Izuka - Chapter 170

“Ryu? Oh, that boy you take care of? I thought he’s just a weak boy with a lucky encounter but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Though, I don’t get one thing. Why would killing him benefit humanity?” She looked up as she tapped her chin a few times.

“In the future, he will succumb to madness and lose himself. Killing anything and everything on sight without mercy. No one could stop him as he changed to a true, chaotic dragon trampled down the earth. That is why I have to kill him while we have the chance!”

“Yeah, I still don’t get it. You let him absorb the dragon’s power and then you want to kill him? What’s the logic here?” Narukami asked.

“It seems I have no chance but to tell you. Whether or not I let him absorb that dragon Anomaly, he will, in the end, have it.”

“Whether he absorbs it or not, he’s going to become one in the end? What are you talking about?”

His explanation was ambiguous and thus, Narukami asked for more details.

“I’ve traveled to the past many times so as to prevent Ryu from becoming the monster he is in the future. However, no matter how many times I’ve tried. It failed.

“Most of the Ryu becomes a dragon due to unforeseen events but one time, I had an idea and did the opposite, that is to purposely let Ryu absorb the dragon and hope to be able to control him. Which was when he was at his weak, precisely after he absorbed it.”

When Ryu was absorbing the dragon’s power, he was in a state of being shredded from right to left. It was as though many wolves gnawed at him simultaneously and ripped apart his flesh. It was a mental injury more than anything but it was more lethal and dangerous than physical.

If not for Ryu’s luck or Narukami’s assistance, he probably died and became something not human, something else.

“However, you came and destroyed my plan.” There was hatred in his voice and it was quite intense.

Narukami simply nodded and said without a single hint of guilt, “It’s not my fault you executed your plan so badly.”

“No, I did it perfectly but you came out of nowhere. Even though in other timelines you turn blind eye to him, why in this one?!”

“I did?” Narukami slightly raised his eyebrows as he got interested. In other timelines, he did not care about Ryu? Is it because Ryu was no longer human but something else after he got the dragon’s power? Is it possible he became an Anomaly with the consciousness of a human? Narukami probably thought to himself.

“You don’t even care when you killed his family for protecting a human with the body of an Anomaly. You slaughtered his kin like killing chickens. With an emotionless face. After that, Ryu flee and was all alone by himself, constantly being chased and it’s you who wanted his death the most.”

The room descended with silence as Narukami did not open his mouth to utter a sound. His ancestor observed their conversation while playing with a gold coin. It moved rapidly through her fingers and was quite a sight to see.

She could earn a living as a street performer or something.

Narukami was shocked and could not accept it. However, on second thought. It was rather possible.

“So? Not like that happens here,” said Narukami calmly and Saiko was more than surprised.

“How come you accept it calmly? Isn’t Ryu your friend? And you killed it! You have no guilt, regret, or even remorse! No, at all! Are you even– –” Saiko purposely cut his words in the end.

“Am I even a human, is what you like to ask? Listen here, what you see is something that never happens before, or at the very least, not happening in this timeline.

“Why do I have to regret something I never did? Also, so what? So I killed him in another timeline, do I have to make a reaction or something? Crying as I am filled with guilt?

“Furthermore, the one who killed Ryu. That is not me, it’s a different me,” explained Narukami slowly and calmly.

Not giving a chance for him to make a sound, Narukami immediately said, “not meant to brag but I’m someone who had reached Level 9 at such a young age. Do you think I’m going to succumb to my emotion and let it get the better of me? Are you really All Beyond’s grandmaster, a Level 10 Sorcerer?”

At the end of his words, Narukami indirectly insulted Saiko’s intelligence and he was infuriated but then took a deep breath, calming himself.

To reach the top, a Sorcerer needed a tough mind and will, as well as a strong reason to keep going as a Sorcerer.

Most young Sorcerers were given the question, why did you become a Sorcerer? What are your reasons to become one?

Many people may reply that because Anomaly forced them to be. Those who answered like that would not last two years before dying in a battle.

To be a Sorcerer, was a tough path to walk. Not everyone could do it.

Anyway, Saiko said, “Regardless, I’ll have to defeat you first!”

“As I said, I cannot defeat you but she can,” said Narukami as he pointed at his ancestor with his thumb.

However, no reply. Narukami turned around and saw that she was playing with a gold coin. Seeing it slithering across her ten fingers was satisfying and pleasant to look at.

She was so immersed with her coin that she did not hear what Narukami was saying.

“Great ancestor?” Narukami called out yet no response.

“Old hag–”

In that instant, Narukami’s head soared into the air as it cut off his body and penetrated the ceiling.

What happened? Saiko said inwardly. He was flabbergasted as he looked up at Narukami’s flying head. Then, he shifted his gaze downward to Narukami’s body.

Which was blood gushing out vigorously like a fountain.

Just how much blood does he have? Saiko silently wondered to himself.

Forgetting the important factor for a short moment, Saiko hurriedly shifted his attention back.

He looked at Narukami and saw his ancestor was before him with her long legs raised to his head.

It was strange when you noticed her other leg was short while this one was the size of an adult leg. It was asymmetrical and perfectionists might scream in pain should they see this.

No, they were going to get creeped out more than anything.

“Say one more time and I’ll rip apart your heart out of your body. Oh wait, you no longer have one. Then your brain,” she talked to herself and her voice was casual, making people think it was not a big deal but Saiko knew her words were serious.

Shortly thereafter, Narukami generated a new head and looked at his ancestor intently. As his expression was stolen, it was rather impossible to know what he was trying to say.

All but one exception.

“Blame yourself for enraging me,” his ancestor said as she coldly scoffed. Narukami slowly sighed.

“Let’s forget about that for a moment. I’m calling you here to deal with him,” said Narukami.

“You just said it,” his ancestor nodded. “But why? It has nothing to do with me and it’s a drag.” She shook her head.

“I’ll follow your words and do whatever you want. Sacrifice my life for you, leading our race, anything you want!” Narukami felt his heart wince as he said these.

It kinda injured his pride too.

To think that he, a person who stood at the peak of five different worlds, had to beg a woman who probably did not reach his real age, was something his dignity could not accept.

His ancestor raised her eyebrows as she was interested, “You mean what you said?” She asked like a child doubting their parents.

Narukami got used to this trait of hers and did not think of it as strange. Narukami nodded, “Yeah, I swear. If not, I’ll let you devour me.”

Quickly afterward, she suddenly stabbed Narukami’s left chest with her bare hand and pulled it out. Blood rushed out but Narukami hurriedly closed his wound. He could not afford to lose any more blood than this.

Can’t you stop doing that?” Narukami asked calmly even though he was pissed at his ancestor for doing things rather suddenly without his consent.

“What?” She asked as she had no idea what he was talking about.

“Don’t hurt my body abruptly, at least give me a warning!”

“Don’t get mad at the trifling matter! You’re the mix of a vampire, mermaid, and human! As long as you are breathing, thanks to your mermaid blood. You’ll be fine!”

Like chemicals, when you mix something up. It would be something different. The blood flowing in Narukami was the same. As long as Narukami was still breathing, whether he starved so badly that he looked like a walking skeleton, heavily injured that he could not walk, or even move a muscle, he would be okay!

This was because of his blood. Thanks to that, his body evolved to a new being. He was able to absorb every energy in his surroundings.

Like plants absorbing sunlight but this one absorbed everything that could be called ‘energy’.

“Yes, but that doesn’t mean I like being hurt. I’m not a masochist!”