anwhile, at Lake Kawaguchi, Fuji Castle.
An invisible, enormous barrier enveloped the entire city.
The once bustling streets are now filled with anger and panic.
In the city center square, tens of thousands of civilians held up simple signs and shouted slogans.
"Lift the lockdown! We must survive!"
"Get out of here, Kujo family! Why can't we leave the city?!"
"If the lockdown isn't lifted soon, my whole family will starve to death!"
In the crowd, a emaciated man held his crying daughter, his eyes filled with despair. He had been out of work for three days, and his family's savings had been exhausted yesterday. He didn't know how much longer he could hold on; he only knew that he and his family were about to die.
But their protests went unanswered. On the city walls, armored samurai of the Kujo clan surveyed the scene with expressionless faces.
Chaos is brewing in the corners of the city.
In a secluded alley, a man nad Tanaka kicked open the door of a wealthy rchant's house and rushed in, frantically stuffing all the valuables into sacks: gold and silver jewelry, bundles of banknotes, and so precious ornants.
"We're rich! We're rich!"
Tanaka stared at the bulging sack, his eyes filled with greed. He could almost see himself leaving this place, buying a house in Takamagahara, and marrying a beautiful career woman.
He shouldered the heavy sack, a foolish grin on his face, and disappeared into the depths of the alley.
anwhile, panic and despair spread on the outskirts of the city.
"Hurry! Hurry up!"
"Run west! I heard that the defensive barrier is weakest there!"
A dozen or so figures were running wildly down the empty street.
They were among the few people in the city who learned the truth through various channels.
The Kujo family is going to sacrifice the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in the city to resurrect a monster that has long been dead.
This news made them only want to escape.
The group quickly rushed to the western city wall, where it appeared to be deserted.
"Let's charge!"
The young man in the lead roared and sped up, his face beaming with the joy of surviving a disaster.
However, the next second...
Bang!
A loud bang.
The young man crashed into nothingness, flying backward and slamming heavily to the ground, spitting out blood. A semi-transparent light screen flashed briefly at the spot where he had just struck.
The people following behind were all so frightened that they stopped in their tracks.
"It's...it's a formation barrier!"
"We can't get out...we can't get out!"
A young mother's legs gave way, and she collapsed to the ground, holding her child in her arms and weeping uncontrollably.
No! I don't believe it!
A young man roared in frustration and rushed forward, pounding his fists furiously against the invisible barrier.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The dull thuds continued, the barrier remained unmoved, but the young man's fists were quickly mangled and bloody.
But he seed oblivious to the pain, continuing to pound away frantically, letting out beast-like roars.
"Open the door! Open the door for !"
His roar echoed through the deathly silent street, but sounded pale and powerless.
More and more people who learned the truth flocked to the edge of the city from every corner. They ramd into it with their bodies, slashed it with knives, and tried everything they could to break down that barrier, but all their efforts were in vain.
That barrier of light separated life from death. Cries, curses, and desperate wails rose and fell.
...
On the towering city walls.
A retainer of the Kujo clan, dressed in black samurai attire, watched with great interest the scenes unfolding within the castle. His na was Kenji Sato, and he was a guard officer in charge of the area.
He held a magical device resembling a telescope in his hand, which allowed him to clearly see the scenes unfolding throughout the city.
He first pointed the cara at the protesting civilians in the central square and smiled disdainfully.
"An ant is just an ant. When death is imminent, all its struggles are in vain."
Just then, a steady sound of footsteps ca from behind him.
Kenji Sato imdiately dropped his frivolous expression, turned around, and bowed his head respectfully.
The newcor was dressed in spotless, holy priestly robes, with a slender face and eyes that seed to hold boundless benevolence.
It was none other than Kujo Hiroharu's maternal uncle, Okimura Komo.
Chongwengumao ignored him, walked straight to the edge of the city wall, put his hands together, and perford a devout Buddhist ritual towards the chaotic and desperate city below.
He looked down with compassion at the struggling people in the city, his eyes filled with pity.
"Approximately how many people are still in the city?"
Chong Wengu spoke slowly, his voice gentle, as if he were feeling sorry for these lost lambs.
Kenji Sato dared not be negligent and quickly and respectfully replied.
"Reporting to Lord Gu Mao, Fuji City originally had a permanent population of 270,000."
"More than 70,000 of them are professionals, and we have already arranged for the evacuation of all professionals in the city."
"There are probably around 200,000 ordinary civilians left in the city now."
"Two hundred thousand people..."
Chong Wengu let out a long sigh, his face deepening with sorrow.
Looking at the man's profile, Kenji Sato couldn't help but feel a sense of respect.
As expected of a priest /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ who has guarded the Ise Grand Shrine for many years, he is indeed compassionate.
It seems that Lord Gu Mao was moved by this human tragedy and could not bear to see it.
He was about to speak, to say a few words of advice, such as "This is necessary for the rise of the Kujo family," and so on.
Before he could speak, he heard Chong Wengu, who was beside him, ask a question in the sa compassionate tone.
"Two hundred thousand people, is that enough?"
Kenji Sato's prepared remarks instantly got stuck in his throat.
He was completely stunned, his mind went blank.
What?
Is that enough?
Kenji Sato suddenly raised his head and looked at Kenji Oki.
The other person's kind and compassionate expression remained unchanged, but deep within those gentle eyes lay an unfathomable coldness.
Kenji Sato felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, making the hairs on his body stand on end.
He understood instantly.
I was wrong, terribly wrong.
How could soone from the Kujo family be associated with such a ridiculous word as "kindness"?
"Go back... back to your lord..."
Kenji Sato's voice trembled slightly, and he quickly lowered his head.
"We were doing everything according to Lord Hongzhi's instructions."
"It should be enough...".
"perhaps?"
Chongwen Gumao's tone remained gentle, but Sato Kenji detected a hint of displeasure in it.
"I don't want to hear vague answers, give a definite answer."
The invisible pressure instantly soaked Kenji Sato's back with cold sweat.
He dared not hesitate any longer and answered decisively.
"That's more than enough!"
"Lord Gu Mao, please rest assured, it's more than enough!"
To make his point more convincing, he even gave an example.
"After all, it only took 130,000 people to revive Lord Qin Ze!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, Kenji Sato wished he could slap himself.
He felt the temperature around him drop suddenly.
Chong Wengu slowly turned his head, his "kind" eyes looking at him quietly, but there was no longer any gentleness in them.
All that remained was a bone-chilling cold.
"you an."
"Lord Kujo Kagemasa's strength is inferior to that of an outsider, Qin Ze?"
"boom!"
Kenji Sato felt as if sothing had exploded in his head.
His legs went weak, and he almost knelt on the ground.
Cold sweat poured down his forehead like a waterfall.
He finally realized what a foolish mistake he had made.
To compare the resurrected ancestor of the Kujo family with that resurrected outsider is itself a great disrespect!
Moreover, he inadvertently ntioned the number "130,000," as if implying that Lord Shadow was not worthy of having 200,000 offerings.
"No! That's not it! Lord Gu Mao!"
Kenji Sato was terrified and frantically waved his hands.
"I...I absolutely didn't an that!"
"I just... I just wanted to say that there are absolutely enough people! Please rest assured!"
Chong Wengu looked at him coldly, as if he were looking at a dead man.
I don't care what you an.
"If there aren't enough people, it could cause any problems with Lord Shadow's resurrection ritual."
"I'll just throw you off here to make up the numbers."
Kenji Sato's body trembled violently, his teeth chattered, and he couldn't utter a single word.
He could tell that the other person wasn't joking.
Chong Wengu ignored this good-for-nothing who was almost scared out of his wits.
He raised his hand and glanced at the antique watch on his wrist.
"It's about ti."
"Let's get started."
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