The moment his voice fell, the Ten Tails let out a deafening roar, a sound brimming with unrelenting fury and savagery.
In the next instant, it whipped its head around and locked its bloodshot gaze onto Uchiha Hikaru. A massive Tailed Beast Orb began to form in an instant.
Compared to the ones fired by the other nine Tailed Beasts, this one was colossal beyond imagination. Just the sight of it was enough to stir primal fear—an orb seemingly capable of devouring all things.
The orb hovered like a black sun above the Ten Tails' head, spinning slowly as it gathered an unimaginable concentration of destructive energy.
Even the space around it began to warp, buckling under the weight of the energy being amassed.
But faced with this sudden attack, Hikaru remained calm—eerily calm—as if everything was unfolding exactly as planned.
With a casual flick of his hand, the monstrous Tailed Beast Orb vanished into thin air, leaving no trace behind.
Far off in the distance, a mushroom cloud bloomed—evidence of the orb's detonation.
The Ten Tails froze, visibly stunned.
For a brief moment, its hulking body stiffened in midair, as if trying to compute the absurdity of what had just happened.
How? That monstrous orb, so immense and mighty—gone, just like that?
What about its pride? Its intimidation factor? Its moment?!
Its limited mind couldn't process the insult. It bellowed once more, this time even louder, its chakra spiking wildly as it began to gather an even more unstable, chaotic energy.
But Hikaru gave it no such chance.
Amidst its roar, a Susanoo of impossible scale surged forth once again—ten thousand meters tall, towering like a mountain.
Faced with this sudden colossus, the Ten Tails' roar abruptly cut off.
The giant's hand closed around its neck like it was grabbing a chick. With utter ease, Susanoo clamped down, radiating overwhelming force.
Against such power, the Ten Tails' struggles looked pitiful—like flailing leaves before a storm. It seemed moments away from being crushed.
Then Hikaru spoke, his voice resolute, echoing through the battlefield:
"The Ten Tails is far too dangerous. I can't allow it to roam free."
Some among the onlookers exchanged puzzled glances.
Only Madara Uchiha shifted his gaze sideways toward Hashirama Senju, a flicker of amusement in his eyes.
Hashirama scratched his head with an awkward chuckle.
He, too, had once said those exact words about the Nine Tails.
Not just similar—identical, down to the timing and tone.
Now, as a spectator, he couldn't help but feel that the line sounded… a bit hypocritical.
After all, when you're the one casually defeating the "too dangerous" opponent, aren't you the truly dangerous one?
Fortunately, Hikaru didn't overplay the joke. He quickly began constructing a sealing formation to lock the berserk Ten Tails away, much to Hashirama's relief.
At present, there was no one among the girls capable of becoming the Ten Tails' jinchūriki.
Becoming its host required far more than strength—it demanded compatibility that only very few possessed.
Just like how the Nine Tails had always chosen hosts from the Uzumaki Clan, rashly sealing the Ten Tails into one of them could cause unpredictable disasters.
As for Hikaru himself, while he recognized the Ten Tails' might, he didn't consider it indispensable.
So, he made a quick decision: to temporarily seal it in a space of his own creation, saving it for future use.
With that done, Hikaru's gaze turned back to Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, now drenched in sweat and radiating pure hatred.
Isshiki was completely immobilized by the seal—unable to move, unable to speak. Only his eyes conveyed the fury and unwillingness raging inside him.
But Hikaru paid his emotions no mind. With a simple gesture, a pitch-black longsword materialized in his hand.
He turned toward Hinata Hyūga, motioning for her to approach.
She ran to him with joy in her eyes, looking up at him in anticipation.
Hikaru smiled gently and offered her the sword, explaining:
"I crafted this blade specifically for you. It burns the soul."
"The Ōtsutsuki possess a unique ability—they can resurrect through their Karma. But this sword will destroy Isshiki's soul itself, preventing any chance of revival."
Hinata's eyes sparkled. She received the sword carefully, holding it tight as if it were sacred.
She took a deep breath and walked slowly toward Isshiki, determination growing with each step.
Standing before him, she raised the black sword, the tip pointed directly at his heart.
She could feel the burning power sealed within it—the soul-burning gift Hikaru had made for her.
"Isshiki Ōtsutsuki… You toyed with my fate. Bet you never imagined it would end like this."
Isshiki's eyes flared with rage and panic. He thrashed violently against the seal, but it was useless.
He could only watch—helplessly—as Hinata drove the blade forward.
The moment it pierced his chest, a wave of blazing energy erupted from the sword, bypassing the flesh and striking directly at his soul.
Isshiki's body began to convulse. His eyes widened in sheer terror.
He could feel it—his very soul being scorched away, piece by piece.
There were no words to describe the agony. It was as if he were trapped in a furnace with no escape.
When the energy finally faded, Isshiki's body lost all signs of life.
His eyes turned blank and hollow, void of all vitality.
Like a shattered statue, he collapsed silently to the ground, motionless.
In his final moments, his mind was filled with nothing but bitter regret.
He regretted playing games with the fate of a girl named Hinata Hyūga, turning her life into a twisted experiment for his amusement.
He regretted his arrogance, his failure to act more cautiously.
Maybe—just maybe—if he had been more careful, he could have revived the glory of the Ōtsutsuki gods.
But now… it was far too late.
His life had ended. And there was no coming back.
Hinata slowly pulled the sword out and turned back toward Hikaru.
Tears shimmered in her eyes, but she fought to keep her voice steady.
"I did it… Hikaru-kun."
Hikaru nodded with a smile and gently placed a hand on her shoulder.
"You did great, Hinata."
And with those words, the dam broke.
Hinata fell into his arms and began to sob uncontrollably.
All the fear, all the pain, all the weight she had carried—poured out in that one moment.
And Hikaru simply held her, silently offering her comfort.