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We continued trading blows.
Neither of us was willing to back down.
My shadow armour amplified every movement, allowing me to match Ashura's strength and overwhelm him with speed. But Ashura's newly awakened Six Paths chakra gave him an entirely different level of durability and power.
BAM!
His fist collided with my cheek.
I twisted with the impact and immediately countered with a shadow-coated elbow.
BOOM!
Ashura blocked it.
He retaliated with a palm strike.
I ducked beneath it and swept his legs out from under him.
He jumped over my sweep and came down with a chakra-enhanced kick.
I crossed my arms.
BOOM!
The impact sent me sliding backward.
Around us, everyone watched in stunned silence.
Shirai stood frozen, her hands clenched anxiously.
Taizou stared between us, unable to decide who to worry about more.
Shiraku's eyes followed every movement, his expression unusually serious.
"This is getting ridiculous…" he muttered. "They're both monsters now."
Hagoromo watched silently, his expression heavy.
And Indra…
Indra remained on one knee, watching his two brothers fight.
His sharingan followed every exchange.
For the first time.
He was simply watching.
Watching the two brothers he had once trained beside now fighting because of him.
I rushed toward Ashura again.
He met me head-on.
Our fists collided.
BAM!
I twisted my body and summoned a shadow blade into my hand.
The darkness condensed around my arm, forming a long, razor-sharp blade.
Ashura's eyes widened.
I swung.
"ASHURA!"
CLANG!
My blade suddenly struck something solid.
My eyes widened.
Ashura's hand was holding a black staff.
Not an ordinary weapon.
A Truth-Seeking Orb had transformed into a rod in his grasp, completely stopping my shadow blade.
I stared at it.
The chakra radiating from that weapon was unlike anything I had ever felt before.
My eyes widened further.
"The power of…"
I stared at Ashura.
"Six Paths."
Ashura looked at the rod in his hand, seemingly surprised by it himself.
I stared at him for another second.
Then I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh.
"Heh…"
I lowered my blade slightly.
"So this is how it happened in the original story."
Ashura blinked.
"What?"
I shook my head.
"Nothing."
I looked at the black rod blocking my blade.
In the original timeline, Ashura awakened this power against Indra.
My eyes narrowed.
And now he's awakened it against me.
I glanced toward Indra.
Then back at Ashura.
A strange realisation settled over me.
I gave a small, bitter smile.
"Guess I became the villain this time."
Ashura's expression tightened.
"No, elder brother."
He pushed my blade away.
"You're not a villain."
I stared at him.
"Then what am I?"
Ashura tightened his grip on the Truth-Seeking rod.
"Someone who's lost his way."
For a moment, I said nothing.
Then my shadows began swirling around me again.
My smile returned.
"Then I suppose…"
I raised my blade.
"…you'll have to be the one to bring me back."
Ashura's eyes hardened.
"I will."
The clash between us continued.
Neither Ashura nor I fought with the intention of killing anymore.
Every strike was controlled.
Every movement carried restraint.
But neither of us was willing to yield.
I summoned my own Truth-Seeking Orbs from the shadows, the black spheres floating silently behind me before reshaping into blades, shields, and rods at my command.
Ashura's Truth-Seeking Orbs met mine again and again.
CLANG!
BOOM!
CRACK!
Our weapons collided, sending sparks of chakra across the battlefield.
I rushed forward, shadow armour covering my body as I exchanged blows with Ashura at close range. He blocked my strikes with his Truth-Seeking staff, while I used my shadows to attack from every angle.
Tentacles erupted from the ground.
Black blades formed from my shadows.
Truth-Seeking Orbs transformed into shields and intercepted Ashura's attacks.
For a while, neither of us could gain the upper hand.
But slowly…
My movements began to lose their sharpness.
My breathing became heavier.
My arms felt heavier.
Ashura noticed.
"Elder brother… you're exhausted."
I gritted my teeth.
"I'm fine."
But even I knew that was a lie.
I had already burnt through an enormous amount of chakra fighting Indra.
The Complete Body Susanoo alone had forced me to push my shadows to their limits.
Then I had fought Ashura immediately afterward.
And now, even with the power Father had given me, my reserves were running dangerously low.
Ashura rushed forward.
I raised my Truth-Seeking staff to block.
CLANG!
The impact forced me backward.
I tried to counter.
My movements were slower.
Ashura saw the opening.
He struck my shoulder.
BOOM!
My body flew backward and crashed into the ground.
"Ghh!"
I rolled across the dirt before finally coming to a stop.
The battlefield fell silent.
My Truth-Seeking Orbs dispersed into shadows.
My armour flickered.
I tried to push myself up.
My arms trembled.
"Come on…"
I forced myself onto one knee.
My breathing was ragged.
"Huff… huff…"
But my body refused to cooperate.
I finally collapsed onto my back, staring up at the night sky.
The stars blurred slightly above me.
I let out a tired breath.
"Damn…"
Ashura stood several metres away, breathing heavily himself.
He hadn't won because he was overwhelmingly stronger.
He had won because I had already spent most of my strength against Indra.
And somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew it.
If I had fought Ashura at full strength…
I gave a faint, exhausted smile.
…this might have gone very differently.
Ashura slowly lowered his weapon.
"Elder brother…"
I turned my head toward him.
Despite everything, I couldn't help but chuckle.
"Heh…"
I closed my eyes for a moment.
Then I forced myself upright.
Ashura's eyes widened.
"Elder brother…? "
I ignored him, slowly straightening my back despite the exhaustion weighing down my body.
My gaze shifted toward Indra.
He was still kneeling in the distance, watching us silently.
Then I looked back at Ashura.
"You don't want Indra to die, right?"
Ashura's expression tightened.
He slowly shook his head.
"No…"
I nodded.
"Fine."
My voice was calm.
"Then I'll give you two options, Ashura."
I raised two fingers.
"First…"
I pointed toward Indra.
"You end Indra yourself."
Ashura's eyes widened.
"Or…"
I lowered one finger and pointed toward myself.
"Let me do it."
Ashura stared at me in disbelief.
I continued before he could speak.
"In that case, you'll only lose one brother…"
My expression remained solemn.
"…but you'll still have me."
Ashura's face fell.
"Elder brother…"
I looked at him steadily.
"You're going to become the leader of Ninshu. You can't spend your life believing that every problem can be solved peacefully."
I glanced toward Indra again.
"Sometimes, someone has to bear the ugly part of the world."
My voice softened.
"If you can't do it…"
I tightened my grip.
"…then let me."
Ashura's fists clenched.
"You're asking me to choose which brother I lose."
I didn't answer immediately.
Then I quietly said,
"No."
I looked directly into his eyes.
"I'm giving you the choice of which brother you want to save."
The words hung heavily in the night air.
Indra's expression changed.
For the first time, he looked genuinely shaken.
"Danava…"
"And the other option…"
My expression went completely blank.
Whatever emotion had been lingering in my eyes disappeared.
"If you don't end Indra…"
I paused.
"…then I will leave the village forever."
Ashura's eyes widened.
"I'll leave this place, leave Ninshu, leave all of this behind."
My gaze shifted toward Indra.
"And even then, I'll pursue him."
My voice was quiet, almost frighteningly calm.
"I'll find him wherever he goes, and I'll end this once and for all."
Ashura's breathing became uneven.
"Elder brother, please…"
I ignored him.
"And even if you refuse to end Indra now…"
I looked directly at Indra.
"I know he won't come back to this village in this life."
Indra's eyes narrowed.
"He'll leave."
I lowered my hand.
"He'll disappear somewhere and continue walking the path he's chosen."
My eyes returned to Ashura.
"So think carefully."
I took a slow breath.
"If you choose to do nothing…"
My voice became colder.
"…you'll lose both of your brothers."
Ashura's face went pale.
His lips trembled.
"No…"
I stepped forward.
"You'll lose Indra to his hatred…"
Another step.
"…and you'll lose me because I won't remain here and watch him destroy everything."
Ashura clenched his fists so tightly his nails dug into his palms.
"Elder brother…"
I stared into his eyes.
There was no anger in my expression anymore.
Only determination.
"I'm not asking you to choose between good and evil."
I pointed toward Indra.
"I'm asking you to choose what you're willing to sacrifice."
The silence that followed was suffocating.
Ashura looked at Indra.
Then at me.
His eyes filled with tears.
"Why…"
His voice cracked.
"Why are you making me choose?"
I remained silent.
Ashura's shoulders began trembling.
He looked toward Indra again.
Then his eyes returned to me.
I finally raised my voice.
"ASHURA!!"
The shout echoed across the battlefield.
"CHOOSE!"