Clang!
Kirito swung his blade downward, but Gaara's monstrous claws clamped shut around it, locking the Zanpakutō in an unbreakable grip. Kirito tried to wrench it free, yet just as he expected, relying on one hand alone was nowhere near enough to escape Gaara's iron vise.
"Hm?!"
Gaara suddenly released one claw, seizing Kirito's Zanpakutō with a single massive hand while the other claw lunged straight for Kirito's chest. Those razor–sharp talons were so large and vicious that if they connected, his heart would undoubtedly be ripped out.
Kirito chose instantly.
His left hand snapped up and fired.
At point‑blank range, the sniper round slammed into Gaara's shoulder, punching through layer after layer of hardened armor. A thin column of white smoke drifted from the bullet hole as Gaara's arm froze mid‑attack, proving that at this distance, his shots could still inflict real damage.
But Kirito quickly noticed something horrifying,
the torn flesh around the hole writhed, twisting and surging. A moment later, the embedded bullet was squeezed out of Gaara's body bit by bit.
Blood streaked the metal.
The hit had been real.
But now, in his half‑transformed state, Gaara's body was no longer human,
eighty percent of him was pure chakra. Bullets that pierced into his flesh could still be forced out, and the Tailed Beast chakra mended his wounds almost instantly.
Kirito tightened his grip on the Zanpakutō and twisted sharply, carving a deep gash across Gaara's palm. Using that brief opening, he pulled the blade free.
Swoosh!
He retreated immediately, but Gaara refused to let him escape.
Both of Gaara's monstrous arms shot outward, claws grabbing separate giant tree trunks. His body pulled back with immense force, bending the trees into a forty‑five‑degree angle. Just before the trunks could snap,
Gaara released them.
The trees rebounded with explosive power. Gaara's entire massive frame shot forward like a colossal boulder fired from a catapult. The trunks were the forked frame, his arms the bowstring,
and his body the projectile.
The attack was unbelievably fast.
In the blink of an eye, the gigantic chakra‑fused monster was already upon him.
Kirito reflexively raised his left hand to fire at Gaara's head, planning to use the momentary stun to dodge the incoming blow.
Click.
The empty, crisp sound of the trigger froze Kirito's breath.
The M700 only carried ten rounds per magazine. Between the earlier battles against Yamanaka Fu, Torune of the Aburame, and Orochimaru's clone…
Every round had already been spent.
There were spare magazines, of course,
but Gaara wouldn't give him even half a second to reload.
BOOM!!
Gaara's claw came crashing down. Kirito narrowly twisted aside, avoiding the killing blow, but his sniper rifle, still in his left hand, wasn't as fortunate. The massive talons scraped across it as they passed.
The result?
The M700 was shredded into metal confetti.
The barrel twisted, the body crushed into useless fragments.
In an instant, the only weapon Kirito possessed that could reliably damage this monster… was gone.
His face darkened.
With no time to grieve, he darted behind Gaara, gripping the Zanpakutō with both hands. Strength surged, twice what he could muster with one hand,
and he slashed down on Gaara's thick tail.
GRAAAAH!!
A chunk of the tail was severed. Gaara whirled in agony, eyes bloodshot with violence, and slammed a massive claw onto Kirito's torso.
"Ugh!"
The claw clasped both his shoulders, lifting and hurling him forward. His back smashed into a tree trunk with bone‑rattling force.
If not for the two points he had dumped into Endurance,
he would have been pulp.
But the situation was still grim.
Gaara's enlarged chakra claw pinned him hard against the tree. Kirito's body was immobilized, unable to move even a fraction. His throat tasted sweet, and a thin line of blood escaped the corner of his lips.
He struggled, and found he could not break free.
Not with raw strength.
"That's the flaw… I still can't fight head‑on."
Kirito gave a bitter, self‑mocking smile.
If this were a normal fight, his speed, illusions, and long‑range kills would dominate. Human pillar or not, Tailed Beast form or not,
the instant he found an opening, his sniper would end it.
But sometimes, retreat was not an option.
Behind him were the ones he needed to protect.
He could not back down.
ROAR!!
Gaara stomped the ground with explosive force and launched himself into the sky. His enormous body arced overhead, descending like a collapsing mountain, intent on crushing the pinned Kirito beneath overwhelming might.
"Hinata! What are you doing?!"
Kiba and Shino shouted in shock.
But Hinata, seeing the massive shadow falling toward Kirito, did not hesitate.
She charged straight in.
And at that exact moment,
Kirito tore open the crushing chakra claw restraining him, hands bleeding as he forced it apart. He looked up, gaze steady, at the titanic monster descending in his pupils.
"If I can't do this…"
"Someone will be hurt."
"Power to confront an enemy head‑on…?"
Kirito murmured.
The mountain‑like weight closed in.
Kirito raised his blade with one hand.
And in that instant,
A brilliant white radiance burst across the entire Zanpakutō.
"Mae" [Dance]
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45 Advanced Chapters on p(a)treon
p(a)treon.com/Aaltairr
200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapters