However, the power of the Tailed Beast Bomb was already inferior to the slashes of Arata's Lightning Armor: Third Gear. Now that Madara had reduced its size, its destructive force dropped even further.
As a result, Arata gradually began to gain the upper hand. His slashes were no longer completely swallowed by the explosions—instead, they pierced straight through the detonations, finally posing a real threat to Uchiha Madara himself.
That said, Madara's Susanoo was no pushover. While it could no longer emerge unscathed, it was still able to withstand the attacks after paying a significant price.
All of this sounds like it took a long time, but both fighters were operating at the pinnacle of the shinobi world's speed.
Especially Arata—his movements were lightning-fast. A hundred slashes were unleashed in just a few breaths.
Madara's response speed was equally terrifying. To outside observers, it looked as though dozens of Tailed Beast Bomb explosions erupted almost simultaneously within those few short moments.
Moments later, the already-ruined battlefield was once again swallowed by crimson shockwaves. This time, the blast radius expanded to nearly one hundred kilometers.
The Uzumaki survivors—who had only just begun to recover—couldn't help but feel relieved that they had continued retreating even after pulling back dozens of kilometers. Otherwise, this single exchange would have wiped them out completely.
By now, they had withdrawn more than one hundred and fifty kilometers away. From that distance, the shockwaves already looked faint—yet the violent winds generated by the blast still sent the group reeling. Several children were even blown straight off their feet.
The sky filled with flying debris and rolling sand, painting a scene straight out of the apocalypse. Once again, the Uzumaki clan felt the sheer terror of Arata's strength.
Facing a monster like Madara—and still fighting him to this extent.
At this point, they no longer knew who held the advantage. All they knew was that either of the two combatants had already transcended common sense.
This was thpe kind of destruction they would likely never witness again in their lifetimes.
Perhaps someday, it would become a tale they told their descendants.
...
Back in Konoha, the civilians had already been evacuated to underground shelters. The anti-earthquake structures were holding—for now.
Standing outside the shelter, however, Hiruzen Sarutobi wore an exceptionally grim expression.
Another massive explosion had erupted on the distant battlefield—one that carried the unmistakable weight of history. The scale of it rivaled the blast that once tore apart the Valley of the End.
Hiruzen had assumed that if Madara truly was involved, the battle would have ended swiftly.
But now… it was clearly a deadlock.
At this point, he was almost certain:
Only Uchiha Madara could cause devastation of this magnitude.
The Three Great Sage Lands would never interfere directly. Most of the old-generation Kage-level monsters were already dead.
The only being left unaccounted for—one who still possessed peak transcendent power—was Madara himself.
Which meant…
That nineteen-year-old monster, Arata, was actually fighting the former Asura of the Shinobi World to a standstill.
Until he saw Arata's corpse with his own eyes, Hiruzen no longer dared claim that Madara held the advantage.
The explosions were continuous—clear proof that the two were locked in a direct exchange of power.
The thought sent a chill down Hiruzen's spine.
A teenager capable of trading blows with Madara while controlling the Nine-Tails…
At this point, keeping the Hokage seat no longer mattered.
If he survived at all, that alone would be a blessing.
After all, a monster like Arata was not someone he could ever hope to oppose.
Once, Madara's mere gaze had been enough to leave Hiruzen unable to speak.
And now, Arata might very well be fighting him evenly.
By now, every ninja in Konoha understood the truth—
This wasn't a natural disaster.
It was the aftermath of two incomprehensible beings colliding.
...
Those who truly knew who was fighting were few—mostly Arata's subordinates.
Even Shiyan realized now that he had still underestimated the battle Arata was facing.
That first shockwave?
It had merely been the appetizer.
Every exchange afterward was far more terrifying.
As for Shizune and Kushina, once they realized Arata was involved, both were consumed with worry.
Shizune feared for her brother's life.
Kushina worried for Arata—and for the Uzumaki clan he had gone to protect.
---
Back at the battlefield's core—
After unleashing every blade from his hundred lightning arms, Arata's Third-Gear Lightning Armor form had shrunk to just over two hundred meters tall.
Each strike may have looked simple, but every one carried an immense amount of lightning energy.
The drain was substantial.
Even so, though Arata was breathing heavily, he still had strength to fight. His current form still surpassed the Second Gear in both size and power—only lacking the extra arms.
Madara, however, was finally at his limit.
He had stepped down from the Nine-Tails' head. His Susanoo flickered in and out of existence, its armor shattered beyond repair. No matter how hard he tried, it refused to fully restore itself.
As for the Nine-Tails—
It lay motionless on the ground.
Completely drained.
Even a tailed beast capable of absorbing natural energy had been pushed into unconsciousness.
The sheer toll of that exchange was undeniable.
And the true culprit behind its collapse was Arata's terrifying slashes.
Had tailed beasts not been pure chakra entities capable of regeneration, the Nine-Tails would have already dissipated from existence.
Even so, without several days of rest, it would be incapable of fighting again.
The battlefield itself had sunk hundreds of meters into the earth, forming a canyon rivaling the Valley of the End.
Madara's condition was no better.
Susanoo had devoured enormous amounts of chakra, and he was now approaching his absolute limit.
At last, Madara exhaled heavily and spoke:
"In terms of strength… I, Uchiha Madara, acknowledge you.
You are the first—aside from Hashirama—to stand as my equal."
Arata showed no pride at the praise.
He knew Madara was not in his prime.
His Rinnegan wasn't even in his body.
But this weakness—
This opportunity—
He would not waste it.
The next instant, Arata drove his Lightning Armor form forward—
Charging straight at Uchiha Madara.