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Chapter 180: State of Decay Prologue
Wanokuni·Shogun Mansion·Flower City Underground Vault
Golden light flowed, and thousands of lanterns in the niches swayed and shone in the underground vault.
The room was filled with gold and silver, ancient weapons and swords, geisha headdresses, gems and corals piled up like mountains, making the entire secret room as gorgeous and suffocating as a demon tomb.
Kurozumi Orochi's face was as gloomy as wax paper. In his hand, he clutched a secret letter urgently sent by a ninja spy from Onigashima, his knuckles turning white.
"Kaido... is he dead?"
He murmured stiffly, his snake pupils contracted sharply, and intermittent hissing sounds came from his throat.
"How is it possible...that crazy dragon...that monster was actually killed by Marine?"
He climbed up from the pile of fallen gold, trembling all over, and roared so loudly that dust fell from the roof beams:
"Those aren't two Marines! Those are two evil spirits!!"
"Rogge! Rhett!! What are they doing here?! Are they here to find me!?"
He was covered in cold sweat, and his snake-like spine was slightly curled up and trembling.
"Quick! Bring the gold, silver, and jewelry, Jinghua Town's top courtesan, and everyone who can move. Line them up! Kowtow to them and send them up!"
"Tell them, I, Orochi, am a good person! I only ask for your life, and I'll give you the rest!!"
"Yes!!! General!!!"
The black-clad ninjas turned into swift shadows and scurried away. The entire vault suddenly seemed to be facing a formidable enemy. The lights were on, but it was filled with the madness of greed and fear.
And a moment ago, on the other side, Wanokuni's so-called destiny had arrived.
Wanokuni·Jiuli·Deep Forest Cliff·Remnants of Space-Time Rift
Boom——!!
A huge purple lightning tore through the sky, thunder mixed with the rumbling of the earth, and in an instant, a dark crack suddenly opened like a page torn in space!
"Ughh ...
Several figures rolled out of the crack and fell into the scorched earth.
Momonosuke's eyes widened as he slammed into the rocks, looking utterly miserable. The family crest on his chest was shattered, his robes were charred, and blood was dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Following closely behind, Kin'emon, Raizo, Kanjuro, Kikunojo and others landed one after another and looked around with deep fear and anxiety.
"We...are still alive?"
Kin'emon struggled to get up, his eyes blank.
"Is this...Wanokuni?"
Lei Zang's voice trembled slightly, and blood oozed from his fingertips.
"No! What the hell is that... thing in the air?!"
Kikunojo screamed.
Everyone looked up at the sky and saw a huge warship with an all-silver hull sailing through the air in the distant sky. The atmospheric cracks left behind it looked as if the sky had been forcibly torn apart.
That is the Proverbs battleship, the embodiment of righteousness.
Momonosuke's eyes trembled and his breathing became rapid, as if he had seen the angel of doom.
"What kind of monster is this..."
Kin'emon gripped his katana tightly, knelt down and kowtowed:
"My lord, even though the enemy is strong, we warriors will never retreat!"
At the southern end of Ghost Bamboo Ridge, on the top of the broken rock wall, two figures looked down at the afterimage of the entire Wanokuni.
Lei Te held Kaido's mace and squinted his eyes at the Flower City in the distance with a look of disdain:
"Hey, Boss, is it really worth coming to this lousy place? I thought there would be at least some decent resistance."
Rogge stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes stern, and Marine's cloak fluttered in the wind.
He did not answer directly, but just said lightly:
"There are people who deserve to live on this land."
"But many more people—deserve to die."
He slowly raised his hand, sensing the conspiracy, fear, indifference and blind loyalty in the air.
"It's rotten."
Rhett licked the corner of his mouth, his fighting spirit surging.
"So what's next... purge, or incineration?"
Rogge said calmly:
"We're not here to rescue them."
"We're just here to pass judgment."
Wanokuni·Flower City·Outside Ghost Bamboo Alley
The night is as dark as ink, and paper lanterns are swaying.
The streets of the Flower City were still bustling with singing and dancing, the sounds of shamisen mixed with laughter and drinking, as if no one had noticed - a corner of the sky of this land had already collapsed.
On the distant Ghost Island, a deadly battle is taking place that could rewrite the world's landscape.
But the people here regard it as a legend from another world.
They have long learned to close their eyes, ears and mouths.
"Please listen to me!!"
Yamato was kneeling on the ground at the street corner, his knees were Bloodline Madara Madara, his palms clasped together and raised high. His throat was already hoarse, but he was still trying hard to shout.
She was wearing tattered armor and a "homemade" Kozuki mask, and her body bore the marks of traveling alone across mountains and seas.
She had imagined that if she could convey the news that Kaido was attacked by Marine, the people would surge like a tide and respond to the banner of justice.
But she was wrong.
"You are Kaido's daughter! How can you be trusted?"
"We just want to live in peace."
"If Kaido really loses, will it be your turn to deal with us?"
Someone pushed the door open and looked out, then saw Yamato kneeling in the square. He quickly retreated and closed the door tighter.
"Click."
The sound of the bolt falling was like a cold needle driving into her heart.
An old woman was chanting Buddhist scriptures in a low voice, with her back turned and not looking at her.
A woman with a child pulled the child behind her to block her view: "Don't learn from her, she's crazy."
Some people even whispered in the corner: "Kaido is dead? So what? Orochi is still here. Marine can come if he wants. It has nothing to do with us."
Yamato finally couldn't kneel any longer, and he slowly stood up with the help of the stone lantern on the street, staggering a few steps.
She looked back at this street that was once known as the "most prosperous and most silent", the wooden paper windows, and the numb faces hidden behind them.
"Didn't you say...?"
Her voice was trembling and low, like a lamp about to go out.
"Didn't I say that one day you would rebel? I said that someone would come to lead you out of the darkness... Isn't that what you've been waiting for?"
"Now… hope has finally arrived—!!"
She roared hysterically, her voice echoing in the empty streets, but no one responded.
"Why do you all choose to... continue to hide?"
"Why do you all just want to wait to be rescued?"
She pounded her fist on her chest, again and again.
She doesn't understand.
She really didn't understand.
At this moment, a team of warriors wearing black and gold armor walked slowly from the end of the street. The armor reflected light and the pressure was like a tide.
The leader was none other than Kurozumi Orochi's personal guard commander, his eyes filled with fear and perfunctory expression.
"Yamato, the daughter of Kaido."
He didn't dare to call him by his name and could only use vague words to cover up his reputation.
"By order of the general, please return and cooperate with the investigation."
"Cooperate?" Yamato asked with a blank look in his eyes.
She didn't struggle.
She simply lowered her head slightly, letting the cold chains wrap around her neck and wrists.
"We... are just ordinary subjects." A commoner whispered to the people around him.
"Now that she's been taken away, I can finally have some peace and quiet..."
"She always comes out and shouts all sorts of nonsense...it's disturbing."
"Yamato was taken away? Oh, that's great."
"Yes, I feel relieved."
More and more people gathered around, but no one tried to stop it, and no one showed any sadness.
There were only whispers of relief and windows and doors closing tightly.
"Click." Another door lock fell.
That was her last connection with this land, and it was severed by her own hands.
She was escorted forward slowly, passing through familiar streets. Every place was where she had imagined the "spark of revolution" could be ignited, but now it was as cold as a tomb.
She didn't cry.
She didn't yell.
She just turned her head slightly and took a last look at the country she once thought was "worth protecting."
There was no more anger or hatred in that look.
There is only a deep feeling of...loss.