Feeling the overwhelming Conqueror's Haki radiating from Ashveil, the Fourth Raikage froze in disbelief.
He had never encountered such raw, oppressive power. His eyes widened, stunned, as though the very air had been drained of hope.
Normally, he would have felt a sense of achievement. Yet now, despite his plan unfolding as intended, a profound emptiness gripped him.
Ashveil's explosive strength overwhelmed even the most carefully laid strategies. The Raikage realized that even success might not guarantee final victory against such a formidable opponent.
Energy surged relentlessly through his body, forcing him to his limits. Finally, unable to endure further, he collapsed completely. He had no certainty of the outcome now; only hope that Killer Bee and the others could prevail remained. With that, the Raikage closed his eyes, surrendering for the moment to exhaustion.
.............
Sensing the Raikage's faltering, Killer Bee accelerated, summoning a massive Tailed Beast Bomb within the Eight-Tails' maw.
The immense energy distorted the sky, thunder cracking and lightning striking without pause, illuminating the battlefield in a chaotic brilliance.
Darui, ever vigilant, readied his Bloodline Limit ability, channeling Chakra into streams of flowing black lightning.
"Die!" Both roared in unison, unleashing a dual assault—a Tailed Beast Bomb streaking through the sky and a torrent of black lightning snaking like a water dragon toward Ashveil.
"This is our only chance!" Killer Bee shouted. "Big Brother risked everything to create this opening. We cannot fail!"
On the ground, Deidara's face reflected shock. He hadn't anticipated the scale of the Raikage's coordinated power. He released a clay bomb, but nearby ninjas quickly deployed defensive Ninjutsu, rendering his attack useless. C also vanished from view, leaving Deidara in a growing panic.
"Oh no… if this continues, Ashveil… he might be in real danger," Deidara muttered, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
Tobi, too, watched warily. "That guy named C… he's a powerful sensory ninja. This is bad news," he whispered.
Obito observed silently beneath his mask, curiosity flickering in his mind. He wanted to see if combined effort could overcome Ashveil. Whether the result favored the Akatsuki or not, the overall plan—the capture of the Tailed Beasts and the Moon's Eye Plan—remained on course.
From his vantage point, Obito was relaxed, detached, pretending Tobi's cheers were genuine encouragement.
"Go, Ashveil-senpai! You absolutely cannot be taken down by these small fries!" Tobi shouted, feigning loyalty.
Ashveil, sensing the faint amusement in Tobi's words, allowed a small smile to form. This Tobi was a peculiar one, likely calculating everything, perhaps even seeing Ashveil as a rival of greater threat than the Eight-Tails. It didn't matter; as long as he could continue capturing the Tailed Beasts and gaining experience, Obito's attitude was irrelevant.
Through his Search Fruit, Ashveil sensed that Obito had activated the Rinnegan, observing the battle from afar. Well, then, let him watch. Ashveil's mind was already set.
With a calm, deliberate motion, Ashveil raised his palm skyward, preparing to face the combined might of Killer Bee and Darui directly.
The sight stunned everyone. Observers could not comprehend why Ashveil, faced with a perfectly aimed, potentially lethal attack, would not evade or defend conventionally. Could it be overconfidence? Mastery of some secret power? Or a deliberate courting of danger? None could say.
Deidara's anxiety boiled over. "Hey, Ashveil! Get serious! Otherwise, you'll get crushed by them!"
Ashveil remained composed, his Conqueror's Haki barrier glowing faintly as the attacks approached.
"You think this alone can defeat me? You underestimate the strength before you," Ashveil said calmly, his gaze unwavering. "Even if all the shinobi of the Land of Lightning came at once, I would not fear them."
Darui and Killer Bee gritted their teeth. "You insolent bastard!" Darui shouted. "You cannot be this arrogant!"
The lightning in Darui's hands crackled with intensity, and the Eight-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb surged forward with unrelenting force.
Boom!
The sky exploded into a spectacle of energy, a roaring display that blurred heaven and earth. Conqueror's Haki radiated from Ashveil, enveloping him in an impervious barrier as waves of power collided in a breathtaking clash.
The entire battlefield trembled under the immense energy, a moment of pure, unrestrained power that left every onlooker—friend and foe alike—in awe.
Ashveil hovered effortlessly, unshaken, a living embodiment of dominance and control. The strongest warriors of the Land of Lightning, their Kage and elite ninjas, had thrown everything at him. Yet he stood unbowed, a singular figure of indomitable might.
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