"Then... Father, I want to see just how strong you really are! Over the years, my Karma has raised me to a level that doesn't truly belong to me... What I'm even more curious about is this: since you were the one who developed Karma, just how strong have you become?"
Hearing that, Arisu smiled faintly.
His son's curiosity was only natural.
After all, the Karma he had given him contained the power of several Otsutsuki. A single Karma had allowed Yukio to reach his current level, so just how far had its creator reached?
After thinking for a moment, Arisu nodded.
"I've been wanting to stretch a bit anyway."
"To be honest, it's been a long time since I've had a truly high-level fight..."
Ever since his battle with Otsutsuki Hagoromo, he had rarely met an opponent who could really satisfy him.
The Six Paths Demon Sweep didn't count. That had just been a one-sided cleanup, basically farming Harvest in Abundance. It wasn't worth mentioning.
His battles against Otsutsuki Urashiki, Kinshiki, and Momoshiki had been more like bullying weak opponents.
Since coming to the ninja world, the only battles that truly counted were the one where he and Kaguya ambushed Isshiki together, his fierce battle against Kaguya, and his clash with Otsutsuki Hagoromo during the era of the Ninshu.
Now that his son had challenged him, it stirred an interest he hadn't felt in a long time.
The current Yukio could barely be considered his opponent.
Seeing that his father agreed, Yukio's eyes immediately filled with fighting spirit, and his fists clenched on their own.
He asked eagerly, "Where do we start?"
Arisu shook his head.
"Not in the ninja world."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yukio casually waved his hand.
Space instantly tore open, and a stable portal quietly unfolded.
Behind it was the distorted light of another dimension.
"Follow me."
Without the slightest hesitation, Yukio immediately followed his father through the portal.
The next second, the two of them appeared in a familiar yet empty dimension...
Kaguya's Beginning Ball Dimension.
There were no restrictions from the ninja world here. The space was vast and silent, perfect for releasing their full power without restraint.
Arisu looked around and nodded with satisfaction.
"We'll fight here."
His voice echoed through the dimension, calm but carrying a faint pressure.
Standing opposite him, Yukio's Karma began to tremble slightly. The power of Momoshiki, Urashiki, Kinshiki, Kaguya, and the other Otsutsuki seemed ready to pour out at any moment.
"Father... please teach me."
Arisu smiled slightly. Looking at his son with gentle eyes, there was also a trace of anticipation.
Hopefully, his son would bring him a different kind of surprise...
"My son, fight me with everything you've got. Don't hold back. Attack me without worrying."
"I won't die.", Arisu said calmly with his hands behind his back.
His immortal body gave him absolute confidence.
Yukio took a deep breath, and the fighting spirit in his eyes instantly ignited.
"Father, then I won't hold back!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yukio nodded heavily, and the power inside him exploded into motion.
He directly activated Karma and instantly entered Karma Stage Two.
In an instant, an unimaginably terrifying power burst out from his body.
Strange pitch-black markings spread across his entire body like living creatures. Every mark gave off a frightening aura of destruction.
Space twisted violently. It felt as though the air had been tightly squeezed by an invisible giant hand, letting out a strained cry.
The air between heaven and earth went completely wild. A black energy storm formed around Yukio. The ground cracked apart inch by inch, and floating rocks were instantly crushed into powder by the overwhelming pressure.
This power shook heaven and earth itself, as though even the sky would collapse beneath it.
The entire dimension began to struggle under the strain.
It started trembling.
It was a pressure beyond mortals, almost godlike.
At this moment, the terrifying power of Karma Stage Two was fully revealed.
Yukio's Karma was special. It did not grow Otsutsuki horns. It only covered his body with markings.
Arisu stood where he was, his expression calm and his heart still as water.
Thunder in his heart, but a calm lake on his face.
With his hands behind his back, he slowly closed his eyes and quietly felt the power his son had released.
"Hm... Around Six Paths level."
However...
The very next moment...
Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!!!!
A sharp, urgent alarm suddenly rang inside Arisu's mind.
He frowned, confused.
'Hm? What's that sound?'
'A genjutsu?'
Then, in the next instant, he realized...
It was his danger sense.
It had been so long since anything had truly threatened him that when the warning sounded again, he failed to recognize it immediately.
It hadn't gone off in nearly a thousand years.
So when it suddenly rang again, Arisu had forgotten what it was.
The last time it had activated was during the battle against Yata Crow...
'This is bad!'
The thought had only just crossed Arisu's mind.
It was already too late.
Stab!
A razor-sharp gray bone spike suddenly burst through from behind him without any warning.
Filled with icy killing intent, it pierced straight through his chest, entering through his back and coming out the front. A long, bloodstained bone spike protruded from his chest.
"All-Killing Ash Bones!"
"What?!"
Arisu's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
For the first time, genuine shock appeared on his face.
Yukio had somehow appeared behind him. An All-Killing Ash Bone was condensed in his palm, and a faint smile of success rested on his lips.
"Father, you told me to fight with everything I had. But you were careless yourself. You even underestimated me on purpose."
Yukio said with a smile.
Arisu opened his mouth slightly, his eyes filled with disbelief.
He turned to look at Yukio.
His face slowly overlapped with Kaguya's from years ago.
He really had been careless.
It had been too long since he'd experienced a fight at this level. He'd spent so much time crushing weak opponents that after suddenly returning to a battle between top fighters, he couldn't quite keep up.
Yukio's speed... was far beyond Momoshiki's and Urashiki's.
"So fast... Really fast, my son..."
Arisu managed to say in a low voice.
But Yukio suddenly frowned, his expression changing.
"Father, why hasn't your shadow clone disappeared yet?"
Arisu gave a bitter smile.
His son probably didn't know...
This wasn't a shadow clone at all.
It was his real body.
The next second, Arisu's body rapidly began turning into fibers under the effect of the All-Killing Ash Bones.
His body started turning white.
Then it began crumbling into ash.
"Dad! Dad! What's happening?! Wasn't this your shadow clone?!"
Yukio instantly panicked. He hurried forward to support his father, his voice full of obvious fear.
He had only dared to go all out because he thought this was his father's shadow clone.
Arisu let out a soft sigh. His voice was weak, but still reassuring.
"It's alright... Just wait for me. I'll be right back..."
"It's been too long since I've fought... My combat instincts have gotten a little rusty..."
As soon as he finished speaking, his body completely broke apart, turning into ashes that scattered into the air with the wind.