In that brief instant, they did not even understand what had happened. The vampire ninja elder who had been fine just moments ago had already become a limp, broken corpse.
The regenerative ability of vampire ninjas far surpassed that of ordinary humans, but it still had limits. At best, it was comparable to the Sage Body in Naruto. Once the head was gone, regeneration was impossible.
"So weak, so weak. I really don't know where you found the courage to set your sights on her..."
Raize stepped toward the reformist vampire ninja elder, his oppressive gaze locking onto the man. The contempt in his tone and eyes was completely undisguised.
With the conservative elder suddenly dead, the reformist elder also sensed the imminence of death. His face stiffened as he took a step back, then roared in shame and rage.
"All of you, attack! Stop this madman who assaulted our village!"
Although it was obvious he intended to use others as shields, vampire ninjas were a group that valued rules above their own lives, and many of them were inflexible to the extreme.
Even under the crushing pressure of the enemy, they had no choice but to charge forward. They could already sense that death was near, but such was the fate of most ninjas.
Clang!
The resonance of cold weapons rang out. Katanas, kunai, shuriken, and other weapons were drawn. The vampire ninjas gathered ahead flashed into motion, leaving afterimages as they attacked Raize from all directions in a coordinated encirclement. Even beneath the ground, several presences Raize sensed believed they were approaching undetected.
The enemy closed in rapidly. Since Raize had come here to slaughter, there was no mercy to be had.
"You said you would stop me..."
A disdainful murmur escaped Raize's lips, as if something ferocious were brewing within him. Those words were heard clearly by everyone present.
[Eightfold Thunder Annihilation: Black Thunder Net]
Who—!
The final word burst out in a low roar, seamlessly following the unfinished sentence.
Raize let out a cold, feral smile. With a thunderous bellow, the lightning force within his body surged. Black-and-red lightning, entirely different from the previous blue-white thunder, erupted around him, spreading out like a massive net. Violent, domineering lightning lashed out indiscriminately in all directions.
This was berserk thunder infused with killing intent, a current meant to annihilate all life.
Crackle... hiss!
Lightning screeched as it struck instantly. No one could move faster than lightning. Those caught were hit head-on, releasing shrill screams as their limbs convulsed and foam poured from their mouths. Their bodies were torn apart by the terrifying force and reduced to charred ash.
Boom!
The overwhelming lightning shockwave rippled outward. Within a hundred meters, the ground was scorched into blackened earth, cracking and collapsing as dust erupted everywhere.
The figures hiding beneath the soil were also shredded into fragments.
The remaining vampire ninjas gasped in shock.
The gap was far too great.
The hatred and fury that had clouded their minds were now gradually replaced by fear.
"Today is a fine day for the extinction of your vampire ninja clan."
Facing the few remaining vampire ninjas, Raize revealed a savage smile amid their terrified expressions.
His figure blurred as he entered an invisible acceleration state, and the act of extermination began.
---
Elsewhere, after the vampire ninja village came under attack, all ninjas who had been dispatched on missions received the emergency message at the same time.
Sarasvati led her subordinate Seraphim and other ninja forces, transforming into rapid black shadows as they leapt across the treetops of the deep mountain forest.
Along the way, they encountered reformist members also rushing back, clearly having received the same urgent notice.
Their crimson eyes met briefly before both sides continued on their way. This emergency recall was extremely serious.
Every ninja wore a grim expression. Even in broad daylight, they could already see thick black smoke rising from their village in the distance.
Vampire ninjas had an acute sensitivity to the scent of blood, much like sharks in the ocean. From the smoke, they could smell an overwhelming stench of blood.
And it was the blood of their own kind.
"How could the village suddenly be attacked? We haven't had conflicts with other forces in recent years."
The blonde, blue-eyed girl Yoshida Yuki, cloaked in black, stared anxiously at the dark smoke rising in the distance.
"Maelstrom, even though we belong to different factions within the village, as a fellow clansman I advise you to prepare for the worst. The smell of blood is far too strong."
Tall and beautiful, with her hair tied in a ponytail and red light flickering in her eyes, Seraphim kept pace beside her. A grim look crossed her delicate face.
That name was Yuki's real name.
Yuki said nothing, staring ahead. Her heart had already sunk to the bottom, yet she continued to pray that the situation was not too dire.
Moving at full speed, the vampire ninjas quickly reached their village. When they saw what remained, their blood-red eyes flared once more.
There was no village left. Only ruins filled with smoke.
The ground was caved in like it had been struck by a meteor, leaving behind an enormous crater.
Across the rubble lay vast stretches of bloodstains, with countless bodies of their own people scattered throughout.
There were ninjas, elderly, women, children, and even the relatives of those who had rushed back. Without exception, all were vampire ninjas.
"S-Su... Suko... is that you?"
Amid the burning ruins, a man missing both arms and covered in blood staggered forward. Flames still clung to his back as if he could no longer feel pain. One of his eyes was already a bloody mess.
Seeing the vampire ninja squad outside the village, the man's remaining, blurred eye focused on a young, petite red-eyed girl among them.
"D-Dad?!"
The girl froze as she looked at the wretched figure emerging from the flames. Though his body was unrecognizable, she knew at a glance that it was her father.
Seeing her father in such a state, the distraught girl immediately tried to rush toward him, but—
Slash!