After opening the Death Gate, Guy was like an arrow on the bow—forced to release. His pupils had nearly vanished, and the crimson aura around him burned ever fiercer.
A beast-like roar erupted from his mouth, and immediately, he exploded with a speed impossible to track with the naked eye, leaping from the ground into the sky in an instant.
Carl still stood in place, the black staff in his hand clinking sharply.
A roar tore through the heavens:
"Evening Elephant!!!"
A massive air cannon shot from Guy's fist into the sky, and even the clouds above were scattered by the shockwave.
Carl's eyes gleamed. He raised his staff horizontally before him, choosing to meet it head-on. The next moment, the air cannon slammed into Carl's area. The ground collapsed beneath them, and even the ninjas who had already been at a distance were thrown violently by the force of the blast.
When they regained their footing and looked at the scene ahead, they were dumbfounded.
An attack that could reshape the terrain—was it really accomplished by mere martial arts? Or could a human even wield such power?
The Third Hokage and Danzo shared the same stunned expression as the other ninjas. Danzo squinted his cloudy eyes and said,
"So that's the power of the Death Gate? Even the Tailed Beast Ball wouldn't surpass that, right?"
The Third Hokage instinctively reached up to adjust his Hokage hat, only to realize it had long since been blown away. Unlike a Navy cloak, it wasn't welded to his body. He instead pressed his brow and said in a low voice,
"Back in the day, Might Duy opened the Death Gate and instantly devastated the Seven Ninja Swordsmen. Guy has long surpassed his father, so the Death Gate he wields is naturally far stronger… but I never imagined it could reach this level…"
...
Murmurs rose behind them:
"That Carl is done for, right? I saw him get hit head-on!"
"Absolutely! How could anyone survive that attack?"
"I never thought martial arts could reach this level… incredible…"
The Third Hokage's expression darkened. His instincts told him that Guy's previous Evening Elephant was far from enough to defeat Carl. Danzo remained silent, but his tense face revealed he thought the same.
As the smoke cleared, Carl stood before everyone, completely unharmed, not a single edge of his clothing dirty.
Seeing this, the Third Hokage's side fell silent. One word summed up the situation: stunned.
Among the despairing eyes of the ninjas, Carl lightly shook his staff and chuckled,
"This thing is pretty useful after all."
Guy clenched his teeth as he observed. He had expected his previous Evening Elephant to be insufficient, but the effect was far worse than he imagined. It wasn't that he didn't want to continue attacking—the pain from opening the Death Gate was excruciating. His willpower nearly gave out under the torment.
There was no turning back now. Carl's unfathomable power only fueled Guy's fighting spirit, a spirit he had never felt even in his duel with Kakashi.
Amidst the rising crimson flames, Guy finally smiled, a sense of release in his eyes. Looking down at Carl, he whispered,
"This is the kind of opponent worthy of the Death Gate…"
Without hesitation, Guy let out a long roar toward the sky. In the stunned gazes of the ninjas, he launched four successive attacks, each several times stronger than the last.
Thicker and larger air cannons fell from above, striking Carl continuously. The ground ruptured further, and the forest before them had nearly become a massive basin under Guy's relentless assault.
...
Guy plummeted from the sky, only to be caught just before hitting the ground. A silver-haired figure in a black mask had appeared—Kakashi.
Supporting Guy, Kakashi noticed that the Death Gate was still open. Guy turned to look at Kakashi's profile. His facial muscles twitched as he forced a grin, but with the bloodstains on his face, it looked almost grotesque.
"How is it, Kakashi? This is my burning youth!"
In the past, Kakashi would usually reply perfunctorily to such words, but now his gaze carried respect. He fell silent for a moment and spoke slowly,
"Is the Death Gate really irreversible?"
Guy coughed violently, about to reply, when a sudden gust of powerful air blew away the lingering smoke. Carl, staff in hand, reappeared in full view—still spotless.
Guy was already numb to this. He could only smile wryly and murmur,
"Kakashi… do you really think gods exist in this world?"
At the same time, he noticed Kakashi trembling slightly—the veteran who had faced countless death battles was unnerved.
Crack…
A sharp snap rang out, distinct in the silence.
The desperate onlookers fixed their gaze. Carl looked at his staff, and the circular ring atop it shattered and fell to the ground, turning into black smoke.
This seemingly trivial damage acted like a shot of adrenaline to the people of Konoha.
Guy gently pushed Kakashi aside and said,
"Kakashi, my fight isn't over. You go back for now. This will be my final dance!"
Without waiting for a response, Guy dragged his nearly exhausted body forward toward Carl.
"Figarland Carl, remember my name. I am Might Guy!"
Carl nodded expressionlessly. His staff suddenly exploded, replaced by a bizarre black sword.
A pair of massive black wings unfolded behind him. His toes lifted from the ground, and he floated.
Seeing Carl in this form, Guy smiled faintly and whispered a thank you. Then he bent forward, hands on the ground. His weakened crimson aura erupted instantly, forming a giant Kirin-shaped projection behind him.
With a roar from the blood-red Kirin, Guy shot forward:
"Night Guy!!!"
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+140 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg