Chapter 25: Y008 Kraken

The cold steel plaza was shrouded in the shadow of a colossal entity. The air seemed to freeze, carrying a salty, fishy stench from the deep sea that wafted in with the wind beneath the steel, making one gag.

It was the massive remains of a giant octopus, standing dozens of meters tall.

The remains appeared completely desiccated due to their age, and the overall size had shrunk considerably, turning a withered blackish-yellow. Yet, it was still easy to discern the terrifying nature of the creature in its prime.

A ghostly blue light flickered. It did not come from lamps, but emanated from certain fractures in the massive remains and from the viscous liquid oozing out. Like the unwilling blood of a fallen beast, it weakly and stubbornly illuminated the dead silence of the space, resembling a pulse that continued to beat.

Du Shui felt as if she had been struck by lightning. The giant golden vertical pupils within her body trembled violently, and countless fragmented, chaotic images crashed over her consciousness like a tide: surging black tsunamis, crimson flames capable of splitting the ocean, suffocating wails, and… the cold, pure rage and despair of a massive will.

One moment she seemed to be a roaring beast upon the sea; the next, she was a hero wielding a tachi, confronting that beast amidst the waves. Her consciousness was torn and twisted by these shattered memories, manifesting as anxious, ragged breaths.

Yun Zhou rushed over to support her, steadying her swaying body.

“Puji… pujiji!” Contrary to its usual behavior, the Dumbo Octopus did not approach the remains. Instead, it shrank back into Du Shui’s sleeve in terror, its tiny body shaking violently, conveying intense fear and sorrow.

Even the dagger Ying Huo held against Liu Ming’s neck trembled slightly. The light-brown-haired youth took a deep breath and, after a moment of hesitation, shifted the blade slightly outward, lest his shaking arm accidentally injure this delicate young master.

“What on earth is that thing?”

At the critical moment, Yun Zhou was the only one calm enough to ask a question. He shifted his gaze from the eerie, massive remains to Liu Ming, the only person who might know the truth.

“How are you so sure I’d know?”

Liu Ming naturally wasn’t going to tell Yun Zhou so easily; he asked with a provocative air.

“Because you aren’t surprised. In fact, you seem to have expected this. Moreover, the fact that there’s no one around suggests the area was cleared in advance. The only thing that fits that requirement is the great deep-sea secret the Great Elder planned to show you… For you, when cooperating with someone, it’s impossible not to investigate their background thoroughly. The Great Elder is the same.”

Yun Zhou shrugged, his golden eyes reflecting a strange cunning. It made Liu Ming realize belatedly that wolves were perhaps the most devious animals on the highlands of the Seventh District…

“Fine. You’d probably figure it out even if I didn’t tell you.”

Liu Ming sighed. As he looked at the massive remains, a flash of fervor and madness that he himself could not understand crossed his eyes.

“That is Y008—the Anomaly King of Water and Oceans, the North Sea Giant Kraken.”

“It was killed by the head of the Izayoi Family, Umizuki no Mikoto, during its last awakening. Its remains sank to the bottom of the ocean and were later salvaged by the family, becoming one of the most precious and massive experimental specimens in this laboratory.”

Yun Zhou’s brilliance lasted only a moment; now, he seemed to have reverted to being a silly wolf. He blinked. “Holy crap! For real? Can I even trust you?”

Liu Ming had forgotten that he was still being held at knifepoint by Ying Huo. He took a deep breath and rubbed his temple. “Those are just deductions. I’m guessing. There’s no evidence. Believe it or not.”

Yun Zhou immediately folded. “I believe you, I believe you! Don’t get worked up!”

Liu Ming’s breathing hitched in anger again. “Who’s worked up?!”

Could someone please tell this guy that he was currently their prisoner! Does he not understand what being a prisoner means?!

…Perhaps the Savior was intentionally provoking him as a form of “torture” for being a traitor. Maybe he was playing a deeper game.

Liu Ming convinced himself of this and tried to calm down, only to hear Yun Zhou’s response.

“See? Worked up again.”

Liu Ming: …He had finally realized that this bastard was doing this on purpose.

“Stop getting distracted. Look over there—”

At the critical moment, Ying Huo was the reliable one. He used the dagger at Liu Ming’s neck to point toward the massive remains. The pale blue glow had stabilized, and they could see that surrounding the suffocating central remains were various strange instruments. Massive pipes, like blood vessels, connected to certain parts of the remains, and a ghostly blue liquid was being slowly extracted and stored through these pipes.

This was clearly the core of the Great Elder’s research project!

“This is the heart of the laboratory! We can’t stay here long,” Ying Huo hissed, suppressing his inner shock. He increased the pressure of the blade, glancing warningly at Liu Ming. “Young Master Liu, now, tell us how to get out of here!”

The secrets of the laboratory and the Great Elder’s goals were now obvious. Their mission for this trip had been achieved; the only thing left to do was leave. However, the elevator platform was a one-way trip down. They needed to find another exit.

Liu Ming took a deep breath, forcing himself to look away from the remains. That inscrutable smile returned to his face. “Don’t be in such a rush, student Ying Huo. If we leave so hastily, wouldn’t that be wasting the Great Elder’s hospitality?”

He raised an eyebrow provocatively, causing Ying Huo’s pupils to contract in anger. “Then what do you want to do?”

Liu Ming didn’t answer. Before he could speak, an aged voice tinged with a hint of pride echoed through the empty steel plaza like a ghost.

“Young Master Liu is correct. With such a precious treasure, why are you three young friends in such a hurry to leave? Do you not wish… to take a closer look?”

The three of them started, whipping around.

At the elevator platform they had descended from, the figure of the Great Elder slowly emerged.

He was not alone. Several elite ninjas, their eyes flashing with an even denser and more eerie blue light, stood behind him like shadows. More heart-stoppingly, the Great Elder was not standing directly on the platform; he was hovering half a foot off the ground, stepping upon a churning mass of pitch-black water mist that looked like a condensed deep-sea vortex.

The blue within that mist was identical to the color of Y008’s remains before them; it had clearly been achieved through some form of experimental means.

“You don’t seem afraid of Y008 waking up at all. Using the remains of the Kraken for these horrific experiments… even injecting the mental power of an Anomaly King into your own body… what exactly is your goal?!”

Du Shui questioned him sharply. Chairperson Black Swan had long ago banned the use of mental power extracted from Anomalies across the seven districts. While such power could enhance a Corrector’s abilities, it would simultaneously cause them to plunge uncontrollably into the abyss of the Anomaly. It was a method of empowerment with devastating drawbacks.

Looking at the Great Elder’s current state, it was obvious he had already injected the residual mental power extracted from those Anomaly remains.

“We truly aren’t afraid.”

The Great Elder let out a smug laugh, his gaze sweeping across the three young people before him. “A young shrine maiden, the Savior, and a Mystic from the forests of the 6th District. To be honest, in the years we’ve spent researching these ,we’ve gained far more than just superficial techniques like turning ninjas into Anomalies or boosting a Corrector’s mental power.”

The Great Elder narrowed his eyes. “Do you know how far we’ve actually progressed? We can even shorten the slumber of these Anomaly Kings, forcibly awakening their underdeveloped, nascent true forms.”

“Could it be…”

Trembling, Du Shui hugged the little octopus tighter in her arms.

The Great Elder sneered. “If this monster didn’t have an appearance that made people lower their guard, how could you have been lured here? But it doesn’t matter. Rest assured, I invited you representatives of Black Swan’s will here simply to demonstrate my plan. Facing the future preset by Y009, we have a better solution than simply clashing head-on with the Anomaly Kings.”

The Great Elder ignored the murderous glares from the three of them. His gaze drifted past them, landing on the distant remains of Y008 with greedy obsession. His voice carried a nearly fanatical allure.

“Do you see it? The answer is right in front of you! This is the only hope for humanity to completely resolve the threat of the constantly awakening Anomaly Kings! Y008, the only complete specimen of an Anomaly King in human hands… its remains, its blood, its bones, its residual will… they are all unparalleled treasures!”

The Great Elder had fallen into madness. “As long as we turn that foolish Dumbo Octopus into a true Kraken and allow Y008 to revive, an Anomaly Tide far more violent than any before will swallow the entire Third District. When that happens…”

The Great Elder began to cackle. “Only the Third District will survive the apocalypse spoken of by Y009!”

The others: …Turn everyone into Anomalies to fight the Anomaly Tide? If they heard correctly, did this old thing really just say something that bizarre?

Liu Ming’s lip twitched. Although he had roughly guessed the Great Elder’s intentions, he still felt speechless hearing the man actually voice the idea and proudly use it to try and win them over.

“Are you joking?” Yun Zhou roared. “Researching Anomalies through such twisted means, creating monsters, turning people into monsters, and forcing Y008 to awaken early to cause even greater casualties… this is your so-called ‘hope’?”

The fanaticism on the Great Elder’s face faded slightly, replaced by a near-desperate urgency.

“Innocent? Young man, you are too naive! The Anomaly Tides at the Kanagawa Defense Chain are becoming more violent and frequent. But Y008 is in our hands. Do you know what that means? It means that even if we control Y008, the Anomaly Tide it brings is still endless and impossible to stop… unless we kill it! But what good does killing it do? It will keep waking up, waking up without end. Our war will never cease!”

“These monsters are not beings that humans can comprehend. The great forest fire of the 6th District years ago, the Anomaly erosion of the Seventh District… this world itself is sliding into the abyss of the Anomaly. Even the World Tree itself is Y010!”

Ying Huo and Yun Zhou shuddered violently, as if a raw nerve had been struck.

The Great Elder took a deep breath, his agitation subsiding. “Your imagination of solving everything through combat is like a mantis trying to stop a carriage¹. The future will inevitably be a future of Anomalies, and what we need to do… is embrace it.”

He pressed his palms together in front of his chest in a typical gesture of prayer.

As a mental-type, Liu Ming instantly sensed something was wrong. He raised his hand, ignoring the dagger Ying Huo had pressed against his neck. Silver-blue mental power formed a celestial net that surged toward the Great Elder, but he was a step too late.

The mist surged, rushing toward Du Shui and the little octopus in her arms, as well as toward the gruesome remains.

Everyone heard it: the Great Elder’s almost inhuman laughter.

“Just watch… just watch. Once the Anomaly Tide destroys the Kanagawa Defense Chain, you will all beg me for the privilege of becoming Anomalies.”

Du Shui reacted the fastest. The tachi within her umbrella unsheathed in an instant, slashing through the air above her head toward the eerie blue mist. Two red and blue jellyfish Spiritual Bodies leaped out, attempting to block the mist with their mental power.

The blade spun, successfully shredding patches of the mist. Most of the vapor flowed over Du Shui and crashed into the remains of Y008 behind her, but a single, eerie, razor-thin fragment of mist was swept up by the airflow of Du Shui’s movement and wrapped around the little octopus.

The moment that cluster of blue mist touched the little octopus, the entire space seemed to become humid. Visible ocean waves appeared out of thin air. Only then did Du Shui and the others notice a strange, salty scent of brine.

“Sea… wind?”

Yun Zhou spoke, bewildered.

Liu Ming reacted instantly. As various pieces of information overlapped in his mind, he quickly realized what this bizarre Anomaly was.

He looked down sharply. Beneath the layers of overlapping steel platforms, deep, bottomless seawater had surged up at some unknown moment.

Like a living creature, the seawater greedily licked at the steel supports.

The water was a deep, ink-like black, ravenously swallowing the layered steel platforms. It climbed the steel reinforcements bit by bit, appearing as if it wanted to engulf the highest platform and the remains of the Kraken along with it.

No… this platform was mobile. Judging by the familiar, salty scent of brine brought by the wind just now, the platform was likely already positioned above the ocean.

And those waves suddenly appearing in mid-air…

Liu Ming’s pupils contracted. Even Ying Huo forgot to keep him hostage; he lowered the dagger in his hand and stared blankly at the waves surging through the air.

“Du Shui! Run!”

Yun Zhou was the only other person to realize something was wrong at the same time as Liu Ming. He lunged toward Du Shui, trying to grab the girl’s arm, but he was too late.

The tiny octopus let out a scream of agony. Quickly, its form began to twist and expand. Its lengthening tentacles suddenly coiled around Du Shui’s shoulders, dragging her straight down off the platform—its target was the ocean below!

“Damn it! Du Shui! We can’t let them get away!”

Without time to think, Yun Zhou dove after her.

“Yun Zhou’s element is wind; he should be able to rescue Du Shui. We need to take the Great Elder over there and find the Third District Chief immediately. Only Izayoi Ame can stop this!”

At the edge of the steel platform, the Great Elder lay unconscious on the ground, as if creating the blue mist had exhausted every ounce of his strength.

Liu Ming quickly made the next set of arrangements. He looked at Ying Huo, who was closest to him, and decided he no longer needed to pretend. After all, the goal of his cooperation with the Great Elder had been achieved—he now understood the deepest secret of the Third District.

From the moment he arrived in the Third District, he felt that rather than using the Serpent Guard to secretly probe the Great Elder’s conspiracy, it would be more efficient to step forward and offer an olive branch on behalf of the Liu Family to lure the Great Elder out.

And that was exactly how it played out. If the Great Elder hadn’t wanted to share his findings with his new ally, no one would have known tonight about the steel platform hidden beneath this laboratory, nor the secret the Great Elder and the Elder Council had kept tightly guarded—the remains of the Kraken.

“No! There’s no time!”

Ying Huo didn’t follow Liu Ming’s instructions immediately. At this moment, he didn’t have time to wonder why Liu Ming’s demeanor had shifted so abruptly. “Look behind you.”

Liu Ming turned around, his eyes widening.

As the surging waves, which looked like raw mental energy, appeared on the steel platform, the massive remains reacted as if stimulated, expanding at a terrifying speed.

With the replenishment of moisture, the long-dried skin regained its vitality, becoming elastic and glossy. Slimy, disgusting chunks of flesh swelled frantically, filling and crushing the entire steel platform with lightning speed.

The Great Elder, who had collapsed closest to the eerily writhing remains, had already been devoured by the flesh. The undulating mass emitted sounds of joyful, feeding laughter that had reached a level of pure grotesqueness.

“It’s too late! Go!”

Seeing that the flesh had noticed Liu Ming and Ying Huo and was rushing toward them, Ying Huo stopped observing. He grabbed Liu Ming and jumped off the platform amidst the tide. He still remembered that Liu Ming was a Guide who needed protection, so he cushioned the back of Liu Ming’s head with his hands to guard against any sudden attacks.

Liu Ming: …Your heart is in the right place, but could you please stop being so helpful?

The four of them were practically a living version of “you jump, I jump.” Liu Ming gritted his teeth, wanting to scream, If you’re seeking death, don’t drag me with you!

But the pursuit of the writhing, ominous flesh behind him left him unable to speak.

Those lunatics in the Elder Council… they really intended to resurrect Y008, and they had already put that plan into action.

And the strange blue mist the Great Elder had just created was the key to triggering a resonance with the remains of Y008…

During the weightless fall, gazing at the massive steel structural platform and the bottomless, deep-blue sea crashing violently against the platform’s pillars, Liu Ming took a deep breath, attempting to focus his consciousness.

Why did the Great Elder detonate the blue mist while Yun Zhou and the others were present? Now was clearly not the best time, and the remains had not yet reached the full form of Y008; it was merely a tireless, feeding monster.

What condition was enough to make the Great Elder give up waiting and patience, taking such a massive risk—even offending the Liu Family and placing the Liu heir in danger—to do all this?

Was there some Anomaly… something that didn’t add up…

Countless fragments and clues flashed before Liu Ming’s eyes. Among everything that had happened recently, one extremely obvious clue suddenly surged to the forefront.

The eyes!

Liu Ming suddenly thought of the giant, blood-red eyes deep within Du Shui’s Mental Landscape.

“Cough, cough, cough!”

In the next second, a thunderous crash echoed as they hit the water. Despite Ying Huo’s protection, Liu Ming felt as if the impact of the fall had shifted his internal organs. He tried to cough, only to realize that he could actually make a sound.

Sound?

He looked up and saw countless writhing Anomalies slowly assembling beneath the surface, completely surrounding the sunken steel platform and its outer structures. The four of them, submerged in the water, were each encased in a thin, bubble-like film of water.

The film trapped air, allowing them to breathe beneath the surface, while special currents circled the perimeter of the film like ropes, securing them and… slowly dragging them…

Toward a Torii.

A deep-blue Torii standing in the depths of the ocean.

“Why is there a Torii here?”

The same question surfaced in everyone’s mind, but no one could answer.

Countless hideous, terrifying marine Anomalies nearly covered the entire stretch of seawater. They were like the ocean itself, piling and overlapping one another. Just like the writhing Y008 on the steel platform, they were filled with distorted flesh as they charged toward the four young Correctors encased in bubbles.

But they didn’t attack.

The terrifying swarm of Anomalies simply stopped as they drew near, quietly bowing their heads in salute to whatever was behind the four of them.

They turned around, and just before the eerie current pulled their bubbles into that strange Torii, they witnessed the most disgusting and horrific sight in the world.

A decaying, black platform of steel, consumed and smothered by flesh riddled with pores and suckers.

The steel platform that had been moved to the sea had now been completely devoured by the bloated Y008. It stood above the sea level like a colossal monster made of meat, its surface covered in layers of pores and suckers that expanded and contracted with a rhythmic, breathing pulse.

Ying Huo, who had a weaker stomach, nearly vomited on the spot. The other three looked equally grim, especially as they watched the marine Anomalies rush toward the giant meat-octopus to offer their worship and loyalty.

Nobody had told them Y008 Kraken was this hideous! Were all the other Anomaly Kings such eyesores?

Liu Ming thought with a sour expression: If Chairperson Black Swan had told me, I would rather have died than joined this cursed Savior Squad!

The bizarre scene continued, but fortunately, before their minds were completely warped, the current dragged their bubbles into the Torii.

It was a strange sensation, as if they had suddenly stood up from the water’s surface. A chilling touch washed over their entire bodies, and in the next second, everything on the sea began to vanish. The surrounding waves, the dark water, and the worship and madness of countless Anomalies all disappeared.

Everything around them melted away with the crashing waves, transforming into the mystical Guardian Forest² on the outskirts of Kanagawa. The emerald trees and everything else were bathed in layers of blue light. The four of them struggled as they tumbled out of the towering Blue Torii, coming face-to-face with a pair of calm, ripple-less eyes.

Three layers of blue overlapped within those pupils.

It was the Third District Chief, Izayoi Ame.

In his hand, a gentle current of water slowly condensed and vanished; clearly, the bubbles and the current that had pulled them were the work of the District Chief.

“The Anomaly Tide is rising again. Hozuki and the Second Elder have already gone to the Kanagawa Defense Chain to provide support. I used this Torii to bring you back from the ocean. This Torii is an architectural Anomaly; the space around it was sliced apart by Umizuki no Mikoto, which allows my power to travel through space to reach the waters where you were and rescue you.”

Izayoi Ame gave a brief explanation of the current situation.

“District Chief! Y008 is alive!”

Once Yun Zhou regained his senses, he hurriedly reported the most urgent matter. To his surprise, Izayoi Ame merely nodded with a grave expression. “I know.”

Not only was Yun Zhou stunned, but even the usually composed Liu Ming looked bewildered. “What?”

Izayoi Ame didn’t speak, but simply pointed behind them.

The azure Torii instantly reverted to its original blood-red color, and the blue light vanished rapidly. They were transferred from the Anomaly space of the laboratory back to the normal Guardian Forest.

The terrain of Kanagawa was generally high. Even this seaside Guardian Forest felt like a vantage point, allowing them to easily see everything happening at the coast.

Not far away, continuous artillery fire was pouring down upon the sea. The entire Kanagawa Defense Chain had entered its highest combat alert state, with all weapons and turrets operating at full power.

Yet, even so, it was like an ant trying to shake a tree.

A colossal shadow, large enough to almost shroud all of Kanagawa, emerged from the sea nearby. It resembled an octopus, but its size was staggering, nearly a thousand meters in length. As its massive, curved tentacles lashed out randomly, countless Anomalies surged from the ocean.

How could one describe such a sight? Liu Ming uncontrollably thought of the ending of the prophetic dream—the collapse of the World Tree and the Black Dragon born from the black cocoon at the end of the world.

This was a world-ending Anomaly King.

The entire ocean trembled and submitted under the movements of that giant shadow.

Simply because it was the Anomaly King of Water, Y008, Kraken.

“They’ve gone mad… Kraken’s Anomaly Core was returned to its remains; that is the fundamental condition for an Anomaly King’s revival… Now, the entire city will be destroyed by that thing…”

Izayoi Ame gritted his teeth. Clearly, he hadn’t expected that the Great Elder and those bewitched lunatics in the Elder Council, who were fellow members of the Izayoi Family, could actually go this far.

“Anomaly Core… you mean that Dumbo Octopus?”

Liu Ming let out a cold laugh, guessing what the Anomaly Core was. He looked at Yun Zhou and the other two. “You guys really were played for fools from the very start.”

The perfectly timed passage, the little octopus that escaped just at the right moment to trigger everyone’s protective instincts, and the ninjas following it—all of it was a meticulous arrangement. The Great Elder had intentionally lured Yun Zhou and the others there to better stimulate the power of that Anomaly Core.

The awakening of an Anomaly King required its corresponding Anomaly Core. Compared to the core, even the old physical body was an unimportant accessory. As long as there was an Anomaly Core and sufficient mental energy or a suitable environment, the Anomaly Kings could successfully revive.

But why? Why did the Great Elder go through such a long process, sending the Anomaly Core to Yun Zhou and the others before bringing it to the platform?

The awakening of an Anomaly King required sufficient mental energy or a suitable environment…

Could it be that Y008’s remains were also just a diversion? The condition truly needed was…

Liu Ming pondered for a moment and reached a conclusion. He truly hadn’t considered this and had been outmaneuvered by the Great Elder, because he simply couldn’t believe why an Anomaly King would allow its Anomaly Core to fall into human hands and be studied for years…

With strength like the Great Elder’s, he wasn’t even among the elite of humanity. Why would that Anomaly Core be willing to be studied?

This must be related to the former head of the Izayoi Family who once killed Y008 – Umizuki no Mikoto.

He needed more information.

Liu Ming looked up at the bullet chat, where the viewers were clearly in a state of panic.

【Is Liu Ming a good guy or a bad guy? I really can’t tell anymore…】

【Wait, what is happening?! Are we still heading toward the “destruction” ending?! Du Shui hasn’t even gotten that blade yet, and Y008 has already awakened!】

【I knew this loop couldn’t be sustained. I’m out. I thought things would be different since Young Master Liu changed so much.】

【The King of Anomalies has awakened. Y008 is a complete master of water, and the Third District is mostly filled with water-type Correctors. I think the Third District might suffer even more this time than in previous loops, especially since there are remains in addition to the Anomaly Core.】

【Wait, doesn’t that mean Young Master Liu actually accelerated the destruction of this loop?!】

【Exactly!】

The bullet chat began to flood with sarcastic comments as the viewers started accepting the fact that this “loop” was about to be destroyed.

Liu Ming ignored their cynicism, instead staring intently at one specific comment: 【Du Shui hasn’t even gotten that blade yet, and Y008 has already awakened!】

That blade?

What other blade could there be?

Liu Ming finally realized the true solution to the problem. He took a deep breath and was about to speak when he looked up and found Izayoi Ame gazing at him coldly.

It was a bone-chilling gaze, the absolute coldness of a superior.

He was warning him.

“Is there anything we can do to help?”

Yun Zhou stood there restlessly, and Du Shui felt a wave of self-reproach, blaming herself for failing to protect the Anomaly Core and allowing the Great Elder to succeed.

“…The most important thing right now is the front line. Hozuki is there, but the defenses can no longer fully hold back the massive tide of Anomalies. If you have the courage, go to the coastal areas of the city and try to stop the tide that has already breached the perimeter and entered the city.”

Izayoi Ame sighed. His thoughts were clearly chaotic; in fact, no one could remain calm when facing the King of Anomalies.

Liu Ming interrupted him. “No. You’ll take my token and go to the Great Elder’s other laboratories. In my name as his partner, tell the staff there to destroy all experimental specimens and products as quickly as possible… That lunatic didn’t just experiment on Y008; he’s worked on nearly a hundred other Anomaly experimental subjects. If those subjects escape, we’ll be facing even more high-sequence Anomalies.”

The reason he had chosen to act as the Great Elder’s collaborator wasn’t just for the Misunderstanding Points on t231, but to ensure that all of the Great Elder’s forces would follow his arrangements at the critical moment, while also seeing if the Liu Family could reap some benefits from it.

“I’ve already sent you the detailed map of the Great Elder’s laboratories. Check it yourself.”

Liu Ming had skillfully swindled the map from the Great Elder; establishing a “partnership” saved a lot of trouble.

Liu Ming removed a family crest badge from his chest and tossed it to Yun Zhou, who scrambled to catch it with both hands. “Oh, right, okay! What about you, Liu Ming?”

Liu Ming shook his head. Seeing Izayoi Ame frown as if he wanted to say something, Yun Zhou showed a rare ability to read the room. He grabbed the still-dazed Du Shui and Ying Huo and bolted, giving Izayoi Ame no chance to speak.

The sky gradually grew overcast due to Y008’s actions. Amidst a whistling night wind, Liu Ming felt a surge of killing intent coming from behind him.

“What are you planning, member of the Liu Family?”

Izayoi Ame’s hand was already resting on the Umizukigiri. As an outsider who had overstepped his bounds by interrupting the District Chief of the Third District, and as a member of the most suspicious Liu Family, it was hard for Izayoi Ame not to feel resentful.

“I’m not planning anything. I just want to say—”

Liu Ming turned around, his blood-red eyes flashing brilliantly under the night sky. He stared intently at Izayoi Ame, speaking each word deliberately. “Are you still not going to tell me? Your plan, and Du Shui’s true identity?”

Izayoi Ame took a deep breath. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He drew the Umizukigiri from his waist, the blade pointing straight at Liu Ming.

The moment he moved, Liu Ming moved as well.

He simply snapped his fingers. “Wake up. Look at everything you’re doing right now. Does this even seem like you?”

Silver-blue threads had been embedded into the surrounding ground by Liu Ming at some unknown point. Countless threads rapidly coiled around Izayoi Ame’s wrists, preventing the blade of the tachi from advancing a single inch further.

In the moment Izayoi Ame froze in confusion, Liu Ming clicked the confirmation button on t231. “Izayoi Ame—wake up!”

He used his accumulated Misunderstanding Points to sever the Plot Strings attached to Izayoi Ame.

In the original plot, Izayoi Ame, as the District Chief, had never noticed the Great Elder’s hidden hand. The other party had even taken Y008’s Anomaly Core and remains for long-term experiments, yet Izayoi Ame remained completely in the dark, as if he knew nothing. This was fundamentally abnormal.

As the youngest District Chief, he shouldn’t have been at that level, nor could he have been.

Liu Ming didn’t believe that the heir put forward by the Izayoi Family was truly some naive, clueless whale. There was only one reason that could explain this.

Plot Strings.

Plot Strings were controlling, or rather blinding, Izayoi Ame, keeping him ignorant of the Great Elder’s actions. Even if he had suspicions, he could never find substantial evidence.

Because he failed to uncover the Great Elder’s conspiracy, Izayoi Ame was forced to sacrifice himself and the entire city to perish along with Anomaly Y008 in the end.

But it was useless. After perishing together with Kanagawa, Y008, who should have sunk to the bottom of the sea, somehow awakened again and returned to drag the entire Third District into the deep ocean.

That was the most brutal battle of all. From then on, the Anomaly Kings descended with unprecedented speed, and the war between humanity and the Anomalies erupted in full. The dead were piled high, becoming part of the bone throne behind the awakened giant dragon.

The problem in the Third District had to be solved. Otherwise, once the total war began, not even Liu Ming, who knew everything, would be able to stop the collapsing tower.

“Well? Are you awake now?”

Liu Ming looked at Izayoi Ame, who was wrapped in layers of silk threads, pinned to the spot. The other man’s breathing gradually grew rapid, and even the tachi in his hand began to tremble uncontrollably.

Within those complex, triple-blue pupils flickered a sense of realization and the blankness of something being shattered. He felt his body grow light, as if something invisible had been completely stripped away from him.

He saw how he had turned a blind eye to everything abnormal regarding the Great Elder; he saw how he had failed to notice the Anomaly beneath the Guardian Forest as if he were being controlled. He had simply fought day after day on the Kanagawa defense works, fighting relentlessly, like a robot.

This was wrong… He was the District Chief, not just the sharpest blade of the Third District.

Izayoi Ame snapped his head up. The thing that had long shackled his movements had vanished completely. Now, his body felt light and free, just like…

That giant monster waving its tentacles on the distant horizon.

“The Kraken has awakened… Its remains were used for various experiments to extract Anomaly mental power… How could I have been completely unaware of something so serious?”

Izayoi Ame stared at that massive shadow, but there was no time for self-reproach. He took a deep breath to calm himself.

“Young Master Liu, thank you for the mental guidance just now. If not for your help, I fear I still wouldn’t have been able to break free from that thing’s control.”

Liu Ming: Just how little do these Sentinels understand about psychic-type Guides? He actually thinks this is mental guidance… Whatever, call it mental guidance if you want.

“It’s not entirely your fault. After all, you were in a controlled state. If the controller didn’t want you to realize something, you absolutely wouldn’t.”

Liu Ming sighed. “Where are you planning to go?”

Izayoi Ame took a deep breath. “To the front lines. The other Correctors can’t stop that thing. No matter how fierce the artillery is, it can only delay its progress. I must go to the front.”

Liu Ming: …Why does it feel like untying these Plot Strings changed absolutely nothing…

He rubbed his temples and reminded him, “District Chief, use your brain—the one you actually control—and think. Is there really no other way?”

Izayoi Ame seemed to react, realizing something. He looked at Liu Ming with an expression that was hard to describe. “If you’re referring to Du Shui… No, that isn’t a way out. That is a deeper despair. The thing inside Du Shui absolutely cannot wake up.”

Izayoi Ame took a deep breath. “Otherwise, the fate of this city… will only be more miserable.”

Translator’s Notes