The brutal and desperate battle against the corpse defenders finally tipped in favor of Yamata no Orochi after Uesugi Koeru joined the fight.
However, despite achieving victory, Yamata no Orochi looked like they had lost. Everyone was consumed by despair, their eyes hollow and unfocused, with many quietly sobbing.
The reason for this was the shocking revelation made moments ago by Gen Chisei, Inuyama Katsu, former Shadow Emperor Uesugi Koeru, and Miyamoto Shio. They announced that the former Tachibana family head and the 73rd leader of Yamata no Orochi, Masamune Tachibana, was actually the leader of the Oni Clan—"Osho."
Masamune's true identity was revealed as Jung von Herzog, a man who had infiltrated Yamata no Orochi for decades with the sole purpose of seizing Uesugi Erii, who possessed the bloodline of White Dragon Emperor.
When this truth came to light, even the authority of Gen Chisei could barely hold Yamata no Orochi together.
After all, Mr. Tachibana had contributed significantly to Yamata no Orochi for decades. His gentle and tactful leadership guided them through the darkness of post-WWII Japan.
His integrity, morals, and personal charm had long since earned the trust and admiration of every member of Yamata no Orochi.
Now they were suddenly told that the highly respected Mr. Tachibana was actually the mastermind behind all their suffering—a cunning and ambitious "devil," manipulating events from the shadows.
It was only with Uesugi Koeru's authority as the Shadow Emperor and Gen Chisei's influence that Yamata no Orochi reluctantly accepted this painful truth. Their beloved leader had been revealed as a treacherous "Oni Clan leader" with sinister ambitions.
Once Yamata no Orochi had calmed down, Gen Chisei immediately gathered a few trusted individuals to meet Miyamoto Shio.
"Lord Miyamoto, please retrieve the surveillance footage."
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
Moments later, the surveillance footage from Tokyo Bay was displayed.
In the video, Herzog was accompanied by a blond young man.
A chilling and strange scene unfolded—they walked through the bloody battlefield, yet the violent corpse defenders ignored them completely, as though they were invisible.
Not only the corpse defenders, but even the members of Yamata no Orochi seemed unable to see them.
Herzog eventually approached Erii. Without any visible action, the girl simply followed him and the blond youth, disappearing into the darkness until they vanished from the camera's view.
"Adam Angelweid? Why is he here?" Gen Chisei frowned deeply, clearly recognizing the blond man in the footage.
This only deepened his confusion. Was it possible that a representative from Cassell College was secretly collaborating with the Oni Clan?
"Gen Chisei—no, Lord Chisei. We just received news from the Peninsula Hotel."
At this moment, Miyamoto Shio walked over. He was about to call out directly, but quickly felt it wasn't appropriate and changed his words: "A message from Cassell Colleges official, Caesar Gattuso, came half an hour ago. They were attacked by the leader of the Oni Clan, Osho. One of their members, Adam Anglewid, was hypnotized and kidnapped."
"What did you say?!"
Gen Chisei was both shocked and angry. He asked, "Why are they only reporting such an important matter now?"
"Please calm down, Chisei." Miyamoto Shio raised his hand and placed it on Gen Chisei's shoulder to calm him down, then continued, "It's not their fault. The Peninsula Hotel was invaded by a large number of Death Servitor. Caesar Gattuso and Chu Zihang were seriously injured and have been moved for treatment. This message was sent out before Caesar fell unconscious."
A large number of Death Servitor invaded the Peninsula Hotel?!
Gen Chisei was shocked once again, feeling a bit suffocated.
Herzog's plan was like a well-oiled machine, flawless, like an invisible black fog covering them all.
Yamata no Orochi seemed like fish already trapped in a net, helplessly watching as the invisible net tightened, slowly suffocating them all.
"There's one more important piece of news."
Miyamoto Shio's face darkened as he said, "Before Caesar Gattuso lost consciousness, he mentioned Adam Anglewid's bloodline, which comes from the noble 'White Dragon Emperor.' His word soul seems to have mind control and hypnosis powers. We must be extremely careful."
The White Dragon Emperor's bloodline, the curse within the bloodline, is finally about to erupt?
Gen Chisei, feeling helpless, sat down on a nearby chair. His hard face showed a trace of fatigue as he lowered his head, his eyes filled with confusion. "All of this was planned by Herzog. What does he want with Erii and Adam?"
"Chisei, what should we do now?"
Miyamoto Shio looked at the young man sitting slumped in the chair and asked.
This was not only his question but also one that Yamata no Orochi wanted to ask. Where would they go from here?
"Do you want to know all the answers, brother?"
Just as Gen Chisei was feeling confused, Kazama Ruri, who was bound by special alchemical tools, suddenly spoke.
It turned out that he had already woken up. He just calmly watched them. Although his appearance was still terrifying and fierce, there was no cruelty left in his eyes—only the calmness of a still lake.
"Are you... Kazama Ruri, or Gen Chime?" Gen Chisei, sitting in the chair, looked at him with a tired face.
"Actually, whether it's Kazama Ruri or Gen Chime, it's the same person," Gen Chime said quietly, his eyes calm. "One seeks revenge, while the other longs for reliance. But the truth is, they both love you. The difference is just in the way they express it."
Gen Chisei opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to say anything.
"Brother, do you remember the Crimson Well?"
Gen Chime seemed to fall into a memory, slowly speaking. "That day, you thrust a sword through my chest and pushed me into the well. But... I didn't die."
"I met Osho... No, haha, I should call him Herzog now," he paused before continuing. "I'm not sure what exactly he did to me, but since then, another personality appeared in my mind—Kazama Ruri."
"It must have been some kind of surgery."
Miyamoto Shio spoke from the side. "I've heard of a certain brain surgery that can cause dissociative personality disorder."
"Yeah, something like that. It doesn't matter," Gen Chime replied lightly.
"I don't know much," he continued. "The only thing I know is that Herzog seems to plan to use the sacred remains of the White Dragon Emperor and the blood left by the Shadow Emperor Uesugi Koeru to complete the true 'Path to the Underworld' and steal the divine power that belongs to the gods."
"What?!"
At these words, everyone was shocked.
Using the 'royal blood' and the sacred remains of the White Dragon Emperor to steal its divine power... Herzog actually planned to become the new 'White Dragon Emperor'!
Gen Chisei was drenched in cold sweat, his pupils shrinking in terror as he exclaimed, "No, I can't let this guy succeed! If he does, Yamata no Orochi, no, all of Japan will be destroyed!"
A myth passed down in the Yamata no Orochi mentioned that long ago, the Japanese mainland collapsed due to the awakening of the White Dragon Emperor, turning into the four islands we have today.
If this happens again… Japan will sink into the ocean!
The awakening of the 'god' will inevitably lead to a grand 'sacrifice,' and Japan will be the offering!
"You're not Gen Chime, are you?"
Suddenly, Gen Chisei looked at the calm Gen Chime with a complicated gaze and said this.
"Heh, does it matter?"
A strange smile appeared on Gen Chime's face as he spoke meaningfully, "Who I am doesn't matter. More than your life, I want to kill Osho."
"Why?"
Gen Chime asked.
With a smile on his face, Gen Chime said something that sent a chill down his spine: "I just want to destroy everything. That's all."
In the Tama River Mountains, at Akaii.
White strands covered the inner walls of the water storage well. They had grown from the bottom of the well, like fungal filaments.
But these filaments didn't just infect the soil and trees, they could even penetrate steel. They could grow several meters long, hanging from steel beams or trees like countless thin hands swaying in the wind.
These filaments were deadly to any form of life. They were highly corrosive, turning steel inside out, making it spongy, and directly rotting trees from the inside.
Within a kilometer radius, all life had been wiped out. Underneath the seemingly pure white covering, the entire mountain had died.
At this moment, a red-haired girl, like an elf, stood motionless in the eerie, ethereal sound of the drums, like a puppet.
Herzog took out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, and lit it.
Sss.
As the tobacco burned, he took a deep drag, savoring the moment of quiet, staring at the night sky in the distance. "A grand awakening always needs some sacrifices. Yamata no Orochi, hurry up and come! Surround me and help me steal divine power. It's your bloodline from the Yamata no Orochi that will make me the 'White Dragon Emperor!'"
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