The moment "Osho" removed his mask, the pupils of Gen Chisei and Inuyama Katsu shrank to the size of needle tips.
Staring at the face they knew so well, the two of them felt as if they had been struck by lightning. Their minds went blank, and they froze in place, unable to comprehend what was happening.
In the span of a few seconds, it felt like an entire century had passed for both Gen Chisei and Inuyama Katsu.
This… how is this possible?! The leader of the Oni Clan, "Osho," was actually Masamune Tachibana!
When Osho took off the pale mask and revealed his true face, it was like a thunderclap in Gen Chisei and Inuyama Katsu's minds.
They couldn't immediately accept it, and for a moment, they thought it was some kind of illusion.
As the heir of Yamata no Orochi, Gen Chisei was always expected to stay calm, no matter the circumstances. It was both his duty and his role as a model for others.
But at this moment, Gen Chisei couldn't control his emotions no matter how hard he tried.
His pupils shrank almost to the size of pinpricks. He stared, dumbfounded, at Osho who had removed his mask, and he felt as if his blood had frozen.
A cold chill surged up his spine, reaching his head, and a storm of terror raged in his heart.
Beside him, Inuyama Katsu also looked shocked, his mouth open in disbelief.
Osho, now unmasked, looked at the two of them with a mocking expression, as though enjoying their reactions. "Chisei, now that you've seen me again, don't you have anything to say to me?"
"No... this is impossible." Gen Chisei felt a chill run through him as he stared at Osho. "Y-You're my father?"
"Masamune Tachibana, is it really you?" Inuyama Katsu struggled to keep himself upright despite his injuries. His eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. Deep down, he couldn't accept the truth.
"Please tell me this isn't real. The leader of the Oni Clan, 'Osho,' is actually the same person as the head of Yamata no Orochi?!"
Could there be a more ridiculous joke than this?
The two organisations, Yamata no Orochi and the Oni Clan, who had always been bitter enemies, were now revealed to have the same leader!
Inuyama Katsu's body felt cold. He looked around at Yamata no Orochi, who had been fighting the Corpses, then back at Masamune Tachibana, as if he was beginning to understand.
"This… this was your conspiracy, wasn't it?"
"I prefer to call it a plan."
Tachibana Masamune said calmly, "After all, compared to the Oni Clan, the power of Yamata no Orochi is too strong. It needs to be weakened."
"Fath... no, Tachibana Masamune, why are you doing this?!" Chisei's heart was filled with endless rage. His eyes were bloodshot, and he yelled in a fierce, distorted voice, "Tell me why!"
He couldn't accept it. The 'father' who had been with him throughout his childhood had suddenly transformed into the greatest 'culprit'!
"The reason is simple. It's to step onto the road to 'god' through the realm of death."
Looking at the anger in Chisei's eyes, Tachibana Masamune remained calm, not even a hint of emotion on his face, as if he were talking about something trivial.
"You haven't seen it, so you don't understand. We hold such a huge 'treasure' but don't know how to use it. Doesn't that seem pathetic to you?"
"Have you been plotting for the power of 'god' since thirty years ago?"
Inuyama Katsu felt it was unbelievable. What kind of strong belief and terrifying control did it take to disguise oneself for decades?
"That's right, from the moment I set foot on this land," Tachibana Masamune suddenly paused, then sneered. "No, more precisely, even before that, I knew about the 'White Dragon Emperor' long ago. Since that moment, I've been laying the groundwork."
He was pleased because tonight, after many years, his wish was finally going to come true!
Just one more step, just a little more, the final piece of the puzzle.
Herzog's eyes were filled with fervor and excitement as he spread his arms and shouted, "Soon, it won't be long before you'll witness the power of a god!"
"You're not Tachibana Masamune."
Chisei finally gave up. His eyes were filled with disappointment and deep pain. His clenched fists had his nails digging into his skin, but the physical pain didn't lessen the agony in his heart—the pain of being betrayed by the one he held dear.
"The real Tachibana Masamune... is already dead!"
"You're right, I am not Tachibana Masamune."
Tachibana Masamune's lips slowly curled into a smile, as cold and unsettling as a pale noble's mask: "My real name is Jung Von Herzog."
Osho, Tachibana Masamune, Herzog... how many identities does he have?
This is a question no one can answer.
However, Chisei no longer wanted to ask, because it wasn't needed. Herzog had only one true identity: enemy!
The 'enemy' that must be killed, the greatest and most evil 'demon'!
"Tachibana Masamune, no, it should be Herzog."
Chisei's face showed no mercy, his pupils glowing with molten gold, as the royal bloodline within him activated: "By the name of the 74th patriarch of Yamata no Orochi, I will slay you here today and ensure your conspiracy fails!"
Word Soul—Kingship!
An ancient and powerful language, like the chanting of dragons, echoed across the ground of Tokyo Bay.
This was the fury of a king who inherited royal blood. The space within a radius of several dozen meters from Chisei changed, as the physical laws were completely altered.
The hardened ground groaned under the strain, visible cracks spreading like spider webs. In this domain of 'Kingship,' everyone was subjected to several dozen times the normal gravity.
The weight of a person, originally only a hundred pounds, now felt like thousands.
With ten times the normal weight acting on the human skeleton, even the strongest hybrid would find it difficult to bear.
"Chisei, your enemy is not me."
Herzog struggled against the crushing gravity from the 'Kingship' domain, but he still appeared calm.
"Though we may long for it, why must we meet again?
The earth gives life endlessly, but who is like the passing waters,
Flowing eastward, without end."
These are the lyrics from the song "Yang Guifei" by Bandou Tamasaburo, but the voice singing it sounded full of sorrow, as if mixed with a hint of bitterness and resentment.
Chisei was immediately taken aback. He looked up toward the source of the singing, only to see a man dressed in wide-sleeved robes embroidered with red spider lilies. The man held a deep crimson longsword and slowly walked toward him.
"It's been a long time, Brother... No, we just met last time. Heh."
"Little brother."
Chisei gazed at the figure, speaking softly, "So, this is the path you've chosen, huh?"
"Some things must have an end, don't they?"
Kazama Ruri tilted his sword at an angle, a smile on his face that was neither fully a smile nor a cry. "Come on, you are the ultimate good, and I am the ultimate demon. Crush me with your justice, just like you did in the past. End it all, Brother!"
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