Ten golden flame flying swords slowly orbited Makiya, radiating intense heat.
His white haori was enveloped in Makiya's chakra, with a thin film of flame shimmering across its surface.
For the first time, Killer B realized the downside of his loose tongue. Fighting against one sword had been manageable, but now that there were ten, wouldn't he just be crushed?
Just as Killer B expected, the ten flying swords moved like extensions of Makiya's own arms. They zipped through the air with incredible agility, striking from such tricky angles that he could barely defend himself.
Had it not been for his Tailed Beast Mantle, he would have died countless times already.
"Sonic Impact!"
Makiya recalled a single flying sword, holding it before him with both hands as his chakra surged. The golden blade glowed even brighter and, under the immense thrust, the sword broke the sound barrier, streaking toward the dodging Killer B.
Killer B had just swatted away a sword with his Bee Stings when he felt a bone-chilling cold at his back. Strangely, there was no sound, as if his premonition were just an illusion.
How could it be an illusion!
Killer B immediately dismissed the thought. A battle-hardened ninja never ignored a gut feeling. Trusting his well-honed instincts, he reflexively used one of his tails to grab a nearby tree. The Tailed Beast Mantle then retracted, pulling his body toward the trunk with high speed.
Unfortunately, it was too late.
The supersonic sword transformed into a beam of golden light, erupting from Makiya's hand and piercing through Killer B before extending infinitely into the distance.
As the sword flew, it spun rapidly like a high-temperature drill bit packed with kinetic energy. It tore through the Tailed Beast Mantle's defense with ease, shredding Killer B's toughened flesh as if it were mere paper.
The sword exited his body, leaving a charred hole the size of a bowl. Golden flames clung to the wound, continuously eroding his Tailed Beast chakra.
Only after blood sprayed the ground did the deafening sonic boom reach Killer B's ears. His chest felt as though a mosquito had nipped him—a slight sting that made him reflexively think it wasn't a big deal.
Looking down, he could see the forest behind him directly through the hole in his chest.
"How... is this... possible... Argh!"
Killer B coughed up blood as an indescribable wave of agony washed over him. His Tailed Beast Mantle flickered out, and his limp body crashed to the ground, rolling twice before coming to a stop. He lay staring at the sky, motionless save for the slight rise and fall of his chest, proving that the Jinchuriki's powerful vitality hadn't yet been completely extinguished.
Every breath felt like dragging red-hot iron needles through his lungs. Air struggled to pass through his mangled chest, bringing not life, but deeper torment. Killer B looked up at the sky, feeling his strength recede like a low tide. His consciousness wavered in the encroaching darkness.
"Konoha's... Fire Style user..." Killer B wheezed, his voice faint. "I... was too careless. You... win."
As the last word left his lips, Killer B's legs gave a final twitch, and his breath ceased.
"Wow, with acting like that, it's a shame you aren't in the movies." Makiya remarked, completely unimpressed by Killer B's performance.
Despite his rough appearance and bold fighting style, Killer B was actually quite shrewd. He was an expert at escaping—perhaps second only to Orochimaru with his bio-tech and soul-transferring tricks.
Throughout the events of Shippuden, Killer B had encountered numerous crises, yet he had always escaped using feigned deaths or substitutes. His survival skills were top-tier.
Makiya recalled his flying swords, letting them hover around him as he slowly approached Killer B.
Blood continued to seep from the charred hole in his chest, and his clothes smelled of singed fabric. The lingering Tailed Beast chakra within him hadn't fully vanished. By all accounts, it looked incredibly realistic.
If Makiya hadn't been able to sense soul fluctuations, he might have actually been fooled.
He kicked the corpse aside, revealing the hard ground beneath, and beckoned for three of his flying swords.
The golden flame swords arranged themselves in a triangular formation, spinning rapidly around a central point while releasing an unrestrained amount of heat.
"Go!"
The moment the swords touched the ground, they ground the hard rock into fragments, which then melted into lava under the intense heat.
The swords tunneled through the earth, closing in on the target Makiya sensed. Compared to Killer B's Earth Style speed, the flying swords were just as fast, if not faster, at piercing through the ground.
Moments later, the distant forest shook violently. The earth trembled incessantly.
Trees toppled one after another, and small animals fled for their lives. The ground grew unnervingly hot, as if lava were surging beneath, signaling an imminent volcanic eruption.
BOOM!
The pent-up flames finally breached the surface. A circular area with a radius of a hundred meters collapsed instantly as an endless torrent of golden fire and lava erupted like a pillar reaching for the heavens.
Within the pillar of fire, a crimson figure was propelled out of the ground by the massive force.
Roar!
In his semi-transformed state, Killer B let out a sky-shattering roar that cleared the clouds. The sound waves created a visible shockwave, whipping up tree trunks and rubble as it blasted toward Makiya.
A mere roar carried the power of a high-level Wind Style jutsu. For a human, a Tailed Beast was like a force from a higher dimension; few ninjas could face one head-on.
Luckily, Makiya was also a cheater.
He gripped a flying sword and swung it forward. Chakra flowed along the blade, launching a massive, tens-of-meters-long flaming sword beam that sliced through the hurricane with irresistible force.
Before the airborne trees and rocks could even get close, they were incinerated into charcoal and molten slag by the radiant heat.
The sword beam continued unabated, flying toward the semi-transformed Killer B.
Nearby, the corpse of Killer B twisted and distorted, turning into a large segment of an octopus tentacle.
Octopus Leg Clone.
This was a high-level clone technique unique to Gyuki the Eight-Tails. By using a severed tentacle, the user could create a fake body with a chakra signature identical to the original—even the Mangekyo Sharingan couldn't tell them apart.
Whoosh!
The crimson beast soared through the air, smashing through Makiya's flaming sword beam and lunging at him with the speed of a bullet.
Golden flames ignited around Makiya, instantly incinerating his inner clothing. The Eight-Tails was truly something else; even in this semi-transformed state, the pressure he exerted was comparable to Kokuo.
Killer B and the Eight-Tails seemed to have an excellent relationship. He hadn't lost his mind in this state and was even capable of weaving jutsu into his movements.
Pure white bone sprouted from Killer B's arms, forming a beast-like exoskeleton on his body. His sharp claws glinted with a cold light.
The crimson beast ducked under Makiya's flying sword attack, and his eight tails slammed down, shattering the earth and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Makiya immediately released a surge of golden flames, covering the entire surrounding ground.
Sizzle!
The sound of searing flesh hissed continuously. Killer B's figure flickered through the flames, ignoring the burns to appear at Makiya's side.
"Acrobat: Super Vibrating Lightning Release Swords!"
Killer B pressed his five bone claws together, channeling a massive amount of Lightning Style chakra. The lightning induced high-frequency vibrations, giving the already sharp bone armor incredible piercing power.
Even if an enemy moved their vitals at the last second to avoid a killing blow, the intense lightning would instantly paralyze their body.
"Die, you fool, you jerk!"
The flying swords rushed back to intercept but were all blocked by the eight tails covered in hard bone armor. Lightning light intensified in Makiya's eyes as the claws lunged for his chest.
Whether intentional or not, Killer B aimed his claws at the exact same spot where Makiya's sword had pierced his own chest. He was clearly the type to hold a grudge.
Lightning and fire collided violently. Sharp explosions erupted between the two as the high-frequency claws gradually tore through the haori and pierced into Makiya's chest.
"Got you!" Killer B rejoiced.
"Lord Makiya!" The watching Konoha ninjas screamed, their fists clenched.
"Captain Hamaki, what should we do?" A ninja with remaining chakra looked at Hamaki Mimura, unable to keep quiet.
"Don't panic!" Hamaki Mimura barked. Although he had broken into a sweat the moment Makiya was impaled, having witnessed the battle against Kokuo the Five-Tails, he believed Makiya wouldn't fall so easily.
Makiya also smirked. He grabbed Killer B's arms, and golden flames roared to life.
"Don't be in such a hurry. We have plenty of time."
As he spoke, Makiya's entire body dissolved into flames, completely enveloping Killer B. The sea of fire expanded infinitely, swirling clockwise into a terrifying firestorm.
"This is... a Fire Clone?" Killer B was stunned. He had seen Water Clones and Earth Clones, but never a Fire Clone. How could fire, something so difficult to tame and control, be used to create a clone?
Yet the reality was right before his eyes. The explosion of the Fire Clone created a boundless inferno that completely obscured his vision, melting the ground instantly.
Despite the double protection of Tailed Beast chakra and bone armor, he still felt like he was trapped inside an oven. The parching heat caused his body's moisture to evaporate rapidly.
"Yo, yo, this strange flame's a bit of a fright, for Master Killer B..."
"B!" Gyuki's voice rang out in his mind. "Stop rapping and get out of here! My chakra is being consumed too fast. This enemy isn't simple; you need to treat him like the Raikage!"
"...Fine."
Killer B's hands paddled through the magma as if he were swimming freestyle, but he found a strange suction pulling at him, leaving him with no leverage.
If down doesn't work, what about up?
Suiting action to thought, the eight tails behind Killer B swelled and slammed down against the surface of the liquid lava.
The massive counter-force propelled his body upward. His crimson skin moved through the golden flames, emitting plumes of white smoke.
Countless white bones emerged from within his body, thickening and widening into a heavy armor that encased him. Tailed Beast chakra flowed rapidly between the bones and his skin, carrying away the heat.
However, the swirling flames seemed endless. His upward momentum was quickly neutralized by the fire vortex, and that strange suction pulled him downward again, dragging him back to square one.
Killer B's mouth and throat were parched. The vast pool of magma offered no footing, and the blinding golden flames made his head swim.
There wasn't much time left for the rapping ninja.
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