Merge!

For a brief moment, he merged with Velkar, the Harbinger of Despair. The world around him shifted, and he felt a part of his Uchiha bloodline slipping away as the specter's essence intertwined with his own. In exchange, Horyu became nearly invulnerable, his form phasing in and out of existence like a ghost, and he could now wield Velkar's abilities.

The battlefield grew eerily quiet as Horyu's presence blended with Velkar's aura. He could feel the despair that Velkar once commanded, but instead of letting it consume him, he directed it outward. The specters that had been advancing on him hesitated, their movements faltering as they were caught in the wake of their own emotions being used against them.

Kalthor, sensing the shift in power, lunged at Horyu again, determined to finish him off. But Horyu was ready. He tapped into Velkar's ability, unleashing a concentrated wave of despair that struck Kalthor mid-charge. The Phantom Executioner faltered, its massive scythe dropping slightly as it struggled to maintain its resolve. This was the opening Horyu needed.

With Kalthor momentarily stunned, Horyu phased behind the specter using the enhanced speed granted by the Kurohana Owl Tribe Sage Mode. He unleashed a flurry of slashes with his Uchiha Ancestral Blade, each strike infused with the power of Reality Warp Strike, bending space to ensure the blade found its mark. The slashes cut deep into Kalthor's spectral form, the wounds hissing as black blood spilled onto the ground.

Velkar, now fully under Horyu's control, amplified the despair that hung in the air, making it almost tangible. The remaining specters on the battlefield recoiled, their once coordinated assault turning chaotic as they struggled to resist the overwhelming force of their own emotions.

But Horyu knew the Spectral Assimilation wouldn't last forever. He could feel the strain on his body as Velkar's power began to wane. He needed to finish this quickly. Focusing his energy, Horyu combined the power of the Demon of Flames and the God of Fire, igniting his blade with a mix of Abyssal and Hellfire. The blade burned with an intense heat, the flames consuming everything in their path.

Kalthor, sensing the danger, tried to retreat, but Horyu was relentless. He charged forward, using the Spectral Rend technique to distort reality around them, confusing the specter and leaving it vulnerable. With one final, devastating strike, Horyu slashed through Kalthor's neck, the blade cleaving through the specter's form with brutal precision.

Kalthor's head separated from its body, and for a moment, the specter's form flickered before disintegrating into nothingness. The once formidable Phantom Executioner was no more.

But there was no time to rest. The moment Kalthor fell, Velkar's essence began to resist the fusion, forcing Horyu to relinquish the Spectral Assimilation. As he separated from Velkar, the Harbinger of Despair lashed out in desperation, attempting to reclaim its power. But Horyu was faster. He unleashed the Abyssal Flame Chains, binding Velkar in place before it could regain control. The blackened chains wrapped tightly around the specter, burning through its essence as they drained its power.

Velkar let out a piercing wail, its form convulsing as the chains tightened. Horyu's eyes gleamed with the power of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan as he prepared to deliver the final blow. He raised his blade, now burning with the combined might of the God of Fire and Demon of Flames, and slashed down with all his strength.

The blade cut through Velkar's form with ease, the white-hot flames consuming the specter's essence. Velkar's wail reached a fever pitch before abruptly cutting off as its form disintegrated into a cloud of dark mist, dissipating into the air.

Horyu landed back on the scorched ground, his breath coming in heavy bursts as he surveyed the battlefield. Dark mist lingered where the specters had fallen, but the fight was far from over. Tens of enemies still circled him, their eyes glowing with malice, and the Realm Masters stood in the distance, watching him like predators observing prey. Their cold, calculating gazes made it clear—they weren't ready to intervene just yet. This was a game to them, and Horyu was the main attraction.

The momentary silence on the battlefield was shattered as the specters charged again. Horyu had no time to contemplate. His Sharingan spun as he used the system's Observe to gather whatever information he could.

[System Message: Specter Name: Xalar, the Void Reaper]

Horyu didn't need to know the specifics; the name alone hinted at its deadly capabilities. Xalar's aura twisted reality around it, the air warping as it lunged at him with an ethereal scythe. Horyu dodged, but barely—his instincts screaming at him to avoid direct contact. He couldn't let that weapon touch him.

Simultaneously, two more specters closed in from opposite sides. Their distorted forms flickered with energy, each ready to unleash a different form of attack. Horyu couldn't take them all head-on. He needed to disrupt their rhythm.

With a quick hand sign, he unleashed Abyssal Flame Chains, blackened fire erupting from the ground and snaring one of the specters in place. The creature writhed as the cursed flames began to drain its strength. But Horyu couldn't focus on it for long—Xalar was already upon him again, its scythe cutting through the air.

Horyu twisted his body, avoiding the strike by inches. The force of the swing sliced through the ground where he'd stood moments before, leaving a gaping void in its wake. He retaliated with Reality Warp Strike, his blade bending space itself as he aimed for Xalar's neck. The specter twisted out of the way, but the blade still cut deep into its side, black ichor spilling from the wound.

Before Horyu could press the advantage, the other specter he'd ignored earlier unleashed a wave of energy that crashed into him, sending him skidding across the ground. His body ached from the impact, but the Hellish Rebirth flames flared around him, healing the damage and fueling his rage.

He needed to be faster, more ruthless. Without missing a beat, Horyu activated Spectral Rend, blending the illusion of his form with real spiritual damage. He split into multiple afterimages, confusing the specters as he darted between them. Xalar swung wildly, its scythe cutting through illusions, while Horyu's real form moved in from behind.

He slashed through Xalar's back with the Uchiha Ancestral Blade, the strike empowered by Demonic Flame Cloak. The burning edge of the sword tore through the specter's essence, its form flickering and distorting as it tried to recover. But Horyu wasn't done. He followed up with a blast of Celestial Inferno, the white-hot plasma waves disintegrating Xalar's weakened form into nothingness.

But there was no time to savor the victory. Another specter, larger and more imposing, barreled toward him. Horyu's eyes flicked to the system's message.

[System Message: Specter Name: Var'gath, the Soul Crusher]

This one exuded a crushing aura, the air growing heavy as it approached. Horyu could feel its power—a presence that threatened to obliterate the souls of anyone nearby. He couldn't afford to let it get too close.

Using Kurohana Owl Tribe Sage Mode, Horyu vanished into the shadows, reappearing above Var'gath with a dive. His blade came down hard, but Var'gath was ready. It raised a massive arm, blocking the strike with a wall of dark energy. The force sent shockwaves through the battlefield, and Horyu felt the strain as he clashed against the specter's defense.

He quickly shifted tactics, dropping low and sweeping his leg out in a spinning kick, destabilizing the creature. At the same time, he unleashed Nightmare Pyre, dark flames erupting around Var'gath, intensifying with every ounce of fear the specter exuded. The flames fed on that terror, growing stronger, enveloping Var'gath in a burning prison.

But the specter wasn't finished. It roared, the sound vibrating through the air, and with a surge of power, it broke free from the flames. Var'gath swung a fist imbued with crushing force, and Horyu barely had time to phase through it using Spectral Assimilation. His form flickered as he merged with the specter's energy, avoiding the attack entirely.

As Var'gath stumbled from the missed strike, Horyu reappeared behind it, driving his Uchiha Ancestral Blade deep into the specter's core. The blade, burning with the combined power of God of Fire and Demon of Flames, tore through Var'gath's defenses. The specter let out a final, agonized howl before collapsing into a pool of dark mist, its essence consumed by the flames.