"Argh!"
A heart-wrenching scream burst from Darui's mouth.
Blood shot from his leg like a fountain, staining the ground beneath him red.
After suffering such a devastating injury, a surge of fury ignited inside Darui.
With a roar, dense black lightning burst from his body.
The black lightning swirled around him with crackling pops before surging toward Kyokotsu.
Caught off guard, Kyokotsu was grazed by the black lightning.
Instantly, intense pain and numbness washed over him, making his body tremble.
Darui let out a muffled groan. Enduring the searing pain in his thigh, he forcefully pulled his leg free from Kyokotsu's bone spike.
Blood splattered out again, soaking his clothes.
Staggering back, he dropped to one knee.
His face was twisted in pain, but his hands remained firmly clasped together, his fingernails nearly digging into his palms.
Large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. Gritting his teeth against the pain raging through his body, he gathered every ounce of strength to perform a jutsu.
"Storm Release: Boiling Sky Prison!"
He suddenly spewed out thick clouds of mist.
Like crashing waves, the mist met the flames still burning on his body and was instantly turned into superheated steam.
The steam spread rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, the surrounding area was completely engulfed in white fog.
The fog was as thick as packed cotton, wrapping everything inside and making it impossible to see through.
Within the endless white mist, streaks of white lightning darted back and forth like agile dragons, filling the air with crackling sounds.
Standing not far away, Kyokotsu looked at the sudden fog and sneered.
Raising his chin slightly, he said with disdain, "Using mist against someone from the Hidden Mist?"
With that, he shut his eyes and focused all of his senses.
The next moment, he stomped hard on the ground. The solid earth caved in beneath his foot, leaving a shallow crater as he shot into the fog like a hunting leopard.
His body traced a graceful arc through the air, bringing with it a fierce gust that seemed ready to scatter the mist itself.
The instant Kyokotsu entered the fog, he suddenly sensed an overwhelming wave of malice flooding his mind.
At the same time, he clearly felt an incredibly violent surge of Lightning Release chakra rushing toward him like molten lava.
"This is?"
Before Kyokotsu could even think about who it was, the attack was already upon him.
"Lariat!"
A thunderous shout came from deep within the fog.
Then a huge, towering figure burst out of the mist like a mountain.
Brilliant Lightning Release chakra covered his entire body. It writhed around him like countless silver serpents, crackling loudly as he slammed toward Kyokotsu with terrifying force.
Most shinobi, faced with such overwhelming and explosive Lightning Release chakra, would have no choice but to avoid the attack and wait for a chance to counter.
But not Kyokotsu.
Eye Technique Transmission!
Far away in the Land of Snow, his original body immediately used the eye technique to continuously transmit massive amounts of vitality and blood essence to Kyokotsu.
Kyokotsu's eyes instantly blazed with scorching light.
"Eight Gates: Fifth Gate, Gate of Limit... Open!"
In an instant, an almost tangible aura of violence erupted from Kyokotsu's body like an ancient beast finally unleashed.
The aura exploded out from him in every direction.
Wherever it passed, the air hissed under the pressure, while sand and stones were swept into the sky by the powerful shockwave.
At the same time, Kyokotsu's unique Shikotsumyaku began undergoing an astonishing transformation.
Layer after layer of bone membrane rapidly formed beneath his skin as if they were alive.
The layers overlapped tightly, greatly increasing his defense.
Meanwhile, the Raikage showed no sign of backing down. Wrapped in dazzling lightning, he charged straight at Kyokotsu with unstoppable momentum.
Both of them were moving at extreme speed.
In the blink of an eye, they were right in front of each other.
BOOM!
With a heavy crash, the two collided head-on.
The tremendous impact instantly blasted the air apart, creating a massive vortex of compressed air that swept everything nearby into it.
Both figures were sent flying like cannonballs.
The Raikage dug both feet into the ground like a pair of sharp plows, carving long trenches through the solid earth.
The furrows were several inches deep, a clear sign of the tremendous force he had absorbed while being pushed back.
Behind Kyokotsu stood the forest of bone spears created by the Dance of the Clematis, packed together like a forest of steel.
His body crashed straight into the bone forest, then melted into it as naturally as a drop of water disappearing into a lake.
The bone spears seemed to be extensions of his own body, merging with him perfectly.
The next moment, Kyokotsu shot out like lightning from a bone spear near Yagura Karatachi.
Twisting his body in midair, the muscles in his leg tightened.
His high-pressure axe kick came crashing down, his heel like a massive boulder carrying overwhelming force as it slammed squarely into Gyuki's head.
BOOM!
Another heavy impact echoed across the quiet battlefield.
"Ugh!"
Gyuki clutched his head in pain. His enormous body staggered under the fierce blow, retreating step after step, each footfall leaving a deep footprint in the ground.
His mouth was full of blood, coughed up from the kick Kyokotsu had just landed.
Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth and dripped onto the ground, forming a shocking pool beneath him.
Just as Kyokotsu regained his balance and prepared to press the attack, the Raikage streaked across the ground in a dazzling flash.
His already stiff hair now stood completely on end.
Electric arcs crackled all around him, darting and leaping through the air like lively little snakes.
In that instant, he had activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode at full power.
The Raikage's muscles rapidly swelled as though filled by an invisible force.
Lightning Release chakra surged through his meridians like a raging river before gathering at his elbow.