Isshiki didn't want to fight anymore.
The reason was simple, he realized that even after entering Karma: Stage Two, he still couldn't take Ryosuke down. Ryosuke's abilities were far too bizarre,
Infinite regeneration even more terrifying than that of the Otsutsuki clan.
The astonishing power of Ripple and Golden Rotation.
And a multitude of Stands with completely different abilities.
On top of all that, just to be safe, before rushing over, Ryosuke had also obtained senjutsu chakra from the Great Toad Sage and the Slug Sage.
Just as Ryosuke had promised White Snake Sage No. 18.
He really had made thorough preparations before charging in to kill.
Of course, Isshiki couldn't take Ryosuke down, and likewise, Ryosuke couldn't defeat Isshiki anytime soon either.
In the original story, Otsutsuki Isshiki in Karma: Stage Two could suppress Sage of Six Paths Naruto and Perfect Susanoo Sasuke single-handedly with taijutsu alone.
Compared to someone like Toneri, who had lived his entire life on the moon and lacked real combat experience, Isshiki was a super powerhouse who had truly lurked in the ninja world for a thousand years, his taijutsu, dojutsu, and strength all at their peak.
"If we keep fighting, it won't benefit either of us."
Isshiki said calmly, "Just like when we talked on the phone last time, what I desire has never been power or benifits. I only want a more suitable body."
"You're unwilling to give me your body, that's fine."
"I can continue doing what I've done for the past thousand years and remain a silent observer."
"There is no enmity between us."
"Rest assured, I won't interfere with your great undertakings. I can tell, you're doing something truly great, something no one before you has ever done."
"I respect you."
"So I'll wait, wait until a suitable young person who is willing to offer me their body appears."
"Let's end this here."
Threats, compromise, reasoned arguments.
From a rational standpoint, what Otsutsuki Isshiki said made sense.
Moreover, Ryosuke had taken just a little over four years to go from an ordinary Uchiha clansman to joining the ranks of the world's strongest.
Even if he really let Isshiki go here, the next time they met, even if Isshiki had switched to a suitable body, Ryosuke might already have advanced to the next realm.
Isshiki waited for Ryosuke's answer.
"Alright."
Isshiki smiled.
But Ryosuke's next sentence froze that smile in place.
"We can stop fighting, and we can talk terms. Like you said, there's no enmity between us."
"However, since we're talking terms, I'll share my thoughts as well."
Ryosuke's tone was calm, as if chatting with a friend.
Isshiki wasn't wrong, Ryosuke had no personal grudge against him. If not for his identity as an Otsutsuki, Ryosuke wouldn't have come at all.
There was no helping it, the Otsutsuki reputation…
It stank.
Before coming, Ryosuke's thinking had been simple, from the documents gathered from various places about the brothers Hamura and Hagoromo, it could be judged that both were kind-hearted people. For someone to make even them step in and seal her, Kaguya was probably not anything good.
Then Isshiki, who had been ambushed and heavily injured by Kaguya, was at least not cut from the same cloth as her.
If, over the past thousand years, Otsutsuki Isshiki had integrated into life in the ninja world and simply wanted to live peacefully like this, Ryosuke wouldn't interfere. He'd even be willing, once aerospace technology matured, to send him back to the Otsutsuki homeworld to see the cherry blossoms of his homeland.
Unfortunately, Isshiki lied on the most crucial issue.
It wasn't that Ryosuke could read minds.
Ultimate lifeforms, Ripple, and Golden Rotation had no such ability to see through hearts.
It was simply that an ultimate lifeform that had stepped into a new level of existence could sense the ambition and desire leaking out of Isshiki, whose Otsutsuki bloodline also placed him far above ordinary life.
Like a starving tiger, even if it lies low, brows drooping and eyes lowered, one glance is enough to know that if given the chance, it will bite straight for its prey's throat.
After Ryosuke exposed his lie, Isshiki attacking without hesitation only confirmed Ryosuke's judgment.
Since that was the case…
Why let a tiger return to the mountains?
As Ryosuke spoke, a black shadow slowly condensed beside him, forming Killer Queen with crossed arms, radiating a strange rosy glow.
"You have two choices."
"First, let Killer Queen touch the main body you've hidden in..."
Ryosuke raised his index finger and lightly tapped the corner of his brow.
"Right here. Just a light touch is enough. After that, as long as you don't do anything that harms the world, I can guarantee that your life won't be disturbed in any way."
During their exchange, Ryosuke had sensed how Isshiki controlled this body, like a pilot hidden deep inside the brain of a giant mecha.
Considering that up to now Isshiki hadn't done anything that harmed humanity, using the First Bomb as insurance was the most appropriate option.
The only price was that Ryosuke would have to maintain that bomb, meaning Killer Queen could no longer use the First Bomb ability elsewhere.
But trading one ability of a Stand to guard against a pure-blooded Otsutsuki… Was a deal worth making.
Isshiki's expression darkened. "And the other choice?"
"Accept memory deletion from the Yamanaka clan, erase the star map coordinates of the ninja world, and afterward I'll personally send you away on the next-generation rocket, leaving our planet."
Either accept restraints and live properly here.
Or be repatriated.
For a thousand years, Otsutsuki Isshiki had watched humanity grow step by step, so his thinking was clearer than that of most Otsutsuki.
First courtesy, then force, and after force, a way out.
Ryosuke's handling of the situation was flawless, both emotionally and logically.
But…
"You want to use human rules to bind me?"
Otsutsuki Isshiki's face was extremely gloomy. "Ryosuke, you're far too arrogant!"
"I just hate your strange little vines. I don't want to be watched by you every day. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?"
Rings of black lines gathered behind Otsutsuki Isshiki, forming a portal that led who knows where.
Isshiki lifted his chin and said arrogantly, "You really think that if I want to leave, you can stop me?"
Worthy of being the most rational Otsutsuki.
His mouth spoke the fiercest words, but his legs were very honest, already preparing to run.
Ryosuke's solution to this was, "C-Moon."
C-Moon's dark green figure appeared behind Ryosuke, hands placed before her chest in a triangle, perfectly "locking" the spatial gate behind Isshiki within it.
The next moment, the smoothly functioning portal was suddenly covered by a twisted gravity field.
The passage connecting two spaces was forcibly shredded by this gravity field. The portal exploded with a bang, and the gust of wind it kicked up messed Ryosuke's bangs.
He brushed his hair back and calmly looked at Otsutsuki Isshiki floating in the air, who thought himself superior, "What did you just say?"
Isshiki's teeth ground together.
That posture… that feeling of everything being under control… it infuriated him to no end…
Isshiki clenched his fists.
He suddenly turned and fled.
Isshiki also wanted to fight.
But his body wouldn't allow it. If he kept going, he'd be forced into reincarnation. Once reincarnation began, with this body's durability, he'd die in no more than three days.
Isshiki was someone who could endure anything to survive.
From a certain angle, he was the true ninja.
"I noticed it during the fight, the range of that gravity evil spirit's ability is a three-kilometer radius centered on Ryosuke. As long as I leave the ability zone, Ryosuke won't be able to stop my portal."
At Isshiki's speed, three kilometers was just a single step away.
"As for Ryosuke's strange little vines, with my speed, teleportation, and Sukunahikona shrinking ability, as long as I'm prepared, there's no way he can find me."
"Once I find a suitable body…"
"It'll be time for my revenge!"
The world didn't have only one Uchiha.
"Uchiha Sasuke."
Isshiki thought of that name.
Also a Ripple practitioner, possessing the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and with a never-before-seen ninjutsu nullification.
Isshiki had already made his plans, once he escaped, he'd find a way to capture Sasuke.
With the plan set in his mind, Isshiki didn't delay any longer. He used Sukunahikona again, shrinking his body and fleeing into the distance.
From behind came Ryosuke's soft voice, like a whisper from hell, "Come back."
C-Moon pointed her finger in the direction Isshiki was fleeing. The gravity field shrank to its limit, condensed at her fingertip, then shot outward, pushing gravity's power to the extreme.
"Idiot!"
Condensing the gravity field could indeed increase the pulling force, but Isshiki's body was incredibly tiny at this moment. Not to mention the hundreds of meters already between him and C-Moon.
"Even if I were standing right in front of you, you wouldn't be able to see, what?!"
A gravitational pull landed precisely on Otsutsuki Isshiki.
No matter how he dodged or changed direction, this gravity field locked onto him completely.
"How is that possible?!"
Isshiki turned his head.
He saw C-Moon still blankly pointing at him.
And in front of C-Moon…
Was Star Platinum, kneeling on one knee, shouldering C-Moon's arm like a rifle, one eye closed, head slightly tilted, ensuring perfect alignment of the sights.
C-Moon's index finger was Star Platinum's gun barrel.
Otsutsuki Isshiki's heart skipped a beat. Cold sweat soaked his back as his body was involuntarily pulled backward.
Like a planet falling past the event horizon of a black hole, no matter how he struggled, it was useless.
"Wait!"
"If two evil spirits are working together to pull me back, then… where is Ryosuke?"
"What is he doing?!"
Behind Star Platinum and C-Moon, Isshiki saw Ryosuke slowly swinging his blade toward empty space.
With each slow swing of the blade, subtle "dislocations" appeared in the surrounding space once more.
Spatial Slingshot.
Having taken one punch, Otsutsuki Isshiki naturally knew the power of this attack.
That single punch had almost blown his body apart, forcing him to enter Karma: Stage Two to suppress the damage with sheer power.
If it came again…
This body would be ruined.
"Ryosuke!"
From the start of the fight, Otsutsuki Isshiki had always felt he could fight or flee at will, his mindset relaxed. Now, for the first time, he truly panicked.
"Don't force me!"
Seeing Ryosuke unmoved, Isshiki roared, "Once you severely damage this body, I'll have no choice but to reincarnate. With my speed and power after reincarnation, you won't be able to catch me! I'll kill everyone you care about!"
What Isshiki said was true. Even without reincarnating, even in Karma: Stage Two, he was only displaying fifty percent of his power.
A complete Otsutsuki Isshiki would absolutely be able to use space-time ninjutsu to assassinate at will before Ryosuke could even react.
"So stop right now..."
Otsutsuki Isshiki's roar seemed to be grabbed by an invisible hand.
Because through the gap between Star Platinum and C-Moon, Isshiki saw Ryosuke's eyes. Eyes that were usually calm and indifferent became utterly terrifying after hearing Isshiki's declaration of murder.
Whoosh!
Otsutsuki Isshiki felt all light in his vision drain away at the instant their eyes met. The world around him faded into darkness, until only a single path remained, a path leading to hell.
"Star Platinum: The World!"
Time stopped.
Star Platinum walked over, pinching an invisible "something" from the air between its index finger and thumb, and placed it before Ryosuke.
Ryosuke continued swinging his blade slowly.
Centered on him, space within a ten-kilometer radius became violently dislocated, like a slingshot pulled taut to its limit.
Ryosuke gazed at the tiny Otsutsuki Isshiki and said softly, "Even now, you're still lying to me."
With the perception of an ultimate lifeform, he could clearly tell that Isshiki's so-called "reincarnation" wasn't about to happen, it was already underway.
If Ryosuke had hesitated for even one or two seconds just now, Isshiki would have completed reincarnation and descended in the true form of an Otsutsuki.
That would have been a real catastrophe.
Star Platinum clenched its fist and gave Ryosuke a look, asking, 'Should we take the chance to kill him?'
Ryosuke shook his head slightly.
Reincarnation had already begun. Whether killing this body or attacking the true body inside the brain, given the vitality of the Otsutsuki clan, it would be meaningless.
It would only accelerate the arrival of Isshiki's true form.
"The best option is sealing."
Ryosuke had made his decision.
After 9.9 seconds, time stop ended, and time flowed once more.
Otsutsuki Isshiki, who had been moved during the time stop by Star Platinum, felt his vision blur as a slash of blade light came at him.
He sneered inwardly.
"Treasure it, Ryosuke. This is your last attack. Once I complete reincarnation, it will be the day you, and your friends, die!"
At that moment, the slashing blade light suddenly changed direction. With a horizontal slash, it struck Otsutsuki Isshiki's neck.
Spatial Slingshot, activated.
Buzz!!!
Space pulled to its absolute limit slammed down like countless massive warhammers, smashing into the back of the Destruction Great Blade.
With just one strike, just one instant.
Otsutsuki Isshiki's neck was severed. His head flew high into the air, yet he was still sneering, "This is the end! Ryosuke! I will descend as a god..."
Suddenly, Isshiki sensed something was wrong.
A drop of blood that didn't belong to him, carrying Ripple energy, entered his brain.
Bang!
Blood and Ripple exploded inside Isshiki's head.
From his eyes, nose, mouth, and ears sprayed blood mixed with golden crystalline fragments, instantly wrapping and covering his head.
His reincarnation process… was forcibly stopped.
All of Isshiki's power was sealed within his head, not a single trace able to leak out.
He couldn't use his power to repair his body, nor could he trigger reincarnation through near-death. Ryosuke forcibly kept him in an awkward state between life and death.
In the end…
He fell from the sky and landed in Ryosuke's palm.