It was predictable that the water bullet would not damage the towering inferno of flames, given the stark contrast between ordinary water and the golden flames. Yet, at such a critical moment, a misstep could lead to a fatal crisis.
Gamabunta watched helplessly as the destructive golden flames drew ever closer. With his last bit of defensive instinct, he thrust his short blade forward, attempting to deflect the golden flames.
Sizzle…
The blade plunged into the golden-red waterfall, producing instant white steam. The once sturdy metal was visibly overwhelmed, melting away like molten iron returning to its liquid state.
The black of the molten metal was quickly consumed by the gold-red blaze. Under Gamabunta's disbelieving gaze, the short blade that had accompanied him through countless battles dissolved by half, disappearing forever.
A few drops of the golden flames, with fluid properties, splashed and seared, eliciting a pained scream from Gamabunta. The pain was worse than having searing iron pressed onto him because it was like molten lava, with temperatures several times higher.
The searing heat spread across Gamabunta, like standing in a blazing furnace, his eyebrows beginning to scorch and the golden-red waterfall engulfed half of his body.
"Ahhh!"
The agonizing howl, born of immense pain, echoed throughout the Valley of the End. Akiyama, hovering majestically above, coldly watched the toad finally being scorched by his True Fire.
The power of true fire was undeniable, possessing a higher quality than ordinary flames. Akiyama had long witnessed the frailty of things consumed by true fire. But suddenly, a flicker of surprise crossed his face, 'That toad... isn't dead yet.'
The golden-red flames had indeed scorched Gamabunta, but he wasn't defeated by the overwhelming agony. Amidst the chaos, he managed to muster his remaining strength and rolled away desperately.
Boom!
Gamabunta, disregarding his image, scrambled on the ground, crashing through trees and leaving a trail of charred earth. The flames, though potent, were gradually diminished before they could completely incinerate his skin.
"Hah, hah, hah."
Like a gravely ill patient, Gamabunta lay in utter disarray, too exhausted to move. The fire spread from his body, igniting the forest and ground around him, yet the residual burning continued to pierce his bones.
Half of his body was charred, with dead, rotting flesh hanging on, there was no intact skin left. Gamabunta had lost all the imposing demeanor of the gangster boss he once displayed.
'This has got to be a joke...' Gamabunta struggled to half-open his eyes, gazing at the deep red dot high in the sky. It wasn't just the severe beating that was unbearable; it was the fact that his opponent could fly. Under Gamabunta's conditions, he was utterly at the mercy of attacks.
Understanding that he couldn't hold out much longer, Gamabunta sensed that Naruto remained motionless in the same location. He gritted his teeth, realizing he needed to do something, even if just a little more.
The flames flared, and the towering pillar of fire once again rained down on him. Gamabunta's mouth twitched at this, 'To maintain this level of technique indefinitely, does that bird have infinite Chakra?'
The continuous use of such a magnificent technique indeed consumed a lot of energy, but Akiyama's Divine Bird Clan was inherently attuned to fire elements, making such feats effortlessly achievable.
However, after burning for so long, Akiyama was already feeling the strain. The once overwhelming fire waterfall had shrunk noticeably, and the golden hues interspersed within the flames had faded significantly.
The severely injured Gamabunta was too preoccupied to notice, and even if he did, there wasn't much he could do. The roaring flames surged toward him, and Gamabunta took a deep breath, gathering what little strength he had left, and began to run.
"So you still have the energy to run." Akiyama remarked indifferently, keeping his eyes on the shadow below.
While buying time, Gamabunta also scanned the entire Valley of the End. The toad's eyes keenly distinguished every detail of the landscape. At one point, he found his target.
Unable to fight head-on, Gamabunta had no choice but to resort to underhanded tactics. Since he can't strike the Summoned Beast in the sky, his only option was to target the summoner on the ground.
Flying high was certainly advantageous, but it also meant that Akiyama couldn't take care of their summoner like a Summoned Beast on the ground could.
Akiyama's expression changed as he realized Gamabunta's intent.
Half of the short blade cut through the night sky illuminated by fire, shedding all unnecessary weight and burdens. The black gleam swept across the blade's surface and, without hesitation, shot towards a certain spot in the forest.
Logan, who had been watching the spectacle, suddenly froze. He saw a large, sharp, dark shape rapidly darting in his direction.
It was too fast and too sudden. The perception of distance between a giant creature and a human was vastly different. What seemed far away to Logan was within striking range for Gamabunta. As soon as Gamabunta spotted him, he flung the short blade. After all, for Gamabunta, that was still an attackable distance.
The hundred-meter, thousand-meter distance disappeared in an instant. Logan shook off the killing intent that enveloped him and started to flee.
Akiyama let out a long bird cry, and the True Fire was canceled, the strong wind canceled. The winds roared as the remnants of flames left deep red streaks in the sky, flickering in and out.
As the light dimmed amidst the changes, and just as the night seemed ready to reclaim the sky, a figure bathed in flames shot out from the dissipating fire pillar, illuminating the night once more.
The half-blade, carrying a momentum Logan could not hope to withstand, shot toward him. In that split second, Logan knew he had to make a decision. Despite his Chakra depletion, he ran for his life.
Given the vast distance, Gamabunta couldn't precisely aim the blade's tip directly at Logan's figure. With the difference in their sizes, hitting the bullseye would make Gamabunta a master of throwing knives.
But Gamabunta didn't need pinpoint accuracy, after all, as long as the short blade came close enough, the impact, combined with the scattering debris, would be enough to take severely injure Logan in his current weakened state.
In a flash, Logan grabbed onto a tree trunk large enough for two people to wrap their arms around.
Whoosh!
A massive black shadow zipped past him, just ten meters to his left, slicing through the branches and trunk along the way. Seeing this, Logan didn't hesitate and rolled behind the tree, clinging tightly to the trunk.
Boom!
The short blade's tip was straight, but upon impact, it was more like a massive object smashing into the ground. The impact point was only a hundred paces away from Logan.
In that instant, the entire forest seemed to be uprooted from the earth. The ground trembled, and the deafening noise left Logan's eardrums aching. For a moment, Logan, lacking strength, couldn't quite tell if he was still standing firmly in place. He pressed down on his heavy chest, surveying the transformed landscape around him, realizing he was unharmed.
"F*ck..."
Logan lay on the ground, trying to calm his racing emotions. He turned his head and, through the scattered debris, saw the half-broken short blade lodged at an angle on a slope.
Suddenly, a toad's hand grasped the blade's hilt.
Logan's heart tightened, and he hurried to get up, but his poor condition made his movements sluggish.
Zzzttt!
A current briefly crawled up his legs as Logan dodged another attack from Gamabunta. The airborne Lightning Release augmentation dissipated due to his lack of Chakra.
Misstepping, Logan stumbled a few steps upon landing before finally regaining his balance.