The battle between Mahdis and the old A erupted in an instant.
The former was like streaks of ink drawn amid the starlight by an invisible hand—swift, graceful, unpredictable, and impossible to grasp.
The latter brutally tore apart the tranquility of the night sky, carving out dazzling bolts of lightning as the thunderous booms of sound explosions rang without end.
The two became a black and a blue streak of light, chasing one another beneath the dark heavens.
At astonishing speeds, carrying unstoppable force, they charged! Collided! Clashed!
The countless illusions created by Mahdis shattered beneath the lightning's assault, scattering into specks of black light through the air.
Yet the shadow within its body seemed to possess inexhaustible power. Wave after wave of illusions surged forth, pursuing and blocking the lightning from every direction.
The old A refused to be outdone. Empowered by Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he destroyed every illusion along the way with lightning-fast speed, his eyes fixed on Mahdis as he pursued it relentlessly.
In the past, he truly would have found it difficult to distinguish them.
After all, these illusions were as lifelike as Shadow Clones.
Yet their individual strength was not so fragile. In that regard, they resembled Wood Clones.
Coupled with that astonishing speed of shadow transformation.
Each illusion possessed strength somewhere between an elite Chunin and a Jonin.
But now.
With the aid of Observation Haki, Mahdis's presence was like a blazing fire in the darkness.
So he had no need to pay much attention to the other illusions. He only needed to deal with the original body.
[BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM.]
The battle grew increasingly fierce. Every bolt of lightning unleashed by the old A carried overwhelming force, while Mahdis's illusions nearly filled the entire sky.
Every instant of their clash was