Shawn Young never expected Hayato Falcon to be so tough—after all that, the guy was still breathing. Shawn strode over, ready to kick him aside, but Hayato suddenly struggled to his feet. Clutching his throat, he abruptly spread his hands wide, blood spurting from the wound. But Hayato ignored it, his eyes bulging as he summoned the last of his strength, pressed his palms together, and interlocked his thumbs to form a bizarre ninja hand seal.
"Huh—still trying to fight back!?" Shawn Young was stunned for a moment, not sure what Hayato Falcon was up to.
"Ah—that's the Oblivion Soul Seal from the Iga Ninja Arts! Watch out, move—he's about to channel all the true energy from his Core Field and blow up his Primordial Spirit!" Mai Kanda saw it clearly and shouted at Shawn Young, then dove toward him.
"Self-detonate his Primordial Spirit!? Damn—that's hardcore—" Shawn Young knew just how dangerous that was. He quickly grabbed Mai Kanda's slender hand and rolled them both to the ground.
Boom—a thunderous explosion erupted, sending a spray of blood and flesh everywhere, packed with terrifying force. Hayato Falcon blew himself to bits in an instant, and Shawn Young and Mai Kanda were hurled more than ten meters by the shockwave.
"Aah—" Mai Kanda took the brunt of the blast, her insides rattled by the shockwave. Blood gushed from her mouth, staining Shawn Young's shirt. Her body went limp, collapsing into his arms, face pale as a ghost.
"Mai—Mai, are you okay?!" Shawn Young clutched Mai Kanda tightly, calling out in panic. Just then, a bloody rain started to fall from the sky, the aftermath of Hayato Falcon's Primordial Self-Destruction.
"I—I can handle it... Hayato Falcon went all out, blowing up his body and Primordial Spirit. But the last ninja technique he used can send his soul essence—and the info he left behind—to someone else! If that person intercepts his soul, they'll get his final message! Hurry—stop his Soul Return Transmission! Quick—" Mai Kanda lay weak in Shawn Young's arms, but her voice was still desperate.
"Soul Return Transmission!? Crap—" Shawn Young knew this was a powerful spell: the caster risks total annihilation, never to reincarnate, pouring everything they know into their soul essence and sending it to a chosen target. Once received, the soul is gone forever!
Just as Shawn Young was about to cast a Taoist barrier in the sky to intercept, a streak of black light shot up from the bloody rain, rocketing into the night and vanishing in an instant.
"Oh no—we're too late..." Mai Kanda stared helplessly at the sky, mumbling to herself.
"Well, there's nothing we can do. The Soul Return Transmission happens in a flash—I couldn't intercept it!" Shawn Young said.
"Ugh—we still failed in the end. If whoever gets Hayato Falcon's soul receives his message, my identity will be exposed. I'll be a marked target for the entire Iga Ninja Clan! They'll hunt me down without end!" Mai Kanda said, face white as a sheet.
"Don't worry, Mai. You're my woman, and my people won't stand by and do nothing! If the Iga Ninja Clan dares to come after you, I'll wipe them out myself!" Shawn Young said fiercely.
"Um... Shawn-kun, the Iga Ninja Clan is way stronger than you think. Hardly anyone escapes their hit list. But as long as I stay in China, it's safer! I may never go back to Japan... never see the cherry blossoms at Fuji Mountain again..." Mai Kanda said sadly.
"Don't worry too much, Mai. As long as the person who got Hayato Falcon's soul is still in China, we still have a shot at finding them!" Shawn Young tried to comfort her, though he knew the odds were slim.
"Maybe... it's a long shot, but it's something. Now all we can do is hunt down the Iga Ninja Clan and any other enemies left in China!" Mai Kanda said, her voice determined.
"Right! Let's finish off every enemy left in China first!" Shawn Young nodded, then activated the Seven-Star Slayer Formation.
Thick fog rolled in again, illusions flickering within the formation. The trapped ninjas finally snapped, falling into hallucinations and turning on each other. In no time, all but three barely-breathing ninja leaders were wiped out—three hundred bodies left behind! The three wounded leaders were powerless, easily captured alive by the Dragonforce Battalion.
Meanwhile, in a hotel apartment in Nanning City, a middle-aged man dressed in black sat quietly on the bed, eyes closed in meditation. Suddenly, he sensed something strange in the air. He snapped his eyes open, channeled his true energy, and formed a bizarre hand seal in front of his chest, staring in shock at the empty air.
Boom—a strange sound rang out as a ball of black light flashed in the air. A faint glow slowly appeared, drifting down. The man was startled, quickly spreading his hands to catch the black light, instantly sensing a familiar aura.
"Ah—Hayato Falcon!! I must report this to Master Hattori! He'll avenge you!" The man quickly absorbed the message hidden in the black light, shock and grief mixing as he swore a fierce oath.
Boom—with his oath, the black light exploded in his palm, turning to smoke and vanishing. From that moment on, Hayato Falcon, the Iga Hawk, ceased to exist in this world.