Damn it!
Deidara's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't anticipated that even a subordinate of the Raikage could possess such overwhelming combat power.
Reacting instantly, Deidara activated his Clay Clone.
Boom!
A powerful Lightning Release explosion erupted around the Clay Dragon. Using the clone's power, Deidara leapt off the dragon. Simultaneously, the Clay Clone latched onto Darui, its adhesion nearly immobilizing him.
"This is the moment, hmph!" Deidara shouted confidently.
Yet, the Clay Bombs in the sky did not detonate.
Deidara's expression twisted in disbelief. Darui, still in the air, calmly explained:
"You seem to have forgotten, Deidara. Lightning Release naturally counters your Earth Release," Darui said proudly.
Immediately, the Lightning Release energy surged through his body, causing the surrounding air to become volatile. Deidara swallowed hard, staring at the scene with mounting shock. Could he really be wiped out in the Land of Lightning?
The second-strongest nation in the world was no trivial opponent.
Just as Deidara feared the worst, a muffled, tremendous sound echoed from the sky.
"This… how is this possible?" the Fourth Raikage's eyes widened in disbelief.
Killer Bee was equally stunned, his mouth agape. Neither had expected that their combined attack had not even scratched Ashveil. Instead, their assault had been stopped by an invisible barrier.
"What kind of Ninjutsu can block our attacks?" the Fourth Raikage asked in shock.
"This must be that kid's elemental energy… perhaps a Bloodline Limit!" Killer Bee added, his tone serious.
"Keep pushing!" the Raikage commanded, unwilling to believe defeat. Killer Bee matched the increase in force, both pressing their attacks against Ashveil's invisible Conqueror's Haki barrier.
A confident smile appeared on Ashveil's face.
"Hmph… you really think this is enough to defeat me?" he said, calm yet amused. "You're far too naive."
Despite their full strength, the invisible barrier had compressed only a single centimeter.
Both the Raikage and Killer Bee were dumbfounded, their mouths twitching.
"One centimeter… just one centimeter? How is this possible?" the Raikage asked, eyes wide.
"I didn't believe it either, but the fact is before me… I have no choice but to accept it," Killer Bee said solemnly.
Darui, preparing to finish Deidara, was equally stunned. He understood his lord's and Killer Bee's power—enough to overwhelm even a Tailed Beast in battle—but facing only Ashveil, their combined might could not prevail.
"This… is the Akatsuki really that terrifying?" Darui muttered, disbelief clear on his face. His assumptions had been completely overturned.
Meanwhile, Deidara, pushed to the brink, could barely contain his excitement.
"I knew it… I knew it! Hahaha! Ashveil cannot be defeated so easily!"
Tobi, previously unconscious, rose shakily to his feet.
"Ashveil-senpai… you're unharmed?" he exclaimed, eyes wide. "You're incredible!"
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he muttered, "I thought I'd die here, Ashveil-senpai…"
Deidara's fury reignited at Tobi's behavior.
"Tobi… what are you doing? Now is not the time to cry. Stand up!" Deidara barked.
Tobi wiped his tears and rose, sniffling. "I'm sorry, Deidara-senpai… seeing Ashveil-senpai unharmed… I just couldn't help it."
Deidara's head nearly exploded in frustration. "What are you saying? Hurry up and help, or I'll finish you off before the enemy does, you fool!"
Fearing for his life, Tobi rushed to Deidara's side using Earth Release: Hiding in Surface Technique.
Darui narrowed his eyes. With no sensory-type ninjas nearby, Tobi's exact location remained uncertain.
"Move! Support the others! After handling these two, we'll deal with Ashveil and the rest!" Darui commanded.
Other Lightning Release ninjas sped forward to assist.
Deidara formed continuous hand seals, launching bombs skyward. Tobi set landmines underground, and as the Lightning Release ninjas approached, the combined explosives detonated with tremendous force.
Rumble… Rumble…
Many of the approaching ninjas fell into Deidara's trap.
"Hmph!" Deidara continued forming seals, sending more bombs into the air. In an instant, over half the rushing ninjas were incapacitated.
Darui frowned, then countered: "Shadow Clone Jutsu! Lightning Release: Double Black Panther!"
Two black lightning-infused panthers surged at Deidara with blinding speed.
Deidara, now without his Clay Dragon and Tobi's invisibility, prepared for the ultimate "Art is an Explosion," determined to fight to the death.
Suddenly, a powerful invisible energy descended from above, pinning Darui in place. Strong winds whistled in his ears.
"What kind of power is this?" Darui gasped, struggling to look upward.
Deidara, beside him, was equally stunned. Looking up, he saw a shocking sight:
Ashveil, with sheer power alone, had forcibly sent the Fourth Raikage and Killer Bee flying.
The two were like cannonballs, slammed to the ground by Ashveil's immense force. Dust billowed, and the impact created two massive craters, each deep enough to seem a thousand meters.
"Lord Raikage! Killer Bee!" Darui shouted, rushing to aid them.
Deidara's expression twisted in disbelief. "Ashveil's defense… is this terrifying? Even after taking the full force of the Raikage and Killer Bee… he's fine?"
Tobi, now on his feet, cheered. "Hahaha! Ashveil is invincible!"
Even Obito, masked and observing, showed visible unease. If Ashveil could withstand attacks from the Fourth Raikage and the Eight-Tails, Obito realized that even he might not be confident in victory.
The most terrifying part? Ashveil's full combat power remained unseen.
Meanwhile, Killer Bee, protected by the Eight-Tails, recovered with ease. The Fourth Raikage, however, was visibly shaken, spitting blood from the sheer force of his own defense.
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