CHAPTER 94 — The Sea of Paper and Fire
Konan's Paper Person of God Technique exploded, burning the top layer of mud and water, but it didn't hurt Gaius or the others. White paper floated everywhere, covering the wet ground like a snowstorm.
Then the real danger began.
The floating sheets of paper did not drift aimlessly. They rose from the mud and soil, coming up from deep layers of the earth. Hundreds, then thousands, then countless sheets spiraled upward, folding, twisting, and arranging themselves. Each one is an explosive tag, meticulously timed, compressed, and positioned. The entire field transformed into a living, breathing ocean of paper, a storm controlled by a calm, blue-haired woman.
Gaius' eyes narrowed as he surveyed the shifting battlefield. "Brace yourselves," he ordered, the voice cutting through the patter of rain.
Metaurus' massive shield slid into position. The other Bladeguards locked their tower shields edge-to-edge, forming a nearly impenetrable wall. Diana stepped in behind them, crossing her bracers to protect her upper body, her stance ready for anything.
Konan's hands rose in precise movements. Every flick of her wrist sent a cascade of paper sheets flying into new positions. Each sheet's explosive tag hummed faintly with chakra, a promise of destruction if triggered.
Without warning, the first wave of detonations began.
The outermost layers ignited first. Explosions rolled across the field in staggered bursts rather than a single, overwhelming shockwave. Mud and paper flew in every direction. The Marines' shields bore the brunt. Titus gritted his teeth and roared orders.
"Brace! Keep formation! Forward pressure!"
The three Bladeguards slammed their shields harder, digging into the mud, creating a dome-like forward defense. Diana's speed became crucial. She darted behind the wall, deflecting sheets of exploding paper with precise blows from her bracelets. Each explosion that would have cut through the formation harmlessly bounced away or detonated safely at the edges.
Konan's eyes narrowed. This was more than she expected. The Marines were moving like one organism, a single force capable of absorbing shockwaves designed to destroy. She tilted her head, testing the next level of her technique.
The ground itself became a weapon.
From below, deep layers of soil, mud, and paper surged upward. Konan triggered the underground detonations, sending geysers of mud, dirt, and paper into the air. The sheer upward force threatened to fling anyone off their feet.
Gaius planted his warhammer like a massive anchor, boots digging trenches in the shifting mud. The combined weight of the Astartes kept them grounded. Titus adjusted the angle of his shield to absorb the pressure, while the Bladeguards mirrored his movements. Diana pushed down with all her strength behind the wall, taking some of the energy of the explosions onto herself to protect the Marines.
The blasts were strong enough to have leveled a small forest, but the phalanx held. The formation wavered but did not break. Even Konan was beginning to realize that techniques meant to crush Madara himself were only met with controlled resistance here.
Then came the third wave, the collapsing kill zones.
Konan's battlefield mind was relentless. Paper layers folded inward, creating vacuum pockets that sucked explosive tags together. Each pocket was designed to detonate in a perfectly timed, patterned grid. The goal was complete annihilation, leaving no gap for escape.
Metaurus shifted into a forward push. Bladeguards angled shields to redirect explosions upward. Gaius struck clusters mid-air with his hammer, breaking some apart before they could detonate. Diana's reflexes were a blur. She sliced sheets in mid-air, redirected others with precise strikes, and created openings in the explosion patterns. Her movements left fleeting afterimages that disrupted Konan's targeting entirely.
Konan's lips pressed thin. She had expected chaos to overwhelm them. Instead, she was forced to adapt on the fly. They were not just surviving, they were countering.
The fourth wave was her most ambitious: mass burial.
Thousands of paper sheets fell like collapsing walls, intent on pinning the Astartes and Diana under an unending storm of explosives. The goal was clear: immobilize, isolate, and set up detonations that would leave no survivors.
"Hold the line!" Titus shouted, lifting his Chainsword to meet the falling sheets. The Bladeguards followed instinctively, forming a solid wall that cut through the paper like a plow. Gaius braced himself, hammer ready, and advanced slowly, anchoring the formation with sheer mass and momentum.
Diana acted with unmatched speed. Her sword spun in a near-perfect circle, generating a small wind vortex that pushed back falling paper and explosives. The combination of movement and force prevented burial, keeping gaps open in the relentless storm.
Konan's eyes widened in surprise. She had never accounted for such coordination and raw power in a formation like this. Every step, every block, every precise swing of a sword disrupted her plan. Her mouth opened slightly as if to protest, but no words came.
Finally, the ten-minute detonation sequence began.
Konan had arranged her tags in recursive waves, overlapping blast pockets, timed pressure bursts, and directional shock funnels. If they could survive this, nothing could.
The phalanx moved slowly, step by step, shields angled to deflect the force. Their armor absorbed explosions that would have killed ordinary soldiers instantly. Diana leaped to intercept clusters the Astartes could not cover, taking shockwaves directly but keeping her focus steady.
As the minutes dragged on, the forest disappeared. The ground was torn into a field of craters, mud and ash mixing with smoke and fire. And yet, through it all, the line of shields held firm. Diana, scorched and breathing heavily, stood unyielding behind them. She could have cut through the sea of paper and escaped on her own, but she stayed, fighting alongside the others. Titus raised his chainsword, and Gaius swung his warhammer through the debris.
"It seems your final attack has failed you," Gaius said, voice cutting through the haze.
Konan froze, stunned. Nagato, too, gasped, his eyes wide with disbelief. They had survived what should have been certain death.
Nagato whispered, so only Konan could hear, "This is the end… but I'll take all of you with me."
Desperation now etched every line of his face. His hands shook as he formed a prayer seal. The ground trembled beneath them, and a black sphere of gravity began to rise, Chibaku Tensei. Blood streamed from his nose and eyes, and his hair bleached even whiter under the strain.
Gaius analyzed the situation instantly. The Marines were fatigued and injured, but combat-capable. He could not allow Nagato to finish the technique as that might injured Titus and the others further, or might even be killed.
"Fire!" he ordered.
Bolters cracked, and plasma beams streaked through the air with deadly precision. Nagato reacted instantly, lifting one hand from his prayer pose to deflect the shots with Shinra Tensei. The strain on him was catastrophic, yet the black orb continued to grow.
Diana spotted the opening and knew this was a critical moment. She lunged like a spear, sword thrust straight ahead. Rain and smoke blurred her form as she cut through the battlefield. Nagato reinforced the repulsion with Shinra Tensei, stopping her mid-air, but she pressed forward relentlessly.
Konan recognized the threat and leaped in front of Nagato, forming paper barriers, spears—anything to stop Diana. But Diana's determination was unyielding. Her strike hit true, shattering Konan's defenses and driving straight through her, right before Nagato.
Konan coughed, blood spilling from her lips, and froze. Diana paused, she hadn't expected this person to sacrifice themselves for an ally.
Nagato's technique faltered. The Chibaku Tensei collapsed mid-formation, the black orb losing its shape. Gaius appeared behind him and slammed his hands down, crushing the remnants of the orb, and Nagato's arms, under the force.
Nagato did not scream. He merely grunted, shock rippling through him as Konan fell against Diana's blade.
"Konan…" he whispered.
She barely managed a soft breath. "Sorry… Nagato… I couldn't run…"
Before they had agreed to use her technique, Nagato had told her that if it ever failed, she should escape and live peacefully somewhere far away, letting him stay behind. Konan had agreed. But now… she had broken that promise, sacrificing herself for him.
Nagato slumped, exhausted, bloodied, and broken. He looked at Diana and Gaius. "I am defeated," he said, voice faint. "But… she… she can be saved."
Diana withdrew her blade slowly, the storm finally around them beginning to settle.
"She is dying. I struck her heart," Diana said softly, uncertainty and relief mingling in her tone.
Nagato nodded, trembling. "I can save her. I will use a Rinnegan technique… to bring her back to life in exchange of my life."
Diana's eyes widened. "Bring her back?"
She didn't say yes or no, instead turning to Gaius, leaving the decision in his hands.
"Yes," Nagato said, his voice faint but steady. "I will give you my Rinnegan in return."
He continued, his words softer this time, "So please… let her go."
It was the first time he had ever said please since losing Yahiko.
Gaius studied him carefully, weighing the offer. The Rinnegan, the source of this person's power, was formidable, and the Emperor might want to study it for his own purposes. Finally, Gaius spoke.
"She lives," he said, voice steady, "but under control. She will harm no one else."
Nagato gave a weak exhale. For the first time in the battle, a hint of relief softened his features.
End of Chapter 94
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