With the immediate threat of the terracotta soldiers temporarily neutralized, Tatsuya and his team, along with their contingent of Yomi Cult prisoners, were granted smooth entry into the Miko's Palace.
"Your Highness."
Inside the palace's spacious main hall, Tatsuya's group formally met the presiding Miko of the Land of Demons. She was an exceptionally beautiful young woman, radiating a serene aura despite the siege she had endured. Standing near her were more than a dozen attentive palace guards, as well as a small, utterly cherubic girl who resembled a precious porcelain doll.
Also present in the hall, standing respectfully behind the Miko, were two other distinct ninja squads. Judging by the symbols etched onto their forehead protectors, Tatsuya identified them as the mission teams dispatched from Kumogakure and Iwagakure.
"Thank you, esteemed shinobi of Konoha, for traveling such a long distance to answer our plea," the Miko said gracefully, her perceptive gaze lingering on Tatsuya for a noticeable moment before she offered a slight, respectful bow.
"Your Highness is too kind. It is merely our duty; we will naturally do our utmost to assist," Tatsuya and his teammates replied humbly in unison, returning the courteous bow.
Nearby, the ninja teams from Kumo and Iwa quietly observed the formal exchange between the Miko and the Konoha group. Their gazes, too, were mostly fixed intently on Tatsuya. That Konoha ninja, Tatsuya, known for his unique and powerful abilities. They had certainly heard his name and reputation whispered before, but today, witnessing his capabilities firsthand from within the palace – the summoning of the enormous snake, Seiryu, and the astonishingly powerful Sage Art that had cleared a path through the stone army – had left them deeply shocked and impressed.
"Big brother, you're amazing!"
Near the Miko's feet, once the initial formal pleasantries between Tatsuya's group and the Miko had concluded, the cherubic little girl suddenly piped up. She blinked her large, innocent eyes and stared intently up at Tatsuya, speaking in a clear, high-pitched, undeniably childlike voice.
"Thank you for the compliment, little sister," Tatsuya replied, a rare gentle smile touching his lips as he instinctively crouched down and patted the little girl's head affectionately. Looking closely at this adorable little girl, who appeared to be less than six years old, Tatsuya recognized her instantly from his fragmented memories. She had to be the future Miko of the Land of Demons – Shion. He recalled dimly that Shion possessed not only the inherent ability to eventually seal the demon Mōryō, but also the unsettling, prophetic power to accurately predict the deaths of others.
"This is my daughter, Shion," the Miko confirmed Tatsuya's unspoken assumption a moment later, her voice soft but proud.
"Your Highness," Tatsuya said, giving Shion's soft cheek a gentle pinch before standing up to address the Miko with renewed seriousness, "the terracotta soldiers outside the palace have been brought under control, at least for the moment. Given the circumstances, I believe we should proceed to the Land of Swamps as quickly as possible to reinforce the demon's seal, lest Mōryō find an opportunity to escape in the interim."
"Agreed! I will have my people make the necessary preparations immediately!" The Miko, clearly understanding the extreme urgency of the situation, nodded readily in assent. Subsequently, she invited Tatsuya's group and the other two village teams to rest briefly in the main hall while she retired to the inner palace chambers with her personal retinue to finalize their departure plans.
Without the Miko's calming, authoritative presence acting as a diplomatic buffer, the atmosphere in the spacious hall quickly became somewhat awkward and palpably tense. Whether it was Kumo or Iwa, both villages had only very recently concluded major hostilities with Konoha during the Third Shinobi World War. The enmity and mistrust between the three major hidden villages still ran deep and raw. Under such strained circumstances, having official ninja teams from these three powerful, rival villages forced into close proximity, the fact that an open fight hadn't already broken out was arguably a positive outcome in itself. Naturally, however, the mood was far from harmonious or comfortable.
Two hours later, the Miko returned, her preparations complete. The combined group – the Miko's retinue, the Konoha team, the Kumo team, and the Iwa team – assembled near the palace entrance, ready to depart for the critical mission ahead.
"Senpai, bad news!" Just as they were about to set off, Hayate hurried anxiously over to Tatsuya's side, speaking in a low, urgent whisper. "That Yomi Cult leader... Yomi... he's gone!"
Tatsuya raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "Gone? How?"
Hayate nodded grimly. "Vanished! I did a headcount of all the prisoners just now; he's the only one missing."
After a brief moment of thoughtful silence, considering the implications, Tatsuya made a pragmatic decision. "Ignore him for now. Sealing the demon Mōryō is the absolute priority." Tatsuya had personally checked Yomi's critical condition earlier – the man had been nearly sliced clean in half at the waist. It was frankly astonishing he hadn't died on the spot from such grievous wounds, let alone possessed the strength or means to somehow escape. Then again, Tatsuya mused internally, in the unpredictable shinobi world, where individuals dead for years could sometimes be brought back to life through forbidden jutsu, a critically injured person managing an improbable escape wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility. Besides, Yomi's own combat strength was relatively low; even if he had somehow escaped, he likely wouldn't pose a major, immediate threat on his own. As long as they succeeded in sealing Mōryō quickly and securely, even if Yomi intended to cause further trouble later, it would likely be a very long time before he could muster the necessary means or influence.
With his decision made, Tatsuya stepped forward and discreetly informed the Miko about Yomi's unexpected disappearance. After hearing Tatsuya's brief report, the Miko showed little outward reaction or surprise, simply summoning one of her personal guards and giving a couple of quiet, specific instructions before turning and leading the combined contingent onwards, setting a brisk pace towards the neighboring Land of Swamps.
The Land of Swamps and the Land of Demons were adjacent small countries situated on the same large overseas island. They were similar in geographical size and shared deep, intertwined historical ties. Traditionally, the Miko, the only one capable of sealing the demon Mōryō whose prison lay within the Land of Swamps, held extremely high prestige and authority in the Land of Swamps as well.
However, according to the information extracted from the interrogated Yomi Cultists, the current ruling government of the Land of Swamps had been completely infiltrated and effectively taken over by the insidious Yomi Cult. This crucial piece of intelligence meant that their journey to Demon Sealing Mountain – the sacred site within the Land of Swamps where Mōryō was sealed – would likely face significant further resistance from other entrenched cult members. The possibility that the escaped Yomi himself might make an appearance also lingered.
Let's hope that fool Yomi doesn't show up looking for death himself! A cold, dangerous glint flashed briefly in Tatsuya's eyes at the thought.
The combined group traveled at extremely high speed, leveraging their shinobi skills to cover the distance quickly. They arrived in the vicinity of Demon Sealing Mountain in the Land of Swamps in less than five days. As they drew closer to their destination, the number of hostile terracotta soldiers encountered along their path increased dramatically. Occasionally, they also spotted fleeting traces of recent Yomi Cult activity, confirming the prisoners' intelligence.
Finally, they reached the base of Demon Sealing Mountain itself. The sight that greeted them was staggering and deeply ominous. An innumerable, seemingly infinite horde of terracotta soldiers was gathered there, surrounding the mountain's foothills in dense, silent ranks, like a vast, solemn army standing eternal guard over the peak. Their sheer numbers were overwhelming, several times greater even than the massive army that had recently besieged the Miko's Palace.
Above the dark, forbidding summit of Demon Sealing Mountain, dense layers of black, angry-looking clouds churned ominously together, casting an oppressive, unnatural darkness over the mountain peak. A heavy, suffocating, almost palpable aura of danger and malice permeated the very air around the mountain.
Observing this daunting, almost apocalyptic scene, Tatsuya's expression grew heavy and serious once more.
Looks like I might have significantly underestimated this demon Mōryō after all... he thought grimly.
Beside him, Kurenai, Anko, Hayate, Yugao, the Miko herself, and all the members of the visiting Iwa and Kumo ninja squads wore equally grim, deeply troubled expressions. The sheer scale of the opposition arrayed before them was beyond anything they had anticipated.
After a moment of tense, heavy silence, all eyes inevitably turned towards Tatsuya. In this critical, seemingly impossible situation, their only real hope seemed to rest upon the shoulders of Tatsuya, the mysterious Konoha shinobi who wielded the power of a Sage.
Seeing their combined expectant, almost desperate gazes fixed upon him, Tatsuya could only offer a wry, slightly helpless smile in return. It was true that his powerful Sage Art, Inorganic Reanimation, could eliminate large numbers of the terracotta soldiers, as they had witnessed. But the sheer, overwhelming scale of the army currently massed at the foot of Demon Sealing Mountain was simply on another level entirely. To carve a path through that... Tatsuya honestly suspected that even draining every last drop of his considerable chakra reserves might not be enough to succeed.
"Can any of you," Tatsuya began, turning to address the dozen or so nervous Yomi Cult prisoners huddled behind the main group, "control even a portion of these specific puppets gathered here?" he asked intently, hoping for a sliver of tactical advantage.
The prisoners all immediately shook their heads vehemently, their faces deathly pale with primal fear. "Sir," one stammered out, "the soldiers near Demon Sealing Mountain... they are all under the direct, absolute control of Lord Demon God Mōryō himself! We cannot command them at all!"
Hearing this definitive, discouraging answer, Tatsuya's expression became exceedingly grim. There would be no easy way through.
No other choice then... just have to try and force our way through as hard as possible! he resolved internally. Tatsuya decided he would have to utilize Inorganic Reanimation to its absolute limit, attempting to force open at least a narrow, temporary passage through the stone horde – just enough to hopefully get the Miko safely onto Demon Sealing Mountain itself, where she could perform the sealing ritual.
"All of you, prepare yourselves for intense combat. I will attempt to open a path using Sage Art first," Tatsuya instructed the Miko and the assembled Kumo and Iwa ninja curtly. He then moved slightly apart, sat down firmly in a cross-legged position on the ground, placed his hands together in a meditative seal, and closed his eyes, beginning the process of sensing and drawing in the natural energy abundant in the surrounding environment. Anticipating the extremely difficult and chakra-draining battle ahead, Tatsuya focused intently, deliberately absorbing as much natural energy as he possibly could beforehand, pushing his limits.
Gradually, Tatsuya's trained consciousness sank deeper and deeper into the focused, meditative state required for gathering nature energy...
SLAM!
Suddenly, without any warning, Tatsuya's entire body jolted violently. An unbelievably tyrannical, incomparably evil psychic will slammed directly and brutally into his unguarded mind. This raw, malevolent consciousness felt like a savage, ancient dragon, rampaging wildly and recklessly through the corridors of Tatsuya's thoughts, directly assaulting his very spirit and sense of self.
This overwhelming pressure... this is the raw will of the demon Mōryō! Tatsuya realized with a start, his mental defenses scrambling to react to the unexpected psychic onslaught.