A thunderous wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from Ashveil, smashing against the already dense pressure surrounding him.
Under that overwhelming force, Nagato felt as if he had collided headfirst with a towering mountain. The impact was instantaneous and brutal, sending his body flying through the air.
A sharp, numbing sensation crawled across Nagato's scalp.
He could not understand it. Even now, Ashveil still had more power to reveal.
So many Bloodline Limits, so many incomprehensible abilities, layered one atop another. The man before him was no longer something that could be measured by common sense.
How had Ashveil achieved all of this?
Nagato's tattered body finally descended, landing heavily on the shattered ground. As he took in the scene before him, his pupils trembled.
The origin of Ashveil's techniques, his strength, his existence itself, remained a complete mystery.
"Damn it," Nagato muttered, gritting his teeth. "Then I have no choice. I'll use that move."
There was no alternative. Only that technique stood a chance.
Summoning the last remnants of his Chakra, Nagato formed a strange and complex hand seal. In the space between his palms, a small black sphere materialized from nothingness.
This was a supreme sealing technique of the Six Paths.
Chibaku Tensei.
By amplifying gravitational force to an extreme, it created a massive celestial body capable of devouring everything in its vicinity.
Ashveil lifted his gaze calmly. It looked exactly as it did in the anime.
The surrounding terrain trembled. Boulders, mountains, and debris tore free from the ground and rushed toward the black sphere. Even Ashveil felt his body being pulled forward.
Faced with that immense gravitational pressure, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Against absolute power, most techniques were meaningless.
That was why Nagato stood at the pinnacle of the Six Paths. His abilities were rooted in raw, overwhelming force.
But absolute power alone was not enough.
Ashveil's lips curved into a faint smile.
Who, in this world, possessed more terrifying absolute power than him?
In the next instant, an even more fearsome aura burst forth.
This time, it was Ashveil's Conqueror's Haki, unleashed without restraint.
As it surged outward, it fused perfectly with the Tremor Tremor Fruit's power. The air itself fractured under the strain, forming a devastating union of will and vibration.
The resulting force roared upward and slammed into the massive sphere in the sky.
The artificial planet shattered instantly.
Fragments exploded outward, reduced to countless pieces before they could even fall.
Inside the cave, Nagato froze.
His Chibaku Tensei had been destroyed.
A technique he regarded as his strongest, obliterated so effortlessly.
Shock drained the color from his face.
If even this could not stop Ashveil, then defeating him was no longer possible.
Nagato spat out a mouthful of blood.
Beside him, Konan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Nagato!"
His expression darkened. "At this rate, he could finish me at any moment," Nagato said, his voice strained.
Konan felt her heart sink.
Nagato was the core of Akatsuki, the strongest among them. He held nearly eighty percent of the collective Chakra. His presence was the foundation of their confidence.
Until now, even when cornered, Nagato had never truly felt fear.
But this injury marked the beginning of his collapse.
And just as that realization took hold, Ashveil moved.
In a blur, he appeared before Nagato. A Flash infused with overwhelming Conqueror's Haki struck Nagato squarely.
The power surged several times over.
Nagato's body was blown apart in an instant.
Konan stared, her face pale.
"So this entire time," she whispered, "he was toying with us from the very beginning."
Nagato's remaining consciousness was filled with dread.
His Six Paths of Pain had been erased with terrifying speed. If Ashveil chose them as his next targets, there would be no escape.
On the battlefield, Ashveil withdrew his fist and exhaled softly, a faint smile appearing on his lips.
[Host: Thorne Ashveil]
[Conqueror's Haki Attribute Points: 100000]
[Devil Fruit Abilities: Tremor Tremor Fruit (Limit), Magma Magma Fruit (Limit), Glint Glint Fruit (Limit), Ice Ice Fruit (Limit), Rumble Rumble Fruit (Limit), Phoenix Fruit (Limit), Ope Ope no Mi (Limit), Appearance Fruit (Limit)]
[Devil Fruits: Tanuki Fruit, African Hyena Fruit, Three Artificial Devil Fruits]
[Skills: Flash 100 meters, Conqueror's Haki Passive Defense Shield, Shinra Tensei Self Created, Supreme King Fusion, Golden Conqueror's Haki, Overlord Color Domain]
[Items: Healing potion, ham, hamburger, cola, red wine, turkey meat, salad]
His Conqueror's Haki had finally reached one hundred thousand points.
Abilities such as the Overlord Color Domain and the Ope Ope no Mi had fully awakened.
Ashveil clenched his fists.
His combat power had returned to the level he possessed before transmigration.
Yet his expression soon turned contemplative.
The battle with the space time pendulum had taught him an important lesson.
Even at full strength, facing it head on would still be nearly impossible.
That meant only one thing.
He needed to become stronger.
Experience.
In the Pirate World, his growth had once reached its limit. But now, thanks to the disturbance of the space time pendulum, that ceiling had been broken.
Ashveil's eyes sharpened.
There was nothing in this world that could offer him greater growth than the Third Shinobi World War.
With that thought, his lips curved upward once more.
Activating the Glint Glint Fruit, his body dissolved into a beam of light and vanished.
For a fleeting moment, a yellow flash crossed Nagato's vision.
The Yellow Flash?
Jiraiya Senpai's other disciple.
Konan felt the same shock.
In the Shinobi World, who else could disappear in an instant like that?
"The secrets surrounding Ashveil are endless," Konan said quietly. "Multiple Bloodline Limits, Sage Mode, and even space shifting techniques. He's beyond monstrous."
At that moment, Ashveil reappeared before them.
Konan's lips twitched. "Nagato, that technique just now was space time movement."
Nagato stared in disbelief. "You even know the Yellow Flash?"
His voice trembled. "Who exactly are you?"
For a moment, he almost voiced a forbidden thought.
Could this man be the Fourth Hokage?
But that made no sense.
The Fourth Hokage could never possess such a vast array of abilities.
Ashveil surpassed him completely.
Ashveil paused, then laughed softly.
"Didn't I already tell you?" he said. "My name is Ashveil."
His eyes hardened. "And now that my power has returned, I'll say it clearly. I come from another world."
Another world.
Nagato and Konan exchanged glances, then nodded almost immediately.
Ashveil was momentarily stunned.
He had expected doubt, disbelief, or rejection.
Instead, they accepted it within seconds.
Then he remembered.
When Boruto and Sasuke traveled back in time, Jiraiya had believed them almost instantly.
Shinobi were far more perceptive than people gave them credit for.
"So," Konan said, meeting his gaze, "what is your true reason for joining Akatsuki?"
The mysteries surrounding Ashveil were too many.
He possessed power beyond Nagato himself, yet still chose to work under Akatsuki. He helped capture the Tailed Beasts, only to announce his departure afterward.
None of it added up.
Ashveil narrowed his eyes slightly.
Nagato and Konan instinctively took defensive stances.
Ashveil sighed inwardly.
They really think I want to take over Akatsuki.
"I have no interest in ruling anything," he said calmly. "But since you asked, I'll tell you."
"My goal was simple."
"I used Akatsuki to hunt the Tailed Beasts."
"Because when it comes to information about them," Ashveil continued, "no one in this world knows more than you."