For the first time, fear showed in Ginga's eyes, death had never felt so close. His former arrogance and contempt had vanished.
He poured every trace of Chakra into Ten-Tails' strongest defense. The beast's titanic shadow unfurled, blotting out the sky. Its pitch-black beast eyes, brimming with savagery, shielded him.
At the same time, he rapidly gathered Chakra in both hands, forming a colossal Tailed Beast Ball. The Tailed Beast Ball was ink-black, its surface swirling with violent energy, several times larger than an ordinary Tailed Beast Ball.
He tried to withstand the assault of the Hundred Dragons.
"I can't die! I'm a genius of the Ōtsutsuki Clan! How could I die here!"
He roared, channeling the last trace of Chakra inside him into the Tailed Beast Ball. But the might of a hundred golden dragons was simply too terrifying.
The moment the giant Tailed Beast Ball touched the dragon swarm, it was instantly torn apart, releasing a massive explosion. Black energy scattered in all directions, yet it was effortlessly devoured by the golden dragons.
The golden dragon swarm surged through Ten-Tails' phantom defense without resistance, relentlessly biting into its illusory body.
Ten-Tails' phantom let out a piercing wail, then vanished into the void.
Next, the dragon swarm completely engulfed Ginga's figure, countless golden claws raking across his body.
"No!!! I am a mighty Ōtsutsuki! How could I lose to you!"
A shrill scream burst from within the dragons, filled with unwillingness and despair. But the scream lasted only a moment before it was drowned out by the dragons' roars, never to be heard again.
The dragon swarm gradually dispersed, the golden glow slowly fading.
Ginga's body drifted down from the void. Every bone in his frame was shattered, his flesh a mangled mess.
Even the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki's hyper-regeneration couldn't restore him in the slightest, his life force had been utterly extinguished.
In the end, his body continued to plummet through the void, finally crashing toward a distant asteroid like a lifeless meteorite.
Shiryu landed softly, feet touching the empty space. His figure swayed slightly, aura in disarray, fine beads of sweat covering his forehead.
The Hundred Dragons just now had consumed a huge amount of his Chakra, rapidly draining his stamina, even dimming the light of his armor.
Yet he didn't relax his vigilance, keeping his gaze fixed on the battlefield ahead, watching Hamamaru's fight with Akiru, a faint swirl of Chakra still gathered in his hand, ready to support Hamamaru at any moment.
He knew the battle wasn't truly over. Only when Hamamaru finished off Akiru would they truly win this match.
Akiru had just watched Ginga beaten to death. His pupils contracted, eyes filled with despair and disbelief, his body trembling uncontrollably.
"Impossible! This absolutely cannot be!"
"My Ōtsutsuki clan are the Dominators of the Universe, we cannot lose to these primitives!"
The black Chakra around him began to surge violently, its aura turning extremely unstable, his skin flushing red. He was clearly preparing to detonate his Chakra and take Hamamaru down with him.
He thought to himself, 'Even if I die, I'll drag you to the grave.'
Hamamaru's eyes sharpened, he instantly sensed the anomaly in Akiru's Chakra. It was the sign of an imminent blast.
He inwardly cursed and moved to intervene, but saw Akiru's body suddenly disintegrate, ultimately condensing into a red chakra fruit. The fruit emitted a rich, violent energy, containing Akiru's lifetime of Chakra and vitality.
The instant the chakra fruit formed, it unleashed a powerful thrust and shot off as a black streak, heading straight for the remaining Otsutsuki High Council Members.
Migaki raised his hand and caught the Chakra fruit, it was warm to the touch.
He glanced at Hamamaru and Shiryu on the battlefield, then at the four clansmen beside him, a hint of dread flashing in his eyes.
The previous fight had made it clear to him that these two were far stronger than anticipated, especially those two armors, whose offense and defense were seamlessly integrated and limitless in power. Rashly engaging them would only add unnecessary casualties.
Seirin sighed softly and said in a grave tone, "Ginga and Akiru have both fallen, we cannot underestimate these two any longer."
Hamamaru stowed his scythe and the glow on his armor gradually dimmed, returning to calm, the patterns on its plates becoming faint once more. He walked over to Shiryu, each step steady, causing the void to tremble slightly underfoot.
The two exchanged a glance and gave slight nods, seeing in each other's eyes both the joy of victory and the weariness. This battle had drained them considerably.
Hamamaru spoke in a flat voice, "It's over."
Shiryu nodded faintly, a slight smile appearing on his lips. "Mm, we didn't let them succeed."
The fierce four-way melee ended in complete victory for Hamamaru and Shiryu.
The chaotic energy currents around the battlefield subsided, leaving only shattered debris drifting in the void.
Shun descended slowly, coming to their side, his Chakra gently swirling around him to dispel some of their exhaustion.
"Well done." He said.
The shadow of two defeats hung over the Ōtsutsuki camp.
Morale, once sky-high, plummeted and the Ōtsutsuki instinctively tightened their formation. The disdain and arrogance in their eyes when they looked at Shun's side had long since vanished, replaced by caution and fear.
Beside Seirin, Migaki, Murata, and Kugen, space twisted and Yojin slowly appeared.
What was supposed to be an effortless conquest had turned into this mess, how could the higher-ups hold their heads high?
The five locked eyes, seeing in one another only gravity and impatience.
Together they closed their eyes and tiny purple runes surfaced on their brows, flickering as intangible thought-waves flowed among them.
This was the exclusive secret art of the Ōtsutsuki high command—silent, instantaneous, and impossible for enemies to intercept.
A few seconds later, all five opened their eyes, hesitation gone. A consensus had been reached.
Seirin silently said, "No more rules. We send two more. Win, and we steady the line. Lose, and we all strike. Crush them at any cost."
He was ready for the worst. Before the survival of the race, dignity and formality meant nothing.
Migaki nodded, hawk-like gaze sweeping the clan ranks until it settled on two figures.
"Mushoku and Nobuki under Murata—you fight. Wash away the shame."
"Yes!"
Two low voices answered in unison and two silhouettes stepped forward.
On the left, a gaunt man in ash-grey robes whose countless folds looked like a dried riverbed. His ancient face was carved with wrinkles, yet his eyes were as sharp as a falcon's.
Ōtsutsuki Mushoku.
On the right, a tall figure in black robes stitched with complex gold thread that shimmered against black Chakra. Eyes closed, mouth curved in a faint smile, he exuded the same domineering air as Momoshiki.
Ōtsutsuki Nobuki.
Both were Murata's trusted lieutenants, their power unfathomable.
"Those two…"
Shun's eyes narrowed and a pale-blue screen unfolded in his mind, revealing data on Mushoku and Nobuki.
He warned grimly, "Mushoku was Urashiki's master—same Time Rewind and Chakra-absorption skills, thousands of years of experience, far craftier than Urashiki."
"Nobuki competed with Momoshiki. His Rinnegan can summon a three-headed, six-armed titan whose power rivals an upgraded Perfect Susanoo, attack and defense in one. Do not underestimate them."
"Father, let me go. I've been dying to test a real Ōtsutsuki." Seishin's fists clenched, eyes blazing.
"Why you? I'm not done fighting." Sasuke's Chakra rippled around him.
Each son burned to fight, on the verge of coming to blows.
"Enough."
Shun's authoritative voice silenced them at once.
His gaze lingered on Naruto and Sasuke before he decided. "This round, Naruto and Sasuke will go."
He stepped forward, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. "Mushoku's time arts and Nobuki's Rinnegan titan are nasty. You two have fought together for years. Stay sharp, cover each other, and win without wasting strength."
"Got it!" Naruto answered, excitement flashing in his eyes.
The moment the word left his mouth, brilliant golden Chakra erupted around him like a sun.
Six Paths Sage Mode!
Nine black Truth-Seeking Orbs orbited slowly, radiating pure Six Paths energy.
With a thought, his Chakra shifted again and golden Asura-patterned lines spread across his body like a mantle of light.
Feeling the power surge, Naruto swore, 'Time tricks or giant, I'll break them all.'
Sasuke raised his hand and an armor swept over him in an instant.
The armor was dark gold, shoulder guards shaped like eagle wings with cold, sharp edges and the breastplate bore the Uchiha fan crest pulsing with faint energy.
Clad in the armor, Sasuke's aura skyrocketed.
His eyes opened—six tomoe ringed the Rinne Sharingan, six black marks orbiting the crimson iris.
He gave a slight nod, confidence ringing. "Don't worry, father. They won't lay a finger on us."
Sasuke was already battle-ready in his heart. The three-headed, six-armed colossus of Nobuki didn't faze him in the least. He was even eager to see whose titan would prove stronger: the opponent's or his own Lightning God Susanoo.