Chapter 229
The Wind Swordsman struck swiftly, but his sword failed to pierce the masked man's vitals. Though the blade connected, it wasn't a killing blow.
He felt a faint tremor through the hilt and pulled the blade back—but there was no blood.
"That strike definitely landed. The bastard didn't have time to use any ability... so why isn't there any blood?"
A low groan escaped the masked man's lips as he reached behind him to grasp the strange weapon on his back.
"It's useless... My heart is already hollow..."
The Wind Swordsman didn't wait. He summoned a solid barrier of wind around himself. The shield was tight and compact, enhancing its defense. Yet even with that protection, he was flung backward by the masked man's sudden lunge.
It was as if the masked man had torn through space itself. His eerie weapon pierced the wind barrier with ease and struck the swordsman directly—rendering the defense completely ineffective.
Meanwhile, the Jinchūriki that had been previously restrained broke free and gathered behind the masked man. Their transformations into Tailed Beasts were deepening. But Uzumaki Zixu noticed something strange—the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki's beast cloak was far weaker than the others.
"Too weak... Even overwhelming power can bring a false sense of peace."
There was no point in prolonging the fight. Those hiding in the shadows understood that too, and they released their Impure World Reincarnated shinobi to charge the battlefield.
The masked man also launched himself toward Zixu. When he was within fifty meters, a monstrous entity rose behind him.