Chapter 3: Beneath the Divine Tree
"So, is there anything different about that tree compared to ordinary ones?"
Standing at the edge of a village, Minamikawa Yuu lifted his gaze toward the towering Divine Tree in the distance and asked calmly.
Seven years had passed since he arrived in this world, and he was no longer the same person he used to be.
Seventeen years old now, he stood tall with a straight back. Draped in a long robe, he carried the natural elegance of nobility without needing to force it. His features were handsome, and even his lazy, unhurried demeanor held an undeniable pressure. Just standing there was enough to draw eyes.
His changes over the past few years had been enormous.
Not only had the Land of Ancestors transformed, but he had changed as well.
Through testing, Minamikawa Yuu discovered that his original body seemed to influence his reincarnated form.
That was most obvious in his appearance. His current face had been slowly aligning with his original self more and more as time passed.
And beyond that, there was even more direct proof.
Chakra had begun to appear within his body.
After several years, Minamikawa Yuu could finally refine chakra.
The process was far more difficult than it had been in his original body, but it was real. He could do it.
Because of this, Minamikawa Yuu confirmed a new rule of reincarnation.
The reincarnated body and the original body influenced each other.
Given enough time, the reincarnated body would gradually move closer to the original, undergoing brand new changes.
That was also why Minamikawa Yuu dared to leave the daimyo's palace whenever he wished.
After all, once someone mastered chakra, ordinary people were no threat.
Even the so called demons of this world were nothing special.
As long as he stayed cautious, in a world without ninjas, even if he could not win, he could always retreat.
"Lord Daimyo, the Divine Tree is just ahead…"
In front of him, the village chief bowed with a respectful expression and invited him forward.
That day, Minamikawa Yuu finally arrived before the Divine Tree.
It was enormous, far more spectacular than any ancient tree he had seen in his previous life.
"Such vigorous vitality…"
Minamikawa Yuu stared at it, sensing carefully. Awe rose in his chest.
In his perception, the Divine Tree was overflowing with life force, vast to an almost unreasonable degree.
Even brushing against it with his senses made his scalp tingle. Wonder and dread surged together.
How could a tree possess such terrifying vitality?
He frowned slightly, puzzled, then looked down at the surroundings.
He immediately noticed something strange.
With the Divine Tree as the center, all vegetation around it had vanished. Even wild animals were nowhere to be seen.
It was as if some hidden existence was silently devouring everything alive, plundering every scrap of vitality.
And the one plundering it was undoubtedly the Divine Tree itself.
"Interesting…"
Minamikawa Yuu stood in place, thinking.
"A Divine Tree that can plunder the life force of other living beings to strengthen itself?"
No. It was probably not limited to the life around it.
There was only so much vegetation nearby. Even if it drained everything dry, it would never be enough to grow into something like this.
For the Divine Tree to reach this size in such a short time, it must have absorbed life force and energy from farther away, from other places.
"A Divine Tree capable of absorbing life force and Natural Energy?"
Minamikawa Yuu narrowed his eyes at the tree. A strange sense of déjà vu suddenly stirred in his heart.
For some reason, the scene felt familiar.
But when he tried to grasp it, the memory slipped through his fingers. He could not recall exactly why.
After a moment, he shook his head and forced himself not to dwell on it. He turned to the village chief beside him.
"How many people are in your village?"
"Only about five hundred," the village chief answered, still confused by the question. "Among them, there are about three hundred young people."
"Good."
Minamikawa Yuu nodded.
"Starting today, send twenty people to guard this Divine Tree on a rotating schedule. I want to know about every change this tree undergoes."
He paused, then added without hesitation.
"As a reward, the agricultural taxes for those twenty people will be waived."
Even though he did not know the Divine Tree's origin, Minamikawa Yuu instinctively felt it was important.
He could not watch it every moment, so having locals keep an eye on it was the most practical choice.
As for protecting it, that was not really necessary.
With how thick and tall the Divine Tree was, Minamikawa Yuu estimated it would be a hassle even for him to cut it down.
If someone could actually steal it or chop it down, he would genuinely have to respect them.
He would consider them truly capable.
Minamikawa Yuu left the village, but he did not leave the region.
His time was precious, and chances to travel were rare.
Since he had finally come out, there was no reason to waste the opportunity.
Taking the chance to inspect the surrounding areas in person felt like the right move.
So he decided to conduct a thorough investigation of the region before returning to the daimyo's residence.
However, only a few days into his inspection, an accident happened.
One night, the heavens suddenly changed.
At that moment, a strange sense of unease rose sharply in Minamikawa Yuu's chest.
He stepped out of his lodgings and into the open air.
When he looked up, he saw brilliant starlight scattered across the sky. Then a streak of light tore through the darkness, illuminating the long night like a blade.
"It's a star…"
Beside him, an attendant spoke respectfully, following his gaze.
"Looking at that direction, it seems to be near the Divine Tree."
"The Divine Tree…"
Minamikawa Yuu's heart tightened as understanding struck.
"Pass down my order."
Without hesitation, he straightened and gave the command.
"Everyone moves out. We're going to take a look."
As soon as the words fell, he mounted his horse and led his attendants forward.
They were not far from the Divine Tree, so it did not take long to reach the area.
But once they arrived, they saw no trace of any impact.
"How can there be nothing?"
The attendants were bewildered.
Knowing what Minamikawa Yuu wanted, the samurai and servants had been pushing themselves in secret.
As the daimyo's people, they knew he was generous. If they found what he wanted, rewards would follow. So they searched with desperate focus.
But no matter how they searched, they found nothing.
The ground was intact. There was no crater, no scorched earth, no shattered stone.
Not a single sign of a meteor strike.
But how could that be?
"It was clearly this direction…"
A samurai muttered, confusion written all over his face after searching for so long without result.
Then, in the next instant, his expression changed sharply.
He snapped his head toward a spot ahead.
"Who's there!"
"Who is there!"
"Protect His Highness!"
The moment the shout rang out, everyone surged toward Minamikawa Yuu, forming a tight ring around him. Their eyes locked forward, tense and alert.
And under their watchful gaze, a woman's silhouette slowly stepped out from the darkness ahead.