National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

At the same time, they prepared for the impending battle,

even though their opponents were mysterious, terrifying, and utterly unpredictable.

Within the pit, as deep as an endless abyss,

darkness churned like thick ink. The deathly silence was like an invisible giant hand,

clutching at everyone’s throat.

The Ninjas were like phantoms from the Nine Netherworld Hell, their movements light and erratic.

They zipped back and forth across the void,

each leap seeming to melt into the shadows.

Their forms became as illusory and indistinct as pools of ink, their trails impossible to follow,

as if they had struck some arcane pact and become one with the darkness itself.

In an instant, as these inky figures flickered and leaped,

gleams of cold light shot out like falling stars.

They were Darts, laced with potent poison and thrown by the Ninjas.

Carrying the stench of death, they flew like a dense squall,

blanketing the air and unerringly sinking into the bodies of their two former comrades.

Attached to these Darts were Talismans that emitted a mysterious, faint glow.

Next, the Ninjas’ hands danced like nimble snakes,

forming a series of complex and arcane Hand Seals.

As the Hand Seals were completed, a powerful and unique wave of energy emanated from their hands,

spreading out like ripples to awaken some dormant, mystical power.

In that moment, the Darts embedded in the monsters’ bodies exploded violently.

BOOM! A tremendous roar erupted.

The deafening blast reverberated throughout the pit.

A massive ball of fire burst forth like an enraged beast,

the scorching flames mercilessly engulfing the figures of the two skinless monsters.

It lit up the entire pit, yet the light brought no warmth—only endless terror and despair.

Just moments ago,

these two skinless monsters had been comrades, fighting alongside the soldiers of the White-Red Empire.

But at this critical juncture between life and death, no one had time for sentiment or hesitation.

Meanwhile, the Samurai stood like towering, majestic mountains,

unmoving and resolute amidst the raging fire and violent winds.

They held their incredibly sharp Samurai Swords high,

the blades glinting with a bone-chilling light in the fire’s reflection, like the cold sneer on the Death God’s lips.

As the surging flames and furious winds rushed toward them,

they were blocked by an invisible but rock-solid barrier of Sword Qi.

It was like striking a barrier forged from the very powers of heaven and earth; the onslaught could not advance a single inch,

much less harm them in the slightest. This powerful Sword Qi not only protected the Samurai themselves,

but also acted as an invisible yet solid shield,

protecting the terrified people standing at the pit’s edge,

sparing them from the merciless assault of the raging fire and wind.

The entire pit shook violently from the powerful impact of the explosion,

like a battered boat struggling in stormy seas, in constant danger of being engulfed.

As the winds subsided and the flames from the explosion died down,

everyone could finally see the tragic scene within the pit through the billowing smoke and dust.

The two skinless monsters had clearly taken a heavy blow.

Their bodies were scorched and riddled with holes, burned beyond recognition.

From their wounds, a mixture of black ash and crimson slime dripped continuously, like beads from a broken string.

The scene was like a horrifying tableau straight from the depths of Hell,

exuding a suffocating stench of rot and blood.

They looked like evil dolls meticulously carved from blood-red wax.

As the last of the fire died out,

their already fragile flesh could no longer withstand the brutal heat,

and began to show signs of melting.

Droplets of an acrid-smelling fluid trickled slowly down their bodies,

like tears of agony, speaking of their endless torment.

"Impressive defenses."

A flicker of surprise and admiration, almost imperceptible, crossed one Ninja’s eyes as he muttered to himself.

Then, without hesitation, he pulled another handful of Darts from his robes.

These Darts were identical to the last set;

they were still affixed with the same mysterious Talismans capable of causing deadly explosions.

He tensed his wrist, about to fling the Darts with vicious force,

to deliver the final, fatal blow to the two monsters,

when he suddenly felt his strength drain away, siphoned off by some mysterious power.

Without warning, his entire body stiffened. He was completely unable to move,

as if caught in an Immobilization Spell. His eyes filled with terror and confusion.

Finally, the Ninja’s eyes—as sharp and alert as a scorpion’s—widened

as he looked down at the ground. What he saw

filled his heart with an indescribable terror.

At some point, the blood-red soil had silently crept up to his feet,

completely engulfing them.

It continued to creep upward at a slow but horrifying pace,

like a man-eating Demon lurking in the depths of the darkness.