ASFUCITWON Chapter 219: The Battle Begins 20

After they struggled to swim, fighting against the strong current, Reiji smiled faintly.

The smile was not one of happiness, but rather one filled with calculation, as if a grand plan was being set into motion.

Though subtle, that smile was enough to make the entire atmosphere around them feel more tense, as if something was about to happen in mere seconds.

Calmly, Reiji brought his hands together in front of his chest, a simple gesture yet filled with an almost imperceptible pressure.

The usually calm sea breeze began to blow fiercely, as if sensing the significant change that was occurring.

"Fuinjutsu: Illusory Sea Region: Release!" Reiji's voice flowed so calmly, yet behind those words was an undeniable tone of determination.

His voice echoed softly, slicing through the air sharply—piercing the sound of the waves crashing in the distance.

A few seconds later, light began to emerge from the dark sea.

The glow flickered faintly, then grew brighter, breaking the darkness beneath the sea like thousands of glowing crystals exploding from the ocean floor.

Its shimmer reflected on the water's surface, refracting wildly, creating an optical illusion that blurred vision.

The bluish-white light was so bright, nearly blinding, like the sky breaking beneath the sea.

The entire surface of the sea, which had been pitch black, now transformed into an unnatural ocean of light, almost like a scene from another world.

Keito and the ninja members of the Uzumaki Clan on the shore felt restless.

Their eyes widened, as if they could not believe what they were witnessing.

Moments later, the light began to fade, but the strangeness had only just begun.

On the surface of the sea, now shimmering calmly like a mirror, the attacking ninjas who had previously surrendered—and had once collapsed on the water—now stood upright again.

Their eyes were tightly shut, their faces blank, devoid of expression.

But those bodies... They did not move, as if an invisible force had infiltrated them, making them stand in silence.

They were no longer living humans, yet not entirely dead either.

Their existence now felt foreign, chilling—like puppets suspended by invisible strings, presenting a surreal sight that made the air feel colder than it should.

But what was even more shocking were those who had previously died—the ninjas who had fallen in battle, their bodies once lifeless and motionless—now lay still on the surface of the sea.

They were unconscious, showing no signs of life, yet those bodies did not sink, as if something was holding them on the surface...

As if the sea itself was reluctant to swallow them whole.

It was as if some force was keeping them afloat on the water, as if the sea itself was unwilling to let them go just like that.

They lay there, trapped between life and death, between reality and illusion.

Keito, witnessing this scene, felt as if his world had been turned upside down.

Something was very wrong here.

What had happened to those lying there?

Were they... coming back to life?

Or was it just an illusion?

And more frighteningly, why weren’t they sinking?

What was Reiji doing?

Thoughts raced quickly in Keito's mind.

The other members of the Uzumaki Clan also appeared confused, their faces filled with astonishment.

No one could explain this phenomenon.

They looked at each other, but no one dared to voice the same fear they felt.

The atmosphere was silent, filled with tension, only interrupted by the sound of the waves, which now felt increasingly loud.

Suddenly, one of the ninjas—a man who had previously been lying unconscious—began to stir slowly.

The man's eyelids moved, trembling weakly, then slowly opened.