"Well, things should quiet down a bit now," Daniel thought as he left the military base, satisfied with the chaos he had set in motion. The aftermath was out of his hands; the media and politicians would handle the fallout. Predictably, the military would never admit to bio-weapon research, even if everyone privately knew it was true. Instead, Ross would take the blame. Between this and the Abomination incident, Ross might avoid prison, but any chance of maintaining his power was gone.
This time, Daniel had also leaked that Ross was behind the Abomination incident, ensuring his career's complete collapse.
"And Jessica Sherawat, she made a quick exit," he mused. Unlike Ross, Jessica slipped away as soon as she sensed something was wrong.
Thinking back to Ruriko Shido's research on mind control, Daniel recalled how she had managed to control Tyrants not with parasites but with a combination of mutated redwood fibers and sound waves. This method, which was less invasive than using parasites, could control both bio-weapons and humans alike.
"Not sure when this would be useful, but it could be worth keeping as backup tech," he concluded, storing the information in his private files. The technique had limited application for him, as it primarily affected ordinary people. In mystical worlds like Naruto or One Piece, where individuals had honed spiritual powers, this would be practically useless. Even in One Piece, physical strength was only one component, as Kenbunshoku Haki enhanced mental resilience.
Initially, Daniel had planned to return to New York, especially now that Ross was out of the picture. However, Ryouko had mentioned that some people wanted to thank him, so he agreed to meet Fujii Mafuyu and Takayuki Yagami, two allies in the recent case.
"Thank you so much," they said, grateful for his intervention.
"No need for thanks. I was just telling the truth. Good deeds sometimes have good outcomes."
Daniel had a positive impression of the two, especially Yagami, whose commitment to justice was rare in the legal field. Yagami was a lawyer who pursued the truth, even though most lawyers focused solely on winning cases rather than finding justice.
Afterward, as they left the restaurant and went their separate ways, Daniel's attention was caught by a fleeting figure in a passing car. From the open rear window, he clearly saw Ruriko Shido, who gave him a sly smile before disappearing into the distance.
"Bold, aren't you? I could catch up and end this now," he thought, but quickly abandoned the idea. From what Ryouko had shared, each "Ruriko Shido" he encountered was likely a clone created through the Soul Return technique. Killing her here wouldn't stop the real Ruriko.
For decades, the Yakushiji family had battled against Ruriko. This conflict had started with Ryouko's grandfather, and Ryouko's father had supposedly killed several Ruriko clones, only for her to reappear each time. Even Ryouko's older sister had faced off against her.
In this long-running feud, eliminating one clone would only make Ruriko's true self more cautious.
"Let's hope you don't test my patience," Daniel muttered. He wasn't above taking preemptive action against those who posed a threat, as he had done with Ross. Waiting for the enemy to strike first could sometimes be too reactive.
The next day, as he prepared to leave, Ryouko had other plans. "Leaving already? Now's the perfect time for a break," she said, leading him to a private dock where a luxurious yacht awaited. "I recently acquired a treasure map. Let's head out and find it."
Daniel was initially skeptical. While he knew that countless treasures remained at sea, recovering them was rarely straightforward. Shipwrecks carrying untold riches lay on the ocean floor, and while some treasure-hunting companies specialized in retrieving them, successful hauls were few and far between.
But Ryouko's mention of the treasure piqued his curiosity. They weren't looking for any ordinary underwater loot; this was supposedly the legendary island of Yamatai, home to Queen Himiko, who supposedly wielded the power to summon storms and lightning. While most dismissed these accounts as folklore, Daniel was intrigued. Queen Himiko might have possessed actual supernatural powers, and this was worth investigating.
"You're serious about taking this yacht to the Dragon's Triangle?" Daniel asked as he examined the map. The location of Yamatai lay within the fabled Dragon's Triangle, an area as treacherous as the Bermuda Triangle.
Over the years, countless ships and planes had vanished there without a trace, often without any distress signal. Some scientists theorized that intense storms caused the disappearances, but no one knew for sure. Heading there in a yacht seemed reckless.
"Relax. I know we'll be fine," Ryouko replied confidently, and Daniel had no choice but to join the journey.
The yacht's crew consisted of only four people: Daniel, Ryouko, and her two maids. Aside from the destination, the voyage itself was pleasant. Daniel enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere, especially with him being the only man on board. His previous experience on secluded islands kept him calm throughout.
As they drew closer to the Dragon's Triangle, however, the mood grew tense. Ryouko and her maids began making careful preparations, ensuring that weapons, communications, and provisions were all in order. Though this might have been an impulsive trip, Ryouko hadn't come entirely unprepared.
"Madam," one of the maids called as they reached the deck, pointing to the wreckage floating in the water. It looked like another ship had fallen victim to the Dragon's Triangle.
"The wind's picking up. Definitely not natural," Daniel noted as they neared an island that might be Yamatai. The winds around them intensified, whipping up powerful waves that tossed the yacht as if it were weightless.
Despite the maids' best efforts at the helm, the yacht was soon at the mercy of the raging waves, which pushed them rapidly toward the island. At this speed, crashing into the rocks around the island seemed inevitable, and survival would be unlikely. Even if they survived, without a functioning vessel, they'd be stranded.
To Daniel, it was clear that something supernatural was manipulating the storm.
Above, the drone of a small plane drew his attention. He warned Ryouko and the others just as the plane flew over the island, only to be struck by a bolt of lightning from the clear sky. Smoke poured from the plane's left wing as it spiraled down toward the island's center, ending in an explosion.
"Looks like I'll have to intervene," Daniel sighed. Although he didn't like revealing his powers, the situation left him little choice. He would be fine regardless, but Ryouko and her maids were just ordinary humans.
He pulled out his wand, conjuring magical ropes that secured Ryouko and the maids to the deck. Then, he cast a Shield Charm over the yacht, fortifying it against the raging storm.
"So you're the Sorcerer?" Ryouko immediately recognized him. "It wasn't hard to guess. The wand gave you away."
"This isn't the time to discuss that," Daniel replied as the enchanted yacht plowed through the waves, avoiding damage even as it struck rocks. Thanks to the Shield Charm, the vessel remained intact, and Daniel stood firm despite the wild motion.
The yacht finally neared the shore, where the storm mysteriously calmed, as if its purpose had been fulfilled.
"That was incredible," Ryouko said, standing on the now-calm deck as she surveyed the suddenly tranquil sea. The maids quickly regained their composure.
"What do you think is happening here?" she asked.
"It seems this island doesn't want visitors," Daniel replied, checking his phone. There was no signal, as expected.
"You've got a way off this island, right?" one of the maids asked while testing their communication devices.
"Of course. But something tells me you're not ready to leave just yet," he replied, glancing at Ryouko.
"Naturally," she agreed with a smile.
After organizing their gear, they set off to explore the island. They soon stumbled upon the wreckage of a ship along the shore, labeled Endurance. Judging by the scattered supplies, it had likely been a salvage ship.
"Looks like their luck ran out," Ryouko observed as they examined the remains of two shattered bodies inside the ship's broken cabin. She seemed unfazed by the grisly sight, accustomed to far worse.
"Only two bodies—others must have survived. After so many years, there could be quite a few survivors on the island. Maybe they'll know something useful."
They briefly discussed their next steps and decided to head inland. To get a better view, they planned to climb a nearby peak and survey the island from above.
As they reached the summit, a flash of fire and an explosion caught their attention in the distance. The source was visible even to the naked eye—a young woman wreaking havoc, seemingly undeterred by the gunfire aimed at her.
From what he could sense with his enhanced perception, Daniel gathered that she was engaged in a fierce battle against numerous attackers, taking them down with every shot while remaining unscathed.
"Boom!"
Just as they decided to investigate further, an explosion rocked a nearby mountain, causing part of it to collapse.
"The strange force around the island just vanished," Daniel observed. With the mountain destroyed, he could feel the supernatural barrier dissipate.
"She's thorough, I'll give her that. It looks like she's killed almost everyone on the island," he noted, sensing that very few lives remained.
"Who are you people?" Two women emerged from the jungle ahead of them, looking battered but alive
. One of them, the young woman who had been fighting earlier, had an intense look in her eyes.
"We're shipwreck survivors. What about you?" Ryouko responded, stepping forward.
"My name is Lara," the woman replied.
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