"I've got you."
Kato En appeared at the center of the sandstorm, slowly pressing both hands downward. "Sand Release: Sand Binding Prison!"
Viscous sand surged upward in an instant, completely encasing Aoba from the knees down.
Aoba struggled with all his strength, but the sand's binding force only grew stronger. No matter how hard he fought, he could not break free.
The sandstorm closed in at that moment, engulfing his entire body.
"This ends here, Kawaki Aoba."
Kato En's voice carried a trace of exhaustion. Maintaining such a large-scale Sand Release had clearly consumed a great deal of his Chakra. "You're a fine opponent, but the gap in our strength cannot be overcome.
Surrender quietly, and I can spare your life."
Wrapped in swirling sand, Aoba struggled to breathe as fine grains cut bloody marks across his skin.
Yet his gaze only grew firmer, and a faint smile even curled across his lips. "Spare my life? Kato En, aren't you a little too confident?"
"Oh?"
Kato En raised a brow. "You've already been caught in my Sand Release: Sand Binding Prison. You still intend to resist?"
"Caught me?"
Aoba slowly closed his eyes, discreetly forming hand seals behind his back. "Did you think I was simply running away the whole time?"
The moment he finished speaking, Aoba abruptly opened his eyes, dazzling lightning bursting from them.
He shouted, "Lightning Release: Ground!"
In an instant, a massive amount of lightning surged from Aoba's body and rapidly spread across the ground.
While sprinting earlier, he had secretly infused small amounts of Chakra into the surrounding earth. Now, that Chakra resonated with the Lightning Release Chakra within his body, forming a massive network of electricity.
Kato En's expression changed drastically. The sand he controlled might have been dense, but it was still a