"CHARGE!" Nina roared through gritted teeth.
The red aura around her body intensified, flickering like a raging flame. The ground beneath her buckled as a violent gust of wind erupted outward, kicking up dust in every direction. Glowing cracks began to spread across her skin, pulsing with unstable energy.
Her eyes,once closed after using Izanagi,snapped open this time glowing white.
Her crimson hair rose and whipped around her like fire caught in a storm as she lifted her gaze toward Darkseid, her body coiled and ready to launch.
But just for a moment,her old memories surfaced.
Flashback
Sweat dripped down a younger Nina's face as she pushed through her usual workout routine.
"197… 198… 199… 200…" she muttered, finishing her final push-up before collapsing onto her back. Her breathing was uneven as she stared up at the morning sky.
"Thena."
Her eyes shifted.
"Dad?"
She sat up and turned toward Max, who was seated cross-legged at the center of their training ground. She walked over and joined him, mirroring his posture.
Max opened his eyes.
"How far are you in the book I gave you about chakra?" he asked.
"I'm still learning about affinities and hand seals," Thena replied. "I won't move past them until I've memorized everything."
"I see," Max said with a nod.
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Since you haven't reached this part yet, I'll explain it to you."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"You see, besides the tenketsu points in the body's chakra pathways, there are limiters,natural restrictions placed on your body to stop it from destroying itself."
Thena leaned forward slightly, listening closely.
"These limiters are called the Eight Inner Gates."
Max's gaze sharpened slightly.
"What did I say about the fighting style I chose for you?"
"It's meant to maximize destructive impact with each blow," Thena answered.
"Correct," Max said. "But what if you could push beyond that? What if you could deliver more power than your body would normally allow?"
He let the question linger for a moment.
"The Eight Gates technique does exactly that. By opening these gates, you temporarily access more of your body's true power."
His tone grew more serious.
"But they are closed for a reason. Each gate you open places immense strain on your body. The more gates you open, the greater the power… and the greater the damage you inflict on yourself".
"And like the name suggests, there are eight of them," Max continued. "The Gate of Opening, the Gate of Healing, the Gate of Life, the Gate of Pain, the Gate of Limit, the Gate of Joy, the Gate of Shock… and finally, the Gate of Death."
Thena's eyes widened slightly. "How much do they increase your power when opened?"
Max exhaled softly. "By the Sixth Gate, you can ignite the air with your fists alone. It's called the Morning Peacock,a barrage of punches so fast they ignite the air from sheer friction."
He paused, letting it sink in.
"The Seventh Gate pushes it even further with Daytime Tiger,a single compressed air blast created purely from physical force. It's comparable to an S-rank jutsu."
"That's insane," Thena said under her breath.
Max nodded. "It is. And the final gate… goes far beyond that."
"To put it into perspective, opening the Eighth Gate grants power dozens of times greater than that of the Five Kage combined. Even a Six Paths-level opponent would has to take you seriously if you open it."
Thena's jaw slackened slightly. She swallowed before asking, "Then… why isn't everyone learning this technique?"
Max gave a small, knowing look.
"Because of what it demands. The level of dedication required is extreme. The physical conditioning alone could kill you,every single day. Most people choose not to pursue it. Ninjutsu is far more appealing than doing ten thousand push-ups daily for years along with other training just to reach the Fourth Gate."
He shook his head slightly.
"And even among those who try, most cap out at the Third Gate."
Thena hesitated before asking the question that lingered in her mind.
"What about you, Dad? Can you open all of them?"
Max held her gaze for a moment before answering.
"I can.but I'd rather avoid the final gate," he added.
"Once you open it, there's no going back because It can't be closed so It keeps burning through your chakra,and your life force,until nothing is left."
His voice lowered slightly.
"And that's if the strain alone doesn't kill you first. After all, when you open the Gate of Death, your blood literally boils and evaporates into red steam," Max said.
"So it's a last resort?" Thena asked.
"It's something you use only when there's absolutely no other option to attain victory… or when what's at stake is more than just your life. For example,if your life was in grave danger, then I'd gladly lay down mine to save you. After all… what's the use of having power if you don't use it to protect what matters to you?" Max said.
At that, Thena felt a small warmth bloom in her chest.
She hesitated for a moment before asking, "What techniques are associated with the final gate?"
"There are two," Max replied. "The first is an upgraded version of Daytime Tiger,the Sekizō barrage, also known as Evening Elephant. It's a series of successive air blasts released with each swing of your fist, each one stronger than the last."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"And the final one… is Night Guy. A kick so overwhelmingly fast and powerful it can actually bend space."
At this point, Thena wasn't even surprised anymore. To her, things had long since crossed into the absurd,but still, she couldn't help but keep asking questions,
"Why is it called Night Guy?"
Max let out a small breath. "That's the thing… it wasn't named by me. The first person to use it was Might Guy, and he called it Night Guy. I can't exactly call it Night Max, can I?"
Thena snorted. "Yeah… that sounds kinda weird."
"I know," Max said, shaking his head slightly. Then his expression turned serious.
"But before we start, I need you to promise me something."
He stepped closer, placing both hands on her shoulders and looking her straight in the eyes.
"Don't use this technique recklessly. Don't open the final gate unless you absolutely have to. And if that day ever comes… make sure you've truly thought it through."
Thena held his gaze for a moment before smiling.
"Don't worry, Dad. That day will never come. I'll be so strong that even you'll be left behind."
Max sighed… but a small smirk still formed on his face.
"I guess we'll have to see then."
He reached out and ruffled her hair.
"Ahh,my hair! You're messing it up!" Thena complained, swatting his hand away.
Max chuckled softly,and just like that,the moment faded.
End of Flashback.
Thena's thoughts sharpened as the ground beneath her fractured outward.
I guess this was the time you were talking about, Dad… just like you said… you'd lay your life down to save mine. I'd do the same for you. For Terra. For Mom as well.
The earth detonated beneath her feet. Rubble and debris lifted into the air, defying gravity as a deep crimson aura erupted around her,blood and chakra evaporating and spiraling inward like a storm. It condensed rapidly, twisting into the form of a massive crimson dragon that coiled around her body, its presence warping the air itself.
The dragon lifted its head and unleashed a roar that shook the battlefield. Thena stood at its core, eyes locked forward as the chaos below stretched endlessly. The dragon's gaze swept across the destruction until it found its target.
Darkseid. For the first time since the battle began, Darkseid's expression shifted slightly, not into fear, but into recognition of danger. The same kind he had felt once before, the day he lost an arm.
His eyes flared red as the Omega Beams erupted instantly, tearing through space in jagged, tracking paths aimed directly at her. Thena responded without hesitation.
"FLOW!" she roared
The ground beneath her collapsed into a massive crater as the crimson dragon surged forward with her. The beams struck,and instead of impacting, they curved around her, bending away as though space itself had been twisted out of alignment. Darkseid narrowed his eyes and intensified the attack, forcing the beams to go straight, but they still refused to connect.
His eyes widened slightly as realization hit him. 'She's bending space!'. But it was already too late.
"NIGHT GUY!!!" Thena roared as she shot forward like a crimson comet. The kick landed cleanly on Darkseid's chest, and his armor disintegrated instantly under the force.
A catastrophic shockwave erupted outward as a red streak carved across the battlefield, dragging him through the land with unstoppable momentum. Mountains vanished in his path, the first range erased entirely, the second shattered into dust, and the third pierced straight through as if it never existed.
Blood was violently forced from Darkseid's mouth as the impact continued. The streak finally collided with the fourth mountain range, which collapsed entirely in a single devastating explosion of rock and dust. For a moment, everything went silent. Then the rubble shifted.
A faint red glow emerged from beneath the ruins as Darkseid rose slowly. His body was damaged but still intact. A thick crimson aura bled outward from him, and where his armor had been, an Omega symbol was burned into his chest, slightly dented in from Nina's kick .
The symbol began to repair itself as the crimson hue faded into black, and the aura vanished completely, leaving Darkseid standing once again in silence.
Nina lay flat inside a gigantic trench, her body scorched beyond recognition. Red glowing cracks ran across her skin like fractured glass, and her right foot was already disintegrating into ash-like particles.
Her fingers twitched.
Then her right hand slowly pushed against the ground. She forced herself up onto her knees, trembling under her own weight. She tried to rise further, but her remaining leg buckled immediately as the other continued to fade away.
Darkseid stepped forward.
"You endure… but this is where it ends," he said.
His eyes flared red as he fired his Omega Beams point-blank.
Time seemed to slow for Nina.
She could not see the attack anymore,her vision already gone,but she could feel it coming,her life slowly slipping away.
'Mom… Thena…Terra,it seems like I won't be keeping my promise and iam sorry for it and Dad.....I gave it my all...I leave the rest to you now..'
Then beams engulfed her completely.
Darkseid held them steady for ten seconds and when he finally stopped, the light faded from the trench.
Where Nina had been standing, there was nothing left but a deep,empty pit.
And just like that, Nina Schiller was no more.
End of Chapter..
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Chapter 24:Mission impossible
Chapter 25:Art is an Explosion!
Chapter 26:Max vs Darkseid