Konan was evidently aware of her sudden wardrobe malfunction and the piercing, hawk-like gaze from below that Sōmi directed at her. His precise focus was akin to the unerring aim of Miao Renfeng's sword, making her feel as though a barbed object was brushing against her most sensitive spots.
A faint blush crept up on Konan's cold, composed face. She already knew what Pain was about to do next.
With a sharp flap of her paper wings, she shielded her alluring figure and darted away into the sky.
At that moment, Deva Path Pain suddenly emerged from the mouth of the chameleon.
His hands were clasped together, and between them, a small, pitch-black sphere had formed. The orb, about the size of a fist, resembled a miniature black hole, seemingly capable of absorbing everything around it—even light itself.
"Super... Planetary Devastation!"
Pain's cold voice uttered the five words, and the other five Paths of Pain collapsed inside the chameleon, as if all their energy had been drained.
Pain released his hands, allowing the black sphere to float upward. In an instant, it soared several hundred meters into the sky.
Suddenly—
The black sphere in the air emitted an intense, radiant white light, illuminating the stone forest beneath the setting sun as if it were broad daylight.
"Haah!"
Pain brought his hands together with a forceful clap, his face contorted in exertion, resembling someone finally achieving relief after years of constipation.
Crack... crack...
The ground began to fracture as chunks of rock and soil were pulled into the air. Under Pain's continuous release of Chakra, the towering stone pillars, each over a hundred meters tall, were snapped and drawn upward by an invisible force, wrapping themselves around the black sphere.
"Sasori!"
"The sphere in the sky is mine. Deva Path is yours!"
Both Sōmi and Sasori felt as if they had been transported into outer space, overwhelmed by a strong sense of weightlessness.
Fortunately, Sōmi had already prepared for this. Using the massive quantities of golden sand he had refined underground, he twisted it into two thick ropes, securely anchoring himself and Sasori to the ground.
Although they had anticipated Pain's use of Planetary Devastation, this version was on an entirely different level compared to the one used against Naruto. Its size and power were far superior.
In the blink of an eye, all the rocks and soil within a radius of several kilometers had been drawn into the sky. The only thing left on the ground was a golden lake, stubbornly clinging to the earth.
At that moment, Sōmi began to unleash his Senjutsu technique.
Rumble!
The golden lake trembled violently, boiling over as golden bubbles rose and burst. It was as if some divine weapon was being forged within its molten depths.
Whoosh!
The vast quantities of golden sand began to "liquefy," coiling and spiraling together. At the center of the lake, a massive golden vortex formed, spinning faster and faster.
If one were to observe closely, they would notice that as the vortex's speed increased, the golden lake and the vortex itself rapidly shrank in size.
Moments later, when the vortex had condensed to just a few dozen meters in diameter, a golden spear suddenly emerged from its core!
The spear, forged entirely from golden essence, gleamed with an icy brilliance. Its four-pronged tip was razor-sharp, resembling the claws of Shukaku.
As the spear floated upward, the remaining golden liquid in the vortex was drawn into it like water being sucked up by a whale.
Under Sōmi's control, the ten-meter-long "Spear of Shukaku" began spinning rapidly in place. It emitted a piercing buzz, as if the friction with the air itself might ignite sparks.
Not far away, Pain's heart tightened as he witnessed this scene. He had already discerned Sōmi's intent and could feel the terrifying power radiating from the golden spear.
Pain, who had been standing with his arms raised as if praising the sun, lowered his right hand and swung it forcefully toward Sōmi.
"Haah!"
A powerful repulsive force surged toward Sōmi and Sasori in an instant.
"Kamui!"
Sasori, who had been on high alert, abandoned his plan to attack Pain and instead twisted a vortex of space in front of him, successfully neutralizing the repulsive force.
The brief buffer provided by Sasori was all Sōmi needed.
With a sharp clap, Sōmi brought his hands together.
"Sage Art: Ultimate Pagoda Sun-Piercer!"
Whoosh!
The Spear of Shukaku erupted with a massive shockwave before shooting upward, straight toward the massive spherical core of the Planetary Devastation.
The colossal golden spear pierced into the grayish-yellow sphere effortlessly, like a fish diving into water.
Moments later—
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted from the core of the sphere. The enormous mass seemed to contract inward for a brief moment before releasing a pale yellow light.
A massive yellow sphere, even larger than the original Planetary Devastation, appeared in the sky.
BOOM!
The sky seemed to detonate like a miniature nuclear bomb. Fierce winds and yellow flames swept outward in all directions, accompanied by an indescribable force that threatened to obliterate everything on the ground.
Trees, soil, rocky peaks, and stone spires...
Under the blinding light and raging storm, everything vanished without a trace.
When the chaos finally subsided, the landscape had been utterly transformed.
What was once a dense forest of stone spires and overgrown vegetation had become a barren desert. The ground looked as if it had been stripped bare, leaving behind a desolate wasteland.
Yet, amidst the devastation, a three-meter-tall jade-green Shukaku stood firm, its arms outstretched like an unyielding mountain rooted to the earth. It had shielded Sōmi and Sasori from the catastrophic blast.
"The power of this Planetary Devastation is truly terrifying..."
Surveying the altered terrain, Sōmi couldn't help but feel a lingering sense of dread.
Even with full knowledge of Pain's abilities, this enhanced version of Planetary Devastation had nearly overwhelmed him.
Thankfully, Sasori had been there to provide cover. Otherwise, Pain could have easily followed up with repeated Shinra Tensei to force his enemies into the air, where they would be absorbed by the sphere.
Fighting Pain alone would indeed be a nightmare.
Not far away, Pain stood in a somewhat disheveled state. Though the intense explosion hadn't caused him any physical harm, the fierce winds had shredded his black Akatsuki cloak into tattered strips, exposing his muscular torso.
The towering Shukaku dissipated, revealing Sōmi within. The golden Chakra surrounding him had thinned to a faint mist, rising like smoke. The toll of the battle on Sōmi was evident.
"So?"
"Do you still believe the power you wield is that of a god?"
Sōmi's mocking words cut through the tension.
Pain's expression remained stoic, but a storm of turmoil raged within him.
This man... it was as if he knew the exact weakness of Planetary Devastation...
If even the Rinnegan's ultimate technique couldn't subdue the One-Tail, then...
How could peace ever be achieved in the shinobi world?!
Meanwhile, in a hidden, makeshift bunker, Nagato—strapped to his mechanical apparatus—was breathing heavily. Bright red blood trickled from his nose, staining his teeth and dripping onto his exposed ribcage.
Nagato clutched his frail hands over his nose, desperately trying to stem the flow of blood.
"Leader..."
A raspy, sinister voice suddenly echoed from underground.
Zetsu had separated into his black and white halves. Emerging from the earth, the black figure held another body in his hands.
"Black Zetsu...?"
"Where have you been?!"
Though Nagato was utterly exhausted, he forced himself to question sternly.
"Leader, I told you before—the One-Tail is incredibly troublesome. I went to find reinforcements."
The black figure's eerie green eyes glinted as he spoke.
"Reinforcements?"
"What reinforcements—"
"Huh?!"
"Black Zetsu?!"
"What are you—"
"Shinra—"
"Ugh?!"
Nagato's face twisted in horror as he realized, too late, that Black Zetsu had transformed into a liquid and adhered to his body. He could no longer move!
"Hehehe..."
"Nagato, your strength has waned too much. You can no longer support your ambitions..."
"In that case, the only purpose left for your Rinnegan..."
"...is to bring that great one back to life."
"Your pitiful dream of peace? That great one will fulfill it with ease..."
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