Just as the repulsive force of Shinra Tensei was about to touch him, Shiryu's fist had already been thrown. The punches were as dense as lightning, smashing toward Ginga with the sharp sound of breaking air.
The moment the black Chakra shield formed, it was pierced through repeatedly by the dense punches. Ripples spread across the shield's surface before it shattered inch by inch like glass, letting out a crisp 'Crack'.
Several punches containing vibration force smashed into Ginga's body without hindrance, producing dull impact sounds.
Ginga groaned as his figure retreated repeatedly, as if struck by a giant hammer. The clothing on his chest was shattered, faint bruises appeared on his skin, and black blood overflowed from the corner of his lips.
His heart was filled with horror. 'This speed... how can it be so fast!'
"Hmph, mere parlor tricks!"
Ginga stabilized his stance and wiped the blood from his mouth, his eyes flashing with ruthlessness and humiliation.
He hadn't expected to be forced into such a pathetic state by a single person, which made him feel an unprecedented sense of disgrace.
The black Chakra around him surged again, and a massive phantom of Ten-Tails slowly unfolded behind him, blotting out the sun. It emitted an aura of total destruction, its giant beast-like eyes flashing with a crimson light as it stared fixedly at Shiryu.
He raised his hand and struck a palm toward Shiryu, the wind from the palm carrying terrifying destructive energy. Everywhere it passed, space was torn into tiny cracks, making a sizzling sound. The power was enough to shatter a giant meteor.
"Ten-Tails: Tailed Beast Ball Palm!"
He roared, and the palm instantly reached Shiryu, bringing a suffocating pressure.
Shiryu's eyes narrowed, he didn't dare to be careless. He tapped his foot lightly, his figure dodging rapidly, narrowly avoiding the direct hit of the palm.
The palm grazed past his armor and reduced a piece of wreckage behind him to dust.
At the same time, he seized this fleeting gap, rapidly condensing Chakra at his fingertips. It turned into a tiny blue-gold line of light, precisely striking toward the Chakra Acupoints on Ginga's body.
Acupoint Strike!
This was a secret technique Shiryu had summarized by combining his own Chakra characteristics after studying the Hyuga clan's Gentle Fist.
It could precisely block the enemy's Chakra flow, limiting the power of their techniques.
He thought to himself, 'As long as I hit the !acupoints, his power will be greatly weakened.'
His fingertip precisely hit a Chakra acupoint on Ginga's chest. Ginga felt the Chakra in his body suddenly stall, unable to flow smoothly like a blocked river.
The power of his palm technique instantly diminished, and the originally violent wind became weak, finally dissipating.
Shiryu seized this fleeting opportunity and leaped into the air.
The blue Chakra around him gathered rapidly, turning into a lifelike golden dragon. The dragon's scales were clearly visible, and its eyes were majestic as it let out a deafening roar at Ginga.
The sound waves made the surrounding space tremble slightly.
Rising Dragon Force!
The golden dragon, carrying a world-destroying momentum, dove down toward Ginga, its claws flashing with sharp light.
The golden dragon smashed heavily into the Chakra shield Ginga had hastily condensed.
Crack!
Ginga's Chakra shield was instantly smashed to pieces.
The golden dragon struck his body without any hindrance. Ginga let out a shrill scream as he flew backward.
He spat out a mouthful of black blood, which turned into ink-like droplets in the air, still carrying a dense aura. His body flipped several times in the air before he managed to stabilize himself.
His chest heaved violently, and his eyes were full of pain and horror. He had never imagined that as a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, he would be beaten into such a sorry state.
Even with the super-regeneration ability of a Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, visible wounds appeared on the areas where Ginga had been hit. The muscle tissue at the wounds constantly twisted and squirmed, but it could not heal quickly.
Shiryu's attack contained a special Chakra interference force that could suppress the enemy's regeneration ability. This was a method he had specifically prepared to deal with the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki.
Ginga looked down at his wounds, and for the first time, fear rose in his heart. 'What power is this? It can actually suppress my regeneration.'
Enduring the pain, he gathered Chakra again, trying to dispel the interference force within his body. But no matter how hard he tried, the healing speed of the wounds was startlingly slow.
On the other side, the battle between Hamamaru and Akiru had also entered a white-hot stage.
Seeing that Hamamaru's attacks were incredibly sharp and the armor's defense was impeccable, Akiru did not dare to underestimate him in the slightest. The previous disdain had long since vanished, replaced by solemnity.
He knew it would be difficult to defeat the opponent with Taijutsu alone, he had to use Ninjutsu in coordination.
His hands quickly formed seals, his fingertips glowing with black Chakra, as he shouted, "Meteorite Fall!"
Several kilometer-sized giant meteorites in the distant asteroid belt were forcibly pulled by his Chakra. They smashed toward Hamamaru like cannonballs, their surfaces burning with raging flames and carrying an aura of destruction. Along the way, they smashed many small asteroids, making for an extremely spectacular scene.
At the same time, Akiru's hands moved again, not giving Hamamaru any chance to catch his breath.
A large number of meteorites formed a pincer attack, sealing off all of Hamamaru's escape routes.
A cold smile appeared at the corner of Akiru's lips. "Even if your armor's defense is strong, you will surely die under such a pincer attack."
Hamamaru's eyes were calm, and he remained completely unmoved, as if the scene of destruction before him had nothing to do with him.
The energy in his body rapidly poured into the armor, and the armor's light flared up. Golden energy surged out like a tide, forming a semi-transparent golden energy barrier around him. Mysterious patterns, originating from the same source as the armor, flowed across the barrier.
The giant meteorites were the first to strike, smashing into the energy barrier with a whistling sound.
A deafening roar erupted, and the golden barrier trembled slightly, yet there was no sign of it breaking.
The meteorites instantly shattered into countless fragments, scattering like a meteor shower, but they were unable to break through the barrier's defense.
Next, a massive water dragon also crashed into it.
"An attack of this level isn't enough to break my defense."
The golden radiance around Hamamaru blazed brighter, his speed soaring.
His figure became a golden afterimage, instantly piercing the lingering meteor shower and arriving before Akiru.
The scythe in his hand slashed out again, the energy on its blade erupting. Within the golden light threaded a sinister crimson, multiplying both destructive force and lethality.
Before the blade even fell, Akiru felt a lethal threat.
Blood Scythe!
This move could absorb an enemy's energy, it was no mere physical strike.
Akiru's heart shook.
His Shinjutsu had been broken so easily, and a counter had come just as fast.
He hastily channeled every trace of black Chakra, forging a shield several times thicker than before to block the fatal blow. Yet the seemingly sturdy barrier shattered like paper under the Blood Scythe.
The blade swept unhindered across his shoulder, carving a wound deep enough to show bone. Black blood sprayed out, congealing into beads in mid-air.
A wisp of scarlet energy lingered in the wound, gnawing at his flesh and sending agony through him.
"Damn it!"
Akiru howled in pain, the blow slowing him for an instant.
He knew he was no match for Hamamaru, continuing meant death. Retreat flashed through his mind—he would flee through Yomotsu Hirasaka.
Avoid his edge for now, find a weakness, then strike.
A black spatial rift began forming.
"Trying to run? Too late!"
Hamamaru read Akiru's intent, there was no easy escape.
Faint runes shimmered across his scythe, glinting with an eerie light.
He pointed from afar.
Scythe of the Shinigami!
A golden chain of runes shot from the blade, alive as it snaked forward.
With a shrill whistle, it bound Akiru, forcibly tethering him to Hamamaru.
The instant the chain tightened, sealing energy poured out, making Akiru's Chakra flow sluggish.
"A… sealing chain?"
Akiru's face paled. He struggled, clawing at the links to tear them apart. Yet the chain felt indestructible, unmoving, constricting until his bones creaked.
He could feel that, once bound, they could only fight within a set range—no fleeing the battlefield.
Worse, the sealing power inside the chain kept suppressing his Chakra, his strength plummeting. The wound on his shoulder throbbed even more.
He glared at Hamamaru, terror and disbelief in his eyes. "You look so young, how do you wield such a bizarre sealing art?"
Hamamaru offered no answer, his gaze icy. Energy gathered again on his scythe, gold and scarlet light twisting into blinding brilliance.
He could give Akiru no breathing room, he had to end this before complications arose.
The blade lifted, aiming at Akiru's chest.
One more drop would finish him.
Watching the scythe descend, Akiru's terror peaked, his body trembling uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, Shiryu saw Ginga's wounds slowly closing and steeled himself.
He could not allow recovery, he had to press the advantage and finish the foe. If Ginga caught his breath, another brutal fight would begin.
Shiryu drew a deep breath and countless golden Chakra dragons coiled around him, roaring loud enough to shake the world.
Dragon might rolled out like a tide, blanketing the battlefield.
Even distant Otsutsuki High Council Members felt a chill.
Hundred Dragons!
This was Shiryu's ultimate art, never used unless absolutely necessary.
A hundred golden dragons unfurled, every scale lifelike. Starlight flashed across their armored bodies as they bore world-destroying might toward Ginga.
Claws raked, tails swept.
Every avenue of escape was sealed beneath a surging golden torrent.
Space tore, cracks racing outward as the energy vortex devoured all.