In the middle of the desert, one of the rebels laughed as he listened to Thor's introduction.
"So you escaped from a psych ward or something?" he said, shaking his head. "That explains a lot."
A few others chuckled while continuing to clean up the battlefield.
The squad leader, however, studied Thor for a moment before speaking.
"Got somewhere to go?"
Thor paused, then shook his head. "Not at the moment."
"Then why not come with us?" the leader offered.
They were short on manpower. Ever since Noah Vale had taken control of most of the world, fear had spread fast. What they needed now were people willing to fight—even if those people were… unusual.
Thor frowned slightly.
"I can't. I need to find my hammer. Have you seen it?"
That earned another round of laughter.
The leader just smiled patiently. "Stick with us. We've got eyes everywhere. If your hammer shows up, we'll hear about it."
He gestured toward the others.
"Until then, fight with us. For what's right."
Thor straightened, intrigued. "So there's a war happening here?"
"You could say that," the leader replied. "The whole planet's under the control of a man named Noah Vale. We're fighting back."
He looked Thor up and down.
"You said you're the God of Thunder, right? Then help us take him down."
Thor considered it for a moment, then nodded.
"Very well. I'll join you."
Then he added confidently, "But once I have my hammer, I'll deal with this Noah Vale myself."
"Of course," the leader said without hesitation, humoring him.
Back in New York, Noah stepped out into the open air, a cool breeze brushing past him.
The Interdimensional Chatroom had settled down after the initial shock of his return. A few messages popped up now and then, but nothing major.
Now that he knew death wasn't permanent for him, certain options felt… a lot more open.
After a moment's thought, he sent a message.
[Deep Blue]: @Uchiha Survivor — I've got some free time. Send me an invite. I'll drop by your world for a bit.
In another world, Sasuke Uchiha froze when he saw the message.
The administrator… wanted to visit?
He didn't hesitate.
[Uchiha Survivor]: No problem. I'll send it now.
Then, after a brief pause:
[Uchiha Survivor]: Anyone else want to come?
Silence.
The rest of the group stayed quiet.
They'd learned enough over the past few days to understand how dangerous Sasuke's world was. Even someone at his level was considered low-ranking there. Going in unprepared would be suicide.
Better to sit this one out.
Seeing no other responses, Sasuke slipped away from the training grounds and found a secluded corner.
He initiated the request.
A cross-world invitation appeared in the chatroom.
One slot.
Filled instantly.
Noah accepted.
The transition was seamless.
One moment he was standing in New York—
The next, he was in a quiet corner of a completely different world.
"You're the admin… Deep Blue?"
A young voice spoke up nearby.
Noah turned his head.
A teenage boy stood a few steps away, watching him closely. Black hair, sharp features, and a forehead protector tied around his head. His outfit was dark, marked with a distinctive red-and-white fan symbol.
Young.
Younger than Noah expected.
"Yeah," Noah said casually. "You can just call me Noah."
He glanced toward the noise echoing in the distance.
"Sounds like something's happening. Let's go take a look."
And just like that, he started walking.
Sasuke blinked, caught off guard.
"…Wait."
He quickly followed after him, feeling oddly like the outsider in his own world.
Halfway there, Noah glanced back.
"You've got money on you, right?"
Sasuke frowned. "What?"
"If I see something interesting, you're paying," Noah said matter-of-factly. "Didn't feel like making a scene when I got here."
"…I have some," Sasuke replied, clearly unsure how to respond.
Then he asked, "If we run into people I know, what should I call you?"
"Whatever you want," Noah said with a shrug. "Say I'm a friend."
That didn't exactly inspire confidence, but Sasuke didn't argue.
They stepped into the arena just as the crowd erupted.
Cheers thundered through the stands.
At the center of it all, two fighters clashed.
A black-haired boy with thick eyebrows moved like a blur, his fists striking with explosive force. Every punch cracked through the air, kicking up dust as he pressed forward relentlessly.
Opposite him, a blond man struggled to keep up.
He dodged frantically, his body flickering with afterimages as he avoided blow after blow. It wasn't clean, but he was holding on—for now.
The crowd was on edge, completely absorbed in the fight.
Noah leaned against the railing, watching with interest.
"So that's one of them…" he murmured.
Down below, the blond man gritted his teeth.
What the hell is this kid?
He had some kind of enhanced perception—everything around him felt slowed down, like he had more time to react.
And even then—
He could barely keep up.
This wasn't normal.
This wasn't just skill.
This was something else entirely.
After several minutes of relentless pressure, the black-haired boy suddenly stepped back, creating space.
"You're strong," he said seriously. "But I can't lose here."
The blond man forced a grin. "Yeah? Then show me what you've got."
The boy's expression hardened.
"This is where I go all out."
In the stands, Noah raised an eyebrow.
The boy took a breath.
Then—
Power surged through him.
The air around his body trembled as something inside him snapped into place, releasing a burst of raw physical force.
The blond man's confidence faltered instantly.
You've got to be kidding me…
He was already this fast—and now he's getting stronger?
What kind of opponent is this?
For a split second, a thought crossed his mind:
Is this guy some kind of central figure in this world…?
Before he could react—
The boy vanished.
Reappearing right in front of him.
His fist drove forward like a hammer.
It hit.
Hard.
The impact slammed the blond man backward into a stone wall, cracks spiderwebbing across its surface as his body hit.
Blood sprayed from his mouth.
Then he went limp.
Unconscious.
The arena exploded with cheers.