Seeing this scene, not only Rasa but even Honoka was stunned.
"What is this?"
How had Mōryō broken free from Rasa's Desert Layered Imperial Funeral Seal?
Only Yomi, who was battling Ōkuro, understood what was happening.
"That's the ghost army created by Mōryō-sama, as recorded in the ancient texts!"
Due to the distance and the barrier, Rasa naturally couldn't hear Yomi's words. However, this didn't stop Rasa from becoming wary. He raised the golden greatsword high and swung it at the oncoming sand soldiers. The immense force of the blow instantly turned the front line of sand soldiers into dust.
Then, Rasa witnessed something that made him feel nauseous.
!!!
From the shattered sand soldiers, tiny purple worms, each about the size of a finger, emerged and crawled onto the golden greatsword in Shukaku's hand. In moments, the golden greatsword, formed from condensed gold sand, began to corrode as if eaten away.
One by one, golden sand soldiers emerged from the sword.
Now, Rasa fully understood. This must be one of Mōryō's abilities.
It could control the sand he had created using senjutsu energy through these worms. If not for the disgusting appearance of the worms, this would have been an incredibly powerful ability!
As the golden greatsword in Shukaku's hand corroded, more sand soldiers surged out from the distant pyramid, rushing toward Shukaku's massive form. Countless worms, like an army of ants, burrowed into Shukaku's body.
At this moment, Shukaku's body, as hard as iron, seemed as fragile as paper under the assault of these tiny worms. As they burrowed deeper, Rasa felt his control over Shukaku's Avatar slipping away.
Rasa initially planned to use the chakra-absorbing properties of senjutsu energy to kill the worms. However, the speed at which the worms controlled the sand far exceeded his ability to destroy them. They quickly formed a protective layer of sand around themselves, shielding them from his attacks.
Moreover, based on the direction the worms were moving within Shukaku's body, it was clear that Mōryō could sense the senjutsu energy within him, allowing it to pinpoint his location.
To proceed with his plan, Rasa needed to deprive Mōryō of this ability.
"In that case, I'll make sure you lose track of me completely! Senjutsu Limit Release: Infinite Sandstorm Explosion!"
With a deafening roar, Shukaku's massive body exploded into a cloud of sand, filling the interior of the Four Violet Flames Formation with a dense, swirling sandstorm.
At the same time,
"Senjutsu Limit Release: Sand Body Flicker!"
Outside the barrier, Honoka and the Sunagakure shinobi were completely blind.
They couldn't sense the senjutsu energy within Rasa to begin with, and now their vision was completely obscured.
Inside the barrier, Mōryō also lost track of Rasa's location.
As an ancient being, Mōryō could indeed sense senjutsu energy. It was originally born from senjutsu energy, only to be corrupted by the power of the Ōtsutsuki clan. However, within the barrier now filled with swirling golden sand, every grain radiated senjutsu energy, creating a dense fog that completely obscured Mōryō's senses.
Mōryō didn't attempt to reform its body. Instead, it dispersed itself among the ghost army it had created.
For a moment, the barrier fell into an eerie silence.
Both Rasa and Mōryō seemed to have become cautious, unable to find each other's weaknesses or track each other's movements. However, what Mōryō failed to notice was that behind it, near the remnants of the sand pyramid, the iron thorn trees, which had absorbed Mōryō's chakra, now glowed with an ominous light. It was as if something was draining the chakra from them.
Outside the barrier, the prolonged silence made Thunder Blade, standing beside Honoka, unable to hold back his questions.
"Miss Honoka, what's happening inside?"
Thunder Blade asked this because Honoka was from the Uzumaki clan, and Hana, another Uzumaki, had demonstrated exceptional sensory abilities. However, he didn't know that Honoka's sensory skills weren't as advanced as Hana's.
Honoka shot him a cold glare and replied,
"You're asking me? Who should I ask?"
Thunder Blade stiffened, suddenly reminded of Lady Pakura from the village. Now that he thought about it, the two did share some similarities in personality.
At that moment, Miroku arrived with her two guards.
Looking at the massive barrier filled with swirling sand, she asked,
"Miss Honoka, how is Rasa-sama? Has he defeated Mōryō?"
Honoka's expression softened slightly, but she shook her head. Then, remembering something, she asked curiously,
"Can you sense Mōryō?"
Miroku understood why Honoka was asking—it was because she and Mōryō shared the same body. However, she shook her head with a hint of shame.
"No... I can only sense that Mōryō is still alive."
"I see."
Honoka didn't mention the fact that the Priestess and Mōryō were essentially the same person.
Time passed, and finally, there was movement within the barrier.
It seemed that Mōryō, who had lived for thousands of years—or even longer—was the first to lose patience.
Amidst the faint rustling sounds, countless worms spilled out from the mouths of the ghost soldiers, gathering together to reform Mōryō's body. However, Mōryō's form was noticeably smaller now. Its eight heads scanned the surroundings warily as it spoke.
"Hmm... Since you won't come out, there's no point in continuing this fight. After all, human lives are so fleeting. Once you're gone, the fate between the Priestess and me will continue as it always has."
After saying this, its eight heads glowed with a crimson light. It paused briefly, as if waiting for something, but when no movement came from within the barrier, it let out a low growl. A spatial rift opened within the barrier, and Mōryō transformed into a surge of purple chakra, rushing into the rift.
Even as Mōryō's figure completely disappeared, Rasa remained silent. Outside the barrier, Miroku's face turned pale as she watched Mōryō vanish. Even someone as powerful as Rasa couldn't defeat it.
Was there truly no way for her to escape the fate of the Priestess?
Honoka's delicate face was also filled with confusion. Although she hadn't known Rasa for long, he had always struck her as supremely confident, as if he had everything under control. It didn't make sense for him to simply let Mōryō escape.
Beside her, Thunder Blade hesitantly suggested,
"Miss Honoka, the demon Mōryō has disappeared. Should we dispel the barrier now?"
Honoka was also uncertain.
But at that moment, a cool, mature woman's voice sounded behind them.
"Don't worry. Rasa is still battling Mōryō."
!!!
Everyone was startled and instinctively turned around. To their shock, they saw a woman with long green hair, dressed in a white robe and wearing a golden crown, standing behind them.
Honoka's expression darkened. Not only could she not sense Rasa, but now this woman had appeared behind them without her noticing.
"Ara ara~!"
Seeing the humans' nervous expressions, the woman smiled warmly and said in a friendly tone,
"No need to be alarmed. I mean no harm. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Tagorihime, sent by the White Snake Sage to find Rasa-sama."
The moment Honoka heard the words "White Snake Sage," her pupils contracted sharply.
(AN: Boruto Episode #75. Yeah, expect them to appear. No need to watch since I will be explaining them.)