The piece of "Shambhala," shaped like a wristwatch, was stained with blood from being severed directly from Syura's hand.
Uchiha Hikari wiped it distastefully with her sleeve, gripping it in her hand. She then raised her Dragonbone Blade, now back to its four-foot straight form, and looked down at Syura with eyes that saw him as nothing more than trash.
Missing an arm and a leg, Syura writhed on the ground like an oversized maggot, unable to even stand.
"Any last words?" Hikari asked coldly.
"…You filthy peasant! Do you know who my father is? If you dare kill me here, the Honest family will never let you go! My father will hunt you to the ends of the earth, tear you to pieces, and avenge me!" Syura roared hysterically under the weight of her chilling killing intent.
"Oh," Hikari replied, her face calm as still water. She aimed the tip of her blade at his heart.
Realizing his threats were useless, Syura's tone shifted abruptly. "W-Wait! Don't kill me, I beg you! I'll do anything! I'll give you all my wealth! And my father—I can tell you where he hides his treasures!"
"Oh?" Hikari raised an eyebrow, watching his pathetic display. "Where does your father keep his treasures? Let's hear it."
"Y-You… will you spare me if I tell you?" Syura stammered.
"I'll consider it," she said flatly.
"?!"
Syura's expression wavered. Even knowing his chances of survival were slim, he clung to the faint hope like a drowning man to a straw. "Come closer, I'll tell you…"
Hikari crouched down, listening as Syura whispered an address too quiet for others to hear.
After he finished, her face remained expressionless. "So that's where it is… Got it. Since you were honest about the location, I'll spare you for now. Let's play a little game."
"A… game?" Syura rasped.
"It's called 'Cat and Mouse.' You're the mouse, I'm the cat. From now until sunrise tomorrow, you can leave this mansion and go wherever you want. I'll start chasing you at dawn. If I find you, you die. If not, you live. Sounds fun, doesn't it?"
Syura's lips twitched, his eyes burning with venom as he glared at her.
Hikari smiled faintly. "Or I can just kill you now. I don't care either way."
After a brief stare-down, Syura struggled to his feet—well, foot—and began crawling out of the governor's mansion with his remaining arm and leg.
Hikari shot a glance at one of her shadow clones, then strode into the inner hall.
Inside, a few people remained. The female governor sat in a daze, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings. The others looked like local gentry, some of them elderly, all sitting in terrified silence. Their faces were a mix of fear and awe as they watched Hikari enter.
Until today, they couldn't have imagined anyone in the empire daring to cripple Syura so brutally in public.
"…My lady, Syura's crimes have nothing to do with us! I've always opposed his actions. I support the Revolutionary Army! If you spare me, I'll donate all my wealth to their cause!" one of the gentry blurted, trying to curry favor.
The others, snapping out of their shock, echoed similar pleas.
But Hikari had no interest in their groveling. She cast Tsukuyomi on each of them, using her "Yasakani" to scan their lives in an instant. Then, with a flick of her blade, she cut down three of them.
"Sorry, I'm not with the Revolutionary Army," she said coolly, shaking the blood from her blade. She turned to the remaining two. "You two, go inventory the wealth of these three and convert it to gold and silver. Deliver it to me. Don't try anything clever—I can see into your hearts. If anyone's eager to die, go ahead and test me."
From their memories, Hikari had glimpsed some of their hidden wealth, though the details were incomplete. Much of it was tied up in antiques, paintings, land, or property—things that took time to liquidate. Better to let their own kind handle it.
"Oh, and bring that guy Lan along when you raid their estates. He's taught for a few years; he can probably handle the accounting."
Hundreds of meters away, on the street, Syura stopped crawling. His face twisted in pain as he gasped for air. He was adept at inflicting gruesome tortures on others but had never endured such agony himself. Despite years of martial training, the tidal waves of pain were unbearable. The street stretched endlessly before him, like a road with no horizon.
A voice broke the silence. "Don't stop. Keep crawling."
"??" Syura's head whipped around in terror, and he screamed, "You said you wouldn't chase me until dawn! Why—?"
"That promise was made by my real self. What's that got to do with a shadow clone?" Hikari's clone smiled gently. "And tell me, did you ever keep the promises you made to those you killed?"
Her voice softened, almost tender. "Don't worry, I won't kill you before sunrise. I might even let you live a few extra days. Here's the deal: if I find you after dawn, I'll cut off your other arm and leg, then let you crawl until the next sunrise. You've already lost one arm and one leg, so you've got three more chances—three more days to live. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?"
Syura's face contorted, and he finally snapped, cursing, "You… you're a demon! Who comes up with such a sadistic game?!"
"Being called a demon by someone as vile as you? I'm almost flattered," Hikari said, her smile warm. "Stop dawdling and crawl. Or I'll start slicing your flesh off now. Your life's already flickering like a candle in the wind, but if you entertain me, I might grant you a quick death."
Syura fell silent.
For the first time, he understood the humiliation and fear his victims had felt.
He resumed crawling, leaving a trail of crimson blood as he dragged himself toward his own personal hell.
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