Chapter 314 : Lightning Armor

Riku narrowed his eyes slightly as the massive Sage Art chakra surged wildly within his body.

Thunder Prison tightened its grip on the Thunder Blade, took a heavy step forward, and charged at the Zero-Tails.

Boom, boom, boom—

Each of Thunder Prison's steps sent tremors rippling through the ground. Like a walking mountain, its immense weight alone created quakes with every movement.

Seeing Riku attacking, Shen roared in rage, "Die, Riku!"

Without hesitation, he commanded the Zero-Tails to lunge forward with terrifying speed, its colossal form slithering like a giant python as it attempted to coil around Lei Prison's body.

But just as it drew near, Prison swiftly raised its blade and slashed downward at lightning speed—severing the Zero-Tails' head in a flash.

The strike was so fast, Shen didn't even register it until the massive head hit the ground.

But the Zero-Tails' regenerative abilities were overwhelming.

Almost instantly, its head grew back—still aiming to wrap around Prison.

Yet Prison reacted faster.

It took a powerful step back, raised its massive shield, and smashed it down on the regrown head.

Boom!

The impact released a massive shockwave of energy.

The Zero-Tails' massive body was sent hurtling through the air by the force of the blow, crashing into a mountain several kilometers away.

The mountain, easily hundreds of meters high, was split clean in two by the sheer force of the Zero-Tails' impact.

For a moment, Shen felt a disorienting wave of pain and pressure in his head.

The battle between these two titanic forces devastated everything within several kilometers of their clash.

The sheer destructive power far surpassed that of a standard Tailed Beast battle.

Just a few exchanges between them left all the onlookers in stunned silence.

Even Terumi Mei, the strongest among them, couldn't help but exclaim, "This battle… this is a natural disaster. If this had happened within the village walls, the entire village would have been reduced to rubble by these two monsters."

She clenched her fists, her voice somber.

"I don't know who he is, or why he chose to help us, but there's no doubt—he saved Kirigakure. Without him, we would have been destroyed today."

As a Kage-level shinobi and wielder of both Lava Release and Boil Release, Terumi Mei was one of the most powerful kunoichi of her generation. Her Water Style techniques covered a vast area, and she was a natural genius—about the same age as Kakashi Hatake.

And yet, despite all her strength and status as the Mizukage, witnessing this scale of battle filled her with helpless dread.

She understood clearly: if the Zero-Tails had targeted Kirigakure and Riku hadn't shown up, there would've been no one capable of stopping it.

The village's own Tailed Beasts, the Three-Tails and the Six-Tails, weren't even present in the Hidden Mist at the moment.

While her bloodline abilities and Water Style jutsu could cover wide areas, they wouldn't be enough to lay a scratch on the kilometer-tall Zero-Tails.

It was more than ten times the size of the Three-Tails.

Just its sheer mass could squash the Three-Tails like a bug.

And it was now emitting chakra beams—blinding columns of pure energy—comparable in power to a Tailed Beast Bomb.

Even if the Three-Tails and Six-Tails had been present, victory would've been uncertain.

But with both absent, Kirigakure had no chance.

As she gazed at Riku, standing atop Lei Prison's head like a storm god commanding thunder, Terumi Mei's expression grew grave.

If he turned his power on the village now, there would be nothing she could do to stop him.

Even as the Mizukage, she knew in her heart she couldn't match Riku's power.

Meanwhile, the Zero-Tails wasn't down for long.

After being knocked back, it swiftly regained its posture. With a low growl, it dove like lightning toward Prison's leg, aiming to bite into its armored thigh.

Prison's golden eyes narrowed.

A surge of chakra burst forth—and in an instant, a layer of crackling lightning armor covered its entire body.

Boom!

The moment the Zero-Tails bit down, it clamped its jaws around the lightning armor.

But this wasn't just a defense mechanism.

Black lightning surged outward in an explosive discharge, powerful enough to tear the Zero-Tails apart from within.

Its massive jaws were instantly scorched and charred black.

"ROAR—!"

The beast howled in agony, reeling back as its flesh smoked and sizzled.

It threw its head back in pain—