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Hayato Falcon glanced around at the swirling, hazy white mist, his ears filled with the agonized screams of fellow ninjas being ambushed. His heart sank—he knew they’d walked right into the enemy’s trap, and the odds of survival were slim. He quickly prepared for the worst. Right now, his only thought was to get out of here alive—better to live and fight another day than be a hero in a graveyard!
Meanwhile, Shawn Young was stationed at the very heart of the Seven-Star Trap Array. After successfully luring Hayato Falcon and his ninja squad into the formation, Shawn had no intention of letting them leave. Inside the array, he’d positioned the elite fighters of the Dragonsquad Special Ops and top talents from the Three Great Families of Huaxia. Their job was simple: wait at the 'Gate of Slaughter' and strike down any ninja whose spirit was shaken by the array’s power.
The Seven-Star Trap Array was set up based on the unique geography of Mount Raveneye, known as the 'Reverse Dragon Land.' Inspired by the deadly energy of the Seven Stars of the Big Dipper, Mount Raveneye stretches hundreds of miles across southeastern Huaxia, with ridges branching off like comb teeth, all pointing southwest. These long, sharp ridges don’t form valleys or beautiful peaks, nor do they create auspicious spots—they’re a rare feng shui terrain, shaped like blades or scissors, with overlapping elements. It’s a reversal of the five elements, breaking through the Tai Sui star, and brimming with the lethal energy of the Dragon’s Doom Formation—also called the 'Seven-Star Slaughter Formation.' This place is destined to be a site of disaster, but for military purposes, it’s perfect for laying powerful battle arrays. Anyone trapped inside is basically doomed!
Now, the three Jonin commanders under Hayato Falcon each led their own ninja squads, and all of them were caught in the hallucinations triggered by the Seven-Star Trap Array. Their vision was clouded by mist, direction lost, thunder roared all around, and terrifying beasts kept leaping out from the fog. The worst part? You couldn’t tell if these monsters were real or illusions—they’d pop up, howl, and attack, but when the ninjas struck back, their targets would vanish into thin air. Sometimes, when they let their guard down, those illusions hid real enemy experts lying in wait.
Anyone with a weak will was scared out of their wits by those phantom beasts—legs turning to jelly, unable to fight back—and the hidden experts swooped in for the kill! In less than ten minutes, with screams echoing everywhere, over half of the three hundred Iga Shinobi Clan members were wiped out like chickens and ducks at a slaughterhouse, barely able to resist. Only twenty or thirty remained, desperately clinging to survival with the three Jonin leaders.
But Hayato Falcon didn’t budge. He was waiting for his chance. He knew there was no way to break out of this mystical array set by the enemy. His only option was to keep his mind sharp, stay put, and let the chaos play out. If he could spot an opening, he’d make his escape—and one day, he’d be back with a vengeance!
Every so often, a hidden expert tried to ambush Hayato Falcon, but as soon as they got close, a flash of his blade would leave them wounded or worse—dead on the spot. Soon enough, a dozen bodies were piling up around him!
Shawn Young, peeking in on Hayato Falcon’s movements with his 'Clairvoyance Spell,' was shocked to discover that Hayato was even more formidable than he’d imagined. Even without his Muramasa Blade, Hayato could land a hit with every move—like a walking weapon of mass destruction!
"Damn, this guy’s a monster! Still that badass even in this mess?" Shawn Young muttered, frowning. His whole reason for setting up the Seven-Star Trap Array was twofold: wipe out as many of the enemy as possible and trap Hayato Falcon for the kill. After all, this dude was seriously dangerous!
Just then, a gray shadow dropped from the sky. Shawn Young looked up—it was Mai Kanda. He let out a sigh of relief. He knew Mai was a master of mystical formations, and after he’d explained the workings of the Seven-Star Trap Array to her, she could come and go as she pleased.
Mai Kanda pulled down her veil, revealing her pretty face, and walked over to Shawn Young, explaining softly, "Shawn-kun, Hayato Falcon’s talent for ninjutsu is off the charts. Ever since he was a kid, Master Hattori used secret techniques to strengthen his body and put him through years of the strictest ninja training! In the Iga Shinobi Clan, his skills are second only to Master Hattori himself. Even a special ninja like me wouldn’t last thirty rounds against him!"
"Oh, so this guy’s that badass? Got any weaknesses I can exploit?" Shawn Young asked, grinning.
"Uh—Hayato Falcon’s ninjutsu and willpower are ridiculously strong. Honestly, he doesn’t have any major weaknesses. The only way to beat a ninja at his level is to keep chipping away at his forces until he’s mentally exhausted—then you go in for the kill!" Mai Kanda explained.
"Ugh—what a pain! Waiting for Hayato Falcon to let his guard down isn’t exactly easy. Plus, this Seven-Star Trap Array keeps burning through all the lethal energy around us, so it won’t last forever. By sunrise, we have to finish him off. If Hayato’s still alive when the array weakens, he’ll have a much better shot at escaping. If that pain-in-the-ass gets away, our whole plan is toast!" Shawn Young said, frowning.
Mai Kanda thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Shawn-kun, I have a plan. It might just work against Hayato Falcon!"
"Oh? Spill it, Mai!" Shawn Young’s eyes lit up.
"But it’s pretty risky—" Mai Kanda said, blinking her eyes mischievously.
"Heh—The riskier the plan, the better the payoff! No matter what, I’m not letting Hayato Falcon leave this array!" Shawn Young declared, grinning wickedly.
Mai Kanda leaned in close, whispering her plan into Shawn Young’s ear. He nodded along, eyes shining as she finished. Then, unable to contain himself, he wrapped his arm around her slender waist and planted a big kiss on her cheek, exclaiming, "Heh—With my little Mai on the inside, even if Hayato Falcon’s got superpowers, we’ll still take him down! Hahaha—"
"Oh my—Shawn-kun, you look so naughty right now—" Mai Kanda giggled, her cheeks flushed.
"Haha—I like being naughty! Let’s roll with Mai’s plan. First, I’ll mess with Hayato Falcon, get him warmed up, and then it’s showtime!" Shawn Young said with a wicked grin, while signaling Han Feng and the others lying in wait around Hayato to start their long-distance attacks.
Bang—bang—bang—rat-tat-tat! Han Feng, following Shawn Young’s orders, grabbed his weapon along with several other Dragonsquad Special Ops fighters, aimed at Hayato Falcon in the array, and opened fire without hesitation. Streams of fire snaked toward Hayato’s body.
"Hmph—" Hayato Falcon just snorted, channeling his energy into his katana. Without even looking up, he swung with all his might, and a dazzling blade arc flashed from his waist. The fierce blade energy sliced the air, and after a chorus of metallic clangs, the bullets flying at him were split clean in half, dropping as shattered bits of metal all around him!