Chapter 402: Internal Strife Rekindled
Sensing that Uchiha Dali was once again using the Devour and Refine Technique on him, the nine-headed monster let out a cold snort.
"Trying to absorb my energy? Fine, I'll let you have your fill—until you choke on it!"
Despite his words, he didn't actually allow Dali's attack to go unchecked. With a backhanded motion, he swung a massive palm toward him.
This creature's body was wide and bulky, like a mountain. The palm alone was larger than Dali's entire body laid flat.
Even without any enhancements, the sheer physical power behind that slap was formidable—let alone when it was infused with terrifying chakra energy.
That strike contained over three hundred years' worth of cultivated power—enough to shatter a man's skull and obliterate an entire small star system.
But in doing so, he was playing right into Dali's hands.
"Heh heh…"
"I've never met anyone so eager to feed me energy—don't mind if I do!"
Dali unleashed the Devour and Refine Technique at full capacity.
Instantly, torrents of energy surged from the creature's palm into his body, wave after wave like a relentless tide.
At the same time, Dali entered the Ultra Instinct state—his body moving on its own, effortlessly dodging every attack.
The nine-headed monster quickly realized that no matter what he did, he couldn't land a single hit, while his opponent's aura only grew stronger and stronger.
His expression darkened. The nine heads began speaking all at once.
"He's absorbing our energy! Damn it, who told him he could do that?"
"This won't do! We need to cut off the flow right now! Stop channeling chakra through the palms!"
"What are you afraid of? Let him absorb it! Let's see how much he can take before he bursts!"
"Yeah! No matter how strong his body is, there's no way he can swallow all of our energy in one go. It'll tear him apart from the inside!"
"I think that's too risky. What if he really can absorb it all? Then we're doomed!"
"Coward! Shut up. I said it's fine, so it's fine!"
"Damn it! Who's in control of this body right now? I'm still here, you idiots!"
"..."
Their immense combined power had gone to their heads—literally.
At this point, each of the nine Ōtsutsuki enforcers thought he was the one in control of this ultimate form. And if they were the ones in control, they believed the body should move according to their will.
Before Dali could even attack, the nine heads had already started quarreling among themselves.
Seeing this, Dali couldn't help but smirk in amusement.
This was an opportunity far too good to waste.
"Are you guys done talking?"
"And where's my energy?"
He inhaled sharply, pulling the chakra energy from the creature's palms toward himself once more.
When the monster's chakra flow was cut off, Dali even looked a little disappointed.
Now he stood there, calm and collected, staring at the enormous nine-headed creature with a taunting glint in his eyes.
That was the final straw.
"Who cut off the energy?! I said keep going!"
"Stop it! This body doesn't belong to you alone!"
"Damn it, we agreed to fight together—what are you doing?! The enemy's still right here!"
"Heh heh… I've been waiting for this moment. This form is unbelievably powerful. I never imagined our fusion would reach such strength. Since we're this strong, why bother gathering chakra fruits? Let's return to the Divine Realm like this—wipe them all out, seize all the power, and become true gods ourselves!"
"..."
One of the nine heads suddenly made this declaration, and the others instantly fell silent.
This was open rebellion.
They were elite Ōtsutsuki enforcers, yes—but above them still stood higher-ranking beings.
At the very top was the one they called "the King."
They had all secretly entertained such ambitions before, but no one had ever dared voice them aloud. They kept their thoughts buried, focusing quietly on growing stronger—waiting for the day they might overthrow the Ōtsutsuki King and claim divinity for themselves.
But now, someone had said it out loud.
That was a problem.
"You fool! Don't you know the King can see and hear everything we do?"
"That's your delusion, not ours! We only fused temporarily to deal with this brat!"
"Exactly! This power isn't yours alone—don't get ahead of yourself!"
"Suit yourself. I'm done playing along!"
"..."
Clearly, the others didn't share the first speaker's nerve.
They began distancing themselves from the would-be rebel, each trying to separate from the fusion.
The nine heads twisted and strained, struggling to split apart.
Dali watched the scene with great interest, making no move to interfere.
Of course, separating wasn't that simple—because the one who had spoken of rebellion was doing everything he could to stop it.
"You still don't know my secret, do you?"
"I've been planning for this day for a very long time… hahahahaha!"
"I even created a special technique just for this moment. Watch closely!"
"Even if I have to take your energy by force—I won't need your permission!"
The voice came from the far-left head.
Dali remembered him—he was the captain of this squad of Ōtsutsuki enforcers.
As his words fell, a terrifying suction force erupted from him.
Even though Dali wasn't the target, he immediately felt its horrifying pull.
Sure enough, the move was monstrously powerful.
One by one, the other eight heads began to twist and distort under the pull.
Their attempts to break free from the fusion failed instantly.
What's more, Dali could sense the giant creature's energy skyrocketing.
It had already been absurdly strong—but now, as the captain devoured the chakra energy of the others, forcibly merging it into himself, his power climbed higher and higher by the second.
Before long, Dali could feel the oppressive threat radiating from him—a danger that reached the level of true life-and-death.
His expression turned serious.
"I can't let you keep getting stronger. Die!"