"How about I try using telekinesis to pull Kronos out?"
Tatsumaki (Tornado) looked at the others and, after a brief moment of thought, made her suggestion.
Everyone quickly agreed.
After all, it was one of the few methods that didn't require physically approaching the frozen area—one that might actually allow them to extract Kronos safely.
Once the decision was made, Tatsumaki immediately activated her psychic powers.
A powerful wave of telekinesis surged toward the frozen zone.
However, what happened next made her frown in surprise, her expression growing solemn.
As her psychic power probed deeper, she discovered something strange—
This frozen area didn't just freeze matter; it even seemed to affect intangible forces like psychic energy!
Though not as severely affected as physical objects or people, her mind power clearly struggled.
"Tch!"
Gritting her teeth, Tatsumaki increased her output.
The veins on her arms became faintly visible with the strain.
Even so, the result was far from ideal.
Even with all her strength, she could only get her psychic power within one meter of Kronos before it was blocked completely.
"How is it?"
Seeing the tension on her face, Konan and Gojo Satoru asked with concern.
Tatsumaki, disappointed, withdrew her power and gave a helpless shrug.
"No good. This frozen zone is just too bizarre… My power can't penetrate it to reach Kronos."
Hearing her words, everyone fell silent, visibly disheartened.
Among them, Albedo seemed the most anxious.
"What now? If we don't rescue Lord Kronos soon, won't his life be in danger?"
She stared at the ice block imprisoning Kronos, fists clenched.
Every fiber of her being screamed to rush in and break the ice.
But she couldn't. None of them could.
The moment anyone stepped too close, they would be frozen solid—just like Kronos.
At that moment, Pain (Tendō), who had been silent all along, stepped forward.
He slowly raised his right hand, aiming it toward Kronos.
His Rinnegan glowed faintly, and chakra surged from his body.
Tendō's lips moved slightly, chanting softly:
"Shinra… Tensei." (Heavenly Push)
A mass of icy mist was pulled from the frozen zone toward his hand.
But the instant it made contact, the frost latched onto his hand and began to spread!
With a sharp breath, Pain forced chakra into his arm, shattering the ice.
Even so, he could only shake his head.
"I can't pull him out either…"
Seeing even Tendō fail, Albedo grew more agitated.
Her frustration turned physical—
She stomped the ground so hard that it cracked beneath her feet.
But just as everyone was overwhelmed with helplessness…
Artoria, who had been quietly observing, suddenly noticed something strange.
"Wait! Look at Captain Kronos!"
Everyone immediately turned their eyes to the ice block.
Within the thick, frozen crystal—there was movement.
Kronos' body remained perfectly still, completely frozen…
But wreathing his figure were faint wisps of black mist.
And that black mist—surprisingly—was moving.
It flowed slowly over his frozen form, completely unaffected by the freezing field.
"That mist… is that one of Captain Kronos' powers?"
Gojo Satoru narrowed his eyes.
"It must be," Konan responded calmly.
"Looks like he's still alive… Maybe he's trying to escape on his own."
Hearing this gave everyone a sliver of hope.
The panic that had filled the group began to ease, if only slightly.
However, inside the ice… things were not as promising as they seemed.
Kronos was in a deep state of hibernation.
He couldn't move. He couldn't think.
He was essentially unconscious.
The black mist, though active, wasn't responding to his will.
It moved on instinct, functioning as a kind of defensive reflex.
As it flowed slowly, it began to accumulate within the ice.
And with each passing second, the speed of the black mist's movement increased—
faster… stronger… denser.
Outside, Konan, Gojo Satoru, and the others continued to watch closely.
Barely ten minutes later, Kronos' entire frozen body was completely enveloped.
The once-clear figure trapped in ice was now shrouded in a churning black fog,
concealed within a swirling vortex of unknown power.
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