In the early hours of the morning, David startled awake from his bed. He had dreamed that he resolved the issue with Laomoto Khan, but hidden behind him was an even more terrifying darkness.
The entire city was shrouded in its shadow. Even they, along with Arasaka Technology and all the ninjas of the Soukaiya, were nothing more than pawns in the opponent's plan.
David could not remember the specifics; only that sense of despair and fear remained difficult to dispel even after waking.
Naturally, the treatment Arasaka Technology provided him was not poor. They had directly vacated a room in Arasaka Tower to serve as a bedroom for him and V. As soon as he woke up, he could look down upon the entire City Center.
At this moment, he looked at the streets below. Streets that should have been bustling were now deserted. The Soukaiya's massacre had been covered up as Cyberpsychosis, but Max-Tac certainly couldn't solve them.
The Death Lottery had rarely ceased broadcasting for several consecutive days. It wasn't just that the announcers had been murdered; it was that too many people had died. It had reached a point where simply hearing the death toll would trigger fear.
'This is ninja, kid.'
'Their mere existence is a sin. Every single ninja's hands are stained with fresh blood.'
'Think of your friends, think of the residents within the city... think of my... past...'
Naraku's voice rang out in David's mind; it had begun its daily persuasion and brainwashing again.
A massive amount of Naraku's memories and the hatred of several previous Ninja Slayers were transmitted into David's brain, making him feel an incomparable hatred toward ninjas.
In a certain sense, this was correct. The more David understood ninjas, the more he believed ninjas deserved to be killed! It seemed the one who dreamed tonight wasn't just The Lord, but also David himself. No, even V had sensed something.
"David, how did you sleep? Time is up, you know."
V's voice came from the doorway. David opened the door to see a fully armed V, clad in external armor and an exoskeleton. It seemed the cybernetics within her body could no longer satisfy her.
These were all military-grade goods from within Arasaka Technology, weapons difficult for normal people to use. For V, however, they posed no burden whatsoever; even Adam Smasher could not compare to her.
"slept okay, it's just... I had a strange dream."
David hesitated for a moment but ultimately chose to confide in V. The reason he hadn't become a Buddha of vengeance like Fujikido was precisely because he still had loved ones.
"I dreamed that behind all of this, there is a true mastermind. An existence even harder to deal with than the Soukaiya."
Hearing this, V paused slightly, then pretended she hadn't heard anything, dragging David out of the room.
"That was nothing more than a 'dream.' You can't take it seriously. The main mission now is to get rid of Laomoto Khan."
David quickly realized that the other party had intentionally avoided the topic. Sometimes, not answering is a form of answer in itself. So, there really is a mastermind...
...
'Ninjas are nothing but beasts; only under my control do they have value!'
'Katsu Wan Soh is but a single ninja! The one who should be called the Rager is me!'
At the headquarters of Zaibatsu Cinema, sitting upon the throne, The Lord spoke thus. Such wild and arrogant words; even if Soga Ninja were to personally resurrect, he would likely sever ties immediately.
(Soga Ninja: Please do not attribute the host's behavior to the Ninja Soul.)
Accompanying the battle between the Soukaiya and Arasaka Technology, and the battle of Ninja Slayer's group against Laomoto Khan, The Lord, who had been secretly gathering power, activated the 'Water Basin'.
The Nine Gates threw open, spiritual power was strengthened to the extreme, and finally, the Kinkaku manifested. Countless Ninja Souls descended once again into reality. He was about to obtain the power to rule everything—
'Ninjas shall be killed without mercy!!!'
A red figure charged into the base, killed Laomoto Khan, killed Expendable... and now, had killed him as well.
The Lord had not expected that he would be defeated by Ninja Slayer. At the final moment of his life, at this moment when the 'dreams' of the Stratified Society and the Millennium Kingdom were shattered, he surprisingly... felt not a trace of fluctuation.
'My lord!'
'SAYONARA—'
It wasn't until Paragon left his final words that he finally felt a fluctuation, sensing hatred and... release!
'...No need for formalities.'
The so-called Grand Monarch, the King of Zaibatsu Cinema, The Lord who wanted to master all ninjas and establish a Millennium Kingdom, was incomparable empty inside.
The final image in his vision was Ninja Slayer's fist, burning with pitch-black flames...
"What is wrong? My lord?"
Paragon's voice came from beside his ear, awakening his thoughts.
In a Japanese-style courtyard, The Lord, sitting in a wheelchair, woke from his sleep. It was not an ordinary dream, but a 'premonition.' What he saw was his own destiny.
"No need for formalities, Paragon-san. I was just resting for a bit."
Maintaining the Virtual-to-Real Conversion Jutsu capable of influencing the entire city, and even influencing Ninja Slayer and Laomoto Khan, had pushed The Lord's body to its limit.
Currently, all his power was being used to maintain the Cursed Technique; he had already been reduced to a state where he needed a wheelchair to move.
Just like an ordinary old man with one foot in the grave, Paragon pushed the wheelchair, taking The Lord to view flowers in the courtyard, and then letting him nap in the wheelchair when tired.
That which happened just now was the destiny he saw in his sleep, a fact that had not yet occurred.
Was his future truly like this? To be killed by Ninja Slayer just when he was on the verge of success?
The Lord did not know exactly what he felt. Witnessing his own failure, he felt only emptiness.
Subconsciously, he turned his head to glance at Paragon. If there was anything in this world he still cared about, it was probably only Paragon.
To Paragon, The Lord was also his everything. The Grand Monarch was supreme and should rule over the world. The Grand Monarch should rule the entire world. The Grand Monarch should viciously retaliate against Yoroshi-san.
Thus, The Lord became the so-called 'Grand Monarch.' He wanted to rule the entire world, establish a Stratified Society, and establish a Millennium Ninja Kingdom.
He had always been indifferent. Beneath the skin of the so-called Grand Monarch, the so-called The Lord, was merely an empty shell, a fellow empty to the extreme.
"The plan is about to begin, Paragon-san. Let Expendable-san lead the other Grandmasters and await the opportunity to eliminate Laomoto Khan and Ninja Slayer."
Having reached this step, he had long since had no path of retreat. The empty Lord's only goal, the meaning of his life, was to become the 'Grand Monarch' and rule the entire world!
"Your orders! My lord!"
Paragon affirmed all of The Lord's orders entirely. To him, The Lord was everything. To let The Lord rule the world, he was willing to sacrifice everything. As for why The Lord would want to rule the world, he had never thought about that point.
Two empty people who only cared about each other, yet they obtained such powerful strength. Perhaps the first one to be influenced by the Virtual-to-Real Conversion Jutsu was The Lord himself?
Paragon said he was the Grand Monarch, so he deceived his own heart and set the wish to rule the world. This is the true genjutsu.
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