"Thought Or Telepathy"
"Character Communication"
"Loud Speaking"
"Emphasis 'On' A Word."
Madara: A New Journey
Something along the lines of a purple ray of light beams across the backdrop of a black void. Speed is relative and hard to determine with nothing as reverence, but surely, the speed of this light is unfathomable, but the light suddenly slows and its glow growing several folds in crimson colour this time.
The crimson colour separates and speeds backwards while the purple returns on its path. The crimson light doesn't go far before it explodes in a catastrophe of power. It illuminates all, large flailing objects and a faint but massive maw are momentarily revealed before being blown away into dust. Another creature has fallen.
One in a long line in the path of this light. Corpses scattered in a lost empty world, some with remnants and others reduced to beyond their base components. Only the strongest creatures dare to give chase anymore, enticed by the new entry that has entered their domain, but even they, quickly fall in a blast of light.
These creatures have been nothing but a disappointment, they fall too quickly and are far too slow to matter. A few of them have had interesting abilities, but they fall far short. They hold nothing of interest to the light that quickly dispatches each one without remorse.
The light stops some vast distance away from where it had originally appeared. For the first time, the place it stops has a very large platform, wide and immense like a flat planet, but completely barren, only structures of man-made origin decorate the barren landscape.
Purple light specks away like an eggshell and reveals a double horned Madara, his duel Tomoe'd Rinnegan in full display. He's reached his destination marked in the information. All he has to do is wait, how long, he doesn't know, that depends on the girl. He will be entering as an invader.
An invader for an entirely different world. He hasn't done any extensive planning or scheming like usual, he's done the bare minimum. What he will face once inside, is a nearly complete mystery. It's exciting! Knowing every little detail that will happen and planning for it all, grows boring, sometimes it's better to go with the flow.
There are some, who would see this as reckless, but careful planning tends to avoid dangerous situations, they simply wouldn't understand, difficulties allow one to overcome and to grow stronger. It is in that regard that sometimes one must charge headfirst into the path of most resistance.
While travelling in this void, his thoughts had wandered. This void world is strange, it sits between worlds and as empty as it seems, there are countless objects floating around like a world torn apart or a garbage dump. He steps to the end of this floating planet-sized continent. Looking into the abyss as he waits.
A thought crosses his mind and he immediately acts on it. With a hand seal, a wood clone separates from his body. He discovered long ago that this realm between realms is rich in energy, an energy that can be used by him in the creation of a dimension. This realm lacks guidance, he will deliver it the act of creation.
He closes his hand. A truth-seeking orb is an object of creation and destruction. Six Path Sage chakra and all five chakra elemental transformations are required to continue to form them after the initial amount. In other words, Six Path Sage Mode and the Rinnegan, neither are easy to obtain.
When he opens his hand, a little black orb floats in front of him and into the grasp of the wood clone. The expansive truth-seeking orb is a method for creating a dimension. It is simply expanding a truth-seeking orb until it reaches a certain size and cutting off space and time until it separates into a new dimension.
It is not without its downsides as it requires an immense amount of chakra and time depending on the size of the dimension. Luckily, this empty void filled with energy is the ideal to shape into a world of his design. A world he'll have full control of, down to every minute aspect.
A dimension the size of a planet, a solar system, or even a galaxy. All that is required is time. The limited production of chakra from his clone and the transformation of the energy of this realm will produce an expansion rate well beyond what the Infinite Tsukuyomi could manage under Kaguya's control.
The wood clone fades into the void as he returns to the centre of the continent with a step. An unknown amount of time goes by, could have been an hour, could have been a couple of days, so difficult to judge in this place. A crack suddenly forms around him and space shatters to reveal a beautiful woman on the other side.
"Just as promised." Natsumi holds out her hand for him to grab, but he doesn't, he simply walks past her into the small dark room.
A new feeling hits his skin. "This is not the same as normal spiritual energy." The strength and density are many times that of regular spiritual energy.
She tries to imagine what he's talking about but then it comes to her. "You must mean the celestial spiritual energy coming from the celestial jades that decorate most structures, for cultivators in the lower realm wanting to reach Soul Transformation, celestial jades are incredibly important and valuable."
She almost forgot about it, it's been a very long time since she even had a cultivation level so low that she needed celestial spiritual energy. "For us, it's as common as wood. Origin energy is considerably more useful for most cultivators in what is called the second step of cultivation."
"I see, you're a second step cultivator then. What are the cultivation levels in the second step?" Although it looks like he's looking around at the room, he's in fact scanning the world around him for countless kilometres in scrutinizing detail. "And how many steps in cultivation are there?"
She doesn't dare lie to him. "I am a Nirvana Scryer cultivator, the first major level in the second step. The other two are Nirvana Cleanser and Nirvana Shatterer. Once someone reaches the peak, they will eventually face the five Heaven's Blights, with each successful completion, a cultivators strength grows immensely."
"However, the chance of surviving them are not high. Most fail, but stories tell that if someone passes all five tribulations, they can become a third step cultivator. As for how many steps in cultivation there are, I don't know, I doubt even the third step cultivators know."
He nods silently. "How many third step cultivators does this realm have?"
"One at the least, maybe more, probably more." In all honesty, she really has no idea, she's far from qualified to know these answers, she's only ever meet the realm lord through shared rumours. She studies his reaction and when she sees no signs of anger or aggression, she relaxes herself a little in his presence.
Of course, Madara heard her thoughts of this "realm lord", a grandiose title if he's ever heard one. It piques his interest a little, but for the moment, it would be wise to focus on his side of the agreement. "Do you have any further instructions when I destroy that sect?"
Her hands sweat at how easily he says that. Not in her life did she think an opportunity like this would come. Destroying that sect was a dream, a fantasy of revenge and hatred, but now it's about to be done with ease, that's the feeling she's getting. "Kill them slowly and painfully. Let them know it was me who sent you"
A single laugh echoes across the room. A grin, wickedly evil and with hints of pleasure is what she catches a glimpse of at that moment. "I'm starting to like you girl!" With those parting words, he disappears from the room entirely. She knows, that, that man is evil, a monster that has just been unleashed.
She can't help but grin as well, for as she is left alone in this room comfortably within her sect, she can imagine the horrible ways all those bastard will suffer and die, while she waits for that bastard among bastards to be delivered to her, knowing full well that his suffering will never end, she'll be seeing to that personally.
Nestled within a perpetual climate of summer rests the Earth Seed Sect, not a powerful sect by any stretch of the imagination when looking at the larger picture, but for this region, it is one of the top contenders and has domain over many other smaller sects. Its influences spread far and wide.
Home to many talented youths and with many powerful elders and a young sect master appointed by one of the great disciples of the realm lord as a representative. Overall, they are a rising star in the eyes of some of the larger sects in the nearby districts.
On this day, within this constantly beautifully and abundant land, a chill, unlike a normal breeze only slightly, brushes through the lands and down the spines of some of the few mortals on the outskirts of the region before travelling further.
The wind grows more like corruption on the land as it penetrates it. Everything it passes loses a touch of the life and vigour it once had. Even some cultivators out exploring feel slightly depressed when it passes through them. However, the mortals are strangely unaffected and go about their lives as normal.
A day passes and the sky darkens considerably, for the first time in centuries, a thick blanket of dark clouds covers a majority of the entire multi-planet sized district, shielding the rays of sunlight from touching most parts of the land. Once again, regions for mortals, are untouched.
Another day passes before the cultivators discover this information. It's clear that they're being targeted, or better to say that something is clearly acting and purposely avoiding harming mortals. This can only be the work of a cultivator, it's typical to spar mortals when invading an enemy sect.
They decide to spread the information to allied sects and prepare for war. For the most part, they've kept this information amongst the elders of their respective sects so as to prevent rash actions, but most are smart enough to catch on themselves.
The tension rises and conditions only worsen. The vegetation blackens to ash, the people fall ill, pregnant woman miscarriage and men become sterile. When things start to get really bad, some people even try to leave, but they quickly discover the barrier that surrounds the entire district.
A rich land filled with happy people within a matter of days has turned into a land of depression and suffering. Above the clouds, Madara watches on with uninterested. Nothing is more frustrating than seeing everything taken away, and not even know by whom.
With no way to vent your hatred, you turn on each other, simple and seemingly strong relations quickly turn complicated and crumble under the stress. Distrust and unrest create political purges and takeovers. But he's not here with that in mind, this is only a warning for his next action to have meaning.
He opens his lips to speaks. "To those within this land, I am your death, your undoing. Understand that any action you take is pointless. You've already tested the barrier separating you from the outside world, you can see that I've crippled any chance you have." His voice travels like the message of God.
"However..." The people below listen on with batted breath. "I have come here for a reason, you have offended someone that I owe a favour. Natsumi Momoka has decided to offer you a path of repentance. What you've done to her is not of my concern, I am simply here to return the favour."
"I will give you two options, I will allow you struggle against me, you will all die very painfully in this situation, perhaps I may keep a few of you alive for my own purposes. The other option, your young sect master is personally delivered to me, alive."
He squeezes his hand as the barrier begins to enclose on the land. "That is all, you have until the barrier reaches you to decide, don't be indecisive, otherwise things are going to get very suffocating." His voice trails off with an evil laugh.
A couple of dozen minutes earlier before the voice within the sect itself, in a very lofty council room, are nine seats on each side with two centre end seats all filled with important-looking individuals are huddled at the end of their seats with worried looks while discussing matters.
"With all due respect, I don't think we should just wait for things to get any worse..." A man on the middle right rows is cut off by the larger of the two men sitting in the centre seats.
"What I 'said' was we don't have a choice and I certainly don't see you with any bright ideas!" The man that is speaking is the sect master, beside him is his only son, the junior sect master or young master. The surrounding seats are filled up with the elders of the sect, a bunch of old but judicious men in his eyes.
"Our lord is right, Virion, we have no way to destroy the barrier, hell, we don't even know which sect we are at war with!" Another elder adds. The sect master ponders in his chair as the conversation continues when suddenly a sharp ringing sound brings him to his knees with a groan, not just him, but the entire council.
The ringing subsides and a voice enters their minds, speaking it's wicked deminers as they are forced to listen to every word and just as quickly as it came, it disperses after saying goodbye and giving them their deadline. "Natsumi Momoka, that name, why does it sound so familiar?" One of the elders says first.
"Ha, Kan, do you not remember that whore that our lord took a fancy as a cultivation furnace for the young master?" Elder Virion comments while wiping a nose bleed and standing to his feet.
Kan tries to think back hard, it's evident on his face. "Ah yes, I think I remember, which sect does she come from again?"
Virion shakes his head. "Terrible memory, as usual, she comes from one of our subordinate sects, uh, I, can't remember the name." He receives a mocking laugh from his fellow elder to which he takes on a wistful and slightly embarrassed visage.
"Enough of your stupidity you two, poor memory or not, this is good, we have that girls sister right? We can use her as leverage." Elder Vitiate speaks up this time, him being one of the highest-ranked elders, his words hold more weight and silence the other two.
The sect master hasn't said a word as he once again contemplates things in his seat. His son is at risk, but he's very calm. He loves his son, but the worse the situation gets, he's always able to stay calm, that is how he made it to where he is at today.
His son is obviously nervous and at the edge of his seat, although he's far from an innocent and helpless child. Still, not a single elder would dare suggest giving in to the voices commands in front of him, although he understands that if worse comes to shove that their real thoughts may reveal themselves in rebellion.
The sect master ends his inner debating as he speaks up. "Elder Vitiate, contact our furthest scouts on the perimeter to find out how fast the barrier is closing in on us. Elder Kade and Elder Kan, inform everyone to round up and prepare to try to destroy the barrier in an all-out assault."
"Elder Virion, bring the girl to me!" His head quickly turns with each person he addresses. "Elder Iseul, find out everything we know on Natsumi Momoka already, I want the information before the girl is brought to me, leave now." Elder Iseul bows and leaves immediately as commanded.
"The rest of you, keep yourselves in peak condition and assist in the defence efforts. Dismissed." With those words, all the elders disperse. Finally, he turns to his son when they are alone. "Son, I'm sorry I got you in this mess. I won't let them take you."
His son smiles back at him before looking ahead, slumped over with his head buried in his hands. "It's okay father, we had no way of knowing that she had such backing, we only kidnapped her sister, this is going too far. The voice didn't even ask for her back, they must think we killed her already."
Completely ignorant of how self-sensitive his statement was, his son continues to stare ahead with a concerned look.
"Those are some good expression!" A voice snaps at them from behind their chairs, both of them jump forward and turn to face the intruder. Madara had placed his two hands on the chairs, only inches away from either of them only seconds ago.
"Guards!" The sect leader calls out to the many guards with his enhanced voice while maintaining his guard. Normally, it would only take moments for hundreds of guards to storm into the room. "How did you get in here?!" He asks, after realising that no one was coming because he sent them away.
"What a stupid question." He steps out from between the chairs and approaches them confidently. "You've sent away all your protection, now it's just the two of you." He cackles with a grin. He looks to the younger of the two. "So, you're the one that I'm to capture alive?"
The tension in the room is enormous, to them. "I don't understand any of this, why do want me alive? Don't you just want the girl?" Asks the young master hesitantly, for what reason is he wanted alive, wouldn't she just want her sister back.
"Well, you'll find out in due time." His expression becomes unreadable and the tension somewhat lightens despite his threatening words. "However, there is another matter, but I can feel that you are moving to attack, am I right?" The corner of his eyes gleams with excitement as he looks at the older of the two.
The glean in his eye dulls when he sees him calm himself. Letting out a suttle 'Tsk', he can only find the word disappointing to fit the feeling. "We won't be so quick to anger." The sect master answers. "We can return the girl, she's unharmed and we..."
The sect master bites his next words as his eyes widen in fear when he sees the expression he's seen many times, the expression of someone who's already made up their mind. "No, you never wanted to negotiate to begin with..." The man quickly takes out his powerful treasures while his energy explodes into the room.
He throws a defensive treasure in front of his son. A turtle shell barrier expands and covers his son, turning solid from its transparent state. Madara laughs, a tiny fraction of his energy exploding forth, splintering the walls and floor of the room. "Do you have a name?" He asks as a matter of formality.
Twelve purple swords float around the now floating sect master, his robes billowing about from the flowing energy raging against one another. "Wrath Lee, Sect Master of Earth Seed sect, and Early-Stage Nirvana Shatterer! Prepare yourself!"
Grabbing another sword, much longer and more spectacular than the others, he charges towards Madara, the floating swords ahead of him at a far greater speed. Forming a sword of his own from nothing, Madara stands his ground as the swords approach him at speeds he's more than capable of seeing in slow motion.
Sidestepping one, he smiles as it swirls his air about. This isn't bad, cultivators aren't worthless after all, still a far cry from anything truly fun, but a distraction nonetheless. With swift motions of his hand and some quick and precise thrusts, two swords are moved from their trajectory and fly off into the walls behind.
While the others all shatter on impact, even the one in Wrath's hand cracks in half, despite him still being some distance away. "Nice swords, that's not all you can do right?" He receives an angered huff in response as the man starts saying something he can't quite understand.
It left him open, more then enough time for Madara to kill him in an instant, but he is more than willing to let him finish his chant.
Suddenly, Madara drops to his knee, the world flipping upside down. He feels his body being strained on both sides, like the weight of heaven and earth pulling up and down on his body. Wide-eyed at the fact that he's just been somewhat affected, he glances back up and sees his opponent even wider eyed and in shock.
He gives a singular laugh. "Was that supposed to kill me?" And stands back up, the world returning to normal as he does. "What was that? I actually felt a little dizzy there, do you have more tricks like that?" He waits patiently with his hands behind his back.
Taking a step back, Wrath Lee, as he called himself, ponders his options, which didn't seem like much, although the one advantage he has is he's clearly being toyed with and can cast his strongest spells without retaliation.
Problem is that was one of the strongest Dao spells in his arsenal and it did practically nothing but make him dizzy. This individual he's facing is certainly a strange senior, doesn't even feel like a cultivator.
Madara's face drops a degree, growing inpatient in the man's internal struggles. "It seems like you don't have anything better than that, what a shame." He lifts his hand and looks at the man with a small grin. "Let's see how fast you are..." He propels his hand forward like an arrow tip and returns it to his side instantly.
A lance of pure concentrated air shoots out at Wrath hitting him square in the chest. "Ah, not too fast." He clarifies, watching two interesting defensive treasures shattering to defend their owner who slams back into the wooden wall creating more splintering, a large cough of blood escapes him as he slumps down.
Walking forward to the turtle shell and placing his hand on it, he exerts some pressure. Thin cracks spread out as his fingers dig in before the entire thing cracks open and disperses, revealing the stunned son of the man he just pinned to the wall like a painting.
The young master immediately spots his father in his confusion "Father!" He runs over to him to help him up, which Madara watches happen. "You stupid idiot, why did you seal me inside that thing if you can't even beat him on your own, we could have fought him together!"
Wrath looks at his son in his brutalized state. "I'm sorry son, I don't think I'm getting you out of this one." He struggles to his feet as he pushes his son behind him and runs at Madara. "But, there is one last thing I can try, shield yourself, my son." His abdomen starts glowing as his son's eyes widen in horror.
"No! Please spar my father, just take me! That bitch is evil, she's deceiving you!" He screams while still shielding himself to his best abilities.
"If you want him alive, you better take the brunt of this." Wrath yells while drawing closer. His skin and flesh bubble and swell. A cultivator strongest attack is the last attack they will ever use, the ultimate sacrifice of everything that makes up their body and soul, total self-destruction.
After drawing close enough, Wrath prostrates his hands and legs in an attempt to direct the explosion. He screams horribly as his flesh twists and the last thing he sees is a glimpse of Madara speeding towards him with his hand reaching at him too fast for him to process as the glow from his abdomen covers the entire room.
Madara: A New Journey