After getting the first batch of lab equipment settled, Uchiha Hikari returned to the Dragon Clan world and spent a few days chilling in modern life.
How to put it…
She'd been to plenty of worlds, but when it came to food, fun, and entertainment, Hikari had to give the Dragon Clan world the crown.
Even the Dragon Ball world, with all its high-tech gadgets, didn't hold a candle to this place's entertainment industry. The Naruto world? Not even close. The Dragon Clan world was on another level.
At Hikari's request, the Genji clan sent over two computers, and she and Erii dove headfirst into online gaming for days.
During that time, Hikari even downloaded StarCraft and spotted an ID on the global leaderboard: "Mingming."
Yup, that's gotta be Lu Mingfei.
For a brief moment, she toyed with the idea of making a smurf account to mess with him, but she quickly dropped it. She wasn't that bored or mischievous. Besides, when it came to pretending to be a cute girl to flirt with guys, Lu Mingfei was the expert—poor little Chu Zihang didn't stand a chance against him.
Compared to StarCraft, Hikari preferred World of Warcraft. In just a few days, she and Erii leveled up dozens of times. With their ninja reflexes and royal hybrid bloodline hand-eye coordination, they made a name for themselves in-game.
Of course…
Since Hikari never used voice chat and Erii couldn't speak, their in-game friends were convinced they were studio boosters.
During this period, Chikao Genji dropped by a few times to check on Erii, and Uesugi Etsu even made a rare visit.
Then, one afternoon, the father-son duo showed up together, placing a big stack of documents and printed photos on the coffee table.
"Miss Hikari, here are the photos you requested and your new identity. Please take a look," Chikao said.
"Cool."
Hikari flipped through the photos first, nodding to herself with a quiet, "Damn, I look good."
Then she turned to the identity documents—
Her new name was "Kurosawa Hosei," born in Bunkyo Ward. Her parents were folklore scholars who died a few years ago in a cliff fall at Mount Hiu. Since then, she'd been living alone. Due to a weak heart and frequent illness, she dropped out of junior high to recover at home. A distant cousin, Hiromi Sakurai, checked in on her regularly.
"This Hiromi Sakurai is one of ours," Chikao added. "Her contact info's listed there. I've already briefed her—she'll do her best to cover for you. Also, this credit card works in most countries. Feel free to use it; the clan will cover the bills."
"Hm…"
Aside from the name "Kurosawa Hosei" feeling a bit odd, everything else seemed solid.
"So, Miss Hikari, are you planning to travel soon? Need someone to go with you?" Chikao asked cautiously. "If you want, Hiromi Sakurai could be your guide."
"No need."
Hikari shook her head, glancing at the slightly nervous Chikao and Uesugi. "I know what you're worried about. Relax, I'm not gonna cause a scene in the human world. Even if something goes down, it won't come back to you guys."
"You misunderstand, Miss Hikari. We're just concerned for your safety…" Chikao hurried to clarify.
"Heh."
Hikari glanced at the clock on the wall and waved them off. "Time's up. I've got a raid to run. Make yourselves at home."
"…"
After dinner that evening, Hikari booked a flight to China online.
Sure, she could just use her Flying Thunder God technique to zip over.
But…
This was the modern world, with radar and satellite systems everywhere. Getting spotted mid-flight would be a hassle.
Better to play it legal.
Erii had just finished putting her "photoshoot" pictures into an album, clutching it close. She peeked over as Hikari explained what a "flight" was, looking eager to tag along.
"Next time," Hikari said softly. "I'll take you on the next trip."
This trip wasn't for fun—she had business to handle, and bringing Erii wasn't practical. Taking her into a Nibelungen was one thing, but dragging her to another country? That could draw unwanted attention.
Like from Herzog, the Secret Party families, or some other shady figures lurking in the shadows.
Yawn.
Checking the time again, Hikari closed the browser. "It's late. Time to rest. If anything happens while I'm gone, just ping me in the chat group."
"Okay."
Erii nodded obediently, slipped off her jacket, and climbed into bed, staring at Hikari expectantly.
Hikari slid into the bed next to her, tucking into the other blanket, and switched off the lamp. "Night, sleep tight."
…
Two days later, early in the morning, Hikari boarded a flight to Beijing.
Her seatmate was a woman in her early twenties, probably just back from a trip to Japan, lugging a huge suitcase. She looked surprised to see Hikari traveling alone.
"Hey, little miss, are you traveling by yourself?"
"Yup."
"That's impressive! At your age, I hadn't even left my province."
The woman smiled and extended her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Wan Boqian."
"Oh… I'm Kurosawa Hosei."
Hikari gave her hand a light shake, keeping her tone casual.
"Wait, you speak Chinese?"
"Self-taught a bit…"
They chatted briefly, and Wan Boqian pulled out a bag of chips, offering some to Hikari. "Want some, Hosei?"
"Thanks."
Hikari took a chip, her mind stirring.
Wan Boqian wasn't just some random person. She was a character from Dragon Clan 2, a Cassell College Class of '04 student who became an executive agent after graduation. Her Word Spirit, "Bloodline Sonar," could detect Dragonbloods within a certain range.
In the original story, she and another agent, Gao Mi, whom she had a crush on, tracked down Fenrir's hiding spot. And they both met their end there.
Who would've thought…
The first Cassell-related person Hikari would meet in the Dragon Clan world would be her.
(End of Chapter)