"Yeeart!" "Gwaah!"
"Yeeart!" "Gwaah!"
"Yeeart..."
The same scene played out as if on a loop, with a large number of ninja exploding and scattering along his path.
Although they were almost all one-hit kills, Naraku was indeed facing a large number of elite ninja.
These were the disciples of Shi Ninja. Sensing the threat of Naraku, several ninja had joined forces to annihilate him.
To try and assault an entire city single-handedly, even with the enhancement of Cursed Energy, was far too arrogant!
"Sayonara—"
The sound of bodies exploding and scattering was constant. Naraku Ninja had killed dozens of ninja by himself, yet this was just a drop in the ocean.
Most of those he killed were mere scrubs. Against a truly strong opponent, even he would be drawn into a bitter fight. After all, this Naraku had only just been born and possessed a host.
At the triple witching hour, having fought his way into Kyoto, Naraku finally met a worthy opponent.
On an ornate rooftop, silhouetted against the moon, three figures radiated a powerful aura.
This was the main force sent to besiege him: Shi Ninja, Extinction Ninja, and Yamato Ninja.
Of course, Shi Ninja's disciples had not left either. Faced with such an encirclement, there was only one thing Naraku could do—
"Slaughter!" He charged forward without any evasion!
Using his disciples' lives to entangle Naraku, Extinction Ninja unleashed a multitude of chains, restraining Naraku's arms and preventing him from using his shuriken.
Then, cherry-blossom-pink, firefly-like lights drifted past, from which even more of Shi Ninja's disciples continuously emerged! What could he do? Only kill!
"Yeeart—"
Naraku was like an emotionless machine, constantly throwing punches against the siege, fending off the attacking ninja with one hand.
What he failed to notice was that the third figure on the rooftop had vanished. Amidst the cherry-blossom light, the last figure to appear possessed a speed that far surpassed the others.
His speed was faster than Naraku had anticipated—so fast that he couldn't react.
"Gwaah?!" In disbelief, a spiraling spear pierced through Naraku's chest.
This was a relic of a Mythical-grade ninja, a divine weapon they had specifically brought to eliminate Naraku Ninja!
"And with that, it's settled. As expected of the ominous being from the primordial era, his power is truly terrifying."
Shi Ninja breathed a sigh of relief. Despite having only just possessed a host, the oppressive force Naraku Ninja exuded was incredibly fearsome.
However—
Black mist billowed from Naraku Ninja's mouth. His eyes then widened to an inhuman degree, his deathly pale face staring them down.
'Phase Two, Naraku Fully Controlled Form.'
This was something that shouldn't theoretically exist, a form that Ninja Slayer only possessed after Naraku had taken control of his body. But the current Naraku Ninja was Naraku himself!
This was the power brought by 'Jujutsu Karate'—the materialization of the future Ninja Slayer's concept.
No one had anticipated this. And so, accompanied by three cries of 'Sayonara', they exploded and scattered.
The price was that Naraku Ninja's stamina and Cursed Energy were severely depleted, leaving him a spent force.
Schwarzer, just as she said, never appeared again. Venting his rage and hatred all along the way, Naraku finally set foot on the highest point in Kyoto.
"domo, Naraku Ninja-san, I am Katsu Wanshon desu."
A figure whose mere existence brought a terrifyingly oppressive aura greeted him.
Due to Ninja Slayer's actions, he had ultimately chosen to put a stop to him. Perhaps it was the world's corrective force at play; for Ninja Slayer to be born, Naraku had to meet an inescapable end.
"domo, Katsu Wanshon, Naraku Ninja desu."
Facing the world's first ninja, Katsu Wanshon, the progenitor of all ninja, even Naraku had no chance of victory. But he still threw a punch at him!
"Ninja, kill without mercy!"
"Yeeart—"
Thus, the curtain fell on the Heian period's Naraku. All ninja would come to call him the 'Ominous Being of the Primordial Era'.
...
...
"By absorbing this 'Cursed Energy fruit,' can the initial repairs to my soul be completed?"
"Of course. You have to trust my skills, Host."
Ignoring Naraku's fate, Schwarzer took out a mass of pitch-black Cursed Energy—the hope for her soul's restoration.
According to the System, after waking up from a long sleep, she would be back to normal. Of course, it would take nearly a thousand years, but for her, it would feel like an instant.
"When you wake up, it'll be the world of Cyberpunk. That is, the timeline of your familiar Edgerunners or 2077, which is perfect for your rehabilitation activities."
"Interacting more with people will be beneficial for the formation of your emotions. Familiar story characters will make it easier for you to open your heart to them."
This was the System's little plan. Schwarzer was clearly more interested in 'familiar' story characters than in others, and they were more likely to cause emotional fluctuations in her.
However, Schwarzer had a big question about this, which was—
"But isn't this the world of Ninja Slayer now?"
A butterfly flapping its wings can cause a hurricane. What kind of impact would the existence of ninja a thousand years ago have on the world? She couldn't judge at all.
But she felt it certainly wouldn't be without effect. This meant the chances of entering the 2077 timeline a thousand years later were surely not high.
"Don't worry, Host! This world is indeed Cyberpunk 2077. Even if some other things are mixed in, the overall picture won't change."
The timeline of Ninja Slayer is deliberately vague, a 'near-future chaotic era,' a completely fictional cyberpunk age. This means it won't conflict with the worldview of Cyberpunk 2077.
It's very possible that the story of Ninja Slayer only begins in the future, after the stories of David and V have concluded, perhaps when Night City no longer even exists.
And besides... wasn't it still here? If the world's corrective force wasn't enough, the System would personally help with the corrections.
"Then there's one more very important thing. To repair your soul, you need to be in a deep sleep the entire time..."
"During this period, I will need your full 'permissions'. All of them. Everything."
The System spoke with difficulty, asking its Host for her permissions, even control over her body. A truly bold move.
Possessing all permissions meant that if it wanted to, it could even eliminate Schwarzer.
"..." The air fell silent. The System felt what it was like for a day to feel like a year.
"Of course, no problem." Schwarzer gave her reply quickly.
"Really? You don't want to think about it more? What if I..."
"I trust you," Schwarzer interrupted it.
"Okay..." The System could feel her thoughts. It was a trust that came from the bottom of her heart.
Was I the one being overly dramatic in the end? The System felt a sense of resignation.
For hundreds of years, it had been the only one accompanying Schwarzer. If she couldn't even trust the System, who could she trust? Schwarzer refused to entertain such a thought.
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