"First Hokage-sama! Second Hokage-sama!" The crowd cried out in despair, clearly not expecting that even the two most powerful warriors had been defeated.
"Damn it!"
"Are we just supposed to stand here and wait for death?" Tsunade slammed her fist into the ground, her face full of helpless rage.
"What about Deidara and Jiraiya?" Tsunade asked.
"Deidara is currently fighting the Evil God, and Jiraiya is battling Mōryō in Amagakure. They likely don't have the capacity to deal with the Death God here," Kakashi replied.
Of course, there was one thing he didn't say: neither battle was guaranteed to be won.
The power of the ancient gods could be glimpsed from the Death God before them—far too strong, a level that utterly crushed ordinary people like them.
"Does that mean it's all over?" Asuma said, feeling defeated. To him, the Death God seemed utterly invincible.
And it wasn't just him; nearly everyone present felt the same way.
"No! It's too early to say that!" A voice of dissent came from Might Guy, dressed in his green tights, showing a rare serious expression.
"Guy! You!" Kakashi's face showed shock. Although he had anticipated this outcome, seeing his close friend reach this point still filled him with sadness.
Even though he had transplanted the First Hokage's cells, that only offered a chance of survival for Guy.
"Kakashi, don't be sad."
"Now is the time to protect what's important, even at the cost of my life. The Blue Beast of Konoha will vanish, transforming into the Red Beast!"
Might Guy leaped in front of everyone, facing the Death God in the sky. He grabbed his green vest and began unbuttoning it one button at a time.
"Seventh Gate! Shock Gate! Open!" A powerful aura erupted, sending dust and debris flying in all directions.
At the same time, the green chakra surrounding him transformed into blue steam.
"The Eight Gates Formation, huh? But even if he opens the Eight Gates, it might not be enough." Asuma had seen Guy's strength in the Seventh Gate during previous battles, but defeating the Death God seemed impossible.
Even the First Hokage had failed.
"No! Asuma, what you'll see next is the final gate of the Eight Gates Formation," Kakashi said solemnly.
Only he understood how terrifying Guy would be after opening the final gate.
But the cost was too high, so unless absolutely necessary, even while watching many comrades sacrifice themselves, they had to endure, saving the Eight Gates for the most critical moment.
"How strong is the final gate?" Seeing Kakashi's serious expression, Asuma was both curious and doubtful.
"Though it may sound disrespectful, after opening the Eight Gates, Guy will be stronger than the First Hokage."
Just as Asuma was processing Kakashi's words, still somewhat skeptical, Guy's shout echoed from the front.
"Eight Gates Released Formation! Open!"
The blue steam around Guy turned crimson, and even his hair and eyebrows were dyed red.
With his resolute expression, he truly resembled a blood-stained war god, standing in the center of the battlefield with terrifying killing intent and aura, daring no one to challenge him.
"That's insane!" exclaimed a Hyuga clan ninja, who saw something within Guy.
It was a chakra level that surpassed even the First Hokage, making Tailed Beasts seem like mere ants in comparison to Might Guy.
"Here I go!"
Taking two steps forward, Might Guy began to rise, stepping on air as he ascended into the sky.
This move even surprised the Death God. To walk on air required incredible speed and power.
"Evening Elephant!"
Guy's techniques were never flashy, but that didn't mean they weren't powerful. After countless trials and tribulations, he concentrated the essence of countless days and nights of training into a single punch, then unleashed it upon his enemy.
A cylindrical air cannon appeared, moving so fast that the Death God barely reacted. It quickly shifted into its spectral form, but the air cannon's yang energy was the perfect nemesis for soul-based beings.
The Death God felt as if his entire body was burning, like a basin of scalding hot oil pouring over him—an agony far worse than ordinary burns.
"Damn it! You mere mortal!" The Death God's cold face twisted in anger.
Clearly, it hadn't anticipated that such a mere mortal could be so formidable. Even the previous reincarnation of Asura hadn't inflicted such damage.
Enduring the pain, the Death God flew swiftly toward Might Guy, intending to extract his soul.
But as soon as it moved, Guy, having opened the Eight Gates, was already behind it with unimaginable speed, delivering another punch.
"Second Step!"
"Third Step!"
"Fourth Step!"
"Fifth Step!"
What?!
The Death God felt a warning in his heart. He couldn't keep up with this mortal's speed, and by the time the second air cannon struck, the first had yet to dissipate.
Thus, as the intersecting air cannons multiplied, they formed a transparent air prison, rendering the Death God unable to move.
Moreover, the yang energy within grew increasingly intense. Now, it felt not like being splashed with hot oil, but as if submerged in boiling oil.
"Underworld Domain!"
For the final strike, Might Guy flew forward, no longer using the direct air cannon punch but aiming to hit the Death God's body directly.
But the Death God dared not let him succeed. The yellow-green Underworld Domain expanded once more, using its power to weaken Guy's attack as much as possible.
Ugh!
The Death God let out a pained cry. Though Guy passed through it as if transparent, the yang energy in his heavy punch still caused significant harm.
Yet despite being injured again, the Death God laughed: "I can feel your life force fading."
"It seems mortals ultimately cannot defeat gods."
Indeed, how could mortals surpass gods?
The crowd's emotions swung wildly. Even Kakashi began to lose faith in his friend.
Guy, through sheer effort, might surpass geniuses, but he could never transcend gods!
But as Might Guy landed on the ground, panting heavily, his expression remained resolute: "No! I have one final, stronger strike!"
What!
The Death God and everyone else couldn't help but show shock once more.
Ignoring their reactions, Guy knew he couldn't waste even a second after opening the Eight Gates.
He crouched slightly, concentrating all his chakra and life force into a single point, then unleashed it with the force of an avalanche.
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