One After Another

Chapter 233: One After Another

"Hm?"

Just as De Gaulle held his opponent in place with terrifying power and steadily raised his Lightsaber for the finishing blow,

he suddenly frowned.

The Lightsaber meant to finish the job instead swept straight behind him.

A mass of disgusting, tumor-like tentacles was severed in a single strike.

Large amounts of pungent purple gas and slime burst forth.

But De Gaulle immediately swept them aside with the Force, dispersing them all.

He glanced at the severed evil tumors on the ground, which continued to twitch with vigorous life, then looked up at a humanoid figure

whose entire body was covered in those bizarre tumors.

A trace of gravity appeared on his face.

There was another one?

That sneak attack had nearly escaped his notice.

And the power of that foul attack was far beyond what it appeared to be.

The sheer force of the spreading tentacles was already formidable, beyond the scope of an Elite Reincarnator. If not for the Lightsaber’s ability to cut through anything, it truly could not have been dealt with in a single blow.

The corrosive fluid and poisonous gas that followed were even more unimaginable.

Even the slight amount he had inhaled before dispersing it had made him feel dizzy.

And there was more. The opponent’s left arm, which had turned into countless tentacles to attack him, was rapidly regenerating even after he had severed the tentacles.

Powerful attacks, troublesome toxins, and such potent regenerative ability—what exactly was this person?

No, it could no longer be described as a person.

There had been no intelligence whatsoever about such a powerful individual entering their country. In fact, there was no information on this person at all. Had he hidden himself that well?

More importantly, how could an existence of this level enter this point in time as part of a team?

Muto had undoubtedly surpassed the level of an Elite Reincarnator.

Could the person before him still be merely an Elite Reincarnator?

Or was he not from the Japan Legion, but an outside helper they had hired?

"Truly impressive. To sense my sneak attack even with my unique concealment ability, and to see through my traits so quickly… As expected of Lord De Gaulle, the ‘Force User.’"

Only his face retained relatively normal contours, and Qi Xieyuan’s expression was full of admiration.

Meanwhile, swordsman Muto, who had broken free from his restraints thanks to Qi Xieyuan’s attack, had already blocked off the other direction, forming a pincer attack.

Individually, both were at a disadvantage, but working together made De Gaulle feel somewhat troubled.

However…

Only somewhat troubled!

"You two are still far too naive!"

He drew another hilt from his waist and fitted it upside down beneath the Lightsaber’s hilt, immediately forming a double-bladed weapon like a long staff.

At the same time, a terrifying tidal force continuously surged outward from De Gaulle.

Wave after wave.

The rings of pressure directly crushed the rooftop beneath his feet.

His entire body rose into the air as tiles and stones flew about.

Before that continuously intensifying tidal force pressing down on them, both Muto and Qi Xieyuan were forced to retreat step by step.

Shock filled both their hearts.

Was this the foundation of an old great power?

They had thought the gap between them was not that large, but only now did they realize that De Gaulle was on an entirely different level!

"Lord De Gaulle, we’ll assist you!"

The two Elite Reincarnators who had finally freed up their hands prepared to provide support the next instant.

But before they could arrive, De Gaulle took the initiative and launched a fierce offensive.

The double-bladed sword he had assembled seemed effortless in his hands.

His speed, strength, and technique all appeared to have improved enormously.

Combined with his terrifying command of the Force, which could even briefly restrain a Kage-level powerhouse,

he fought one against two, pressing Muto and Qi Xieyuan so hard that they could barely breathe.

They only barely managed to hold out by relying on Qi Xieyuan’s monstrous body and overwhelming regenerative power to serve continuously as a shield, while Muto used Observation Haki to constantly find opportunities to strike where De Gaulle had no choice but to defend.

Yet before the tide-like onslaught, both men were horrified.

The aftermath of the three-way clash directly caused large portions of the Uchiha Clan compound to collapse.

Neither the Uchiha Clan members nor the Reincarnators could approach the battlefield at all.

"Ji Xinzhu, help me!"

Qi Xieyuan was nearly cut in half at the waist, his upper body and head pinned in midair by a terrifying force. Seeing Muto, who had tried to save him, get blasted away by a backhanded strike and about to be finished off, he completely lost his composure and shouted urgently.

He had never imagined that the two of them would be defeated so quickly even working together. He could only use this trump card in advance, with no time to consider how they would deal with Itachi afterward. Saving himself came first…

"I only agreed to make one move…"

A cold, magnetic voice rang out. From thirty meters away, a gigantic blue blade of light descended from the sky in a single slash, instantly draining all the air from the surroundings.

Although De Gaulle detected it in advance and raised his double-bladed Lightsaber to block,

the next instant, he was driven back by that enormous blade of light, utterly disproportionate to its wielder, and sent flying!

A bottomless chasm appeared across the ground in the wake of the blade’s radiance.

This was the first time since his arrival that De Gaulle had been forced back head-on, the first time he had truly suffered a setback.

As a spiraling hurricane dissipated, a handsome figure appeared where De Gaulle had been standing.

His long hair draped over his shoulders, and he wore white robes like snow. His features were more exquisite than a woman’s. If not for his faintly visible Adam’s apple, he would have been mistaken for a woman—a beautiful woman at that.

Even after knocking De Gaulle back with a single strike, his handsome face showed not the slightest ripple of emotion, neither joy nor sorrow.

After steadying himself and looking at the three people before him, De Gaulle finally became truly serious.

"Dragon Soul… Wang Taoming?!"

De Gaulle had no intelligence at all on the secretive Qi Xieyuan and did not recognize him in the slightest.

But he knew the person before him all too well!

Dragon Soul was a name that could not be ignored, even after declining to its current state.

And Wang Taoming was one of its members!

Back then, provoked by the taunt that "Dragon Soul can only talk big," he had even attempted to assassinate the Qing Court’s second most important royal figure. Though he had failed and disappeared for a long time, De Gaulle had never expected him to have escaped!

"Why is Dragon Soul wading into this mess? Does the mighty Dragon Soul serve Japan as well?"

At the beginning, De Gaulle would never have had any interest in talking to him. He would have simply charged in and crushed him.

But now, he knew he had no confidence against Wang Taoming alone. With those two beside him as well, he was utterly at an absolute disadvantage on his own.

Damn it. To monopolize the benefits here, Konoha had only his Legion, and only he could enter. There was not even anyone to share the burden!

Yet they had exploited the Elite Reincarnator restriction and the limitations between different Legions to bring three people into this mission?

There really was some greater secret involved. Otherwise, a Single Tomoe Sharingan alone was not worth such an investment.

They had needed to hire outside help from two different Legions. The price paid and promises made could not possibly have been small…

Upon hearing De Gaulle’s question, a flicker finally appeared on Wang Taoming’s expressionless handsome face.

"This has nothing to do with Dragon Soul. I merely owe someone a favor that I must repay. If you withdraw now, I will not make things difficult for you."

His calm statement made De Gaulle’s face turn livid.

"Uh, although I’m sorry to interrupt you, you should understand one thing…"

"…this is Konoha."

At that moment, another voice rang out.

Then a figure dressed as a Konoha Anbu and wearing a Cat Face Mask landed atop a nearby utility pole…