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"Not bad… quite an idea you've got there."
The Four Red Yang Formation sealed off every possible escape route Rose could take from the incoming meteor strike. Both meteors—each over two hundred meters across—were now completely trapped within the blazing red barrier.
"Trying to maximize the destructive force of the meteors, huh?"
Obito had used a similar method before, optimizing the power of the Ten Tails' tailed beast bombs.
Rose glanced past the glowing walls of the Four Red Yang Formation. At the four corners—east, west, south, and north—stood four Wood Clone versions of Madara Uchiha, each one maintaining a section of the massive barrier.
The rectangular formation stretched skyward like a colossal chimney, piercing through the clouds.
And not far from it, the real Madara stood, impossible to miss.
Towering even larger than the meteors themselves, his Perfect Susanoo loomed like a god of war, protecting its master as it drew its massive blade.
Through the translucent blue armor of chakra, energy flared and twisted the very air around Madara. The sheer power was enough to make the space ripple.
"As expected of a warrior from the Warring States era," Rose murmured, watching calmly. "Always plotting one move ahead."
The Wood Release, the Limbo: Border Jail, even the meteors—all were merely prelude. The real killing blow came from above, from that colossal Susanoo.
"But if all your moves miss their mark… after all that effort… wouldn't you be a little pissed, Mr. Madara?" she added with a teasing smile. "I'm honestly curious."
The meteors plummeted faster, roaring as they tore through the air. Winds howled wildly through the gaps between the falling stones and the earth below.
Rose pressed one hand against her pleated skirt to keep it from flying up, while the other brushed the wind-tossed white hair from her eyes.
"Honestly, I could've ended this fight already," she said softly. "But I still have a few things to confirm about the chat group… and you, Madara—you're still holding something back."
She smiled. "So… let's play a little longer."
Meanwhile, Kikyo and Spider-girl were still glued to the live feed from the group chat.
From this angle, it was like watching a movie—every frame crisp and awe-inspiring.
[Spider-girl]: "Th-this is insane! I wish I could be this strong!"
Spider-girl had long escaped her old nest, now being chased by a mob of weird, bloodthirsty monkeys. Even in a life-or-death chase, she still didn't miss a second of the battle stream.
She couldn't help but imagine herself dropping meteors like rain, crushing her pursuers into pulp while her XP bar went ding ding ding with every kill.
But the moment she daydreamed, she missed a thread of web—almost falling straight into the pack of shrieking monkeys.
"Ah—ahhh! That was close!" she yelped, scrambling to catch a rocky ledge with trembling legs.
Her eight spider limbs shook like jelly.
Kikyo, in contrast, watched quietly.
She wasn't chatting, just silently observing.
She didn't really understand Rose—the mysterious group leader—but Madara… she could at least analyze him a little.
His power was monstrous. Maybe even comparable to the Great Dog Demon, the late ruler of the Western Lands and Inuyasha's father.
"Can a human really become that strong?" she murmured.
Kikyo didn't know how power worked in other worlds, but she knew one thing—she herself wouldn't stand a chance against Madara.
Humans had limits. Even the strongest shrine maiden couldn't surpass that.
Her sacred power could hurt demons, sure—but in pure combat, strength, speed, reflexes… humans just weren't on the same level.
And Madara was human.
Yet everything about him—the way he fought, the power he wielded—was beyond monstrous.
Which made her wonder—was Rose even human at all?
As a wild priestess who served no god, Kikyo still knew what divinity felt like.
And that strange aura around Rose…
It was divine.
Kikyo's eyes narrowed slightly. Rose wasn't just powerful—she might actually be a god.
Not one of those gods who needed prayer or offerings to exist. Something higher. Something infinitely greater.
Back in the arena—
The first meteor hit.
The earth shook violently for dozens of kilometers, sending shockwaves through the entire battlefield.
The impact was so great that shards of stone blasted in every direction, slicing through anything within the barrier like countless blades.
The ground barely had a second to settle before the second meteor—just as massive—came crashing down on top of the first.
The resulting explosion made the whole formation tremble like an earthquake.
"BOOM."
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
The second meteor shattered the first into fragments.
"Crack—"
Fractures began spidering across the Four Red Yang Formation's barrier.
It wasn't that the formation couldn't hold—the truth was, Madara had dismissed his Wood Clones. Without them maintaining the barrier, it was collapsing on its own.
Not that he needed it anymore.
Because right now, his Susanoo had reached full power.
A towering, four-hundred-meter giant of pure blue energy, nearly as wide as the two meteors combined.
Susanoo's right hand slowly moved toward the hilt of its sword.
Zzzzz…
The blade—pure chakra compressed to its very limit—slid from its sheath, and the air itself grew heavy and suffocating.
"One Slash of Asura—All Things Return to Dust."
The swing came down.
The instant the blade moved, it drained the air from its path.
The screech of the blade tearing the atmosphere echoed like thunder, followed by a blinding flash—
BOOOOOOM!
The entire Four Red Yang Formation shattered.
The two meteors exploded into dust, completely obliterated—no fragments, no ashes, nothing.
Even mountains far in the distance were cleaved clean in half. The glowing, red-hot cut line across their peaks radiated heat and dread.
[Spider-girl]: "Th-that's… terrifying!"[Kikyo]: "Agreed."
Both women were frozen in shock.
Especially Spider-girl—she had never seen destruction like this.
A sword mark stretching for kilometers. Mountains hundreds of meters tall split like tofu.
And that wasn't even the direct hit—just the aftershock.
At the meteor site, where two four-hundred-meter rocks once were—there wasn't even dust left behind.
[Spider-girl]: "I-is the group leader still alive?"
She shivered, swallowing hard.
On the battlefield, Madara was breathing heavily but still maintaining his Perfect Susanoo.
That had been nearly all his strength in one strike.
Yet… there was no sign of victory.
The system hadn't declared the match over.
He couldn't relax. Not even for a moment.
"Tired, Mr. Madara?"
Madara's eyes snapped open wide. His Rinnegan immediately locked onto the voice—
And when he saw her, his expression twisted in disbelief.
"Unharmed? Impossible!"
Rose stood gracefully at the very tip of Susanoo's blade, her beige pleated skirt fluttering, long white hair dancing in the wind.
Not a scratch on her. Not even a speck of dust on her clothes.
"Surprised?" she teased, smiling faintly. "You planned everything perfectly, but it didn't even scratch me. I'd say that's gotta sting, huh?"
"You—! You used space-time ninjutsu!" Madara growled. It was the only explanation that made sense.
"Mmm… you could say that," Rose replied, smiling. "To put it simply—anywhere I can sense, I can jump to. Instantly."
"So yeah, Mr. Madara… that last slash? You basically hit empty air."
Madara: "..."
Her teasing tone made something flash in his mind—white hair… space powers…
He gritted his teeth. "Tch. Damn you… Tobirama Senju."
"....."