102: The world's instinctive rejection

“This is the first time I’ve seen Your Highness look so serious.”

“…”

Ignoring Hashirama, Madara, who had returned to the sky to observe the battle, felt an indescribable sensation in his heart.

Excitement? Thrill? Shame?

It was probably a mix of all three.

Ever since he successfully manipulated Obito into executing the Eye of the Moon Plan, then willingly sought death and was beheaded, only to be resurrected on Blacklight Star, he hadn’t encountered an enemy that could excite him.

Joa, Kaguya, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, Hamura, Black Zetsu, and so on.

The entire Ninja World, after being occupied by Joa, no longer had any enemies.

He had directly realized his ideal in reality.

Now, encountering a formidable opponent once again, Madara’s long-dormant fighting spirit surged.

‘This is the opponent I’ve been waiting for!’

‘An opponent stronger than Hashirama!’

‘What a beautiful World!’

‘It allows me to fully enjoy the thrill of battle!’

Seeing Madara’s expression, Hashirama knew exactly what he was thinking. He, too, looked forward to a good fight when they fully invaded this World later.

Madara and Hashirama’s eyes were filled with intense excitement and fighting intent.

But Danzo and Stark, who were beside them, were different.

Danzo was fine; born in the war-torn Ninja World, he wasn't unfamiliar with combat.

At this moment, he was mainly thinking about the power disparity between the two sides and how he could earn military merits later.

He also considered how many people he should send to gather beautiful women from this World for Joa.

As for Stark, whose worldview had already been shattered in a short time, seeing the powerful Madara and Hashirama, who could transform into giants, were no match for that medieval knight, his expression inside his armor was indescribably complex.

‘Parallel Worlds, Multiverses, and other Worlds beyond the Multiverse!’

‘Is the true nature of the World like a Russian nesting doll?’

‘Most importantly, why is it that people from other Worlds are casually as strong as gods from myths?’

Having witnessed all this, Stark’s worldview was completely reshaped.

His genius pride was utterly shattered.

‘Can technology… truly reach this level?’

‘Perhaps I should try learning magic?’

‘From that Sorcerer Supreme Joa mentioned.’

‘I just don’t know if she’ll teach me magic.’

The four observed the battle with different emotions.

Meanwhile, Kaguya and Fallen Seraphimon, who had been silently following Joa since arriving in this World, immediately followed him as he flew towards the Great Tree Guardian.

“Joa, how about you let me handle that guy?” Fallen Seraphimon quickly added, glancing at Kaguya beside him, “Let us two handle him.”

Hearing their voices, Joa smiled and turned his head.

“Don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing. It’s just a Great Tree Guardian. I have plenty of ways to deal with him.”

“Besides… I have some ideas I want to try.”

“You’ll have opportunities to protect me later.”

“For now, just watch quietly from the side.”

With that, Joa looked at Fallen Seraphimon.

“Especially you, don’t do anything foolish that makes people laugh and cry again.”

After saying that, Joa ignored their reactions, fixed his gaze on the Great Tree Guardian below, and rapidly descended towards the ground.

‘He’s very strong, but he can’t fly. Is he entirely reliant on the Golden Tree’s blessings and prayers?’

‘Golden Tree, golden law, Elden Beast, Mother of Fingers, Greater Will.’

‘Just how strong will you all be?’

Suppressing the craving for power in his heart, Joa licked his lips, his gaze serious and focused on the Great Tree Guardian.

Whoosh! Bang!

Landing on the ground, the Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan in Joa’s eyes suddenly glowed.

His ocular power surged, and he fully unleashed genjutsu on the Great Tree Guardian, attempting to invade his spiritual World.

One breath, two breaths.

Several breaths passed, and nothing happened.

The Great Tree Guardian was immune to the genjutsu and charged directly at Joa on his warhorse.

‘Is it because of his firm faith in the Golden Tree?’

‘Or is it because of the Golden Tree’s blessing and protection?’

While guessing the reason for the genjutsu’s ineffectiveness, Joa raised his hand, preparing to take the Great Tree Guardian’s chop head-on to test his strength.

The warhorse reared, and the Great Tree Guardian raised his golden halberd high, swinging it straight down at Joa.

The sound of the blade cutting through the air resounded, followed by a wet thud, and blood splattered everywhere.

His eyes gradually widened, and Joa tilted his head to look at the golden halberd that had split his palm and was lodged in his forearm bone.

‘Just a very ordinary attack… broke through my body’s defense?’

‘What a joke?!’

‘My body could already withstand nuclear bombs.’

‘…Because of a combat skill or blessing?’

Despite being injured, Joa’s face showed a joyful smile.

‘What should I do! I can’t wait to invade this World on a large scale right now!’

‘No! I can’t!’

‘Phew! Calm down!’

‘Now is not the time!’

‘Since the Great Tree Guardian is so strong, I need more information, information about the weakest demigod, Godrick!’

He suppressed the impulse in his heart.

The wound on Joa’s arm healed quickly, and at the same time, a large number of black and red tentacles emerged, wrapping around the golden halberd and spreading towards the hilt.

He was trying to pollute and assimilate the golden halberd in the Great Tree Guardian’s hand.

‘Tsk, it’s not working!’

‘The rate of pollution is too slow!’

According to Joa’s estimation, it would take at least ten years to pollute and assimilate the Great Tree Guardian’s golden halberd.

And this was just a weapon.

If he were to completely devour the Great Tree Guardian, wouldn’t it take even longer?

‘No, I can try another World.’

‘The Lands Between is the home ground of the Golden Tree and golden law.’

‘What if I bring the Great Tree Guardian to Blacklight Star?’

‘Will the situation be different?’

With that thought, Joa released the golden halberd and tried to use Amenominaka to teleport the Great Tree Guardian to the space he controlled.

‘This… what’s going on?’

‘Can’t teleport him in?’

Frowning deeply, Joa was shocked.

‘Is the space of The Lands Between so stable that even I can’t summon Amenominaka?’

‘That shouldn’t be!’

Taking a deep breath, Joa’s thoughts stirred, and a large amount of data began to surge from the Chaos Project within him.

And his body began to change rapidly.

Two meters, three meters, five meters.

In a few breaths, Joa evolved into his God Tree Fruit form.

‘Amenominaka!’

Whoosh!

This time, the Great Tree Guardian was successfully teleported by Joa into the desert space he controlled.

‘So that’s how it is…’

‘In Worlds like elden ring, which have various deities, there’s something akin to a Heavenly Dao consciousness.’

‘It instinctively repels and suppresses powers from other Universes.’

‘No wonder the Great Tree Guardian so easily broke through my body’s defense.’