Chapter 99: The Degeneracy of the Ōtsutsuki
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The left Mangekyō Sharingan wielded Kai - Black Slash and Yin-Yang Conversion, while the right bore Scarlet Demon and Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.
Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, another name for Tsukuyomi, is a deity ruling over the night.
Uchiha Itachi's Tsukuyomi dragged opponents into an illusory realm where he controlled time, space, and all factors.
Uchiha Kagami's Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, however, projected his spiritual domain into reality, freezing time and space within a set area.
A quintessential high-level technique, it held little value against opponents without space-time abilities.
Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto: Prison of the Underworld's Calamitous Killing Tomb was not a standalone ocular technique.
It was a framework built on Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto.
Powered by Scarlet Demon's complete control of the Dragon Vein, it integrated Ten Shadows Law, Black Path Technique, sealing techniques, and the domain-expansion method inspired by Sukuna.
The key component was Kagami's unparalleled ocular power, seamlessly fusing it all together.
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This technique had been reserved for taming Sukuna once he matured, using the domain to subjugate him entirely.
Kagami never doubted Sukuna's cunning. He was sure that Sukuna would eventually analyze and devise a countermeasure for this technique.
But…
It didn't matter.
Kagami had always found Sukuna's development slow. He needed the King of Curses to evolve continuously to meet his expectations.
He would never choose the safest path. As he once told Sukuna:
Kagami did not fear risk or challenge.
He was always ready to die.
The path to true strength had no shortcuts—only repeated breakthroughs of the shackles of life and death!
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Boom!!
The chakra rod clashed against the black blade, and they immediately separated.
Jigen's expression remained indifferent as he spun his weapon, swinging it with force to create a powerful gust aimed at Kagami's face.
Kagami lightly sidestepped, dodging the strike with ease. His blade shifted, stabbing toward Jigen's ribs—specifically, the kidney.
Clang!
Jigen's reflexes were razor-sharp. He swiftly retracted his rod to block the strike.
The blade and chakra rod collided with a crisp metallic ring.
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Ordinary chakra rods weren't particularly durable, as Kagami had demonstrated earlier when he cut through one.
Aware of this, Jigen reinforced the hardness of his rod.
Having once been ambushed by Kaguya, Jigen had become exceedingly cautious.
Even against Kagami, whom he deemed an inferior creature, he had chosen to initiate the encounter with a sneak attack.
Now, while battling, Jigen's mind worked tirelessly to analyze and dismantle this bizarre domain.
To him, Kagami was surprisingly formidable, but only to a degree.
What truly unsettled him was the inability to use space-time techniques to escape.
If Kaguya—or one of her descendants like the Sage of Six Paths—had left behind a contingency plan, it could spell trouble.
His eyes darted back and forth, observing the shadowy space around him.
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What kind of monstrosity is this?
Yin-Yang Release, natural energy, sealing techniques, and an ominous, malevolent aura…
His mind replayed the moment Kagami had used the Six Paths Stone Tablet to swat away Ōtsutsuki Toneri.
This man seemed to understand that traditional jutsu were ineffective against the Ōtsutsuki.
And Kagami had been searching for him—Jigen—even before this encounter. Not even Kaguya should've known of his existence.
Could it have been the Sage of Six Paths?
That might explain things. After all, he was Kaguya's offspring and the world's safeguard against her folly.
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"Uchiha Kagami… You seem to know quite a lot about us."
Jigen's tone was calm as he deftly parried Kagami's unrelenting assault.
Despite the ferocity of Kagami's taijutsu and the swiftness of his strikes, Jigen held the advantage. Taijutsu was one of his fortes.
The black blade danced in a flurry of relentless attacks.
Kagami smirked lightly. "Studying apes is a standard subject for humans."
Jigen shook his head dismissively. "If you think verbal jabs will unsettle me, you're mistaken. It only makes you seem desperate."
"Unsettle you?" Kagami's smile faded, his voice suddenly serious.
"I genuinely think your kind is inferior."
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"Born with unnaturally long lifespans, immense innate power, and the ability to reincarnate through data transfer…"
"Yet all your race does is shepherd Ten-Tails, feeding Ōtsutsuki to cultivate Divine Trees…"
Kagami chuckled coldly.
"You remind me of an old joke."
"Two peasants fantasize about the luxuries of an emperor's life…"
"They concluded that the emperor must use a golden hoe to farm."
"Hahahaha! You're no different from fools using golden hoes!"
Black-red lightning crackled across Kagami's blade as he swung it down fiercely.
"Thousands of years of stagnation, content with mere harvesting. From birth to death, never achieving a true evolution of power."
"Relying on your innate strength while being utterly terrified of death, always scheming for reincarnation…"
Kagami's Sharingan burned with contempt.
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Jigen froze momentarily, shaken by the unrelenting scorn in Kagami's gaze.
Never…
Never had anyone dared look at an Ōtsutsuki with such disdain!
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"Pioneers like the Sage of Six Paths, who established the Pure Land. Peace-bringers like Hashirama Senju. The ambition of Uchiha Madara…"
"Even Tobirama Senju, who despised death yet pursued immortality to master all ninjutsu. And then there's Orochimaru…"
"Even Sukuna…"
Kagami's Sharingan glowed ominously, his mouth curling into a chilling grin.
"And most importantly, me!"
"This world…"
"Is filled with beings far stronger than your pathetic race!"
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Black-red arcs of energy flashed relentlessly in the dark domain.
Finally…
Kagami's blade nicked Jigen's cheek, drawing a thin line of blood.
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Within the domain, all of Kagami's abilities—including his ocular powers—were fueled by the Dragon Vein.
Using Yin-Yang Conversion as a converter, the natural energy attributes rendered Jigen incapable of absorbing the attacks with his Kāma.
Not only that.
Ever since the domain was established, its oppressive energy had subtly eroded Jigen's mental state.
Though minor, it was like water wearing away stone.
Combined with Kagami's cutting remarks and relentless strikes, Jigen's stoic expression finally cracked.
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"Enough…"
For the first time, anger flickered in Jigen's otherwise impassive eyes.
"Silence, you inferior creature!"
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Swish! Swish! Swish!
Jigen thrust his palm forward, releasing dozens of black rods with the speed of lightning.
Boom!!
The rods struck Kagami, only for his form to dissolve into white smoke.
Kagami reappeared at Jigen's flank, slashing diagonally with his blade.
"Ōtsutsuki techniques may be formidable, but can't you even counter something as basic as Shadow Clones?"
"You have no right to call the life of this world inferior."
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It's over!
Jigen abandoned his rebuttal, focusing entirely on Isshiki's ocular powers: Sukunahikona.
This ability allowed him to instantaneously shrink and enlarge objects, including himself and others.
Kagami's swing missed as Jigen shrank to the size of an insect.
But Kagami showed no surprise.
He released his blade, forming a hand seal instead.
"Black Coffin Seal!"
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Boom!!
Under the black moon, the massive coffin flung open, spewing torrents of inky darkness that engulfed the space around Jigen.
In an instant, the black energy coalesced into a perfectly smooth sphere, sealing Jigen inside.
Crack—
To be continued...
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