About ten minutes later, the pain began to subside, and Yukikaze gradually regained control of his body.
But staring at Seimei, who was standing so close, he didn't dare make another move.
Noticing the shift in Yukikaze's demeanor, Seimei spoke calmly, "So, ready to keep going?"
Yukikaze didn't respond directly. Instead, he locked eyes with Seimei and asked, "What exactly do you want?"
Seimei didn't press for a promise of surrender—he knew that was unlikely. Skipping over the question, he answered, "Nothing much. I just need your help with something."
"Help?" Yukikaze frowned, confused.
"Yep," Seimei replied.
"With what?" Yukikaze pressed.
"Simple. I need you to use your Ice Release when I ask you to," Seimei stated plainly.
Yukikaze blinked, baffled. "Use my Ice Release? What's that supposed to mean?"
Seimei didn't bother hiding his intentions. "I want to learn the power of Ice Release."
"Impossible!" Yukikaze shot back without hesitation. "You don't have the Yuki Clan's bloodline. There's no way you can learn Ice Release from me. It's just not possible!"
Despite Yukikaze's firm rejection, Seimei's expression didn't waver. He just looked at him calmly.
That steady gaze made Yukikaze uneasy. He opened his mouth to say more but suddenly recalled the Lava Release Seimei had used the previous night.
Wait a second… Yukikaze thought. If this guy is Seimei in disguise…
His confidence faltered. As if reading his mind, Seimei stayed silent for a moment before raising his right hand. With a thought, he gathered a mass of Lava Release chakra, shaping it into flowing molten rock.
"It—it's really you!" Yukikaze muttered, stunned as his suspicions were confirmed. "But how is that possible?"
Suddenly, he looked around frantically. "This is an illusion, isn't it? You must be using some kind of genjutsu to make me see this!"
As he spoke, Yukikaze lunged, his hand clawing toward Seimei's throat.
But it played out like before. Before his hand could reach Seimei, familiar sealing patterns appeared, locking his movements. At the same time, excruciating pain tore through his soul, overwhelming him with even greater intensity than before.
Even with the Heart-Sealing Soul Contract: Instant Teleportation Mark binding him, Yukikaze's body visibly trembled. This pain was far worse than the last time, both in intensity and duration. The previous episode had lasted ten minutes; this one dragged on for a full fifteen.
When he finally regained control, Yukikaze couldn't hold himself up. His legs buckled, and he dropped to one knee, fingers digging into the dirt. The lingering agony was like phantom pain from a severed limb in a past life.
Minutes passed before he fully recovered. Standing again, he looked at Seimei with newfound wariness.
A sealing technique that inflicted such extreme pain was something he'd never even heard of, let alone seen. Given Seimei's reputation as a genius, Yukikaze suspected this obscure seal might be his own creation. Just how ruthless is this guy?
He decided to play along with Seimei's demands for now and look for an escape later. No more reckless tests like the one he'd just tried.
That's right—his claim that everything was an illusion wasn't genuine. It was a ploy to test Seimei again, to see if he could take him down. The result? Failure. The seal activated without Seimei even needing to control it, meaning capturing him wouldn't break its hold.
Worse, based on the escalating pain from his two attempts, Yukikaze feared that another try might kill him before he could escape. Better to agree to Seimei's terms and bide his time.
Just as Seimei had predicted, Yukikaze lacked the resolve to go all-in and risk everything. But that was only natural— even ants cling to life, let alone humans.
Noticing the change in Yukikaze's gaze, Seimei didn't dwell on it. He moved on as if nothing had happened, laying out his demands. Yukikaze listened intently, both to avoid giving Seimei an excuse to punish him and to understand his thought process.
If Seimei could master Lava Release and was now targeting the Yuki Clan's Ice Release, he must have some confidence in succeeding. That approach, that method, was worth studying. If Yukikaze could escape with it, the Yuki Clan might rise to become a top-tier bloodline clan.
Seimei, unaware of Yukikaze's scheming, would've scoffed if he knew. His method was the widely known fusion technique of the ninja world—hardly a secret. His success came from sheer effort and the aid of his system panel. Even if Yukikaze learned it, escaping this isolated island or leaking any information was impossible.
To ensure that, Seimei had spent the previous night weaving intricate restrictions into Yukikaze's Heart-Sealing Soul Contract: Instant Teleportation Mark. If Yukikaze somehow broke free under those conditions, Seimei would have to question reality itself.
And so, with each harboring their own hidden motives, they cooperated smoothly—one explaining earnestly, the other memorizing diligently. It took about half an hour for Seimei to outline what Yukikaze needed to do and the rules he had to follow.
Ignoring Yukikaze's grim expression, Seimei left first. The task wouldn't officially start until tomorrow. Not because he wasn't prepared, but because he knew Yukikaze wouldn't fully buy into his words yet. He'd likely spend the day testing the boundaries.
Seimei was giving him that time to verify things for himself. Only when Yukikaze gave up hope of escape would he comply fully. Plus, it was a chance for Seimei to catch any oversights.
(End of Chapter)