Inoiki's sword flared as he repelled the Naraka Path with a powerful strike, sending it staggering backward. Without pause, he stepped forward, ready to end it—his blade already mid-swing, aimed to destroy the support Path once and for all.
But just before the strike landed, Naraka Path abruptly retreated, vanishing into a blur of motion.
At the same moment, Asura Path—shaken but still operational—rushed back into the fray from Inoiki's flank. Its arms were already reloaded, mechanical joints resetting for another full-force barrage.
Inoiki didn't break focus.
He slammed his hand to the ground, and a thick earth wall surged upward between him and Asura Path—dense, wide, a solid barrier of stone. It bought him just enough time to do what he intended.
He dashed after Naraka Path.
The retreating figure moved fast, but Inoiki was faster—his movement precise, his speed amplified by psychokinetic bursts. In a flash, he appeared in front of Naraka Path and brought his glowing sword down in a lethal arc.
But before the strike could connect—
Boom.
A crushing wave of force smashed into him from the side.
Inoiki was flung like a missile, skidding and bouncing violently across the rocky ground, debris flying in his wake. He ground to a halt only by sheer will, using psychokinesis to stabilize his momentum mid-roll.
He stood up quickly, dust clinging to his coat, fury sharp in his eyes.
"Damn it, Deva Path!" he growled.
His mind raced as he refocused. I can't let this keep happening. I won't be toyed with like this. Deva Path's timing… it's too perfect. He's controlling the flow, punishing every engagement I make.
Inoiki's gaze shifted toward the battlefield.
No more.
If I want to finish this, I have to engage Deva Path directly.
His jaw set, his resolve hardening. And while I do that, I'll use my psychokinesis to finish off the others—Asura and Naraka. Only those two remain. The rest...
He turned slightly, glancing at the cracked, uneven terrain behind him.
...are already buried.
Indeed, while the fight had raged, Inoiki had covertly used his earth manipulation to submerge the defeated Paths—Animal, Human, and Preta—deep beneath the ground, encased in reinforced stone, sealed and immobile.
Now it was a three-on-one fight.
Inoiki committed fully to his decision.
He flew straight toward the Deva Path, sword at his side, energy coiled and ready to strike. His psychokinetic aura flared as he closed the distance, but Deva Path didn't stand still—he moved constantly, weaving across the battlefield.
Sometimes he soared into the air, other times he dashed along the uneven ground, his Rinnegan eyes scanning everything. In his hand, a black chakra rod flicked with calculated precision, deflecting incoming blades one after another.
Deva Path could have used Almighty Push to repel the swords again—but he didn't.
He couldn't afford to.
The cooldown between each use was short—but not short enough in a battle like this. He reserved his gravitational powers carefully, saving Universal Pull and Almighty Push for critical moments—when Inoiki went for a kill shot.
Then, without warning, all of Inoiki's floating swords, previously hounding Deva Path, suddenly diverted midair.
They shot off in unison—racing toward Asura Path and Naraka Path like a swarm of intelligent projectiles.
Deva Path reacted instantly.
Universal Pull.
He extended his arm, and a gravitational field seized the swords mid-flight. They jerked off course, pulled toward him instead of their intended targets. He dragged them for several meters with brute force.
But that was exactly the opening Inoiki had set up.
Like a missile, Inoiki shot forward—his speed cutting through the air with a sonic boom. His sword was gripped tightly in both hands, glowing with sky-blue psychic energy.
Deva Path barely had a second to respond.
Almighty Push.
The force slammed into Inoiki mid-air, sending him flying backward, body twisting from the sudden repulsion. He tumbled through the air—but caught himself quickly, flipping upright, then redirecting his flight using psychokinetic control.
Again, he charged.
The blades that had been halted midair by Deva Path's pull slipped from the gravitational field. As soon as Deva Path's concentration shifted, Inoiki reasserted control. The swords shot off once more—this time resuming their course toward Asura Path and Naraka Path, who were now exposed.
Then came the clash.
Inoiki closed in and struck.
Deva Path raised his black rod just in time. The sword met the rod with a screech of metal and energy, sparks flying in every direction. The two locked in midair, their faces inches apart, eyes locked in unspoken combat.
And then the close combat began.
Fists, rods, blades—every motion was fluid, every strike a calculated risk. Inoiki weaved between thrusts, swinging his blade and lashing out with precision. Deva Path parried, countered, and struck back with the mechanical grace of someone who didn't tire, didn't hesitate.
They exchanged blow after blow, air cracking around them with each impact.
The duel lasted for minutes—neither giving ground.
Throughout the entire aerial clash, Inoiki had deliberately held back from using his short swords or kunai for a sneak attack on Deva Path. Not because he lacked the opportunity—but because he understood the consequences.
If he tried to blindside Deva Path, Almighty Push would be triggered instantly, repelling not just the projectiles but also Inoiki himself.
And beyond that, there was the body.
Inoiki knew Nagato had heavily modified Yahiko's corpse, reinforcing it far beyond ordinary limits. This is the same body that can endured direct hits from the Six-Tails Naruto without falling apart. Whatever its weaknesses, durability wasn't one of them.
So he fought Deva Path head-on, sword to rod, skill to precision.
In the air, the two combatants clashed with rising intensity. Deva Path now gripped a black rod in both hands, expertly countering Inoiki's swings. Then, mid-combat, he made his move.
He released the rod in his right hand and focused chakra into his palm.
Almighty Push.
But this time, it wasn't a wide shockwave—it was compressed. Focused. A deadly, palm-sized sphere of concentrated repulsion, like a high-caliber bullet of gravity.
Inoiki sensed the shift instantly. Observation Haki warned him, screaming danger.
He reacted with speed and instinct—forming a thick, multi-layered ice shield around his midsection and encasing Deva Path's extended hand in ice as well.
But it wasn't enough.
The focused Almighty Push detonated with pinpoint force.
It tore straight through the ice with ease, vaporizing it mid-impact.
Deva Path wasn't done.
He extended his arm again—Universal Pull.
Inoiki felt his body yanked forward, frozen in midair as the gravitational force held him in place.
He couldn't evade.
Boom.
The hit landed square in his gut, the force overwhelming. Blood burst from his mouth as he was hurled backward like a missile. His body crashed into the earth with a thunderous impact, smashing rock and soil, sending a towering cloud of dust into the sky.
Everything shook.
Above, Deva Path hovered silently, his cold gaze following the crater below.
Meanwhile, across the battlefield, Inoiki's psychokinetically guided swords had continued their relentless assault on the remaining Paths.
Naraka Path had already reached its limit. Its defences failed. The body was shredded—metal and flesh ripped apart by dozens of piercing blades. It fell, lifeless.
Asura Path fared no better. Though still functional, it was barely holding on. Deep cuts exposed its inner mechanics—its skin stripped away, revealing metallic joints and fractured metallic parts.
But the moment Inoiki hit the ground, everything changed.
The swords halted.
Without his control, they simply dropped—like puppets with cut strings.
The storm stopped.
As dust and debris settled over the battlefield, a heavy silence followed. The swords that once rained death now lay motionless in the dirt.
And Inoiki, their master, was buried in the crater—silent and unmoving.
----
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