"I didn't expect the teacher to be forced to this extent!"
At this moment, Sami—hiding behind a massive boulder—stared in shock at the crimson chakra cloak wrapping around Killer B's body.
Chen Xing immediately recognized the nature of that chakra. That's the tailed beast's chakra cloak. Though it reminded him somewhat of his own Peacock Form, the aura radiating from Killer B's cloak was far more savage and violent.
"Yo, kid, looks like playtime's over. Guess I gotta get serious now, yeah~," Killer B said, lowering his stance slightly. Despite the gravity of the moment, he was still rapping in rhythm, which made Chen Xing sigh helplessly.
"Fine then," Chen Xing replied. "I'll be serious too."
---
"Secret Art — Peacock Form!"
As Chen Xing formed a rapid sequence of hand seals, a torrent of violet chakra burst from his body, rising like a storm.
"Chakra manifestation?" Gyūki, the Eight-Tails sealed within Killer B, was momentarily surprised as it watched from the inner world.
Before B's and Gyūki's astonished eyes, the chakra surrounding Chen Xing began to transform—first spreading into two enormous wings, then forming a fan-shaped crest behind him. The violet light sharpened into feathers, talons, and a pair of fierce eyes.
In an instant, a gigantic chakra avatar shaped like a peacock towered over Killer B, its wings unfurling with regal splendor and killing intent.
"Oh, yeah~! That's one big peacock!" B exclaimed, craning his neck to look up at it.
"Don't underestimate that thing," Gyūki warned from within. "Its defensive power rivals your current cloak, maybe even more."
"I know, but we've got a tailed beast on our side too, yeah~," B answered with his usual singsong tone.
"Can you stop rhyming for one minute and focus?" Gyūki muttered in exasperation.
"Should I go full transformation?" the Eight-Tails asked.
B thought for a second, watching the peacock flare its wings. "Not yet. Let's see what this guy can do first, yeah~."
---
From within the Peacock Form, Chen Xing's sharp eyes locked onto Killer B. The chakra avatar suddenly surged forward, its massive wings beating with hurricane force as it dived toward B. Its talons gleamed with condensed chakra, striking with blinding speed.
"Boom!"
A deep crater exploded where B had just stood. Startled, he dodged sideways—one of his chakra tails snapping out like a whip toward the airborne peacock.
"Whoosh!"
The red chakra tail sliced through the air, but the peacock flexed its wings and evaded with surprising agility. As it turned, wind-natured chakra surged along its feathers, creating cutting gusts that roared toward B.
"Fūton: Twin Wind Blades!"
Two shimmering blades of compressed air shot from the peacock's wings, slicing through the ground as B twisted his body to evade them.
Then, the peacock soared higher, unleashing a barrage of crescent-shaped wind blades raining down from above.
"Yo! Still got fight in ya, huh? But I'm not that easy!" Killer B grinned, his movements blurring under the enhanced speed of the chakra cloak. Even so, the sheer pressure of the attacks forced him to retreat, his silhouette flickering among explosions of wind and dust.
---
From afar, the three spectators watching the battle were dumbfounded.
"What kind of jutsu is that? It doesn't look like a summoning!" Omoi gasped.
"Could he be a jinchūriki too?" Karui asked in disbelief.
"No… look closely," Sami said calmly. "That's a chakra construct, not a beast. His chakra control is incredible—almost like a Perfect Jinchūriki's, but different."
---
As the battle dragged on, B's cloak flared brighter. A seventh tail sprouted behind him, swaying like a whip of living fire.
"His control… it's getting sharper," Chen Xing murmured from within the Peacock Form. "Even with my chakra reserves, I can't outlast a jinchūriki."
He understood well that in raw stamina and chakra output, he was at a disadvantage against someone backed by a tailed beast. Still, he couldn't retreat without testing the limits of his power.
The peacock's wings folded in—then it vanished in a blur of purple light, diving toward B like a hawk striking prey.
"Tailed Beast Transformation — Partial Manifestation!"
Killer B spun as his eighth tail erupted, his body expanding, the monstrous form of Gyūki partially surfacing. Massive tentacles lashed out, colliding with the peacock mid-air.
"Boom!!!"
The shockwave blasted the ground into a crater, rocks and sand flying as the peacock was swatted away.
Even within the chakra construct, Chen Xing felt the impact reverberate through his body. He clenched his teeth, stabilizing his chakra output to prevent collapse, then sent the peacock soaring back into the sky.
---
From below, the partially transformed Eight-Tails rumbled, its massive form filling the field.
"Kid, that's enough playing around. You're strong—but this is where it ends, yeah~!" Killer B's voice echoed from within Gyūki's mouth.
Chen Xing hovered above, his expression calm.
"Your strength is real, B. Maybe next time, when I'm stronger, we'll finish this properly."
He folded the peacock's wings inward. In an instant, the chakra avatar compressed, shrinking into a streak of purple light that darted into the distance.
---
After leaving the Land of Lightning, Chen Xing temporarily suspended all bounty missions from the underground network.
Two days later, his journey quietly continued.
---