"Still quite tough."
At this moment, Uesugi Koeru shook his right hand and shared his thoughts.
No matter what, Kazama Ruri had ultimately fallen into the 'Abyss' and become a demon. The concentration of his bloodline had almost reached the limits of a Death Servitor.
Fortunately, Uesugi Koeru was skilled enough to knock Kazama Ruri unconscious with a method that avoided causing serious harm.
As for what to do next, he wasn't entirely sure. After all, Draconization was irreversible. Especially in Kazama Ruri's case—he had been corrupted so deeply that he was practically a living 'Death Servitor.'
Even if he survived, he would likely spend the rest of his life imprisoned by Yamata no Orochi.
Yet, for some reason, Uesugi Koeru held onto a sliver of hope in his heart.
Perhaps that man named 'Sogetsu' might have a way to reverse Ruri's complete transformation into a Death Servitor?
Meanwhile, Inuyama Katsu and Gen Chisei were staring in shock at the scene before them.
So this… this was the true Shadow Emperor?!
The massive 'Black Sun' that had appeared for just a moment, the lingering intense heat in the air, and the traces of immense gravitational force tearing at the ground—all of it felt like an illusion.
Uesugi Koeru now seemed to have reverted to an ordinary, unremarkable ramen chef. His deeply wrinkled, aged face was filled with an incredibly complex expression—a mix of fear and excitement.
He looked like an elder who had made a mistake, wanting to apologize but hesitating due to his pride, leaving him visibly uneasy.
"Chisei, I—"
He had just begun to speak when Gen Chisei raised a hand to interrupt him.
"Sorry, now's not the time for this."
Gen Chisei's expression was hard, his tone cold. He exhaled lightly and said, "We'll talk about it after this matter is resolved."
Facing a 'father' who had suddenly appeared, even though he rationally understood their bloodline connection, the emotions of having been abandoned for twenty years made it impossible for him to accept.
Through the young man's cold gaze and tone, Uesugi Koeru could clearly sense his thoughts. But now wasn't the time for explanations, so he could only sigh and nod in agreement.
Chisei took a deep breath, but suddenly realized someone was missing. He looked around, his expression changing drastically: "Wait, where's Herzog?!"
Herzog?
Sakura and Inuyama Katsu were startled. Only now did they notice that the mastermind behind everything had disappeared without a trace.
"Sakura, did you see Herzog?" A strong sense of unease rose in Chisei's heart as he asked hurriedly.
"I…" Sakura parted her lips slightly, guilt flashing across her face. "I'm sorry, young master. I was focused on you just now and didn't notice when Herzog disappeared."
Beside her, Inuyama Katsu also looked remorseful. "I didn't notice either. Masamune… No, I mean Herzog. When did he vanish?"
"Excuse me," interrupted Uesugi Koeru, frowning at their expressions. "Who is Herzog? When I arrived, I didn't see anyone else."
"Herzog is…"
Chisei paused for a moment. Saying the name still made his heart ache.
"Let me explain," Inuyama Katsu stepped in, sensing Chisei's hesitation. "Lord Shadow Emperor, Herzog used the alias 'Masamune Tachibana' to infiltrate Yamata no Orochi for decades. He posed as the leader and manipulated us into fighting the Oni Clan. But his true identity is their leader, Osho. In other words, everything happening now is part of his plan."
"The leader of the Oni Clan and the leader of Yamata no Orochi… That's a tangled web indeed."
Uesugi Koeru rubbed his furrowed brow and said gravely, "I understand the situation, but why would he suddenly expose himself? Guiding you brothers to fight, using the corpses to stall Yamata no Orochi—what's his goal? And why now?"
"This…"
Inuyama Katsu froze. It seemed they truly didn't know Herzog's purpose.
"In what circumstances would a mastermind in the shadows choose to reveal themselves?" Chisei muttered to himself. Then, as if struck by a realization, his pupils shrank suddenly, and he exclaimed in alarm, "Unless… he exposed himself on purpose to hide his real objective!"
The silent Uesugi Koeru suddenly seemed to recall something terrifying, and his breathing tightened sharply.
Chisei naturally noticed the change. He opened his mouth, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked, "Uesugi-san, did you think of something?"
"Chisei," Uesugi Koeru said, ignoring the honorific, his face creased with worry. For once, his voice trembled. "That child called 'Erii'—where is she? Did she come with you?"
Hearing this, Chisei's heart sank. A cold sweat soaked his back as his face paled. "Sakura! Go check on Erii, now!"
"Yes, Young Master!"
Sakura shot forward like a shadow, moving at an astonishing speed toward the frontlines.
However, another figure moved even faster, wrapped in a storm of terrifying power. Like an ancient T-Rex, the ground quaked with every step.
"Inuyama clan head, guard him for me."
Without waiting for a reply, Chisei left the unconscious Kazama Ruri behind and dragged his injured body forward.
Ahead, the young members of Yamata no Orochi were still locked in a brutal fight against the tide of corpse guards. The carnage continued, but one figure was conspicuously absent—the one who moved like a sprite among them.
"You useless trash, get out of my way!"
The tide of corpse guards blocked their path, but Uesugi Koeru, now consumed with fury, resembled an awakened Dragon King.
Word Soul: Black Sun!
The terrifying heat returned, and the overwhelming gravitational force tore through the battlefield.
Any corpse guard that dared enter the Black Sun's range was instantly shredded by wild gravitational forces from all directions. Whatever remained was incinerated by the scorching flames.
Uesugi Koeru charged into the horde like a raging tiger among sheep. What once seemed like an overwhelming army crumbled before him, their bodies trampled into a bloody path.
Chisei finally caught up with the rampaging elder, his eyes scanning the gruesome scene. The field was littered with shredded remains, a grotesque testament to the power of "Yamata no Orochi."
It wasn't that Yamata no Orochi was weaker than Oni Clan—it was just that he, Chisei, was far too weak in comparison.
"He's disappeared. His target was Erii after all!"
Uesugi Koerui stood on the riverbank, his body drenched in dragon's blood. He looked like a vengeful demon from the underworld, shrouded in furious killing intent.
The riverbank was deserted. All that remained was a torn sleeve.
Staring at the pure white miko sleeve, a crack finally appeared on Chisei's usually stern face. "This is impossible. With Erii's Word Soul, how could Herzog take her away without alerting us?"
"Master, unless…" Sakura hesitated before speaking. "Unless Erii willingly left with Herzog."
"You're saying…"
Chisei's face turned ashen, as if a dreadful realization struck him. He immediately activated the radio communication. "Miyamoto Shio, is that you? I need you to confirm something!"
"Chisei? Thank goodness, I thought something happened to you!"
Miyamoto Shio sounded relieved upon hearing Chisei's voice. "After someone broke into the restricted area, your signal got cut off suddenly. It's good to hear you're okay."
Miyamoto Shio's voice came clearly through the radio, reaching the three people present.
Chisei's heart sank, and his voice trembled slightly as he asked, "Miyamoto Shio… tell me, where is Erii?"
"You mean Lady Uesugi? She left with Masamune-sama."
Miyamoto Shio explained, "Masamune-sama said Lady Uesugi had overused her Word Soul. To prevent her from losing control, he decided to take her back temporarily. Why? Chisei, you sound tense—what's going on? What happened just now?"
"Miyamoto Shio, confirm Masamune Tachibana's location for me."
Chisei's eyes burned with rage, his voice hoarse as he said, "Just now, together with the Inuyama Clan head and the former Shadow Emperor Uesugi Koerui, we confirmed one thing: Masamune Tachibana… is the true leader of the Oni Clan, the Osho. His real name is Jung Von Herzog!"
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