Chapter 59: Hirohito, Die!
The ninja, Seiko Momochi, slashed at empty air. A sharp, needle-like pain suddenly erupted from behind her. She instinctively softened her muscles, and sure enough, a terrifying force stabbed at her from the front.
Slice!
Seiko twisted her body, but the kick still raked across her side like a spear, tearing a deep gash in her waist. As a descendant of one of the three legendary Iga Jonin, Tanba-no-kami Momochi, and a remnant of the Momochi ninja clan, Seiko had dedicated her life to serving Prince Hirohito, prepared to die for the revival of the fallen ninja clans.
She seemed to feel no pain. Her hands blurred, her sword grip shifted, and she thrust her blade at her opponent's leg.
Thunk!
The sword plunged three inches into the earth. Seiko instantly leaped backward, exiting the smoke cloud and throwing another smoke bomb as she retreated. She knew the man before her was a monster on par with the Twelve Kizuki, an enemy far beyond her capabilities. All she had to do was stall him for a few moments, long enough for His Highness to reach safety. That would be her victory.
As her mind raced, she caught a glimpse of Prince Hirohito nearing the wooden house. If he can just get there…
But in the next moment, Seiko froze. She hadn't heard the sound of the second smoke bomb exploding. She landed, her sword held defensively, her stance coiled and ready to flee, not to fight.
Kaito walked out of the smoke, calmly holding several black spheres between his fingers. He had caught the trigger-activated smoke bombs so perfectly that they hadn't detonated.
"Miss Ninja, you've disappointed me."
Kaito suddenly twisted his body, moving with blinding speed. The next moment, the smoke bombs shot from his hand, slamming into the ground in front of Prince Hirohito and exploding. Kaito himself, meanwhile, lunged at the female ninja like a cheetah.
Seeing him charge, the black-clad ninja's breathing steadied. She was no fledgling. She had spent years in the shadows, growing accustomed to both taking lives and having her own life taken. The only difference was that now, it was her turn.
Seiko let out a fierce kiai, her hands a blur as she unleashed a storm of shuriken.
Kaito's pupils contracted. His hawk-like dynamic vision, combined with the terrifying reaction speed granted by his 17 points of Agility, allowed him to track every single projectile. His body twisted, his neck seeming to vibrate like a phantom's, and he passed through the storm of steel in an instant.
At the same time, he exhaled sharply, his right hand forming a blade, a terrifying power coiling within it.
WHOOSH!
The sound of his hand-blade slicing through the air was a low, hungry howl.
Seiko's heart sank. She felt as if her own movements were in slow motion. The man radiated a searing killing intent, and his hand-blade was more terrifying than any sword.
Death.
She suddenly felt the cold terror of her own impending demise. All she had time to do was twist her own blade, trying to parry the blow. But she was too slow. Her sword had barely moved when the shockwave from his attack slammed into her face.
Thump!
At the last second, Kaito changed his hand-blade into a fist. The punch slammed into her chest. The sound of cracking bone was sharp and clear, followed by the dull, wet pop of her internal organs rupturing like a balloon.
[You have killed the ninja, Seiko Momochi. You have gained 300 Dimensional Points.]
[Side Quest: Bloody Purge bonus reward acquired. All mission participants gain an additional 500 Dimensional Points.]
[Hidden Quest: The Fading Miracle updated. Shintoism Faction reputation has increased. Current: Friendly (65/100)]
The female ninja died without ever removing her mask. She may have had her skills, but her battlefield was the treacherous darkness, a world of disguise and assassination. Not an open square, trying to fight a being like Kaito with a few smoke bombs. And so, she died.
Hirohito heard the clear thud of a heavy body hitting the ground. His already trembling legs felt even weaker. But he was so close. The wooden house with the red moon flag… it was his sanctuary. If I can just get there, I can live!
He gasped for breath, a sudden, irrational anger rising in his heart for the oiran who had kept him up all night. If not for her exquisite skills, he wouldn't be in such a pathetic state.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Hirohito froze. An icy feeling crept up his spine. He was only a few meters from the safe house Muzan had left for him. But that man…
Slowly, Hirohito turned around. His pupils shrank to pinpricks.
The tall man was now standing less than a meter behind him. They were so close that Hirohito could smell the metallic tang of blood on his hands. This man had killed his personal guards, and had just slaughtered a powerful ninja from the Momochi clan in a matter of moments.
"Who… are you…"
Terrified by Kaito's silent approach, Hirohito stumbled backward, which in his panic, actually brought him closer to the wooden house.
Kaito's lips curled into a grin. He feigned ignorance and, playing along, took another step forward, forcing Hirohito back.
"What do you want?" Hirohito babbled, trying to stall for time as he shuffled backward. "Money? Power? Women? I can give you anything!" He felt his legs were surprisingly nimble now.
Kaito watched him, his amusement growing. Finally, Hirohito felt his back press against the wooden door. His heart began to pound with a frantic, wild hope. Maybe I can live?! The thought ignited a spark in his chest, and the color returned to his face.
Kaito looked at the man who would one day become the emperor who would plunge Asia into a catastrophic war. He found him to be just as naive and weak as anyone else. No matter how many lives he might take in the future, when his own was on the line, he was just like a stray dog, begging for scraps in a mud puddle.
Creeak…
The wooden door opened. From the darkness within, the sound of a biwa being played echoed out. A surge of joy washed over Hirohito, and his face flushed with triumph.
But in the next instant, an immense force seized him from the front, lifting him off the ground and away from the door.
Kaito held Hirohito by the neck with one hand. He looked into the darkness of the house, at the woman with her face obscured by black hair, holding a biwa. No, not a woman. A demon.
Hirohito and Kaito were both standing in direct sunlight. Though Nakime's biwa sang, nothing happened.
Hirohito struggled, craning his neck. He saw the tall man's mocking smile.
"Hirohito," Kaito said, his voice a low purr. "You tried so hard to survive. It's just a shame… heh… it was all for nothing."
CRACK!
With a casual squeeze, Kaito crushed his throat.
Thud.
Hirohito's body went limp. The agony of suffocation and the terror of death made him lose control of his bladder. Kaito kicked the body away in disgust, then looked at Nakime inside the house.
"Can you arrange a meeting for me with Muzan Kibutsuji?"
A light flashed in his hand, and the [Blue Spider Lily] appeared.
Nakime froze. She had been about to teleport away, but now she hesitated. She knew that the thing in his hand was what Lord Muzan had been searching for for a thousand years.
The next moment, Muzan's voice appeared in her mind.
Nakime strummed her biwa. A woman in a black kimono—Muzan in his female form—instantly appeared in the dark room. Her red eyes stared at Kaito, and she nodded.
"You must be the martial artist those two told me about. You have some skill."
"What do you say? Do you want to live forever?"
Though she was trying to remain calm, Kaito could see that her eyes were practically glued to the [Blue Spider Lily] in his hand.
[You have killed Prince Hirohito. You have gained 500 Dimensional Points.]
[Side Quest: Bloody Purge bonus reward acquired. All mission participants gain 1 D-rank Singularity. EX051 (Mercenary Tao) gains 1 C-rank Singularity.]
[Hidden Quest: The Fading Miracle updated. Shintoism Faction reputation has greatly increased. Current: Revered (90/100)]
[Hidden Faction: Shintoism Reputation Store has been unlocked.]
[Main Quest progress updated…]
At that moment, the twitching body of Hirohito finally went still.
Kaito suddenly burst out laughing. That priest at the Fushimi Inari-taisha had pretended he didn't want to kill Hirohito. But the reputation gain from this one kill was far, far greater than killing ordinary demons or those other ministers.
Humans and demons, he thought with a grin. Sometimes, there's really no difference at all.
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Guys We cross the 700 power stone goal and as promise here the bonus chapter
Next goal 800 power stone,come on guys you'll can do it, good luck.
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