As Shun perceived the images, his gaze grew colder.
To maintain the clan's survival and avoid extinction due to underpopulation, the Otsutsuki High Council Members spent massive resources cloning Otsutsuki females.
From birth, these female clones were branded as "reproduction tools," having no names, only serial numbers. Their status was lower than the dust and they didn't even have basic human dignity. They were quite numerous and concentrated in specific areas.
They became objects for all male clan members to bully and vent their emotions upon at will. The slightest resistance would result in immediate disposal.
Shun perceived a memory fragment of a female clone committing suicide in despair after being abused, and a flash of coldness crossed his eyes.
Over time, this pathological perception spread through the Otsutsuki clan like poisonous vines.
Even for naturally born Otsutsuki females, their status plummeted in the eyes of males, being viewed as "useless burdens" and "waste that only consumes Chakra."
This was why Momoshiki looked down so much on Kaguya, who was a descendant of the High Ranks, and even disdained to stand alongside her. In his inherent perception, all Otsutsuki females were simply unworthy of having great power and noble status.
After understanding all the information, Shun tilted his head slightly. "Kaguya, don't be angry. This darkness that has lasted for thousands of years will soon disappear completely."
With that, he slowly raised his right hand, and pale golden Mental Energy, like countless fine silk threads, quietly diffused out.
It wrapped around every surviving Otsutsuki irresistibly. They didn't let out any painful roars, nor did they even have a reaction of discomfort.
The fear and confusion in these clan members' eyes gradually faded, turning into a hollow void.
All memories in their minds regarding the Otsutsuki clan, including the class oppression, clone slavery, the evils of plundering planets, as well as the deaths of loved ones and their own suffering, had been completely erased by Shun, as if they had never existed.
Immediately after, Shun began to re-edit their memories. He constructed a brand-new, complete past for these clan members. They were not cosmic plunderers, but came from a planet called "Doomsday."
This planet had been destroyed by an interstellar storm, and after their home was ruined, they drifted everywhere. They endured hunger and cold in the Universe.
On the verge of death, just as they were in despair, it was he and Kaguya who found them. They were brought back to the Origin Space and he and Kaguya were the "Guardians" who protected them and provided them with warmth and shelter.
He not only erased all dark memories but also implanted warm fragments for the children.
For example, images of being fed sweet food by the "Guardians", playing on soft grass, and being gently comforted.
For the old and weak, he implanted expectations of a stable life, such as having warm houses to live in, enough food to fill their bellies, and no longer having to endure cold and fear.
He used these warm memories to completely overwrite all the sinful marks of the Otsutsuki clan.
After an unknown amount of time, when the last wisp of pale golden Mental Energy was withdrawn from the brow of a child huddled in a corner, the hollow void in all the clan members' eyes gradually dissipated, turning into reliance and awe toward Shun and Kaguya.
The crying children stopped their sobbing and timidly raised their heads. The tear stains on their faces were not yet dry, but they looked at the two with curiosity and trust.
Some even tentatively reached out their small hands, wanting to touch them, only to pull back just before contact, their eyes full of shyness and timidity.
Several elderly people struggled to stand up, their aged bodies trembling slightly. Once they finally stood steady, they bowed deeply to the two, their eyes full of gratitude, murmuring, "Lord Guardian... thank you..."
Several female clones supported each other as they stood up. The gaze they directed at Shun and Kaguya no longer held the previous fear, and even some yearning for the future began to emerge.
The atmosphere of the entire Origin Space changed from the previous despair and oppression to one that was peaceful and warm.
The tension in the air vanished and a sense of security continued to appear.
The children even began to communicate in low voices, their eyes sparkling with curiosity about their new environment.
"Their memories have all been completely rewritten."
Shun withdrew his right hand, the pale golden Mental Energy and the golden eye light dissipating together.
He glanced at the Otsutsuki within the Origin Space, who had now settled down.
He paused and smiled slightly, saying in a relaxed tone, "Kaguya, these people will become entirely new existences. They are no longer the remnants of the Otsutsuki clan, and they will no longer pose a threat to us."
"As for the spoils of the Otsutsuki Planet, it won't be too late to take stock after things are settled here. Let's first set up some basic living facilities here so they can settle down first."
Hearing this, Kaguya's surrounding Chakra gradually calmed down.
She looked at those Otsutsuki with pure eyes in the space, then turned to look at Shun beside her, her silver-white eyes filled with moved emotion.
She nodded slightly and replied, "Okay, everything... it's fine as long as you decide."
Sunlight spilled down through the virtual canopy of the Origin Space, its warm glow enveloping everyone.
Those clan members with rewritten memories were watching their Guardians, Shun and Kaguya, with eyes full of reliance.
...
The basic living facilities in the Origin Space were completed.
Rows of simple cabins, built from special timber, stood in neat disorder. The raw-wood walls glowed with warmth, their roofs thickly thatched.
A crystal stream flowed past, murmuring over pebbles that can be counted one by one, silver fish darting by.
Shun stood on the highest viewing platform, his black coat fluttering in the breeze. He gazed down at the orderly, thriving scene below and gave a slight nod.
"The protective barrier here has been strengthened and the resources roughly allocated. For now, we're stable."
"We'll return to the Ōtsutsuki home-planet first and deal with the ancestor of the God tree. That's the key to resolving the root of the Ōtsutsuki clan."
Kaguya's gaze swept across the clanspeople whose faces wore innocent smiles. A flicker of trance crossed her silvery eyes, as though she remembered her own childhood.
After the memory rewrite, these people had cast off the dark past of plunder and slaughter the Ōtsutsuki clan once embraced and now lived in peace. To her, it was perhaps a belated redemption.
She drew back her gaze and nodded gravely to Shun. "All right."
Together the two of them moved, piercing the barrier of the Origin Space and streaking toward the Ōtsutsuki home-planet.
A few seconds later, they landed steadily on that planet's soil.
The ground beneath their feet was laced with cracks. The air still carried the smoke and residual energy of the earlier battle.
Compared with the desolate ruin of the core area, a zone nearby shrouded by a golden barrier looked startlingly out of place.
That barrier formed a huge dome, isolating the devastation outside. This was the Otsutsuki Holy Land where Kaguya had grown up.
Ancient Chakra ripples drifted across the golden surface like gentle waves on calm water. It had kept the fierce aftershocks of the battle completely out, without so much as a ripple.
Shun looked up at the barrier, lifted a hand, and released a thread of refined golden Chakra that brushed the dome like silk. Instantly, the barrier sensed the familiar presence and opened a man-wide gap on its own.
The Chakra at the edges curled gently, offering no hostility. The aura of the former Ōtsutsuki High Ranks had not yet faded.
The moment they stepped inside, a completely different scene greeted them.
Flagstones paved the path, polished and dust-free—clearly tended year-round.
Ancient trees lined the way, their thick branches spreading wide, crowned with pale-purple star-shaped blossoms edged in faint gold.
A breeze scattered the petals, the air carrying fresh green scents and pure Chakra that refreshed the lungs.
It was a world apart from the desolation outside the barrier, as though two different worlds had been stitched together.
Kaguya's steps froze and her body tensed, her eyes turning vacant as if her soul had been pulled away. Slowly, she lifted a trembling hand and brushed the trunk of the ancient tree beside her. The rough bark under her fingertips woke long-dormant memories.
As a child, she had chased bright butterflies beneath this tree in a white dress, her laughter clear.
Not far off, a stone pavilion carved with old formula runes was where Seirin had taught her basic techniques, his stern yet gentle voice seemed still to echo.
Ahead, the hall roofed with glazed tiles had been the place where her parents held her coming-of-age ceremony. That day, she wore splendid robes and received the clan's blessings.
Scenes flooded her mind—playful warmth, the focus of study, the joy of recognition.
Then the endless dread after her parents' sudden death, when she faced strife alone.
Her body shook uncontrollably, tears welled and shimmered on her lashes. Her Chakra, unsettled by the surge of emotion, flickered restlessly around her.
Shun sensed the change at once, slowed his steps, and moved quietly to her side. He did not break her reverie. Instead, he raised a hand and rested it gently on her shoulder.
Warmth flowed from his palm, steady and reassuring.
In a softer, soothing tone, he said, "Kaguya, it's all in the past. I'm here now. I won't let you suffer again, nor face anything alone."
The warmth of his hand and the steadiness of his voice anchored Kaguya, the tumult of memories ebbing.
She drew a long breath, forced the surging feelings down, and dabbed the corner of her eye to keep the tears from falling.
She shook her head slightly at Shun, her composure returning. "Shun, I'm fine. Sorry to worry you. Let's go to the Forbidden Land, to the Progenitor God tree. I'll take you there right now."
Shun said nothing more. He simply matched her pace in silent understanding, walking shoulder to shoulder with her.