Sweet enough to kill

He raised his hand, extended a finger, and lightly touched her abdomen.

In an instant, Takako Uro's expression froze. Then a surge of excruciating pain struck, and her entire body became a streak, crashing straight into the earth like a falling meteor!

Gravely wounded, Takako Uro crawled out of the ruins of a tall building. She tried to stand, but staggered and fell back to the ground.

She spat out a mouthful of blood, her face pale as she watched Yue Liusi approach step by step.

How terrifying.

The gap was far greater than she'd imagined!

"Do you want to die or live?"

Yue Liusi stopped in front of Takako Uro. All she could see were the tops of his shoes.

Takako Uro gritted her teeth, her hand tightly gripping the rubble on the ground.

"Live..."

Her voice trembled, carrying a trace of resentment.

What rotten luck. Why was he here, and why had he come for her first?

"A wise choice."

Yue Liusi smiled faintly, crouched down, and placed his hand on her head.

Then he activated the Mystical Palm Technique, rapidly healing Takako Uro's injuries. Another stream of energy followed-positive energy, the opposite of cursed energy.

The combination of these two powers, together with the unique properties of Nine-Tails chakra, restored Uro Takako to her original condition almost instantly.

Yue Liusi withdrew his hand.

He had already been able to apply Reverse Cursed Technique externally before this, though he was still somewhat awkward with it and lacked proficiency.

Takako Uro was still adjusting. After staggering to her feet, she looked up at Yue Liusi and was about to say something when he tossed her a set of clothes.

"Get dressed first."

That blow had directly interrupted Uro Takako's cursed technique.

It had recovered quickly, though. As for the clothes...

They were because Yue Liusi wasn't quite used to it.

Takako Uro frowned.

Wait, where did you get women's clothes?

Forget it, that's not the point...

She obediently put the clothes on. Although she wasn't quite used to them, her life mattered more.

"Why did you come for me first?"

By any normal reasoning, if he wanted strength, he should have sought out Ryu Ishigori; if he wanted points, Dhruv Lakdawalla; and if it was a matter of opposing sides, Kurourushi.

Even if he wanted to punish evil and uphold good, shouldn't he have gone after Dhruv Lakdawalla first?

No matter how she looked at it, she shouldn't have been first!

"I happened to run into you."

Yue Liusi smiled. His words darkened Takako Uro's expression, but she could only chalk it up to bad luck.

"Besides, you're easier to bring into the fold."

Hearing this, Takako Uro's expression darkened further.

Never mind who's stronger or weaker.

Couldn't you fucking tell me outright that you wanted me to submit?

Do I look like some idiot with an unbreakable backbone?

Did you have to beat me half to death before you were willing to talk?

"Smile. You should feel lucky to serve me."

Yue Liusi offered a few quiet words of comfort. He simply felt that, in the end, this wasn't like Impure World Reincarnation, which allowed him to forcibly control someone. Personal experience was far better than intimidation.

Only someone who had personally experienced the sensation of near death would truly obey.

Besides, Takako Uro had just secured an official position. Her prospects were quite bright.

Takako Uro offered no comment. Although she also felt this was a good thing, she clearly still couldn't let go of their earlier battle.

Although this fellow looked like a harmless youngster, she knew very well that if she had actually dared to answer "no" earlier, she would have died.

"Lead the way."

Uro Takako nodded and used her cursed technique to take Yue Liusi swiftly toward the other three.

Granted, with an exceptionally powerful outsider arriving, they ought to have joined forces against him.

But sorry, I've switched sides now!

Old rivals? Nothing to do with me!

Lord Yue, this way, please!

Soon, Uro Takako brought Yue Liusi outside a gymnasium.

"Dhruv Lakdawalla should be inside right now. I used my cursed technique to get here without alerting the cursed spirits on the perimeter, so he probably hasn't noticed..."

Before Uro Takako could finish, Yue Liusi had already raised his hand.

A terrifying aura gathered in his palm. The dense energy began to distort the surrounding air. Uro Takako's pupils contracted, and she swiftly pulled away.

Wait, aren't you going to talk before fighting?

You're whipping up a nuke without a word!

"Lava Release: Big Ball Lava Release Rasenshuriken!"

In Yue Liusi's hand, the ninjutsu Naruto had once used to slice through the God Tree had already taken shape. With a light flick of his arm, he hurled it straight out.

Without looking to see the result, he left with Uro Takako.

As the two moved farther and farther away, a muffled explosion rang out. Uro Takako couldn't resist glancing back. The towering lava sent a chill down her spine.

"My lord, don't you want to bring him into the fold?"

Uro Takako couldn't help being curious.

Yue Liusi glanced at her and spoke as though it were obvious.

"Do you think I'll take just anyone?"

Besides, he still had a mission quota to meet. If he really came up short when the time came, he might even have to use Uro Takako to make up the numbers.

He had the Impure World Reincarnation Jutsu, after all.

He wouldn't take just anyone?

Then had he sought her out first because he thought she was worth it?

Something stirred in Uro Takako's heart, and she gave Yue Liusi a doubtful look. If that was the case, it wasn't entirely unacceptable...

In truth, Yue Liusi really had simply happened to run into her first.

Elsewhere, Ryu Ishigori hadn't fled. He merely waited quietly for that powerful figure to arrive.

He was now exceedingly solemn and reverent.

Granted, he knew the approaching person was extremely powerful, and he most likely couldn't match him.

But that was how the weak thought!

If he was afraid to taste a dessert because it was so deliciously sweet it might kill him, how was that any different from being dead?

A short while later, Yue Liusi arrived before Ryu Ishigori.

There was some distance between them. Ryu Ishigori sat cross-legged atop a building, looking up at Yue Liusi in midair.

"Do you think I'm stupid?"

He couldn't help asking curiously.

"Challenging a god is inherently foolhardy."

Yue Liusi spoke indifferently, his eyes lowered.

"But... your courage is commendable."

He raised his hand. In an instant, countless cold gleams appeared in the air. Ryu Ishigori instinctively raised a hand and narrowed his eyes before he could make them out.

They were flying swords filling the sky.

"Construction Technique?!"

Ryu Ishigori realized it at once, but Uro Takako, who had come with Yue Liusi, also widened her eyes.

This guy's cursed technique was Construction Technique?

That couldn't be right!

The flying swords hurtled toward him in an instant, so densely packed they blotted out the sky and sun. The sounds of impacts rang out without end.

Ryu Ishigori had no choice but to dodge first. Before long, the ground was a complete wreck. This ground-plowing bombardment left almost nothing intact.

When the dust cleared, Ryu Ishigori was already wounded. Even with his astonishing defenses, he couldn't withstand those casual attacks.

He looked at Yue Liusi.

This guy was simply using him for practice.

This opponent really was sweet enough to kill him.

At that moment, however, Yue Liusi's attention wasn't on Ryu Ishigori. Instead, he looked off to another side, not far away.

At Kurourushi, who had been forced to reveal himself under the dense bombardment.