seeing illusion—this was real, a power that existed beyond her comprehension. The terror of something divine, monstrous, and alive—
and it belonged to the man standing before her.
(End of Chapter)
[50 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
[10 Reviews = 5 Extra Chapter]
[Check out my Patreon to read 20+ chapters ahead]
[[email protected]/Zukooo]