Above the ruins of the town.
After receiving Orochimaru's message through Naobi, Shinji froze for a moment, then gave a rueful smile.
Orochimaru's concern was clearly unnecessary.
Though Ōtsutsuki Isshiki was in terrible shape and had spent a great deal of Chakra, Shinji still didn't have a way to finish him off with one decisive blow.
He had already tried repeatedly in secret. Ōtsutsuki Isshiki really was resistant to his Imperial God Palace.
As for the reason, Shinji suspected it was mostly due to Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's Dojutsu, Daikokuten.
Daikokuten was one of the Dojutsu of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's Black Eye. Earlier, when Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had attacked Toneri and Karin with enormous black cubes, he had used Daikokuten.
But Daikokuten's ability wasn't limited to letting him summon objects at will. More importantly, it connected to an alternate space where time stood still. The enormous black cubes Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had summoned earlier had actually been taken from this time-frozen space.
So, to a certain extent, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki's Daikokuten was a Space-Time Dojutsu that leaned toward the domain of time.
Perhaps that was why Ōtsutsuki Isshiki had some resistance to Shinji's Imperial God Palace.
Ōtsutsuki Isshiki might look battered now, but as long as Shinji's Imperial God Palace didn't work, Shinji had no way to finish him off with one decisive blow!
Just then, Ōtsutsuki Isshiki sensed something.
He hadn't returned from the alternate space to the battlefield in Rain Country to flee. He had come in pursuit of the Ten-Tails' Chakra. That was why he hadn't spared a glance at the battle in the ruined town below, and had immediately sensed the location of Shion, who had sealed the Ten-Tails.
A few seconds later, he looked in one direction. "Over there!"
He had clearly sensed Shion's exact location.
Whoosh!
With a sharp whistle