There was only one word Deidara could use to describe Ashveil: monster.
Even after enduring ten of Might Guy's most devastating strikes, Ashveil remained unscathed. Each blow, amplified by the Eighth Gate, should have obliterated anyone else, yet he stood perfectly composed. Deidara could hardly process it. His understanding of combat power had been shattered, and all he could do was stare, dumbfounded.
Might Guy, too, began to realize the truth. Perhaps Ashveil had been right all along. The pity, however, was that Neji had already fallen. Otherwise, Guy could have analyzed the nuances of Ashveil's Conqueror's Haki shield. Sacrificing his life now was unnecessary. With the Eight-Tails fragment already freed, the next step was simply to retreat.
Acting without hesitation, Might Guy surged forward, moving like a flash of lightning toward Lee. Lee froze in shock. His teacher was supposed to fight—but instead, he was fleeing? For a moment, Lee wondered if he had misread the situation.
"Lee, hurry! The situation has changed. We need to leave immediately!" Might Guy roared, his voice cutting through the chaos. Without missing a beat, he scooped TenTen and Neji into his arms, one in each hand. Lee finally reacted and seized the opportunity to escape while he still could.
The scene was dramatic—Might Guy, the renowned powerhouse of Konoha, retreating from a single opponent. Anyone witnessing it would have been astonished. Even Deidara, half-conscious, could barely contain his astonishment. He realized then that if it were him facing Ashveil, he would likely do the same. The sheer unpredictability of Ashveil's abilities left no room for hesitation; survival meant retreat.
Meanwhile, Ashveil watched silently. He did not mind that the Eight-Tails had been released, yet those who had challenged him could not simply walk away unscathed. He intended to make them remember the encounter, lest anyone dare oppose him again.
Power condensed on Ashveil's body. Freezing energy swirled around him, merging with his Conqueror's Haki. In an instant, a massive frozen fist materialized in the sky, its aura radiating sheer devastation. Deidara recognized it immediately; Ashveil had used this technique before in the Land of Lightning, defeating the Eight-Tails with it. Now, Might Guy and his team were the targets, leaving no chance for escape.
The chilling energy hit with merciless force. Lee and the others were caught in the blast, their bodies frozen solid, sculpted into ice by Ashveil's unparalleled technique. Even Might Guy, despite his strength and agility, succumbed to the freezing power. The battlefield fell silent under the overwhelming presence of Ashveil's might.
Ashveil clapped his hands once, the sound echoing through the frozen air. He turned toward Deidara and Tobi, who were still reeling from shock. "All taken care of. Those Konoha ninjas, when teamed up, can be a bit troublesome," Ashveil said calmly.
Deidara and Tobi were immediately agitated. "A bit troublesome? What do you mean?" Deidara muttered. "You personally handled them one by one, effortlessly!"
Ashveil's expression remained unchanged. His demeanor, calm and almost casual, only heightened their frustration. The only person who had given him any difficulty, Might Guy, had already been neutralized, despite activating the life-consuming Eight Gates Formation.
Tobi's mind raced. Amid the chaos of the battle, the Eight-Tails' sealing box had been lost and destroyed by Might Guy's intervention. The weight of the mistake pressed heavily on him. Meanwhile, Ashveil stood composed, his eyes cold and calculating. Capturing or defeating a Tailed Beast had never been his true objective.
For Ashveil, the lesson had been clear: those who underestimated him would pay.
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