Scorch Release was also formed by combining two Chakra Nature Transformations, its intensity not inferior to Ice Release.
Moreover, due to Kekkei Genkai's characteristics, Scorch Release's destructive power far surpassed Ice Release.
Aka currently exerted full effort, raising a scorching fireball six meters in diameter. Like a small sun, it emitted terrifying heat. Nearby snow instantly melted and evaporated; even the air slightly distorted.
"Another Kekkei Genkai, but here is my territory."
The Third Mizukage's voice came from above the crowd.
With the voice, an ice mirror condensed in the air above. The Third Mizukage's tall, handsome figure leaned out, hands in a hand seal.
[Ice Release: Frost Shuriken!]
The falling snowflakes in the sky suddenly halted, then accelerated spinning downward.
During rotation, they solidified and sharpened as if being ground, eventually turning into diamond-shaped frost shuriken.
The ice and snow domain spanned nearly a kilometer. Countless snowflakes in the sky, each transformed into frost shuriken, meant an endless barrage of shuriken… their number dense and countless, pouring down like a torrential storm.
"Mere ice and snow dare compete with the sun's brilliance!?"
Aka sneered, throwing the fireball in her hands.
A terrifying heat wave erupted and swept through, devouring everything within several hundred meters. Amidst endless air currents, the mechanical bird spread its wings, narrowly escaping the explosion range.
"Hey hey, that's too exaggerated!" Ryuji wiped non-existent cold sweat from his forehead, saying with lingering fear.
He often witnessed Scorch Release's power.
But even at Pakura's full effort, it only produced explosion impacts around a hundred meters in diameter… vastly different from the Ninjutsu Aka just released, almost engulfing even their own people.
Aka smiled apologetically, then looked back.
The expanding explosion shockwave gradually solidified, then shrank and dissipated bit by bit. Deep blue cold air spread again; snowflakes fell from the sky once more.
Seeing this, both fell silent.
In the sky, an ice mirror condensed. The Third Mizukage's figure reflected within, calmly stating, "I retract my earlier words. To notice my tactic's core is the domain and break it so quickly… you are definitely not second-rate Shinobi."
After a pause, he continued, "However, the bitterly cold environment is my territory. Even if the domain is broken, I can immediately re-establish it."
"So what?" Ryuji smiled indifferently. "It's just a bit more troublesome to deal with. The outcome won't change at all."
As he spoke, the mechanical bird underfoot opened its mouth, firing dense Chakra Bullets, shattering the ice mirror ahead.
"Exactly right. The outcome won't change at all!"
The Third Mizukage's voice echoed in the sky. Snowflakes transformed into shuriken, attacking again.
"Blazing Spiral Sphere!" Ryuji opened his right hand, forming a rotating, compressed fireball. As the skyful of snow shuriken attacked, he pushed it forward. An endless vortex of fire erupted, sweeping through, filling several hundred meters around.
Under this fervent, wild blaze, the snow shuriken melted and evaporated.
Steam spread, so thick one couldn't see their hand before their face.
Ryuji and Aka exchanged a glance, jumping off the mechanical bird.
The mechanical bird dove straight down toward the Kirigakure's Shinobi on the ground.
"Can't handle me, so change the attack target, huh. Hmph, a wise choice!"
Within the mist, vision obstructed.
The Third Mizukage judged the current situation through wind sounds, coldly snorting. An ice mirror condensed dozens of meters ahead of the mechanical bird, then he reflected into it.
Light-speed movement… instant arrival, absolutely beyond human visual nerve reaction speed. Even in the shinobi world, only the Yuki Clan's Ice Release secret technique could achieve it; it's absolutely impossible to intercept.
But, there was a skill called 'prediction'.
And now, the Third Mizukage's light-speed movement was intercepted.
The moment he was about to reflect into the opposite ice mirror, Ryuji and Aka suddenly appeared on either side of the ice mirror. Already raised fists swung toward each other.
The next instant, the Third Mizukage appeared before their fists, as if actively putting his face before their swinging fists.
Bang!
Fists struck the Third Mizukage's left and right cheeks respectively, stirring up violent winds that dispersed nearby mist.
"I said, the outcome won't change!"
Looking at the Third Mizukage with cracks on his face, Ryuji calmly said, then he and Aka jumped back together.
The next instant, the mechanical bird suddenly crashed over, smashing both the Third Mizukage and the ice mirror to pieces.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"
Aka and Ryuji quickly formed hand seals left and right, releasing high-temperature Ninjutsu.
A raging fire dragon rampaged and danced; a scorching fireball evaporated everything.
The two collided above the Third Mizukage's body remnants, bursting forth with dazzling light.
Then, energy dispersed; terrifying heat waves spread, seemingly wanting to incinerate everything, even painting the floating continent in the sky fiery red.
"Third Mizukage-sama!"
The Kirigakure's Shinobi below couldn't help but exclaim.
Yagura, the two Jinchuriki, and even the Seven Ninja Swordsmen all looked grave.
Although they didn't have the spirit to dedicate everything to the village, they were all on the same boat now. If the Third Mizukage was defeated, they wouldn't fare well either.
However,
Although wanting to help, the Third Mizukage's domain and various Ninjutsu were all indiscriminate large-scale AOE. Rashly charging in would easily get them caught up.
Moments later, the smoke cleared.
Everyone focused their gaze. The ravaged ground now had a charred, deep crater thirty meters in diameter. The Third Mizukage was nowhere to be seen.
But...
"The domain hasn't stopped."
Ryuji looked at the sky, frowning deeply.
The next second, endless cold currents converged toward the crater's center, condensing into an ice figure resembling the Third Mizukage.
Then, the ice layer receded, gradually turning into a real person.
The Third Mizukage's body reappeared.
However, his condition seemed somewhat poor.
Smooth waist-length black hair turned white. Smooth, fair skin became wrinkled. His tall, slender build became hunched. He originally looked like a youth around twenty, but now, he now appeared like an elderly man in his sixties or seventies.
Moreover, his clothes had multiple burnt holes; his face and hands had large area burns.
The imposing aura from before was completely gone.
Seeing this, a slight smile appeared on Aka's face. "Seems not completely useless after all!"
"Naturally." Ryuji said matter-of-factly. "As long as the immunity to physical attacks is due to a Ninjutsu, not himself, then there's no unsolvable effect. Otherwise, he wouldn't be the Third Mizukage but the God of Shinobi."
Konan's Dance of the Shikigami also had a similar effect, but only effective while maintaining Dance of the Shikigami state.
Moreover, when soaked in oil, her body couldn't split into paper, still losing the effect.