"The ability Kroll showed earlier looked like simple sand manipulation," Kaizen said quietly. "But actually... it seems to work more like that candle user's."
"They both incarnate into a specific substance," someone muttered.
"This is a Nen type seen in the Mimbo Republic," another voice added. "They manifest as elements—fire, frost, wax, sand…"
"It's similar to that…" Kaizen thought aloud.
Images flashed through his mind.
In another world—One Piece—there are things called Devil Fruits.
They're categorized into three types: Logia, Zoan, and Paramecia.
Flame, frost, sand… these powers resemble the Logia-type Devil Fruits.
"They can be countered with elemental weaknesses," Kaizen murmured, eyes narrowing.
He had fought someone like that before—back in the secluded hideout of the Kurta clan.
At the time, Kaizen had only reached the B-rank in aura.
His opponent, an A-rank, had transformed into frost—but Kaizen's fire-based ninjutsu still imposed a ten-step movement limit.
"What restrains sand?"
"Water," he answered himself.
And Sumas's space... happened to be full of water.
...
A loud voice cut through the air.
Tessia was being pushed back.
The burly man charged at her with crushing force, eager to press the advantage.
"She's reached her limit," Kaizen observed.
His figure blurred and vanished. In the next instant, he was beside her.
He held a stone in his hand—but it wasn't just a stone.
Kaizen poured aura into it, then flicked his wrist.
The stone shot out like a bullet.
The man's eyes widened. He barely dodged.
"Tessia, leave this one to me."
"Understood," she replied, retreating.
The man faced Kaizen now, eyes narrowing.
"Who the hell are you? Why are you interfering?"
He hadn't sensed Kaizen earlier—Kaizen had masked his presence well.
But the moment he acted, the man knew.
This wasn't someone he could underestimate.
Kaizen wasn't just strong—his aura radiated power beyond Tessia's.
Still, the man didn't flinch. Aura alone doesn't decide a fight.
He had confidence in his strength.
"Didn't you invite us here?"
Kaizen's gaze was sharp.
"Are you saying we weren't among the people you meant to lure in? So if we tried to leave now… you'd just let us go?"
The man faltered.
"You can't leave," he growled.
"Because we've seen too much?" Kaizen asked coldly.
"You lured thousands of people here with talk of the Sand Bandit King's treasure and promises of nuns in distress. But what you really want is to wipe us out."
"That kind of tactic violates the agreement the V5 established. Is this how the Mingbo Republic operates?"
The man's face darkened. "We're not part of Mimbo anymore. We've cut ties. This has nothing to do with them."
Kaizen smiled faintly. "And saying that makes me even more certain this is Mimbo's doing. Kroll's 'betrayal' was just a ruse. You're still carrying out their dirty work."
"You're just speculating."
"Maybe. But every word you say makes that 'speculation' more convincing."
The man stayed silent, but his silence spoke volumes.
He was caught between two bad choices:
Deny involvement—Kaizen's suspicions grow stronger.
Admit it—risk drawing attention that might expose Mimbo's scheme entirely.
And if anyone recorded this…
Mimbo could deny it either way, playing dumb in front of the V5.
But public pressure would become harder to manage.
In either case, Kaizen had cornered him.
...
Tessia regrouped with Nina and Ponzu. Together, they surrounded the fat man.
He was quickly overwhelmed.
The candle user's face turned grim. He started moving toward them, wax forming into dangerous constructs.
Because he was no longer targeting Shizuku directly, her popeyed fish was losing its effect on him.
The candle user advanced, restraining the fat man with heavy wax formations.
Meanwhile, the burly man focused entirely on Kaizen.
...
Suddenly, the sky dimmed.
Kaizen turned to look.
Walls were rising on the southern and northern sides—just like the western one earlier.
Towering barricades of sand and corpses—tens of meters high.
On the eastern side, more sand shifted under Kroll's control.
He was creating a cage.
A giant trap of sand, closing in from all sides.
No gaps. No exits.
A massive lid was being placed over the desert.
Kaizen could see the structure taking shape—it wasn't just a wall, it was a death trap.
The man grew more frantic, attacks growing reckless.
He must've realized Kaizen might notice the trap and escape before it was complete.
So he tried everything to keep him busy.
"If you want someone to blame," he growled, "blame your own luck."
"Of all times to come here… why now?"
"Kroll-sama's plan is almost done."
"No one is getting out alive."
Kaizen didn't clash directly. He dodged and deflected, falling back, feigning pressure.
After a pause, he asked quietly:
"If your plan's nearly finished, then just tell me... What is it that you're really after? You set up all this—why?"
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Fanfic is completed on patreon.com/FanficsHub (1047 chapters in total)