Chapter 175: Sword and Spear, Dance and Ending

Chapter 175: Sword and Spear, Dance and Ending

__________ POV Narration __________

The moment Ken picked up that spear, it wasn't just his stance that changed, but the entire atmosphere around him.

Just in his transformation, he seemed to release an aura that was beast-like, almost feral even. It made it difficult for any opponent to keep his composure completely, only someone on the Raikage's level could manage that.

But the moment he grabbed his sword again, that aura shifted entirely. For a moment, it felt as if it lowered in intensity, but it gave off a much more controlled and dangerous air.

It was a sharpness that could be felt even in the wind around him. And everyone in the arena could feel it.

Takehiko trembled a bit when seeing that.

'That... That thing was supposed to be in the same generation as us?'

His teacher, Yorihikko, had tried to discourage him from comparing himself to Ken in the past. But his stubbornness still made him think that he had a chance to catch up. That he was somehow not that far behind from the strongest.

But the scene in front of him made it clear that Ken was not a member of his 'generation'. He was a beast that transcended any common understanding.

The children of the brotherhood already knew that very well, they were only really there to admire their father's strength.

Minato and Kushina also knew that Ken was a monster, but the following exchange was still going to leave them aghast.

The first one to move was the Raikage, his superior speed being showcased as he appeared in front of Ken, his finger already outstretched in a sharp dark lighting spear.

Ken's reaction time seemed to be on point this time, however.

He swiped the spear with the hilt of his blade and took a wide swing at the Raikge in the same move.

The Raikage's body immediately shifted, as he raised his leg up to block the blade with his shin guard. He could try to block it with his body, but he, for some reason, felt as if Ken's strikes weren't that easy to block.

The blue chakra around Ken's blade immediately came in contact with the Raikage's black lightning-covered shin.

Sparks didn't fly this time, there was no metallic clang, but the clash of chakra in itself sent lighting crashing through the area all around them.

The slash that Ken sent didn't seem to damage the Raikage's body, but the sheer remnants of it were enough to send a sharp shockwave all around them, cutting the Arena around them evenly.

The walls weren't just scratched, no they were entirely cut through. If someone strong enough was to push them the upper side would slide off of the foundation.

In the stands above, the Hokage sweated a bit. 'Good thing I called every shinobi in the village to maintain the arena during the fight...'

And he was right to do so, as the fighters below spared no thought to the stone walls surrounding them, both being closed off in their own world.

The Raikage's arm moved to the side, aiming to cut at Ken's head with the side of his spear. But Ken's wrist also moved, sending a strange tremor through his blade.

The Lightning-covered man grunted for a moment, as he felt a strange vibration through his shin, which forced him to stop any ongoing attack and dash backwards, his leg slightly trembling.

'An attack that goes through my guard?!'

Ken craned his neck as he held his blade to the side, the vibrations he had sent through it were of course, the technique of the former Number 1 Assassin in his previous world.

It had been difficult for Ken to master sending vibrations through his blade, but over the years, he managed to master it to a point where he could use it effectively in combat.

And truly, it was the only way that he could confidently damage the Raikage in his current form.

Using Nature Energy was also a method, but Ken would have to use a whole lot of it to go through the Raikage's defences and deal any meaningful damage, which would likely take him out of his Scaled Sage Mode, leaving him vulnerable if A was to still be able to fight.

But while the Raikage was somewhat surprised, and the watchers couldn't quite understand what had happened, the following exchange was still exhilarating.

He tried to raise his hand above his head, but he was too late, as he felt the blunt part of a blade hit the top of his head heavily just as his arm came up.

"Don't forget, you are fighting a swordsman and an assassin here."

Those were the last words the Raikage heard, as the vibration pierced through his defence and immediately shook his brains around in his skull.

The large man's eyes rolled backwards, and his body limply crashed into the ground, unconscious and bleeding from the nose and eyes.

Ken's body was also shaking, his muscles contracting unnaturally and healing from burns as he had forced himself to rush into the explosion of black lightning that the Raikage had released.

It was the only way that the assassin could think of to take out the Raikage effectively. Without being taken by surprise, the Cloud Leader would have defended his head on all occasions.

The Dark Brotherhood Leader stood there for one second, black lighting still flickering around him. And then the cheers broke through, as the winner became clear to everyone.

Most of them couldn't appreciate the deadly and morbid beauty of Ken's sword dance just because of how far outmatched they were in comparison.

It had taken a second for all of them to catch up to what had happened, many could barely follow the fight with their eyes, but that made it all the more impressive to them.

"It seems the winner has been decided! I believe both fighters deserve a round of applause, an amazing display of strength!" The Hokage's voice broke through, as the cheers intensified from all of the people present.

Only one person in the arena seemed more concerned than cheerful. And that was Yugito Nii, despite not being treated all too well by her village the Raikage was a great exception to that.

Many feared Jinchuriki due to their own weakness. Weakness was something that the Raikage lacked, which allowed him to form a proper bond with the little girl.

She was a goal in her mind, a great mentor. And seeing him bloody on the ground was like a nightmare to her.

Thankfully, the Raikage's resilience was enough to reassure her. The Cloud Leader woke up almost immediately, just as Ken was wrapping his blade back up in a bandage and placing it on his back.

His brains were still scrambled a bit, as he shakily raised his torso from the ground, supported by his arm as he heaved a heavy sigh.

"Shit, that was dirty Ken!" The Raikage grunted, clutching at his head as soon as his torso stood upright enough to no longer need his hand for support.

"Eh, that's how I fight. It was great regardless." The assassin shrugged, tilting his head at the Raikage with a smile spreading underneath his mask.

'What a monster... Most people would be knocked out for weeks after receiving such a blow to the head.'

Despite winning the fight, Ken was still impressed with the Raikage. A's resilience was certainly deserving of respect.

A also respected Ken a lot and already knew that he would lose the battle, so he had no objection.

But his appreciation and respect for Ken rose considerably when the Blind Assasin extended his burly scaled arm towards him.

With a wide smile, the Raikage took it and allowed himself to be pulled up from the ground.

The Audience also seemed to appreciate the sight, as it further proved how close-knit the Three Corners Alliance was, a deep friendship between the leaders was always a good sign.

And just like that, the Chunin Exams ended with a bang, some scrambled brains and a heartwarming display of comradery.

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Heyoo! Hope you liked the chapter!

Sorry that this took a bit longer to come out, I'm feeling quite bad for a vacation :)) Might've caught a cold since my throat is killing me

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