According to Zhong Ling's memories, the name Uchiha carried immense weight in the future New Eridu.
This was due to a shift in the upper-level leadership. Unlike the corrupt and decaying predecessors, the newly appointed leaders held deep respect for the Uchiha, who had once helped New Eridu through a major crisis.
They not only lifted the bounty on the Uchiha, but even bestowed upon them the title of Eighth Void Hunter, a status and power far above the original seven Void Hunters who had helped establish New Eridu.
That's why, during the future crisis, the Uchiha stood firmly on the same side as the New Eridu authorities.
Had the government not made such a change, Zhong Yan probably wouldn't have bothered with them at all.
Returning to the present—somewhere in the outer ring of New Eridu—Zhong Yan had assembled the entire Akatsuki organization to begin strategizing an assault on the Exaltists' headquarters.
Upon hearing this news, Airi was overwhelmed with excitement. She had been waiting for this day—if it meant eradicating the Exaltists, she was willing to make any sacrifice.
Chi, who had already been informed ahead of time, didn't show the same visible excitement, but deep down, he felt just as stirred as Aili.
The day of vengeance for their fallen comrades was finally near.
Ying, on the other hand, who didn't hold any personal hatred toward the Exaltists, remained calm. Still, she hoped the mission would succeed—for Aili and Chi's sake.
"The Exaltists' strongest forces, aside from the Twelve Shields who have mostly been wiped out, include the leader's slices. Each slice possesses different abilities, but the biggest problem... is the original body. The original cannot be destroyed by non-lethal means."
As Zhong Ling spoke, he pulled a vial from his pocket.
"This is a drug developed in the future. It effectively suppresses ether generation. Even inside the Hollow, it works remarkably well. If we can inject this into both the slices and the original, their combat ability will plummet—and the original will become vulnerable to physical attacks."
"But there's a problem. I only brought a limited supply. If you're going to use it, you'll have to ration it carefully. With New Eridu's current tech level, producing more of this isn't possible."
After speaking, Zhong Ling took out over ten vials and handed them out to the group.
Staring at the drug in his hand, Zhong Yan looked somewhat incredulous.
A drug that could suppress ether generation... this thing was essentially a nemesis to both the Hollow and the Ethereals.
If it could be mass-produced, even Ethereals emerging from the Hollow wouldn't pose a threat.
Unfortunately, the drug wasn't developed until after the great disaster in the future. If it had come earlier, perhaps future Zhong Yan wouldn't have needed to sacrifice himself to save everyone.
"If everything's in place, I believe we can begin the operation right away. What do you think, Father?" Zhong Ling said, turning to Zhong Yan.
Zhong Yan, still new to the role of "Father," could nonetheless feel Zhong Ling's deep, instinctive trust in him.
After a moment of silence, Zhong Yan nodded.
"You're right. I'll use Kamui shortly to pinpoint their location. Once we strike, we don't give them a second chance. This has to be a one-shot victory."
At those words, everyone present showed unwavering resolve.
Then Zhong Yan activated Kamui, drawing them into his Kamui space as he began locating the Exaltists' headquarters.
...
A short time later, on a distant plain far from New Eridu—
This place had no direct ties to New Eridu. If anything, its proximity to Hollow Zero made it attractive to those with ambitions, who settled here and trafficked Aether resources from the Hollow to seize control and build power.
But this place was technologically far behind New Eridu. As a result, the profits they could reap were very limited.
And precisely because of this, it became the perfect hiding spot for the Exaltists.
No one would ever guess that New Eridu's greatest enemy was hiding in such a remote area.
At that moment, the scene shifted to a shop in a small town on the plain. The steady stream of customers was enough to show how thriving the business was.
Not only did locals shop here, but travelers passing through would often stop in as well.
Yet some travelers were never seen again after entering the shop. Locals just assumed they had found some secret means of leaving town.
What they didn't know was that those "missing" travelers were taken into a hidden basement at the back of the store. Deep inside was a tunnel that led underground—straight to the Exaltists' hideout.
The shop itself was merely a cover, and the missing travelers had been selected as promising test subjects.
At this moment, inside the Exaltists' headquarters, various experiments were proceeding in orderly fashion.
A boy who looked no older than seven or eight sat in the control room, monitoring every move his subordinates made.
"That old bastard said he'd be staying in the Hollow for a while? Does he really think that beast will willingly cooperate with him?" he muttered as he stared at the screens, picking up a vial of freshly synthesized liquid beside him.
That liquid was the drug designed to allow Ethereals to leave the Hollow. But it was still in its early stages. Even with mass production, its effectiveness was still negligible.
Only when the drug reached the desired level of potency could it be manufactured on a large scale.
That, however, was a long-term goal—at least ten years out.
The boy himself was one of the slices of the Exaltist leader. With the original absent from headquarters, he was now in charge.
"Hm?" Suddenly, his eyes caught something strange on one of the monitors.
In the feed, a spatial vortex abruptly appeared—then a pink-haired girl leapt out, instantly eliminating several Exaltist members before her.
"That girl... Airi?!" The boy jumped to his feet, wide-eyed in disbelief.
A chilling realization flashed through his mind.
Their headquarters... had been infiltrated!