Yasaka sat quietly in her office, the soft morning light filtering through the paper screens and reflecting off the small blue orb in her hand. She rolled it slowly between her fingers, feeling the faint hum of magic that radiated from within.
It was no larger than a golf ball, yet the sheer energetic density it carried was unmistakable, pure Mana, condensed and solidified into a flawless crystal.
Her amber eyes shifted to the other items laid neatly on her desk, a dagger etched with runic sigils, a small clay doll, and a pouch that looked plain. So far, these items, recovered from her investigation, were what had her undivided attention.
After the Flesh Ripper Gang incident months ago, she had personally led efforts to track down Hagoromo's missing tail. But weeks of intensive searching had turned up nothing. The investigation had begun to die down when new whispers reached her ears, rumors of local yokai gaining power unnaturally fast.
At first, she dismissed them as coincidence... until the reports began piling up with alarming frequency. Rogue yokai suddenly awakening strength far beyond their recognized limits, even a few newly evolved tails appearing among some clans, a sign of rapid growth.
The common thread? The blue orb.
A Mana Stone, as she had found out it's called.
Condensed, crystallized mana, in its purest, most untainted form. Her analysis showed it was almost 99.9% pure mana, a purity that was unheard of in their world.
They had never been something like this as far as she had known, mana in solid form, pure mana.
One of the fundamental problems with something like this is that all naturally occurring mana, from ley lines, ambient sources, or spiritual practices, was invariably tainted by Natural Energy (Senjutsu), demonic magic, holy elements, or things like that. Pure mana was rare to find and nearly impossible, but even then, not in solid form. Never in solid form.
That's why this thing, this Mana Stone, was so shocking to find. How was something like this even existing.
She sighed as she rolled the stone between her fingers. It should not be possible, but....she was a little thankful that it was possible because this just gave the yokais a new game changer.
Normally, consumption of foreign mana was not something that should be advised, as it comes with different side effects, but this one was different.
It was a stable, scalable resource, solving a fundamental yokai power bottleneck by providing pure mana. When consumed, it elevated yokai strength. The power gain wasn't drastic, but it was stable, permanent, and perfectly safe for yokai physiology, integrating seamlessly into their bodies' natural energy cycle.
A yokai could theoretically consume these stones indefinitely to increase their reserves with no side effects at all, and that was a big boon to all Yokai.
Humans, on the other hand…
She frowned, remembering the harrowing results of the other test. They had used a human mercenary offered a considerable sum. The poor man hadn't even lasted ten seconds before his internal organs ruptured from within, his body unable to handle the sudden, massive influx of pure energy. Mana toxicity, instantaneous, violent death.
It wasn't pretty at all.
That had been enough proof for her. These stones were a powerful advantage exclusive to yokai, as for other major factions (Devils, Fallen), she wasn't sure of how it would react with them, and she was not about to start advertising it to catch their attention.
But she was hoping for them to be the same effect it had on the human, if so, then the yokai would really have an ace all to themselves.
The stones' uselessness to human factions increased their strategic value tenfold for Kyoto.
Her tail twitched as she picked up the small clay doll next. It looked simple, crude, even, but she knew what it was. A golem, specifically designed for efficiency. Its construction utilized layered, stable enchantments for simple programming, allowing it to follow basic commands, patrol, and act as labor.
Crucially, they were disposable and emotionless soldiers, capable of guarding installations without the need for food, pay, or morale maintenance. They were cheap labor and useful for a lot of things, she was sure it would be popular among human mages.
Then there were the spatial pouches, enchanted storage bags with vastly expanded interiors. The largest pouches could store the equivalent of a fully loaded bus.
And the weaponry was finely crafted, the enchantments beautifully done, a level, something even her top craftsmen couldn't replicate with such ease. This implied the trader possessed not just raw materials, but superior, perhaps alien, crafting knowledge that surpassed their own crafting and enchantment styles.
She leaned back in her chair, eyes narrowing slightly. All of this came from one man.
A human.
A white-masked trader who had been supplying these goods to the Kyoto market, He'd made a deal with one of her lower-ranking kitsune shopkeepers, a three-tailed shopkeeper who now boasted four tails thanks to these stones. Yasaka had moved quickly to identify the trader behind the mask.
Kenji Takahashi.
Not from Kyoto, but from Shizuoka City, near Kuoh. Devil territory. The shop owner had provided surveillance images that confirmed his identity from the first time he had come and traded, despite his efforts at disguise. Luckily, he was not currently in Shizuoka, but he was unsettlingly close to the city of one of the Three Factions.
Her tails flicked thoughtfully as she placed the orb back on her desk. The council had advised her to simply capture him. "Better to seize a resource than bargain for it," they'd argued, focusing purely on practicality. And while her duty as a leader dictated securing assets for her people, two critical principles stopped her from ordering an immediate seizure.
First, Yasaka didn't believe in forcing those who had done her no wrong. Her leadership was built on the foundation of earned loyalty and respect, not the temporary obedience gained through intimidation. Forcing Kenji would turn a potential ally into a resourceful enemy, and she knew the strength of a foe who fought from true animosity.
And second… the ghost of the Flesh Ripper Gang.
She was almost certain now that Kenji was the one responsible for their annihilation. Whoever had wiped them out had done so with overwhelming force paired with masterful tactical control, leaving no trace of the perpetrators.
The power was immense, yes, sure, she could do it too, but that action only showed her he was higher than high class, nothing more. She had to assume he was someone who was at the very least peak high class or even ultimate class.
She had seen all the scenes of the fight, it showed the actions of only one person, and the damage showed that he didn't lack strength.
She sighed, letting her head fall back against the chair.
Her people were not in immediate danger, but she couldn't ignore the power that could safeguard them from their enemies. The Nekomata genocide was a constantly searing wound.
The devils had slaughtered an entire species because one Nekomata that had been a reincarnated devil. When the blood dried, the devil lords offered meaningless reparations, an act of supreme hypocrisy and contempt, when they start making noise when you kill one of their own.
This was the problem, one she didn't like. They were a decent faction, yes, but she always felt they lacked strength, and the Shinto pantheon themselves would see them stay where they were rather than grow.
"The devils, the fallen, the so-called angels..." Her hands clenched into fists, her claws digging into her palm. "How long do we have to close our eyes to their actions on our faction?" The Fallen constantly sent rogues who harassed and threatened yokai territory, and the human preachers, supported by the Church and occasionally the Angels, killed her people while screaming that all yokai are evil.
She had to break this cycle.
Her gaze drifted back to the mana stone. If they could convince Kenji to work with them, securing a stable supply of these stones, Kyoto's yokai could rapidly increase their power, ensuring they could finally defend themselves and fight back when things like the nekomata incident happen again.
Now, she just had to find a way to speak to him, a diplomatic engagement without resorting to threats, hopefully.
Shizuoka City
It had been three weeks since Kenji obtained the Yamato, and his initial excitement had not wavered even after three weeks. The weapon was flawless. He had spent the time inside Instant Dungeons testing the blade, executing cuts that could tear the fabric of space itself. It was totally awesome. This sword was amazing, better than his last one by far.
The Yamato was the perfect weapon for his Ultimate Class power.
In those three weeks, life had been... strangely calm. The Tier 6, Ultimate Class status seemed to ease his mind subconsciously, he now didn't feel the need to rush and level up as he did in the past.
He'd spent his days balancing training and family, and after training in the ID for a while and gaining mana stones, he decided to visit Kyoto and had set up a deal with the kitsune to sell his items there. He had sold her some mana stones because he didn't know what to do with them, and since yokai were similar to beasts in normal anime, he was sure it would help, and it did. She had been so taken by them that she didn't even care much for the other items. After the deal was set, he had been going back and forth to Kyoto once in a while to drop the goods off. God, he had made a lot of money and had even gotten some new things.
Everything was smooth sailing. But peace, with the System, was always a precursor to chaos.
Earlier that morning, he had been out playing with Ren and chatting casually with the Multiversal Chat group when a sudden alert appeared.
[NewQuest Available: Normal Quest]
He blinked. These weren't the standard System Side Quests, they were Sponsored Quests?.
It was here that He realized these normal quests were not challenges from the System itself, but by 'Sponsors'.
These "Sponsors" watch the multiverse, offering high rewards, starting at 50,000 Multiversal Points, for tasks intended to entertain themselves. They watch the multiverse and give out missions to anyone who is willing for a price, and now they have a few missions sent their way. He looked at them....
The details made his blood run cold. Three quests appeared:
[Quest 1: The Dream of an Old Man] "An old man seeks to reshape the world after years of war, as he helps the world achieve all their dreams. Assist him in realizing his dream as five assassin leaders move to end his life."
He recognized the scenario instantly: Madara Uchiha and the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan. A world-ending event, but one with massive moral and political baggage. He didn't want to become the enforcer for a tyrant. He doubted Madara would even appreciate his help. Hard pass.
[Quest 2: Hunger of A Poor Giant] "A hungry giant and his silver herald scour the cosmos for sustenance. Aid the poor giant in filling his eternal hunger."
Galactus, Devourer of Worlds. he wasn't about to help him kill billions just because he was hungry. So this one too is NO.
[Quest 3: The Treacherous Weaver] "A demon plots to bind humanity in an eternal spell. Join the fight with eleven others and stop the Weaving One before his spell is cast."
The name hit him like a physical blow, Treacherous Weaver, Weaver from Shadow Slave. He groaned, rubbing his temples. This was the most terrifying option. Weaver was a threat like no other, a being who controlled fate and played with the gods and demons like chess pieces. Fighting him was a no-go. He'd rather battle Madara and the kages together than fight Weaver. Bro is Aizen Ultra Plus Plus. No way in hell was he fighting Weaver.
What was he even going to do besides die just by looking upon the Demon of Fate.
"Do these damn sponsors think I have a death wish?" he muttered, the question rhetorical. He quickly warned the others in the group chat, emphasizing that these missions were nothing short of suicide.
He sighed and leaned back, looking up at the clear blue sky. 'Bastards, looking to get someone killed for nothing'
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