Zhong Yan's sudden appearance left everyone at the scene stunned—not just the Vanquishers, but even Caesar and her group hadn't expected him to step forward on their behalf.
"What the hell are you? Think you can talk to our boss like that?"
Before Pompey could even react, one of his subordinates pointed at Zhong Yan's nose and cursed, filled with fury.
However, the very next second—without any warning—the man's eyes rolled back, and he collapsed to the ground, convulsing violently as if suffering from massive internal trauma.
Seeing this, two nearby Vanquishers hurried to check on him. After a brief examination, they realized his breathing was shallow and he was teetering on the edge of death.
Upon hearing this, even Pompey couldn't hide a flicker of shock. Yet, as the Overlord of the Outer Ring, he maintained his composure, refusing to shed his dignity so easily in front of someone powerful.
"This must be the legendary Hollow Raider Uchiha from New Eridu, right? I didn't expect someone like you would bother with the Outer Ring. There must be some... vested interests involved, no?"
The Outer Ring had deep, tangled connections with New Eridu. As its ruler, Pompey was well aware of the situation there—and of Uchiha's existence. He also knew Uchiha's reputation: someone who completed missions as long as the price was right.
Thus, Pompey assumed Uchiha's intervention was bought—and the only one in the Sons of Calydon who could afford that was Lucy.
She was the heiress of a prominent New Eridu family, sitting atop boundless wealth. If she pulled the right strings, hiring Uchiha wasn't impossible... or so Pompey imagined.
In reality, Lucy had no intention of using her family connections, and Zhong Yan was genuinely just a guest of the Sons of Calydon.
If there was any reason why he had helped, it was simply... a case of not being able to stand injustice.
"My being here has nothing to do with you," Zhong Yan said calmly. "And I won't repeat myself. Unless you want everyone here to end up like him?"
He had crushed the disrespectful subordinate with nothing but a glance, using genjutsu. As long as the targets weren't Exaltist-modified beings, this method was effective across the board.
"Lord Uchiha, your strength is undeniable," Pompey began, trying to keep his tone neutral. "But the crimes committed by the Sons of Calydon—"
He trailed off.
Pompey had caught a glimpse of the displeasure beneath the mask. He realized that if Zhong Yan wanted to, he could annihilate everyone present as easily as crushing an ant.
If Zhong Yan insisted on protecting the Sons of Calydon, then even rallying all the Vanquishers wouldn't make a difference.
The man was simply too terrifying.
Understanding this, Pompey fell silent. After a deep breath, he said, "Very well. Out of respect for Lord Uchiha, I will not press the issue today. But this matter is not over. I hope you'll be here again to protect them when the time comes."
With those words, Pompey turned to leave.
But just as he did, Lucius stepped forward, desperate and unwilling: "Boss, we're just letting them go? The Sons of Calydon killed so many of our brothers, and you're backing off because of one Hollow Raider—?"
"Lucius, watch your mouth," Pompey cut him off sharply. "This man is not just any Hollow Raider. His influence rivals that of New Eridu's officially recognized Void Hunters. If you dare disrespect him... you better think about whether your head will stay attached to your neck."
Pompey's words made his stance abundantly clear—and gave Lucius a way to back down without further escalating the situation. Who knew if that monster would slaughter them all in the next instant?
Given that they had already angered Zhong Yan, showing weakness now was the smart move.
Lucius was stunned. He had never seen his usually domineering boss act so submissively.
Although he had heard of Uchiha, his knowledge was shallow compared to Pompey's.
Hidden deep within New Eridu's Hollow Special Operations Section 6 archives was a top-secret file detailing how Uchiha, acting alone, had slain the colossal Ethereal Nineveh within Hollow Zero.
Yes, Uchiha was a Hollow Raider, and most of his deeds were within the Hollows. But that didn't mean he was incapable of taking human lives.
On the contrary, someone who could slay monsters like Nineveh had no reason to fear humans, who were far weaker.
Pompey, deeply entrenched within New Eridu's network, had caught wind of this terrifying information, which was why he chose to yield immediately after angering Zhong Yan.
It was not just for himself—but for the Vanquishers, and perhaps even for New Eridu itself.
Seeing Pompey's determination to retreat, Lucius could only glare furiously at Zhong Yan before leaving.
Just you wait, Uchiha. The people of the Outer Ring aren't so easily trifled with!
Leaving behind that bitter thought, Lucius had no choice but to follow Pompey and retreat in defeat.
With their departure, only the members of the Sons of Calydon remained.
Watching the Vanquishers leave, they couldn't help but break into victorious smiles.
"Never thought it'd end so easily... the name 'Uchiha' sure packs a punch," Lighter muttered as he adjusted his sunglasses. He had already braced himself for a full-blown battle against the Vanquishers, but who would've guessed that the Outer Ring's overlord would be forced to retreat after just a few exchanges?
Uchiha's reputation truly lived up to its terrifying fame. No wonder the people of New Eridu worshiped him—and even started a mask-wearing craze in his honor.
Among the core members, it was Caesar who first stepped forward to express her gratitude.
Taking a step closer, she said sincerely, "Thank you, Lord Uchiha. If it weren't for your timely intervention, a full-blown war would have been inevitable today."
As the wrongly accused party, Caesar wasn't opposed to fighting the Vanquishers to prove their innocence—but given the chance, she would much rather clear their name through other means.
Zhong Yan's intervention bought them precious time to do exactly that, and for that, she was truly grateful.