Takeshi's tall and burly body sat on the chair. On his exposed arms and neck, there were scars of all sizes. His right eye was blind, and his head had only just grown short hair.
"I just want to help you. Everyone in Hope Village and I have been training hard in Ripple, ninjutsu, and swordsmanship."
"In the past, when we were weak, Lord Ryosuke, you sheltered everyone from the wind and rain. Now that we've grown, it's our turn to contribute."
Takeshi's thoughts were very pure.
He just wanted Ryosuke to take a break.
A leader can charge to the front lines, but if it's always the leader at the front while the rest of them hide in the back…
That would be too strange.
Ryosuke said, "But Hope Village only has a little over thirty people left."
Hearing this, Takeshi smiled.
"Ever since the turmoil started in the Land of Water, many people have come to seek refuge with us. Of course, without your approval, we haven't taught them Ripple or ninjutsu. But if you agree, manpower for the legion won't be a problem."
Not ninjas.
Not samurai.
But something born from the past "legion."
After thinking in silence for a long time, Ryosuke slowly nodded and agreed to Takeshi's proposal.
Relying on Ryosuke alone, it was impossible to settle all the unrest spreading across the Land of Water.
Distance and time would always be unsolvable problems.
Even if Ryosuke flew with all his might, given the small territory of the Land of Water, he could barely manage it. But what about later, when facing other nations?
The Mist Village's ninjas could help, but it still wasn't enough.
"Then do it."
Ryosuke said, "Select the people. After confirming them, I'll use White Snake to check, and write down an 'order' forbidding them from spreading Ripple outside. Once the legion is formed..."
He opened a drawer a crack.
From it, he took out a thick stack of discs.
These were parts of ninjutsu and swordsmanship discs Ryosuke had acquired in recent days while suppressing the unrest.
Once given to the right people, they could instantly turn an ordinary person into battle-ready strength.
"These 'weapons' can be distributed."
"Yes!"
Takeshi stood up to carry out the orders.
Suddenly, Ryosuke called him back.
"Since it's a legion, it needs a name. Do you have any ideas?"
Takeshi scratched his head awkwardly, "We want to become Lord Ryosuke's 'blade.' Your weapon is called the Ruin Greatsword. Since we fight to wipe away despair from the world, I thought of a name, it's..."
He smiled honestly.
"The Great Army of Annihilation."
Ryosuke was stunned.
This name… doesn't sound very pleasant.
But its meaning was correct. Ryosuke couldn't think of a better one for the moment, so he nodded. They would act under this banner for now, and gradually refine and adjust as they went along.
Whether it was because Takeshi, Mayuri, and the others were too efficient, or because Ryosuke's fearsome reputation spread too far, the Great Army of Annihilation was formed with astonishing speed.
In just ten days, it had taken shape. A team of more than one hundred people, after White Snake's inspection and elimination, ended up with eighty-nine members. This was the Great Army of Annihilation, First Unit.
Once thrown into battle, they displayed deterrent power surpassing their era.
They truly couldn't yet handle high-level fights, but on the mid-to-low tiers of the battlefield, by cultivating Ripple and swapping discs depending on the situation, the Great Army of Annihilation showed overwhelming dominance.
Battles inevitably brought casualties.
Deaths caused sorrow, but also made the survivors' will more resilient.
With the support of the Great Army of Annihilation, Ryosuke's pressure was greatly reduced. He could focus more on guarding against large-scale counterattacks from the syndicates.
In the chaos and slaughter, four months passed in a flash.
The weather cooled, and leaves turned yellow.
Ryosuke sat atop the Mizukage Building, looking at the starlit night sky, eating cookies with hot coffee.
The cookies were handmade by Mayuri. The rich milky flavor paired perfectly with the bitterness of black Americano.
After four months of tireless effort, the unrest in the Land of Water had ended.
The domestic syndicates either held their noses and surrendered, sincerely or insincerely, or shifted their industries elsewhere.
Now, within the Land of Water, from top to bottom, all the threads had been straightened and were in Ryosuke's hands.
It could be said that after a brief period of pain, the seemingly tattered Land of Water had truly been reborn.
"The real work is only just beginning."
They had only cleared away visible enemies. Next came raising productivity and further nationwide ideological consolidation, to avoid another "Hori Masashi incident."
But the details of implementation were left to Oda Ieyasu. Ryosuke could finally rest for a while.
He opened the system interface for the first time in a while.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Platinum Star, The World (Six Stars: Max Level)]
[White Snake (Five Stars: Level 4)]
[Killer Queen (Five Stars: Level 3)]
[Aerosmith (Five Stars: Level 2)]
[Hermit Purple (Four Stars: Level 2)]
[Burning Down the House (Four Stars: Level 1)]
[Rainbow Catcher (Four Stars: Level 1)]
———
[Resources:
Dimensional Upgrade Star Core: 1
Soul Fragments: 15,497]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Looking at the huge fortune in his system account, Ryosuke narrowed his eyes, feeling immensely pleased.
After defeating the Fourth Raikage, A, and upgrading White Snake, he still had around 1,900 fragments left.
Training in Mount Myoboku for three months, with Konoha, Mist, Sand, and Cloud all agreeing to spread the Awakening Ideals, he earned an average of 40 soul fragments a day, that made 3,600.
Going to Kyoto, crushing Kakuzu and Hidan, he got 1,840. Oda Ieyasu becoming a teammate added 1,000 more for the worldline shift.
With the nationwide reforms in the Land of Water, the daily fragments from there went from 10 to 20. Along with other villages, his daily total became 50.
Over four months, that was 6,000.
Finally, from recently taking down scattered small fry, the total came to 15,497.
Pulling in the normal card pool meant 1,549 draws. At an average of 160–190 fragments per five-star Stand, that meant 7–8 new ones.
Or he could use the Dimensional Star Core to unlock special draws and gamble for a six-star Stand.
But the most efficient and safest way was to evolve his existing five-stars.
White Snake, Killer Queen, Aerosmith.
All three could evolve. White Snake and Killer Queen's evolution paths were already known. Whether C-Moon or Killer Queen, Bites the Dust, their powers were terrifying.
Ryosuke sat on the rooftop, taking bites of cookies and sips of coffee, gazing at the bustling Hidden Mist Village in thought.
Until he tossed the last piece of cookie into his mouth, he made his decision.
Evolve Killer Queen.
Ryosuke didn't lack frontal combat strength. Compared to C-Moon, White Snake's overall abilities suited him better.
The Land of Water had just stabilized, but that didn't mean Ryosuke could rest easy.
Until he drew "Made in Heaven," he lacked the means to guard against enemies lurking in the shadows. If disaster struck, Bites the Dust would be his trump card in desperate situations.
"Then… let's begin."
'System, upgrade White Snake and Killer Queen to max immediately.'
The pleasant clinking of coins falling rang out. With a total of 10,000 soul fragments spent, White Snake and Killer Queen both reached max level.
Ryosuke then took out the Dimensional Star Core.
'Use the Dimensional Star Core. Target, Killer Queen.'
The Dimensional Star Core was absorbed into Killer Queen's body. The system displayed a message.
[Killer Queen Trial Stage]
[Trial Difficulty: Extreme.]
[Trial Description: Go alone to Morioh Town and slay Yoshikage Kira. If you die, the challenge fails, and the Dimensional Star Core is lost.]
[System Reminder: This trial is extremely difficult. It is advised to prepare thoroughly before attempting.]
Seeing the final red system reminder, Ryosuke frowned slightly, "Difficulty, Extreme… I remember when I fought Dio, it was only 'High.'"
"Yoshikage Kira is stronger than Dio?"
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