In a dark and twisted world, this was a space created by Mōryō, a realm entirely his own. It was filled with immense chakra and natural energy, a testament to Mōryō's confidence as he faced Rasa.
As a world formed by Mōryō's power, even if Rasa destroyed his physical body outside, Mōryō could still resurrect himself within his own domain. However, he was somewhat disappointed that he had not yet obtained the method to eliminate the consciousness of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki from his body.
Ever since Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, that monstrous woman, descended upon this world, her consciousness had transformed into chakra, clinging to him like a parasite. It tormented him endlessly and robbed him of the opportunity to become an even greater existence. All he could do was sustain himself by devouring priestesses.
Now, just as he had finally glimpsed a chance to rid himself of this consciousness, the human before him proved to be far more troublesome than expected.
But it didn't matter. As he had just said, humans would inevitably age, and he would have plenty of opportunities in the future. As long as he kept a close eye on the priestesses, that man would never escape his grasp.
However, just as he was feeling triumphant, countless beams of light suddenly erupted behind him. Startled, he turned around and was met with a sight that made his pupils shrink in fear.
The countless priestesses he had once devoured and enslaved had now regained their freedom. They stood before him, radiating immense power and blinding light.
"How is this possible?!"
These priestesses had lost their self-awareness after being devoured by him. Their physical bodies had been destroyed, leaving only their souls trapped in the world he had created. Yet now, they had regained their consciousness. Moreover, this was his world—how could he have been completely unaware of their revival?
As Mōryō trembled with fear, a voice that sent chills down his spine echoed through the air.
"Now, honored priestesses, I ask for your assistance in restraining Mōryō!"
The voice was all too familiar to Mōryō, and the sensation it carried filled him with even greater terror. He roared in disbelief,
"How... how is this possible? Human... how did you enter this place...?"
But Mōryō's questions would never be answered.
The combined power of the priestesses who had died over the past millennium was overwhelming. Without any chance to resist, Mōryō's body was completely bound, and a black diamond-shaped mark appeared before him.
---
It was unclear how much time had passed in the world created by Mōryō.
As all the chakra and natural energy in this world were absorbed by Rasa's "Kāma," the once dark and twisted realm turned into a blank, empty space, illuminated by a silvery-white light.
Sensing Mōryō's disappearance, the priestesses who had been devoured by him gazed at Rasa with gratitude. Among them, an elderly woman dressed in a crimson priestess robe stepped forward and spoke softly,
"Thank you, young man. With your help, the thousand-year fate between the priestesses and Mōryō has finally come to an end. This also serves as atonement for the mistakes I once made."
Indeed, the elderly woman before him was the first-generation priestess, the one who had initially separated Mōryō from herself, inadvertently becoming the source of countless tragedies. The reason for this separation was not due to anyone's manipulation but rather her own limited perspective and rationality, which could not match her ever-growing power as a sheltered priestess who rarely ventured beyond her home.
Rasa, however, would never face such a problem.
Rasa had no interest in delving into the past. After all, everything was now over. He shook his head.
"There's no need to thank me. In fact, I should be the one thanking all of you. Without your power, I wouldn't have been able to so easily eradicate Mōryō."
Hearing this, the priestess smiled.
"I never imagined that the thousand-year fate between the priestesses and Mōryō would end in this way. Young man, I can sense the power of Mōryō within you. I hope you will use this power wisely in the future."
"Don't worry. To me, power itself has no inherent good or evil—it all depends on the one who wields it."
The elderly priestess sighed, her eyes reflecting a resolute decision.
"If I had possessed the same mindset as you back then, perhaps so many tragedies could have been avoided. To express our gratitude, we would like to offer you a gift."
"A gift?"
Rasa was momentarily taken aback.
The elderly priestess glanced at the deep purple chakra fruit in Rasa's hand. Having witnessed Rasa absorb Mōryō's power, they understood what had happened and the extraordinary ability Rasa possessed to assimilate Mōryō's chakra.
"We are all already dead. The power within our souls serves no purpose now. The power of Mōryō is only complete when combined with the power of the priestesses. Therefore, we have decided to bestow upon you the power of the priestesses. In return, we hope you will look after the priestesses and the Land of Demons."
Rasa's eyes flickered. He did not refuse the offer. In fact, he felt a sense of relief. He had been concerned that these souls, upon passing on to the Pure Land, might expose his abilities.
Thus, he nodded with a calm smile.
"I accept your request."
"Good."
As the priestesses smiled with contentment, their bodies began to glow. Streams of powerful chakra flowed toward Rasa, all of which were absorbed by his "Kāma."
---
Outside the barrier.
Upon learning that the young girl before her hailed from Ryūchi Cave, one of the Three Great Sage Regions, Honoka's wariness diminished significantly.
As a member of the Uzumaki clan, she was naturally aware of the Three Great Sage Regions. In fact, the summoning contract for Shikkotsu Forest, another of the Three Great Sage Regions, had once been in the possession of the Uzumaki clan. However, due to her knowledge of these regions, Honoka had never held a favorable opinion of Ryūchi Cave, a place teeming with snakes.
Still, she was curious as to why someone from Ryūchi Cave had come seeking Rasa.
As everyone exchanged glances, the girl named Tatsushihime suddenly spoke, her gaze fixed on the barrier with a hint of awe. "I never expected that Rasa-sama would truly succeed in destroying Mōryō."
!!!
Her words shocked everyone, and they instinctively turned their attention to the barrier.
The once sand-filled interior of the barrier had now cleared, revealing Rasa's figure descending gracefully from the sky and landing before them.
Honoka quickly dispelled the barrier.
She had no fear that the Rasa before them might be an imposter created by Mōryō. The unique aura of emptiness surrounding Rasa was something even Mōryō could not replicate.
The most excited among them was Miroku.
Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Rasa, her gaze filled with hope. For a moment, she felt an inexplicable sense of closeness to the man before her, though she couldn't quite place why.
Rasa did not disappoint her.
"I have fulfilled my duty. Mōryō will never appear in this world again."
Miroku was so moved that tears welled up in her eyes. Rasa offered her a comforting glance before shifting his attention to the unfamiliar girl standing behind the others. Honoka stepped forward and whispered something into Rasa's ear.
Rasa's expression shifted slightly, and he took a few cautious steps forward, addressing the girl.
"May I ask why the White Snake Sage of Ryūchi Cave has sought me out?"
===
White Snake Sage is from Boruto series. Unlike the toads, snakes test humans if they want their power as I remember from that Boruto episode (Left Boruto on 95th episode). They will be appearing for quite a while and even if you haven't watched those Boruto episodes, it doesn't really matter. Just Google the names if you want to see what they look like.