The moment that unfamiliar face appeared, a surge of unprecedented alertness rose in Senju Yukika's heart.
Because he could feel it clearly—this wasn't an illusion. It was something real.
In other words, that face was actually appearing before him. Right here, right now.
But who… who was this person?
His mind quickly flashed back to the golden glow that had radiated from the sariras earlier. Now, here it was again—right after those images faded away—this face appeared before him.
Yukika's first instinct was to leave. Immediately. But he also knew—if this really was an ancient Buddha, then leaving wouldn't be so easy. There was no way such a being would simply allow him to walk away.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, it was already happening. He had to see this through and figure out what this entity wanted.
So, Yukika said nothing. He simply focused his spiritual pressure, extending it toward the strange face, trying to sense the power within.
And that was when he discovered something odd—the face wasn't made of flesh, but rather composed entirely of Buddha-attribute chakra.
Yet despite his acute senses, Yukika had felt no sign of this chakra earlier. It was as if it had just… appeared.
He stared at the face, unsettled. There was something ancient and unknowable in its expression. And it, in turn, was watching him just as closely.
After a long silence, the old face sighed.
Then, it spoke.
"Young man… you must've seen it all, haven't you?"
The moment those words fell, Yukika's heart tightened.
Could it be—was this mysterious figure the one who'd orchestrated everything he'd just seen? Had it intentionally shown him those ancient murals, those buried memories?
If so… why? What was its true purpose?
Yukika kept his voice even. "Yes," he replied. "I saw everything."
He waited for the face to continue.
That ancient, gravelly voice echoed again:
"In the ancient times, the great war of extinction swept across the universe. Entire galaxies were dragged into the chaos. Countless stars were destroyed. Black holes were born…"
The voice carried the weight of a million years, each word soaked in sorrow and memory.
Before Yukika could respond, the face spoke again:
"Our corpses—the seven of us—are buried within those black holes. We cannot escape. There is only one way out: we must return to the universe."
Yukika's eyes narrowed. Now he understood.
The final outcome of that war… The Ancient Demon Ape had taken on human form. And the seven ancient Buddhas—those towering, golden beings—had all been cast into black holes!
Just how powerful had that demon ape become?
At first, it hadn't stood a chance. Against seven ancient Buddhas, its raw force could only delay the inevitable.
But it had changed—mutated—into something else. It achieved a self-contained humanoid form. With that transformation, it overturned everything. It defeated all seven Buddhas and turned the tide completely.
From that ancient time until now… those seven Buddhas had remained trapped in black holes. Never once escaping.
Yet even now, a question burned in Yukika's heart:
What happened to the demon ape?
Where had it gone? Why was there no trace of it, no story, no legend—not even among the countless civilizations in the vast universe?
A being that powerful should've left behind mountains of myths and tales. And yet… nothing. Not a whisper.
Something didn't add up.
As if reading his thoughts, the ancient face continued:
"We've been searching for a young soul who shares a karmic bond with the Buddha's path. Someone who could save us from this endless prison."
Yukika said nothing—but deep inside, he began to piece things together.
These seven Buddhas… even after being sealed for ages, they hadn't stopped trying to escape.
Perhaps, over the course of countless years, they'd found a method—some way to transmit fragments of their power to someone attuned to the Buddhist path.
That person… would become the key to their release.
That's when Yukika thought of Tanaka Kuma.
It suddenly made sense.
Why had Tanaka been granted Buddhist enlightenment?
Because he had been chosen. By them.
Across the entire universe, Yukika had never seen another person resonate with Buddhist teachings the way Tanaka did.
Now he understood why.
This kind of person was rare beyond imagining—not just anyone could be chosen. The requirements were almost impossible to meet.
The ancient face seemed to read Yukika's thoughts. A knowing smile crept across its lips.
"We've chosen many before," it said. "But none of them truly shared the karmic bond we sought."
"But now… we've made a new discovery."
Yukika didn't hesitate. "So what you're saying… is that you think I'm the one?"
The old face nodded slowly. "Yes, young man. The aura you carry… confirms it beyond doubt."
"You are the karmic soul we have been searching for."
"You saw it too, didn't you?" the old face said.
"That ancient demon ape… it wanted to destroy the universe. It unleashed unimaginable slaughter."
"We seven… gave everything we had to stop it. We burned away our light, our essence—just to trap it. But in doing so… we were sealed in black holes."
"The universe has its own sense of justice, its own balance."
"Young one… for the sake of that justice—will you venture into the black holes and help release us from this eternal prison?"
Yukika didn't answer.
He stood there in the silence of the cave, carefully weighing the truth behind these words.
There was no denying the face was taking the moral high ground—portraying itself and the others as protectors of the universe, warriors of righteousness.
But Yukika was calm. He was not so easily swayed by grand declarations.
Was he truly willing to be their so-called chosen one? To venture into cosmic prisons on a promise alone?
The cave fell into stillness again.
The golden face floated in place, unmoving, its light soft but unyielding.
Yukika remained where he was, deep in thought.
The face didn't seem in any hurry. Its expression was confident, even serene.
Perhaps it believed that Yukika embodied justice. That he was destined to follow the Buddhist path… that fate itself had brought him here.
For countless eons, this ancient Buddha had searched for a worthy soul. It had tried many candidates—only to watch each one fail.
Not long ago, it had created a projection and found Tanaka Kuma.
But now… it believed that Tanaka was not the one.
It had nearly lost hope—until it sensed Yukika descending upon the sacred mountain range.
That moment rekindled everything. It was like witnessing dawn after eternal night.
And so, it had spent the last of its divine power to manifest this face—to appear before Yukika, hoping to awaken his sense of purpose through fragmented memories.
To show that the seven Buddhas had not fought for selfish gain, but for the justice of the cosmos.
If Yukika believed that… if he believed their cause was righteous…
Then perhaps he would agree to travel across space, to the black holes where they were trapped—to rescue them.
And that… was the ancient Buddha's final hope.