Chapter 322 Man in Hannya Mask
Amidst the tranquil night in the heart of Naha state, the Kuroda Clan Manor stood proudly amidst the mountains, surrounded by the serenity of nature and a lush bamboo forest. This historical estate, reigning as the unchallenged sovereign, traced its lineage back to the Sengoku Era. Despite numerous contenders vying for their authority, the Kuroda clan remained resolute.
While the city slumbered, the Kuroda Clan Manor remained vigilant, its stone pathways illuminated by the footfalls of guards, fighters, and concealed sentinels. Noble guests from various clans in Okinawa Island arrived at the estate, all of these nobles are the people who support Kuroda rule.
The impetus behind this heightened state of readiness stemmed from news of a significant defeat on the frontline against the Magitek. The overwhelming combination of magical and technological prowess unleashed by Daniel had resulted in a crushing blow to the forces dispatched to eliminate him.
In the current scenario, a pressing need emerged for the Kuroda clan to devise countermeasures against the impending retaliation from this formidable foe.
Within the opulent main hall where the Kuroda clan patriarch, Goro Kuroda resides, the guests had arrived and sit at their arranged seat according to the status of each clan. Each clan was permitted to bring only one advisor to enter into the meeting room so there are some of the people that are standing since they are each guest's advisor.
"I believe everyone is aware of the news regarding our onmyoji's defeat against a foreign mage named Daniel Emberweave, alias Magitek," began the Kuroda patriarch.
Every guest nodded in unison, their attention fixed on the patriarch, anticipating a proposed countermeasure.
"Does anyone possess knowledge of this mage's weaknesses? I understand he came here due to the issues our Shogun caused," inquired the patriarch, scanning the room for any hints or insights.
The room fell into a hushed silence, guests exchanging glances, hoping someone would provide an answer. After a few minutes of searching, no one stepped forward with a response.
"No one?" Patriarch Kuroda repeated, met with continued silence. Some guests now avoided meeting his gaze.
"Kuroda-Sama…" A guest finally raised his hand, and if Daniel were present, he would have recognized him as the patriarch of the Kuroki Gang.
"Oh! Kuroki-Dono, please speak!" Patriarch Kuroda smiled with anticipation, acknowledging the significance of the Kuroki Gang, a substantial contributor under his rule.
"May I inquire why you sent the onmyoji to attack this mage in the first place?" questioned the Kuroki gang patriarch.
"Are you implying that I am responsible for this defeat?" responded Kuroda in a cold tone.
"No, my lord, I merely seek understanding. If it's inconvenient for your lordship to answer, I won't press further. I dare not question the authority of the Kuroda Clan patriarch," quickly retreated, the Kuroki gang patriarch, well-aware of the consequences of challenging the Kuroda Clan's authority.
Naturally, the Kuroda clan patriarch harbored a desire to eliminate the insolent gang leader. However, given that the Kuroki gang was his top earner, he refrained from taking drastic measures. Nonetheless, everyone in the meeting room knew that if it weren't for the Kuroki gang asking, the one questioning would have faced severe consequences.
Regarding the true reason the Kuroda clan sent their onmyoji to attack Daniel, it was a direct order from the Hojo Clan shogun to assess Daniel's capabilities. The patriarch aimed to prepare the Hojo clan accordingly. Buoyed by his recent acquisition of a remarkably strong man rescued from the sea, whom he had transformed into his enforcer through the power of a cursed armor and various binding rituals, he was confident in dealing with the so-called Magitek. However, the outcome proved unexpected as they faced defeat.
"Is there truly no suggestion?" The Kuroda patriarch inquired once more, prompting another loyalist to raise their hand.
"Ohhh! Takaki-dono, please speak," eagerly requested the Kuroda patriarch.
"Lord Kuroda, what I'm about to propose doesn't involve revealing Daniel Emberweave's weaknesses or resolving this situation. It pertains to preserving us," Takaki, the guest, conveyed.
Hearing this, the Kuroda patriarch's face darkened – another challenge to his rule. "Kill him!"
Upon the patriarch's command, a blade swiftly descended from the ceiling as a black-clothed ninja leaped down, targeting the guests offering suggestions. A black Hannya masked man, standing behind Takaki, cast a single glance.
Slash! Splash!
In a split second, the katana flashed, cutting the ninja into pieces, deliberately ensuring that the flesh and blood splattered away from both the masked man and his master.
"Hannya-Sensei, thank you. I owe you my life," Takaki expressed earnestly, bowing lightly toward the man in the Hannya mask.
"Since Lord Kuroda refuses to consider anything differing from his views, why convene this meeting? Wouldn't it be better for you to proceed as you wish, just as you did? This is a waste of time!" Takaki disdainfully remarked, standing up from his seat and walking away.
"Stop! Guards!" The Kuroda patriarch shouted, prompting various guards to emerge and surround the two who were about to leave the room.
Slash!!
Once again, the katana flashed, and none could discern the movements of the hand of the man in the black Hannya mask. All the guards froze in their tracks. An ominous feeling struck their hearts – they couldn't see it or feel pain, yet they sensed in their bones that even moving an inch would result in their demise.
"Just stay like that for an hour and don't move an inch, and your limbs will reconnect as usual," said the man in the Hannya mask. His voice, though young, sounded like that of a smooth-
speaking student, perhaps one easily bullied in school.
"Thank you for the help once again, Hannya-Sensei," the Takaki clan patriarch expressed gratitude before gracefully walking out of the room, and no one dared to obstruct them.
"You! What are you doing!? Why don't you follow him!? Are you stupid!? You've been lied to!" The Kuroda patriarch shouted in anger at his own guards.
The guards still didn't dare to move, knowing that they are not what they used to be. At most, they could move only their eyes and breathe.
"You useless cur!" The Kuroda patriarch roared. He stood up from his seat and went to one of the guards, pushing him out of his stance. He couldn't tolerate these fools who easily fell for their enemy's bluff.
"See!? He's just blu…" Before the patriarch could finish his sentence, the guard's two limbs of one arm and one leg, separated from his body. Blood splattered on the ground along with the severed limbs.
"Arrrrggggghh!!" The guard screamed out loud, holding his cut limb and rolling on the ground in agony and disbelief.
As for the patriarch, the moment he saw this, his face paled. Such skill couldn't be found in an everyday samurai or ronin. Where in the world did the Takaki clan patriarch find that swordsman?
"This… A sword Master! No! A Sword Saint!" The Kuroda patriarch uttered in fear and terror.
One needs to know that such prowess could not be replicated in the modern day since the mana that nurtures such power in humans is depleted. The most they could do is enhance their physical capabilities with magic, like many elite warriors do.
But that degree of prowess is born from a long time of natural mana nurturing and honing of skills. There's no way a modern-
day swordsman can achieve that.
— Morning - Grand Privilege Hotel—
Within the penthouse suite of the hotel, Daniel was awakened by the electronic ringing of the room service. Still in his pajamas, he groggily made his way to the front door, yearning for more sleep.
Upon opening the door, Daniel found the room service attendant bowing to him, dressed in a traditional suit reminiscent of an old nobleman's butler.
"I sincerely apologize for interrupting your rest, sir. We are here as per your request to wake you up at 10 am. Additionally, this package has been sitting in front of your door for a few hours. Is it yours?" The butler inquired in a heavy British accent, gesturing toward a large box containing various metals and electronic scraps.
"Oh, thank you. That's for me," Daniel replied with a polite smile, moving the box into his room.
"Have a pleasant day, sir," the butler said with a courteous smile, closing the door before attending to other rooms in need of his service.
As for Daniel, the package held the items he told Kato to acquire, this material is required for him to use his metal scarab to craft a high-powered artifact communication device. This device was crucial for contacting his team, who had been separated from him.
Without delay, Daniel used his wrist console he put down on the end table to program a command for his metal scarabs to create the communication device, then headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
After five minutes passed, he emerged to find the communication device completed, with the metal scarabs on standby for his next command.
Just as he settled in, the door swung open, and Gluttony barged in, accompanied by Pride.
"Helloooooo, my friend! Did you have a nice sleep?" Gluttony greeted Daniel with her usual happy-go-lucky attitude.
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