Chapter 252
When all the darkness in the world concentrates into one place, everything else becomes brighter by contrast.
The sky returned to its original hue. The land bloomed green. The once-black sea morphed into a vibrant ocean of jade, and the oppressive, decayed stench in the air gradually faded—replaced by the crisp scent of grass and trees. Chakra flowed freely again. All living things stirred with new life... all but one place.
At the center of it all, the shadow that absorbed the darkness remained cloaked in gloom. The lingering blackness clung to it like a quagmire, dragging it deeper into the abyss. It whispered things no one could understand. Its eyes—cold and hollow—scanned the world around it. But when they landed on Zixu, something changed. Desire flickered in the depths of its gaze.
"Host... located. Initiating... fusion..."
The words came out distorted, but Zixu understood them. Barely.
Before Kaguya's attack could even land, the darkness surged forward, swallowing Zixu whole. Dozens of thick, black chains slithered out from the void. They moved slowly—easy to dodge, in theory.
But the real threat wasn't their speed.
Black chains also burst forth from the places on Kaguya and Zixu's bodies where the darkness had previously invaded. As if drawn to each other, the chains resonated. Kaguya tried to destroy them, but the moment she acted, she realized her strength had vanished. Her chakra—gone.
She panicked.
Black chains wrapped around her, tighter and tighter. The shadow's goal was clear: eliminate her first, then deal with Zixu.
The struggling grew weaker by the second. The only sound left was a low, guttural moan that came from deep within the shadow.