Minato Ward is one of the twenty-three special wards within Tokyo. It is home to numerous foreign embassies and carries a strong international atmosphere. Located in southeastern Tokyo, it borders Tokyo Bay.
In this district, which truly lives up to its reputation as a wealthy area, stands a Roppongi skyscraper alongside major television headquarters and other high-rise buildings.
Rising fifty-four stories and reaching a height of 240 meters, the building known as Mori Tower is the tallest landmark in the vicinity. Even the rooftop of a twenty-one-story luxury hotel appears unremarkable in comparison.
At the very top of that building, the Lu family's eldest young master and disciple of Luo Hao—Lu Yinghua—stood at the edge of the rooftop, gazing down at the flow of pedestrians below with an indifferent expression.
Though the night was already deep, Tokyo displayed a dazzling sea of lights. Compared with the nightscape of Hong Kong, each had its own distinct charm.
Despite being a young master, Lu Yinghua did not enjoy such noisy metropolises. If given the choice, he would rather distance himself from the crowds and live a quiet, secluded life far from the mundane world.
Since he had no assistants for this mission, he could rely only on his own qi to track the target's presence.
In certain respects, sensing through qi differs from magical target-searching. Magic is inferior to qi when it comes to large-scale searches, but it is more effective at precise detection within a small area. Qi, on the other hand, allows one to rapidly locate the general vicinity of a target within a vast crowd, though it lacks sufficient precision at the individual level.
Thus, after determining the approximate range with qi, one must rely on other abilities to pinpoint the exact target.
Here, Lu Yinghua enhanced his eyesight by circulating qi through his lower dantian, allowing him, even from the height of the twenty-first floor, to identify his prey's face like a hawk spotting its quarry.
"Finally out. That guy sure knows how to drag things out."
After muttering in dissatisfaction, he looked down from the rooftop. Emerging from the hotel entrance was the man he had locked onto as his target—Mikihiko Kuhōzuka. The young master stepped into his family's luxury car and prepared to drive onto the expressway toward the capital.
The moment the operation officially began, Lu Yinghua's expression turned serious in an instant.
"Hunting time."
Without any running start, he leaped straight off the rooftop. His body arced through the air between skyscrapers like a projectile. The wind howled around him, rustling his clothes.
As he neared the area where his target was located, he drew in a breath of qi. His rapidly descending body suddenly slowed midair as though aided by a parachute, transitioning into a glide-like descent.
He landed on a nearby utility pole, kicked off once more, and, without any of the pedestrians below noticing a thing, his figure shot upward again toward his target.
Repeating this process several times, Lu Yinghua relied on his superhuman lightness skills and jumping ability to move from high vantage point to high vantage point. Because the target had to wait for traffic lights and follow established roads, he was actually slower in comparison.
Dozens of minutes later, the target appeared again. Having waited long enough, Lu Yinghua decisively made his move.
With a powerful push of his legs, he flashed like a phantom and swiftly landed atop the roof of Mikihiko Kuhōzuka's car.
Just as he prepared to strike at the Kuhōzuka heir gripping the steering wheel, he suddenly felt an unusual gaze upon him. A chill, as though exposed to a natural predator, rose from his back, causing his movements to freeze instantly.
"Oh? Not bad awareness. Even after I got this close, you still managed to react."
A calm female voice speaking standard Mandarin sounded from behind him.
Though deeply surprised, Lu Yinghua remained silent. With the smallest possible motion, he turned to look at the uninvited guest who had appeared so suddenly—a peerless beauty clad in black robes, with black hair flowing like a dark waterfall behind her.
Her exquisite features transcended the realm of mortals. Ornaments and jewels adorned her attire, revealing her extraordinary nobility. In her striking golden eyes shone a lofty, indifferent coldness.
The newcomer was Satsuki. She had originally come to inform the Kuhōzuka heir of the decision made by the Hime-Miko of the West Heavenly Shrine. She had also made it clear that she herself possessed the ability of Misogi of Calamity, intending to accompany him to the West Heavenly Shrine to investigate.
However, thanks to the Tenseigan and her superior perception, she had long since sensed his surveillance. She had observed him quietly, and from his distinctive tracking and detection methods, confirmed his identity.
"You must be Lu Yinghua, disciple of Luo Hao. Crossing the seas to a foreign land—what purpose brings you here?"
"Oh? You know who I am? Seems you're no ordinary person either. But I'm busy right now. I've neither the interest nor the time to deal with trivial matters."
The moment he laid eyes on Satsuki, undisguised disgust flickered in the young man's gaze—as if he were not looking at a peerless beauty, but at some ferocious beast.
Satsuki let out a soft laugh.
"So the rumors are true. The prodigious martial artist Lu Yinghua is a rather peculiar fellow who harbors an innate aversion toward women."
It had to be said—when it came to provoking others, Satsuki was a professional.
As soon as those words left her lips, Lu Yinghua's expression changed. As a teenage genius and the Lu family's eldest young master, he had no need to cultivate patience. Moreover, at barely over a decade old, his composure was far from fully matured.
"Looking to die?"
Though he immediately sensed Satsuki's extraordinariness, Lu Yinghua still struck first, launching a palm strike through the air.
Vast qi surged from his dantian. An immense invisible palm force tore against the wind toward the black-haired woman before him. Under such power, not only would the woman be crushed, but even the car beneath them would be utterly shattered.
Yet what happened next caused Lu Yinghua to frown.
The moment his confident strike reached her, the black-haired woman made no move at all. The mighty palm force vanished the instant it touched her, as though it had never existed.
Only the residual wind pressure shattered all the car's windows.
The unexpected incident forced Mikihiko Kuhōzuka to slam on the brakes.
Even so, the two figures confronting each other atop the vehicle remained completely steady. Lu Yinghua stared at the mysterious woman with unprecedented vigilance, while her gaze resembled that of his own master—calm and composed, as though everything lay firmly within her grasp.
That distinctive aura stirred nameless anger within the Lu heir, and his gaze toward Satsuki grew increasingly hostile.
"Oh? It seems your target is this young master?"
From his actions, Satsuki could tell he was clearly aiming at Mikihiko Kuhōzuka.
"So for the Lu family's eldest young master to take action, does your master have some objective in mind?"
Ignoring her entirely, Lu Yinghua flipped backward and leapt off the car roof, landing on the asphalt.
His feet touched down without making a sound. Not even the air stirred.
"Lu family's young master? Lu Yinghua... I never expected that just after hearing Miss Satsuki mention that name, I would meet him in person."
Stepping out of the car, Mikihiko Kuhōzuka murmured to himself while reaching inside to retrieve a wooden sword.
Among the heirs of the Four Houses, Mikihiko was the most dependable in handling affairs. However, his strength was mediocre at best—only slightly above that of an ordinary person. At least he had received some training and knew better than to face a martial arts expert like Lu Yinghua barehanded. Otherwise, he would stand no chance at all—though in truth, even with a wooden sword, he still had no chance.
His actions failed even to distract Lu Yinghua. The latter's gaze remained fixed on the black-haired woman before him. Yet his instincts as a martial artist kept him from attacking recklessly.
The method by which she had neutralized his palm strike had been too effortless and without any visible sign. He was acutely aware that she was no easy opponent.
Satsuki, who had drifted down from the car roof as well, noticed his caution and spoke softly.
"You won't make the first move? Very well—then I won't hold back."
Before her words had fully faded, she drew something from her waist. A streak of black blade-light flashed—instantly transforming into a lightning-fast sword energy, accompanied by incomparable wind pressure and a violent aura. It surged toward Lu Yinghua, whose expression changed drastically.
Sword energy!
Lu Yinghua instinctively retreated several steps.
With a casual swing, she had unleashed such a formidable sword aura. His feet tapped rapidly against the ground as he shifted backward at high speed. Yet the black-haired girl's strike had come without the slightest warning, and the distance between them had been so close.
Instinctively, he executed an Iron Bridge, relying on the flexibility of his body to barely evade the horizontal slash that skimmed past him.
Hiss—
Although it had not struck him directly, the pressure of the sword transformed the wind into sharp blades midway, sweeping across his body. Several long gashes were torn through his black clothing, and even his body—protected by defensive qi—felt a searing sting.
In just a brief exchange, Lu Yinghua had already suffered a minor loss. However, rich in combat experience, he immediately spun through the air, adjusted his stance, and fixed his gaze on Satsuki, who stood calmly with sword in hand.
"Interesting. That black blade is wrapped in powerful curse power and divine authority. If I'm not mistaken, is it Japan's sacred sword, the Ama-no-Murakumo? Are you the foremost Hime-Miko of modern Japan?"
In response to his probing, Satsuki merely smiled faintly.
"I just thought a black blade wouldn't stand out too much. Even if it gets stained with blood, it's easier to clean."
"What a confident answer."
As he spoke, Lu Yinghua circulated his qi and approached at a leisurely pace. His steps were so slow it resembled the plodding gait of an ox.
Yet in Satsuki's golden eyes, the flaw was obvious. What he was displaying was an exceptionally profound footwork technique, one that bore similarities to the Slow-Speed sword technique she had once used.
It appeared slow, but in truth it was an illusion created through internal power. Ordinary people could only follow such speed with their minds, while their bodies would feel as heavy as if filled with lead. They would be easily closed in upon and then crushed by a storm of palm strikes in an instant.
And that was precisely what Lu Yinghua intended to do.
With his unique movement technique, his figure approached Satsuki in a manner that seemed slow but was in fact swift. The strands of hair behind her drifted in the air as though caught in a slow-motion film.
Just as he closed the distance and prepared to send her flying with a single punch, an arm suddenly extended from the side and seized his wrist.
"With movements this slow, who exactly are you trying to hit?"
Lu Yinghua's expression changed abruptly.
To his astonishment, another black-haired girl had appeared to his left.
She held his wrist with one hand and regarded him calmly, while the figure he had locked onto gradually faded into the air like a phantom afterimage.
In that instant of confrontation, time seemed to resume its normal flow.
So fast!
The opponent's strength far exceeded his expectations. A movement technique capable of leaving an afterimage on the spot—so swift that even he could not react—was on par with his own master.
With one hand restrained, Lu Yinghua immediately transformed his palm into a claw and jerked backward, attempting to force Satsuki to release him.
To Satsuki, such a method of escape was almost laughably simple. Yet her eyes flickered, and she deliberately loosened her grip, allowing him to break free.
That action startled Lu Yinghua slightly, but he decisively widened the distance between them.
"...You're not a Hime-Miko. Are you one of the Campiones?"
"Oh? Why would you think that? So far, I haven't used any particularly special power."
"My martial skill likely surpasses five of the seven Campiones. But from our two exchanges just now—one offense and one defense—I can sense your strength. I've never heard of a master like you in Japan. Even the so-called Tachi Hime-Miko could never accomplish what you just did through pure technique alone."
Lu Yinghua stared at her with a gloomy expression. Though only fourteen years old, he was not the kind of genius who had never tasted defeat. On the contrary, during his training he had been crushed almost daily by his inhumanly powerful master. He understood how to judge strength.
"Then you've guessed wrong. I am not a Campione," Satsuki replied calmly. "You may call me Satsuki. The only reason I'm here is to ask what your purpose in coming to Japan is. If I find it interesting enough, I might even be happy to see it happen."
"Miss Satsuki, this..."
Mikihiko Kuhōzuka's expression changed in alarm upon hearing her words. It was obvious that Lu Yinghua had come for him. He naturally understood the purpose behind it, yet family interests prevented him from revealing anything to outsiders.
"Do you think you have the right to speak here?"
Satsuki's cold rebuke made the young heir of one of the Four Houses shrink like a frightened quail. His legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed onto the ground.
"Your target is him?" Satsuki looked up at Lu Yinghua. "But he's nothing special. He has no particular ability and no inherent value. That means he's merely a middleman. Your true objective must be achieved through him, correct?"
Lu Yinghua remained expressionless, neither confirming nor denying her words.
Yet Satsuki continued her analysis unhurriedly.
"You would only appear in Japan because of an order. And in this world, the only person who could command someone like you is the Cult Leader Luo Hao herself. As for something that would interest a Godslayer like her—there aren't many such things in this world. And even fewer that could be connected to the Kuhōzuka family..."
"To be precise, there seems to be only one."
She paused for a moment. Under his increasingly wary gaze, she spoke their purpose plainly.
"The Divine Lord sealed at the West Heavenly Shrine, isn't it?"
...
Lu Yinghua maintained his silence. His heartbeat, pulse, and even the micro-expressions on his face revealed nothing of having his plan exposed. Yet Satsuki spoke with absolute certainty.
"Then the next question is this—what exactly is the Divine Lord sealed at the West Heavenly Shrine? And why would it attract the interest of a Godslayer?"
Satsuki walked over to Mikihiko Kuhōzuka as though no one else were present. Looking down at his face, she said softly, "Because what's sealed there is a god, isn't it?"
Mikihiko's pupils dilated instantly, shock filling his face.
Heh. Looks like I guessed right.
"Satsuki...?"
Lu Yinghua's voice came from behind her.
"Even if you've guessed our objective, if you're not a Campione, you can't stop this plan. Even if I'm not your match, you're certainly not my master's opponent. Prepare to welcome her arrival. She will come sooner or later—sooner would be better."
"You misunderstand. I already said that if I find it interesting, I'm happy to see your objective succeed."
Ignoring his threat, Satsuki stepped aside from Mikihiko Kuhōzuka and spoke lightly.
"If you can break the seal on that god, I see no reason to stop you. After all, we also have a Campione here who needs to slay a god to increase her Authorities. When the time comes, we'll each rely on our own abilities."
Lu Yinghua frowned as he looked at her.
"What exactly do you mean?"
"It's simple. He is nominally our subordinate, so it wouldn't be appropriate for us to act against him directly. But I can hand him over to you. On one condition—you must not kill him. And when the seal is broken, our side must be present as well."