Usually, the more you know about an opponent, the better your chances. But with Emiya Shirou, every new piece of information just made him seem more unbeatable, to the point where it made you want to just give up.
Even as Jiraiya relayed the intel to the two Toad Sages, he felt a wave of helplessness. He was starting to seriously regret picking this fight. If he could go back in time, he'd ask his past self what the hell he was thinking, charging in so fearlessly with Gamabunta when he already knew how dangerous this guy was.
"Let's see..." Fukasaku muttered. "Even Madara Uchiha's genjutsu didn't work on him?"
Just saying Madara's name made the old toad uneasy. "But his is a visual genjutsu," he reasoned. "Ours is sound-based..."
Maybe, just maybe, their type of illusion would work where a visual one failed. Besides, their technique was nothing to sneeze at.
It was a legendary genjutsu from Mount Myoboku, a melody that could only be sung with the croaking of toads. It was so difficult to learn that even a powerhouse like Gamabunta hadn't mastered it.
In fact, Fukasaku and Shima had first gotten together by practicing the songs from that very score, mastering the top-tier genjutsu in the process.
When Fukasaku suggested they use it, Shima's face flushed. "Seriously? We're digging that one out? I never thought I'd be doing things from my youth again at this age!"
"We have to try," Fukasaku insisted, his throat beginning to puff out.
He turned to Jiraiya. "But this will take a moment..."
"Lord Emiya will give us the time," Jiraiya said, his gaze fixed on the still figure across the field.
He knew Emiya didn't care. He'd let them try whatever they wanted.
First, it was just a duel. Second, it was probably the kind of pity a master shows a novice.
A bitter, self-mocking laugh escaped Jiraiya's lips. "Right now, he probably sees us like a grandpa watching a kid play with toys. In his eyes, nothing we do can possibly threaten him."
"Not at all," Emiya Shirou said, shaking his head. He looked surprisingly serious. "Our chakra levels are actually quite similar. The only real advantage I have is my reanimated body's infinite supply. I'm sure you'll find an opening to use your jutsu."
"So humble..." Jiraiya muttered, the bitter smile not leaving his face.
"How much longer?" Emiya asked, watching as the two sages' throats swelled.
He could already hear their croaking, and as a Sage, he could feel the musical notes of their jutsu gathering in the air around him. He raised a hand, as if to touch the invisible melody.
It was a fascinating technique. The creatures of the ninja world evolved quickly, their collective wisdom over a thousand years giving birth to all sorts of strange and powerful jutsu. A sacred place like Mount Myoboku was a breeding ground for such things.
But this also gave Emiya an idea of how to break it.
A jutsu that relied on sound couldn't escape a simple fact: sound needs a medium to travel. If he created a vacuum in the area, the genjutsu would be cut off. It might slow it down, or even make it fail completely.
"Almost there!" Fukasaku rasped.
Just as Emiya figured out the solution, the two sages' throats swelled to their limit, and the croaking intensified into a deafening chorus.
"Demonic Illusion: Toad Confrontation Chant!"
A terrifying wave of sound distorted the very air as it rushed toward Emiya!
The noise was piercing, and for a split second, Emiya felt his consciousness being pulled into an illusion. In his mind's eye, he saw four enormous toads, clad in armor, surrounding him.
The genjutsu had landed!
Once trapped, a victim's mind would be bound in a mental prison controlled by the four giant toads. It was a powerful illusion, but in the end, it was still a battle of willpower. And Emiya's greatest strength was his will.
The next instant, his spiritual energy exploded outward, shattering the mental prison. His presence in the illusion dwarfed the giant toads themselves.
Back in reality, Emiya's body had only stiffened for a single moment.
"The genjutsu worked!" Jiraiya shouted, a flash of joy on his face. He didn't care how long it would last. He dropped low, his hands and feet growing webbed like a frog's, and launched himself toward Emiya. If he could just land one hit while Emiya was trapped, he could shatter the reanimated body.
For a second, he thought, He's not invincible after all!
But just as he lunged, the two sages on his shoulders clutched their heads, their ears ringing. The genjutsu had backfired!
"Little Jiraiya!" Fukasaku yelled, his own hearing shot. "It's broken! Get back!"
It was too late.
Emiya was faster. He grabbed Jiraiya's wrist mid-lunge, twisting to throw him aside.
"Sage Art: Rasengan!"
A spiral of pure Sage chakra erupted in Jiraiya's free palm, aimed straight at Emiya's arm. He knew Emiya absorbed ninjutsu through his palms, not his arms. If he could just break the arm, the body would be immobilized. The only way for Emiya to dodge was to let go and step back, and Jiraiya knew he wouldn't get another chance like this.
But that was enough. He didn't care if he failed. Just making Emiya move was a victory in itself.
In a flash, something strange happened. Emiya let go of his wrist, but he didn't step back. He simply looked up, a strange glint in his Rinnegan, and spoke in a dead calm voice.
"Shinra Tensei."
The next moment, an invisible, unstoppable force slammed into Jiraiya. It felt like being hit by a tidal wave, sending him flying backward. The force didn't just push him back; it blew his Rasengan apart in an instant.
Jiraiya landed, flipping to his feet and digging his palms into the ground. He stared in shock at the trench the force had carved in the earth. "A repulsive force...?" he breathed. "It pushes you away and disperses jutsu at the same time. It's offense and defense in one..."
"An ability of the Rinnegan," Emiya explained, casually raising his arm.
"Rinnegan..." Jiraiya's face grew grim. He thought of his dead student, Nagato, who had also possessed those eyes and unleashed their terrifying power as a child.
"That's right," Emiya continued. "Absorbing your jutsu is another of its abilities. So is this."
As he spoke, Emiya's other arm began to transform, shifting into a futuristic, mechanical cannon barrel.
"Asura Path."
A terrifying light gathered in the cannon.
"GET OUT OF THE WAY!" the two sages screamed.
"Another Rinnegan ability?!" Jiraiya's Sage Mode senses saved him. He leaped into the air just as a laser beam shot out from where he'd been standing. It pierced through the forest behind him, leaving charred holes in the trees. If he hadn't moved, it would have torn his lower body to shreds.
Watching from a distance, Naruto's eyes were wide with excitement. "Whoa, so cool!"
But Jiraiya wasn't safe yet. Emiya's arm returned to normal, and he raised his palm toward the airborne Jiraiya.
"Bansho Ten'in!"
A powerful gravitational force suddenly grabbed hold of Jiraiya, pulling him out of the air.
"Gravity!" Jiraiya realized, his face a mask of shock. "My body's not my own..."
He was being dragged helplessly toward Emiya. He knew this pull was just the setup for a devastating follow-up attack.
"This is our chance!" Fukasaku yelled to his wife.
"It's hard to control my body!" Shima struggled, but managed to spit her long tongue out toward Emiya. The added pull of gravity made it shoot out with incredible speed.
"Tongue Cutter Binds!"
The tongue wrapped around Emiya's body.
"Water Cutter!" Fukasaku followed up, blasting a high-pressure stream of water.
It was a perfect combo attack. Emiya had no choice but to cancel the pull and raise his hand again. "Shinra Tensei."
BOOM!
Another massive repulsive force sent Jiraiya and the two sages flying, crashing into a tree in a cloud of dust. Jiraiya landed like a frog, crouching low and staring warily at Emiya.
"Ow, ow, ow..." Shima whined, nursing her sore tongue.
"Wait," Fukasaku said, rubbing his dizzy head. "That blast... it felt stronger than the last one..."
"It was," Jiraiya confirmed, his fingers digging into the dirt. "It seems he can control the strength of the push and pull. I have no idea how to counter it."
Before he could finish, he saw Emiya clasp his hands together. Instantly, Jiraiya felt the natural energy in the air press in on him, his movements becoming slow and sluggish.
"My body..." he grunted.
"He's manipulating the natural energy!" Fukasaku realized, his own breathing becoming heavy. "Just like Frog Kata..."
"The one who raised the Slug Sage... his control over nature is terrifying."
"We have to deal with this energy," Shima said. "It feels like we're carrying a mountain. Let's absorb it!"
"NO!" Fukasaku shouted. "We're fused with Jiraiya! If we absorb too much and can't convert it, he'll turn into a frog!"
As they argued, Emiya's fingers tightened. His voice drifted across the field, calm and final.
"Your speed has slowed. I'm not an expert with these eyes... but it's time to end this."