Orion stood calmly, looking at Raiga Kurosuki.
"If you've got anything left, use it. Let me see the true strength of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen."
Raiga's brows tightened.
"Brat… who do you think you're insulting?!"
"Lightning Blade Art: Falling Thunder!"
"Crack—!"
"Crackle—!"
Enraged, Raiga unleashed his final offensive technique.
Two massive lightning arcs—each as thick as a man's torso—roared forward like giant serpents, striking toward Orion from both sides.
"Stronger than the last attack…"
"But if this is all you've got—"
"It's not enough to kill me."
"Clap!"
Orion brought his hands together.
"Let's try my Lightning Release."
"Lightning Release: Meteor!"
"CRACK—!!"
Golden lightning exploded from his body.
Dozens of compressed lightning projectiles formed instantly and shot forward.
The result—
Overwhelming.
Two golden bolts shattered Raiga's lightning serpents instantly.
No resistance.
No struggle.
The lightning constructs disintegrated into particles.
Before Raiga could even react—
Countless golden lightning strikes slammed into him.
"BOOOOM! BOOOOM! BOOOOM!!"
The explosion was catastrophic.
Golden lightning illuminated the battlefield like daylight despite the night sky.
The ground trembled violently.
A small earthquake rippled through the area.
It looked like the end of the world.
Hundreds of meters away—
Sakura stared in shock.
"This… this is Orion's power…?"
"He's… only twelve… right?"
She couldn't believe it.
This level of destruction—
She had never even seen from Kakashi Hatake.
When the dust finally settled—
A massive crater appeared.
Over 100 meters wideMore than 10 meters deep
The earth was charred black, still smoking.
Orion walked to the edge.
Then—
Into the crater.
What he saw made him freeze.
"…No way…"
Inside lay a completely burned, shattered body.
Charred fragments scattered across the ground.
Beside them—
Two fallen Lightning Blades.
"…Is that really him?"
"…He's dead?"
Orion was stunned.
This was one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen.
An elite jōnin.
And he—
Had killed him with a single technique.
"This… can't be right…"
"Was he fake or something?"
He still couldn't believe it.
He had been waiting—
Waiting for Raiga's ultimate move.
And yet—
One Lightning Release jutsu ended everything.
He picked up the twin blades.
"…These are ugly."
Originally, he had thought about keeping them.
After all, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen were famous partly because of their weapons.
But now—
He lost interest.
"They don't even match my taste."
After a moment, he sighed.
"I'll keep them for now."
"Maybe someday… I can return them to the Hidden Mist and earn a favor."
He pulled out a sealing scroll.
A basic technique he had recently learned.
The blades were sealed away.
Looking at the remains—
Orion shook his head.
"A jōnin… one of the Seven Swordsmen…"
"Dying like this… feels a bit unfortunate."
"Not even dignified."
"You liked holding funerals for others, right?"
"I'll send you off properly."
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Burial."
He placed his hand on the ground.
Mud surged up—
Turning into sand—
Slowly covering Raiga's remains.
A grave formed.
A stone marker rose.
Orion carved the name into it:
Raiga Kurosuki
Despite killing an elite jōnin—
He felt no joy.
Only confusion.
"Why… was it so easy?"
"What level am I at now…?"
He had always believed—
He was around the level of a standard jōnin.
Far from elite.
And yet—
One jutsuLess than 10% chakra usedInstant kill
It felt unreal.
Like a dream.
But reality was clear.
Raiga was dead.
And that meant—
Orion had reached elite jōnin level.
A level where—
One could even be considered for the position of Kage.
And yet—
His official rank?
Still a genin.
The Chūnin Exams were approaching.
Perhaps—
That would be his next step.
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