"Everyone, stand behind me. Leave him to me."
My voice was calm, but there was no room for argument.
Ashura looked at me, his expression filled with concern. "Elder brother Danava—"
"I said leave him to me."
My eyes remained locked onto Indra.
He stood within the fading remnants of his Susanoo, Mangekyō Sharingan spinning within his crimson eyes. The hatred in his expression was almost unrecognizable.
I slowly stepped forward.
"Indra…" I said, my voice dropping into something colder. "I have no choice now."
The shadows beneath my feet began to spread.
They crawled across the ground like living ink, swallowing the surrounding light as they climbed up my legs. My body became enveloped in darkness, layer after layer of shadow hardening around my flesh.
The familiar armor formed over me.
But this time, it was different.
The chakra Hagoromo had given me surged through my body, merging with my shadows.
Black plates covered my torso and limbs. A dark mask formed over my face, while several tendrils rose behind me like enormous serpents waiting for my command.
The ground beneath my feet cracked.
Even I could feel the difference.
This wasn't the same Shadow Armor I had been using before.
This was the Six Paths' chakra.
My fingers slowly curled into fists.
"I won't hesitate to end you for good."
The words left my mouth without anger.
That was what made them frightening.
Indra's expression shifted for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Heh…"
His Mangekyō spun faster.
"So you've finally decided to stop holding back, little brother?"
I lowered my stance.
"Don't call me that."
Indra's smile disappeared.
For a moment, neither of us moved.
Then—
BOOM!
Indra vanished.
My eyes widened.
Fast!
I barely managed to raise my arm.
CLANG!
His fist collided with my shadow armor, the impact sending a shockwave through the ground.
I slid backward several meters, my feet carving trenches into the earth.
I looked down at my arm.
Not even a scratch.
A faint smile appeared beneath my mask.
"Interesting…"
Indra's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
I raised my head.
"The power Father gave me…"
The shadows around my body began to writhe.
"…is far greater than I imagined."
Several massive shadow tendrils erupted from the ground behind me.
Indra immediately activated his Susanoo.
"Then show me."
His purple chakra exploded outward.
And I smiled.
"Gladly."
The purple chakra surrounding Indra suddenly exploded outward.
BOOOOM!
The shockwave tore across the battlefield, forcing everyone nearby to shield their faces as dust and debris were thrown into the air.
My eyes widened.
The towering chakra construct continued to grow, its skeletal frame rapidly filling out with dense purple chakra. Armor formed over its body, followed by massive limbs and a terrifying horned helmet.
Then the chakra settled.
A complete-body Susanoo stood before us.
The enormous warrior towered over the battlefield, its presence alone making the earth tremble beneath our feet.
For a moment, everyone was frozen.
"W-What… is that?" Shirai whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Kanna stared upward, completely stunned. "That's… Indra?"
Even Taizou, who had seen Indra's strength before, looked pale.
"He can create something that enormous…? "
Shiraku's usual lazy expression was completely gone. His eyes narrowed as he studied the massive Susanoo.
"That's troublesome…"
He swallowed.
"Very troublesome."
Ashura stared at his elder brother in shock.
"Elder brother Indra… how could he have become this powerful so quickly?"
Even Hagoromo remained silent.
His expression was solemn as he looked upon the enormous Susanoo.
"Indra…"
There was sadness in his voice.
He knew exactly what this meant.
As for me…
I simply stared.
Holy shit.
Even though I knew Indra would eventually reach this level, seeing the complete body Susanoo standing right in front of me was something else entirely.
My eyes widened slightly.
So this is the power of the Mangekyō…
The sheer scale was ridiculous.
For a brief moment, I felt the pressure of his chakra bearing down on me.
But then I exhaled.
No.
I wasn't going to let myself be intimidated.
Not now.
Not after everything that had happened.
My expression slowly hardened.
"So that's your answer, huh?"
The shadows beneath my feet began spreading.
I lowered my stance.
"Then I'll answer with mine."
My chakra surged.
The ground beneath me was swallowed by darkness.
BOOOOM!
A gigantic mass of shadows erupted from the earth behind me.
It grew rapidly, expanding higher and higher until it reached the same enormous scale as Indra's Susanoo.
The darkness began taking shape.
A massive humanoid figure emerged from the shadows, its body covered in sleek, black, living darkness.
Its shoulders were broad.
Its arms were enormous.
Its white eyes suddenly opened.
And a massive grin stretched across its face.
The creature looked almost exactly like Venom.
Except it was made entirely from my shadows.
Everyone stared upward.
Shirai's mouth fell open.
"What… the hell is that?!"
Taizou nearly stumbled backward.
"That's Danava's technique?!"
Shiraku's eyes narrowed.
"That's not a normal shadow construct…"
Ashura stared in complete disbelief.
"Elder brother Danava… you made that?!"
Even Hagoromo's expression shifted.
His eyes widened slightly as he observed the enormous creature.
"Danava…"
I could feel it.
The moment the Six Paths chakra flowed through my shadows, something had changed.
This wasn't simply a larger version of my Shadow Golem.
It felt alive.
Its presence wasn't that of an ordinary technique.
It was closer to a living being.
I slowly raised my hand.
The enormous shadow creature mirrored my movement.
Its claws curled.
KRRRKKK…
The sound echoed across the battlefield.
I looked toward Indra's Complete Body Susanoo.
Then I looked at my own creation.
A grin slowly spread across my face.
"Shadow Style…"
The shadows around my body surged.
"Shadow Golem."
The giant creature let out a deep, monstrous growl.
GRAAAAAAAAH!
The roar shook the entire battlefield.
Indra's eyes widened for the first time.
"What… is that?"
I tilted my head slightly.
"Heh."
My shadow golem raised its enormous fist.
"Your Susanoo isn't the only giant around here."
"INDRA...!" I roared.
"DANAVAAA....!" he shouted back.
And then we both moved.
BOOOOM!
The ground beneath our feet shattered as Indra and I launched ourselves toward one another.
My shadow golem charged alongside me while Indra's Complete Body Susanoo raised its massive weapon.
CLANG!
The two giants collided.
The impact sent a shockwave through the battlefield, forcing everyone behind us to brace themselves.
At the same time, Indra and I met beneath them.
His fist came first.
I raised my arm.
BAM!
The impact rattled my entire body.
I immediately countered with a punch of my own, but Indra twisted away, my fist grazing his cheek.
He spun and kicked toward my ribs.
I crossed my arms.
BOOM!
I was sent skidding backward.
"Tch!"
I dug my feet into the ground, stopping myself.
He's still ridiculously fast.
Indra appeared in front of me again.
His Mangekyō spun.
A blade of lightning formed in his hand.
He thrust forward.
I barely managed to tilt my body aside.
The lightning blade tore through my shadow armor, slicing across my side.
"Ghh!"
I retaliated instantly.
Three shadow tentacles erupted from the ground and shot toward him.
Indra's Sharingan tracked them.
He dodged the first.
Then the second.
The third came from beneath him.
His eyes widened.
He jumped.
But my shadow golem's enormous hand was already waiting.
BOOOOM!
It swatted him through several trees.
"INDRA!"
The Susanoo immediately turned toward my golem.
Its massive blade descended.
My golem caught it with both hands.
The two enormous constructs struggled against each other, their chakra shaking the surrounding forest.
Meanwhile, Indra emerged from the wreckage.
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
He wiped it away.
Then smiled.
"Heh…"
His Mangekyō glowed.
"You've gotten stronger."
I wiped the blood from my own lip.
"So have you."
He vanished.
I immediately followed.
Our fists collided again and again.
BAM!
BOOM!
CRACK!
Every exchange sent shockwaves through the forest.
Neither of us could gain a decisive advantage.
Indra's Sharingan allowed him to read my movements, predicting my attacks before they fully developed.
But my shadows were becoming increasingly difficult for him to predict.
They attacked from every direction.
The ground.
The trees.
My own body.
Even his own shadow.
And then I realized something.
I looked up at the night sky.
The moon was high above us.
The entire battlefield was covered in darkness.
My shadows stretched across everything.
A grin slowly formed beneath my mask.
This is my battlefield.
Nighttime.
Endless shadows.
And now I have Father's chakra.
I raised my hand.
"Let's finish this, Indra."
His eyes narrowed.
"Come."
Hundreds of shadows erupted from the ground.
Indra's eyes widened.
"Susanoo!"
His enormous warrior raised its weapons.
But the shadows didn't attack the Susanoo.
They attacked Indra himself.
One tentacle wrapped around his ankle.
He severed it.
Another wrapped around his wrist.
He destroyed it.
Three more came from behind.
He dodged.
Then ten.
Twenty.
Fifty.
"Damn it!"
Indra's Sharingan spun rapidly as he desperately tried to keep up.
But there were simply too many.
My shadows covered the entire battlefield.
Every time he destroyed one, another emerged from somewhere else.
"Shadow Binding!"
The darkness wrapped around his legs.
He tore through it.
"Not enough!"
I smiled.
"Who said that was the only one?"