The river of time still flowed gently, weaving scenes both resplendent and bleak.
Shattered planetary debris drifted through the ages. Flickering silhouettes of extinguished lives glimmered like fireflies and vanished. Twisted trails of energy slithered like vipers, every frame silently recounting past ruin and desolation—the very breath of time's decay.
Every word Shibai had spoken moments ago crashed against Shun's understanding.
"He rescued my aoul from the void, then staged a drama to redeem the world?"
Shun's gaze returned to Shibai, the bewilderment in his eyes giving way to sharp clarity.
"And you're certain I'll follow your script—create life, spread hope? What if I use the power you grant for evil, hurting those I swore to protect? Your atonement would become complicity. How would you end that play?"
Shibai merely smiled, utterly unperturbed. "The instant I lifted your soul, I used Ten Directions to glimpse every future branch. On every path, the reverence for life and the obsession with protection never leave your heart."
"Only a soul like yours can stay whole in despair and reach this moment."
He swept a hand and new images surfaced in the river: Shun amid the Universe forging a Life Planet. Golden Chakra rained like spring dew upon barren rock. Newborn creatures thrived, grasses and trees burst skyward, tender shoots danced in the wind, and the world brimmed with vibrant life.
"Everything you do springs from your own choice, not my coercion. I merely offered a chance—one for you to realize your worth and for me to mend my sin. The system's power aids you, but it cannot alter your heart."
Watching himself absorbed in creation, Shun's brows relaxed and the knot inside him loosened.
He had to admit Shibai spoke truth. From transmigrating into the Ninja World to obtaining the system, from growing stronger to birthing life—every step had followed his own heart.
The system granted the means but the true engine was his yearning to protect and create.
"So you're trapped here, counting on me to atone for you?" Shun pressed, eyes sweeping over the dim halo encasing Shibai, feeling the heavy shackles fused to his soul.
"With your strength, is there truly no way to free yourself?"
Shibai's form flickered, steeped in resignation. "I destroyed too many lives, the life-force of the slain forged chains now one with my soul. Unless this Universe births enough new vitality to form a 'Life Torrent' that can counter those chains, I will remain bound to the river of time, enduring day after day the agony of my soul being torn."
"The Life Planet you created is nurturing such a torrent but it is not enough. Other regions tainted by my deeds still lie dead. Worse, to gain power, I once bent the God Tree's will, breeding fierce malice. That hatred now festers in the cracks of time. Eventually it will break free and devour the Universe. You are the one I foresaw who can end it."
Shun's pupils shrank and his golden eye blazed. "Primordial malice within the God Tree? How? Isn't the God Tree the Universe's life-source?"
He had always known the God Tree as the nurturer of all things, never imagining such danger within.
"The God Tree was indeed the Universe's vessel, absorbing cosmic energy to feed every world—once pure and flawless."
Shibai's voice dropped, laden with dread and deep remorse. "But I forced it to plunder life-energy through forbidden arts. Over time, pure malice took root and the God Tree now delights in devouring life. It has turned from nurturer to destroyer. Trapped here, I used my last strength to seal it within the river's rift, yet my seal weakens and it could break free at any moment."
"Crucially, that malice has already seeped outward. The entire Ōtsutsuki clan is corroded by it, driving them toward civil war and extinction. You are the one I foresaw, the only one who can finish this."
The moment the words fell, the river of time seemed to sense the gravity in their voices. Its current turned turbulent, the once-gentle streamers of light now chaotic, shrieking like countless wronged souls wailing.
In the chaotic void, a palpable malice stirred, like a vicious beast lurking in the dark, watching everything with a gaze that sent chills down the spine.
Shun drew a deep breath, forcing down the shock and fear in his heart.
He finally understood: Shibai's plan of atonement went far beyond creating life. He himself now bore the mission of sealing the God Tree's malice and saving the entire Universe—a burden so heavy it nearly stole his breath, yet he had no room to retreat.
"You want me to seal it for you?" Shun's voice steadied.
The last trace of doubt vanished from his eyes, replaced by a resolve to protect.
Whatever its origin, a gamble of atonement, he could not watch the whole Universe be devoured by malice, nor allow the lives he had created and the people he guarded to fall into peril.
"You must not only seal it, but also purify it completely."
Shibai's tone carried a hint of hope and a desperate finality. "Only with pure life-force can the God Tree's malice be erased and its original essence restored. You now wield Omnipotence and can create life. In this Universe, you alone can do it."
He slowly raised his hand and a speck of silver-white light detached itself from the halo around him, shining like a star as it drifted toward Shun.
"This is my last shred of awareness of the God Tree's malice, and the key to unsealing it. It will help you locate that malice and, at the critical moment, block one lethal strike. Remember: the God Tree's malice is cunning beyond measure—never let your guard down."
The speck of light landed on Shun's palm and instantly merged into his body.
Shun could clearly feel an unfamiliar perception surfacing in his mind. Following it, he sensed, deep within a rift of the river of time, a dense malice like maggots burrowing into bone—nauseating, brimming with lust for ruin and devouring, making every hair on his body stand on end.
"Understood."
Shun clenched his fist, eyes resolute. "I'll do it. But I have one condition."
"Speak."
Shibai's tone held relief, as if he had foreseen the answer, the halo around him softening.
"If I succeed in purifying the God Tree's malice and break your shackles, you must swear never again to interfere in this Universe's affairs."
Shun's voice was adamant, his gaze fixed on Shibai. "The lives of this Universe should control their own fate, not serve as tools for anyone's atonement. Their future is theirs to write."
Shibai was startled, then chuckled softly, the laugh tinged with guilt, approval, and release.
"Very well, I promise. If I regain my freedom, I shall leave this world and never set foot here again, no longer guiding the path of any life. Let the beings here truly hold their destiny in their own hands."
As the words settled, the river of time calmed and the chaotic light became orderly once more. The heart-chilling malice seemed to sense their pact, fading into the rifts of the river and vanishing and the chaotic void returned to stillness.
Shibai's figure began to blur, the halo around him dimming as though he might merge into the river of time at any instant.
"Time is short. Your consciousness cannot linger in the river of time much longer, or it will be eroded and your soul damaged. Go, Shun, the hope of this Universe now rests with you."
A gentle push came from Shibai's direction—without coercion, yet impossible to resist.
Shun felt the world spin and the river of time, the chaotic void, and Shibai's form all vanished in an instant.
The howl of wind over the desert returned to his ears, gritty sand once more grazed his cheeks, and the white hair at his fingertips was gone. Only the familiar perception in his palm and the vivid memories in his mind told him none of it had been illusion.
Shun slowly opened his eyes and their golden form faded back to their original form, though a new weariness and determination lingered in its depths.
He stood on the desolate desert, black coat flapping in the wind, its hem caked with sand.
He patted the storage box tucked inside his coat, felt again the perception of the God Tree's malice within him, turned, and walked toward the royal palace.