But this—this was what had just happened before his very eyes.
Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō, despite his unwillingness to believe it, could no longer deny the truth.
That technique… the jutsu he had always taken pride in… had collapsed so easily in front of Senju Yukika's spiritual power.
With just a single clash, the thunder was obliterated—yet the massive divine seal that Yukika summoned remained in place, unmoved.
By now, through fighting this being, Yukika had a clearer sense of his own strength.
His opponent… was definitely not a god.
That much Yukika now understood with certainty.
The so-called divine power—mysterious and elusive—was still beyond comprehension. Even Yukika himself couldn't clearly understand how ranks were measured for cosmic-level cultivators.
Was a "god" truly the apex of the universal food chain?
And if so… did nothing exist beyond gods?
These thoughts flashed rapidly through Yukika's mind.
But in front of him, Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō could no longer endure.
This seal—the divine imprint Yukika had summoned—was clearly aimed at taking his life. And this power… it didn't contain chakra in any form he recognized.
So why was it so overwhelmingly powerful?
Tetsujō didn't have time to think. He turned and bolted—racing away, fleeing into deep space.
He had come here to destroy this planet.
Yet now he was fleeing like a stray dog, tail between his legs.
It was pitiful. It was tragic.
Back on the planet's surface, all the ninja watched in astonishment as the gray-black storm clouds in the sky began to dissolve, replaced by radiant golden light spreading across the heavens.
That golden light filled the atmosphere like the blessing of a celestial being, and deep within every person's soul, a sense of awe arose.
One by one, they began to fall to their knees.
It started with a few—then more—until almost every ninja in the village was kneeling, reverently bowing toward the golden light that filled the sky.
And as they did, an unseen force formed.
A wave of invisible energy rippled upward—faith, pure and strong, surging into the cosmos.
Far above, Senju Yukika—still pursuing Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō—felt warmth flooding through his body.
The surge of belief entering his form made his power swell further.
He paused, sensing this phenomenon.
These streams of faith—fleeting yet potent—came from everyone on the planet.
Until now, Yukika had only received offerings of faith from the Five Great Nations, where statues of him had been built for worship.
But the rest of the world—the outlands beyond the ninja nations—had not yet witnessed his power.
That changed today.
The golden light streaking across the heavens was seen by everyone—not just humans, but beasts, spirit creatures, and wild monsters.
They all sensed it.
To them, it felt like divine judgment… like heaven's will had descended upon their world.
They too bowed down instinctively, unable to resist the pressure.
And thus, the newly gathered power of faith was not just stronger than before—it was hundreds, thousands of times more potent.
It gathered in torrents, all of it rushing into Senju Yukika's body.
His form began to change—becoming translucent, his muscles and meridians visible as shimmering light coursed through him. Even the last traces of impurity were purged from his being.
He blazed across the sky like a living sun.
Far in the distance, Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō turned his head—and his heart filled with dread.
"No! It can't be! This isn't a false god… this is a real one?!"
It was as if a pest had died inside him—his mind twisted with disbelief and horror.
He had thought this would be easy.
A backwater planet, weak and unprotected. Destroying it should've been effortless.
But he hadn't realized…
A true god had been hiding here all along.
How could he accept this?
At that moment, only one thought remained in his mind:
"Run. Escape. Now."
Because in front of a real god, even the smallest hesitation could mean instant death.
Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō may have been a false god, but the chasm between false and true was vast—an unbridgeable gulf.
Senju Yukika moved swiftly, flapping his ethereal wings just once and leaping through space like a phantom of light.
In the blink of an eye, he was right behind Tetsujō.
At that moment, Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō trembled violently, as if struck by lightning.
The scent of death crept closer.
He had never imagined that someone like him—a pseudo-divine being—could face his own end.
But now? Now he was terrified.
He finally understood what it meant to be utterly dominated.
His fate no longer his own, his life hanging by a thread in another's hands.
"You… you know who I am? You dare kill me?" Tetsujō shouted, his words sharp and threatening.
But Yukika was not shaken.
He had already made up his mind—this enemy must die, no matter the cost.
This wasn't just about vengeance or pride. It was about Earth's survival.
The Ōtsutsuki clan had discovered this planet, and their intentions were clearly destructive.
So, from Yukika's perspective, Tetsujō had to die.
And once he was dead, Yukika's next goal would be to venture into the stars—to find the Ōtsutsuki homeworld and eliminate this hidden threat once and for all.
Yukika pushed forward at blinding speed, overtaking Tetsujō effortlessly.
Then, like a brilliant, bursting firework, a great spiritual weapon descended from the sky—Sero King.
Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō poured all his chakra into his defense.
His power, born from the same origins as ancient beasts like Kyōki, was immense.
But it still couldn't rival the forces of the Shinigami Realm.
Worse still—Senju Yukika's head remained still and composed, while behind him the Hades Spear emerged faintly, exuding an aura of death that crushed all evil.
Ōtsutsuki Tetsujō was filled with despair.
Boom!
With a deafening explosion, his body was obliterated into nothingness.
But just as it seemed all was over, a small sphere of light shot out from the remains of his shattered form.
"Don't kill me!" he screamed in desperation.
But Yukika didn't strike immediately.
He stared coldly at the flickering soul and asked:
"I'll ask you one question. Answer it honestly, and you may live. Lie… and you die. Do you understand?