And so, under Cloud's "galaxy-brain moves," an alliance that could only be called bizarre was formed.
Cloud openly "planted" Mature and Vice—that sexy, alluring "Hakkesshu sister duo"—into Norton's bodyguard team.
Ostensibly to boost the patron's security, but actually serving two purposes:
One: Monitor this "sugar daddy" Norton and prevent him from going off-script and causing trouble.
Two: Let this "golden sleeper agent" duo get close to Ryuji Yamazaki, facilitating their "conversion" work.
When Mature and Vice appeared in Norton's office wearing sexy business attire, Billy felt his worldview collapse yet again.
"What... what the actual hell?!"
He looked at these two "new colleagues" who outclassed Mary in both figure and presence, then at Cloud wearing a "just as planned" smile, and could only think one thing: Is this guy... a demon?
Having handled the "patron daddy" situation, Cloud immediately rushed back to Kusanagi Castle.
With the final battle imminent, it was time to retrieve the legendary "Three Sacred Treasures" Kusanagi Sword and upgrade his equipment slot.
Inside the Kusanagi family ancestral hall, where generations of family heads' memorial tablets were enshrined.
Cloud faced the stern-looking Saisyu Kusanagi and got straight to the point: "Time's about right. Lend me the family Kusanagi Sword for a couple days."
At this, Saisyu's face showed an expression of extreme embarrassment—worse than a week of constipation.
"Um... Cloud..." He hemmed and hawed, hesitant to speak.
"What? Can't bear to part with it?" Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Relax, I promise not to use it to cut watermelons."
"No... it's not that..." Saisyu wiped cold sweat from his forehead, then finally gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and came clean:
"It's... it's not here with us!"
"Huh?" Cloud was stunned. "Not with you? Then where? Aren't you the guardians of the Kusanagi Sword? What, did the divine artifact grow legs and run off?"
"It's a long story..." Saisyu's aged face flushed crimson. "Back then, after the decisive battle with the Orochi clan, the Kusanagi Sword was damaged. The previous family head sealed the divine sword in a place... we believed to be the safest location."
"Where?"
"The molten core... at the base of Mount Fuji."
Cloud: "..."
He was silent for a full ten seconds before processing this information.
"You... threw a fire-attribute divine artifact... into a volcano?!" Cloud felt his brain struggling to keep up. "Were you worried its fire power wasn't strong enough and wanted to warm it up? This is some galaxy-brain stuff!"
"Ahem, we descendants cannot fathom the previous generations' thinking..." Saisyu said awkwardly. "Anyway, that's the situation. Our Kusanagi family hasn't seen the actual Kusanagi Sword in decades."
Cloud was utterly speechless.
So this "Three Sacred Treasures" alliance was more unreliable than the last.
The Yagami clan turned their magatama into a "cursed artifact."
The Kagura clan broke their mirror and needed an "outsider" like him to fix it.
And the Kusanagi clan was the most impressive of all—they straight-up lost the family heirloom...
This generation of Sacred Treasures guardians was hopeless. Absolutely hopeless!
"Fine." Cloud rubbed his forehead and heaved a long sigh. "Looks like I'll have to go treasure hunting myself."
He turned to leave, calling out to Kyo, who was being lovey-dovey with Yuki outside the ancestral hall: "Kyo! Stop dating! Pack your things!"
"Our family heirloom's been lost. We... need to go fish it out of Mount Fuji!"
Kyo: "???"
A spur-of-the-moment "Mount Fuji Treasure Hunt" thus began in this supremely farcical atmosphere.
And Cloud came to deeply understand a truth: Don't fear godlike opponents—fear pig-headed teammates.
Mount Fuji—this unfortunate volcano that had just experienced a "demolition-grade" battle and had its peak shaved off—hadn't even had time to file an insurance claim before welcoming two more uninvited guests.
Cloud and Kyo stood side by side at the edge of that massive, hideous crater, peering down.
Inside the seemingly bottomless volcano, crimson magma roiled like molten steel, bubbling with enormous gas pockets.
Scorching heat blasted their faces—hot enough to char an ordinary person to cinders in an instant.
The air reeked of sulfur and a burnt meat smell (courtesy of the late Emperor).
"We... we really have to go down there?" Kyo gulped, feeling his throat nearly seared dry.
Though he was a fire-wielding genius, facing nature's most primal, most violent flame power, he instinctively felt... a bit cowardly.
"Obviously." Cloud shot him a look with a "how are you this weak" expression. "The ancestors threw the family treasure down here. Are we supposed to wait for it to grow legs and climb up? If we don't go down and fish it out, who will?"
He patted Kyo's shoulder, speaking earnestly: "Show me the results of your recent demon training. Unleash your most powerful strength with everything you've got. Let me see if you've improved."
"What? Here?" Kyo looked confused.
"Yes, right here." Cloud nodded, his face showing a "friendly" smile.
Though he didn't know what Cloud was plotting, out of absolute trust in him, Kyo took a deep breath and began circulating the Kusanagi blood within him.
"HAAAH—!!!"
With a roar, crimson flames—more refined and dominating than ever before—erupted from his body!
Those flames transformed into a pillar of fire shooting skyward, dyeing the surrounding clouds a brilliant red!
...
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