Path Of War

Jasper kept his arms clutched in the spot on his belly. It burned. It felt like a hole had been punched through him.

He wheezed, forcing air into his lungs. Then he felt an itch somewhere on his skin. The White Zetsu spores. They were active and working hard to feed him chakra. It wasn’t enough to get him back in the fight, but it was enough to keep him conscious.

"Do you know why you lost, Jasper?" Arthur asked. "You lost because of your high-mindedness. Not once did you consider the implications of your arrogancy. That’s what inevitably led to your downfall... While you boasted yourself on luxurious power handed to you, here was me: waiting to end that pride." Then Arthur turned his back and began walking away. "You’re not even worth my time anymore."

Jasper’s mind felt torn. This was inconceivable to a man like him. Panic clawed at the edges of his thoughts. He had to think of something while he was still able to fight.

What could work? What was left? Kaguya’s Dimensional Rift? No. It took too long to open. Arthur was too fast. He could sever Jasper’s head before the portal formed.

Murderous Bone Ash? The killing projectile? No. Arthur had just crushed a Truthseeker Orb with his bare hand. He would catch the bone and shove it down Jasper’s throat if he tried.

Jasper looked at the dirt and saw his own blood.

He was a deity, a being with Ōtsutsuki techniques. He was supposed tobe the end of the world.

So he looked back up at Arthur’s walking figure. There had to be something. There was always something.

Jasper sucked in a breath. His lungs burned. The air felt too thin, but it was enough to clear his mind for a split second. He had one card left: the Three-Tails.

His hands moved as he brought his fingers together. But the moment he dared to place his palm on the ground, Arthur vanished. Jasper’s eyes darted to the left, then to the right. Then he felt the pressure.

It wasn’t beside him. It was above him.