"Heh... heh..."
The lotus-like cluster of Rock Spears reflected in Chiba's eyes. He gasped heavily as the pale green radiance around him slowly turned into specks of light and dispersed into the air. At the same time, the emerald rings in his eyes flickered several times before fading into darkness.
"Pfft!"
At that moment, Chiba's legs gave out beneath him in his throwing stance. He dropped to his knees, barely managing to keep himself from collapsing by bracing both hands against the ground.
Hard Vortex Water Blade, Rock Dragon Pillar, and finally Thousand Needle Hell—three S-rank ninjutsu in succession had completely drained him in the Gate of Limit Mode, which his body had yet to adapt to. At the same time, they had nearly exhausted all his physical strength.
It should... it should be enough, right? As he gasped, his vision repeatedly darkening, Chiba slightly raised his eyes toward the stone pillar—toward its upper half, which had become a blooming Hell Flower. This thought flashed through his mind.
One minute... it really had only lasted one minute...
At the same time, a bitter smile touched his lips.
The severe Chakra consumption of three S-rank ninjutsu caused the Gate of Limit Mode, already consuming his stamina and Chakra abnormally due to his body's inability to adapt, to end at once. At that very moment, he had reached another limit—the limit where both his Chakra and physical strength had been completely depleted.
In other words, he was utterly exhausted.
And coincidentally, from the moment he resolved to make his final stand until everything ended, exactly one minute had passed. His calculation had been frighteningly accurate.
But now, he truly wished the depletion had taken one more minute. The sensation of overusing Chakra really was unbearable.
And in this state, with no way