101-105

Chapter 101: Are You Looking for Me? 

“No need.” 

Eriyi raised her little notebook, her expression dead serious. “My family doesn’t really like me wandering around. If they saw Hikari, it might cause trouble for Hikari.” 

“…Alright, then.” 

Uchiha Hikari didn’t push further. “If anything comes up, just say so in the group chat. If there’s danger, I can be there in a flash.” 

“Mm.” 

With a firm nod, Eriyi waved her hand, then vanished in a burst of white light right in front of Uchiha Hikari. 

[Little Monster has left the Nameless World] 

Uchiha Hikari stretched lazily, chatting with Eriyi, Bulma, and the others in the group while summoning the Kinto’un. Time to swing by Karin Tower and check in on Nekosennin. 

… 

Dragon Clan World 

Inside a wooden room within the Genji Heavy Industries building. 

Eriyi lay quietly on a hospital bed, hooked up to a filtration machine. As the filtered blood flowed into her body, the dark, ashen veins snaking across her skin began to fade, and her complexion slowly returned to its porcelain-like glow. 

“When will she wake up?”  

Minamoto Chisei, sitting by the bed, asked. 

“About six or seven hours. Once the sedative wears off, Uesugi-sama will wake up,” the head of the medical team replied. 

Minamoto Chisei lingered a bit longer before silently getting up and stepping outside. 

There, Tachibana Masamune sat on the tatami, holding a notebook filled with writing, looking utterly baffled. 

“Konoha Village, ninja, the Uchiha clan… what’s all this mean?” 

“Is there even a family in Japan with that surname?” 

As the two big shots puzzled over it, the medical team leader coughed and chimed in. “Patriarch, Young Master, the names Miss Eriyi wrote down seem to come from an anime… It’s a super popular manga from the last few years called Naruto, still running in JUMP. Miss Eriyi’s been watching its anime recently.” 

“?” 

With Tachibana Masamune’s permission, the medical team leader opened a laptop, pulled up the Naruto streaming page, and slid the screen over. 

A brief silence followed. 

“…Chisei, what do you think?” 

“…” 

Minamoto Chisei paused, then spoke uncertainly. “Could be a lie the other side cooked up, or some kind of hypnosis tech, messing with Eriyi’s sense of reality, making her think she spent the last few days in an anime world… But why this series? Crow, who’s the author of this manga?” 

Crow whipped out his phone and started searching. “Some guy named Kishimoto Masashi, lives in Tokyo… Should we grab him for a chat?” 

“…Go for it.” 

Minamoto Chisei nodded. “Just keep it polite. We don’t know if he’s tied to this kidnapping yet.” 

“Got it.” 

Crow sprang into action on the order. 

Minamoto Chisei’s gaze shifted to a wooden carving nearby, his brow furrowing. “And what’s this?” 

“It’s something Miss Eriyi was holding when she returned. She was gripping it tight. It took a lot of effort to pry it loose after she fell asleep,” the medical team leader explained. “The base of the carving has ‘Eriyi no Hikari’ written on it.” 

“Hikari? Who’s that? Is there a character like that in Naruto?” 

“Nope.” 

After confirming with the medical team leader, Tachibana Masamune spoke slowly. “Looks like that might be the kidnapper’s name. Someone who can whisk Eriyi away without a sound and bring her back without us noticing… their kotodama is likely stealth-based. And their bloodline purity? Probably on par with yours.” 

It was unthinkable— 

As the Amaterasu of the Sheqi Bajia, a super hybrid with royal blood, Minamoto Chisei’s bloodline purity was already off the charts. Yet even he hadn’t noticed when or how Eriyi was brought back. Someone capable of pulling that off… 

Could they even be called human? 

“Since they returned Eriyi, it suggests they don’t intend to make an enemy of the Sheqi Bajia… for now. But we can’t rule out some ulterior motive.” 

“Either way, this location isn’t safe anymore. To prevent another incident, we need to set up a new safehouse and move Eriyi there,” Minamoto Chisei said. 

Tachibana Masamune nodded. “Alright, Chisei, you handle the arrangements. I’ll stay here and wait for Eriyi to wake up.” 

… 

[Nameless@LittleMonster: Eriyi, you awake? Your family didn’t give you a hard time, did they?] 

[LittleMonster: Nope. I just saw Onii-chan and told them about going to Konoha, but they didn’t seem to believe me… Onii-chan says we’re moving somewhere else, and I’ve got another serum injection later.] 

[Nameless: You don’t need a blood wash, do you?] 

[Bulma: Blood wash?] 

[Nameless: It’s like draining all the blood from your body and replacing it with new blood. It’s a medical thing in Eriyi’s world to stabilize her condition.] 

[Bulma: What?! Can people even survive that?!] 

Uchiha Hikari thought, Who the heck knows? 

Say what you will about the Dragon Clan world, but those high-tier hybrids had some downright ridiculous vitality. Chu Zihang, with a bloodline barely hitting A-rank, could endure half an hour of total blood loss and still live. Eriyi’s bloodline was probably super S-rank—she could likely handle forty minutes, no problem… maybe. Her bloodline’s tainted, though, so it’s not pure. 

As Uchiha Hikari and Bulma chatted, Eriyi sent a few more messages. 

[LittleMonster: They all left. I’m alone in the room now. Hikari, can I come back to your side again?] 

[Nameless: Hold off for now. Focus on resting and recovering at home. We’ll talk about it later. Or when I’ve got some free time, I can swing by with Bulma and the others to visit you.] 

[LittleMonster: …Okay. I’m gonna nap then. Feeling super sleepy.] 

[Nameless: Oh, besides your brother, did you see Tachibana Masamune earlier?] 

[LittleMonster: Masamune-san? He left with Onii-chan earlier… Wait, I think he’s back?] 

… 

In the clean, spacious hospital room. 

Eriyi, dressed in thin pajamas, clutched the wooden carving while lying in bed, her eyelids drooping involuntarily. 

The serum she’d just been injected with had a hefty dose of sedatives, and their effects were kicking in, sending waves of drowsiness through her. The wall clock pointed to 11 p.m., the dead of night when everything was quiet, and even the medical team outside had settled down, not a peep to be heard. 

Some time passed—how long, who knows? 

A faint breeze seemed to stir as the room’s door silently opened and closed. 

Someone had entered. 

It was Tachibana Masamune. 

He quietly sat by the bed, looking at Eriyi. “Eriyi, who was the person who took you?” 

“Mmm…” 

Half-asleep, Eriyi stirred, taking a few sluggish seconds to react. She grabbed the notebook beside her, scribbled “Uchiha Hikari,” and held it up. 

“I mean their real identity!” 

Tachibana Masamune’s brow furrowed, and he suddenly grabbed Eriyi’s wrist, his tone turning sharp. “Don’t play dumb or try to brush me off with some random anime character. I know you know them. Write down everything you know—now!” 

In that moment, the kindly old face Tachibana Masamune usually wore twisted into something cold and menacing, like an oni under the dim moonlight, enough to make anyone’s skin crawl. 

“…?!” 

Eriyi flinched, her face a mix of confusion and fear. 

Just then… 

A hand reached out from the other side of the bed, clamping down on the wrist Tachibana Masamune was using to grab Eriyi. 

As if out of nowhere, a petite figure appeared in the room, speaking in a soft, icy voice. “Excuse me, are you looking for me?” 

“Who?!” 

Tachibana Masamune’s eyes widened as he snapped his head up. 

What met his gaze was a pale, striking face, its calm eyes burning with a mesmerizing flame! 

Chapter 102: Happy New Year & Launch Thoughts 

First off, wishing everyone a Happy New Year~  

As mentioned, Hikari (Light) officially launches tonight at midnight! I want to give a huge thank you to all you amazing readers out there. It’s because of your support and encouragement that this book made it through four rounds of recommendations and successfully hits the shelves today, 51 days after its debut.  

On the update front, I’m planning to drop a big batch of 5 chapters—around 10,000 words—right after midnight. I’m currently working on the fourth chapter, and depending on how tonight’s writing goes, the fifth might come out tomorrow during the day. If you’re enjoying the story, I’d really appreciate it if you could grab a first subscription~  

If the first subscription numbers look good, I’ll consider adding extra chapters. (Based on what my editor said about follow-up data, “good” starts at 1,000 subscriptions. For every 200 subscriptions beyond that, I’ll add an extra chapter. Big tips will also trigger bonus chapters!) I don’t have a huge stockpile of drafts, and with New Year’s keeping me busy, I might not be able to add extras right away, but I promise I won’t flake on you.  

Story-wise, I’ll be honest—this is my first time writing a chat group story like this, and it’s also my first stab at a sōgō manga (comprehensive manga) style. It’s a bit trickier than I expected. Every world has different power levels, time spans, and so on, so I’ve had to analyze and organize the timelines of each work, figure out how the protagonist’s involvement changes the plot, and balance the main world (Naruto’s shinobi world, in this case) with the other worlds. Because of that, my writing speed has slowed down a bit compared to the early days. But don’t worry—the plot is still under control, and it hasn’t veered outside my planned framework, so there’s no risk of it falling apart.  

Since this is a chat group story, I’m a little concerned that if too many characters join, some group members might end up kami-shinobi (disappearing ninja) and barely show up. So, I’ve deliberately slowed down the pace of adding new members. For future world selections, I’m mainly considering art style and power scaling (since we’re grounded in Naruto’s framework, worlds like shūsen (cultivation), Star Wars, or ones with wildly different vibes, or super high-powered ones like Ultraman, are tough to include).  

There’s also the matter of character popularity and how easy it is to weave them into the plot. Some worlds have super popular characters or useful abilities and techniques, but there’s no clear way to integrate them into the story (like Bleach, or road-trip style stories like Frieren or Witch’s Journey with Erina, or comedic series like Konosuba). Of course, one option could be to just add characters without exploring their worlds, but that feels like it’s missing something.  

If you guys have any ideas or suggestions, I’d love to hear them!  

Lastly, I’ve set up a small reader group. I’ll post the group ID in the book’s description a bit later. If you want to hop in to chat, nudge me for updates, or share suggestions, feel free to check it out~  

Chapter 103: Susanoo Inside Genji Heavy Industries!

The air seemed to freeze for a split second. 

Then— 

“Tsukuyomi!” 

Uchiha Hikari’s Mangekyō Sharingan spun gently, plunging Tachibana Masamune into a daze. Before he could snap out of it, Hikari’s fingers tightened, crushing his wrist with a snap. She flung him upward, sending him flying several meters before crashing into a cabinet behind him! 

Bang—! 

With a deafening crash, the wooden cabinet toppled, spilling files, bottles, and jars across the floor. 

Tachibana Masamune staggered to his feet from the wreckage, looking as if he’d aged years in that moment. Sweat poured down his face, his eyes dazed. He locked onto Uchiha Hikari with a look of sheer terror, then scrambled toward the exit in a frantic crawl. “Help… Somebody, help!!” 

Hikari started to chase but felt a gentle tug on her fingers. Looking down, she saw Eriyi clutching her hand, nervously holding up her notebook: “Hikari, Masamune-san isn’t a bad person…” 

(If he’s not a bad guy, then the Dragon Clan world probably doesn’t have any, Hikari thought with a sigh.)  

She didn’t explain right away, instead softly stroking Eriyi’s silky red hair and gently prying her fingers loose. “Don’t worry, I’m here. Just rest here for now. I’ve got some things to handle outside, but I’ll be back soon.” 

“And don’t stress—I won’t hurt your brother.” 

With that promise, Eriyi hesitated but let go, clutching her wooden carving and watching Hikari with wide, deer-like eyes. 

Hikari headed out. 

In just that short time, chaos had erupted outside the wooden room. Footsteps thundered from every floor of the building, converging on her location. Faintly, Hikari caught the telltale click-clack of guns being loaded. 

“Protect the Patriarch!” 

“Come out of the room now, or we open fire!” 

“Heh.” 

Hikari strode through the wooden room’s corridor, pausing at the metal door. Outside, a sea of black-clad guards filled the hallway, their guns fitted with laser sights, red beams trained on her body like they could riddle her with holes any second. But Hikari’s expression was cold, her eyes cutting through the crowd to lock onto Tachibana Masamune at the far end of the corridor. “What, only good at hiding behind others and playing mind games, Dr. Herzog?” 

“?!” 

Tachibana Masamune, getting his wrist bandaged by medics in the back, froze, his pupils shrinking in shock. 

But then— 

Someone barked, “Fire!” 

The instant gunfire erupted, Hikari’s Sharingan spun, the pinwheel pattern flaring. “Susanoo!!” 

Bang! Bang! Bang! 

A storm of bullets rained down, engulfing her. But every single one stopped midair, blocked by a skeletal frame wreathed in dark red chakra flames. Seconds later, spent shells clattered to the floor, ringing out in a crisp chorus. 

“What… what is that?!” 

“Is that a kotodama?!” 

Susanoo was visible to the naked eye, and the guards who witnessed it gaped in stunned disbelief. 

As their shouts echoed, Hikari moved. 

A simple raise of her hand. 

With her motion, the dark red Susanoo raised its blazing greatsword, aiming down the corridor and swinging in a devastating overhead slash! “Hundred-Eight Barrage: Heavy Cannon Slash!” 

In that moment, fiery sword energy roared downward, slicing through the air in a blink. It tore down the entire corridor! Starting from Hikari’s feet, everything in a straight line was cleaved in two, flames erupting in the void to form a blazing path stretching dozens of meters! 

Sizzle— 

The ceiling’s embedded lights flickered wildly. 

Hikari’s real body darted forward! 

In the narrow corridor, her speed hit its peak, a ghostly blur weaving through the guards. She threw casual punches and kicks, each strike sending men flying into walls or crashing into their comrades with dull thuds. 

Someone tried to shoot, but Hikari’s hand sliced through the gun barrel like a blade. Defying gravity, she sprinted along the walls and ceiling, her sights locked on Tachibana Masamune at the corridor’s end! 

“She’s after the Patriarch!” 

“Stop her!” 

The guards at Genji Heavy Industries were no strangers to violence—hardened yakuza types, every one. They fought desperately, pulling knives and batons from their coats to block Hikari’s advance. But it was futile. One by one, they were tossed aside like sandbags. 

Just as Hikari’s hand nearly grazed Tachibana Masamune’s collar, a figure closed in at breakneck speed! 

A flash of azure blade light arced down from above! 

Hokushin Itto-ryu: Frostfall! 

“…” 

The chilling killing intent in that strike made Hikari raise a brow. Her hand, originally reaching for Tachibana Masamune, paused mid-motion, instead snapping to intercept the incoming blade! 

Clang!! 

The moment her fingertips met the blade, Hikari felt a surge of immense force, nearly overwhelming the chakra reinforcing her grip. Her attacker, after a split-second pause, swung a fist with their free hand. Hikari deflected it with her wrist, then whipped a leg toward the attacker’s exposed midsection! 

Thud—! 

The figure grunted, using the recoil to yank their blade free from Hikari’s grasp. 

Hikari, meanwhile, executed a clean backflip, landing lightly five or six meters away. Her petite frame moved like a butterfly, and as she rose, she casually grabbed two guards rushing her, hurling them by their collars into the densest part of the crowd. 

With that done, Hikari tilted her head, eyeing the spot where she’d just stood. 

“Minamoto Chisei?” 

There, a black-haired young man, maybe twenty-one or twenty-two, stood with a blade in hand, his cold expression glinting with golden intensity in his eyes. 

“Old man, fall back,” Minamoto Chisei said without turning, his gaze fixed on Hikari. 

Behind him, in an L-shaped corridor branching off from Eriyi’s room, a group of black-trench-coated Execution Bureau agents was rushing in. 

“Who are you?” Minamoto Chisei asked abruptly. 

“Uchiha. Hikari.” 

“!?” 

At Hikari’s introduction, Minamoto Chisei visibly faltered. 

The “Hikari” Eriyi mentioned… was a woman?! 

Or more accurately, a girl. 

Even in the dim light, Minamoto Chisei could tell Hikari was no older than fifteen, and she barely came up to his shoulder. 

“…I don’t know what your goal is, but Eriyi is my sister, and Tachibana Masamune is the Patriarch of the Sheqi Bajia. I won’t let you lay a finger on either of them, no matter your reasons.” 

Minamoto Chisei’s words were ironclad. 

Across from him, Hikari’s lips curved into a faint smirk. She raised two fingers like a sword before her. “Pointing a blade at me? That’s some guts. But that’s about all you’ve got going for you… Genjutsu: Tree Binding Death!” 

Chapter 104: Dragon King?! (Please Support with my patreon) 

The black pinwheel in the Sharingan spun wildly.  

eye power surged!  

In that instant, everyone standing in the hallway who met Uchiha Hikari’s gaze—including Gen Chisei—felt a momentary daze.  

And then…  

The world spun!  

In the blink of an eye, their surroundings shifted dramatically. The hallway of Genji Heavy Industries vanished, replaced by a dense jungle shrouded in dark clouds. An invisible pressure closed in from all directions, manifesting as thick, tough vines that wrapped around them layer by layer, tightening before they could react!  

Mahō: Jubaku Satsu (Illusion: Tree Binding Death), a kinjutsu (forbidden technique) recorded in the Book of Seals, was now unleashed here, amplified by the Mangekyō Sharingan’s power under Uchiha Hikari’s control.  

“What the…?!”  

“Yanrei: Shinra?!” (Spirit Command: Forest Dominion?!)  

Among them, Tachibana Masamune’s expression was the most horrified.  

Gen Chisei and the others had only just arrived and didn’t know what had happened earlier, but Tachibana had seen it all clearly—the dark red giant silhouette emerging from thin air was no mere trick. Only a yanrei (spirit command) could explain it, and a high-tier one at that. But now…  

She was unleashing a second yanrei?!  

A super hybrid who could wield multiple yanrei?!  

“Haa!”  

A thunderous shout erupted!  

In the split second before the vines could fully bind him, Gen Chisei summoned his strength. His golden eyes blazed as dragon blood coursed through him, his entire being radiating an explosive aura. He transformed into a black blur, lunging at Uchiha Hikari! Even under the Sharingan’s scrutiny, his speed was undeniably fast!  

Shin-gatana-ryū: Shiban Hassō! (Heart-Shaped Sword Style: Four Directions, Eight Phases!)  

Facing Gen Chisei’s ferocious assault, Uchiha Hikari pushed the Sharingan’s dynamic vision to its limits. Barehanded, she weaved through his attacks with precise, nimble steps, narrowly dodging the incoming blade five or six times in a row. Her long green hair fluttered slightly in the wake of his sword’s wind.  

“Not bad swordsmanship.”  

If this were a casual encounter, Uchiha Hikari wouldn’t mind sparring with Gen Chisei a bit longer, curious to see how the ancient sword techniques of the Dragon Clan world stacked up against the blade skills of Naruto’s shinobi or Demon Slayer’s demon hunters.  

Maybe she could even use her Sharingan to copy a few moves and blend them with her own kenjutsu (sword techniques), picking up their strengths to cover her weaknesses.  

But right now?  

Her priority was dealing with Tachibana Masamune.  

That guy had already taken a hit from her Tsukuyomi in the hospital room earlier and seemed to have figured out not to meet her eyes again. He’d consciously avoided her gaze, escaping the Jubaku Satsu that trapped the others. Now, flanked by a few late-arriving Enforcement Division officers, he was stumbling toward the elevator.  

The distance between them was… about sixty meters!  

Kage Bunshin! (Shadow Clone!)  

After dodging another of Gen Chisei’s slashes, Uchiha Hikari’s hands flew through seals.  

Leaving behind a shadow clone with half her strength to keep Gen Chisei occupied, her real body stomped the ground, her breathing rhythm shifting instantly—  

“Kaminari no Kokyū…” (Thunder Breathing…)  

“Ichi no Kata: Hekireki Issen - Shinsoku!!” (First Form: Thunderclap and Flash - Godspeed!!)  

In that moment, her petite figure traced a lightning bolt’s path, covering the sixty-meter gap in an instant. A faint golden arc of electricity crackled as she appeared behind the Enforcement Division officers!  

“Watch out!”  

“Protect the Patriarch!”  

The officers swung their blades in unison, the sharp whistle of steel cutting through the air. But Uchiha Hikari didn’t dodge. At the last possible second, she thrust out both hands, fingers pointed like knives, striking the wrists of two officers. She snatched their long blades, spun mid-air, and hurled the swords toward the other two officers while delivering a flying kick!  

Bang! Bang!  

With two dull thuds, Uchiha Hikari’s legs carved a fierce arc through the air, sending the disarmed officers flying with chest kicks. The other two, trying to parry, were overwhelmed by the force of her thrown blades, stumbling back several steps as their sword hilts slipped from their hands!  

Clang!!  

The four blades collided mid-air, spinning like boomerangs in a 1,800-degree whirl before crashing with a thunk into a metal wall ten meters away!  

Sparks flew as the blade tips sank inches deep into the reinforced metal wall!  

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.  

When Uchiha Hikari landed, only Tachibana Masamune remained.  

He wasn’t about to go down without a fight. Pulling a short blade from his coat, he lunged at her.  

But Uchiha Hikari activated Susanoo. A skeletal arm formed of chakra swatted the blade away with a casual flick, then grabbed Tachibana by the collar, slamming him against the wall beside the elevator shaft!  

Under the crushing force of the skeletal hand, Tachibana’s bones creaked audibly.  

“Stop… right now!!”  

Gen Chisei broke free from the shadow clone’s entanglement and charged again. Before he even reached her, he hurled his Kumo Kiri (Spider Slicer) blade.  

This time, Uchiha Hikari didn’t hold back. She sidestepped, letting Kumo Kiri whistle past her, then extended another skeletal arm. With a single grab, she pinned Gen Chisei to a nearby wall!  

Even as Gen Chisei struggled, his hybrid strength only loosened the skeletal grip slightly—he couldn’t break free.  

The other Enforcement Division officers opened fire from a distance, but their pistols and submachine guns were useless against Susanoo’s chakra armor.  

Heavy weapons might’ve worked, but inside Genji Heavy Industries, they neither had access to nor dared use large-scale firepower.  

At that moment—  

Gen Chisei seemed to make a decision. He opened his mouth and bellowed a string of ancient, cryptic words. The sound wasn’t any human language, yet its meaning somehow resonated:  

“Yanrei… Ōken!” (Spirit Command: Kingship!)  

A deafening roar, like a great bronze bell, echoed through the space.  

Even with his body immobilized, a massive domain expanded from Gen Chisei, manifesting as a crushing force of multiplied supergravity that descended from above!  

In that instant—  

Nearly every Enforcement Division officer felt an unbearable weight on their shoulders, instinctively bending or half-kneeling in a near-worshipful posture. And this was after Gen Chisei deliberately spared them, “exempting” them from the full brunt of his power.  

But Uchiha Hikari, standing at the epicenter of the yanrei’s heaviest pressure, targeted directly by Gen Chisei’s maximum force, stood completely unfazed—not even a tremor in her body!  

“…Impossible!”  

Gen Chisei’s eyes widened in shock.  

He was the “Emperor” of the Sheqi Bajia, a super hybrid.  

Yanrei No. 91: Ōken was a high-risk spirit command beyond human comprehension.  

In his domain, even another “Emperor”-level hybrid could only resist Ōken’s effects with their own bloodline—they couldn’t ignore it entirely. This situation could only mean one of two things: either she was a normal human with no dragon blood… or her dragon lineage was of a higher rank than his.  

But…  

Something higher than an “Emperor”?  

That could only be…  

“A Dragon King?!”  

Chapter 105: Tachibana Masamune’s Memories

In a flash, Minamoto Chisei felt like he’d pieced it all together— 

No wonder Eriyi had vanished so silently, without a trace. 

No wonder this person could appear out of nowhere, unnoticed by anyone. 

No wonder, despite her young appearance and barely developed frame, she could effortlessly overpower him—a seasoned fighter—ignore the effects of “Royal Dominion,” and unleash multiple kotodama… 

It all made sense… A Dragon King had set its sights on the Sheqi Bajia!! 

Which of the four Dragon Monarchs was she? When did she awaken? When did she arrive in Japan? When did she fixate on Eriyi? Was someone pulling the strings behind her? Did the Academy or the Secret Party know about this? 

Terrifying possibilities flooded Minamoto Chisei’s mind. 

Nearby, Tachibana Masamune seemed to reach the same conclusion, his face twisted with unspeakable dread. 

Meanwhile, Uchiha Hikari had no clue the father-son duo was spiraling into such wild theories. 

Her ability to shrug off “Royal Dominion” was simple: she had no Dragon Clan blood. She was just an ordinary human, completely disconnected from the hybrid world. Against someone like her, the No. 91 kotodama, “Royal Dominion,” which only worked on hybrids, was less useful than a basic offensive kotodama. 

Of course, in the Dragon Clan world, someone with zero dragon blood was practically a rare species… 

“So…”  

Hikari glanced at her shadow clone covering her flank, then turned to the “father and son” pinned against the wall by Susanoo. Her gaze locked onto Tachibana Masamune, and she activated “Yasaka no Magatama.” 

Her eyes fluttered shut. 

Her consciousness sank rapidly. 

Fragmented images flashed through Hikari’s mind— 

Born in a Moscow orphanage… 

Trained as a KGB agent… 

Returning to Black Swan Bay after the war with Third Reich gene tech, researching dragon genetics and test-tube babies… 

The Christmas Eve fire, the ancient dragon embryo, the sinking of the Lenin… 

Faking an identity within the Inner Three Families, infiltrating the Sheqi Bajia… 

By her calculations, Tachibana Masamune was actually older than Shimura Danzo, and as a modern person, his experiences were far richer. Logically, Hikari shouldn’t have been able to “view” his entire life in mere moments. But as she probed, she found his memories oddly… thin. Especially the earlier parts, where gaps and inconsistencies stood out. 

It was like… a film reel that had been heavily edited and cut. 

During this, Tachibana Masamune’s face contorted in pain. With his throat pinned, he couldn’t even scream to vent his anguish. The sight drove Minamoto Chisei wild with rage, his dragon blood surging as he struggled against Susanoo’s massive grip, but to no avail. 

After a long moment, Hikari opened her eyes, a strange glint flickering in them. 

“Interesting…” 

Having read the source material, she knew Herzog could create something called a “Shadow Warrior” to act as a stand-in, a sacrificial pawn for different scenarios. So the Tachibana Masamune before her wasn’t necessarily—no, definitely wasn’t—his true self. This was just a manufactured puppet. 

But the Dragon Clan series never fully explained how “Shadow Warriors” worked. 

Now, though… 

Hikari was starting to get it. 

These so-called “Shadow Warriors” weren’t just random people handed a script to play a part. The memories she’d just seen in Tachibana Masamune’s mind were nearly identical to the story “he” would confess to Minamoto Chisei two years later in the original timeline! 

Those weren’t Herzog’s memories—they belonged to “Bondarev, former KGB agent”!! 

Hikari even glimpsed a scene in Tachibana Masamune’s “memories” where he infiltrated the Mengguizhong’s Osaka headquarters to assassinate the “King General.” 

Logically, since both “Tachibana Masamune” and the “King General” were Herzog’s aliases, there’d be no need to stage such a battle with no audience—neither of the Minamoto brothers could’ve seen it. 

So… 

There was only one explanation— 

Tachibana Masamune’s memories had been meticulously crafted and implanted! 

In his own mind, he genuinely wasn’t Herzog. He believed he was Bondarev—a man who’d served in the KGB, survived the destruction of Black Swan Bay, and infiltrated the Sheqi Bajia as Tachibana Masamune, clawing his way to the top as Patriarch, always walking on thin ice. 

“Could Herzog have the ability to weave memories for others?” 

“A kotodama? Or some advanced medical tech, like Black Swan Bay’s ‘brain bridge severance surgery’?” 

“If this Tachibana Masamune has a sense of ‘self,’ how does Herzog control him? Like hypnosis in anime, using trigger words to activate mental suggestions?” 

“The human brain… it’s a fascinating thing.” 

In that moment, Hikari found herself deeply intrigued by Herzog. 

Lost in thought, she released Susanoo’s grip. 

She decided to dig deeper into Tachibana Masamune’s mind and use him to lure out the real Herzog. 

On the other side, the second he broke free, Minamoto Chisei lunged forward, fist raised—only to have his wrist seized by Hikari’s shadow clone. With a swift shoulder throw, she slammed him to the floor, twisting his arms behind his back. 

Thud! 

As this happened, Hikari’s real body turned, looking down at Minamoto Chisei’s golden pupils with her Sharingan. “You should be grateful you’re Eriyi’s brother, so I won’t kill you… for now. But you’d better wise up. Idiots don’t get to live long.” 

“You’ve got twenty minutes to figure out how to talk to me properly—and to brace for the consequences.” 

With that, Hikari turned and walked back. 

The guards and Execution Bureau agents eyed her warily, glancing at the two Patriarchs sprawled on the floor. None dared make the first move, instead parting to clear a path for her. 

The fiery trail left by her “Heavy Cannon Slash” minutes ago still burned fiercely, casting a faint golden-red glow on Hikari’s hands and hair. 

At the corridor’s corner, Hikari formed a single hand seal, dispelling her shadow clone. 

Then she strolled back to Eriyi’s room. 

… 

When Eriyi saw Hikari return, she visibly relaxed. 

And when, twenty minutes later, a bandaged Minamoto Chisei appeared in the hospital room, the girl finally let go of her worries completely. 

“…Hello, Uchiha Hikari-san.” 

Minamoto Chisei glanced at Eriyi before turning to Hikari, his expression complex. “I’m Minamoto Chisei, currently acting as Patriarch of the Sheqi Bajia, speaking with you now.” 

(End of Chapter)