"We can't dodge it!" Shikadai instantly judged the attack's range.
At the last possible moment, Yeto jerked her head up, a rare gravity flashing across her usually impassive face. She thrust both hands forward and gave a low shout, her headphones slipping to her neck.
Bzzz!
A translucent barrier sprang up before them, visibly warping the air. It was large enough to cover even the off-road vehicle.
BOOM!!!
Centipede Elder's massive tail slammed into the Nen barrier! It rippled and flickered violently, creaking under the strain.
Yeto grunted. Her face turned deathly pale, blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, and she staggered two steps back.
"Yeto!" Shinki cried.
Child Emperor reacted instantly. He pulled a syringe from his backpack, darted to Yeto's side, and injected a tube of pale blue liquid into her arm.
"Quick! It's a concentrated energy booster and sedative! She's overdrawn her Nen!"
Yeto gasped for breath. The barrier's glow faded; she clearly couldn't use it a second time.
One blow. Just one casual blow, and... Shikadai's heart sank.
They had all seen how strong Yeto's defense was, yet she had barely stopped one casual strike from Centipede Elder. The gulf between them was immense.
"Damn it!" Boruto gritted his teeth, formed Hand Seals, and pressed his hands to the sand. "Summoning Technique!"
He tried to summon the Red-Eyes Black Dragon, which had come to his aid at a critical moment before.
But though Chakra surged and the sigils flickered a few times, nothing appeared. Boruto called out desperately in his mind and received only silence.
Centipede Elder seemed irritated that its attack had failed to crush the ants. It raised the front half of its body and opened its enormous jaws, clearly preparing something even worse.
Just as despair set in...
**BOOM BOOM BOOM