Lightning Kills in an Instant, Magical Beasts Vaporized, Ponzu Kneels and Swears Allegiance!

Deep in the wetlands, cold spring rain pattered against dead trees in an abandoned ancient forest. Overhead, the thick, clammy white mist churned across the sky.

A Special Grade magical beast several meters tall, clad in black armor bristling with steel spikes, leaped high into the air. Its bloodthirsty scarlet eyes locked on its prey as it opened its jaws.

Its maw was packed with sharp, foul-smelling fangs. With savage speed, it lunged at Ponzu, who had fallen defenseless into the muddy water, and snapped down at her.

Fetid saliva sprayed through the wind. Its fangs were a hair's breadth from Ponzu's delicate, pale neck. The cold wind of death whipped the loose strands of hair across her forehead. At that—

At the last possible instant before her death—rumble! A thunderclap erupted above the Lost Wetland Plains, shaking the heavens and the soul.

Thunder rolled. Supreme, sacred golden light poured from a collapsed rift in space like a river from the heavens. Tobirama Uchiha stepped out in a white dragon robe with gold trim and nine-clawed dragons, his black hair—

Drifting gently in the holy light, he radiated nobility. He walked down from the Void Golden Lotus at an unhurried pace, golden ripples breaking beneath his feet.

The wind stopped. The rain froze. In an instant, divine power pressed the Spacetime Law of the entire Lost Wetlands into stillness. The enormous body of the falling Special Grade magical beast stopped with it, as did—

The warm tear suspended beside Ponzu's eye. Both hung utterly motionless in the cold void. Heaven and earth froze in that instant.

... Facing the vicious Special Grade magical beast suspended in midair, Tobirama Uchiha remained as calm as still water. In his noble, cool purple eyes—

Was the utter indifference of one who looked down