Isshiki soon approached the Starwheel. Calmly, he pinched his arm and flicked a drop of blood toward the mechanism. The Starwheel absorbed it instantly, glowing faintly in response. The arena hushed, sensing something extraordinary.
The star lit up again. Isshiki released a wave of chakra pressure, heavier and more refined than anything before. The Starwheel responded, glowing more intensely as it began to spin. Then, without warning, he activated his Kokugan.
A surge of immense energy poured into the surroundings. It blanketed the entire arena, far surpassing what Anon had produced during his trial. The crowd gasped. Even among the Elders, there were visible expressions of shock.
The Starwheel began lighting up planet after planet in rapid succession. A silver glow surrounded the entire platform.
"Morning Star," Suzan murmured, though the pace at which Isshiki reached it stunned him. It wasn't just talent—it was as if the wheel itself resonated with Isshiki's determination.
The second rotation began.
A brilliant azure light engulfed the entire Starwheel.
"Radiant Moon," Suzan uttered, louder this time.
The crowd burst into cheers. Another Radiant Moon. It was rare—almost miraculous—to appear twice in one ceremony. Even some of the most senior Elders were taken aback by the rapid progression. One by one, the planets lit up.
First… second… third… fourth… fifth… sixth…
Anon, watching intently, narrowed his eyes. "This abandoned child of Elder Shionra... to have reached this height?" he murmured internally. "His mother might even accept him back... but knowing her, it won't be easy."
Anon remembered her well—Elder Shionra, the infamous radical powerhouse of the Ōtsutsuki clan. She abused her authority like no other, and even he, proud and arrogant as he was, found her terrifying.
He remembered the day she framed a Galactic Dominator without a shred of evidence and executed him in front of the Clan Head. No one stopped her—not even the Clan Head. Her power, her connections... she was untouchable. Anon had watched that brutal scene unfold while standing beside his own parents.
Meanwhile, Reizan silently watched Isshiki's rapid rise into the Radiant Moon tier.
"Hmm," Reizan thought, "wasn't this guy the one who got ambushed by Kaguya? How did he not even notice her? And how did he get crippled by a single strike if he's this powerful now?"
He pondered further. In the Boruto series, Isshiki's Kāma had been third-rate compared to Momoshiki's, which latched onto Boruto instantly. "I hope he impresses me this time. That way, he can at least maintain face."
On the sidelines, Suzan's eyes filled with warmth.
"My son…" he thought, "Although I didn't expect this much, he's truly impressive."
Then a darker memory intruded. Suzan thought about his past. His wife.
That insane woman.
He never loved her. She had fallen for him, relentlessly pursued him. He rejected her. But she was not one to accept rejection. She released her full Galaxy Dominator chakra—she was already half a step into the Divine Stage at that time. Suzan remembered how she locked him up for an entire year, using her power to subdue and humiliate him.
She raped him repeatedly, asserting her dominance, and then forced him into marriage. The clan celebrated their union, clueless to the torment he'd endured.
His pride shattered.
Then came Isshiki's birth.
That same day, she tossed the baby aside like trash and shifted her focus solely on ascending to Divine Stage. She succeeded just a week later. The moment she ascended, she divorced Suzan without hesitation.
"I used you for fun," she'd said, laughing. "I never wanted a trash son with a mere 'Legend' like you."
She threw them both out. Mocked. Humiliated. Discarded.
Suzan had lost everything that day.
But he'd also gained something.
Isshiki.
A son who stood beside him, gave him strength, helped him reclaim his dignity.
Four years later, she struck gold—again. She discovered an Extreme-tier Starcluster, beyond even the high-grade clusters. It catapulted her to the peak of the Divine Stage, making her the strongest Stage-10 female in the clan, second only to the Clan Leader and a few ancient Elders. Her influence exploded, and Suzan had long since buried the idea of revenge.
But now?
He watched his son stand tall on the stage.
"I hope that bitch doesn't come back for him," Suzan thought. "He's too pure… too good for her."
Meanwhile, Isshiki pressed on. His chakra output intensified. The eighth planet lit up… then the ninth. Sweat beaded on his brow, and his limbs trembled slightly from the strain.
"No," he growled under his breath. "I can't stop here. Not now."
In front of his father.
In front of the Elders.
In front of everyone who once cast him aside.
"I am Isshiki Ōtsutsuki. And I will show them."
He roared, unleashing even more chakra. His Kokugan pulsed furiously—eight strokes bright and fierce. His Byakugan eyes began to morph, transforming entirely into Kokugan.
The surge of power cracked the air itself. The very fabric of space around him wavered. His aura exploded, ascending rapidly into a false-Supreme domain. The ground trembled.
"Ahhhh!" Isshiki screamed, pushing his limits.
The 11th planet lit up.
Then the 12th.
A resonant boom echoed across the star platform. Even the Elders stood from their seats.
Reizan blinked. "This guy… he's something else."
Flames burst into the sky.
Even the celestial sun responded—red flaming heat poured from the heavens, engulfing the Starwheel.
Suzan, eyes wide, instantly activated a high-grade protective barrier, shielding the participants and the Elders. Still, the heat bore down on Isshiki.
The Starwheel began a fourth rotation.
It lit up the first planet.
"Sun-Fire!" Suzan gasped.
Gasps and cheers rang across the field. Even some Main Family members couldn't help but exclaim in awe.
"Amazing! Go, Isshiki!"
Anon, however, wore a dark expression. He said nothing, but his clenched fists told the story.
Momoshiki, sitting in stunned disbelief, began muttering incoherently, "I'm a genius… the greatest… I…" His pride shattered completely. His ramblings grew louder, and the others around him distanced themselves in alarm.
Even the Branch Family participants cheered now.
Toga, the veteran Elder, watched silently, then smiled. "Another Sunfire… after 10,000 years," he whispered. "And I lived to see it."
But not all eyes were joyful.
Among the Branch Family members stood Kaguya, still just a teenage girl. Her expression was dark.
"Why?" she whispered. "Why must the Main Family always have everything? Why are we always on the sidelines?"
She clenched her fists. Growing up as a princess among the Branch family meant nothing now. In front of these monsters, she was a peasant.
Isshiki's display only widened the gap. With a new Sunfire among the Main family, the suppression of the Branch line would only continue.
Back on stage, Isshiki gave it his all.
The second Sunfire planet lit up.
Then the third.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Sixth.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, the dial slowed… and finally stopped at the 11th Sunfire planet.
Suzan leapt up.
"HAHAHA! GOOD! My son!" he cried.
A brilliant orange light enveloped Isshiki as a glowing Kāma seal appeared across both his arms. Diverse, radiant patterns shimmered across his body.
"I did it!" Isshiki roared.
The Kokugan had fully awakened.
"I, Isshiki, am now worthy of you, Mother!"
For a moment, he forgot he stood before all the Elders.
Suzan cleared his throat. "Ahem! That's enough! Return now. You did well. Your father is proud of you. We'll talk later."
Isshiki nodded, walking away with a confidence that silenced the arena.
All eyes now turned toward the highest seat.
There stood the final participant.
Reizan Ōtsutsuki.
"I guess it's my turn now," he said softly.
His voice, calm yet filled with absolute certainty, carried through the arena.
The Elders and Tensai all turned to him.
Tensai smiled.
"Now," he said, "the Young Lord's performance shall begin."