Kazuyama Gekkō's offensive had fully unfolded. The overwhelming defeat of the Three-Tails and the killing of Kakuzu—all this had happened within mere minutes. Without the balance provided by the Three-Tails and Kakuzu, the scales had begun to tip.
"Damn it!"
"Don't think you've won just yet!"
"Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!"
Nagato, having personally dealt with Kakuzu, was seething with rage. Although Kakuzu had only recently joined the organization, losing such a talented individual was a bitter blow. However, that bitterness quickly transformed into burning hatred toward Kazuyama Gekkō.
Chakra surged violently into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Nagato had abandoned control of his other clones, focusing entirely on using the statue as his main weapon.
At the same time, black rods began to materialize behind him. They had been there all along, but he had paused the Demonic Statue's use earlier. His vitality had been sufficient to maintain it, but with his chakra consumption becoming increasingly violent, the black rods were now having a visible impact on his body.
Nagato's face visibly aged before their eyes. This was the cost of overexerting the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
"Hmph. Tired of living?"
"Pushing the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path this hard? Even with your Uzumaki bloodline, you won't be able to hold up."
Kazuyama Gekkō sneered disdainfully, then ordered the Titan Python to release its hold on the statue. It wasn't just Nagato who was exhausting himself—trapping the Demonic Statue with the Titan Python was also draining his own resources. Especially with the need to endure the statue's lightning strikes, which were far more powerful than normal Lightning Release techniques. Every strike of thunder drained a significant portion of his Senjutsu chakra.
Now, his Titan Python form had begun to shrink, a clear sign of the massive depletion of natural energy.
"Kazuyama, are you okay?"
"Ah, I'm fine. Just a bit low on chakra."
Tagitsuhime also retreated to his side. Her massive red serpent now dwarfed the Titan Python in size. This was inevitable, considering she was a Snake Princess who had trained for a thousand years. Her Senjutsu chakra vastly exceeded that of Kazuyama Gekkō. Even after such a fierce battle, her energy had barely been depleted.
Chōmei flapped his wings and joined them, though his attitude was anything but ordinary. He was... excited!
"Hey, Kazuyama! Keep going!"
"Running low on chakra? No worries, I'll give you some!"
"Let's keep going! I want to beat the crap out of that Rinnegan bastard!"
Kazuyama Gekkō watched Chōmei's excited antics and shook his head helplessly.
The battle paused temporarily as both sides regrouped.
Muren Uchiha, shielded by Susanoo, had approached the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. Seeing the statue becoming increasingly violent, he realized Nagato was pushing himself to the limit.
But for now, there was no better plan. After all, his Dōjutsu was support-based and lacked offensive power.
Nagato, since you've already activated the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
You should know what that power entails.
Nagato nodded. He had resolved to use every means necessary to eliminate Kazuyama Gekkō, even if it cost him his life.
The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's capabilities weren't so simple—after all, it was the Ten-Tails' vessel.
Though it couldn't be compared to the Ten-Tails itself, it still defied conventional understanding.
"I'll go retrieve Kabuto. His puppets are combat assets. Otherwise, just the two of us won't stand a chance against him."
Muren Uchiha stared warily at the three colossal figures across from him.
Two snakes and a worm—such an unnatural combination had managed to inflict heavy casualties on their Akatsuki forces.
The next instant, his Dōjutsu activated, and Muren Uchiha vanished from his spot.
Seeing his move, Kazuyama Gekkō understood immediately—this guy was definitely going to retrieve Kabuto, who had been blasted away by Chōmei.
Kazuyama Gekkō watched Muren Uchiha depart with a faint smile. He didn't believe bringing Kabuto back would make any difference.
"He's going to rescue that puppet kid."
"Pfft, so what if he saves him? One swipe of my tail will send him flying!"
Chōmei scoffed dismissively. After all, as the strongest brother duo in the world, he certainly didn't fear some puppet-wielding brat.
"Still, that Demonic Statue of the Outer Path is proving quite troublesome."
"From what I know of him, he still has trump cards up his sleeve."
"Huh? Holy shit, what was he saying? Kazuyama, be careful with what's coming next."
A hint of gravity crept into Chōmei's tone. As a Tailed Beast, he knew the Ten-Tails and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path all too well.
At that moment, Nagato's actions began. Still with his hands pressed together, a faint purple glow started to coalesce from the mouth of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
And astonishingly, this purple light formed the shape of a dragon's head.
"I see it. It really is troublesome."
"The ability to devour chakra, huh..."
"All three of us are chakra energy bodies now. That ability is a natural disaster for us."
Kazuyama Gekkō instantly recognized the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path's next move.
His words made Chōmei exclaim in surprise: "Hey, Gekkō, you're something else! How did you know?"
"Forget it. After all these years, I still can't fathom what's going on in your head."
"But you're right—that attack can indeed devour chakra."
"And whatever chakra it consumes feeds back into itself. It's a tough opponent."
Nagato heard Kazuyama Gekkō's words too, but surprise no longer registered.
His sole focus now was eliminating this monstrous trio.
The Chakra Dragon of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, just as Kazuyama Gekkō said, could directly devour chakra.
It was even more terrifying—it could absorb vitality.
Nagato was in a dire state, but by activating this ability, he could forcibly plunder the enemy's chakra and vitality to nourish himself.
"Kazuyama Gekkō, the battle isn't over yet!"
"Die!"
Nagato roared, unleashing the purple chakra dragon's assault.
"Chōmei! Tagitsuhime!"
"Don't clash head-on! Retreat!"
Both Chōmei and Tagitsuhime were currently operating as chakra bodies.
If entangled by that chakra dragon, having their chakra devoured would drastically reduce their combat effectiveness.
Even Kazuyama Gekkō himself shed his Titan Python form, relying on Flying Thunder God Technique to execute his first evasion.
"Hmph! Gekkō, why fear him!"
"Snake Senjutsu: Dance with the Serpent!"
Tagitsuhime displayed her innate rebellious streak. Facing the purple dragon's charge, she advanced instead of retreating.
She too coalesced a serpent from chakra.
A fierce battle between dragon and snake erupted instantly.
The moment the crimson serpent and the violet dragon collided, Tagitsuhime's expression changed drastically.
"No! I'm done for!"
"Kazuyama, save me!"
Kazuyama Gekkō: ...Impressed!