Hearing Kaguya's outright rejection, the smile on Hikaru's face gradually faded, replaced by a biting chill.
The Shinobi World was on the brink of unified peace—he could not allow a potential threat to stir in the shadows.
What he had just said was already the final warning to Kaguya.
If she remained stubborn and insisted on standing against the entire Shinobi World, then he would not hesitate to send her on her way personally.
Kaguya keenly sensed the thick killing intent radiating from Hikaru, and her heart involuntarily began to race.
That feeling—being shrouded in the shadow of death—brought with it an unprecedented sense of pressure and fear.
She knew clearly that the man before her was not bluffing. He truly was ready to strike her down.
Yet deep inside, Kaguya still held onto a sliver of hope.
She had once consumed the Chakra Fruit and thus possessed a unique immortality.
Though her strength was far from its peak, that fundamental trait had never changed.
Because of this, in her view, the worst-case scenario would merely be being sealed again—she wouldn't actually perish.
Thus, giving up on reclaiming the chakra was an unacceptable option.
To her, reclaiming the world's chakra and casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi wasn't merely about regaining her former power—it was also her way of resisting the looming threat of the Ōtsutsuki.
She was well aware that the Ōtsutsuki clan had the power to kill her.
And the betrayal of her twin sons had only deepened her mistrust of others.
One was sealed, the other dead—Kaguya had seemingly chosen the correct path.
Hikaru looked at Kaguya with calm eyes.
Her decision didn't matter to him.
Regardless of what she chose, dealing with her would be effortless.
At his will, the pitch-black longsword that once struck down Ōtsutsuki Isshiki appeared once again. Its blade glowed with a cold, mysterious light, as though even space itself was being sliced apart.
Just looking at that sword filled Kaguya with unprecedented fear.
Something deep within her soul trembled—every cell in her body screamed for her to escape.
Yet when she tried to invoke the power of Yomotsu Hirasaka to open a portal and flee, she encountered an obstruction she had never felt before.
The teleportation technique that had once come so easily to her now felt sealed by an invisible force. No matter how hard she tried, the gateway to elsewhere refused to open.
In this life-or-death moment, Kaguya finally realized how gravely she had misjudged him.
She had thought Hikaru wouldn't truly kill her—but now, she understood: this man possessed not only the power to seal her, but also the terrifying ability to erase her completely.
Just as Hikaru raised his sword to end the standoff, a sudden voice shattered the heavy silence—Black Zetsu appeared, breaking the tension at its peak.
He dropped to his knees in front of Hikaru, his voice full of desperation.
"Please wait! Give me a chance to persuade her!"
Hikaru, however, seemed not to hear his plea.
His gaze remained locked on Kaguya, and the sword in his hand continued to gather terrifying power.
Seeing this, Black Zetsu panicked.
He knew—if he didn't act now, it might be too late.
Turning to Kaguya, he shouted:
"Mother! Years ago, an Ōtsutsuki died by his hand! The so-called Ōtsutsuki clan… they're no match for him!"
Black Zetsu's words struck Kaguya like a hammer.
She stared at Hikaru in shock, disbelief clouding her eyes.
If what he said was true, then everything she had held onto—all her beliefs and positions—would crumble in an instant.
Her goal had always been to resist the Ōtsutsuki, to ensure both her own survival and the peace of the Shinobi World.
But if Hikaru truly possessed the strength to defeat the Ōtsutsuki—even to kill her—then her options were suddenly far more limited.
The idea of giving up her plan to reclaim chakra quietly took root in her heart.
After all, it was for survival that she had once betrayed Ōtsutsuki Isshiki thousands of years ago.
Later, it was that same fear of the Ōtsutsuki that drove her to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi and create the White Zetsu army.
Survival had always been her most fundamental motive.
And if Hikaru could offer another path to survival, then abandoning the chakra reclamation was no longer entirely off the table.
Kaguya raised her eyes to Hikaru, whose face remained expressionless.
She knew that if she didn't make a choice now, she might very well lose her head in the next moment.
So, under the stunned gazes of everyone present, Kaguya made an unexpected move.
She slowly lowered herself into a bow, her voice tinged with fear.
"I misspoke earlier... Please, my lord, forgive my offense."
Her words and gesture stunned everyone present.
But Kaguya didn't care about their reactions. She only hoped that by showing weakness and yielding, she might earn a sliver of mercy.
Hikaru stared coldly at her. Her submission and plea stirred not even the faintest ripple in his heart.
He knew exactly what she was—a time bomb.
Even if she behaved docilely now, the moment she found an opening, she would turn.
She wasn't like the other villages. Many in Konoha could handle those.
But Kaguya… she was not someone easily controlled.
Her earlier refusal had already made it clear—she would not stay obedient for long.
In Hikaru's eyes, rather than let this threat fester, it was better to eliminate her once and for all.
Kaguya, seeing no response, grew increasingly anxious.
She understood all too well how precarious her situation had become. If she didn't act soon, there might be no tomorrow.
She hurriedly spoke again:
"My lord… I am willing to hand over the Ten Tails. Please… spare me."
Now, Kaguya was truly afraid.
She could feel the overwhelming killing intent pouring off of Hikaru—cold and razor-sharp, as if it were going to swallow her whole.
Her sixth sense screamed at her: If she didn't find a way out of this, then by this time next year, she would already be dead.
With no other options, she pinned her hopes on her words being enough to sway him.
She looked at Hikaru, eyes shimmering with both pleading and desperation.
To her surprise, Hikaru actually paused.
He glanced at the once-untouchable goddess before him, his expression slightly surprised.
He hadn't expected her to offer up the Ten Tails of her own accord.