Shinji examined the "Feathered Serpent Compass" and discovered that the world it had marked was none other than his own shinobi world!
"Tch."
Shinji clicked his tongue in annoyance.
This meant that, to ensure he could track the shinobi world, Ryūhei Ubuyashiki had marked it with the Feathered Serpent Compass long ago.
When reading the notebook earlier, Shinji had found it odd.
Worlds moved chaotically through the void, separated by sturdy spatial barriers. It was plausible for Ryūhei to stumble upon the shinobi world once by chance, like a blind cat catching a dead mouse. But for him to repeatedly locate it with precision afterward seemed unlikely.
After all, when the demon hand from the Demon Slayer world first invaded the shinobi world, Shinji had used the power of the "Lamp" to swiftly teleport and slay it.
Logically, the moment Shinji killed the demon hand, the connection between the two worlds should have been severed.
It was only upon discovering the Feathered Serpent Compass and confirming that it had marked the shinobi world that Shinji's doubts were resolved.
Immediately, a wave of dread washed over him.
If he hadn't found this place in time and retrieved the Feathered Serpent Compass, it would have fallen into the hands of the Hegemon of Fear once it devoured the Demon Slayer world.
At that point, the Hegemon might not even need to trace any trails—it could simply use the coordinates marked in the Feathered Serpent Compass to descend upon the shinobi world directly.
"That was close!"
Carefully stowing the Feathered Serpent Compass, Shinji scanned the secret chamber once more.
Perhaps because the worlds Ryūhei had traversed were relatively low in power, the trophies here weren't as impressive as Shinji had imagined. Most were symbolic, falling into the category of "souvenirs."
The truly valuable items were the notebook and the Feathered Serpent Compass in the wooden box.
After a final check to ensure nothing was overlooked, the shadow clone exited the chamber, handed the notebook and Feathered Serpent Compass to Shinji's real body waiting outside, and then dispelled itself, returning its memories to him.
Absorbing the shadow clone's memories, Shinji mused, "If most worlds are like the ones Ryūhei encountered, they indeed have little room to resist once targeted by a Hegemon! But if it's the shinobi world, there might be a sliver of hope…"
Time was pressing, so Shinji didn't linger on these thoughts. He immediately returned to Ryūhei's study.
With no time to read the materials in detail, Shinji quickly sorted through them, packing everything he deemed useful into a sealing scroll.
After finishing, he didn't pause, heading straight to another of Ryūhei's secret bases.
Subsequently, Shinji raided four or five more of Ryūhei's bases.
The contents of these bases were noticeably less impressive than the first, but they still contained some materials Shinji found valuable, as well as rare herbs, poisons, and other resources unique to the Demon Slayer world.
Having plundered all of Ryūhei's bases, Shinji decided to immediately regroup with Karin and the others to leave the Demon Slayer world.
The essence of the Demon Slayer world had already been collected by Ryūhei, and Shinji had now raided his bases. There was no need to waste time scouring the world for more resources. After all, this world was already the Hegemon's meal—every moment spent here increased the danger.
In a small valley,
The group, having rested for a while, was growing restless.
Sasuke spoke up, "What's the boss doing? Should we go check?"
Haku shook his head. "The boss has his own plans. We just need to wait here for orders!"
With that, Haku glanced at the sky, a trace of worry crossing his face.
The sky was still flashing with lightning, the vivid scarlet thunder amidst the dark clouds sending chills down the spine, making it hard to stay calm.
Haku, ever gentle, couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
Though he had joined the Demon Slayer Corps with a purpose, during his time there, he had formed bonds with his comrades.
The thought of the Demon Slayer world's fate weighed heavily on his heart.
On the other side,
Karin and Yakumo were chatting idly, sentence by sentence.
As rivals, they remained wary of each other, their casual conversation masking their attempts to gauge the other's true identity.
At that moment, a bored Sasuke glanced at Karin and walked over.
His movement drew the attention of everyone resting in the valley, curious to see what Sasuke was up to.
Sasuke soon reached Karin and said, "'B,' why didn't you use your Mangekyō Sharingan earlier?"
Karin, already cautious of Yakumo nearby, frowned at Sasuke's bold question. "What's it to you?"
Sasuke gave a light huff. "You know I'm a Mangekyō Uchiha too, right? You may have made a name for yourself before me, but don't underestimate me. My Mangekyō Sharingan isn't inferior to yours!"
Yakumo glanced at Sasuke, thinking, As expected, Sasuke's the first to lose patience. Let him test 'B.' Who could've guessed 'B' has mastered Wood Release, and at a level no less than mine? It's unbelievable!
Shion, Neji, and Kimimaro also turned to watch the commotion.
Though they were all part of the same organization, they weren't close, and being young and spirited, none were willing to yield to the others.
Facing Sasuke's provocation, Karin stood up. "You want to challenge me?"
If she were acting as herself, she'd have avoided confrontation with Sasuke without hesitation. But now, she was "B" of the Akatsuki.
Beneath her fox mask, she could be herself, making up for the regrets of her cautious days at the ninja academy, unable to fully shine.
Sasuke smirked. "That's right. I'm challenging you!"
"Fine, I accept your challenge!"
Karin agreed decisively, something she had long anticipated.
Haku, about to step in to stop them, sighed helplessly and stepped back when he saw Karin nod in agreement.
Yakumo leaped back, clearing the space, her actions signaling her stance.
Itachi circled above, visibly excited.
Shion perched on a distant boulder, propping her chin with her hand. "A duel between two Mangekyō Uchihas? This'll be a good show!"
Neji and Kimimaro also focused intently.
They had guessed that "E" was Sasuke, but "B's" identity remained a mystery. They only knew that "B" and "C" were the earliest to follow the leader. So, seeing Sasuke challenge "B," they were eager to see if he could uncover "B's" true strength.