Just as the giant chameleon was forced back, screaming from the Chidori Current, Ryun used a Body Flicker Technique to close the distance. With just three taijutsu moves, he easily severed the head of the Preta Path, the young girl.
Thus, three of the Six Paths of Pain were gone.
Boom!!!
With the death of the Animal Path, all the large summoning beasts on the battlefield vanished into puffs of smoke in the next moment.
"Where did you get my intel?" the Deva Path asked, his face darkening.
Fighting up to this point, Nagato had to admit that almost all of his information seemed to be known by Ryun.
Every time Ryun initiated combat, he would use a large scale area of effect throwing technique. This both prevented the Preta Path from absorbing it and forced the Deva Path to use Shinra Tensei.
After using Shinra Tensei, the Deva Path could not use it again immediately. Seizing this brief cooldown period, Ryun would use his extreme speed to launch swift and highly effective assaults, keeping the Six Paths of Pain constantly on the defensive.
If figuring out the Preta Path's ninjutsu absorption earlier could be dismissed as luck, then instantly killing the Naraka Path, sealing the splitting Hellhound, and killing during the Deva Path's cooldown period could not possibly be mere luck...
"Before these eyes of mine, anyone's abilities are laid bare." Ryun's eyes shimmered with red light, attempting to mislead the Deva Path before him.
'The ability of the Sharingan? Or... some kind of mind reading technique?' Nagato was momentarily unsettled and suspicious because of these words.
But suspicion was one thing. Even if Ryun knew his abilities from somewhere, this fight still had to continue.
"Asura Path, Laser Arrows!"
The Asura Path's arms unfolded, transforming into laser turrets. One beam after another of laser arrows began bombarding Ryun's location.
These laser arrows were not highly powerful, but they were numerous and dense, and their attack speed was very fast.
Facing such an attack, Ryun only dodged twice using the Body Flicker Technique before choosing to face it head on. His right eye once again transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
The Susanoo skeleton reappeared. The dense, low power laser arrows simply could not break through the Susanoo's defense.
"Banshō Ten'in!"
The Deva Path manifested gravitational attraction in his hand again. Ryun's body, along with the Susanoo skeleton, was forcibly pulled towards him once more.
This time, Ryun did not use the Flying Thunder God Technique to evade. Instead, he chose to confront the Deva Path head on.
The powerful gravitational force pulled him to the Deva Path's side in the blink of an eye. Ryun's ocular power burst forth, and a Susanoo arm instantly formed. A bone fist the size of a sandbag slammed directly towards the Deva Path's face.
Facing the oncoming bone fist, the Deva Path raised his palm and uttered a low phrase:
"Shinra Tensei!"
A piercing, invisible force of repulsion was instantly activated. The terrifying power forcefully blocked the Susanoo's bone fist in an instant.
Crack... Crunch...
The sound of shattering bone echoed across the battlefield. The Susanoo bone fist held against the repulsive force for only a second before being shattered to pieces.
In the next moment, the repulsive force struck the Susanoo skeleton. Ryun's entire body was instantly forced back a step. The Susanoo ribs around him began to crack and splinter inch by inch. In just two seconds, Ryun had lost the protection of the Susanoo skeleton, and his entire body was completely exposed to the crushing force of the repulsion.
In this brief clash between the ocular power of the Sharingan and the Rinnegan, it seemed the Rinnegan had come out on top.
However, Ryun possessed more than just the power of the Sharingan. As the purple core within his body vibrated, boundless Senjutsu Chakra erupted forth instantly. Explosive power transmitted to every part of his body, causing Ryun to appear radiant and magnificent!
"This is..." The Deva Path's eyes showed shock.
In the Rinnegan's vision, Ryun's body suddenly appeared in a highly distorted state, a visual phenomenon produced after the eruption of an immense amount of Senjutsu Chakra.
Relying on this terrifying energy outburst, Ryun instantly resisted the crushing force of the Deva Path's repulsion. His feet gathered a vast amount of chakra, firmly anchoring him to the ground.
"What!!!"
Seeing Ryun actually withstand Shinra Tensei head on, the Deva Path widened his eyes in disbelief, unable to hold back a cry of surprise.
After the power of the Deva Path's repulsion peaked, it began to rapidly diminish. A fierce grin spread across Ryun's face as he waited for the moment the repulsion completely vanished to destroy this strongest Path, the Deva Path puppet.
The sheer power of Uchiha Ryun far exceeded Nagato's expectations. He had never imagined anyone could directly withstand his Shinra Tensei.
'This guy is practically a human shaped monster!'
The durability of Ryun's physical body at this moment was probably even sturdier than the Susanoo skeleton!
The moment the repulsion faded, Ryun closed the distance to the Deva Path in the blink of an eye. The Deva Path, wielding a black rod, engaged Ryun in close combat. However, in just five moves, Ryun shattered the Six Paths black rod with his bare hands, followed by a powerful strike directly impacting the Deva Path's abdomen.
Whoosh!!!
The Deva Path shot away like a cannonball, smashing hard into the rock face of a nearby mountain.
Seeing the Deva Path embedded in the mountain, the Preta Path and Asura Path, knowing they were outmatched, still had to press the attack.
However, as if aware of their inevitable demise, the purple light in the eyes of the Asura Path and Preta Path noticeably dimmed.
This was a sign that their power was being significantly transferred elsewhere!
The two Paths coordinated their attacks, engaging Ryun in close quarters combat. But whether in terms of strength or speed, they were no match for Ryun. Even with shared vision, they gained no advantage. Within mere five seconds, the Preta Path had its head shattered by a punch.
Another three seconds later, a Chidori Sharp Spear shot from Ryun's hand, piercing straight through the Asura Path's heart.
After dispatching another troublesome Path, Ryun turned his gaze back to the final one.
The Deva Path slowly emerged from the mountain. His Akatsuki cloak was tattered. The Deva Path stripped off the upper garment, revealing a strange mark emblazoned on his abdomen!
"See clearly now? Whether it's the chips in your hand, or your own inherent strength... you have no qualification to discuss cooperation with me."
"Your only option is unconditional submission to me. For the sake of the Rinnegan, I will permit you to stand behind me."
Ryun spoke words that Nagato found extremely arrogant.
What Nagato wanted was to stand side by side with Uchiha Ryun, or even ahead of him, to guide the ninja world towards peace. Not to stand behind the other, and certainly not some damned submission!
"Have you heard an old saying?" the Deva Path suddenly asked.
Without waiting for Ryun to respond, the Deva Path continued on his own:
"As the saying goes: Heaven punishes the arrogant... My name is Pain of the Deva Path. Today, I have come to claim you!"
Hearing this, Ryun couldn't help but laugh.
"I've heard that saying too. But to so grandly proclaim yourself as Heaven... isn't your arrogance far greater than mine?"
Nagato thought Ryun was arrogant, but in fact, Ryun's words were entirely based on reality. He was never an arrogant person; it was just that others often couldn't accept the facts he stated.
It was like a player of the highest rank telling a mid level player they are not very skilled. The top rank player states a fact, but is still willing to say: I can carry you to victory next game, take you to win, provided you acknowledge me as the superior... But the mid level player feels insulted by the top rank player, and declares: Just wait, I will defeat you in the next match, to show you who is truly the superior...
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