Facing Samui's sudden assault, Veigar saw through her intent instantly—but there was no way he would let things go her way.
Without hesitation, Veigar charged straight at her, ninjatō in hand, poised to strike her vital point at a moment's notice.
Reacting faster despite moving later, Veigar closed the distance, bringing his ninjatō down in a vertical slash.
At the tip of the blade, a cold gleam flashed.
"Cloud Style: Flying Blade!"
With a sharp cry, Samui twisted her body to evade Veigar's strike, countering with her signature offensive move.
The short blade in her hand gleamed with lethal speed and precision, slicing horizontally toward Veigar's neck, accompanied by a sharp whoosh as it cut through the air.
Dodge. Counter.
Veigar ducked instantly, Samui's blade narrowly missing the top of his head.
At the same moment, he spotted an opening—power erupted from his legs, surged through his spine, and concentrated in his right shoulder. With a sudden rise, he lunged straight toward Samui's chest.
"Phenomenal Evil Rasengan!"
Out of nowhere, a swirling chakra sphere formed on Veigar's shoulder.
If Samui failed to evade, this would cost her most of her life force.
But "if" meant nothing.
The moment she realized her attack hadn't landed—and that Veigar had dropped into a crouch—Samui immediately understood her vulnerability had been exposed.
Just as Veigar sprang upward, she leapt backward into the air.
"Not good!"
The next moment, seeing Veigar's feet leave the ground as he surged toward her, Samui swung her blade to intercept. Her short sword collided with the Phenomenal Evil Rasengan.
"Hah—ahh...!"
In an instant, Samui felt the overwhelming force of the Rasengan surge through her blade, and her expression paled in shock.
A split second later—
Crack. Craaack...
The expertly forged steel of her short sword shattered into pieces under the Rasengan's force.
Boom.
But Samui, naturally composed even in combat, didn't panic. The moment her blade broke, she twisted in mid-air, pivoted her hips, and launched a powerful kick toward Veigar's abdomen with her long leg.
Caught midair with no foothold, Veigar was knocked backward, tumbling across the ground before flipping back onto his feet.
Samui didn't fare much better—her momentum carried her through the air until she too crashed to the ground.
Despite his failed strike and being kicked away, Veigar showed no sign of frustration. He sprang up smoothly, his ninjatō already sheathed.
"Shadow Clone Jutsu."
Poof, poof, poof!
Three shadow clones appeared—one behind, and two at either side—while the real Veigar continued forming hand seals.
"Wind Release: Shuriken Jutsu!"
As the real Veigar completed his hand signs, the shadow clones to his left and right simultaneously executed Wind Release: Shuriken Jutsu, hurling them at the still-recovering Samui.
But this wasn't his final move.
"Wind Release: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
With Veigar's shout, the flying shuriken multiplied mid-air—dozens of them, transforming the sky into a deathtrap and closing off every possible escape path.
The day Veigar had mastered Summoning Jutsu, he had also learned the Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu from Minato Namikaze himself. After nearly a month of intense training, he had evolved it into an advanced form—Wind Release: Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, utilizing precise coordination between his clones and himself.
Now, facing the devastating barrage, Samui realized she had no means of defense—her only chance was to evade. And the only escape path left... was straight up.
In a flash, she formed hand seals. Lightning chakra surged through her feet as she launched into the air, barely dodging the deadly volley.
But right then—a shadow clone emerged above her, already waiting overhead.
Samui had identified the opening in Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu—but so had Veigar. That airborne clone had been waiting for this very moment.
For the past month, Veigar hadn't wasted a single day. He trained relentlessly, dripping sweat in the practice fields, breaking his own shadow clones over and over to expose the flaws in his techniques—then crafting counters for them.
This was the result.
"No! Samui, look out!"
"Above you, Samui!"
From the stands, Darui and Roy's faces twisted in alarm. Seeing Samui's desperate situation, they couldn't help but cry out in fear.
But reality does not bend for anyone's will.
And right now—Samui stood at the edge of death.
"Rasengan!"
Veigar, midair, channeled the Phenomenal Evil Rasengan into his hand, roaring with fury as he dove toward the airborne Samui.
Warned by her comrades and hearing Veigar's bellow, Samui desperately raised her head.
The blinding sun overhead was suddenly blotted out—Veigar's form eclipsed it completely.
In that moment, Samui's face went deathly pale.
She knew—there was no more room to dodge, no strength left to block. She would not survive this strike.
Just moments earlier, she'd brimmed with confidence, ready to defeat Veigar in style. Now, she was about to die at his hands.
What stunned her most… was just how powerful he had become.
"So this is the strength… of Konoha's ultimate prodigy?"
The thought echoed in her mind like a funeral bell.
Back in Kumogakure, she too had once been hailed a genius since childhood. Never had she imagined being so utterly outmatched, rendered so helpless before Veigar's might.
"I win. Now die—!"
Veigar descended, Rasengan in hand, fury in his eyes. It was about to slam down on Samui's crossed arms.
Unless someone acted now, not even Izuma Shiranu could stop what came next.
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