Shiraishi focused his energy on a single point on his finger. As the golden lightning converged, the brilliant radiance it emitted reminded the Fourth Raikage of his father's "Hell Stab," the ultimate spear of the Hidden Cloud.
However, the mechanics were fundamentally different. Shiraishi concentrated his power on a single finger to fuse the properties of the Holy Sword and Thunderstrike, synchronizing them with his Sword Dance to create the ultimate Lightning Style Nintaijutsu.
Lightning Style Armor. By concentrating lightning chakra throughout the body, the user wraps themselves in an electrical shroud that activates the physical cells, enabling the "Lightning Body Flicker" and drastically increasing defense.
Simultaneously, the electrical pulses within the body accelerate neural transmission speeds.
As the lightning chakra increased, so did Shiraishi's speed and durability. While his stance mirrored the "Hell Stab," it was a distinct branch of Nintaijutsu—one that instantly ignited the Raikage's competitive spirit.
Under the stimulation of the current, Shiraishi's muscles underwent a burst of growth. This temporary expansion was a necessary physiological adjustment to withstand the raw, blunt force of the Raikage's combat style.
Seeing Shiraishi transform into a powerhouse of muscle and lightning, Minato Namikaze's expression grew heavy. To control one's physical coordination to such a degree... such exquisite mastery.
RUMBLE!
The golden electricity around Shiraishi erupted like a localized storm. The atmospheric lightning merged into his armor, signaling an aggressive, uncompromising offensive strategy.
The sight of this golden shroud gave the Fourth Raikage a massive shock, prompting him to activate his own Lightning Style Chakra Mode to its limit!
Lightning Style: Lariat!
Using his lightning chakra, the Raikage flickered behind Shiraishi in a blur, driving his reinforced elbow toward the golden giant's back. He intended to use his raw electrical force to shatter Shiraishi's defenses.
However, as the golden light bathed the arena, the armor emitted a specialized Genjutsu. Upon physical contact, the Fourth Raikage's consciousness flickered, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Ay suffered a mental assault as his internal chakra flow was disrupted. He felt as if he were fighting through a thick fog.
In response, his own Lightning Armor sent a massive jolt of electricity directly into his brain, forcibly snapping him out of Shiraishi's illusion.
Though he regained clarity, his head felt heavy. From that single exchange, Ay judged that Shiraishi's golden lightning was far more treacherous than it appeared.
As the golden light intensified, Shiraishi channeled the Holy Sword's power into a domineering electromagnetic blade.
The Raikage met the challenge head-on, concentrating all his current into his right arm and swinging upward with everything he had.
Lightning Style: Super Meteor!
The mountain peak, already battered, could no longer sustain the impact of their combined electrical might. A thunderous roar erupted as the shockwave rippled outward from the point of impact, rolling across the Land of Iron.
Atop the crumbling summit, the Raikage's feet nearly sank into the stone. The ground around him spiderwebbed with cracks, and fine lacerations from the golden current appeared across his body. He swayed, nearly forced into a retreat.
The Fifth Kazekage... is this guy a monster?
Every Kage present was the strongest in their village. While Ay could not undergo a Tailed Beast transformation like Yagura, his Lightning Armor was a peak Nintaijutsu that allowed him to pin even the Eight-Tails to the ground. He was already approaching the terrifying level of his father, the Third Raikage.
Yet, Shiraishi was meeting him blow-for-blow using a self-created golden armor.
Shiraishi took a breath, condensing his turbulent blood flow and the aftereffects of the shock into a single point to stabilize his center of gravity.
Wrapped in the violent golden glow, he snapped out a lightning-fast left kick. Ay countered with a thunderous punch, and the two clashed in a blur of motion.
The battle escalated in speed and intensity. Fists slammed into bodies with high-frequency impacts.
Both Shiraishi's and the Raikage's armor began to show signs of structural collapse. After a final explosion of sound, the Raikage's fist struck Shiraishi's right shoulder just as Shiraishi's Holy Sword pierced the Raikage's arm.
Both men coughed up blood simultaneously. The Raikage's body was like an armored meat grinder; though his armor's technical "intensity" was lower than Shiraishi's, his ferocious combat will was pinning Shiraishi down.
They retracted at the same moment, and the second round began instantly!
Fist against fist, leg against leg—golden and blue currents interlaced on the field like two magnificent arcs of light.
This frenzied duel between two Taijutsu masters caused even the sky above the Land of Iron to dim.
"These two..."
Shiraishi had no intention of letting the attrition continue. During the frantic exchange, both sets of armor finally reached their breaking point.
As they shattered into shimmering sparks of electricity, the Raikage took an involuntary step back; he had clearly borne the brunt of the pressure.
Seizing the opening, a sharp glint flickered in Shiraishi's eyes. The residual lightning transformed into an electromagnetic pulse, delivering a unique Genjutsu strike.
The Raikage, caught off guard during his recovery, was hit square in the fist. A profound paralysis surged through his body, trapping him in a cavernous "Dark Cage" of the mind.
Ay's hair stood on end, and his heart seemed to skip a beat. His internal organs ached from the shock—a clear sign of internal damage.
By the time he regained his senses, Shiraishi had already pivoted, his fist hovering mere millimeters from the Raikage's brow.
"It's over, Lord Raikage."
The arena fell into a stunned silence. Though Shiraishi had won, his chakra consumption was immense.
Fighting a Nintaijutsu specialist of the Raikage's caliber made a war of attrition impossible; he had to burn through his reserves to secure a quick victory.
Even his Sand Gathering Technique couldn't keep pace with the drain.
However, the Raikage's power was truly tyrannical. He had actually shattered the defenses formed by Shiraishi's Thunderstrike.
Without the specialized Genjutsu buff of his lightning, Shiraishi would have paid a much higher price to win.
As Shiraishi prepared for the next challenger, the Azure Flames within his Circular Pupil seemed unable to contain themselves.
They merged with the residual Thunderstrike energy in his body. Like a turbine starting up, the interplay of Yin and Yang—of fire and lightning—erupted into a terrifying, repulsive force.
Through his internal "Glasses System," Shiraishi saw the golden cards for Azure Flame and Thunderstrike undergo a transformation once they reached full mastery. Hidden skill slots appeared, much like they had for the "Giant Guardian Alora" card.
Under a hallowed silver light, two Supreme Dark-Red Cards materialized within the system.
Though he wasn't physically wearing the glasses, Shiraishi could sense the change. He was momentarily taken aback.
Huh. So Supreme Red cards aren't necessarily just Z-skills. These two are the evolutionized, ultimate versions of Azure Flame and Thunderstrike.
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed. Claim early access on Patreon: Patreon.com/kazama677
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews ignite 1 bonus chapter🔷 60 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.