Chapter 114: Earth-Shattering Star Explosion

The Asura Path showed no hesitation and immediately unleashed its most ferocious assault mode. Various heavy weapons suddenly sprang from its mechanical body, as if Pandora’s box had been flung open. In an instant, bullets poured forth like a torrential downpour, each one brimming with lethal intent.

At the same time, the monstrous arm rocket roared as it was launched, its fiery tail blazing hot enough to ignite the very air. Accompanied by a tremendous force, it charged like a roaring beast, hurtling fiercely toward the Iron Man.

The Iron Man stood unflinching amidst the hail of bullets and rockets. Its sophisticated system reacted instantly, swiftly switching to a secondary weapon. This was a formidable long-range armament capable of firing high-explosive armor-piercing rounds. As it prepared to fire, the weapon glowed with a dazzling brilliance, as if gathering boundless power.

Then, the high-explosive armor-piercing round shot out like a bolt of lightning, colliding violently midair with the bullets and the monstrous arm rocket. A thunderous explosion resounded, followed by a cascade of fiery sparks that bloomed like fireworks, yet carried a deadly menace within their beauty.

As the flames faded, what lay before them was the Asura Path shattered beyond recognition, parts strewn across the ground. Its vacant eyes stared blankly toward the sky, the black rods embedded in its body having been forcibly removed one by one. Nagato’s consciousness could no longer connect with the Asura Path, and a profound sense of loss surged within him, as if he had lost an arm.

The Preta Path stood silently to one side. When the Iron Man’s relentless assault surged like a tidal wave, it remained unshaken. Raising both hands high, it grasped the Iron Man’s energy greatsword directly. The sword’s shimmering energy was locked by the Preta Path’s palms, and then a powerful suction force emanated from its hands, drawing all the energy from the sword’s surface into itself. Seeing this, the Iron Man decisively abandoned the greatsword, which instantly shattered, fragments scattering everywhere.

Without hesitation after absorbing the energy, the Preta Path launched a counterattack. It converted the absorbed power into a mighty shockwave, which surged toward the Iron Man with overwhelming momentum. The Iron Man’s intelligent system rapidly analyzed the situation, quickly adjusting its attack strategy.

Its hands transformed miraculously into two solid longswords. With a flash, it moved like a phantom, striking swiftly from left and right with lightning speed. The Preta Path barely had time to react before its head was severed by the Iron Man’s longswords.

In the blink of an eye, only two of the Six Paths of Pain remained, and the situation grew dire. Gritting his teeth, Nagato commanded the Naraka Path to summon the King of Hell. The ground trembled violently as the massive form of the King of Hell slowly emerged from beneath the surface. Its enormous body exuded a chilling and terrifying aura, each joint’s movement accompanied by bone-chilling sounds.

The King of Hell swung its gigantic claws—capable of rending anything—and with overwhelming pressure, pounced on the four shattered fragments beside the Iron Man, as if attempting to forcibly repair the destroyed Paths.

Yet the Iron Man ignored the King of Hell entirely, its cold gaze immediately shifting to the Naraka Path. While deftly dodging the King of Hell’s massive claws, it calculated in its mind, eyes fixed firmly on the Naraka Path, seeking an opportunity to deliver a fatal blow.

The Naraka Path’s combat strength was comparatively weak; it could resist far less time than the others.

At this moment, the battlefield lay in ruin, and only the Deva Path remained standing. Though the delays caused by the other Paths were brief, to the Deva Path, this was a precious opportunity.

The Deva Path Pain’s expression was solemn and resolute. Clasping his hands forcefully together, a strange red-and-black sphere emitting an eerie aura gradually appeared between his palms. His eyes wide open, he shouted, “Chibaku Tensei!” and with all his might, he hurled the mysterious sphere toward the Iron Man’s head.

The moment the sphere was thrown, the surrounding space seemed twisted by an invisible force. Gravity began to shift dramatically. A colossal gravitational field awoke like a monstrous beast, forming with overwhelming power. This field resembled a bottomless vortex, irresistibly drawing everything nearby toward its center.

In moments, the terrifying gravity field acted like an invisible giant hand, fiercely pulling in buildings, stones, and debris. The Iron Man was mercilessly engulfed and sucked toward the red-and-black sphere.

Under the immense gravitational strain, cracks began to spiderweb across the Iron Man’s surface, like shattered porcelain. Its internal systems labored under heavy strain, alarms blaring within its core. It desperately tried to repair the damage but was overwhelmed.

Still, the Iron Man refused to surrender its will to survive.

Its arms, like agile Transformers, continuously morphed into various powerful weapons. It launched wave after wave of fierce attacks against the surrounding debris pulled inward, striving to carve a bloody path through. Each move carried the desperation of a last gamble; it yearned to break free from this prison and escape this death trap.

However, its speed in shedding the outer shell was nowhere near the rate at which the shell thickened and reformed, plunging it into deep despair.

Soon, above the Rain Shinobi Village, a vast sphere hovered silently—an ominous symbol of death. The Iron Man was completely encased within it, bearing the crushing pressure pressing in from all sides, threatening to utterly pulverize its form.

After this harrowing battle, teetering on the edge of life and death, five of the Six Paths of Pain had been ruthlessly destroyed by the Iron Man’s relentless assault. Only the Deva Path, Yahiko, remained struggling to hold on.

Nagato watched from afar, his gaze fixed intently on the massive sphere, his heart heavy with worry. He knew well that while the power of Chibaku Tensei was formidable, it could not endure indefinitely. The Iron Man, with its tenacious vitality and overwhelming strength, would soon break free.

When that time came, it would be a battle of life and death once more—and he was uncertain if he still possessed the strength to face it.

Konan turned toward Nagato, her face full of concern, and softly asked as usual, “Nagato, what should we do?”

Her slightly furrowed brows and tightly pressed lips betrayed the deep worry within her heart.

She continued, “Judging from the Iron Man’s destructive power, Chibaku Tensei won’t hold much longer. Now only Yahiko remains; we simply can’t deal with it. Could it be... could it be that we have no choice but to leave Rain Shinobi Village?”

Her eyes filled with reluctance and pain. This village had been hard-won through countless hardships. It held their memories, their sweat and blood—it was their home.

Nagato’s body trembled violently as he gasped for breath, then spoke resolutely, “No.”

His gaze flickered with complex emotions—attachment to their home, hatred toward the enemy.

“This is the home we fought so hard to claim. Every blade of grass, every tree here was earned with great difficulty. We cannot abandon it so easily!”

Konan’s emotions surged. She cried out, “But if you keep insisting on this, you’ll die here!”

Her eyes brimmed with heartfelt concern.

She had already lost Yahiko; now Yahiko could only linger in this half-alive state beside them. She could not bear to lose Nagato too—her steadfast companion who had weathered countless storms with her, irreplaceable in her heart.

Nagato’s eyes dimmed somewhat as he lowered his head slightly, mumbling as if to himself or confiding in Konan:

“Then let me die.”

He sighed lightly.

“If I die here, it will only prove I was a man without much skill.”

Within him dwelled frustration and helplessness, but above all, a steadfast devotion to protect their home.

Konan opened her mouth to say more, to urge Nagato to consider other options. But at that moment, a rattling noise echoed overhead.

They looked up in terror to see a hole ripped open in the surface of the massive sphere. The Iron Man, previously drawn inside by Chibaku Tensei, was now slowly emerging from within.

Its twisted, deformed head pulsated with furious crimson light, like the eyes of a demon, fixed unblinkingly on the spot where Nagato and Konan stood.

That gaze was cold and merciless, filled with a destructive hunger that sent a chill deep into their bones.