"Who would you like to challenge next?" Hana asked, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes.
Enso paused, deep in thought. Only five spiders remained. Coincidentally, he still had five abilities he had yet to use since devouring his past enemies. It felt like fate was handing him the perfect opportunity.
"I want to challenge all five remaining lineages," he said calmly. "At the same time."
The two elders stared at him in stunned silence. Hana, breaking the stillness, clapped her hands in delighted amusement. In a brilliant flash of light, the five spiders and their respective elders were transported to the arena.
Standing at the edge of the arena, Hana addressed the elder spiders with a grin. "He's serious. He wants to face the remaining five from our lineages all at once."
As her words sank in, unease rippled through the group. The elder spiders visibly tensed, and Tengen clenched his jaw, still struggling to believe what he had heard.
This kid must've grown up eating lion hearts, Tengen thought. This level of arrogance suited his taste, and he couldn't help but steal a few glances at Enso waiting in the arena.
The six elder spiders, along with the red spider, leapt out of the arena to observe the match from the sidelines. Enso now stood alone, face-to-face with five of the most dangerous warriors in the Spider Clan.
"Kid, you got a death wish or something?" the black spider muttered, voice low and heavy with menace.
Enso grinned, wide and easy, as if it were just a friendly sparring match. "Come at me with everything you've got, Spider."
With a swift hand sign, he activated Shadow Clone Jutsu. Four identical copies of himself appeared in a puff of smoke, chakra radiating from each one.
His chakra reserves were enormous. Even after dividing it equally among his clones, each held the power of two full-fledged Jonin.
The spiders tensed, sensing the growing threat Enso posed in the arena. Enso assigned each clone a unique ability drawn from his past enemies. This was the only way he could train those powers and use them to their fullest potential.
Since this was a completely separate dimension from the Shinobi World, he did not have to keep his secrets. He was free to fight as he pleased.
The first clone wielded the combined force of Wind, Water, and Typhoon Release. The second crackled with Dark Lightning. The third drew power from blood itself, shaping the liquid with terrifying precision. The fourth wielded Shadow Manipulation, pulling out two pairs of swords from his own shadow. The original body drew on Tsubamaru's "Sticky Spider Gold" and his own swordsmanship.
Without a word, each clone stepped forward, locking eyes with their target.
The first clone launched toward the White Spider of the Binding Lineage. The second intercepted the venomous Purple Spider. The third squared off against the Silver Spider of the Killing Lineage. The fourth met the gaze of the elusive Black Spider. Enso, the original, took his stance before the Golden Spider.
The five spiders flicked their eyes between the clones and the original Enso, unable to tell which was real. They had never faced a human before, and the clones caused them to hesitate.
The elders stood nearby, equally perplexed, unable to identify the genuine Enso among the copies.
Without warning, the real Enso dashed straight at the Golden Spider. He did not rely on flashy techniques or overwhelming chakra. Instead, he chose to test his enemy with pure combat skill, wielding the Dynamic Blades Style he had honed through real battle.
Blades clashed in a blur of motion.
Enso was quickly pushed back by the Golden Spider's overwhelming strength. He steadied himself and activated Chakra Reinforcement since his physical strength was being suppressed. He leapt right back into the fight, returning the favour, but his efforts did not gain him any real advantage.
The Golden Spider moved with shocking speed, matching Enso strike for strike. It didn't take long for Enso to realise he was being pushed hard. The golden limbs spun like deadly wheels, slicing through the air with enough force to shatter stone. Enso was forced to summon his Golden Blood Armour, creating a thin sheen of brilliance coating his skin like living metal.
It came just in time. The spider's bladed limbs struck with such velocity that each blow could have ended the fight instantly. Without the armour, Enso would have been torn apart in seconds.
Both their strength and speed were identical, but the difference came down to their height, reach, and multiple limbs. These advantages pushed the Golden Spider's abilities far beyond what Enso, a mere human, could match.
Still, Enso did not falter. His eyes brightened with exhilaration.
This was the challenge he had been longing for. Not since his transformation had he met an opponent capable of testing his body, instincts, and fighting style all at once.
Every movement from the Golden Spider forced him to adapt. He sharpened his technique, refined his transitions, and recalculated his angles with every strike. This fight was more than just combat; it was evolution happening in real time.
Meanwhile, the first clone faced off against the White Spider amid a storm of wind and water. The battlefield was filled with slicing gales and sweeping torrents that collided with a web so dense and complex it resembled an impenetrable fortress.
The White Spider moved with deceptive speed, weaving intricate webs faster than the eye could follow. Its silk was not especially strong, but it made up for this with sheer volume and relentless creativity. The clone had to cut, dodge, and weave through what seemed like an endless barrage. Its movements matched the fluidity of the elements it controlled.
Unlike the original's brutal confrontation with the Golden Spider, this fight was a precise duel. It was a chess match of movement and timing, each side anticipating the other's next move with razor-sharp focus.
The fight forced Enso's clone to draw on both Wind and Water Release to keep pace with the White Spider's unorthodox style. Several times, the clone was pushed back by the relentless assault, but each time, it activated the Shield of Wind just in time to absorb the damage.
Meanwhile, the second clone surged with black lightning, crackling through the air as it faced the Purple Spider. The clone quickly realised it was not suited for direct confrontation. The Purple Spider's true strength lay in stealth and poison, using a curtain of purple silk as cover.
The air thickened with venom, every thread laced with deadly toxins. But the clone responded with cold precision. Each bolt of dark lightning sliced through the web like a blade of judgment, scorching the battlefield clean.
The Purple Spider proved trickier than the others. It switched between shooting venom and silk and even performed a move similar to the substitution technique. Its silk was not sticky but corrosive, creating a dangerous zone that expanded with every passing second. Soon, the spider vanished completely, leaving the clone surrounded by the swirling purple silk.
Even as darkness wove tightly around him, the Enso clone stood firm, unshaken and ready for whatever came next. With a wave of his hand, bolts of black lightning descended from the sky, smashing through the thick purple silk and tearing apart the spider's web of concealment. The clone's sharp eyes quickly pinpointed the Purple Spider's position.
Without hesitation, he focused a crackling lightning strike at his fingertip and fired it like a bullet, forcing the Purple Spider to dodge or suffer the full force of the attack. Each strike pressed the spider harder, forcing it to use silk as cover and retreat.
Meanwhile, the original Enso danced with the Golden Spider, slowly adapting to its complex fighting style. Even so, no clear opening appeared. Their strength and speed were evenly matched, but the Golden Spider's eight limbs gave it a level of defence far beyond what any human could hope to overcome.
Still, a smile tugged at Enso's lips as they clashed. He sensed a breakthrough in his swordsmanship unfolding with each exchange. Soon, he believed, he would discover the technique to shatter the spider's pattern and defences with pure skill.
Enso's third clone found itself at a disadvantage against the Silver Spider. Blood manipulation worked best in direct confrontation, not in tracking or countering rapid, erratic movements.
The Silver Spider moved with blinding speed and unpredictable grace. It vanished and reappeared mid-air, its leaps leaving faint afterimages that fooled the eye, much like Shisui's "Afterimage Clone." These illusions masked the spider's true position, making it nearly impossible to land a clean strike.
Enso's third clone fired several sharp-edged blood bullets, aiming for the spider's centre mass. But every shot missed. The Silver Spider dodged them all, slipping between attacks with aerial agility that rivalled teleportation.
The clone stood firm, calmly raising his arms as the Silver Spider dove toward him from above. Blood surged from his palms, condensing into crimson claws that lashed upward in a wide arc. The impact repelled the Silver Spider mid-flight, forcing it to land on the wall of the arena.
But then, something unexpected happened.
The Silver Spider leapt again. This time, it did not fall back to the ground like before. Instead, it kept rising, skillfully jumping from one invisible platform to another high in the air. This was not teleportation, but rather a complex form of aerial combat that allowed it to move freely in all three dimensions.
This style shared many similarities with Enso's own Void Step technique, making it a rare and dangerous match.
Realising this, the clone quickly adjusted its strategy. Without hesitation, he activated his Void Step ability and matched the spider's speed and height perfectly. Their fight moved upward, becoming a chaotic dance among the clouds. They exchanged slashes, lunges, and evasive manoeuvres with lightning-fast reactions.
They shifted direction every few seconds, rising, dropping, and veering sideways in a chaotic rhythm meant to confuse and overwhelm. The wind howled with the force of their rapid motion, carrying the tension of their clash through the sky.
Enso's clone knew he had met an opponent equal to his skill. Each dodge, each counterattack, and every twist in the air sharpened his understanding of aerial combat. Instead of simply fighting to win, he treated the encounter as a valuable lesson, refining his technique with every strike.
His style became more efficient and precise, adapting to the challenges of a three-dimensional battlefield with remarkable speed.
Despite the Silver Spider's eight limbs, it was unable to gain any real advantage. Enso's clone responded by sprouting eight extended blood arms from his back. These limbs moved with fluid precision, each acting as a deadly weapon.
When they clashed mid-air, it felt like two storms colliding, with each strike met by equal force, creating an impasse where neither side could overpower the other.
Far across the arena, the fourth clone faced a more challenging opponent, the Black Spider from the Hidden Lineage.
Unlike the others, the Black Spider did not rely on brute strength. Instead, its attacks were subtle and disorienting, employing spatial manipulation to make rapid displacements.
One moment it appeared directly in front of the clone; the next it was behind him, then above, and suddenly vanished altogether. Its presence flickered like a mirage, making it nearly impossible to pinpoint its exact location.
But that wasn't the worst of it. The Black Spider could turn itself invisible.
The clone was forced to retreat into a defensive posture. He narrowed his focus, ignoring the shifting landscape around him and concentrating solely on the one thing the Black Spider could never conceal, its shadow.
They were fighting under the sun.
No matter how perfectly the Black Spider cloaked its physical form, its shadow remained. It shifted and slithered on the ground, crawling like a serpent beneath the light.
The fourth clone smiled faintly.
His skill was inherited from Tsukiyo, the master of shadow manipulation, one of the most troublesome opponents he had faced during his first C-Rank mission. Tsukiyo could control not only his own shadow but also those of his enemies.
The clone activated one of Tsukiyo's lesser-known techniques: Sun Shadow.
This technique differed from the more renowned Moon Shadow, which was often featured in anime. Moon Shadow had a wide area of effect and was ideal for controlling the battlefield. However, its weakness was clear: any new light source could break its influence, making it unsuitable for combat in open areas.
In contrast, Sun Shadow had a much more limited range, but once activated through physical contact, its grip was absolute. It could not be broken by changes in light or by trickery.
The clone allowed the Black Spider to approach again, deliberately playing the role of prey. When the spider lunged from behind, attempting to land a finishing strike, the clone spun with the speed of a breath and tapped its body.
The Black Spider's form shimmered into view, forced out of invisibility. At that very moment, the clone summoned a dozen nail-shaped Shuriken from his shadow and hurled them in a wide fan-shaped spread. The sudden attack forced the Black Spider to react quickly, dodging to avoid the deadly barrage.
Without missing a beat, the fourth clone followed up with a powerful strike that knocked the spider backwards, sending it sliding across the ground. Seizing the opportunity, the clone summoned a shadow copy of the Black Spider. It was a perfect, visible doppelgänger that mirrored every movement of the original.
Unfortunately for the enemy, the shadow copy lacked the original's ability to turn invisible. It was now two against one.
The fight dragged on for nearly an hour. Despite the fourth clone's advantage, the Black Spider proved extremely resilient. Their battle became a test of patience and endurance. Neither side could break through completely, and their clash remained locked in stalemate.
But while Enso and his clones viewed this as a form of training, refining their technique through sustained combat, the spiders began to show signs of fatigue.
The Purple Spider, after holding its own for over thirty minutes, saw an opportunity and disengaged from the second clone. It darted across the battlefield to assist the Black Spider, hoping their combined strength would tip the scales.
This forced Enso's second and fourth clones to fight together, coordinating their attacks in seamless rhythm. Lightning and shadow interwove, sealing off every escape route.
Meanwhile, the original Enso began to take control of his duel with the Golden Spider. His swordsmanship outpaced his opponent's through pure skill. With each clash, Enso landed a few clean strikes, creating small cuts and shallow slices that were enough to wear down the spider's confidence.
Eventually, the Golden Spider was pushed to the edge of the arena. After one final exchange, it stumbled back and chose not to re-enter, admitting defeat.
It remained outside the boundary, observing the ongoing fight. Among the new spider generation, the Golden Spider was the strongest of the six. It was genuinely impressed by Enso's ability and witnessed the unreal pressure this human exerted throughout their battle.
Enso exhaled, relieved. If the Golden Spider had returned to the battle, he might have been forced to use Tsubamae Gaeshi, a lethal technique designed to end a fight decisively. He did not want to kill, especially since the match was only a qualification test.
He glanced around and noticed the Purple and Black Spiders still locked in combat with his clones. Had the Golden Spider joined forces with them, the tide of battle could have quickly shifted against him.
Showing respect, Enso bowed slightly toward the Golden Spider before dashing across the arena to assist his clones.
Within moments, the tide shifted again.
The combined force of the original Enso and his two remaining clones overwhelmed the Purple and Black Spiders. With sharp coordination and perfectly timed strikes, they knocked both opponents out of the arena.
With three spiders eliminated, only the White and Silver Spiders remained.
They exchanged a brief glance before turning their attention to the five Enso figures surrounding them from every direction.
In that moment, the truth became clear.
There was no point in continuing the fight.
Without hesitation, both raised their hands in surrender.
The battle was over.
Cheers erupted from the sidelines as the six elders rose to their feet, offering a round of applause.
Enso stood tall, a bright grin spreading across his face. This battle had pushed him to his limits and even beyond those boundaries. The Golden, Silver, and Black Spiders had all proven to be formidable opponents.
They had forced him to adapt in real time, to evolve mid-battle, and to overcome his own limitations again and again.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of gratitude for the challenge they had provided.
Because if all five spiders had attacked together from the very beginning, he might not have stood a chance. Not without drenching the arena in blood.
* Hey everyone, if you've made it this far and haven't left a review yet, please consider doing so. It would really help me out.