Chapter 401: Super Nine-Headed Monster
The nine Ōtsutsuki enforcers were still arguing over who should sacrifice themselves to empower the others and create a single super-strong being.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Dali had already drained all the energy from the captured Ōtsutsuki enforcer.
After absorbing that power, his strength rose to an even higher level.
At that moment, he returned.
"Hey~"
Uchiha Dali suddenly appeared before his enemies, grinning and waving playfully.
The moment they saw him, every one of their expressions changed drastically.
They stared at Uchiha Dali in shock and unease, regret and fear creeping into their hearts.
Some even started thinking about running away.
"He's back! What about Jinshiki?"
"Probably dead…"
"Are you all still hesitating? If we keep this up, we'll all die here!"
"Hmph… Looks like we'll have to retreat!"
"…"
Even now, the nine of them still couldn't reach an agreement.
None of them wanted to be the one to die.
So even as Uchiha Dali stood before them, smiling faintly with mischief in his eyes, the nine Ōtsutsuki enforcers still did nothing.
Just then, one of them spoke up. "I have a compromise."
"What kind of compromise?"
"We can use a limited fusion—each of us keeps our own consciousness, but we can still merge our energies together to create a truly powerful super-being."
"Though this version of fusion won't achieve full effect and the combat power will be reduced, it's still far stronger than the sum of our nine strengths combined!"
The suggestion made the others pause for a moment, then they all nodded in agreement.
"In that case, let's begin! No more talking!"
"Keeping our own minds, huh? Fine by me!"
"…"
The nine Ōtsutsuki enforcers began to act right in front of Uchiha Dali.
Each of their bodies erupted with dazzling light.
Uchiha Dali, of course, heard their conversation. Curious, he watched what they were doing.
"Oh? Planning to fuse to deal with me?"
"Heh… You really think I'll let that happen?"
As soon as he said that, he prepared to strike all nine of them at once, intending to absorb and refine them simultaneously.
But the moment he activated his devouring and refining technique, Uchiha Dali realized he'd been a bit overconfident.
Each of these guys already possessed staggering energy on their own—let alone all nine at once.
Even with his powerful absorption technique, he could only manage to take back a tiny trace of energy.
His eyes narrowed slightly, then he grinned with excitement.
"I almost forgot—when you guys combine, your power multiplies several times over. Heh…"
Muttering to himself, he adjusted his strength and focused his attack on just one Ōtsutsuki enforcer at the front.
His powerful devouring technique took hold.
In an instant, the enforcer's body began to twist and distort—like an invisible hand in the void was crushing him tightly from all directions.
Feeling the immense pressure crushing his body, the enforcer's face changed drastically. He shouted in panic, "He's targeting me! Hurry! Merge my energy with yours—don't let him take it!!"
Finally panicked, he no longer thought about personal gain.
After all, dying at his comrades' hands was better than dying at the enemy's.
The other eight Ōtsutsuki naturally sensed the threat Uchiha Dali posed.
Seeing him trying to absorb their companion, they roared in fury and all attacked at once.
At the same time, they began activating the Divine Demon Fusion Technique.
Powerful attacks flew toward Uchiha Dali, but his expression remained calm as he activated Kamui.
All their attacks passed harmlessly through his intangible body.
However, by entering that state, he also lost his hold over the enforcer he was absorbing.
Just when he was about to succeed, that Ōtsutsuki managed to break free.
And in that instant, the nine enforcers' energies began to merge at an incredible speed.
Uchiha Dali immediately sensed the terrifying aura radiating from them—an aura that was rapidly soaring. In just moments, it had grown more than tenfold stronger than before.
Now it was Uchiha Dali's turn to feel the pressure.
His expression became wary, though his eyes still gleamed with curiosity as he watched them.
But even as they fused, the nine Ōtsutsuki began to argue again.
"We agreed to keep all our consciousnesses—don't tell me you forgot?"
"That's right. Keep our minds intact, just merge part of the energy!"
"Exactly! Don't overdo it!"
"…"
The fusion process was fast.
In barely ten seconds, a bloated, massive monster with nine heads appeared before Uchiha Dali.
Each of those nine heads still bore the faces of the nine Ōtsutsuki enforcers.
The grotesque, towering creature—over fifty meters tall—radiated an aura hundreds of times stronger than any single enforcer before the fusion.
The oppressive power rolled toward Uchiha Dali like a hurricane, wave after wave, crushing everything. His expression turned serious.
"So this is your counterattack? How ugly…"
Uchiha Dali mocked them coldly.
"Hmph! Ugly or not, as long as it kills you, it's enough!"
The enormous nine-headed monster snorted and brought its hand crashing down toward Uchiha Dali.
Its energy was overwhelming.
With its mountain-like size, even the simplest movement carried devastating power.
"Boom——!"
The strike shattered the very void itself, and all the floating asteroids and even nearby stars around them were obliterated.
Feeling the horrifying pressure, Uchiha Dali's expression changed.
He instantly activated Flying Thunder God and vanished.
But this time, even his proudest teleportation technique failed to fully shake his pursuer.
The instant he disappeared, that grotesque nine-headed monster charged after him—the creature's speed almost matching his Super Flying Thunder God.
Its swiftness was completely at odds with its massive, ugly body.
"Didn't expect that… Not only is this thing powerful, it's fast too. This might be troublesome."
Though Uchiha Dali said that, he suddenly stopped mid-air, turned around, and unleashed his devouring and refining technique directly at the creature.