"Mr. Logan, the children are asleep. Do you mind chatting for a while?"
Mayuri, Bai's mother, gently brushed a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The soft glow of the lantern illuminated her elegant profile.
Logan glanced over at Xiaotao and Sasuke, both sound asleep. He nodded and motioned for her to step outside so they wouldn't disturb the children.
They made their way to the living room, where a small table had already been set. A teapot steamed gently alongside an assortment of snacks. Clearly, Mayuri had prepared everything ahead of time.
She gestured for Logan to sit and took her place beside him. A little too close.
Mayuri was twenty-nine, still in the prime of her beauty. Her damp hair indicated she had just bathed, and a faint fragrance wafted from her skin. Her face held a rosy hue, delicate yet alluring—like a ripe peach. It was hard to ignore her charm.
As she handed him a cup of tea, Logan found himself momentarily distracted. In his mind, he heard a teasing whisper:
"If you're interested, drink what's left of my wine."
He let out a short laugh, amused at his wandering thoughts.
"Mr. Logan, what's funny?" Mayuri asked, tilting her head.
Logan waved it off and took the cup, setting it on the table without drinking.
"If you've got something to say, just say it," he said, voice calm. "There's no need for… all this."
Though they sat close, the moment their eyes met—his clear and steady gaze—any seductive atmosphere instantly evaporated. The warmth between them cooled, like steam from a forgotten cup of tea.
Mayuri froze. Looking into Logan's eyes, the flicker of her earlier intentions seemed childish and, worse, disgraceful.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Logan… I thought…"
She had assumed this was the price to pay for his protection—for a chance at safety. But now, she understood.
Her behavior wasn't just unnecessary—it was an insult to Logan's character.
"You're not like other men," she murmured, her voice low. "How could I have thought otherwise?"
Logan scratched his cheek awkwardly and looked away, feeling the weight of her sincerity.
Mayuri remained kneeling, then pulled out a folded letter from her robe and offered it to him with both hands.
"What's this?" Logan asked, surprised.
She didn't answer verbally, only pushed the letter forward.
He took it and unfolded it. The page was covered in tiny, neat handwriting. At the top was her name: Mayuri.
It detailed her family background, their escape from war, her skills and abilities, and even a thorough explanation of her Kekkei Genkai—her bloodline limit.
Mayuri placed her hands in her lap and bowed deeply.
"Mr. Logan, from today onward, my daughter and I will follow you. In life, we will serve you. If you have any requests, I will do my best to fulfill them."
Logan looked between the letter and the woman bowing before him, his thoughts drifting.
So… even in this world, job applications still existed—just wrapped in desperation.
He folded the letter gently and smiled. "I'm just helping you reach a new village. There's no need to go this far."
Mayuri lifted her head slightly and smiled.
"Maybe it's a woman's intuition, but I have a feeling I'll be troubling you for a long time."
Logan chuckled. He poured her a cup of tea and lifted his own in a toast.
"Then let's take care of each other."
After seeing Mayuri off, Logan let out a deep breath. He rose, stepped outside the Bai family house, and glanced toward the shadows.
"You can come out now," he called.
A figure shuffled forward from the corner, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.
"Heh… I think I picked the worst time to drop by."
It was Dao Ye.
"No, you picked the perfect time," Logan replied. "I was going to find you in the morning anyway."
Dao Ye stepped closer, his eyes glinting with curiosity.
"You're here for the broken ninja swords, right?" Logan asked.
Dao Ye nodded quickly.
Legendary blades like those were priceless to a swordsmith. For Dao Ye, a well-crafted sword was more tempting than gold or fame. He had tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, before finally coming over.
"But," he muttered, "I didn't expect to overhear your conversation. Or that you'd… turn her down."
Mayuri had practically offered herself to Logan, all wrapped up and ready. Dao Ye still looked stunned by the rejection.
"She's beautiful," he added. "You can tell just by looking at Haku—good genes."
Logan turned to him, unimpressed. "What do you think I am?"
Dao Ye grinned. "A man. A normal man."
In a world like this, people traded in secrets and favors. Men offered protection. Women, in desperation, offered their bodies. It was a cruel, unspoken rule.
Dao Ye nodded seriously. "You took them in. Anyone else would've taken more in return. I thought you'd—well—you know."
Logan raised a brow. "What about now?"
Dao Ye thumped his chest. "You're like me! A man of honor! A man unmoved by temptation!"
Logan rolled his eyes.
It wasn't about not feeling desire. He did. But the logic of it—the timing, the reasons—it all felt wrong.
Besides, her husband—well, ex-husband—was still sleeping in the next room. Maybe this world was based on Japanese culture, but even so… that was a bit too much.
He handed the two broken swords to Dao Ye.
The swordsmith accepted them with reverence, gently running his fingers along their jagged edges. His face grew solemn.
"My father spent his entire life crafting swords," Dao Ye said quietly. "He dreamed of making one that could surpass the Seven Ninja Swordsmen… but he died without fulfilling that dream."
"I thought I'd follow him into the grave with the same regret. But thanks to you… I made a sword that can cut through even the Seven Ninja Blades."
Logan smiled, content.
The Seven Ninja Swordsmen were formidable, but even their weapons had limits. Sometimes, taking a different path—exploring new techniques—was the only way to surpass the old masters.
"I'll take care of Sasuke and Xiaotao's weapons. I'll come back when they're ready," Dao Ye promised.
"Of course. I'm counting on you," Logan said.
After Dao Ye left, Logan summoned Aerosmith to scout the surroundings. Once he confirmed there were no unexpected visitors, he sat back down and picked up the cup of tea Mayuri had left behind.
He stared at the paper before him and began calculating.
"Before I arrived in Luoxue Village… I had 310 soul fragments."
He scribbled the number down.
"Then I killed the second, third, fourth, and fifth members of the Wolf Squad: +270."
"Evil Wolf: +240."
"Biwa Juzō: +480."
"Black Hoe Raiga: +460."
Total: 1,760 fragments.
He did a quick conversion in his head. That gave him 176 draws in the system lottery.
With this many draws, Logan could potentially summon a brand-new five-star Stand.
"Tempting…"
His last battle with Biwa Juzō and Raiga had nearly pushed him to the brink. Now that his exploits were public knowledge, any future enemies would likely come prepared—strategic, methodical, and targeting his known abilities.
Getting a new Stand could change the game.
If he could summon something like Death 13 or Whitesnake, he'd even be able to counter illusion-based attacks.
But…
Logan summoned Star Platinum.
His current Stand was already at level two. Once the king of close-quarters, it was now facing limits. Enemies were learning to avoid it or distract it while targeting Logan directly.
If he were surrounded or Star Platinum got stalled, he'd be in trouble.
"Upgrading to level three will boost its power significantly," Logan mused.
If the JOJO system followed the original story, unlocking Time Stop would probably require maxing Star Platinum at level five.
So the question was…
Draw a new Stand or upgrade the Platinum Star?
Logan scratched his head.
"A good problem to have."
After some thought, he decided.
"Use 1,000 fragments to upgrade Star Platinum."
Drawing a new Stand was risky. He might get something redundant, or worse, a purely support-type Stand that didn't help in direct combat.
But Star Platinum had proven itself again and again. Better to invest in what he already trusted.
As the fragments dispersed into glowing dust, they wrapped around the muscular form of Star Platinum. The Stand's frame grew thicker, more defined. Its brows sharpened, and its aura grew more intense.
His physical attributes—strength, speed, precision—were all enhanced.
Even better, Star Platinum gained a new ability:
"Platinum Skin": Temporarily hardens its body to extreme levels, reducing physical damage to a minimum.
Logan's eyes lit up.
Before, Star Platinum had to dodge or block slashes, blades, and jutsu. Now, with hardened skin, he could rush straight through enemy attacks, fists flying.
He checked the next upgrade cost.
From Level 3 to Level 4: 2,000 fragments. Expensive—but worth it.
He nodded in satisfaction. The upgrade had been worth every bit of the cost.
760 fragments remained.
He'd keep them for now, either to upgrade again later or draw a new Stand in an emergency.
---
The next morning.
Logan, Sasuke, Xiaotao, Mayuri, and Haku set off for the survivors' village.
Only a few villagers came to see them off. Bai's father didn't appear.
Logan waved to Dao Ye and the village chief before pulling the reins of the cart. The wagon began its slow journey along the snowy path.
As the group disappeared over the horizon, the village chief sighed and lowered his hand.
Suddenly, someone came running.
"Something's happened! Bai's father—he hanged himself!"
A crowd rushed toward the house.
Inside, they found only a cold, lifeless body.
The old village chief closed his eyes and murmured, "You brought this on yourself."
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