"Face the consequences? Hahaha! Arrogant brat! This lord wants to see exactly what 'consequences' you can dish out!"
Shukaku was enraged by Sayo's uncompromising ultimatum. For a thousand years, the One-Tail had roamed the world as a disaster incarnate, when had it ever suffered such a blatant threat from a human? Even the Sage of Six Paths had only spoken with a gentle, fatherly authority before the cycles of sealing began. To have a teenage ninja speak of penalties was an insult to the beast's very identity.
Violent chakra erupted like a subterranean tsunami from the heart of the storm. The sandstorm that Sayo's "Iron Sand Boundary" had briefly stabilized now surged back with a hundred-fold fury. Billions of grains condensed in a fraction of a second, forming a sky-blotting giant palm that smashed toward the "tiny" silver giant in the air with a world-crushing force. This blow, delivered in a peak state of Tailed Beast fury, carried enough mass to flatten a mountain fortress in an instant.
Facing the apocalyptic strike, Sayo's eyes were as sharp as high-tensile blades. He showed no flicker of hesitation. To his analytical mind, words had reached their limit; only the application of a superior force would make this unruly ancient spirit sit down and listen to reason.
The limits of man and machine are being tested, Sayo thought as he watched the massive sand-palm approach. Regular strength is no longer enough. I must tap directly into the primal energy of the world.
"Natural Energy Puppet Core… Release! Resonance initiate!" Sayo shouted, his hands flashing through a sequence of seals utterly different from any Ninjutsu recorded in Suna's history. "Sage Art – Awakened Consciousness! Sage Mode… Activate!"
Bzzzz--!!!
An indescribably vast energy surged from the reactor in the giant's chest—not the personal chakra of a shinobi, but something older and infinitely mightier. Refined by the God-Tree fragment, the wild Natural Energy of the planet became a focused, boundless stream. Brilliant green veins instantly crawled over the silver-white titanic frame like living vines, sketching ancient, shimmering patterns across the alloy plating. Natural Energy was being siphoned into every square inch of the puppet, fusing with the chakra-metal and Sayo's own Magnet Release chakra to create a state of perfect harmony.
The giant's optical lenses flared, blazing with a sapphire light that radiated a divine, inhuman majesty. At this moment, the machine was no longer a mere puppet; it was an incarnation of the world's original laws, the Sage Titan.
"Magnet Release – Sage Art: Absolute Defense Barrier!"
Sayo's voice, amplified by the Sage Art's resonance, echoed across the desert. The giant's massive arms flung wide, and the space around it seemed to twist. Countless black iron sand grains, now infused with the power of Natural Energy, formed a titanic geometric barrier. The shield shimmered with green sage sigils, living energy circulating across its surface in a self-healing loop.
BOOM!!!!!!
Shukaku's city-destroying sand palm slammed into the black-green shield. A heaven-shaking detonation erupted; the resulting shockwaves obliterated every dune for miles, turning the sand into fine white powder. Yet, the barrier didn't even quiver. There were no ripples, no cracks, and no loss of integrity.
The pressure is neutralized, Sayo noted internally. The sage-empowered iron sand's density is now a perfect counter to his frequency. Defense: Absolute.
"Only this much, Shukaku?" Sayo's voice carried a hint of clinical disappointment that cut through the beast's pride. "If breaking your word is all the strength you've got, you leave me underwhelmed. Your logic is flawed."
"Damn brat, don't get cocky!" Shukaku roared, rearing up from the sea of sand and opening his jagged maw. The atmosphere around his head began to distort as he prepared his ultimate attack. "This lord will blast you and that scrap-heap to dust, Tailed Beast Ball!!"
Destructive Yin and Yang chakra spun in a perfect ratio, compressing into a jet-black orb laced with crackling red-black lightning. Space itself warped under the density of that ultimate power.
Yet Sayo was faster.
Target lock confirmed, Sayo's mind raced through the strategy. Initializing high-speed acceleration to interrupt the attack.
"Sage Art: Magnet Release: Magnetic Rail Strike!"
The giant's shoulder armor opened with a smooth hiss, revealing intricate magnetic rails glowing with a toxic green light.
"Sage Art: Iron Sand Destruction Bullet!"
Endless iron sand condensed between the giant's palms, highly compressed and infused with Sage chakra, forming a projectile wrapped in a shimmering magnetic envelope.
Fwoosh--!!!
Before the Tailed Beast Ball could be fired, the rail blazed. The bullet accelerated to an impossible velocity, slicing through the sky as a black-green flash. It struck with surgical precision, driving straight into Shukaku's gaping mouth.
BOOM!!!!
A violent internal detonation erupted inside Shukaku's maw. It wasn't as massive as a full Tailed Beast Ball, but the damage of a suppressed explosion inside the point of origin was catastrophic.
"GRAAAH!!" Shukaku shrieked in pain and rage, his massive sandy body toppling backward. The disrupted energy dissipated in a wild spray, shredding his own face and throat.
"Not done yet. I am ending this cycle," Sayo pressed the advantage, piloting the Sage Titan in a high-speed dive. "Sage Art – Magnet Release: Gravity Field Bind!"
An invisible, high-density gravity well crashed down with the giant at its center. Shukaku, struggling to rise, felt as if a hundred mountains were suddenly added to his weight, a total collapse of his physical strength.
"Sage Art – Magnet Release: Lightning-Infused Iron Sand Spears!"
The giant's wings unfurled to their full span. Countless black iron spears, laced with high-frequency lightning and Natural Energy, blossomed like a dark plume. They rained down in a calculated storm.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
The spears pierced Shukaku's sandy body, nailing him to the bedrock. The Natural Energy within the spears acted as a suppression, disrupting the beast's chakra and preventing him from liquefying to escape.
"Roar! Curse you, curse you, Architect!" Shukaku thrashed like a beast caught in a high-tension web. The more he struggled, the more the Sage Art wounds wreaked havoc on his internal energy.
The Sage Titan descended slowly, its sapphire eyes gazing coldly at the pinned head of the raccoon dog. Sayo's voice resounded, calm and irresistible: "Now. Can we return to the agreement, Shukaku? Or do you require me to take more drastic measures?"
The giant raised its mechanical right arm, armor sliding back to reveal a massive, humming barrel. It was condensing Sage chakra into a point of pure white light, a weapon radiating a dread that surpassed even a Tailed Beast Ball.
Shukaku stared at the light, felt the suppressive force, and for the first time in a millennium, his blazing rage was replaced by cold fear and a sense of absolute powerlessness.
This human… this machine… is a monster, Shukaku thought, his pride finally breaking. In a thousand years, apart from the Sage himself, I have never encountered such overwhelming power.
His struggles ceased. The violent sand around them fell flat. In his huge, yellow eyes, the spirit of rebellion finally flickered out.
"The contract is still valid," Sayo whispered, his hand on the furnace. "Let's not have another misunderstanding, old friend."
Plz Drop Some Power Stones.
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