Uchiha Hikari didn't hold back with this strike.
As the kunai's blade sliced through, the skin on her arm parted, blood gushing out, the wound deep enough to nearly expose bone.
But in the next second, the injury began healing at a visible rate. Within a single breath, it was completely gone. Even wiping away the blood and inspecting closely, there wasn't a trace of the wound.
Hikari stabbed through her palm and thigh next, carefully gauging the sensation.
"The healing speed's even faster than I expected. The pain only lasts for that first second, and the newly grown flesh is practically identical to the original—no impact on mobility at all…"
"But these injuries are too minor. I need something more severe to really test the upper limits of this healing."
If Shenron hadn't cut corners with her wish, then theoretically, even if she chopped off her arm or gouged out her eyes, they should regenerate instantly. After all, those would still count as "damage" to her body.
But that kind of experiment came with a steep cost, and Hikari wasn't quite ready to take the leap…
Just as she was debating whether to start by breaking a few fingers to test it out, a chorus of screams erupted from Bulma and the others nearby.
"Hm? What's going on?"
Hikari turned to look.
Her gaze landed on a massive ape standing on the grassy field not far away, growing larger by the second. Above its head hung a perfectly round full moon, casting a radiant glow.
"Hikari, run! Goku's turned into a monster!"
Bulma, Yamcha, and the others shouted to her as they fled.
"…"
Hikari's lips twitched.
She distinctly remembered warning Bulma back when they left Pilaf's prison to make sure Goku didn't look up at the moon…
But still…
"This is an opportunity!"
"Perfect. I'll use Goku to test the limits of my regeneration!"
In his normal state, Goku's battle power was only around 10 or so—fine for sparring with taijutsu but not enough to push Hikari to use her *Mangekyo Sharingan*. But as a Great Ape, his battle power skyrocketed to over 100, close to Kame-Sennin's level.
Since he lost all rationality in this form, his actual combat ability was far below Kame-Sennin's. Plus, his tail was a glaring weakness. If things got out of hand, she could just cut it off to end the fight quickly. He was the ideal sparring partner to test her regeneration ability!
With that settled, as Bulma and the others ran past, Hikari didn't follow. Instead, she took a deep breath and charged toward the Great Ape.
"*Mangekyo Sharingan*…"
"*Susanoo!*"
She opened with her trump card!
As her pupil power surged, dark red arms and ribs materialized from thin air.
Then came a skeletal frame.
Next, chakra-formed muscles and flesh extended from the bones, wrapping around Hikari like a colossal cloak. In the right hand of this *Susanoo*, a massive, near-black-red longsword was tightly gripped.
—Every *Susanoo* had its own unique weapon, and Hikari's was a two-handed greatsword.
And then…
"*Susanoo*, Third Form!"
Hikari poured even more pupil power into it.
A flood of chakra surged violently, fueling the *Susanoo*. The already massive figure swelled further, sprouting a lower body and legs, slowly rising from the ground to a height of over 20 meters—nearly level with the Great Ape.
During this process, dark red tears of blood streamed from Hikari's eyes once again.
At the same time, a tingling sensation washed over her, dulling the pain to a barely noticeable level—so faint she could almost ignore it entirely.
"When using pupil techniques, it's a cycle of damage and healing. Up to the Third Form, the healing speed completely outpaces the damage, so I don't feel anything during the process. Starting from the Third Form, there's a slight lag, but it's still negligible…"
While making these observations, Hikari maneuvered her *Susanoo*, crossing its arms in front of its chest in a defensive stance.
The next moment, the Great Ape that was Goku came barreling forward!
*BOOM—!!!*
The two massive figures collided head-on in the open field. A shockwave erupted outward like a tidal wave, shattering the ground within dozens of meters. Earthquake-like tremors rippled further, and fierce gusts of wind swept through the area. The castle's buildings cracked and warped under the pressure, looking ready to collapse.
"Such raw strength…"
Hikari struggled against the Great Ape's savage charge, getting dragged along the ground and tumbling twice, smashing through a tower before she regained control. She forced *Susanoo*'s arms apart, pushing the ape back to create some distance.
During this, she kept an eye on Bulma and the others' position, deliberately moving in the opposite direction.
—One Great Ape was already causing enough chaos. With two giants duking it out, she didn't want the shockwaves trapping Bulma and the others in the fallout.
"ROAR!!"
The Great Ape pounded its chest, hyping itself up.
Hikari, meanwhile, drew her greatsword from *Susanoo*'s waist. After a brief standoff, she lunged forward, swinging the blade in a vertical slash!
*WHOOSH—*
The sword's swing tore through the air, the sound exploding in the sky!
"ROAR!!!"
The Great Ape bellowed, reaching out with both arms to grab the blade mid-air. Its massive palms clamped down, catching the dark red greatsword just before it could strike its head. The blade pressed down a few meters before coming to a halt.
"I didn't go all-out, but since it can block this strike…"
"*Susanoo*, Fourth Form!"
Hikari assessed the situation and cranked up her pupil power once more.
As blood tears flowed freely from her eyes, the pain became more noticeable. The dark red *Susanoo* grew even larger, reaching 30 to 40 meters tall, now clad in dense *Karasutengu* armor.
In this state, the Great Ape's strength could no longer hold back the greatsword.
With a slight tug, Hikari yanked the blade free from its grip. She sheathed it mid-motion, then used *Susanoo* to tackle the ape to the ground, pinning its shoulders and pressing down hard!
The power erupting from this Fourth Form was far greater than the previous three, overwhelming the ape with near-crushing force. Despite its furious roars, it couldn't help but yield!
*(End of Chapter)*