Capítulo 121: Chapter 121 : Fierce Battle
"There are too many guards here, and the situation below isn't clear. With my current level of Senjutsu cultivation, I fear I won't be able to make a move."
As Orochimaru contemplated how to covertly infiltrate from a corner, a sudden mechanical roar echoed from the mine. Gears turned, and a massive lifting platform ascended, carrying hundreds of heavily armed soldiers.
"What? Are they planning to fight?"
The guards were taken aback, quickly sounding their horns. They raised their shields and positioned crossbows to encircle the area.
Despite being outnumbered, they recognized the terrifying strength of these transformed individuals.
"My fellow people, lay down your arms and stop these meaningless sacrifices."
Troy, adorned in lavish attire, stood before them, speaking emotionally. "The Gelel ore vein is a gift from the god. To strengthen our nation and build an enduring utopia, we must harness this great power effectively."
Troy extended his golden-gloved hand with the embedded Gelel's Stone. "Submit to my leadership, and I'll guide you towards the light!"
"Nonsense! It's the war you ignited. Let me eliminate them all!" A soldier, appearing to be an officer, angrily retorted. Meanwhile, Orochimaru observed Troy and his glove with keen interest.
"Oh? What a shame, some are always blind to reality. Bart, awaken these unfortunate souls."
Troy displayed a pitiable expression. His subordinate, the transformed tall warrior, emitted an inhuman roar and charged at the officer.
"Damn it! Slay them all!"
Many soldiers fired arrows, but Bart's body swelled, his tough skin ruptured his breastplate, and formidable horns sprouted from his head, akin to a fearsome rhino.
"Roar-!"
Bart bellowed, undeterred by the rain of arrows piercing his body. Blinding electric arcs discharged from his upper form and crashed into the dense shield formation.
"Boom!"
The immense impact hurled ordinary soldiers away like toys. Some succumbed to the electric onslaught with agonizing screams, engulfed in harrowing lamentations.
"Damn! Annihilate this monster swiftly!"
The commanding officer lunged with a long spear, while other soldiers mustered their courage and attacked Bart en masse!
"Ah! Wretched insects!"
Bart sustained multiple injuries, yet only his flesh was harmed. Swiftly, his wounds began to heal. Meanwhile, Troy's allies joined the fray, causing chaos to unfold.
Troy's ordinary warriors transformed into potent foes encased in thick armour. They wielded heavy hammers, rendering conventional tactics ineffective.
"Is this the might of natural energy transformation? The power rivals even the curse marks!"
Orochimaru continued to observe the one-sided conflict, only Troy sparking a semblance of concern.
....
"Your Majesty, there's trouble! Those rebels from Troy's army have attacked the mines!"
A soldier barged into the palace in a frenzy, startling Takumi. Rudolph inquired, "How formidable are they? And why did they suddenly launch an assault?"
"It appears those individuals were empowered by the Gelel Stone's energy. We're no match!" The soldier conveyed with a shiver.
"Those beasts! This is a fight to the death!" Ryusen Ichiro spat, his anger evident.
"Target them! Mobilize our entire force, and I'll exterminate them entirely!"
Takumi raged, knocking over a table with a swift kick. He'd awaited this moment since his brother forcibly seized control of the mine.
Soon, a formidable army marched menacingly towards the mines, common folk trailing in their wake. Troy's inhuman experiments had ignited public wrath.
"Lord Dragon, let us proceed."
Takahiro guided Orochimaru's clone atop a warhorse, both witnessing the grim battlefield from a distance.
Amidst the carnage, flesh and blood of the ordinary folk proved insufficient against the Gelel Stone-transformed monsters. They were torn apart, leaving a gruesome tableau of discarded weaponry and mutilated remains.
"Quack! Cease futile resistance!" Bart, now a rhinoceros-like creature, pulverized a commander's spear and impaled him with his fearsome horn, the man hanging like a morbid ornament.
Another metamorphosed warrior, Jess, morphed into a tiger, ferocious in speed and strength. His hands extended into steel-like, lethal claws, claiming lives recklessly.
Hela, resembling a scythe-wielding specter, possessed wings sharper than the weapon itself. She effortlessly cut down scores of soldiers, expertly dodging arrows.
"Halt... Cursed brutes, futile struggles!"
As Takumi's forces arrived, the stationed troops were decimated. The infuriated king ordered a full-scale onslaught, prepared to confront oblivion head-on.
"Shhhhh-!"
Enormous ballistae deployed, thick crossbow bolts emitted a terrifying whistle as they plunged into the ranks of armoured warriors, impaling them with ease.
Although these formidable beings were incredibly strong, they remained flawed products of transformation. Their intelligence and reactions faltered, resulting in immediate casualties.
Thousands of soldiers charged, the tide abruptly turning.
"Sir, we should retreat soon. Shall we?"
Hela reverted to her glamorous form, respectfully approaching Troy.
"It appears we lack allies. We'll await Sand Ninja's reinforcements for a calculated strategy. My ideal nation shall eventually rise."
Troy envisioned a potent and whole nation with a smaller populace, unwilling to squander more lives in futile battle.
Troy's augmented warriors, while powerful, lacked intelligence. They fell prey to samurai like Ryusen Ichiro, bereft of basic self-preservation.
"Hah, You are now neither samurai nor beasts."
Rudolph resembled a ghost, swift blade gleaming like snow. He sliced through two burly transformed soldiers, his passing barely audible.
"Ah, the power of slashing's energy. Samurai principles are intricate indeed."
Orochimaru's true form watched intently, impressed by Rudolph's mastery of pure strength and skill.
"Curse the old man! Perish!"
Troy's forces retreated, yet Bart, consumed by either his Senjutsu or madness, lunged at Rudolph.
"Humph!"
Rudolph's figure melded into the wind, an afterimage trailing his wide samurai robe. Tapping the ground, he vanished before Bart's eyes.
"Old man, two strikes." Orochimaru watched Rudolph's movements, intrigued by his agile, graceful swordsmanship.
For now, Orochimaru refrained from action, blending into the surroundings like air, undetectable by anyone.
"Boom!"
Bart's horn shattered a massive boulder, yet Rudolph materialized behind him, his swift strikes numerous.
"This monster's resilience is astounding, necessitating full effort."
As Bart attempted to flee, Rudolph brandished his sword. Sharp aura radiated, his blade becoming a lightning-fast tempest, unstoppable by thin armour.
"Winds of destruction—!"
"What?!"
Bart turned, his right arm raised in a futile shield. Rudolph's slash cleaved through armour, piercing thick "rhino skin." Although wounded, Bart's Senjutsu aided swift recovery under the natural energy's influence.
"Ow!"
Bart wailed, releasing a surge of electric current that hit Rudolph. Despite his age, Rudolph resembled a leaf in the wind, deftly diverting the majority of the attack while severing the incoming lightning.
"Can a metal blade cut through lightning?"
Orochimaru mused, "No, it's a wind blade formed by manipulating the air to block the lightning. After all, this creature's lightning isn't ninjutsu. It lacks solidity."
The scene was drenched in purple blood, and Bart's scream echoed through the air. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind swept by, causing Rudolph to retreat, visibly fatigued.
"Idiot! Move quickly!"
Hela soared overhead. Bart seized her leg, creating a momentary distraction that he used to break free.
"Geez, dealing with this is really a challenge."
Troy's forces fell back to the elevator platform. However, Troy wasn't about to give up. Numerous soldiers manned ballistae, firing relentlessly.
"Foolish simpletons, you only bore me."
Troy, who hadn't lifted a finger until now, observed the soldiers rushing toward him like ants with a mocking grin. He extended his left hand, encased in a gleaming golden glove. The six Gelel stones on his glove emitted a dazzling radiance as he swept his hand outwards. Before the elevator platform, the stones transformed into a colossal energy barrier. A barrage of crossbow bolts struck it, disintegrating into dust upon impact.
"Troy, excessive power only breeds destruction. Look at the monstrous forms you've transformed your people into, and see the despair in the eyes of these fallen soldiers. Can't you see the consequences?"
Takumi glared at his brother Troy, who was gradually succumbing to his sinister transformation, sinking deeper into the mine. Takumi roared, overwhelmed by the immense loss and threat Troy posed. He was infuriated and determined to seize control of the mine himself.
"Destruction? Despair? How irrational!"
Troy regarded his younger brother with a distant, mocking tone. "Humans always fear power beyond their comprehension!"
With a deliberate motion, Troy hoisted a sword in his right hand, adorned with a Stone of Gelel just like his glove.
"I don't seek unnecessary bloodshed, but this land and these mines shall belong to me!"
"You... you wretched..."
Before Takumi could finish his retort, Troy's sword had already ignited a ferocious energy blaze. He swung his blade, and a torrent of raw energy surged forth. The colossal energy wave struck everyone in its path.
"Boom!"
In an instant, the fearsome energy tempest engulfed dozens of individuals. Takumi was restrained by guards, his fury unquenched.
Troy and his followers began to retreat. Unbeknownst to them, a discreet white serpent had crept onto the elevator platform, clandestinely descending deep underground with them.
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