The explosion shattered the door, the sword's light pierced the barrier like a god's spear. Magical fragments screamed as they burned, the sound of their otherworldly cries echoing like whispers from hell.
BOOOM!
The night wind rushed into the hall, bringing a strangely relieving chill. For the first time, the night felt real in this place full of terror.
Without warning, the panicked guests surged out, fleeing as if their lives depended on it.
Lance swung Kyōka Suigetsu—the sword danced wildly like a golden flower blooming in the midst of a storm. Hundreds of blades of light erupted from the sword, weaving a curtain of light that formed a mountain of swords in front of Lance.
Lance pushed with both hands. "Hold your breath. This is going to be loud."
The mountain of swords launched—crashing into the stone statues that were hunting the LAPD and FBI.
Detonation.
A shockwave swept through the room. The walls trembled, chandeliers fell. Chunks of stone monsters floated in the air, hitting the floor and walls like artillery explosions. Dust and the sound of rumbling covered everything.
But the pieces were still moving. Heads without bodies, crawling hands, glowing red eyes peering through the cracks. They were still alive—and could rise at any moment.
Lance raised one hand.
"Don't even think about it."
"Agamoto, listen to us—Press Crime!"
A round talisman with a circle of incantations appeared above Lance's palm. As Lance threw it into the air—a light exploded, rolling like a heavenly storm. Lightning, flashes, and the sound of thunder struck the ground, dispersing the evil spirits trying to escape to the corners of the hall.
Silence. But not peace.
Lance took a deep breath, sweeping his gaze around. "Hey, your minions are now just fragments. Why are you still hiding? Come out, show yourself."
Lance's voice sounded calm. Too calm. Like the night before a storm.
After the evil spirits were dispersed by the exorcism talisman, the collection of stone statues finally became just that—shattered into pieces like old ceramics thrown from an altar. However, Lance did not lower his guard. This was not over. The true owner… had not yet shown their face.
"Hehe… a Chinese witch, huh?"
The voice slid in with a spoiled tone, but the Japanese accent felt like a thin dagger hidden behind a smile. Teasing, yet toxic.
And for some reason—the voice stirred a memory in Lance… reminding him of the voices of Japanese girls from the hidden videos he once stored on his old hard drive.
Huh~~
The ball of light hanging high in the air suddenly vanished—swallowed by an unnamed darkness, like the sun consumed by a total eclipse. Then, from that darkness, a hand as white as porcelain slowly emerged, waving a round fan painted softly with cherry blossom motifs.
In the dim light, the cherry blossom patterns on the surface of the fan looked like the shadow of a lazy tree in the summer afternoon—swaying gently behind glass, blown by the wind, exuding an unnatural aura… too beautiful… too alive.
And behind the fan, a silhouette slowly stepped forward.
Her graceful steps were like the melody of ancient music. The woman wore a flowing cherry-red gauze that teased the eye, barely touching her body, yet enough to wrap the charm of her glowing white skin. Her skin was like snow falling on a moonless night—cold, clear, and almost illusory.
The round fan covered half her face, but it only made her more enchanting. Like a kabuki artist holding a long pipe behind the stage curtain—mysterious, sensual, and deadly.
"Chinese witch, it's nice to finally meet you."
The woman's steps were light, but the darkness that followed her seemed to have a life of its own—dancing wildly like a swarm of evil spirits ready to pounce. Every movement she made exuded pressure—unseen, but eroding the air.
Lance stared at the woman without reaction. Flat. "Who are you?"
A small smile appeared behind the fan. "They used to call me Tamamonomae… but now, I prefer to be called Yang Guifei."
"Those two names…" Lance narrowed his eyes. "What's the connection?"
Yang Guifei raised an eyebrow, like a child discovering a new toy. "I haven't been out in a long time. Perhaps hundreds of years. Are all Chinese witches this strong now?"
Lance replied coldly, "I'm more interested in knowing why you showed up here."
"Oh, that?" Yang Guifei chuckled softly. "They brought me here. And they are the ones who freed me."
"They?" Lance frowned.
"Those humans." The woman licked her lips slowly. "Unfortunately… their flesh is bland. But their souls… mmm, delicious. Full of tyranny, greed, and desire. It seems humanity has decayed deeper than the last time I awoke."
Lance nodded slightly. "The security guards… the kidnappers, right?"
In recent days, several guards had gone missing. Then today, a group of kidnappers launched an attack. Their target? A pile of cultural artifacts worth nearly one hundred million dollars. A diplomat had even come close to losing his child. Soo Yung. But the kidnapping plan was suddenly called off, and the perpetrators vanished without a trace.
Now Lance knew where they had gone. Or more precisely—who they had been presented to.
And this woman said… they were the ones who freed her?
Perhaps the woman had been sealed within an artifact. An artifact that had been opened by a group of greedy idiots. But—if the seal could be broken by an ordinary human, how could it contain a being as powerful as this?
Unless… time had slowly eroded the strength of the seal over hundreds of years.
Well, it didn't matter.
Whatever the origin, one thing was certain. This woman had to be destroyed.
Lance raised his hand.
Swish!
A sword appeared in Lance's grip—the Golden Dagger. Golden light immediately flared around Lance's body, like the flames of an ancient god sweeping away the darkness.
Yang Guifei expression changed instantly. The woman's eyes narrowed, and her smile vanished.
"So you really have been hiding your power…" the woman whispered.
Lance grinned. "If not, you wouldn't have shown yourself. I was just luring you out."
"A nice sword…" Yang Guifei murmured, squinting. "But do you think that's enough?"
------------------------------
[Announcement: A New Novel Has Been Added!
The Puppet Maker in the World of Naruto
A man who is a scientist, researcher, and expert mechanic in robotics dies in a massive explosion that occurs in his laboratory while developing an advanced robot project. However, instead of experiencing death as he thought, the man awakens in another world—a strange place with vast stretches of desert.
There, the man is surrounded by people who can jump high, calling themselves ninjas. The confusion he initially felt grows as he realizes that this world is not unfamiliar to him. This is the world of Naruto! However, there is one thing that surprises him.
"Isn't this Sunagakure? Why am I not in Konoha? This poorest village... Oh my God, this is serious!"
Now, in the midst of a new life filled with danger and uncertainty, the scientist must find a way to survive in Sunagakure, a harsh place full of limitations. With his robotic knowledge, can the man change his fate in this ninja world, or will he fall along with the village?]
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