Even if his attacks began to falter, even if his chakra kept draining away, he, Madara Uchiha, would never kneel before an opponent.
An azure blade flashed across the darkened sky once more, charging head-on into the weapons of demonic energy that filled the heavens.
The next instant, the two forces collided with a thunderous crash, unleashing another devastating explosion high in the sky.
On an unnamed, isolated island, the sea wind carried the aftershocks of energy from a thousand miles away, battering the jagged reefs wave after wave.
Hundreds of Night Owl Guards stood solemnly in formation, their gray-white uniforms cast in a cold, dull sheen beneath the dim sky. Every gaze converged on the figure in pale purple atop the rocks.
Uchiha Fugaku stood before the line of elders, his brows drawn tightly together.
He stared fixedly toward Sabaody, where azure and dark crimson tore through the sky. With every arriving shock wave, his fingers involuntarily tightened.
"Natsu," Fugaku spoke again, his voice more anxious than before, "there are already gaps in Madara's chakra fluctuations.
"During that last assault by the demonic weapons, Susanoo swung its blades at least half a beat slower than it did fifteen minutes ago. If this keeps wearing him down..."
He left the rest unsaid, but his meaning was clear.
Natsu stood quietly, the sea wind lifting a corner of his pale purple robe as his long black hair whipped wildly in the gale.
His gaze rested on the distant battlefield, and a smile so faint it was almost imperceptible slowly curved his cool lips.
"Uncle, it's been two years since Madara received the genetic drug injection, hasn't it?"
Fugaku froze at the question. His brows creased slightly, but he nodded. "Counting from when Vallen and Caesar Clown jointly developed the first-generation Origin