Chapter 80 – The Pain's Death
The land between the village and the mountain ridges was soaked, half-swallowed by water and mud. Pools reflected faint lights from the distant city, and every step sank into the cold earth.
In the middle of this storm, two figures faced each other.
Gaius stood across from the Deva Path, the rain streaming off his armor in rivulets. Farther away, Diana fought the remaining five Paths of Pain, her sword glinting whenever lightning lit the sky. The open plain had turned into a battleground, water, debris, and chakra storms colliding under the endless downpour.
High above, an ink bird cut through the rain clouds. Naruto, Sakura, Kakashi, and Sai rode upon it, watching from above in stunned silence. From their height, the landscape looked like the battlefield of gods. Every shockwave left new craters in the flooded fields, every clash of energy sent waves rippling through the mud below.
The rain never stopped.
Pain lifted his hand, calm and expressionless beneath the storm.
"Shinra Tensei."
The air rippled. A surge of invisible force burst outward like a shockwave. Water exploded away from him, the ground split, and broken stones leapt into the air before shattering. The power carved a crater several meters wide into the soaked field.
Gaius stood firm. His boots dug deep into the mud, armor humming faintly as it absorbed the impact. The repulsion tore apart the soil around him, flinging water and rocks in all directions, yet he did not move. When the wave faded, he stood knee-deep in a trench of his own making.
Steam rose faintly from his pauldrons. Without a word, he started forward again, every step shaking the ground. Water splashed high around him, thunder echoing across the plain.
Pain's Rinnegan eyes followed the motion, reading every surge of energy, every subtle shift, but even those eyes could not make his body react fast enough. His technique was still cooling down. The mortal's speed has exceeded his expectation.
The warhammer came down like a thunderbolt.
The blow struck his chest, sending the Deva Path hurtling backward. His body slammed into the mud, bouncing and skidding through the water before finally stopping several dozen meters away.
Pain steadied himself mid-slide, halting his fall with a pulse of Shinra Tensei before rising from the mud. His robe hung torn, the body beneath dented from the impact, yet his voice, when it came, was steady and calm.
"You, who possess no chakra, yet resist the power of a god…" he said. "Who are you, mortal?"
Gaius gave no answer. He lowered his stance again, warhammer dripping rain, and charged once more.
Pain raised both hands. "Shinra Tensei!"
This one was stronger. The pressure warped the air and flattened the grass for hundreds of meters, twisting metal scraps scattered across the field. But Gaius didn't stop. His armor began to glow faintly, a golden shimmer forming around him as he activated the Golden Iron Halo for the first time in their fight. A soft hum filled the air, bending the rain away in a perfect sphere.
The two forces met head-on.
The ground shook violently. The golden halo crackled and sparked, but held. Gaius pushed forward, step by step, his figure outlined in light. The water parted around him in wide rippling circles, as if the earth itself bowed to his stride.
Pain's expression hardened. "He's… breaking through?"
The repulsion began to falter under the advancing halo. The backlash sent Pain sliding through the mud, leaving deep trenches before he steadied himself.
By the time he regained control, Gaius had already moved. The mortal blurred through the mist, reappearing beside him like a storm given form.
Pain's cooldown wasn't over. He couldn't react in time.
Gaius swung the warhammer one-handed. The hit connected with a low, shuddering crack. Pain was sent flying again, skidding across the plain, tumbling through flooded soil and shattered rock, straight toward where Diana fought the other Paths.
Diana moved like a storm made flesh. Her sword cut through the downpour, each motion sharp and deliberate. The remaining Paths, Asura, Human, Animal, Naraka, and Preta, surrounded her, attacking from all sides. But she was faster, calmer, more precise.
Missiles burst toward her from the Asura Path's body, joined by a rushing tide of summoned beasts. Diana deflected them with clean, controlled swings, cutting through explosions that briefly lit the gray sky.
Her gaze tracked the Naraka Path, the one capable of reviving the others. That was her true target.
The Asura Path launched another volley, but Diana spun through it, slicing each projectile mid-flight. She closed the distance instantly.
The Naraka Path barely had time to look up before her sword passed through its neck. The head fell into the mud, eyes still open.
Diana didn't hesitate. She pressed forward.
The Asura Path lunged, whirring blades cutting through the rain. She parried each strike with minimal motion, sparks scattering through the mist. She pivoted, severing one of its arms, then another. The Human Path tried to flank her; she turned and drove her sword through its chest.
The blade gleamed as lightning flashed across the clouds for a brief moment. For an instant, all sound faded, leaving only the steady rhythm of the falling rain.
Then a shock hit the ground.
The Deva Path came crashing down through the mist, sliding to a stop at Diana's feet. She stepped back, water splashing around her boots. A moment later, the Asura Path landed beside him, its based mechanical arms torn away, only the mechanical limbs jutting from its back still intact.
Pain rose again, his calm expression beginning to crack. His robe was shredded, his body barely holding together.
Without a word, he raised his hand.
"Shinra Tensei!"
The burst came fast, a pulse of gravity tearing through the air. Diana crossed her arms just as her Bracelets of Submission flared with golden light. The divine metal showed it's power by releasing it outward like a shield of pure force.
The two powers collided. For an instant, gravity and divine strength met in a blinding clash.
The world erupted.
A shockwave blasted outward, louder than thunder. Water turned to mist. Pain and the Asura Path were both hurled backward, the Asura Path shattered into pieces, limbs scattering across the flooded ground. Without the Naraka Path, it wouldn't rise again.
Pain staggered to his feet, his breath coming heavier than before. "Who are you bastards!?" he roared, his voice cutting through the downpour. He had been thrown around like a doll, and fury burned beneath the calm he struggled to keep.
He slammed his palms together. "Banshō Ten'in!"
A boulder ripped free from the soaked ground and hurtled toward her. Diana dove aside, the slab crashing past and splintering into fragments. Before Pain could redirect it, Gaius appeared behind him.
Gaius's voice was low, almost a murmur beneath the thunder. "There's a delay… a weakness between each use."
He'd left his warhammer somewhere in the mud, but he didn't need it. The puppet's body was too resistant to blunt force
He charged barehanded, splashing through the shallow water. Pain raised a hand to repel him again, too soon. Before the pull could form, Gaius caught his wrist.
Pain's eyes widened. He tried to wrench free, but the grip was unbreakable. The armored gauntlet crushed into his flesh.
"Mortal!" Pain shouted. "You—"
The rest was cut short as Gaius pulled.
The arm tore free.
Blood spilled across the rain-soaked ground. The severed limb hit the mud with a dull splash.
Pain staggered, his face twisting in fury, the first real emotion he'd shown.
"Feel… PAIN!" he screamed.
The Shinra Tensei that followed tore through the plains.
A dome of force exploded outward, ripping through rock and tearing soil from the ground. The entire battlefield trembled. Towers in the distant city shook as the shockwave rolled across the horizon.
Gaius was hurled backward through a ridge of stone, crashing into the mud before vanishing into the mist.
Then, silence. Only the rain remained.
Pain dropped to one knee, breathing shallowly. His remaining hand trembled, the body had reached its limit.
Through the fading curtain of rain, a figure approached.
Diana's steps were steady, almost soundless despite the water. The remaining Paths lay scattered behind her, lifeless, broken, and silent. The battlefield was empty except for her and Pain.
Pain turned his head, sensing her presence. He tried to lift his hand, but his cooldown hadn't ended.
Her sword came down once, clean and unhesitating.
A flash of light cut through the rain. The blade sliced through his torso, severing the black chakra receivers that tethered him to Nagato. The body fell apart into the mud, motionless.
The storm began to quiet. The endless rainfall softened to a drizzle.
From the distance, the mist stirred. A golden shimmer pulsed faintly within it, the light of the Golden Iron Halo reigniting. Slowly, Gaius emerged from the haze, golden light cutting through the mist. His armor, forged from Auramite, bore no mark of damage, only the sheen of rain and steam rolling off its surface. Each step left a deep print in the soaked earth as he crossed back toward the center of the field, the warhammer resting across his shoulder , retrieved from where he had left it.
High above, Sai's ink bird circled the devastated plains. Naruto leaned forward, eyes wide in disbelief. From above, the battlefield looked carved from chaos, cratered, torn, and flooded, with two figures standing in the center, Gaius and Diana.
Sakura's voice trembled. "They're… they're so Strong..."
Kakashi didn't answer. His visible eye stayed fixed on the scene below, unreadable.Sai exhaled, his voice quiet. "Each of them has surely surpassed even the Third Raikage… the man who fought ten thousand shinobi for three days."
Naruto clenched his fists. Relief, awe, and unease churned inside him. He was proud, they were his friends, but a part of him couldn't help feeling small beside their strength.
Far off in the distance, a burst of light tore through the rain, followed by the faint echo of an explosion. Both Gaius and Diana turned toward it. Through the haze, the outline of the Rain Village flickered beneath storm clouds.
End of Chapter 80 – Pain's Death
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