They traveled through time at the same time, but the villainous scientist

Chapter 145 The Death of Tachibana Munemasa

The next moment, the masked man moved.

That was not a speed that could be measured by common sense, nor was it even the kind of acceleration of the flow of time like the Word of Power: Moment.

It was more like a trampling of space itself; a dark afterimage was forcibly imprinted in the air, while the real body had already torn through the flowing wind and appeared in front of Tachibana Munemasa.

Fast! Extremely fast!

Tachibana Munemasa's pupils suddenly contracted to a dangerous point; he could even smell the aura of blood and madness emanating from the other person.

As the head of the Snake-Headed Eight Families, he had witnessed the full power of the Inuyama family's head, the holder of the Setsuna, but the scene before him far exceeded that scope.

To achieve this speed without using incantations, relying solely on physical explosive power... there is only one explanation.

Emperor...

The thought flashed through my mind like lightning, but my body couldn't react in time.

Tachibana Munemasa only had time to cross his arms to protect his chest before an irresistible force slammed into his arms.

"boom--!"

With a dull thud, Tachibana Munemasa was sent flying backward like a tattered sack struck by a battering ram, crashing heavily into the antique display shelf against the wall.

Precious porcelain and antiques shattered on the ground with a crash, and the wooden shelves also collapsed, burying him halfway in the ruins.

"Cough...cough cough!"

A mouthful of blood mixed with fragments of internal organs gushed from his mouth, staining the tatami mat in front of him red.

He struggled to lift his head, his vision blurred as he looked at the ghostly figure standing silently in the center of the room.

"Young girl... is that you?"

He asked hoarsely, his voice filled with unbelievable pain.

A soft laugh came from beneath the mask, a laugh that was both mocking and cold.

The newcomer slowly raised his hand and removed the hideous demon mask, revealing the beautiful yet cold face of Genji.

Haha! What should I call you?

A cruel smile curved at the corners of Yuan Zhi's lips; her once clear eyes were now filled with only a savage, dark gold.
"Tachibana Munemasa? Or... Mr. Bondarev?"

Bondarev!

The moment the name was uttered, Tachibana Munemasa's pupils contracted sharply.

This is his buried past, a secret known only to him and that man.

“Really? Dr. Herzog told you that…”

Tachibana Munemasa instantly understood everything.

He glanced instinctively at Shigeru Miyamoto, who was huddled in a corner, pale-faced, trembling, and completely terrified, not far away.

A thought took root resolutely in his heart.

"Yes."

Genjiro, carrying the still-dripping knife, walked towards him step by step, each step feeling like stepping on Tachibana Munemasa's heart.

"It's understandable that you resent me."

Tachibana Munemasa's gaze suddenly became unusually calm. He breathed heavily and struggled to pull a small, antique-looking knife from his pocket. It wasn't a weapon, but a container.

He twisted the handle hard and pulled out a sealed syringe containing a viscous liquid as thick as gold.

He looked at the syringe with a complicated expression, which finally turned into a tragic determination. Without hesitation, he plunged the needle into his thigh!
"Ha, how ironic."

Yuan Zhinü stopped and watched this scene with great interest.
"Will the patriarch of the Snake-Headed Eight Families ultimately transform himself into a demon?"

"Roar--!"

Tachibana Munemasa did not answer; instead, he was met with a pained roar that sounded unlike anything in human form. It was the primordial serum extracted from the blood of an ancient dragon embryo, a forbidden secret, capable of forcibly breaking through the shackles of bloodline, at the cost of utter ruin.

His muscles began to swell, fine dark scales emerged beneath his skin, his bones emitted a teeth-grinding crackling sound, and his eyes were completely consumed by a ferocious golden light.

"To fight against evil spirits, one must become an even more ferocious spirit!"

Even in his contorted face, a trace of human will remained.

"This is my realization!"

He abruptly turned to the corner, and with his last ounce of clarity, let out a roar:
"Mao! Run!"

Before the words were even finished, Tachibana Munemasa, transformed into a "demon," charged out like a cannonball. Instead of attacking Miyamoto Shigeru, he crashed straight into Genji, dragging the real "Emperor" with his inhuman body, smashing through wall after wall before disappearing into the depths of the courtyard.

Looking at the huge hole that had been smashed open and the mess all over the ground, Shigeru Miyamoto, who had been trembling all along, slowly straightened up.

He shook his head slightly; the attack was naturally his doing.

This is the downside of using a body double.

Herzog thought he had everything under control, but little did he know that if this shadow warrior named Tachibana Munemasa were killed in full view of everyone, his control over the Snake Clan, built up over many years, would collapse instantly.

Of course, Tachibana Munemasa's prestige over the years is genuine.

This anger, fueled by "death," will naturally transform into overwhelming hatred towards the demons.

This was also done by Dr. Herzog in the original work, to completely ignite the war between the Snake Clan and the Demon Clan at the last moment, so that he could fish in troubled waters.

At this point, a person of sufficient influence is needed to suppress this escalating anger and guide it in the desired direction.

Genjiro is capable, but his trust and feelings for "Tachibana Munemasa" run too deep. He will most likely seek revenge at any cost, which is not the situation Miyamoto Shigeru wants to see.

Therefore, he needs another candidate.

This is precisely why he prioritized finding the "Emperor," Uesugi Etsu, who had been hiding at a ramen stall for half his life a few days ago.

However… Miyamoto Shigeru’s gaze fell on the direction where Tachibana Munemasa had disappeared, and a ripple of emotion stirred within him.

He never expected that Tachibana Munemasa, the shadow warrior, would prioritize protecting him, an "innocent" researcher, in the final moments of his life.

Perhaps it was for the future of the Snake-Headed Eight Families, or perhaps it was for Erii...

But so what? These are nothing but falsehoods built on lies.

For a chess piece, this might be considered its highlight moment.

A moment later, accompanied by light footsteps, Genji walked back from outside the hole.

His black kimono remained impeccably neat and tidy, without even a single wrinkle.

This is the power of the "Emperor"—absolute and overwhelming strength.

Even when facing monsters whose bloodlines have been enhanced by injecting ancient dragon serum...

"Is this okay?"

Genji stopped in front of Miyamoto Shigeru, the dark gold in her eyes had faded, and she had regained her usual melancholy clarity.

"Okay."

Miyamoto Shigeru nodded, calmly meeting his gaze.
"When you go to face the king, don't forget to bring what I gave you."

"understood."

Yuan Zhinv's voice was very soft. He turned around, and his figure quickly disappeared into the night.

after an hour.

A piece of news exploded like a depth charge throughout Japan's underground world—

The current patriarch of the Snake-Headed Eight Families, Tachibana Munemasa... was assassinated...

(End of this chapter)