Tobio's body was hurled through the infinite void of space-time like a ragdoll, spinning uncontrollably as he tried to regain his bearings. He landed with a sickening thud on a surface that wasn't solid, yet somehow held his weight. Gasping for breath, he looked around, but the world around him defied comprehension. The ground shimmered with colors that didn't exist in the visible spectrum, while structures shifted and twisted in ways that made his mind ache.
This was the domain of temporis, the God of the Fourth Dimension.
As Tobio struggled to stand, a voice boomed from every direction and no direction at once.
"YOU DARE RIP THROUGH TIME AND SPACE WITHOUT MY CONSENT?"
A figure materialized before him, shifting constantly in size and shape. Temporis was both a towering giant and a microscopic speck, their form an ever-changing cascade of dimensions overlapping and folding into themselves. The only constant was their glowing, piercing eyes that stared directly into Tobio's soul.
"YOUR EXISTENCE HERE IS AN ABOMINATION."
Before Tobio could respond, an invisible force slammed him to the ground. The weight was unbearable, as though an entire universe was pressing down on him. His body screamed in pain, and he couldn't even move his head to look at his attacker.
Temporis floated closer, their voice a cold monotone that carried an edge of malice.
"You are a three-dimensional being in my domain. Your actions disrupt the delicate balance of space and time. For this, I will erase you—not just from this realm, but from existence itself."
Tobio's mind raced. He wasn't even sure if this god had the capacity for mercy, and he certainly didn't have time to negotiate. Every instinct told him he was moments away from annihilation.
Yet, amidst his panic, a thought surfaced.
I may be a three-dimensional being, but my chakra... it might be able to reach them.*
Tobio focused inward, calming his breathing despite the crushing weight. He concentrated on his chakra flow, letting it surge through his body and into his hands. If there was ever a time to use that jutsu, it was now.
The jutsu was known as **Jikan Teishi: Tenchi no Musubi** (Time Freeze: Bonds of Heaven and Earth), a technique so complex it was considered forbidden even by Heikō Mu himself. It required an extraordinary number of hand signs around 200 performed in less than a second. This jutsu didn't destroy its target but instead sought to bind them, forcing them into temporary submission.
Only five people in history, including Heikō, had ever mastered it. Tobio was one of them.
Temporis loomed over Tobio, raising a hand that seemed to encompass all of time itself.
"FAREWELL, INSIGNIFICANT BEING."
Tobio clenched his fists, summoning every ounce of strength he had. Suddenly, his fingers blurred into motion. His hands moved faster than most eyes could follow, forming intricate seals at an inhuman pace.
In just 0.8 seconds, he had completed the sequence of 200 hand signs.
The air around him crackled with raw energy, his chakra manifesting in streaks of light that twisted and bent in unnatural ways.
"*Jikan Teishi: Tenchi no Musubi!*" he roared, his voice echoing through the infinite void.
The jutsu's effect was immediate. Golden chains of pure chakra erupted from Tobio's hands, racing through the dimensional void toward Temporis. The chains shimmered and shifted, seemingly unaffected by the incomprehensible nature of the fourth dimension.
Temporis paused, their form flickering in and out of existence as the chains wrapped around them.
"WHAT IS THIS?!"
they bellowed, their voice resonating with both fury and confusion.
Tobio didn't answer. He poured every ounce of his chakra into the jutsu, tightening the bonds around Temporis. The chains glowed brighter, pulsating with power as they forced the god into a more stable form. Temporis' body shifted less erratically, their form becoming more humanoid and defined.
For the first time, Tobio saw what might have been a hint of vulnerability in the god's glowing eyes.
Despite the success of his jutsu, Tobio knew he was walking a razor's edge. Temporis was still a god, and their power was incomprehensibly vast. The jutsu wasn't designed to kill it was meant to subdue, and only for a short time.
He knelt, his body trembling from the strain. The chakra chains trembled as Temporis struggled against them.
"DO YOU THINK YOU CAN CONTROL ME, MORTAL?"
Temporis growled, their voice losing some of its omnipotence but none of its menace.
Tobio took a shaky breath, meeting the god's gaze. "I don't want to kill you. I just need you to stop interfering. Let me pass, and I'll leave your domain."
Temporis' form flickered again, their rage palpable.
"YOU DARE BARGAIN WITH A GOD?!"
The chains tightened reflexively, eliciting a low growl from Temporis.
Tobio's heart raced. He knew he was playing with fire. If Temporis broke free, they would erase him without hesitation.
"Listen," he said, his voice steady despite the fear gnawing at him. "You think I want to be here? I don't. But something's happening, something that threatens all of us even you. I need to reach someone who can help. That's all."
Temporis tilted their head, the chains around them glowing brighter.
"AND WHY SHOULD I BELIEVE YOU?"
Tobio clenched his fists. "Because if I were lying, I'd already be dead. You could've erased me before I had a chance to use this jutsu. But I didn't fight you I restrained you. That has to mean something."
The god's gaze bore into him, as though weighing his words against the infinite fabric of reality.
After what felt like an eternity, Temporis let out a low, rumbling sound that might have been a laugh.
"VERY WELL, MORTAL. YOU'VE EARNED A SLIVER OF MY PATIENCE. BUT REMEMBER THIS: IF YOU FAIL IN YOUR QUEST, I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN MYSELF."
With a wave of their hand, Temporis dissolved the chains. Tobio collapsed to the ground, his body drained but alive.
The god gestured toward the void, and a new portal began to form.
"GO. BUT BE WARNED—THE FURTHER YOU TREAD, THE MORE PERILOUS YOUR JOURNEY BECOMES."
Tobio staggered to his feet, giving the god a respectful nod. "Thank you."
Without another word, he stepped into the portal, the world around him shifting once more.