Chapter 297 Toward the Land of the rising sun-First Half
The muscular man looked around in confusion before he noticed Daniel, who stood in front of him with a smile.
"Welcome back, Mr. Heracles," Daniel greeted the muscular man.
The scene that met Heracles was a man standing amidst a field of a starry sky. Behind him, a starry root resembling the core of the world could be seen. As a demigod himself, Heracles knew more or less about this scene. It meant that this man should have enough power to shape reality and might be able to do anything as he stood amidst the sea of the starry sky.
"Thank you for resurrecting me, My Lord. This favor, I'll surely repay with my life. How may I help you?" Heracles asked, kneeling down on one knee, displaying his fealty.
"Oh, thank you. Please wait behind me for a moment. I need to resurrect another one."
Daniel then began to actualize another card, this time the mysterious card he got from completing the achievement a moment ago.
The light shone, gathering into a silhouette of a man. Once the light faded, a young samurai who looked weak knelt in front of Daniel along with a monkey, a dog, and a pheasant.
"Thank you for resurrecting me, My Lord. For that, I'll serve you until the end of my life," the young samurai solemnly said.
"What's your name?" Daniel asked, as he didn't know the name of this card.
"My Lord, I'm Momotaro, The Oni Slayer. At your service!" The young samurai said with a smile. He seemed weak and looked like a pushover, his posture not confident. But Daniel knew better than to judge a book by its cover, as this person named Momotaro came from the Legendary rank, a rank reserved only for the card deserving of such recognition, either it's because of its power or abilities.
"Then, Mr. Momotaro, welcome back to the world of the living," Daniel warmly greeted Momotaro.
Daniel noticed the three animals that had been resurrected alongside Momotaro. These three seemed to have a close connection to him. He didn't know if these animals were the summoned beasts that Momotaro owned or if they were part of him.
After that, Daniel explained the situation to the two and called a VTOL to pick him up at the island and asked them to bring some normal clothes.
In the VTOL, both Heracles and Momotaro were amazed by the futuristic design and various utilities that this VTOL had. Of course, they had gained knowledge about this world, knowledge about everyday life, but Daniel's VTOL happened to be out of the norm of everyday life, so they needed some time to get used to these futuristic things.
The VTOL took off from the island and immediately flew to Japan in stealth mode. Daniel was in a hurry, leaving everything about the preparation of his force to Envy, Penthesilea, and Odysseus. As for himself, he needed to go see the current situation in Japan and understand what really happened.
— Japan - Hojo Clan Castle —
The Hojo Clan Castle, nestled within the heart of the bustling city, retained an air of ancient authority amid the dynamic backdrop of traditional wooden houses and buildings mixed with some of the old western buildings of some western company or embassy. Towering walls of weathered stone surrounded the castle grounds, creating a stark contrast against the more modern elements of the cityscape.
Steam-engine trains traversed nearby tracks, emitting rhythmic puffs of steam that intertwined with the castle's ancient stone fa?ade. The castle's majestic silhouette loomed over the city, its traditional tiered roofs and elegant wooden architecture standing as a testament to centuries of Hojo Clan history.
As pedestrians traversed the cobbled streets, the murmur of conversation blended with the occasional bell-like chime of a passing rickshaw. Traditional tea houses and merchants with sliding storefronts coexisted with newly emerging shops adorned with signs illuminated by the soft glow of electric lights.
Cherry blossom trees, carefully cultivated within the castle's gardens, added a touch of seasonal beauty to the scene. The courtyard, framed by stone pathways and delicate bridges, provided a serene haven within the bustling urban landscape. Here, amidst the meticulous gardens, individuals clad in traditional attire moved gracefully, preserving the timeless customs of Japan.
Inside the Shoin room, where the Shogun convenes with his retinue to make decisions concerning their country and territory, Shogun Hojo sits on his seat of honor while his retinue occupies the lower seats.
The Shogun's countenance reveals fury as he glares at his subordinates, clearly disappointed by what he has heard. His subordinates, in turn, exhibit pale faces, tinged with fear and dread.
"What did you say!? You claim you still haven't located that old man, Atlanteus!?" The Shogun roars in anger.
"My lord, he departed with the remnants of Tokugawa loyalists. We are uncertain of his current whereabouts," stammers one of his subordinates.
"Find him! Regardless of the cost, locate him! He is the reason our plans have to be implemented ahead of schedule!" Shogun Hojo commands, dismissing his retinue to attend to their designated tasks.
"Rest assured, my Lord. He cannot escape. We have established a blockade across the entire country, and all the airports are under our control," reassures his advisor.
"You're right, but this still annoys me!" Shogun Hojo agrees and attempts to calm himself down.
Nobunari Hojo, a Daimyo under the Tokugawa Clan, stands out due to his ambition and deep caution, which led him to meticulously plan the usurpation of the Shogunate from Masayasu Tokugawa, the former Shogun he forced to abdicate.
Initially, Nobunari's flawless plan aimed to solidify his influence over the Tokugawa Clan within the next three to five years. However, everything changed when he learned about Atlanteus.
Though Nobunari has ties and connections within the Hightower, receiving periodic information about the outside and Curtained World, his intel is limited to what the councilor authorities can gather. He lacks information on highly classified matters or the knowledge exclusive to the higher-ups, only possessing details about Magitek and Daniel that most Councilors are aware of.
From what he knows, the Hightower, or, to be exact, the people in the Council of Hightower, fought with an associate-rank mage and lost. This mage is said to be the greatest artificer in the entire world, well-versed in Atlantean artifice techniques that produce technology-defying artifacts.
Each of his artifacts, even an inferior one, commands a high price in every auction house due to its perverse effects and logic-defying nature.
One day, he received a report from one of his spies in the Tokugawa Clan that their princess had arrived with a strange aircraft, capable of stealth and far more advanced than the current technological level on Earth. This aircraft carried one of the Tokugawa princesses born and raised in the outside world.
Additionally, Atlanteus, the Magitek teacher who taught him how to make Atlantean artifacts, was on board. This news made him drool; he knew how powerful Magitek was, and its power heavily relied on Atlantean artifacts. If he could get his hands on the knowledge of how to make these artifacts, his greater ambition to be the master of the world would undoubtedly come true.
He decided to investigate further. It turned out their princess was afflicted with a strange symptom that trapped her soul between the limbo of life and death. She didn't die, but she also wasn't alive.
The Tokugawa Clan asked the Hojo Clan Onmyoji to perform a ritual, giving Princess Koyuki a small portion of the power of Orochi. This power would serve as the anchor to the world of the living. Since Princess Koyuki had the blood of Mayumi Mori, the strongest miko of Japan, she would surely become the next Miko, holding reign over Orochi.
Nobunari accepted, as he needed a hostage against Atlanteus to prevent any reckless actions. He didn't believe he would prevail against such a formidable person as that Magitek teacher.
So, he allowed the Onmyoji to perform their ritual, awakening Koyuki from her slumber. He also instructed them to add something extra: the seal of life and death within Koyuki's body, and he held the activation seal.
He then began with the plan, holding Koyuki hostage and making it clear that her life was in his hands. The plan went smoothly, as nearly half of the Tokugawa men were working for him, and many minor clans also joined in the plot to overthrow the Tokugawa shogunate.
He succeeded, putting Atlanteus in a bind. Atlanteus couldn't help the Tokugawa since he prioritized Koyuki's life, having come there to protect her. However, when everything was in his hands, Atlanteus stated that he wanted to confirm Koyuki's safety. Otherwise, he would help the Tokugawa turn the tide.
Nobunari had no choice but to make a concession, but he didn't want to let Koyuki stand in front of Atlanteus. The old man had countless tricks hidden in his sleeve, and Atlanteus didn't believe his word or Koyuki's voice since the trick of using someone to imitate the old man's voice had been exposed.
After two weeks, strangely, Koyuki herself proposed the marriage announcement along with the news of Japan opening its borders. This was a way to let the old man know that she was safe, with many witnesses from the outside. Atlanteus would surely trust them.
It succeeded. The old man came as promised, but what arrived was just a homunculus that the old man had created as a decoy while attempting to break Koyuki out of their confinement. He failed, as he didn't know how many people they had, and he was unaware of their trump card. However, the old man successfully retreated.
This led to the current situation.
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