Chapter 221: Power of God
Ren's appearance began to change, the air around him twisting as the transformation took hold.
His black Shinigami uniform and the pristine white captain's haori dissolved into shadow, replaced by a long, high-collared black cloak adorned with ominous red clouds—the signature attire of the Akatsuki Organization.
His light purple hair darkened until it was as black as a raven's wing, falling in straight bangs that framed his face. His usually blue, squinting eyes snapped open, revealing blood-red irises with three spinning tomoe that quickly morphed into a complex, pinwheel design—the Mangekyo Sharingan. A Hidden Leaf Village forehead protector, marred by a deep horizontal scratch, materialized on his forehead.
Coupled with the subtle sharpening of his facial features and the deep tear troughs running down his cheeks, a person who was half Uchiha Itachi and half Ren quickly appeared in the moonlight.
Uchiha Itachi's memories all surfaced in Ren's mind, rushing in like a tidal wave of melancholic gray. It was similar to what Ren already knew from the anime, but experiencing it firsthand was a different beast entirely.
Unlike Ichimaru Gin's simple, razor-sharp revenge against Aizen for the sake of Matsumoto Rangiku, Uchiha Itachi's situation was a labyrinth of suffering.
Uchiha Itachi was more filled with contradiction and pain than any character Ren had embodied before. He detested war with every fiber of his being and loved peace enough to kill for it, yet he was deeply entrenched in the quagmire of conflict.
The coercion from his clan, the suicide of his best friend Shisui, the cold orders from the higher-ups of Konoha...
He lived in constant torment and pain, walking a path of thorns barefoot. Only the existence of his younger brother, Sasuke, allowed him to find a glimmer of light in this endless, hellish darkness.
If not for Sasuke... The thought echoed in Ren's mind with heartbreaking clarity. If not for his younger brother, he would have wanted to die long ago. But he had to protect his brother, wanting to see him grow strong enough to stand on his own. For this, even if he suffered from a terminal illness that made every breath a struggle, he had to survive. He had to become the villain so his brother could be the hero. He had to help his brother seal Orochimaru and free himself from the curse mark.
Some say Uchiha Itachi was cold and heartless, a monster who killed his own parents. They were unaware that it was a choice made out of no choice—a sacrifice of his own soul to prevent a world war.
He simply couldn't dissuade the stubborn and proud Uchiha Clan from launching a coup. This was his only option.
Ren took a deep breath, feeling the phantom weight of Itachi's illness in his lungs. He opened his eyes, and the world looked different—sharper, slower, painted in shades of chakra flow.
The Mangekyo Sharingan spun.
The ocular technique of his left eye was 'Tsukuyomi,' renowned as the strongest Genjutsu (illusionary technique) attack in existence.
This technique could pull the enemy's spirit into an illusionary space of inverted colors and a blood-red moon. In the Tsukuyomi world, all factors, including time, place, and mass, were completely controlled by the caster. Seventy-two hours in that hell could pass in a fraction of a second in the real world. The enemy would endure immense physical and mental pain in the illusionary world, and the trauma suffered by the opponent's mind was exactly the same as real pain, capable of killing or comatizing the strongest warriors. One would fall victim simply by looking into the user's eyes.
And the ocular technique of his right Mangekyo was 'Amaterasu,' renowned as the strongest physical attack.
It could release a wide range of jet-black flames to burn the opponent. These black flames, hot as the sun, would not disappear until the target was completely incinerated, continuing to burn for seven days and seven nights. However, the cost was high; due to the immense burden this technique placed on the caster's body, their eyes would bleed during use, and their vision would deteriorate.
Both of these powers were strong—world-class abilities. But they weren't what Ren anticipated most from this template.
Ren focused his magic power—now mimicking Chakra—and let out a low roar that vibrated in his chest.
"Susanoo!!"
Boom!
An explosion of fiery orange-red energy erupted from his body. Skeletal ribs materialized from thin air, wrapping around Ren's body like an impregnable fortress.
This was Susanoo's initial form, capable of manifesting arms and a ribcage, usable for various purposes such as attack, defense, protection, and control. It felt solid, warmer than steel, pulsating with a will of its own.
As Ren increased his magic output, the ribcage quickly grew, rising higher into the night sky. The energy solidified, instantly transforming into a giant orange-red half-skeleton that towered over the trees.
This was Susanoo's first form, appearing as a terrifying skeletal giant. Chakra would completely envelop the body, and its defense would further increase to the point where normal magic attacks would bounce off harmlessly. However, gaps remained at the feet, and overly violent attacks could still break through its defense if the user wasn't careful.
"More!" Ren gritted his teeth, pushing the output higher.
Soon, meridians and flesh wove themselves over the bones. Muscles formed, and skin covered the skeleton, making it look somewhat human-shaped, like a demon from Japanese folklore.
This was Susanoo's second form. Attack and defense would be further enhanced, and its flexibility was excellent. For situations that weren't extremely high-intensity, this form was most suitable for combat.
"Complete it!"
Next, heavy Crow Tengu armor appeared, layering over Susanoo's body with a metallic clang that echoed through the mountains. A mask formed over its face, and wings sprouted from its back.
This was Susanoo's third form—the Armored Susanoo. With the armor, Susanoo's defense was greatly boosted again, becoming a walking fortress.
In its left hand, a giant ethereal shield materialized—the Yata Mirror. It was said to possess all nature transformations and could change its own characteristics to nullify any attack.
In its right hand, a gourd appeared. From the gourd, a blade of liquid flame extended—the Sword of Totsuka. It was a sealing sword, capable of trapping anything it pierced in a world of drunken dreams for eternity.
Ren swung the Sword of Totsuka.
Rumble————!!
The blade extended with blinding speed. A distant small mountain was easily cleaved apart as if it were made of tofu. The sheer wind pressure from the swing flattened the surrounding forest.
"So strong!!"
Ren was very pleasantly surprised to see this attack power. While its raw destructive power was quite a bit less than Ulquiorra's Lanza del Relámpago (Thunder Lance), this was just Susanoo's basic attack. Its true value lay in its versatility and the sealing property.
Three giant orange tomoe, spinning like shuriken connected by energy, gathered in the palm of Ren's Susanoo.
"Yasaka Magatama!!"
Susanoo forcefully threw the spinning energy construct. It screamed through the air, tearing up the ground beneath it. It landed on another distant mountain peak.
Boom——————!!
A terrifying explosion erupted. A mushroom cloud of orange fire rose into the sky, and the distant mountain peak shattered in the orange light of the blast, reduced to rubble in an instant. The shockwave reached Ren seconds later, blowing his hair back.
"How amazing!"
Although its power wasn't as absolute as the Thunder Lance, it wasn't far off. And unlike the Lance, he could fire these repeatedly.
Susanoo's true advantage was its offensive and defensive integration. In addition to its terrifying attack power, it also possessed super strong defensive capabilities thanks to the Yata Mirror. It was the ultimate tank.
It seemed he had underestimated Uchiha Itachi a bit.
Before activating Susanoo, Uchiha Itachi's strength was arguably between Low-tier Gold Legendary and Intermediate Gold Legendary, leaning more towards Low-tier Gold Legendary in terms of raw stats due to his illness and stamina issues.
However, once Susanoo was activated, utilizing the Spirit Weapons, Uchiha Itachi's strength could firmly reach Advanced Gold Legendary. It was a massive power multiplier.
"What a huge gain!"
It truly deserved to be called the 'Power of God'.
Ren deactivated Susanoo. The giant avatar dissipated into motes of orange light. He then switched templates, receiving the Fourth Hokage (Namikaze Minato), and used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport instantly, flashing away in a yellow streak to return home.
Back in his room, Ren collapsed onto his bed.
"Whew————!"
He gasped for air, his body heavy as lead. Although he had only been out for a while, Ren felt that half of his magic power had been consumed in that short display. The strain on his eyes and body was palpable. Sure enough, the more powerful the Move, the greater the magic consumption. Susanoo was a mana hog.
He couldn't handle it, truly couldn't handle it a bit. His muscles ached.
However, the more he couldn't handle it, the more excited Ren felt. The difficulty meant the ceiling was high. The more powerful characters he received, the more trump cards he would have to protect his new life and his guild.
Due to the excessive consumption, Ren didn't even bother changing clothes. He lay on the bed and quickly fell asleep, a satisfied smile on his face.
The next day, nearing noon.
The sun was high in the sky when Ren finally woke up. He hummed a cheerful tune, grabbed a quick breakfast, and arrived at the guild in a cheerful mood.
"Did you hear that noise last night?"
"Yeah, sounded like a dragon woke up or something."
"The western mountains are a mess. Half a peak is missing!"
Many people in the guild were discussing animatedly. Last night, they had heard a considerable commotion, seemingly coming from the western mountains, followed by tremors that shook their ale mugs.
Ren felt a bit guilty hearing this, whistling nonchalantly as he walked past them. If he wasn't mistaken, that commotion was caused by him using Yasaka Magatama to blow something up. Oops.
"Brat, why are you only just arriving? Didn't I tell you to come to the guild early today?"
Makarov Dreyar, sitting on the bar counter, shouted at Ren, looking annoyed. His face was red, likely from waiting.
"Uh... I forgot!"
Ren slapped his head comically. He remembered now—the old man had told him to come early today for something important. But he had overslept due to excessive magic consumption and the mental fatigue of the Itachi synchronization. Plus, he was in a great mood after drawing two Gold Legendaries, so the meeting had completely slipped his mind.
"Hurry up and come over! We're about to start the meeting! We're just waiting for you!" Makarov hopped down.
"Coming!"
Ren followed Makarov up the stairs to the meeting room on the second floor—a place reserved for the elite.
At this time, several people were already seated in the meeting room, the atmosphere heavy with silent power. It was precisely all the S-Class Mages of the Fairy Tail Guild present in Magnolia.
"You Brat, you're even later than me."
Gildarts Clive, leaning back in his chair with his feet on the table, teased Ren when he arrived. He was notorious for being never punctual, disappearing for years at a time, and now there was someone even less punctual than him for a scheduled meeting.
Ren scratched his cheek and said apologetically, "Sorry! I accidentally overslept. Busy night."
Then he went to an empty seat and sat down. This seat was to Makarov's right. The seating arrangement was intimidating: opposite him was Gildarts, the Ace. Next to him was Mirajane Strauss, the "She-Devil" now acting as the receptionist but still an S-Class Mage. Opposite Mira was Erza Scarlet, the "Titania," sitting with her usual perfect posture.
Makarov sat at the head of the main table, clearing his throat to signal the start.
"Alright, everyone's here. Let's talk about this meeting. The theme of this meeting is the annual 'S-Class Mage Promotion Exam'."
"S-Class Promotion Exam?! Is it that time again?!"
Ren blinked. He hadn't expected this meeting. A year ago, he participated in the S-Class Mage Exam on Tenrou Island and successfully passed, becoming an S-Class Mage of the Fairy Tail Guild. It felt like just yesterday. He hadn't realized a year had passed so quickly amidst all the chaos and training.
Makarov nodded solemnly, looking at his elite members.
"Tell me your recommended candidates."
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