Madara gazed coldly at the two before him, his mind working with meticulous precision.
"They didn't just appear by coincidence and start toying with their prey."
"This was clearly no accident."
"They must have been hiding in one of the spaces we passed through earlier. After sensing our space-time activity, they followed us here."
"Most likely the Ice Space."
"In Akira's genjutsu, the place where they fought Sasuke was a palace covered in snow."
Beneath his veil, Momoshiki's Byakugan carefully examined Madara as well.
"Oh? Rinnegan… and such powerful chakra."
"So it's his Rinnegan that's controlling Kaguya's Ten-Tails vessel."
"Kinshiki, go take him down."
"With pleasure, Lord Momoshiki."
Buzz!
A massive crimson halo materialized behind Kinshiki—his divine weapon.
He spoke respectfully,
"However, the filthy blood of this inferior creature may stain your veil."
"Please move aside for now, Lord Momoshiki."
Momoshiki rose from his seated position and floated into the air, showing no intention of joining the fight.
Madara raised an eyebrow inwardly.
"Oh? A self-proclaimed god who disdains teamwork…"
"Fine. Just what I wanted."
Compared to showing off strength, Akira's safety mattered far more.
Akira's heart had already stopped.
He was in shock.
Hashirama cells could greatly delay death, but this was still a race against time.
Whether Akira would awaken first…
Or die first…
Madara did not know.
He only knew one thing for certain.
Akira could not suffer even the slightest additional injury.
Madara's gaze shifted to the chest of the Demonic Statue—
To the Hashirama artificial body linked to Akira through Twin Blossom.
Absolutely…
Absolutely nothing must affect it.
A one-on-one battle was safer.
During the fight, he had to stay far enough from the statue—
But not too far.
Otherwise, Momoshiki might attack it.
"Inferior creature! Now is not the time to be looking around!"
Kinshiki descended with overwhelming pressure, gripping a crimson light blade forged by Takamimusubi.
He slashed downward!
—Aramubu Yū!
Madara instantly dodged ten meters away, formed seals, and clasped his hands together.
Boom!
The blade split the earth.
Crimson sword energy surged forward, reaching Madara—
Only to be repelled by the golden flames blazing between his palms.
Whoosh!
As his hands slowly separated, the vertical flames stretched horizontally—
Taking the shape of a sword.
"This is the fusion of Hashirama's Sage Power and Uchiha swordsmanship…"
—Sage Art: Kagutsuchi Divine Flame Sword!
"Tricks like this dare to be shown before a god?!"
Kinshiki rushed in.
Both blades swung.
His massive body moved like a butterfly—
Swift as lightning.
The twin blades wove deadly trajectories, striking at Madara's vitals.
Clad in his crimson rose-patterned cloak, Madara dashed and flickered through the killing net.
The golden flame sword carved blazing arcs.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each collision scattered streams of fire.
But instead of extinguishing, they condensed into golden fireballs behind Madara—
Floating and circling as he fought.
More and more fireballs gathered.
Yet the sword's power did not weaken at all.
"This level of taijutsu and swordsmanship…"
"Is this really something a human can possess?!"
Unable to gain ground, Kinshiki grew impatient.
Those accumulating fireballs filled him with unease.
His agitation showed in his movements.
Madara's eyes sharpened.
He accelerated and seized an opening—
Clang!
He knocked Kinshiki's twin blades into the air.
Kinshiki's blunder made Momoshiki frown.
"Kinshiki, what are you doing?!"
"Lord Momoshiki! I'll finish him now!"
Slash!
Kinshiki drew a gigantic crimson axe from Takamimusubi.
His body transformed into purple lightning as he charged.
—Divine Pursuit!
This was the same extreme-speed movement that once forced Sasuke to use Amenotejikara.
Madara was caught off guard by the sudden assault.
—Limbo: Border Jail!
Whoosh!
At the moment he was struck and the axe descended, Madara left a Limbo shadow behind.
The shadow took the fatal blow in his place.
His real body slipped behind Kinshiki like a ghost.
"My Rinnegan ability?!"
As the shadow vanished, Kinshiki froze in shock.
At that moment, the golden fireballs rushed into Madara's sword—
Forming a massive flame blade comparable to Susanoo's weapon.
Madara gripped it with both hands and swung.
—Solar Judgment!
"!!!"
Terrified, Kinshiki twisted away at the last moment.
He narrowly avoided decapitation.
Crack!!
His head survived—
But his horn was severed, flying hundreds of meters away.
The scorching heat burned the exposed side of his face and left Byakugan into charcoal-black scars.
Disfigured.
Blinded.
"Aaaaagh!!"
Kinshiki's scream echoed across the sky.
Madara let the flame sword dissipate.
"So this is all a so-called god can do?"
"Raaaaaagh!!"
"You've completely angered me, inferior creature!!"
Five crimson flames ignited on Kinshiki's fingers.
He slammed his hand into the ground.
—Katsuchi!
Boom!!!
Power far beyond Tsunade's monstrous strength shattered the land.
Madara was blasted back and stabilized himself with skeletal Susanoo.
—Ame-no-Habakiri Barrage!
Dozens of crimson weapons shot forward with Kinshiki's charge.
Madara clasped his hands in the Serpent seal.
Boom! Boom!
Giant roots burst from the ground, entangling Kinshiki.
Kinshiki manipulated his blades remotely, cutting them apart.
He smashed into Susanoo's skeleton.
Crash!!
The skeleton shattered.
Kinshiki raised both axes and swung at the exposed Madara.
"You brought this on yourself…"
Madara's Rinnegan pulsed.
—Limbo: Triple Execution Formation!
Slash! Slash! Slash!
Three Limbo clones appeared, pinning Kinshiki from different directions.
Madara formed the Rat seal.
—Sage Art: Myōjinmon!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three crimson torii gates descended, stacking and crushing him down.
"Finish one first."
Madara leapt backward, switching to the Horse seal.
—Sage Art: Great Fire Annihilation!
Boom!!
A sea of flames condensed into a blazing meteor and fell toward Kinshiki.
If it hit, he would be erased.
"Kinshiki can't win…"
Momoshiki descended lightly, stepping atop the torii gate.
He removed his right glove, revealing a red Rinnegan in his palm.
"How surprising…"
"That such a being could arise on Kaguya's land…"
—Takamimusubi no Mikoto!
Whoosh!
The flames were instantly absorbed into his palm eye.
Madara narrowed his eyes.
"So that's Takamimusubi…"
"Right eye absorbs, left eye amplifies and returns."
"Even Sage techniques are swallowed instantly…"
Momoshiki bit off his left glove, revealing the releasing eye.
"If this attack were returned several times stronger…"
"It would shatter even Perfect Susanoo."
"But it doesn't matter."
"It lacks Yin-Yang Release."
"My Edo body would regenerate anyway…"
Then Momoshiki smiled dangerously.
"I noticed you kept glancing at the Ten-Tails vessel…"
"You care about it, don't you?"
He aimed his left palm at the Demonic Statue.
Madara's pupils shrank.
"Damn it!"
The amplified flames erupted like a falling star, rushing toward the statue.
The amplification was at least fourfold.
In that instant, the hidden eye beneath Madara's cloak activated.
He unfolded a parasol-shaped barrier.
—Preta Path: Sealing Technique Absorption!
The flames collapsed inward and were absorbed.
Though weaker than Takamimusubi, it neutralized techniques.
"Oh? Quite skilled for an inferior being…"
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A barrage of chakra rods pierced through the fading flames.
"How will you absorb this?"
Madara's eyes were icy.
Susanoo formed legs instantly.
He hurled a string of Yasaka Magatama.
Clang! Clang!
One broke through and grazed Momoshiki.
It flew past—
And embedded in a distant cliff.
Momoshiki tore his damaged veil in fury.
"Don't get cocky, inferior creature!"
He unleashed more rods, empowered by Shinra Tensei.
They pierced Susanoo's skeleton.
"This trajectory… it covers the Hashirama body!"
Madara flashed forward.
Smack!
His right half was shattered.
"So Kaori's cloak is ruined…"
Momoshiki appeared, gripping his throat.
"So you care not about the Ten-Tails itself…"
"But about this meaningless thing embedded in it?"
He studied Madara's crumbling body.
"A corpse animated by dust… fascinating."
"You'll all become my food."
—Sacrifice Refinement!
Momoshiki began absorbing Madara's chakra.
Madara remained calm.
He seized Momoshiki's wrist.
"Inferior creature, huh?"
"What strength…?!"
Roots burst from Madara's body, binding Momoshiki.
Madara reached inside himself and pulled out a scroll—
Covered in explosive tags.
He slapped them onto Momoshiki's body.
Was this intentional?!
Momoshiki's face darkened.
Madara's eyes were cold.
"Can't let this affect Akira…"
His hidden eye activated again.
The statue vanished, teleported to the cliff marked by the Yasaka Magatama.
"This is a technique invented by the man I hated most…"
"A suicide move for Edo bodies."
"I'll revive."
"You might not."
He stuck the final tag onto Momoshiki's face.
"You call others inferior…"
"So what are you?"
—Mutually Multiplying Explosive Tags!
Enjoyed these chapters? Access advanced chapters and exclusive content by visiting my Patreon. https://patreon.com/WillOFD129?