The strength Shiki was displaying now was enough to crush the will of everyone present.
"…This…"
Sarutobi Shinnosuke hesitated.
Facing someone like this…
Was he really still going to stand on the battlefield?
For a moment, his mind went blank. The pressure alone was suffocating.
But when his gaze drifted to his empty sleeve, his teeth clenched.
One arm gone.
If he walked away now—if he didn't settle this here—then this was as far as he would ever go.
His growth would end on this battlefield.
On Kumogakure's side, only minutes had passed—
And yet, of the six thousand Cloud shinobi who had entered the fight, nearly half were already down.
"Raikage-sama! This can't continue!"
The Third Raikage's deputy spoke through gritted teeth. Even he felt his balance wavering under the overwhelming pressure crashing down from Shiki.
"…Damn it."
The Third Raikage's face darkened.
He had assumed Shiki's earlier words were nothing more than intimidation.
Now it was clear.
This man truly had the power to reshape the battlefield by himself.
Shiki's presence continued to press outward, relentless and unyielding. If things continued like this, no coordination or tactics would matter—
Shiki alone could force Kumogakure into collapse.
"So this is Conqueror's Haki…" Shiki said calmly.
"Efficient."
He had many ways to fight large numbers.
But when it came to breaking morale and clearing the field, nothing was faster than this.
Suddenly...
Lightning flared.
"Hell Stab — Four-Fingered Nukite!"
A blue flash tore across the battlefield.
The Third Raikage surged forward, four fingers raised, his body moving faster than most eyes could follow. He understood the situation clearly now.
If Shiki didn't go down here...
This war was already lost.
"Move!"
His chakra roared as lightning wrapped around him.
BOOM—!!
Black Armament Haki coated Shiki's blade as he blocked the strike head-on. Sparks exploded outward as the clash froze for an instant.
"What—!?"
"Enemy contact! Defensive formation!"
The exchange happened too fast.
By the time Konoha's shinobi reacted, Shiki and the Third Raikage were already fighting.
At the same time, Kumogakure charged.
A and Killer B led from the front, forcing their remaining forces forward.
"For Konoha!"
Ino–Shika–Cho took the lead, charging straight into the Cloud ranks. With many enemies already down, the numerical gap between the two armies had narrowed drastically.
The Third Raikage narrowed his eyes.
"What kind of defense is that…?"
His Hell Stab refused to break through that blackened steel.
This wasn't Lightning Release.
It wasn't ninjutsu.
And it wasn't anything he recognized.
Across from him, Shiki looked relaxed.
"Don't bother figuring it out," he said.
"It won't help you."
The Raikage's chakra spiked violently.
Since when did anyone talk to him like this?
Lightning erupted—
And his figure vanished.
Even without Flying Thunder God, Kumogakure's Lightning Release Chakra Mode pushed speed to its limit—fast enough to overwhelm most opponents outright.
Too bad—
"It's still not enough."
Shiki raised his blades and crossed them Infront of him instinctively.
BOOM!
The Raikage reappeared right in front of him, his punch smashing into overlapping steel.
"…!"
His eyes widened.
He had been tracked.
Read completely.
No hesitation followed.
Shiki moved.
The clash continued at close range, neither giving ground.
The Raikage pulled back in a burst of lightning and raised his hand again—this time lowering one finger.
The fewer fingers used...
The stronger the attack became.
"Hell Stab — Three-Fingered Nukite!"
Lightning tore forward.
His body blurred into electricity itself, speed climbing higher with every step.
"Lion Might — Thousand-Cut Valley!"
Sword pressure exploded outward from Shiki, sweeping across the field in overlapping waves.
The Hell Stab was forced to break mid-charge.
The Raikage trusted his Lightning Armor and pressed through anyway—
Until...
Cracks formed.
"What…?"
His armor fractured under sword pressure alone.
No time to question it.
He aborted the attack instantly, twisting away as blade after blade carved through the space he had occupied.
Shiki stood firm, blades lowered slightly.
"So this is Cloud's defense."
A pause.
"…I expected it to hold longer."
The Raikage's breathing grew heavy—not from exhaustion, but fury.
He had underestimated Shiki.
Gravely.
But there was still one move left.
"For Cloud's future…"
Lightning surged again—stronger than before.
This time, only one finger remained extended.
The final technique.
Shiki raised both swords, crossing them before his chest. His gaze sharpened, focus locking in.
"Then don't hold back," he said evenly.
"Because I won't."
The ground shattered beneath the Raikage's feet.
His body became lightning.
"Hell Stab — One-Fingered Nukite!"
Black Armament Haki flooded Shiki's blades.
He didn't dodge.
He moved forward.
"Lion Might — Two Worlds Burial!"
BOOOOM—!!!
Gold met blue in a violent collision.
The battlefield froze—
Then...
Under the Third Raikage's stunned gaze—
Shiki's blade split through the Lightning Armor.
Steel flashed.
And the arm that carried Hell Stab—
Hit the ground.
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