Akuta Hinako—or Yu Meiren.
Right now, she was quite displeased.
As a fairy whose existence resembled that of a True Ancestor, she deeply despised humanity. Therefore, throughout the thousands of years she had lived in this world, she continuously hid and isolated herself, staying far from human settlements.
But now, she had been found.
Although this wasn't the first time she had been discovered, this time the people searching for her seemed to be deliberately seeking her out. Not only did they figure out her whereabouts, but they also shamelessly conducted a thorough search, as if they would dig her out from every possible corner!
Yu Meiren didn't understand. Who could possibly want to meet someone named Akuta Hinako so badly? Her identity as a fairy should have remained hidden.
Though she didn't understand, the discomfort in her heart was real. If she could, she wanted to blow up the place and send the people searching for her flying into the sky!
"But… what's with that woman? Is her brain equipped with a radar?"
Hiding inside a house, Yu Meiren observed the blonde girl outside. Her name seemed to be Sajyou. For some reason, her tracking ability was extraordinary. No matter where Yu Meiren moved, the girl could quickly find her.
In the past two weeks, she had been caught more than ten times. Each time, she had nearly been captured.
Over thousands of years, Yu Meiren could be considered an expert in hiding. If she truly wanted to disappear, even hundreds of bloodhounds wouldn't be able to track her. Yet, the woman outside had a nose sharper than any dog—she had even forced Yu Meiren to flee into this city, a human gathering place!
Now, Yu Meiren felt deeply uncomfortable from head to toe.
(This place might not be safe anymore. I should move now, before she finds me.)
Thinking this, Yu Meiren prepared to rise—when suddenly, Rei's voice came from outside.
"Master? You've finally arrived. Are your matters at the Clock Tower finished?"
"Yes. How's your situation?"
"Almost got her, but she's about to run again. She's quite a difficult opponent."
Two weeks ago, after discussing with Marisbury, Naoki had decided on one of the two candidates—Akuta Hinako. He had assigned Rei the task of finding her, while he returned to the Clock Tower, visiting the Department of Archaeology, the Department of Spiritual Evocation, and other departments.
Because the matters he had to handle were quite troublesome, arguing with the Lords was exhausting. Combined with his main job as a teacher, only today had he managed to find time to check on Rei's progress.
Listening to Rei's report, Naoki thought for a moment, then said, "Rei, do you have a rough idea of where she is?"
"There."
Rei accurately pointed to Yu Meiren's location. "Master, do you want to go find her directly?"
"No. Let her come out herself. Actually, it's very easy to meet her—I just forgot to tell you earlier."
Clearing his throat, Naoki looked toward the house where Yu Meiren was hiding. Amid the confused stares of the people around him, he shouted loudly: "Senior Akuta Hinako! I have a clue that can help you reunite with Xiang Yu! If you're willing, can we meet? By the way, I'm also a fairy! Just like you!"
*CRASH!*
In a room not far away, a series of crashing sounds echoed.
A few minutes later, at a restaurant near the street.
Looking at Yu Meiren sitting across from him with a displeased expression, Naoki smiled and extended his hand: "Hello, Senior Akuta. Sorry to meet like this. I'm Natsukawa Naoki… As for my identity, you should be able to sense it, right?"
"Yes. Quite surprising. I never expected the person who forced me into hiding like this would be my own kin."
Upon meeting Naoki, Yu Meiren immediately sensed it. Though not completely, the young man before her was indeed the same as her—a fairy born from the planet itself. Afterward, she also faintly sensed information conveyed directly by the world.
A later-born fairy, the third Star Holy Sword Bearer…
That was indeed an impressive identity, but it wasn't enough reason for Yu Meiren to stop being angry at him. If Naoki weren't her own kin, and hadn't mentioned something about Lord Xiang Yu, Yu Meiren wouldn't have sat here. She would have left with a disgusted expression.
"No need for formalities. About the clue you mentioned—reuniting with Xiang Yu… is it true? And how do you even know who I am?"
Yu Meiren thought she had hidden well. She had used the name Akuta Hinako for thousands of years without raising suspicion. Isolating herself in sparsely populated areas also greatly reduced the chance of exposure. Yet this junior in front of her had immediately revealed her identity.
How did the other party know?
"I once interacted with the Root and gained a great deal of knowledge. Including information about you, Senior."
Naoki used his all-purpose excuse, one he'd used for years.
The Root—Yu Meiren knew of it. The existence that collected everything. The origin from which all things flowed. It was only natural that information about her existed there.
"The Root, huh… To coincidentally learn about me from that boundless knowledge, your luck truly leaves me speechless. If that's the case, I have no choice. So, is what you said true? Do you have a clue to reunite with Lord Xiang Yu?"
"Yes. I think your goal can be achieved through Heroic Spirit summoning." Naoki explained. "Xiang Yu is one of the most important figures in Chinese history. I find it unlikely he wouldn't have a place on the Throne of Heroes. After all, even Li Shuwen from the modern era became a Heroic Spirit. There's no way Xiang Yu couldn't, right? He was the only Hegemon King in Chinese history."
(This kid is good at talking.)
After listening to Naoki's explanation, Yu Meiren's dissatisfaction toward him drastically decreased.
(True. Lord Xiang Yu couldn't possibly fail to become a Heroic Spirit. No one is more deserving than Lord Xiang Yu.)
"Then, do you mean that just by performing a Heroic Spirit summoning, I can call forth Lord Xiang Yu?"
"Yes. Normally, to summon a specific Heroic Spirit, you'd need a sacred relic connected to them—like a fragment of a weapon they used in life… But I don't think Senior needs that, right? After all, you are Yu Meiren herself. The strong bond between Yu Meiren and Xiang Yu is more than enough to serve as a sacred relic."
(This kid is really good at talking!)
Yu Meiren, usually solitary and never communicating with others, now genuinely found the junior in front of her quite likable!
Yet, Yu Meiren wasn't naive. She still understood human relationships. Since Naoki was willing to tell her this, it meant he must want something from her. Otherwise, he wouldn't go through the trouble.
"Judging from your tone, it seems you can help me with this so-called Heroic Spirit summoning. I assume this isn't free, right? What do you want from me?"
"Just something very simple."
Naoki smiled. "Senior, are you willing to save the world with me?"
The Holy Sword Bearer began saving the world.