Chapter 237: The Heaviest Sacrifice, the Butterfly Transformation Technique Blooms Once More

The artificial moon suspended inside the moon emitted a faint white glow. Around it floated scattered floating islands of various sizes; illuminated by the moonlight, they resembled meteorites orbiting the moon, revolving around it in a regular pattern due to its gravitational pull.

When one of the larger floating islands drifted to the surface of the moon, two tall figures had their long shadows cast by the moonlight that was close at hand.

The moment the moonlight spilled onto their faces, it was as if a referee had blown the whistle for a duel; two different kinds of flames suddenly surged from the two, adding a unique color to the bright white moon.

"Boom!"

Two delicate fists, carrying immense force, collided, and the resulting air waves stirred the scattered gravel around them, emitting a crackling sound.

Following that was another bout of fist-to-flesh combat, until Otsutsuki Biraku flapped the butterfly wings behind her and shot out several cyan flames, forcing Otsutsuki Tsukihime to pull back her strength.

As both retreated a step, their charming faces were both etched with a hint of gravity. Otsutsuki Biraku, in particular, felt her heart sink from the pain in her fists. She subconsciously scanned with her Byakugan, only to be astonished to find that Otsutsuki Tsukihime's body was completely unscathed, and she hadn't even consumed much chakra.

As expected, there was still a gap.

Having reached this point, she had nowhere left to retreat. Recalling the innocent smile of Uchiha Gin, Otsutsuki Biraku felt as if she had been injected with strength once more. She flapped the wings behind her and charged at Otsutsuki Tsukihime again.

I am sorry, Clan Leader, but I have a reason I cannot turn back.

"Bang!!!"

Although the intention was noble, reality was very harsh. Otsutsuki Biraku, who used a secret technique as her source of power, gradually showed signs of decline after several exchanges.

The breath in her body became chaotic, and flaws appeared in her movements. Otsutsuki Tsukihime seized the opportunity to land a strike on her chest, sending her flying backward for dozens of meters; she only stopped after piercing through several protruding rocks on the ground.

"Hoo~ hoo~ hoo~"

Panting heavily, Otsutsuki Biraku knelt on one knee and wiped the blood spilling from the corner of her mouth. The butterfly wings behind her were flickering in and out of existence; it seemed the time for the Butterfly Transformation Technique was almost up.

Feeling the drain of power within her, an unwilling Otsutsuki Biraku felt a look of martyrdom erupt in her eyes.

"Again!"

Madly squeezing out the power that had accumulated in her body for years, Otsutsuki Biraku shakily straightened up. A brilliant cyan light surged from her body, and the butterfly wings behind her solidified once more. Flapping wings that had clearly shrunk in size, she charged at the cold-faced Otsutsuki Tsukihime again. Concentrating the power in her body to a single point, she threw a punch, aiming directly at the other's face.

"Did I hit?"

Feeling the sensation of impact from her all-out strike, a flash of joy crossed Otsutsuki Biraku's face. With this punch, even the Clan Leader would not have an easy time.

"Hmph!"

Just as Otsutsuki Biraku thought she had succeeded, a crisp sneer made her hair stand on end. The contempt contained in that laugh was something even a fool could hear.

Alarm bells rang in her heart. Otsutsuki Biraku tried to pull her hand back, but was horrified to find her fist clamped by a powerful, immense force. Looking closely, she realized that her punch hadn't hit Otsutsuki Tsukihime's charming face at all, but had been easily caught by a hand she had raised.

"Elder Biraku, is this the power you are so proud of?"

Otsutsuki Tsukihime, who had been quite manic just a moment ago, had regained some clarity in her eyes. In those white pupils, that trace of contempt deeply stung Otsutsuki Biraku's heart.

As the power in Otsutsuki Tsukihime's hand expanded, a strange chakra surged from her hand into Otsutsuki Biraku's body, instantly disrupting the flow of chakra in her body and sealing several important acupoints along the way.

"Whoosh~~~"

Otsutsuki Biraku was struck as if by a heavy blow, her whole body trembling uncontrollably. The butterfly wings behind her dissipated, and her tall figure went limp instantly, being tossed aside by Otsutsuki Tsukihime like trash.

"Nothing more than this. But I should thank you for bringing me to a place so close to the moon, allowing me to regain my sanity."

With a hint of pity in her eyes, Otsutsuki Tsukihime looked at the bleeding Otsutsuki Biraku in the pile of rubble and spoke slowly.

"Elder Biraku, is it worth it to turn your blades against me, your Clan Leader, for the sake of a stranger from the ground?"

Seeing that the other party no longer had the strength to resist, Otsutsuki Tsukihime, wearing a tight-fitting vest, walked slowly toward Otsutsuki Biraku, squatted down, lifted her chin, and asked with a puzzled expression.

Although Otsutsuki Tsukihime had entered a berserk mode just now, her consciousness had remained clear. The so-called berserk state was merely because the power residing in her body had run wild; as long as she was near the moon, that power would become docile, and her consciousness would once again take the upper hand.

"Cough, cough, cough... there is no such thing as worth it or not; I simply did what I wanted to do."

Facing the Clan Leader who had once made her tremble with fear, Otsutsuki Biraku's face was calm. At this moment, her heartfelt emotions overcame her past fears, allowing her to look Otsutsuki Tsukihime in the eyes for the first time and speak her mind.

"But he is a despicable thief!"

Facing the betrayal of a subordinate who had followed her for many years, Otsutsuki Tsukihime felt somewhat displeased and spoke with a slight frown.

"Mr. Gin is not that kind of person! There must be some misunderstanding between you!"

Hearing the person she admired being labeled a thief, an indignant Otsutsuki Biraku forced herself to stand up, a look of determination erupting in her eyes as she argued loudly.

Mr. Gin is such a gentle person, how could he be a thief? It must have been done by XXX!

"You're crazy, you're crazy. I think you've gone crazy wanting a man!"

Facing Otsutsuki Biraku's desperate resistance, Otsutsuki Tsukihime, feeling bored, shook her head. After a stern rebuke for her lack of sense, she stood up and walked to the edge of the floating island, her white eyes searching the vast night sky for the location of her castle.

"You can just reflect on yourself here. After I finish teaching that man a lesson, I will settle accounts with you."

"No!"

Hearing this, Otsutsuki Biraku suddenly raised her head, her white pupils shaking violently. Her mind was filled with images of Uchiha Gin dying a tragic death. Looking at Otsutsuki Tsukihime's curvaceous back, an inexplicable power surged within her.

"Do~ not~ hurt~ Mr. Gin!"

As she spat out each word, Otsutsuki Biraku trembled and slowly crawled up from the ground. Her white eyes were bloodshot, and with every step she took, blood spurted from her body.

Her voice made Otsutsuki Tsukihime, who was about to leave, stop in her tracks. She turned around with a frown and said with a helpless expression,

"Elder Biraku, you should be very clear about the gap between us. Don't waste your efforts anymore."

Having said that, she looked up and down at the transformed Otsutsuki Biraku, a hint of confusion in her tone.

"You really do look more pleasing to the eye after losing weight. Huh? What is going on with your chest?"

Hearing this, Otsutsuki Biraku was stunned, and her stumbling steps came to a halt. She subconsciously looked down and found she couldn't see her feet. Supporting the heavy treasures on her chest, a raging fire ignited in her heart.

Mr. Gin, thank you for leaving me this secret weapon.

"Clan Leader, although it is very abrupt, please let Mr. Gin go."

Supporting her chest, Otsutsuki Biraku felt a glimmer of hope erupt in her eyes again. Facing the immovable Otsutsuki Tsukihime, she spoke slowly.

"You didn't hit your head earlier, did you? How can you still be talking nonsense in this situation?"

Looking at Otsutsuki Biraku, whose internal energy was exhausted, Otsutsuki Tsukihime couldn't help but retort.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Gin, this is my final transformation."

Hearing the other party ignore her final request, Otsutsuki Biraku slowly raised her head, and a cyan light appeared on her body once again.

"Again? You shouldn't have any spare energy left in your body, right?"

Otsutsuki Tsukihime watched Otsutsuki Biraku, whose aura was climbing steadily, the confusion in her eyes refusing to fade. She wanted to see what other tricks this person had up her sleeve.

"Butterfly! Transformation! Technique!"

As Otsutsuki Biraku stood with her hands hanging down, cyan butterfly wings slowly unfolded behind her once again. Otsutsuki Tsukihime, whose confusion was growing, suddenly noticed that the other's astonishing mountain peaks were melting at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Within a few breaths, they went from Mount Everest to a small hill in the backyard. Conversely, the pair of cyan butterfly wings behind her expanded to a size that made her jaw drop.

"She actually used the Butterfly Transformation Technique to this extent. What did she consume?"

Uchiha Gin, who was still watching from the castle, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise to himself as he saw the cyan butterfly wings blooming in front of the moon.

From his perspective, a pair of enormous butterfly wings had bloomed in front of the artificial moon inside the moon. The slowly flapping wings stirred up air waves that blew into every corner of the moon. The terrifying energy overflowed, bringing an intense sense of oppression to all living things inside the moon.

In the ocean, the giant sea crab, the king of the Otsutsuki clan's ecosystem, retracted its small eyes into its shell and clamped its massive pincers over its head. Facing the pressure coming from the sky, it felt weak and could only tremble in the deep ocean trench.

"What is that? What beautiful wings!"

The surviving members of the Otsutsuki clan were also awakened by this sudden power. They poked their heads out from their respective floating islands one after another, looking at the butterfly wings blooming in the sky, their eyes filled with shock.

"Why are they fighting again? And they even used the power of the Tenseigan. Isn't that the little guy?"

In the mental space, Otsutsuki Hamura, who was enjoying a massage, opened his eyes in confusion. He had just sensed the descendants of the branch family using the power of the Tenseigan, and the other power opposing it carried a hint of the Otsutsuki flavor.

"How do the descendants of that idiot Hamura have so many flashy things?"

In the corner, a black figure looked at the cyan butterfly wings adorning the moon overhead and couldn't help but retort.

"Hmph! All flash and no substance, not even half as good as me~"

Preview: The Moon Arc ends tomorrow~

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(End of chapter)