Infinite: The Main God Space Starting from Naruto

Chapter 231 Will you remember how much bread you ate?

"The imperial city is just ahead."

Tanjiro stood on a high slope, gazing at the majestic city walls in the distance.

On the slope behind them, dozens of swordsmen were adjusting their breathing.

They were all elites drawn from various regions, with strength at least at the A-level. But at this moment, many of them were leaning against tree trunks, panting, their exhaustion barely concealed.

The railway was damaged along the way, and the utility poles were leaning precariously, so we had to walk. What should have been a half-day journey took us this long.

At this time, the sun had not yet completely set in the west, and there were still about three or four hours until it got dark.

"How about we find a place nearby to rest for the night?" a young swordsman suggested, wiping the sweat from his brow. "We've been working non-stop since morning, and it's getting late."

What's meant to happen will happen.

Sanemi Shinazugawa gripped his sword hilt tightly: "Rather than passively taking a beating, I'd rather take the initiative. I want to see just what that guy named Dio is capable of!"

After a long silence, Giyu Tomioka nodded in agreement: "During the day, we can use the sunlight to suppress those monsters, but once night falls, they will definitely take action. Entering the city now is actually the best option."

Giyu Tomioka turned around, his gaze sweeping over the swordsmen behind him: "The upcoming battle will be very dangerous. Less than half of us will make it back alive. Those who want to quit can leave now."

No one backed down. These swordsmen were the elite of the elite, each with the strength to stand alone, and they were already prepared to sacrifice themselves.

"Get ready, we're leaving in twenty minutes," Tomioka Giyuu ordered. "Remember, once we enter the Imperial City, everyone must be on high alert. The slightest mistake will result in certain death."

The swordsmen quickly organized their equipment and inspected their blades. Some took out medicine from their pockets and swallowed it, while others silently wiped the dust off their blades.

Soon, twenty minutes were up.

"Prepare for action." Tanjiro stood up. "Himeijima-senpai, I'm counting on you."

Himejima Gyomei stood at the very front, the chain hammer in his hand clanging metallically. He took a deep breath, his muscles instantly bulging, veins popping out.

"Amitabha."

"boom!"

The meteor hammer slammed into the city gate with a whistling sound. The heavy iron gate cracked open, sending fragments flying everywhere. As the dust settled, a foul stench filled the air.

"Be careful and on guard." Giyu Tomioka drew his Nichirin Blade. "Advance while maintaining formation."

Passing through the city gate, the scene before them froze everyone in place.

"This is..." Tanjiro's pupils shrank sharply.

Quiet, eerily quiet.

The street before them was deserted, but the ground was covered with a layer of dark red scabs. The bloodstains had dried and gleamed eerily in the setting sun.

Obanai Iguro crouched down, his fingers lightly touching the ground: "Hiss. The ground here is completely soaked in blood. Judging from the area and thickness of the bloodstains, at least tens of thousands have died."

"You beast!" Shinazugawa Sanemi gritted his teeth.

Tanjiro frowned and scanned his surroundings: "The enemies should all be hiding inside the buildings."

Without any orders, the swordsmen behind him began to move.

They quickly untied the bundles from their backs and took out several black, cylindrical objects. These were specially made explosive charges.

The swordsmen split into small teams and quickly placed explosives at the entrances of various buildings. The palace was not large, only about the size of several football fields.

This amount of explosives is more than enough to blow up all the major buildings.

"Everyone back off!" Tomioka Giyu gave the order, and the swordsmen quickly spread out.

Tanjiro gripped the detonator tightly: "Ready."

"boom!"

A deafening explosion reverberated throughout the entire imperial city. The blast wave kicked up huge plumes of dust, and buildings were shattered into pieces. Debris and wood chips rained down everywhere.

Just then, something unexpected happened.

Countless dark figures rose from the shattered buildings. They were enormous balloons, their surfaces gleaming with a metallic sheen, rapidly ascending into the air.

Each balloon has a silver metal device suspended below it. The device activates instantly, and countless plumes of smoke shoot out like arrows.

At the same time, a series of booming sounds came from the ground. Countless smoke grenades were launched at high speed from all directions, drawing dense arcs in the air.

"This is..." Shinazugawa Sanemi's eyes widened.

The smoke spread at an alarming rate. The sky, which had been clear of sunlight, was instantly shrouded in a thick curtain of smoke.

Layers of grayish-white smoke rose and fell, like an invisible wall. It was supposed to be three or four hours before it got dark, but now it was already like dusk had fallen.

"Damn it!" Sanemi Shikkawa gritted his teeth. "Are they trying to create a nighttime environment?"

A young swordsman suddenly coughed painfully, bending over and gasping for breath: "My lungs are burning hot!"

Just then, the swordsman, who had inhaled a puff of smoke, suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed to his knees. A burning sensation surged through his lungs, as if countless tiny needles were pricking them.

"Cough cough." The swordsman's face turned red, and he was having more and more difficulty breathing.

Shinobu's expression changed drastically: "Watch out! The smoke is poisonous! Quickly cover your mouth and nose with a damp cloth!"

The group immediately sprang into action. Someone took out a water bottle from their backpack and soaked a strip of cloth in it. The swordsmen quickly covered their mouths and noses with the wet cloth.

However, several slow-reacting individuals had already fallen to the ground, clutching their throats and convulsing.

Just then, a rustling sound suddenly came from all around. At first it was very faint, but it gradually became more and more frequent, like countless insects crawling.

"They're here!" Tokito Muichiro turned around abruptly.

Shadows flickered in the smoke. One by one, figures emerged from behind the building, their eyes glowing with an eerie red light, their skin an unnatural grayish-white.

Not only on the ground, but also on the walls and rooftops, there were corpses everywhere.

They huddled together densely, crawling like ants, some even walking vertically down the wall.

The number of undead beings grew, pouring out from every corner. They swarmed in, surrounding the swordsmen.

"This is too much," Mitsuri Kanroji thought, gripping the hilt of her sword tightly.

Hundreds and thousands of undead people huddled together, emitting chilling growls.

"Form ranks!" Tanjiro shouted. "Back to back, don't leave any gaps!"

The swordsmen quickly adjusted their positions, forming a defensive formation, their blades drawn, gleaming coldly.

"Welcome to my banquet."

A cold, stern voice came from above. Everyone looked up and saw a tall figure standing at the highest point of the palace, looking down at them.

The surrounding undead people stepped back, making way for a passage.

Sunlight filtered through the smoke, vaguely illuminating the man's silhouette. He wore a black trench coat, and his blond hair fluttered in the wind.

Although no one had ever seen Dio before, upon seeing that proud figure standing there, everyone understood his identity.

That air of superiority over all living beings, that arrogance that disregards life, sends chills down one's spine.

"Dio!"

"Oh? Looks like I don't need to introduce myself." Dio's voice was playful.

Tanjiro stared intently at the figure, his hand gripping the sword trembling slightly with rage. "How many innocent people have died at your hands these past few days?! Those civilians, those soldiers, they had no grudge against you, why did you do this?!"

"hehe."

Dio let out a disdainful laugh: "Tell me, Tanjiro, do you remember how many slices of bread you've eaten?"

Upon hearing this, Tanjiro's eyes turned bloodshot and the veins on his forehead bulged.

The man before him was so utterly indifferent to human life. His inhumane words nearly overwhelmed his reason with rage.

"asshole!"

The ground beneath Tanjiro's feet instantly cracked. Crimson patterns wrapped around his Nichirin Blade, and a fiery aura erupted from his body.

"Sun Breathing, Seventh Form, Yang Hua Tu!"

Tanjiro transformed into a crimson beam of light and instantly charged towards Dio.

A flawless version after careful inspection!

But just then, a figure suddenly blocked Dio's way.

"clang!"

A loud bang, sparks flying everywhere.

Tanjiro's pupils suddenly contracted. The sight before him made him almost forget to breathe.

"Mr. Purgatory... How could this be?"

Six arms sprouted from Rengoku Kyojuro's body, each wielding a blood-red longsword. His skin was an unnatural grayish-white, and his eyes gleamed with a blood-red light.

"No way! This can't be!" Kanroji Mitsuri covered her mouth, tears streaming down her face. As a disciple of Rengoku, she couldn't accept what she was seeing.

Kyojuro Rengoku remained silent, wielding six swords simultaneously to form an impenetrable net of blades. Tanjiro was forced to retreat.

"Hahaha!" Dio laughed loudly. "Want to challenge me? Defeat my subordinates first! Let me see if you so-called Pillars are worthy of being my opponents!"

As Dio finished speaking, several figures rose from the smoke and stood in front of him.

When the pillars saw these figures clearly, they were struck dumb, their bodies stiffening as if by lightning.

"Sabito." Giyu Tomioka's voice trembled, his eyes filled with disbelief.

His best friend, who had saved him during the final selection, now stood before him. The Sabito of his memory was unrecognizable; his arms had turned into sharp blades, and his eyes gleamed with an eerie red light.

"Sister?!" Shinobu's pupils constricted, and she trembled all over. Her older sister, Kanae, stood there, butterfly-wing-like bone blades sprouting from her back, radiating an ominous aura.

The other pillars also recognized their own familiar figures, including many familiar faces.

Each person's body has undergone horrific modifications. Some have grown extra limbs... They retain their original appearance, but have been completely transformed into monsters.

Tanjiro stared intently at Dio, his fingernails digging into his flesh, drawing a trickle of blood.

"What do you take life for?! These are living, breathing human beings, with their own thoughts and feelings! How dare you trample on their dignity like this!"

Dio looked down at Tanjiro, a mocking smile playing on his lips: "Heh, sheep eat grass, humans eat sheep, I eat humans. This is the food chain, the law of nature. I am the predator at the top, a higher life form than humans."

He spread his arms wide, his voice filled with arrogance: "Aren't you humans the same? Domesticating animals, crossbreeding them, arbitrarily modifying their genes. Did you even ask those pets' opinions?"

Dio sneered, "In my eyes, you humans are no different from ants. I granted them new life, bestowing upon them power beyond human capabilities—this is a blessing!"

"Go!" Dio gave the order, and hundreds of guns were raised at the same time, their muzzles gleaming coldly.

"Careful!" Tanjiro yelled.

The next instant, a barrage of gunfire erupted. Countless bullets rained down like a storm, and the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder.

The swordsmen quickly raised their swords to parry, the blades of the Nichirin Blades colliding with the bullets, producing a dense "clanging" sound.

However, the toxic fog impaired their vision and reaction speed, making them move more slowly.

"Ah!" A scream rang out as a swordsman was struck in the shoulder by a bullet, blood gushing out. Several more swordsmen, whose reactions were slower, were then hit and fell to the ground.

"This can't go on!" Giyu Tomioka deflected three bullets with a single strike. "Split up and find cover! Everyone, listen up, don't stay in one place!"

Sanemi Shinazugawa stomped his foot, causing the ground to crack. He charged like a cannonball towards a group of armed zombies, his blade flashing and blood splattering.

Tokito Muichiro's figure weaved through the crowd, and with each flash of his blade, several corpses fell.

"Tanjiro!" Tomioka Giyuu yelled.

Tanjiro nodded in understanding and rushed towards Dio's direction with Giyu Tomioka. But just then, two figures flashed and blocked Giyu Tomioka's path.

"Sabito. Makomo," Giyu Tomioka gripped the hilt of his sword, his voice trembling slightly.

Without hesitation, Sabito slashed down with his Nichirin Blade, the blade whistling through the air. Giyu Tomioka could only raise his sword to parry, the metal clashing against the blade with a crisp sound.

On the other side, Kanae stood in front of Shinobu Kocho. The sisters faced each other, and a sorrowful atmosphere filled the air.

"Sister." Shinobu Kocho gripped her Nichirin Blade tightly, her knuckles turning white.

Countless images of her time with her older sister flashed through her mind, but the woman in front of her was no longer the Kanae she remembered.

Just as Tanjiro was about to pursue Dio, Kyojuro Rengoku suddenly blocked his way. All six arms wielded their Nichirin Blades simultaneously, the blades weaving into a deadly net.

Just then, a whooshing sound came from the side. The giant axe of the Howling Island Xingming cleaved through the sky, aiming straight for the back of Purgatory.

clang!

He twisted his right arm, a Nichirin Blade deflecting the incoming giant axe. Sparks flew as the blades clashed. A red light flashed in Hellfire's eyes, and he uttered a low shout: "Vacuum Freeze Technique!"

A chill emanated from the blade, instantly spreading to the giant axe. The axe's surface quickly froze, covered with a thick layer of frost.

"Amitabha Buddha." Beimingyu Xingming gripped the chains with both hands. "Forgive me!"

"Breath of Rock, Fifth Form: Kagura Gyobu!"

The meteor hammer hurtled through the air, accompanied by a whistling sound. The six blades of Purgatory blocked it simultaneously, but the immense force sent him flying backward.

His feet dug two deep furrows in the ground, sending stones flying everywhere.

Just as Beiming Yuxing was about to give chase, a sudden mechanical roar erupted. A shell whistled through the air, leaving a long trail of fire.

"Careful!" Tanjiro yelled.

In his haste, Beiming Yuxingming swung his meteor hammer to block the attack.

boom!

Amidst the deafening explosion, Himejima Gyoumei was thrown back a step by the shockwave. Before he could regain his footing, an even louder commotion erupted from the smoke.

"That's..." Tanjiro's pupils contracted. "The army's latest weapon?"

The tank turret slowly rotated, its dark muzzle pointing at the group.

The gun barrel still held the smoke from the previous shell, and several undead men stood on the armor plating, each holding a heavy machine gun.

(End of this chapter)