Ryosuke caught Otsutsuki Isshiki's head… or to be precise, the head of the Jigen-model humanoid mech. Isshiki, the pilot, was trapped inside it.
"You think this is enough to deal with me?" Isshiki suddenly spoke.
Ryosuke shook his head slightly.
"I'm not that naive."
Otsutsuki Isshiki's current state was equivalent to Ryosuke forcibly hitting the pause button during the cutscene where a BOSS enters its second phase.
But as long as the sealing ripple crystal developed even the tiniest crack, or Isshiki found a way to break it, he could complete his reincarnation in an instant.
Once he appeared in his true body, the speed and power of Sukunahikona and space portals would increase severalfold.
If they fought head-on, it was hard to say who would win.
But if Isshiki truly set his mind on leaving, Ryosuke genuinely had no way to stop him.
Both Ryosuke and Isshiki understood this.
Their battle wasn't over, it had merely shifted from the open battlefield to a far more concealed contest of energy manipulation and technique.
It would come down to whether Ryosuke found a way to trap Isshiki and kill him first, or whether Otsutsuki Isshiki found a way to escape first and carry out retaliatory hunts against Ryosuke's closest friends and family.
"You will lose, Ryosuke."
With the direct battle over, Otsutsuki Isshiki's tone returned to its usual elegance and calm.
"You will lose utterly."
"I admit that your combat power far surpasses that of humans."
"But combat power is just like a beast's muscles. As long as there's enough energy, plus the right techniques and a bit of luck, maybe once in a hundred years, maybe once in a thousand, someone with similar talent will eventually gain such power..."
"Like you."
"But knowledge is different."
Isshiki slowly withdrew his smile. "Ryosuke, you're using your short human lifespan to challenge my endless wisdom."
Ryosuke lifted Isshiki's head in front of him and replied with the same seriousness, "What a coincidence."
"I also have endless wisdom."
———
[Research Institute]
Hidan pressed his face against the glass wall, curiously studying Isshiki.
"A fellow professional, huh."
He asked Ryosuke, "What's this? Nobody to chat with me, so you found me a companion? Forming a two-headed brothers combo?"
Ryosuke ignored Hidan and asked Samui, "How is it?"
After returning to the institute, Ryosuke handed Isshiki's head over to genome specialists for sample analysis.
The genome department then distributed the analysis results to the anti-space weapons division, ninjutsu research, and aerospace departments.
The final goal was for the institute to produce a solution to deal with Otsutsuki Isshiki.
"Everyone's very interested in the project of 'killing an Otsutsuki.' Many people are even doing joint research in their spare time, so..."
As Samui spoke, she pulled a document from her chest and handed it to Ryosuke.
"After a full vote, these are the top three selected plans."
Ryosuke took the document.
Plan One: The Sun Project.
Place the head inside a rocket, deploy defensive barriers around the rocket's exterior, and dive straight into the sun. Afterward, the rocket explodes, exposing Otsutsuki Isshiki directly.
At the sun's corona, with temperatures of several million degrees, reincarnation, teleportation, and Otsutsuki physiology, touch it and you die.
Research directions for this plan: Increase rocket range and speed.
Add rocket armor layers and defensive barriers to ensure the rocket can reach the corona instead of burning up or exploding prematurely and giving Isshiki a chance to escape.
Just reading Plan One made Ryosuke swallow hard.
He glanced at Samui, said nothing, and continued reading.
Plan Two: The Lockdown Project.
The greatest threat of Otsutsuki Isshiki's reincarnation lies in his ability to shrink and open space portals.
Based on this, design devices to disrupt spatial teleportation, combined with large-scale, high-yield interstellar weapons, to carry out saturation attacks and achieve the goal of killing Isshiki.
Research directions for this plan: Spatial lockdown devices.
Close-range, ultra-high-power energy weapons.
Ryosuke continued reading.
Plan Three: The Contamination Project.
During research on Hidan's flesh, researchers discovered that as long as Hidan himself recites the "doctrines of the Jashin cult," unconscious flesh will react and develop a tendency toward "self-destruction."
Researchers conducted experiments on mice, rabbits, and birds. As long as a tiny amount of Hidan's flesh was implanted and the Jashin doctrines were played, they would actively choose suicide.
Without exception.
This plan proposes using Hidan's flesh to contaminate Jigen's head, thereby further contaminating the connected Otsutsuki Isshiki and pushing him to abandon reincarnation and choose suicide.
Research directions for this plan: Study the resistance of Otsutsuki bloodlines to Hidan's flesh, based on Toneri's father's body.
Refine Hidan's flesh to enhance the contamination effect.
———
Ryosuke didn't hide anything while reading.
Otsutsuki Isshiki could clearly see every word in the proposal.
Isshiki appeared elegant and gentle, enjoyed wine, had a gentlemanly demeanor, and showed care toward familiar scientists.
But that was only his surface.
Deep down, he held an innate prejudice against the species known as "humans."
Like how humans look at ants.
So-called scholars were merely slightly smarter ants that could draw circles on the ground. Isshiki might exclaim "how impressive" out of politeness, and that was all.
At the core, it was sheer arrogance.
But as he looked at plan after plan, the corresponding research directions, and the current progress data… Otsutsuki Isshiki started to panic.
He wasn't sure whether these three plans could kill him.
And "not being sure" itself represented fear.
"Maybe you don't know me well yet, I don't have a habit of bluffing."
Ryosuke's voice drifted into Isshiki's ears.
Isshiki snapped back to his senses and stared blankly at Ryosuke. It took him three seconds to realize Ryosuke was responding to their earlier talk about "endless wisdom."
Ryosuke said, "Four major project teams, a total of 5,339 researchers who have reached the limits of human knowledge in their respective fields."
"They stand on the shoulders of generations of scholars, and they're bound to see farther than those who came before."
In the blank space below the three plans, he signed his name and wrote "Agree to joint development," then handed the document back to Samui.
Samui took it, gently holding the still-warm document to her chest. She pushed up her glasses and said, "I remember you said you were leaving for a while."
Ryosuke nodded.
What happened with Otsutsuki Isshiki was purely an unexpected incident. If Eighteen hadn't told Ryosuke this secret intel, he would already be on his journey, seeing the customs of different parts of the world and exploring the next steps to change the global order.
"Then you'd better take this with you."
Samui pointed at Isshiki's head. "I've confirmed with the project teams, right now, the institute doesn't have a 100% safe containment area. If something unexpected happens during research..."
She didn't continue, but Ryosuke understood her meaning.
Ryosuke nodded and picked up Isshiki's head.
"Then come take a walk with me. By the time we get back from the walk, everything should have results."
Without waiting for Isshiki to object, Ryosuke hung him at his waist.
"It's about time. I'm leaving."
Ryosuke said goodbye to Samui.
"Please wait."
Samui strode over, looking hesitant yet serious, as if it were a matter of great importance.
She had Ryosuke throw Isshiki into the ghost room first, then pulled Ryosuke into a deserted corner.
Ryosuke didn't understand what was going on.
A few seconds later, Samui took a deep breath as if making up her mind. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she spoke in an extremely serious and formal tone, "Ryosuke, you need to find a woman."
"Right now, the entire institute is spreading rumors that you were watching… watching that kind of movie in the break room."
"As everyone's leader, you can't be troubled by things like this. Desire will affect your judgment, and rumors will affect your authority."
"If you need someone, I... I can..."
Ryosuke hurriedly raised his hand.
"No introductions needed! I'm fine. That was… forget it. Anyway, I'm fine. Don't worry."
With that, Ryosuke awkwardly strode away.
The only thought in his mind was, 'That White Snake Sage move… was really insidious!'
Behind him, Samui tilted her head slightly.
"Intro… duce?"