Akaza was stunned. His life indeed hung on Muzan's whim.
"So what if you break through to the supreme realm? With a single thought from Muzan, the 'immortality' you cherish ends. Do you think we'd envy such an existence and join you? Ridiculous," Uchiha Nagi scoffed.
Akaza was rendered speechless by the retort. Nagi was right. What good was breaking through to a higher realm if he could never escape Muzan's control? Muzan could control them, but he couldn't know their thoughts. Otherwise, he would likely have already moved to eliminate Akaza.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade them and that verbal sparring wasn't his forte, Akaza decided to fight. "Since neither of you is willing to join, then you'll die here! Die a glorious battle death before you grow too old to fight!" "This time, I won't look at your eyes. I'll fight you with my eyes closed. Your tricks will be useless against me," Akaza declared, then shut his eyes.
With a furious roar, Akaza thrust his palm forward, adopting his signature Destructive Death stance. Destructive Death: Obliteration Type!
As Destructive Death: Obliteration Type was unleashed, hundreds of punches, each carrying immense impact force, erupted in an instant, no less powerful than his previous Annihilation Type. This technique was similar to the Annihilation Type, except the latter attacked in all directions, while this one was focused directly forward.
"Flame Breathing, Ninth Form: Rengoku!" Rengoku Kyojuro roared, unleashing the final and most powerful form of Flame Breathing. Uchiha Nagi, on the other hand, once again summoned his Susanoo. However, this time, it was shattered before it could reach its complete form. Nagi immediately followed up with the Tenth Form of Water Breathing. "Water Breathing, Tenth Form: Constant Flux!"
After fending off Destructive Death: Obliteration Type, the battle intensified. The three of them engaged in a frenzied melee—an unkillable demon with no weaknesses, an Uchiha from the ninja world, and the "big brother" among the Demon Slayer Corps' nine Hashira.
It had to be said, Uchiha Nagi's initial decision to use a Shadow Clone to rescue the passengers, thereby allowing the Flame Hashira to conserve his stamina, had been the right one. Akaza possessed limitless stamina, never tired, and his regenerative abilities were comparable to Buu's—a severed arm could regrow in a second. Facing such an enemy without a tank like Rengoku in front, Uchiha Nagi wouldn't have stood a chance.
Anything, when honed to its peak, becomes extraordinarily powerful, capable of overwhelming everything. Examples included the Flying Thunder God technique and the Raikage's taijutsu. Sasuke, on the other hand, was a jack-of-all-trades but master of none; when he faced the Raikage, who specialized in taijutsu, he was nearly beaten to a pulp. Right now, Akaza was the pinnacle of taijutsu, more like a combination of the Raikage and Guy—speed, power, ranged attacks, close combat, all impeccable. He even chose to fight with his eyes closed to counter Uchiha Nagi's genjutsu.
Do I have to use Izanagi? It might not even work. The circumstances were different. Uchiha Nagi wasn't sure if Izanagi could even affect someone with such an incredibly strong martial will, someone who could even defy death itself. Besides, Nagi was reluctant to sacrifice an eye. Even if White Zetsu cells could restore his sight, it would take years.
Wait, his eyes are closed. How is he seeing us? Uchiha Nagi's right Mangekyo spun rapidly. Then he discovered it: Akaza was in a peculiar state, something akin to internal sight.
"The Transparent World! That's the Transparent World, Uchiha-san! Don't get distracted!" the Flame Hashira shouted, blocking a blow for Nagi.
Uchiha Nagi's eyes lit up. He copied it—a skill that allowed one to see through the world without relying on physical eyes, similar to what might be called a "Celestial Eye" in Xianxia stories. Akaza must have awakened this skill when he was decapitated earlier.
Just then, Akaza was once again struck by the Flame Hashira's Flame Breathing, his head split in two from top to bottom, down to his chest. He was almost cleaved entirely in half. "Destructive Death: Disorder Type!" Akaza gave a savage grin, continuously hammering the same spot with his fists. The Flame Hashira managed to block the blows with his blade. However, this technique was unique. The immense power and speed created a suspended impact. Although the direct force was blocked, the shockwaves struck the Flame Hashira, injuring him.
The next second, Uchiha Nagi, wielding Water Breathing, forced Akaza back. Yet, the retreating Akaza regenerated his bisected body in a mere second. "Are you alright, Rengoku-san?" Uchiha Nagi asked. "I'm fine. Just a minor injury," Rengoku Kyojuro panted. But one of his eyes was now injured, bleeding profusely. A human body could never compare to a demon's; injuries accumulated, and they would only grow weaker as the fight dragged on.
"See? This is the human body. It gets injured, it tires, it grows weaker the more it fights. Today, you will both die here, in your prime—" Akaza charged forward as soon as he finished speaking. Once he decided to kill, he wouldn't hold back. Strike while the iron is hot.
This is bad. Uchiha Nagi thought. Without the Flame Hashira to hold him off at the front, even though my eyes can keep up, my body's speed and strength are far too lacking. I definitely can't beat him. His mind raced through his arsenal. Water Dragon Jutsu? Useless. Fire Style? Useless. Great Exploding Water Shockwave? Useless. Even Kisame would be helpless in this situation. How do you fight a Guy who can use the Eight Gates without tiring?
"Susanoo! Sword of Totsuka!" After much thought, Uchiha Nagi resorted to the Susanoo, which offered both offense and defense, and this time, he equipped it with the Sword of Totsuka. Akaza dodged backward in a flash, sensing the dangerous aura emanating from the energy giant and its sword. This is the third Susanoo, Uchiha Nagi noted grimly. My eyes are already throbbing. Combined with constantly copying his techniques, my eye power has been massively depleted. It's almost at its limit.
"Hahahaha! This is it! This is how it should be! A fight like this is exhilarating! A life-and-death battle fought to its fullest is what makes it interesting!" Akaza roared with laughter towards the heavens. "Destructive Death, Leg Type: Flying Meteoric Thousand Kicks!" Leaping into the air, Akaza delivered a continuous barrage of kicks. The trajectory of his kicks resembled shooting stars, and the multiple impacts created turbulence around his body. Like his Leg Type: Crown Splitter, this technique would inflict damage even if blocked.
"Second Form: Water Wheel!" Uchiha Nagi vertically rotated his Susanoo's body in a full circle, slashing outwards. This technique, adapted for the Susanoo's massive frame, was ideal against enemies excelling in wide-area attacks or large, grotesque demons. Akaza had no way to avoid it.
"Destructive Death: Annihilation Type—Blue Silver Chaotic Afterglow!" Akaza once again unleashed his most powerful technique. This time, it was even stronger, nearly a thousand devastating blows hammering down on the Susanoo. After several loud cracking sounds, Susanoo was covered in fissures from top to bottom. Akaza, in turn, was grievously wounded by Uchiha Nagi's counterattack.
Uchiha Nagi felt helpless. His Susanoo had only recently been awakened and wasn't the complete version like Madara's. Then again, even Madara's complete Susanoo wasn't invincible; at the very least, the Raikage and Tsunade had both managed to break through it.