Wave after wave of powerful energy continued to pour into Shisui's mind.
With a burst of chakra, it gathered from his whole body to his brain, then slowly flowed into his eyes.
"No, I won't let you die!"
"I will take you back from the hands of Yama!"
Shisui shouted, his voice echoing with determination.
The three tomoe in his Sharingan spun rapidly in his eye sockets.
Soon, they transformed into the shape of a windmill.
"Is this the power of the Mangekyō Sharingan?"
"This is... my Mangekyō..."
As Shisui spoke, he prepared to unleash his eye technique on Nozuki standing in front of him.
Crack...kakaka...
At that moment, the surrounding environment shattered instantly.
Crash...
As the mirrors fell piece by piece, a figure appeared in Shisui's sight.
It was Namikaze Nozuki!
Meanwhile, inside the moon, Reiki, An Ye, and Chodori were locked in combat with Otsutsuki Hamura. Black Zetsu stood nearby, digesting the energy he had just absorbed.
Namikaze and Nozuki guarded Shisui, their focus unwavering.
"Wait... it's over?!"
Namikaze Nozuki turned around, surprised to see Shisui opening his eyes so quickly.
It had only been a minute—how could it be so fast? Were all Uchiha like this?
"Nozuki~!"
Shisui suddenly embraced Nozuki tightly, holding her as if letting go would shatter everything into fragments and shadows again.
Moments earlier, Shisui had entered an illusory space. To his relief, Nozuki was alive.
"Thank goodness..."
Boom!
The next second, Shisui was punched and sent flying.
Nozuki blushed, her expression a mix of shyness and irritation. "What is wrong with you?!"
"I... I'm just glad you're okay. And I'm okay too... that's all that matters," Shisui said with a silly grin, rushing back toward her.
This was no illusion. The real, hard punch from Nozuki confirmed it. Oddly, Shisui preferred this over the gentleness of the illusion.
Nozuki watched Shisui's innocent expression, slightly worried about his mental state.
"By the way, I need to help Reiki fight now," Shisui said, determination flashing in his eyes. "I finally have the strength to stand by his side."
As he spoke, the power of his pupils surged. A green Susanoo materialized around him, rapidly forming a semi-complete body. Holding a spiral spear, Shisui charged into the battlefield.
Nozuki smiled as she watched him go. She didn't know what Shisui had experienced in the illusion, but it was clear that it had something to do with her.
Realizing she was the key to unlocking Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, her cheeks turned red again.
Back on Reiki's side of the battle, Otsutsuki Hamura was proving to be a formidable opponent. With mastery over Yin-Yang Release, he was difficult to defeat. Killing him, however, was even more challenging.
After awakening his Byakugan, Hamura's strength and resilience had grown significantly. Even with Shisui's Susanoo joining the fight, Hamura's power continued to increase.
"Shisui, has your eye technique awakened?" Reiki called out.
"What?!"
Reiki suddenly remembered that if Shisui had activated his Mangekyō Sharingan, then Kotoamatsukami must have awakened as well.
"Your left eye—Kotoamatsukami! Can you use it on Otsutsuki Hamura?"
Shisui shook his head. "No. The Byakugan surrounding him obscures his real eyes."
"I see," Reiki said. "Chodori, An Ye, retreat!"
Reiki gave the command to withdraw. Their attacks weren't having any effect, as the Byakugan were not mere eyes—they were a condensation of chakra's source. Hamura's defenses made it nearly impossible to destroy his technique.
Reiki decided to retreat and observe Hamura's next move.
As they pulled back, Hamura smiled. "You cannot stop me from becoming a god!" he declared. "I will show you the power of a god! Be grateful, for you are the first to witness this."
The Byakugan surrounding Hamura began to converge toward him.
Hamura held a Magatama in his hand and pressed it to his forehead, cutting through the skin. Countless Byakugan transformed into energy and flowed into the new opening.
In minutes, the Byakugan disappeared, replaced by a single eye on his forehead—the Tenseigan!
Reiki observed Hamura, his expression growing tense. This new form radiated an aura of immense power. He couldn't predict what abilities this unknown power might possess, but it wasn't something to take lightly.
Behind Hamura, a monstrous figure appeared, its form gradually dissolving into chakra and merging with Hamura's body.
"Is this a jinchūriki-like transformation?" Reiki muttered, his thoughts racing. He raised his hand, forming a spear imbued with dark energy, preparing to test Hamura's power.
"Reiki," Chodori called out, "this guy's power is unstable. We should leave now. His body can't handle this energy."
Reiki nodded but didn't retreat. "I still need to test the power of a god!" he said, vanishing into the fray.
Chodori sighed, muttering, "This guy is so troublesome..." Her hands and feet transformed into dragon-like appendages as she followed after Reiki.
Meanwhile, Shisui stayed behind to protect Nozuki. With the overwhelming aura emanating from Hamura, Nozuki's safety was his priority.
As for Black Zetsu, he remained unnoticed in a corner, quietly recovering.
Black Zetsu: I'm over here recovering, Shisui! Why don't you protect me instead?