Chapter 197

"I can't drag this out any longer."

Katakuri stomped both feet, the ground instantly collapsing, spiderweb-like cracks spreading outward.

He shot toward the Raikage like a shell from a cannon, the ground exploding beneath his feet, gravel flying.

"Boom!"

Amid the sound of breaking air, Katakuri's right arm suddenly swelled and deformed, large amounts of white mochi writhing and surging across his arm's surface like living things.

In the blink of an eye, the arm had become a black mochi mace as tall as a person.

The Raikage did not retreat but advanced, the black lightning all over his body suddenly contracting.

"Hell Thrust·Ippon Nuki!"

The Raikage let out a low shout, his whole body turning into a streak of black lightning, one fist smashing toward Katakuri. The air was torn, emitting a sharp sonic boom.

"Clang!"

Fist and mace collided violently in midair. A visible air wave spread outward from the point of impact.

In that flash of lightning and flint, a gleam flashed in Katakuri's eyes.

The mace suddenly softened, turning into dozens of white tentacles that instantly wrapped around the Raikage's arm.

"What?!"

The Raikage's pupils shrank, wanting to pull back his arm, but found the mochi had tightly bound his wrist, unable to break free no matter how he exerted force.

At this moment Katakuri's peripheral vision caught Cracker lying on the ground, his face already pale, blood still constantly gushing from the wound.

His Observation Haki had already foreseen that if he could not save Cracker within one minute, he would finally die from excessive blood loss.

Thinking of this, a trace of anxiety flashed in Katakuri's eyes. He gave Brulee a look without changing expression, his voice low: "Brulee, wait for me to create an opportunity for you."

"I know, Elder Brother." Brulee bit her lip, cold sweat already seeping from her palm.

Katakuri took a deep breath, muscles all over his body instantly tensing. The mochi wrapped around the Raikage suddenly contracted, like steel cables tightly binding the other's limbs.

"Get out of my way!"

He stomped his foot, his whole body twisting to exert force, swinging the mochi like a whip and slamming the Raikage hard against the wall.

"Boom!"

The Raikage slammed heavily into the wall, the tremendous impact causing spiderweb-like cracks to appear across the entire wall. He grunted, his spine scraping against the wall with a piercing sound.

"Hmph"

But at this moment, a cold laugh came from the smoke and dust.

Katakuri's heart jumped violently, alarm bells ringing in his mind.

"Do you care about your younger brother's safety?" The Raikage's voice came from the smoke, carrying a trace of mockery, "Then how about this?"

"Not good!"

Katakuri's pupils suddenly shrank, at this moment his Observation Haki had already foreseen the Raikage's intention.

The next second, the Raikage spread his five fingers, dazzling electric light instantly turning into several lightning snakes, shooting wildly toward Cracker lying on the ground!

"Cracker!"

Katakuri thought nothing of it, immediately releasing the mochi controlling the Raikage. The armor on his right arm instantly collapsed, turning into large pieces of mochi surging toward Cracker.

"Clang clang clang!"

The black lightning snakes slammed into the barrier, electric light scattering in all directions. The mochi barrier began to char under the high temperature, but still firmly blocked this fatal blow.

But this was exactly what the Raikage wanted!

"Ah!"

Taking advantage of the moment Katakuri was distracted, the Raikage erupted with all his strength, the mochi wrapped around his body becoming brittle under the powerful current, he shook both arms, and those mochi instantly snapped inch by inch.

Afterward, his feet stomped heavily on the wall, his whole body like a bullet from a gun, rotating at high speed in the air.

Black lightning condensed in his right hand, turning into a sharp long spear. The penetration from the rotation made the electric spear's power even greater.

"The more you want to protect them,"

The Raikage's voice sounded somewhat distorted in the rotation, his whole body turning into a streak of rotating black lightning, straight for Katakuri's heart.

"the more flaws will be exposed!"

A trace of solemnity flashed in Katakuri's eyes, his left arm suddenly crossing in front of his chest, while large amounts of mochi gushed out like a spring, in the blink of an eye forming a thick shield.

"Boom!"

The Raikage's fingers slammed heavily onto the mochi shield. Black lightning raged like a mad beast, instantly seeping into the mochi's interior.

Wherever the high-temperature current passed, the mochi quickly charred, emitting a "sizzle sizzle" sound.

"Break for me!"

The Raikage roared, force suddenly increasing. The charred mochi shattered inch by inch, revealing a constantly expanding gap.

The next instant, the Raikage's fingers had already broken through all defenses, pointing straight at Katakuri's heart!

Cold sweat broke out on Katakuri's forehead, the power contained in that finger making his heart tighten. With no time to think, he exerted force from his waist, his entire upper body rapidly leaning back.

"Whoosh!"

The Raikage's fingers brushed past his chest, the strong wind howling, lifting his collar.

But before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a more dangerous aura suddenly came from beside him! The image foreseen by Observation Haki made his pupils suddenly shrink.

Only to see that as the Raikage passed in front of him, he suddenly changed moves!

He suddenly withdrew the right fist he had thrown, supporting himself with both hands on the ground, his whole body leaping into the air with the inertia of rotation, the black lightning all over his body instantly contracting, all condensing onto his right leg.

"Righteous Thunder Furious Thunder Axe!"

The Raikage let out a violent shout, his right leg carrying an overwhelming momentum chopping down from above! Katakuri at this moment had his upper body leaning back, his center of gravity unstable, completely unable to dodge. He could only instinctively cross his arms in front of his chest, mochi and Armament Haki covering at the same time.

"This kind of makeshift defense" Katakuri gritted his teeth, feeling the increasingly close terrifying aura.

"Boom!"

The Raikage's leg blade struck heavily against the defense. The immense impact caused the air to freeze for an instant, and a visible white air wave spread outward from the point of collision.

"Zizila!"

Violent black currents, like countless sharp swords, instantly penetrated the Mochi defense and pierced into flesh.

"Pfft!"

Katakuri could no longer hold on, and a mouthful of fresh blood surged out. His body was flung backward under this terrifying force, slamming heavily into the ground.

"Bang!"

The earth trembled, and the hard ground instantly collapsed. Amidst flying debris, a ring of dust waves rose, and Brulee was blown back repeatedly by the air wave.

"Elder Brother Katakuri!" Brulee held onto the wall, anxiously looking toward the bottom of the pit.

"Cough cough cough"

Amidst the smoke and dust, Katakuri struggled to prop himself up, fresh blood sliding down the corner of his mouth. The intense pain from his arms made them tremble incessantly, and he stumbled, kneeling on the ground once more.

"Your weakness." The Raikage stood firm at this moment: "is your greatest weakness!"

While speaking, the Raikage's figure had already vanished from the spot. His entire body turned into a lingering image wrapped in black lightning, rushing straight toward Brulee! Electric arcs tore through the air with a piercing whistle. "Oh no!" Brulee subconsciously retreated backward, but behind her was already a cold wall. Watching the rapidly approaching figure, her legs went weak uncontrollably. In fear, Brulee could only instinctively close her eyes.

"Elder Brother Katakuri! Save me!!"

The Raikage's palm wind had arrived, and Brulee instinctively closed her eyes. At this critical moment, a suffocating aura suddenly erupted from the bottom of the pit!

"Boom!"

All sounds seemed to vanish at this moment, and time seemed to stand still. An invisible pressure spread around like ripples, causing palpitations.

"Stop!!!"

Katakuri's roar echoed throughout the entire space, and the air trembled under this power.

Conqueror's Haki! The Raikage's movements suddenly froze, and the pressure brought by this Conqueror's Haki actually caused his body to stiffen for a moment!

"Don't touch my" Katakuri slowly stood up from the bottom of the pit, fresh blood dripping down his cheek: "family!"

Katakuri pressed both hands violently toward the ground, his fingertips sinking deep into the floor. Amidst the "crack" of shattering, the entire ground suddenly became soft.

"Rumble!"

The earth suddenly shook violently, and countless white Mochi surged out from underground like a tsunami. In the blink of an eye, the entire space had become an ocean of Mochi.

"What?!"

The Raikage kicked off with his foot, his entire body shooting upward. But the Mochi around him had already turned into countless white long whips, whipping toward his limbs with piercing sonic booms.

"Let go of me!"

Black lightning jumped on his body, emitting a piercing crackling sound.

But this Mochi was completely different from before; the current could not penetrate it at all, and instead had most of its power dissipated by the Mochi's flexibility.

Katakuri stood in the pit, looking at Cracker lying in a pool of blood in the distance. Memories flashed back, and the image of his younger brother timidly following behind him appeared before his eyes:

"Elder Brother Katakuri, I, I want to train with you."

"Elder Brother, Brulee is being bullied again, I can't beat them, hurry and help her."

"Elder Brother, I will definitely become strong and won't cause you trouble anymore."

Katakuri's gaze suddenly turned sharp, and a violent aura erupted from within him.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A large amount of Mochi suddenly surged out from the ground, circling around Katakuri like living creatures. White Mochi continuously condensed, gradually forming a complete suit of armor on his body.

"I promised Mother," Katakuri's voice grew deeper, and the light in his eyes became sharper, "to protect every family member!"

The Raikage watched the changes before him, his pupils suddenly contracting. The Mochi wrapped around him suddenly transmitted a tremendous force, trying to press him hard into the ground.

"Hah!"

The Raikage roared, his muscles bulging and veins popping. Black lightning jumped wildly on his body, and a ring of air waves exploded. Under this tremendous force, some of the Mochi finally began to loosen.

At this moment, a chill suddenly rose behind him! "What?!" The Raikage's pupils suddenly shrank.

The Raikage suddenly turned his head; Katakuri had already appeared soundlessly at his side. The pitch-black Mochi armor emitted a heart-palpitating cold light under the lamp light.

"Too slow." Katakuri's voice was low as he slowly raised his right fist.

"Mochi·Heavy Fist!"

The moment the fist broke the air, the Mochi armor suddenly deformed, and the fist swelled several times over. Pitch-black Armament Haki covered it, and the air screamed under this tremendous force.

The Raikage wanted to dodge, but the Mochi wrapped around him suddenly tightened, firmly imprisoning his movements. He only had time to raise his left arm and hastily block.

"Bang!"

The heavy fist slammed directly onto the Raikage's arm, and a visible shockwave spread outward from the point of impact. Terrifying power spread through his arm to his entire body, and the Raikage's figure was instantly flung backward.

"Crack!"

The Raikage slammed heavily into the wall, and the wall surface instantly caved in under the immense impact. Amidst flying debris, spiderweb-like cracks spread wildly in all directions.

"Bang!"

Just as the Raikage's body slid down from the wall, Katakuri's figure had already flashed beside him again.

"It's not over!"

The Raikage tapped his toe against the wall and suddenly raised his right hand. Black lightning coiled like a dragon in his palm, emitting a teeth-grating hum.

"Thunder Abuse·Horizontal Thousand Dance!"

"Hiss!"

Black electric light streaked through the air like a sharp long sword. The Raikage's hand blade swept out, bringing up a visible air wave.

Katakuri crossed his arms to block, and the Mochi armor instantly deformed, swelling into a thick shield on his arms. Pitch-black Armament Haki covered it.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

The lightning blade slashed against the shield surface, sparks flying. Each strike brought up a visible shockwave, but they were all firmly blocked by Katakuri.

"My family." Katakuri suddenly spoke, a hint of anger in his voice, "has never been a weakness!"

"Boom!"

Katakuri's right foot stomped the ground, shattering it, and his whole body shot into the air like a shell; white mochi rapidly condensed on his right arm, and in the blink of an eye it had formed a massive hammer head, its surface entangled with pitch-black Armament Haki.

"They are my motivation to grow stronger!"

Katakuri roared in rage, the giant hammer covered in Armament Haki smashing down overhead; the air was compressed by the hammer head, emitting a teeth-aching whistle.

"Boom—!"

The instant the giant hammer collided with the Raikage, a visible shockwave spread outward with the two of them as the center. The ground instantly cracked under this terrifying force, rubble scattering in all directions.

"Pfft—"

The Raikage's chest heaved, a mouthful of fresh blood spurting out. His body slammed into the ground like a shell, kicking up a cloud of dust. The hard ground was smashed into a huge deep pit, rubble shooting wildly in all directions.

When Katakuri landed, his peripheral vision caught Cracker's pale face not far away.

"If you don't hurry up."

Katakuri's eyes sharpened, his right foot stomping the ground and shattering it. With a "crack," the entire ground suddenly turned soft as mud, countless white mochi surging up across the ground.

"Boom!"

The ground suddenly bulged, forming a white wave. The mochi rolled under his control, gently lifting Cracker's body and pushing it toward Brulee's direction.

"Brulee!" Katakuri shouted low, urgency in his voice, "Prepare to catch!"

"Understood!"

Brulee crossed her hands before her chest, her fingertips glowing faintly. The air suddenly rippled, a brand-new mirror dimension forming before her.

At a wall corner not far away, Minato leaned against the wall panting. The hasty healing just now had let him move, but intense pain still made his breathing rapid.

"Only. This one chance."

Minato took a deep breath; he had no strength left for a second move, the pain blurring his vision, yet he still locked onto the target with deadly focus.

"Must. Succeed!"

(Chapter End)