Chapter 69: Mahoraga vs Anakouzanu
As I summoned Mahoraga, feathers began to fall from the sky, drifting down slowly from behind me, filling the air with an eerie calm. I had already placed four of my shadow clones strategically around the battlefield, anticipating the chaos to come.
Before my eyes, a cocoon of swirling energy formed, and from within, a monstrous creature emerged. Its hulking frame rippled with massive muscles, its wide build dominating the area. Mahoraga's arrival brought an unsettling shift to the air—one of both danger and opportunity.
But I was ready.
My clones sprang into action, launching into their pre-planned moves. They performed the Hurricane Jutsu in perfect unison, creating a powerful vortex that allowed me to swiftly dodge Mahoraga's initial attack. The wind howled as it tore through the battlefield, giving me just enough breathing room.
Without wasting a second, my clones each charged up their Chidori, the familiar crackling sound filling the air as the electric energy surged through their blades. They dashed forward, their movements a blur as they raced toward Mahoraga, hoping to drive him toward Anakouzanu's towering form.
However, Mahoraga wasn't an easy target. He leaped toward my clones, effortlessly crushing them one by one. His sheer strength was undeniable, and each blow he delivered sent shockwaves across the ground. Dust kicked up as my clones dissipated, leaving me temporarily on the defensive.
Anakouzanu watched the scene unfold with a sickening grin on his monstrous face. His voice boomed through the battlefield, taunting me. "Hahaha, it seems like your own summoning beast has turned against you!" He laughed, his voice dripping with contempt.
Then, with a swift motion, Anakouzanu threw a punch toward Mahoraga, his immense fist cutting through the air with terrifying speed. The force behind the strike was immense, but I noticed something peculiar—Anakouzanu had used less power than before.
*Boom!*
Mahoraga's fist collided with Anakouzanu's punch, but to my surprise, Mahoraga was flung back like a ragdoll. He soared through the air, crashing hard into the ground, while Anakouzanu himself took two steps back, momentarily shaken by the collision.
Before Anakouzanu could recover, Mahoraga was already on the move again. He lunged at Anakouzanu's legs, his massive fists swinging like wrecking balls. Each punch cracked through the metal plating that covered Anakouzanu's body, sending fragments of metal flying in every direction.
*Boom! Crack!*
Mahoraga's kicks followed, each one a devastating blow that chipped away at Anakouzanu's reinforced legs. The ground beneath them shook with every strike, and for the first time, Anakouzanu seemed to be losing his footing.
But just as I had feared, Anakouzanu's healing abilities kicked in, the chakra threads weaving through his body and restoring the damaged areas almost instantly. His legs regenerated before my eyes, repairing themselves at an alarming rate. It was a brutal tug-of-war between Mahoraga's relentless offense and Anakouzanu's constant regeneration.
*Thud! Thud! Thud!*
Their battle was like an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Mahoraga continued to adapt, learning from each hit, each clash, and growing stronger with every second. His movements became sharper, more precise, as if he were evolving right before my eyes. Yet, Anakouzanu's mocking grin remained, as his body constantly healed from every wound Mahoraga inflicted.
'Damn it,' I thought, my grip tightening around my sword. '*Mahoraga can adapt all he wants, but if I don't find a way to stop Anakouzanu's healing, this fight could go on forever.'
The battlefield was turning into a wasteland of crumbled debris, shattered metal, and craters formed from their devastating blows. The air crackled with tension as Mahoraga and Anakouzanu continued their deadly exchange, neither one gaining a true upper hand.
Mahoraga roared, its guttural sound echoing through the battleground. With every punch, more and more metal fragments flew off Anakouzanu's colossal legs, clattering to the ground like pieces of shattered armor. The beast's massive fists collided with Anakouzanu's form, causing deep cracks to form in the puppet's body. Anakouzanu staggered backward, his chakra threads trying to pull together the fragments that were torn from him, yet each time Mahoraga adapted, his strikes grew stronger and faster.
" Anakouzanu sneered, his voice dripping with mockery as he swung his gigantic arm toward Mahoraga. The puppet lord's hand shot out like a battering ram, aiming to crush the summoning beast under its weight.
But Mahoraga, with his adaptive strength, dodged at the last moment, his movements becoming more fluid and unpredictable with each passing second. He leaped onto Anakouzanu's arm and started climbing up the puppet's towering form, delivering rapid punches with each step. The impact of each blow echoed like a drumbeat, sending tremors through the ground.
Boom! Crack! Another strike landed, shattering more pieces of the puppet lord's armor. Anakouzanu growled in frustration, his red eyes glowing brighter. "You think you can win this battle, beast? I am immortal!" he bellowed, swinging his arm in an attempt to swat Mahoraga off him.
But Mahoraga clung on, his claws digging deep into Anakouzanu's metal frame, refusing to be shaken off. With a roar, he launched himself toward Anakouzanu's head, aiming to tear it off with one final devastating blow. His fists, now crackling with energy, swung toward the puppet lord's skull, aiming for a fatal strike.
"Enough!" Anakouzanu snarled. His chakra threads lashed out like whips, wrapping around Mahoraga's limbs. The threads tightened, pulling the summoning beast backward and halting his assault. Mahoraga struggled against the threads, his muscles bulging as he tried to break free.
Anakouzanu grinned, his teeth bared in triumph. "No matter how much you adapt, no matter how strong you become, you're still just a puppet to your summoner," he taunted, his voice dripping with malice. "And now, you will be destroyed!"
With a surge of chakra, Anakouzanu's body began to repair itself at an accelerated rate. The cracks and dents in his metal form slowly sealed up, the damage Mahoraga had inflicted being undone right before my eyes.
Mahoraga roared in defiance, but the puppet lord's chakra threads held firm, binding him tightly. Anakouzanu raised his massive hand, preparing to crush the summoning beast with one final strike.
"Mahoraga!" I shouted, my heart pounding in my chest. I had to act fast. I couldn't let Anakouzanu destroy him, not after everything that had happened.
At that moment, my clones moved into position. They had been preparing for this. With a synchronized effort, my clones unleashed a powerful hurricane jutsu, their combined chakra swirling into a fierce storm. The wind howled, tearing through the battleground and hitting Anakouzanu squarely in the chest.
The force of the jutsu sent Anakouzanu stumbling backward, his grip on Mahoraga loosening. Mahoraga, sensing the opportunity, let out a powerful roar and broke free from the chakra threads. His body glowed with newfound energy, the adaptive power within him growing stronger.
Mahoraga, now fully adapted, dodged with ease, landing blow after blow. The ground shook with the force of their battle, debris flying everywhere as metal clashed against flesh. It was a brutal fight, but Mahoraga was relentless.