The pressure emanating from Zhong Yan was so intense, the two Twelve Shields felt as though they were suffocating.
Even though his arm was wounded and his combat ability slightly diminished, they still couldn't see the slightest opening for victory.
Within the Exaltists, retreating from battle was strictly forbidden—a form of betrayal that warranted the harshest punishment, with no hope of return.
There was, however, one exception—personally decreed by their God:
If the opponent was Uchiha, then retreat was permitted.
That alone spoke volumes about how dangerous Zhong Yan was in the eyes of the Exaltists. Perhaps it was for this very reason that he had become the most coveted test subject of their leader.
"Looks like we have no choice but to abandon our plans in the Outer Ring."
"In that case, once our God completes His research and wipes out New Eridu, that will become our only viable path forward."
Facing an opponent far stronger than themselves, the two Shields decided to obey their leader's directive and flee.
The drug that would allow Ethereals to exist outside the Hollow had entered its final research phase. At most, ten more years and mass production would begin.
When that day came, they would lead an Ethereal army to overrun New Eridu, utterly destroying it and building a new era of coexistence between humans and Ethereals.
As that vision flashed through their minds, the two exchanged a look. But just as they made their decision to leave, spikes suddenly erupted from the ground, locking them in place.
Focused solely on Zhong Yan, they hadn't noticed anything else. By the time they realized what had happened, it was too late.
The spikes holding them in place were Ether crystals.
That made no sense. Ether crystals could only be brought outside the Hollow by the Exaltists. And even then, doing so served little purpose.
Unless... the person who used them was one of the Exaltists themselves.
Then it hit them.
"That traitor..."
"Airi!"
As the words left their mouths, Airi revealed herself from where she'd been hiding in the shadows.
Zhong Yan was no fool. He hadn't formed the Akatsuki simply for appearance's sake—it was to ease his burden. With time to set up an ambush, why wouldn't he delegate?
"Two Twelve Shields caught in one strike... this really is a haul. As expected of Boss!" Airi beamed with delight after successfully capturing the two.
She knew full well how important the Twelve Shields were to the Exaltists. These pillar-like figures—losing even one would cause their leader serious distress.
And Zhong Yan had already slain one Shield before. At this rate, he might wipe out the entire Twelve.
That was just fine with Airi. Having resisted Exaltist brainwashing, she hated those monsters more than anyone.
If not for their potential use, she would've already taken them out herself.
"Lock them up for now. I'll interrogate them later." Zhong Yan's voice was cold. Once, he might have killed them on the spot, but circumstances no longer allowed that.
He now knew of the Exaltists' plan: their leader was developing a drug that could allow Ethereals to survive outside the Hollow. If it succeeded, New Eridu would face catastrophic consequences.
Elaine and the others still lived there. Even if only for their sake, Zhong Yan had to stop it.
His next move was clear—locate the Exaltists' headquarters. The Twelve Shields, as core members, were bound to know its exact location.
All he needed was to pry the answer out—and then descend upon them without mercy.
Creatures like them, neither human nor Ethereal, had no right to breathe the same air. They served no purpose but to waste space.
"Boss, let me take care of them! I'll have them spilling everything in no time." Airi's eyes sparkled at the thought. She'd been itching to do this for ages, and finally had the chance.
Zhong Yan didn't immediately respond—not because he doubted Airi, but because his senses had picked up new enemies approaching the area.
"The interrogation will have to wait. First... we've got some rats to deal with." As he spoke, a deep blue skeletal frame enveloped his body.
Susanoo evolved into its armored form, and as it solidified, Yasaka Magatama were launched, smashing violently into a distant cliffside.
With a thunderous explosion, four figures emerged from the smoke.
Their appearances varied—two men, two women—but all shared one trait: the Exaltists' multicolored eyes.
Zhong Yan wasn't unfamiliar with them. But someone else here was even more intimately connected.
Chi's companions.
Chi, hiding in a corner, watched the scene unfold.
"So... the experiments really worked that quickly..." Seeing the four, now fully brainwashed, Zhong Yan's brow furrowed slightly.
He had heard from Zhao Anmen that the Exaltists' success rate with human modification was low. But all four of these had survived. If that wasn't luck, it meant the Exaltists had achieved near-perfect conversion rates.
And that was a very bad sign.
The higher the success rate, the faster they could expand. At this pace, they might assemble a full army—no Ethereal backup required.
Even without their secret weapons, New Eridu would fall under sheer force alone.
But for now, Zhong Yan had a more pressing issue—how to deal with the four standing in front of him.
They were Chi's closest friends. The five of them had come to this continent together. And now... they stood as enemies.
Considering Chi's feelings, Zhong Yan knew he couldn't strike them down himself.
That choice... belonged to Chi.