Orochimaru seized the opportunity.
"My lord, quickly seal the dragon veins and even the people."
Mufasa stepped forward, his voice steady. "It's better to get Jugo out first."
Before they could finish speaking, a sudden cry of pain erupted from the ground.
The once-unconscious Kabuto flung his eyes open, gripping his head tightly.
His veins bulged, his eyes protruding as blood trickled from his nose.
Across from him, Jugo let out a guttural roar and swung his fist at everyone in sight. Kabuto had failed—or rather, the White Matron had failed.
Jugo had once been a child at an orphanage, nurtured and cared for by the kind-hearted White Matron. Everything had seemed perfect. The orphanage thrived, filled with laughter and warmth. Jugo himself had found happiness under Bai's watchful eye.
White Matron had rejoiced as the hostility in Jugo gradually dissipated, replaced by a more cheerful and sociable nature. However, unknown to many, Jugo harbored a dual personality.
Whenever he slept, his other self—his violent, uncontrollable side, influenced by the corruption of the dragon veins—would whisper to him.
"This is not your home."
"You are not an orphan."
"You have a family. We are your brothers."
"That matron is a hypocrite. She wants to keep you locked away forever."
"Break free. Destroy the orphanage. Find your real home. Find us."
Night after night, these whispers grew louder, shifting from fleeting dreams to persistent voices that haunted him day and night.
Until one fateful meal—Jugo could no longer resist.
His vision blurred. His fury erupted. Without warning, he lashed out, his fist crashing into White Matron's face with devastating force.
A horrifying ripple effect followed. Bai's body convulsed as her head snapped back. The pain mirrored onto Kabuto, who woke from his slumber with a gasp, his head throbbing.
Tears streamed down the Matron's face.
Jugo's dream collapsed into reality—the orphanage lay in ruins, just as it had in his mind.
Back in the present, Mufasa exhaled sharply. "Orochimaru, take care of Kabuto."
Jugo lunged again, but Mufasa intercepted his fist with an electromagnetic blast. The force sent Jugo staggering back.
From the battlefield, Sasori's voice rang out. "Fire! Fire!"
An ice-release cannonball launched toward Jugo, aiming directly for his fists. Ice spread upon impact, attempting to immobilize him. But then—
The energy of the purple-blue dragon veins flared, transforming into searing flames that melted the ice away.
Jugo's eyes gleamed with fury. His flaming fists swung forward, unleashing twin fireballs toward the oncoming tank.
Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan activated.
Susanoo emerged—its third form.
The towering purple warrior, clad in the armor of Tengu, stood tall. With his left hand, he raised a great longbow, blocking the flames.
On the other side, Sasori's modified puppet—resembling a massive Gundam—raised its shield, bracing against the fire.
Jugo snarled, enraged by their resistance. His body underwent yet another grotesque transformation. Two additional arms sprouted from his torso, forming a monstrous, four-armed behemoth. With a furious roar, he charged, clashing against Susanoo and Sasori's Gundam in a battle that shook the earth.
Three towering beasts—each as massive as a mountain—collided in the midst of the desert.
Mufasa felt it immediately. The underground magnetic field was shifting, distorting. Cracks formed in the ground, revealing deep, ominous ravines.
The dragon veins were responding. The desert itself was on the verge of collapse.
"If this continues, the entire Demon Desert will be wiped out," Mufasa muttered. "We have no choice. We must end this now."
He turned to Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, summon Manda. Take a position."
He then barked orders to the others. "We surround him. Seal him from all sides."
Mufasa took to the skies, flying toward the northern front. Below, Gaara commanded the chariot unit. "Retreat! Get to safety now!"
With Gaara's team out of harm's way, Mufasa took his position. Sasuke, Sasori, and Orochimaru occupied the east, south, and west.
Mufasa clapped his hands together.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A deafening explosion echoed through the battlefield.
Mecha-Godzilla Mark I appeared—a mechanical monstrosity, towering at 120 meters. Its arsenal was unmatched: shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, guided missiles, a high-energy laser cannon in its mouth, and the devastating Super Electromagnetic Cannon.
Mufasa's voice boomed. "Attack together!"
Sasuke called forth his ultimate form. "Kirin!"
Lightning raged from the stormy sky, crackling down into Susanoo's armor.
"Wake up, Raiken!" Sasuke roared. The longbow in Susanoo's left hand morphed into an electrified blade of thunder. With a single pull, he unleashed a lightning-charged arrow aimed directly at Jugo's chest.
The others followed suit.
Sasori's Gundam unleashed its beam gun and missile launchers.
Manda lunged, sinking its massive fangs into Jugo's mutated form.
Orochimaru's Kusanagi blade stretched to an impossible length, transforming into a hundred-meter-long spear to pierce the enemy.
Mufasa activated all of Mecha-Godzilla's weapons—rockets, lasers, missiles—unleashing a relentless bombardment.
Jugo howled, his monstrous form writhing under the onslaught. Even with the power of the dragon veins, he couldn't withstand this.
Four against one.
Jugo's deafening roar shook the battlefield as the final attack struck home.
After the smoke cleared, Jugo's broken form stood before them all.
All four of his arms hung limp, shattered beyond repair. Half of his head was missing, and his body was riddled with gaping wounds, some stretching several meters wide. The most horrifying hole pierced through half his waist, leaving him barely able to stand.
He swayed, on the verge of collapse.
Purple, red, and blue flames flickered around the gaping wounds, consuming what little remained.
"Now's our chance!" Mufasa commanded, directing Mecha-Godzilla forward. "Everyone, push him back!"
The plan was simple—force Jugo and the exposed dragon veins into the cavern and seal them away once more. It was the only way to stop the contamination from spreading.
Just as the group prepared to advance, a chilling laugh echoed through the battlefield.
"Jie Jie Jie..."
A grotesque sight unfolded. From the destroyed half of Jugo's face, another head emerged.
Mufasa's eyes narrowed. He recognized it instantly. "Mukade…"
Mukade's twisted laughter rang through the battlefield, his mouth stretching in a crazed grin.
"Kill!"
"Destroy!"
"Obliterate everything!"
The dragon veins trembled violently. The earth rumbled as deep fissures tore through the battlefield. Even the distant village of Sunagakure felt the shockwaves.
The entire village and the industrial district shook under the violent tremors. Temari and Kankuro worked desperately to calm the panicked villagers, while Sand Village operatives led massive sandworms away from the industrial park, hoping to prevent further destruction.
Villagers huddled in their homes, whispering prayers under their breath, hoping the disaster would soon pass.
Within a hidden chamber, their prayers echoed through the halls.
A pair of cold, determined eyes snapped open.
A figure stirred.
Then—
A sudden whoosh.
Space cracked apart.
A shadowy figure stepped through the breach, then vanished just as quickly. The room fell silent, save for the lingering echoes of whispered prayers.
Mukade's lingering consciousness initiated its final act of destruction.
Long ago, he had been cast out of the dragon veins, his body completely consumed. But he had learned. In the last moments before his death, he had fused his own chakra with the veins, embedding his hatred and obsession within them.
For twenty years, that hatred festered, corrupting the deepest layers of the dragon veins.
Kabuto and his forces had only siphoned energy from the surface, unaware of the impending disaster.
Now, with Jugo's defeat, Mukade's final act began.
The dragon veins raged.
The underground energy surged uncontrollably, crackling with electric light as the ground split open, revealing an abyss beneath them.
Sasori took to the skies just in time.
Below, the chariot convoy raced against time, but the widening fissures pursued them relentlessly.
"Damn it!" Gaara cursed as he saw the abyss closing in.
Deidara gritted his teeth. "Tch, this is not art!"
With a desperate move, he detonated his clay creations, forming massive birds that swooped in to carry the tanks away.
Gaara reinforced the rescue with his sand, lifting more of their allies to safety.
But the abyss showed no signs of stopping.
Sweat dripped from Deidara's forehead. "Damn it. I'm not dying here."
On the Battlefield
Orochimaru's slit pupils constricted. "My lord, he's going to self-destruct."
There was no need for confirmation—the raw energy of the dragon veins spoke for itself.
Mufasa stood atop Mecha-Godzilla, his gaze dark.
A dragon vein explosion could rival a nuclear detonation.
If this happened, the entire desert—and Sunagakure—would be wiped out.
"Everyone, retreat!" Mufasa roared. "Get as far away as possible!"
He had no choice.
He had to use that technique.
A simulated black hole—his last resort.
Mufasa began gathering his chakra, molding the immense power needed to create the void.
But he couldn't leave. Not yet.
He had to control it, or the black hole would consume everything—the desert, the village, even himself.
As he prepared to unleash his power, the sky split open.
A lone figure descended.
Sasuke, Sasori, and Orochimaru froze.
A girl appeared from the rift.
Silver twin ponytails cascaded down her back. A navy-blue cavalry hat sat atop her head, complementing her elegant double-layered coat. Knee-high socks and platform heels adorned her feet, and a saber hovered beside her.
Her eyes…
A crimson outer ring encased a deep-blue inner circle.
Emotionless. Cold. Void of humanity.
Her presence alone suffocated the battlefield.
Mufasa's eyes widened in shock. "Altair?!"
"Why are you here?!"
He knew she wasn't supposed to wake up yet.
Every moment she remained active drained her stored energy, forcing her into a deep slumber afterward.
Altair's gaze locked onto him.
For the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed her otherwise empty eyes.
Excitement.
At last…
She had found him.
Her creator.
Her lord.
The self-destructing Mukade felt the immense pressure of Altair's presence.
It roared, defiant.
Altair turned to face it.
The emotion in her gaze vanished.
Her stare became empty.
Indifferent.
Unforgiving.
Merciless.
"Sinners who defile this world," her voice rang, ice-cold. "You bring corruption to sacred ground."
Her saber spun, glowing with ominous energy.
"To raise a hand against my lord is an unforgivable crime."
Her expression hardened.
"I will eradicate you in his name."
Altair stretched out her hand.
Her sword shot forward, aimed at Mukade.
Her voice rang with unwavering conviction.
"Holopsicon, the Thirteenth Movement:"
"Outline Origin."
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Word count: 1705
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