"So it's true."
He could clearly feel it. Just moments ago, when he subdued Kurama in the consciousness space, that faint trace of Rinnegan energy—it wasn't just an illusion anymore. It was real.
A true unlocking of authority.
Instinctively, his eyes flicked to the first new ability:
[Universal Pull]
A familiar glint flickered in Ryota's eyes.
"Pain's signature move, huh?"
"Draws targets straight to you like a magnet, centering on your own position… Doesn't matter how much they resist. As long as they're within range, one pull and they're caught."
He tested the flow of his chakra.
"This one's a killer move."
"Not only interrupts actions, but forces repositioning, controls the tempo… Totally catches the enemy off guard."
"Just this one skill alone is worth the price."
He chuckled, a flicker of excitement lighting his eyes.
But then, he noticed another entry listed in the system:
[Rinnegan Perception]
His brows knit as he quickly searched his memory—
That name… didn't seem to have any clear depiction in the original Naruto series.
"…Rinnegan Perception? Where the hell did this come from? Doesn't ring a bell."
He immediately pulled up the detailed description:
[Rinnegan Perception]
Passive
Allows the user to perceive the fundamental flow of all energies in space, including chakra, magic, etc.
"A perception-type ability, huh?"
In a world where gods existed, many "non-physical attacks" couldn't be sensed through sight or hearing alone.
Like Freya's charm.
Up till now, he'd just tanked those with raw system resistance. But with this ability?
He could preemptively detect them—or even trace them back to the source and eliminate them?
"If I'd had this power back then…"
"I wouldn't have needed to force chakra into Lain's body to shatter Freya's charm with brute force."
"I could've directly locked onto the source of the mental corruption and severed it with precision."
That thought brought a trace of emotion to Ryota's eyes.
But quickly, he shook his head with a laugh.
"…Well, whatever."
"Either way, this is good news."
"You can never have too many powerful abilities."
"Better to have and not need."
He reclined back on the bed, feeling the steady flow of Kurama's chakra in his body and the faint, spiderweb-like network of [Rinnegan Perception] spreading outward. A satisfied smile curled at his lips.
But then—
A familiar phrase flashed across his mind.
"…Rinnegan abilities."
He murmured, then suddenly sat up, his expression shifting rapidly.
"Rinnegan… the Six Paths…"
"And that—"
"Infinite Tsukuyomi!"
In an instant, a scene surfaced in his mind:
In the original Naruto, Uchiha Madara stood atop the God Tree, casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi, blanketing the entire shinobi world in illusion—plunging them all into dream.
The world became an "ideal dream."
Not a tool for battle or destruction—but a godlike jutsu that ruled consciousness, rewrote memories, and twisted reality itself.
Ryota narrowed his eyes, a deep gleam in them:
The Rinnegan had never been just about combat.
It was about authority—over the very logic of the world.
At that moment, like lightning, a thought struck him.
"Wait a second…"
"Main Quest, Stage Four… Final Answer of the World…"
"Establish a unique belief system as a non-divine entity, overthrow the old divine order, define a new world paradigm, and gain global recognition—"
He slowly lowered his head, murmuring aloud:
"Could it be…"
"The entire main quest… is guiding me toward…"
"Using the Infinite Tsukuyomi—to pull the entire DanMachi world into my ideal dreamscape?"
His eyes widened, as though a vortex were spinning silently behind him.
It wasn't fear.
It was something far more dangerous—perfect, closed-loop logic.
If he used Infinite Tsukuyomi to trap every god, every Familia, every civilian in his own dream world—
If, within that dream, everyone remembered the same truth:
That he was the Supreme One.
That Ryota was the true master of this world.
That divinity was no longer something granted from above—but something defined by him—
Then it wouldn't be tyranny.
It would be universal consensus.
He grinned.
"Belief system? A single Tsukuyomi and everyone remembers I'm the one true god."
"Divine authority structure? I define the rules now. Anyone else who dares call themselves a god—has their memories rewritten by Tsukuyomi."
"Global recognition? Piece of cake."
"I'll make everyone… dream of the same god."
He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and let his awareness drift among progress bars and waves of Rinnegan energy.
"Of course…"
"The endgame of the main quest isn't victory."
"It's creation."
Suddenly, everything made sense.
"Stage One: Join a Familia and gain identity and belonging…
Stage Two: Escape the gods' chessboard…
Stage Three: Begin constructing a power structure…
Stage Four: Define a new world…"
"And the Infinite Tsukuyomi… just happens to fulfill all of that."
It hit him like a freight train:
What he needed to do next… was crystal clear.
All he had to do was keep progressing the fusion, slowly awakening the Rinnegan—until his eyes fully transformed.
And then—
Take hold of this world called DanMachi.
Still, he knew full well—even if the main quest was nudging him this way, he wouldn't let the story follow Naruto's original tragic arc.
"The God Tree… is just a vessel."
"I won't let it descend like in canon and turn everyone into soulless White Zetsu."
"I'm not Kaguya, or Obito, or Madara—those guys shoved the world into silence."
He let out a soft chuckle.
"If I'm going to use Infinite Tsukuyomi, it's going to be my version."
"Not a dream that robs people of freedom—"
"But one that unifies memory, and establishes a shared world view."
"So—"
He exhaled, and his gaze settled back into calm.
"I have my direction now."
"All that's left is to follow it through."
[Ding—Chakra Fruit Fusion Progress +1%]
[Current Progress: 11%]
The system notification chimed in his ear. Ryota smiled.
"Yep…"
"Knowledge really is power."
Once you understand everything, it's no longer groping in the dark or brute-forcing the path forward. Now, he could simply ride the current.
He laid back down again. The various cheats and hacks in his body maintained an almost decadent balance.
As the thoughts drifted away, Ryota's eyelids began to grow heavy.
He closed his eyes—and fell into a deep sleep.
…
Meanwhile.
At the very top of Babel Tower.
This place had once symbolized the absolute dominance of the Freya Familia—though now, at least officially, it had been forcibly dissolved.
Yet the luxurious top-floor suite remained untouched.
Today, Freya had not visited the Hephaestus Familia, nor had she shown up outside Twilight Manor to ambush him.
She simply stood before the enormous window, gazing in the direction of Twilight Manor, her face adorned with that same familiar smile.
No hostility. No anger. Not even impatience.
Only that—
Pure, intense smile of desire.
As though she were awaiting some fated reunion.
"You know…"
Freya's voice drifted out, as if whispering to Ottar behind her—or maybe just speaking to herself.
"That child has changed a lot lately."
"Created some strange new magic, helped the Loki Familia complete their expedition… Just thinking about it makes me all giddy."
She gave an involuntary little wiggle as she spoke.
Night had fully descended outside. Starlight began to glitter across the sky.
And then, the Goddess of Beauty in Orario offered an even gentler smile—like someone who had just received the perfect festival invitation:
"Tomorrow…"
"Tomorrow is the day you and I meet again, Ryota."
…
The next morning.
Ryota woke up early.
He hurried down from the second floor, looking unusually refreshed.
Subduing Kurama yesterday, and increasing the Rinnegan fusion progress, hadn't exhausted him at all. On the contrary—it left his whole body feeling lighter.
As if his blood and bones had been reforged by some divine force.
"Not bad."
"Chakra flow, sensory perception, mental endurance… all stable. If I can push the fusion a little further, even better."
He was considering heading over to spar with Ais, see if the heat of battle would help accelerate his fusion rate.
But the moment he stepped outside, he noticed that Twilight Manor was unusually busy.
People bustled through the main hall.
Gareth was hauling boxes, Lefiya was double-checking materials, and Finn was discussing a Guild-sent inventory list with Riveria. Even the usually doll-like Ais had been roped into doing manual labor.
A few Guild personnel were also present, logging the goods.
Ryota glanced at the boxes. Written on the side:
[Origin: Freya Familia Resource Transfer – Batch 2]
[Contents: …]
"Ugh… another gift from her?"
Ryota raised an eyebrow slightly.
He didn't say anything. Just smiled faintly, greeted the others, and gave up on the idea of sparring.
"Forget it. No rush."
With a thought, a flicker of golden light appeared around him.
Whoosh—!
His body vanished instantly.
The next moment, Ryota reappeared on the twenty-fifth floor of the Dungeon.
"There was something weird going on with the teleport marker I set up on floor twenty-six."
He glanced at the mental "map" in his mind.
"I noticed it yesterday. Feels like it got disrupted… maybe swept away by water pressure."
"If I don't have a marker there, it'll mess up teleport coordination during expeditions. I need to fix it."
He looked toward the entrance to floor twenty-six.
"Alright… one more trip."
Soon, Ryota stepped onto the twenty-sixth floor.
As one of the famous "Water City" layers, rivers crisscrossed everywhere.
And most of the monsters lurked underwater.
Suddenly, a ripple from [Rinnegan Perception] stirred in his mind.
"Hah. You're trying to ambush me?"
He raised his hand, a flash of violet gleaming in his eyes:
"—Universal Pull."
Wuum—!
The air compressed in an instant, and a powerful gravitational vortex erupted outward from Ryota's position. A stream beneath the river twisted violently, and a shadow was yanked clean from the riverbed!
"Raaah—!"
The monster barely broke the surface before—
Swish!!
A blade flashed.
Ryota's Kusanagi Sword was already drawn. The blade sliced through the air and plunged cleanly into the monster's chest.
It twitched twice—then crumbled into black ash and vanished.
Ryota caught the falling magic stone, tucked it into his pocket, and nodded in satisfaction.
"Hmm…"
"This ability—really handy."
"It's just like fishing."
He sheathed the sword over his back and muttered:
"Next time I'll try pulling one in and zapping it with Lightning Style…"
"What would that be? Monster BBQ?!"
He even nodded seriously at his own joke.
Like he was naming a new signature move for his battle log.
Humming a tune, Ryota strolled over to the spot where he'd once embedded a Flying Raijin kunai.
It was a stone pillar on a high platform.
He'd chosen it carefully—both for visibility and tactical positioning.
But now, the pillar was bare. The kunai was gone.
Ryota scanned the area. The water erosion was clear—looked like the whole thing had been washed away.
"…So it was swept off."
He shook his head, then looked up slightly. His eyes settled on a cliff face about ten meters above the original spot.
Better visibility. More stable terrain. Less erosion.
"This'll do."
As he spoke, his right hand flipped—and a special kunai inscribed with the Flying Raijin formula appeared in his palm.
"You'll do."
Swish!
The kunai shot out and embedded itself precisely into the rock wall. Ryota clapped his hands and nodded at it.
"All set."
He didn't rush to leave.
Since he was already here, he casually cleaned out a few monsters lurking nearby.
Crackling Lightning Style arced through the air as he waited for the system prompt.
But after a while—
"…Huh."
He fell silent, staring at the black-ash remains at his feet, propping his chin in one hand.
"So that's how it is."
"This place… has become a starter zone."
He murmured with a touch of clarity—and a bit of resignation.
"This whole layer's already been cleared by the system."
"Just like in an RPG—if you're max level and still grinding wild boars in the beginner area, no matter how stylish the moves, you're not getting EXP."
He shook his head and gave a helpless laugh.
"Looks like I'll have to go deeper to push the fusion forward."
With that, he prepared to activate the teleport mark and return to Twilight Manor to rest.
But the next second—
Ryota froze in place.
What the hell?
He scanned quickly—and realized the Flying Raijin kunai he'd planted at Twilight Manor… was gone.
"…?"
"My marker… disappeared?"
"How is that even possible?"
His eyes narrowed.
"I only left Twilight Manor for a few hours… half a day at most."
"Sure, it's just a regular kunai, but everyone—Ais and the others—they all know it's my marker."
"Did someone accidentally move it while shifting boxes?"
"Or maybe—"
The next instant, Ryota vanished again, reappearing on the first floor of the Dungeon.
The humidity vanished. Fewer monsters. Around him, only small groups of lower-level adventurers roamed.
Ryota decided to walk back to Twilight Manor himself, see what had gone wrong.
But just two steps in, a startled voice called out behind him:
"—Hey, isn't that…?"
"Yeah! That's Ryota from the Freya Familia!!"
Ryota paused mid-step, frowning.
"That's him! Don't you know? He led the War Game that helped Freya defeat the Loki Familia!"
"Loki Familia might not have disbanded, but they're stuck in second place forever now!"
"Damn… what a monster. He actually beat the Loki Familia…"
"…"
Ryota slowly turned his head, scanning the adventurers who were whispering among themselves, utterly bewildered.
"What did you say?"
"I'm what now—Freya Familia?! Me?!"
----
Join my Patreon for early access to chapters: Patreon.com/rivyura