Just in time, Gildarts appeared behind Renji.
The moment Kaguya's Ash Bone was about to reach its target, Gildarts reacted. With his left hand, he shoved Renji away from the path of the attack. At the same time, he threw a punch forward with his right fist.
Crush Magic activated.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed throughout the battlefield. The Ash Bone protruding from Kaguya's palm was struck directly by Gildarts' fist. The moment the two forces collided, the bone immediately shattered apart. It was cut in small pieces before it could even get close to Gildarts.
Fragments of the deadly bone scattered through the air before being completely destroyed by the power of Crush Magic. But Gildarts' attack did not stop there; the destructive force continued forward.
SLASH!
Multiple cuts suddenly appeared across Kaguya's body. Thin lines spread across her arms, shoulders, and torso as though reality itself had been sliced apart by the attack. However, the injuries lasted for only a moment. Almost instantly, her regeneration activated. The wounds closed before blood could even properly emerge. Within seconds, her body was completely restored; not a single trace of injury remained.
Kaguya's expression darkened. These insects are more troublesome than I anticipated. She was about to retaliate against Gildarts when another attack arrived.
Yoko made his move. "Sinning Tree!"
RUMBLE!
Immediately, a massive demonic plant erupted around Kaguya. The tree possessed a sinister reddish-black coloration. Twisted roots and branches shot out from all directions, wrapping around Kaguya's body before completely engulfing her inside its structure. The tree rapidly expanded until she disappeared from sight.
Unlike a simple restraining technique, the true danger of Sinning Tree was its hallucinatory effect. Anyone trapped within it would be forced to experience powerful illusions. For the first time since appearing on the battlefield, Kaguya's senses were disrupted.
Inside the illusion, she suddenly saw two familiar figures standing before her: Momoshiki and Kinshiki. The moment her eyes landed on them, a fearful expression appeared on her face. Her pupils contracted, and sweat formed on her forehead. For a brief moment, memories she would rather forget resurfaced, and her body tensed instinctively.
No... why are they here?!
However, Kaguya was still Kaguya. Almost immediately, she realized something was wrong. Her Byakugan and immense mental power allowed her to recognize the illusion.
"This is fake."
BOOM!
The entire Sinning Tree exploded apart. Branches, roots, and demonic vines were obliterated in an instant. The massive structure that had engulfed her completely was reduced to countless fragments.
Still, even if it lasted for only a few moments, Kaguya had been trapped. And those few moments were enough. Benimaru had been waiting. The instant the Sinning Tree shattered, he attacked.
"Amaterasu!"
Black flames erupted forward, immediately striking Kaguya. In an instant, the black fire engulfed her body. Unlike ordinary flames, this fire did not merely burn flesh; it targeted both body and soul. The flames latched onto her existence itself.
For the first time during the battle, Kaguya suffered visible pain.
"AAAHHHH!"
A scream escaped her lips. Her long hair began to dance wildly behind her. The immense pain affecting her soul caused her anger to surge. Her hair suddenly expanded in every direction, moving like countless living serpents. Each strand shot outward at incredible speed, attacking indiscriminately. The battlefield instantly descended into chaos.
Erza had been preparing to launch her next attack, but she was immediately forced onto the defensive. Several strands rushed toward her. She swung her dual swords without hesitation.
SLASH!
SLASH!
SLASH!
Multiple strands were severed. However, the force behind the attack was tremendous. Despite cutting through the hair attempting to capture her, Erza was still sent flying backward through the air before finally regaining her balance.
Meanwhile, Kaguya continued screaming as the Amaterasu flames burned both her body and soul. Her fury only continued to rise.
And at that exact moment—a portal suddenly opened behind her.
A spiderweb-like dimensional gate appeared in the air. From within it, Makima stepped out. Clearly, she had instructed the Spider Devil to create a portal for her. The Spider Devil had obeyed, opening a path directly behind Kaguya.
The moment Makima emerged, she did not waste even a fraction of a second. She had already committed herself to this attack. The powerful daggers created by Angel were firmly gripped in her hands. She moved forward.
STAB!
STAB!
Both daggers were driven directly into Kaguya's back, piercing through the shoulder blade area from behind. The ominous energy contained within the weapons immediately surged into Kaguya's body.
However, there was always a price.
How could Kaguya possibly fail to notice a dimensional portal opening directly behind her? She was a being capable of opening dimensional gates herself and traveling freely between dimensions. Someone like her would never completely miss such a disturbance.
The moment the daggers pierced her body, Kaguya reacted. Her hair exploded outward. The countless strands surrounding her instantly changed direction. Like a swarm of enraged serpents, they rushed toward Makima.
Makima did not even attempt to retreat. My objective is complete. The rest is up to them.
The next instant, the hair wrapped around her from every direction.
CRUNCH!
The strands tightened mercilessly. Bones shattered. Blood sprayed into the air. Her body was crushed under the overwhelming force. Almost instantly, Makima was killed by Kaguya's counterattack.
Yet even as her body was destroyed, the daggers remained embedded in Kaguya's back. And for the first time since the battle had begun, Kaguya had been successfully struck by an attack that had required someone to pay with their life.
The onlookers who were watching the battle were horrified after witnessing Makima's death. One of the Uzumaki siblings had just been killed before their eyes. Many of them instinctively expected an immediate reaction. They expected rage. They expected the Uzumaki siblings to completely lose control and launch a reckless assault against Kaguya.
Especially Antares. Makima was his wife. Anyone who saw the scene would naturally assume that he would immediately charge at Kaguya in fury, abandoning all caution in the process. After all, that was a normal reaction.
Yet strangely, that was not what happened. There was no rampage. There was no emotional outburst. There was no reckless attack fueled by grief.
The Uzumaki siblings remained surprisingly calm. Their expressions were serious, but none of them appeared blinded by anger as they looked toward Makima's crushed body.
The onlookers misread this as pure battle discipline, thinking years of fighting powerful enemies had taught them to suppress their emotions against an opponent like Kaguya. But the truth was far different. The siblings weren't grieving because they knew this wasn't the end.
She'll be back within moments, Antares thought, his gaze locked onto the battlefield, completely unphased by the gruesome sight. Her contract ensures her revival. Keep the pressure on Kaguya while she reforms.
While they felt the tension of the battle, they did not allow their emotions to dictate their actions, waiting precisely for the opening Makima's sacrifice had just bought them.
At that moment, the daggers that Makima had sacrificed herself to embed into Kaguya's body began to dissolve. The weapons slowly broke apart into countless particles. Those particles did not scatter away; instead, they seeped directly into Kaguya's body as though they were being injected into her from within.
Before Kaguya could fully analyze what was happening, Mereoleona attacked once again.
BOOM!
She appeared before Kaguya like a blazing comet. Her fist shot forward, and a massive burst of flames erupted from her punch.
The roaring, golden-orange fire crashed directly into the unholy black flames of Amaterasu that were already consuming Kaguya. The two contrasting destructive elements clashed and merged, engulfing her almost instantly. The sky turned a violent, chaotic orange and black as the combined inferno exploded outward.
When the fire finally dissipated and Kaguya's figure became visible once more, everyone noticed something different.
Severe burn marks. Numerous deep burns now covered Kaguya's body where Mereoleona's intense heat had superheated the areas already weakened by Benimaru's relentless fire. For the first time, their combined assault had inflicted clearly visible, heavy damage.
The effects of the daggers had also begun to manifest, disrupting Kaguya's chakra flow. Not only that, but both of Kaguya's arms suddenly went limp. The muscles no longer responded properly. The arms hung uselessly at her sides as though they had lost all function.
A brief look of surprise appeared on Kaguya's face. My chakra... it's stagnating, blocked by those particles which entered my body. I cannot move my limbs.
However, the impairment did not last long.
CRACK!
The skin on both arms began to deteriorate. Soon, the arms turned completely into ash. The destroyed limbs disintegrated and fell away. Then, almost immediately, new flesh began growing. Bones formed. Muscles regenerated. Skin reappeared. Within moments, entirely new arms had grown in place of the old ones.
Kaguya flexed her fingers. Both arms were once again fully functional. The effects of the daggers had been forcibly removed through regeneration.
However, despite what had just happened, Kaguya did not immediately retaliate. She did not attack in anger. She did not launch another assault. Instead, she looked toward the Uzumaki siblings.
For a moment, silence spread across the battlefield. Then Kaguya spoke.
"You all are very powerful." Her gaze swept across every one of them. "You all are worthy of becoming my generals."
The Uzumaki siblings frowned but remained silent.
Kaguya continued. "Once, I dreamed of my sons taking such positions. I wished for them to command my armies and fight alongside me against the Otsutsuki Clan." A trace of disappointment appeared in her eyes. "But that wish was never fulfilled."
Her gaze sharpened. "However, you are descendants of my son." The immense chakra surrounding her fluctuated slightly. "I bestow upon you this opportunity. Become the generals and commanders of my army and help me fight against the coming threat of the Otsutsuki Clan."
The battlefield became silent. Then two figures stepped forward: Guy and Antares.
The remaining Uzumaki siblings slowly moved back, allowing the two of them to stand at the front.
Guy looked directly into Kaguya's eyes. "As if we're going to allow you to destroy this world." His voice was firm and unwavering.
Antares followed immediately after. "We won't let you destroy this world. We know your ultimate goal is to fight the Otsutsuki Clan, but the method you've chosen relies on the destruction of this world. We will never accept that."
A slight frown appeared on Kaguya's face. She was clearly displeased.
"You do not understand what is coming." Her voice became colder. "You do not understand what you will face in the future." The immense pressure surrounding her increased. "The threat is beyond your imagination. Your strength is impressive, yes. But there are many within the Otsutsuki Clan who are comparable to me. You do not know the true strength of the Otsutsuki Clan."
Guy immediately replied. "We know very well about the existence of the Otsutsuki Clan." His answer surprised Kaguya slightly. "We also know just how powerful they can be. That is exactly why we've spent years training."
His aura rose slightly. "We have become this strong because we knew stronger enemies would eventually appear. And we will continue becoming stronger." A confident smile appeared on his face. "If my Onii-san can defeat someone like Madara who is only slightly inferior to you, then we can continue growing stronger as well. We are not training for nothing."
Not only Guy, but every other Uzumaki sibling possessed the same unyielding expression. There was no fear in their eyes. No hesitation. No doubt.
They acknowledged the threat of the Otsutsuki Clan. They understood how dangerous that clan truly was. Yet despite that knowledge, they still refused to surrender. They still chose to fight.
Seeing those expressions, Kaguya finally understood something. These descendants of Hagoromo are not ignorant. They understand the threat, yet they still choose defiance. They are foolishly stubborn.
Kaguya's expression became completely cold. "So be it."
The moment those words left her mouth, she acted.
Amenominaka!
Before any of the Uzumaki siblings could react, the space around them tore open.
WHOOSH!
Almost instantly, every one of the Uzumaki siblings was forcibly teleported away. In a single moment, they vanished from the battlefield and were scattered across Kaguya's various dimensions.