"The Five Elders actually lost? How is that even possible?"
"That guy's body is a total wreck, and he's still cracking jokes? Is he even human?!"
The murmurs of the Navy soldiers spread across the battlefield. The long-bearded Elder's face turned increasingly grim. Even he hadn't expected this eerily sinister man to actually take down one of the Five Elders. Had they known how dangerous he was, they wouldn't have underestimated him. But it was too late for regrets now.
As they stared at the pile of shredded flesh that had once been the blade-wielding Elder, everyone felt a chill of dread. Sure, the Elders wouldn't truly die, but everyone knew that it wasn't death itself that was terrifying. It was the process of dying, the anticipation of it, and the pain that came with it that was the real nightmare.
"How's that guy doing?" the bald Elder asked, his expression dark. Rage bubbled in his chest, but he couldn't help feeling relieved that it hadn't been him who had rushed in first. Had it been, he might have ended up the same or worse.
"Still bouncing around like nothing happened," the scar-faced Elder muttered bitterly. In truth, it was partially his fault the blade-wielding Elder had died. After all, he was the one who had blasted away half his body.
Sensing the tension in the scar-faced Elder, the others kept their mouths shut. They knew this wasn't the time to stir the pot.
"Let's go take a look," the long-bearded Elder said after a brief silence. They needed to confirm whether this lunatic was truly Lord Liu Yun.
All four Elders still burned with frustration. The battle had been humiliating. Even with superior numbers, it had barely counted as a win. If this guy had fought them one-on-one, it might have been a complete wipe.
In just a few moments, the remaining Four Elders arrived beside Hidan. One look at his mangled body made them all draw sharp breaths.
What kind of monster was this? His injuries were catastrophic, and yet he still acted like he'd stubbed a toe.
"What are you looking at? Jealous of my dashing good looks?" Hidan sneered, only half a body remaining, but his mouth as lively as ever.
"Kid, you're Liu Yun, aren't you?" the long-bearded Elder asked, testing the waters.
"Liu Yun?" Hidan blinked, then burst out laughing. "You old coots lose your minds already? No wait, scratch that, at your age you're probably all suffering from dementia."
The scar-faced Elder's face darkened immediately. In over eight hundred years, no one had ever dared to talk to him like that.
"You think you can capture Lord Liu Yun? Dream on! Just me, Lord Hidan, is enough to turn your so-called sacred land upside down!" Hidan declared arrogantly, before his expression twisted into annoyance. "Hey, Baldy! Mind stepping off my arm? That hurts, you know."
The bald Elder froze. Looking down, his heart clenched. Beneath his foot, a severed arm was twitching and clawing the ground, like it was trying to free itself.
The Elders stared in shock. How could a severed limb still be moving?
The curly-haired Elder followed the others' gazes and looked over the rest of Hidan's dismembered body. He gasped. Every part of it was still twitching, as if they all retained some kind of life.
What the hell was going on? Could this guy truly not be killed?
"You creepy freak. I don't believe chopping off your head won't shut you up!" the scar-faced Elder roared. His right hand became a blade glowing with a pale white light, and with a single slash, he cleaved Hidan's head clean off.
"No!" the long-bearded Elder shouted too late.
Hidan's head rolled across the ground like a bowling ball.
"Why were you so impulsive? We haven't even interrogated him yet!" the long-bearded Elder scolded, frustration written all over his face.
Realizing his mistake, the scar-faced Elder flushed but stubbornly muttered, "Didn't he just say he was Hidan? Clearly not Liu Yun."
The curly-haired Elder stepped forward, sighing. "Sure, he's not Liu Yun, but their clothes are identical. And he clearly knows a lot about Lord Liu Yun. Capturing him could've led to some answers. You just threw that chance away."
The scar-faced Elder's face turned even redder, but he didn't argue.
"Hey! You done arguing yet? You bunch of geezers yap more than I do! If you've got time to bicker, how about helping me get my head out of this damn crack? I can't see a thing in here!"
Everyone froze. The voice was unmistakable it was Hidan.
"What?!" the Elders turned toward the source and saw that Hidan's headless body was still upright, while his head was wedged in a rock crevice nearby, muffled but still talking.
No one looked more shocked than the scar-faced Elder. He had swung the blade himself there was no way he hadn't severed the neck completely.
"Thud!"
The bald, mustached Elder pulled Hidan's head from the crack. Hidan's eyes locked onto the scar-faced Elder and glared with fury.
"You crazy old bastard! What's your problem? Do you know how much of a pain it is to reattach a head? Without Kakuzu here, I don't even know who to ask! Maybe Lord Liu Yun can help..."
The floating head should've been terrifying, but the way his mouth flapped gave it an almost comedic edge.
But the Elders had just gained two key pieces of information.
One: Hidan personally knew Lord Liu Yun, and their relationship seemed fairly close.
Two: This Kakuzu character apparently had the ability to stitch his body back together.
Both revelations were shocking. It proved one thing beyond a doubt Liu Yun wasn't acting alone. He had an organization behind him. A powerful one.
And that made killing Hidan the worst option.
"Bring me tools. Cut his body into pieces and pack them separately. Then send it all to Impel Down," the long-bearded Elder ordered coldly.
"HEY! You jerks! You think I won't curse your bloodlines?! You can't just dismember someone without permission! This is blasphemy! Bastards!" Hidan screamed furiously.
But no one paid him any mind.
They were already preparing to seal away the living corpse of Lord Liu Yun's fanatic follower.
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