The sword-bearing Elder gazed over the now desolate battlefield, finally letting out a faint sigh of relief. That mysterious man had indeed been formidable strong enough that even a Marine Admiral might not match him but compared to himself, the gap was immense. He had lived for over eight hundred years, witnessed countless battles, and accumulated experience beyond measure. How could some upstart brat possibly compete?
"Where's Colonel Roen? Why did he suddenly disappear?"
Just as tension began to ease, a startled cry erupted from the crowd.
"What happened?" The long-bearded Elder's sharp eyes quickly caught sight of unrest spreading among the Marines.
"Lord Elder, the soldiers report that during the final moments of the battle, Colonel Roen mysteriously vanished!"
Vanished?
A shadow fell across the Elder's heart. His voice turned icy. "Exactly when did he disappear?"
"Uh… it seems right at the end of the fight."
"What!"
The Elder sucked in a sharp breath, dread rising within him.
"No! That bastard isn't dead. He must've used some secret technique to switch places with Colonel Roen!" the sword-bearing Elder snarled, teeth clenched in fury.
The long-bearded Elder's hair stood on end. Was such a technique even possible an ability to exchange one's position with another? The thought was absurd, yet he couldn't shake the unease gnawing at him.
Meanwhile, among the ranks of the Marines
"Who are you?"
As men scoured the field for the missing Colonel, a lieutenant suddenly noticed a ragged figure sitting nearby.
That cloak. Black with red clouds!
Gasps broke out at once, like an explosion rippling through the crowd.
Impossible. They had seen him torn to shreds, reduced to dust before their very eyes. How could he be alive?
"Shut up already! You're all so damn noisy!" Hidan's brow arched, his eyes glinting with cold malice. He was furious with himself if he had used the Substitution Jutsu earlier, he wouldn't have looked so pathetic just now.
And his clothes ruined. This was one of the few decent outfits he had. If Kakuzu were here, that tightfisted miser would at least have money to replace it.
"Ahhh!" The Marine lieutenant screamed, clutching his head in terror. "He's alive! The mysterious man is alive! Right here!"
"Too noisy," Hidan muttered, swinging the Bloodstained Crescent Scythe in a blur. One stroke, and the lieutenant's head rolled free.
"I told you already I can't stand people who talk more than me. Annoying as hell. And yeah, I know I'm annoying too."
The Marines swarmed around him, but none dared charge. Anyone who could fight the Five Elders to a standstill wasn't someone ordinary soldiers could face.
Hidan, however, loathed being gawked at. Whirling his scythe, he roared, "A bunch of small fry, getting in my way… Go meet Lord Jashin!"
A crimson slash screamed through the air.
The Marines had no time to react. Their bodies tilted, confusion flashing in their eyes. What's happening? Why is the ground rising up to meet me?
And then they understood. The slash had cut through hundreds of meters in one sweep, splitting every soldier in two.
Blood poured across the earth, forming rivers that snaked through the ruins.
One strike. Absolute carnage.
"Old man, our fight isn't over. Don't act like the victor yet it's disgusting to look at!" Hidan flicked the gore from his scythe, wrinkling his nose at the filth clinging to it.
"You bastard!" The Elder's eyes burned red as he watched Marine corpses litter the ground.
"Tch. You thought I was dead? Lord Jashin doesn't let me go so easily. Your technique was impressive scared me for a second, even. But only an idiot would try to take something like that head-on." Hidan's mocking words cut deep, each one twisting the Elder's temper tighter.
"Click, click, click… pathetic, isn't it? That poor guy got killed by his own side. No body left, not even ashes. I'll give him three seconds of silence."
He bowed his head theatrically, then smirked. "There. Three seconds done. Now it's my turn to attack. Old man, I warned you mercy goes both ways. Since you struck so hard, don't blame me when I return the favor."
Smoke billowed around him, and when it cleared, Hidan's figure had vanished.
The Elder's eyes widened. He searched wildly, senses straining. Then
"Earth Style Head-Hunter Jutsu!"
A muffled thud erupted beneath him.
"What ?"
Two hands shot up from the soil, clamping around his legs and yanking down with brutal force.
Caught off guard, the Elder was dragged waist-deep into the ground. He reacted instantly, plunging his cursed blade into the earth.
"Demon Tremor!"
The blade shuddered with violent frequency. The ground itself convulsed, fissures spreading outward like a spiderweb. Seizing the chance, the Elder vaulted free, though blood seeped from a gash on his thigh.
"You little brat. So that's your method of attack? I'll admit, you caught me off guard." His face twisted with rage. So many witnesses had seen him dragged under like a fool. If word spread, the Five Elders' prestige would be shredded.
"Heh heh…" Hidan's grin widened. The black spear in his hand dripped with fresh blood. "Relax, old man. The show has only just begun."
Slowly, deliberately, he raised the spear to his mouth. His tongue slid over the blood, savoring it. Then he drove the tip into his own palm, sketching patterns on the ground with his own lifeblood.
The Five Elders tensed. Something about this ritual stirred an ominous dread in their chests.
In moments, a circle took shape, inscribed with a crimson triangle. Hidan stood at its center, smiling wickedly at his opponent.
"The show has only just begun, hasn't it?"
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