"What… what is happening…?"
Fear suddenly welled up in Akahoshi's heart.
Human beings are fundamentally incapable of imagining things that lie beyond their own abilities.
Just like Akahoshi at this very moment.
His thinking was shackled by his own experience and knowledge, unable to step beyond the boundaries of what he already understood. He could only imagine things that existed in reality—or things that might exist. Anything beyond that range simply could not be grasped.
That was why he couldn't understand it.
Why—even after disrupting his own chakra—this Uchiha brat could still freely manipulate his perception.
Impossible.
Akahoshi's limited cognition simply couldn't accept or comprehend something that exceeded his own capacity.
Humans are accustomed to relying on established knowledge and logic to make sense of the world. When something surpasses those limits, it directly challenges their way of thinking—and even their belief system.
Faced with a genjutsu that completely controlled his perception, one that could not be dispelled, Akahoshi felt deep, gnawing anguish.
But—
—it wasn't entirely hopeless.
After all, even the evolution of life itself was miraculous and unfathomable.
At the dawn of the world, in an environment filled with danger and hardship, every living being struggled to adapt and survive. And in those earliest stages of evolution, the most common direction was simple—
—thick, layered armor.
Only with sufficient defense could one withstand the countless threats of the outside world.
For Akahoshi, it was the same.
The Peacock Mystic Method was his greatest pride precisely because of its overwhelming defensive power and relatively low chakra consumption.
The attacks of that Uchiha brat—and even Natsuhiboshi—should not be enough to break through his Peacock Mystic Method.
"Pathetic… too pathetic," Akahoshi sneered inwardly.
"At this point, all I can do is trust those two companions who are holding back the Third Hoshikage!"
Although he didn't know what state he was currently in, as long as he continued consuming chakra to maintain the Peacock Mystic Method, his safety should be guaranteed.
And more importantly—
—the Star was still on him.
As long as that meteorite remained, it could continuously refine chakra, maintaining a perfect balance.
In Akahoshi's calculations, Uchiha Ran's Fire Release techniques and swordsmanship were simply incapable of defeating someone like him—someone who possessed both the Star and exceptional defensive power.
No matter what… I will keep the Peacock Mystic Method active.
Akahoshi emphasized this again and again to himself.
At this moment, the battlefield formed an extremely bizarre scene.
On one side, Natsuhiboshi was unleashing the Peacock Mystic Method at empty air, repeatedly blasting craters into the ground.
On the other side, Akahoshi, eyes resolute yet utterly vacant, maintained the defensive form of the Peacock Mystic Method.
And standing opposite him—
Uchiha Ran calmly planted his Zanpakutō into the ground.
"A wise choice," Ran said lightly.
"Right now, I do have a major flaw—my lack of overwhelmingly destructive killing techniques."
"But, Akahoshi… do you really think that means I have no way to deal with you?"
"You're underestimating the power of Floating Life, Dreamlike Illusion~"
Fire Release—Great Fireball Jutsu!
Fire Release—Phoenix Flower Jutsu!
A wave of scorching heat rushed toward him.
But Akahoshi didn't panic at all.
Just two Fire Release techniques.
Not even Great Fire Dragon Jutsu.
Why would he be afraid?
As expected, those two Fire Release techniques posed no real threat to the Peacock Mystic Method.
When the flames collided with the peacock-shaped defense, they merely caused ripples along its radiant tail feathers.
Seeing this, Akahoshi nodded in satisfaction.
Now he was truly at ease.
"Fire Release—Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!"
Hearing Ran actually use the Great Fire Dragon, Akahoshi finally cast a sideways glance, curiosity flickering in his mind.
He really wanted to see—
—how much of a threat this technique could pose to the Peacock Mystic Method.
But what he saw instead—
—was Ran blasting the Great Fire Dragon into the dark clouds high above.
…?
What was he doing?
Even though Akahoshi couldn't understand what the Uchiha brat was trying to accomplish, there was one thing he was absolutely certain of—
—he would not abandon the Peacock Mystic Method's defense.
"Do you know," Ran suddenly asked,
"what kind of conventional ninjutsu can truly be called the strongest in the shinobi world?"
Hearing Ran's words, Akahoshi unconsciously fell into thought.
"Don't waste your breath, Uchiha brat," he sneered.
"Trying to shake me with words is pointless."
"As long as I don't look into your eyes, and as long as I firmly maintain the Peacock Mystic Method—"
"—you cannot defeat me."
"What a pity."
As Ran's Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu rapidly heated the surrounding air, powerful updrafts formed.
Dark clouds had already gathered thickly in the sky.
A deep, rolling thunder echoed in Akahoshi's ears.
Amid the deafening rumble, Ran's voice arrived at just the right moment—
"Do you know?"
"I like to call this technique—"
Lightning Release: Kirin.
"It has a wide range, terrifying attack power, and because it borrows natural lightning, it consumes very little chakra."
"This is a technique I developed by using the Sharingan to read the speed and flow of lightning, guiding it to strike my enemy."
"Lightning is so fast that you can't possibly dodge it."
"Of course," Ran added calmly,
"I know you're very confident in your big turtle shell."
"So come on, Akahoshi."
"If you trust your shell that much—"
"—then let your Peacock Mystic Method collide head-on with the power of nature itself."
As he spoke, Uchiha Ran raised his Zanpakutō high.
Lightning from the heavens began converging toward the sword's tip, like countless armies gathering in one place, erupting into a blinding brilliance.
Electric arcs writhed and coiled around the blade, as if they possessed a will of their own, constantly shifting—
—until they finally took shape.
A massive Lightning Kirin formed.
Its entire body was composed of crackling lightning, radiant and majestic, instantly illuminating the entire sky.
"Come—take this and see!"
With Ran's shout, Lightning Release: Kirin let out a thunderous roar.
The world itself seemed to tremble under the might of nature.
The Kirin roared without end, an overwhelming pressure radiating from its form. It was almost impossible to believe that this terrifying divine beast was composed purely of lightning.
Akahoshi's heart clenched.
The sheer presence was horrifying.
But with his perception already distorted by genjutsu, abandoning the Peacock Mystic Method would only put him in greater danger.
That Uchiha brat's attack was absolutely not something to underestimate—
—but he couldn't retreat.
If he did, he would die even faster.
Facing the roaring Kirin head-on, Akahoshi poured even more chakra into the Peacock Mystic Method.
At once, the already fully fanned peacock grew even larger, its defense thickening as it prepared to meet this earth-shattering strike.
Lightning Release: Kirin charged forward.
As its massive claw descended, Akahoshi's silhouette flickered within the blinding lightning.
Then—
BOOOOM—!!
With a deafening explosion, the lightning Kirin shattered the Peacock Mystic Method and struck Akahoshi directly.
The lightning instantly melted the surrounding rock.
It was like the detonation of a miniature nuclear weapon—pulverizing stone and vegetation with unstoppable force.
Superheated plasma surged wildly in every direction.
Agonizing pain and paralysis flooded Akahoshi's mind.
The pain was so intense that he screamed uncontrollably.
"AAAAAAAHHHHH—!!"
His hands shook violently mid–hand seal.
And by accident—
—the Peacock Mystic Method was dispelled.
Realizing something was terribly wrong, Akahoshi struggled to force his eyes open, desperately trying to re-form the technique.
But what burned itself into his vision—
—were Uchiha Ran's scarlet Sharingan, three tomoe spinning coldly.
"…I'm done for."