Chapter 351: Direct Confrontation
Both of them sensed something at the same time and turned around.
When they looked back, they immediately saw the figure that had appeared—none other than Ōtsutsuki Àoshiki himself.
Ōtsutsuki Àoshiki was a man of deep scheming.
After revealing himself, he didn't waste a single word. He ignored Uchiha Dali completely, and didn't bother exchanging pleasantries or bringing up old grievances with Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki.
He simply spoke directly.
"You should already know what he's capable of—and how dangerous he is. So, what now? Are you still planning to join forces with him against me? Or would you rather cooperate with me and take care of this brat first?"
"My dear brother," he added coldly, fixing his gaze on Kyōshiki.
The two brothers locked eyes, leaving Uchiha Dali completely sidelined.
Although Dali outwardly looked calm and composed, in truth, he was feeling a bit anxious.
If Kyōshiki really let himself be swayed by Àoshiki's words, then Dali would have to make a run for it.
No matter how confident he was, there was no way he could take on both of them at once.
They were, after all, true demigods.
But Uchiha Dali hadn't misjudged Kyōshiki.
At this moment, faced with Àoshiki's invitation, Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki let out a cold snort.
"So, you've finally fallen this low, Àoshiki?"
"Who was it back then that tried to wipe me out completely, boasting that I would never ascend again?"
"And now you want to cooperate with me? Sorry, but I hold grudges. There's no way I'd ever believe a single word out of your mouth again."
Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki rejected him without hesitation.
Àoshiki nodded indifferently, clearly having expected that answer.
He hadn't really pinned much hope on it—just asked for the sake of formality.
After being turned down, he stopped looking at Kyōshiki altogether and turned his attention to Uchiha Dali.
"If I asked you to join forces with me—to split my foolish brother's power between us—would you even consider it?" he asked.
Uchiha Dali smiled faintly.
The fact that Àoshiki even asked showed that Dali held some weight in his mind—a force not to be ignored.
This was, in its own way, a form of recognition.
Both brothers clearly valued his power and didn't want to become his outright enemy.
Of course, Uchiha Dali didn't accept the offer. He shook his head and replied with a grin,
"I'm a man of my word. If I had met you first among the two of you, maybe I would've considered it. But right now, I've already agreed to work with your brother."
"So you'd better be ready to serve as nourishment for our growth."
Àoshiki nodded casually, then suddenly laughed.
"Arrogant."
"You remind me of how I used to be."
"But tell me—do you have that power?"
His cold laughter echoed as he lifted his head. In an instant, his eyes transformed into the form of the Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan—but unlike the usual red, green, or yellow variants, his shone with a golden radiance identical to Uchiha Dali's.
It was the highest grade of Rinnegan—on par with Dali's Heavenly Rinnegan.
The moment Àoshiki switched to it, his power skyrocketed—at least tenfold.
That overwhelming pressure rippled through the void, and even Uchiha Dali felt it weigh heavily upon him.
"As expected of a demigod…" he thought in shock.
Beside him, Ōtsutsuki Kyōshiki also stepped forward, releasing his own immense power. The oppressive aura from Àoshiki was quickly neutralized.
Kyōshiki sneered,
"He might not be able to handle you—but what if you add me?"
"Fool," Àoshiki spat coldly. "So you truly mean to help an outsider against your own brother, Kyōshiki?"
"Don't call me brother now, Àoshiki!" Kyōshiki roared back. "When you tried to wipe me out, you didn't act like one!"
"Hmph… enough talk! Let's fight!"
Àoshiki clearly wasn't one for patience.
Seeing that his "foolish" brother refused to listen, he didn't bother with more words.
Power erupted from him in a sudden burst as he attacked both Uchiha Dali and Kyōshiki.
A terrifying gravitational pull instantly formed, locking their bodies in place.
Feeling the tremendous force dragging at them, both Dali and Kyōshiki's expressions hardened.
They countered at once, channeling their power to resist.
In an instant, they both unleashed the same technique—creating an enormous black hole behind Àoshiki.
That hyper-compressed black hole, like an infinite singularity, twisted the void itself under its immense pull.
Nearby celestial bodies were drawn in and devoured, vanishing without a trace.
And as the primary target, Àoshiki naturally bore the brunt of its power.
His expression flickered, and he poured in more energy.
The two supermassive black holes clashed, annihilating each other in an instant.
Àoshiki's gaze hardened as he glared at them.
"You've got guts!" he snarled.
"Let's see how long you can last!"
He clenched his hand, and another divine technique was unleashed—one imbued with the very power of laws.
Suddenly, Uchiha Dali and Kyōshiki's faces twisted in pain.
It felt as if invisible giant hands were crushing their bodies, squeezing them again and again.
The agony of imminent bodily rupture was almost unbearable.
This wasn't just gravity or repulsion—it was compression, the synthesis of both forces.
Even as pain wracked his body, Uchiha Dali didn't stay idle. He exchanged a look with Kyōshiki, and the two launched a simultaneous counterattack.
They mirrored Àoshiki's technique, inflicting the same crushing pain on him.
Àoshiki's body twisted and contorted grotesquely, matching their suffering blow for blow.
A normal human body would've been destroyed instantly, reduced to pulp—but Àoshiki merely sneered.
"Seems our powers are the same," he said coldly. "Now let's see who can endure the longest."
Both sides wielded identical abilities; their attacks carried equal might.
And so, this battle would come down to endurance—to see who would break first under the mounting strain.