"Good, I knew I wasn't wrong about you!"
Seeing Akashō fully recovered and rampaging through the battlefield again, the Third Raikage's eyes lit up. If he weren't in the middle of a fight, he'd have given him a thumbs-up on the spot.
At that moment, Akashō dashed forward with a short burst and thrust, taking down several Hidden Stone Village ninja before closing to within a few meters of the Third Raikage.
Glancing at the faint smile on the Third Raikage's face, Akashō felt his blood boil like it was on fire. This wasn't the same as the joy of gaining strength from a new Villain Template or the twisted pleasure of toying with others—it was something else entirely.
Was it hot-blooded excitement? The thrill of turning the tables? Or simply the exhilaration of slaughter?
"Heh, old man, I'm not dying anytime soon. Worry about yourself—and wait for me to take your head!"
The Third Raikage smiled faintly as the dim lightning around him suddenly surged, instantly entering the Lightning Release Armor state.
This brat really doesn't know how to back down.
Since becoming Raikage, it had been a long time since the Third Raikage felt his blood stir like this. His fighting spirit surged so fiercely that he no longer cared about stalling for time—he just wanted to go all out and crush these trash.
"Dare to make a bet with me?"
"What kind of bet?"
"Let's see who kills more by the end."
"Sure. Let's do it."
The two turned at the same time, each facing the Hidden Stone Village ninja who, after a brief pause, had once again surrounded them.
The many ninja watched them warily. Akashō's sudden revival had thrown everything into chaos, and for a moment, not a single one dared to attack.
"Then… let the match begin!!"
With Akashō's shout, both of them shot forward at once. Blue and purple streaked across the battlefield, thunder roared, and blade winds howled without end.
And within that symphony-like chaos came the wails and furious cries of the Hidden Stone Village ninja.
"Moon Breathing!!"
"Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!!"
The bright moon in the sky continued its slow shift.
"These two monsters… they just won't die!"
"One's the ultimate shield, the other's practically immortal—and their attacks are insanely powerful. There's no way we can kill them…"
"If this keeps up, we'll all be wiped out!!"
"Don't joke around! There's no way just the two of them can kill all ten thousand of us!"
"Haven't you noticed? Half of us are already dead…"
Amid a sea of corpses piled like insects, Akashō held the Blade of Living Flesh and stared coldly at the fearful Hidden Stone Village ninja not far away.
After consuming a human for the first time, he had expected to fall into a state where he needed to keep devouring humans to replenish his strength. But surprisingly, even now, that hadn't happened.
After hours of slaughter, the boiling heat in his blood had begun to cool. Looking at the corpses scattered everywhere, Akashō frowned slightly.
Maybe I've killed a bit too much.
Even the cannon fodder army was clearly shaken, fear and retreat written all over them. The timing was about right.
Meanwhile, the dazzling lightning around the Third Raikage never ceased. With a single hand strike, he smashed a Hidden Stone Village ninja's head apart, then burst into wild laughter.
"What's wrong? Come on, trash—already scared!?"
Watching the retreating ninja, the Third Raikage curled his lip in disdain.
Pathetic. Someone like Kokushibo—who would still face a challenge head-on even when outmatched… such kindred spirits are rare.
That's right—at this moment, the Third Raikage had already regarded Akashō as a kindred spirit.
He could set aside all differences in stance and belief and openly admit that he admired this brat.
"Hey."
Akashō stopped slaughtering the cannon fodder and turned toward the Third Raikage.
"Hmm?"
The Third Raikage tilted his head slightly. "What is it? Tired?"
"Tired your head."
Akashō brushed back his long, blood-soaked hair.
"Killing these trash isn't fun anymore. They can't stir up anything now… Next, it's your turn."
The Third Raikage paused, then recalled that when the other had first arrived, he had indeed said he came for his life.
"Hahaha, good!"
The Third Raikage laughed loudly, no longer sparing the cannon fodder another glance as he turned to face Akashō directly.
"As for that earlier bet, looks like you've killed more. I'll count that as my loss."
"And now, let's begin the second round—Third Raikage A versus the Moon Sword Demon Kokushibo."
"Of course, since you came all the way from the Land of Earth–Land of Fire battlefield to help me clean up trash, if you lose, I'll spare your life. Hahaha!"
After all, without him, his own life would've been forfeit.
Whether it was repaying a life for a life or simple admiration, the Third Raikage had already decided—he would not take this boy's life.
"Heh."
Akashō sneered coldly. "So you're that sure you can beat me?"
He raised the Blade of Living Flesh, pointing its tip at the Third Raikage.
"Don't get cocky, old man."
The Third Raikage grinned. "I like that fearless attitude of yours."
"I'm not as fearless as you."
Akashō suddenly blurred into an afterimage, rushing toward the Third Raikage. Mid-charge, he slashed out two arcs of purple blade wind that shot ahead toward him.
Facing the attack, the Third Raikage didn't even bother to dodge. He simply stood there and let the blade wind strike his body.
The blade wind collided with his Lightning Release Armor, producing a harsh scraping sound.
Within the crackling lightning, Akashō's attack dissipated—while the Third Raikage remained completely unharmed, not even shifting a step.
"Didn't eat enough? That attack was weak as hell!"
Before his mocking words had even finished, Akashō had already closed the distance.
"Moon Breathing…"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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