Shinji waited on the rooftop for a long time, but the group of people inside showed no sign of leaving. His patience was slowly but surely wearing thin.
After weighing the options — come back another day versus just go in now — for exactly 0.01 seconds, he chose the latter.
After all, they were just a bunch of ordinary people. First of all, it was unlikely they would even detect him. And even if they did… so what?
He jumped in through a window at the back. Inside, he saw a man sitting upright at a table, eyes closed, radiating a natural authority that commanded respect even without him trying.
The aura of someone accustomed to being in power was unmistakable. This must be the country's feudal lord.
He certainly looked far more capable than the Lord of the Land of Salt Shinji had met earlier. Though of course, looks could be deceiving — he might be all show and no substance.
After observing him for a moment longer, Shinji prepared to walk over, knock him out first, grab what he came for, and leave.
But as luck would have it, at that exact moment, Ishikura Yoshiakira opened his eyes suddenly, as if struck by a sudden realization.
And upon seeing Shinji, instead of panicking or shouting for help, he merely frowned slightly and asked, "Who are you? Were you sent from the other side to kill me?"
Ishikura remained calm. He knew very well: since this person was able to get right next to him without a sound, he could also kill him instantly before anyone could respond to a shout.
Any outburst or rash action would only hasten his own death.
The best approach was what he was doing now — responding calmly, guiding the conversation, regaining control of the situation, and finding a way to survive.
Shinji had no idea what was going through the man's mind, but his composed reaction was exactly why Shinji hadn't knocked him out immediately.
"You think too highly of yourself. I'm just here to retrieve something. I'll be gone once I have it. If you're willing to cooperate and stay out of the way like you are now, I won't have to knock you out. Though honestly, I'd still prefer to just knock you out — it saves time and effort. I really hate trouble."
But right then, Ishikura Yoshiakira spoke the wisest words of his entire life, delivered as quickly as he could.
"No need to knock me out. I give you my word — I will not cause you even the slightest bit of trouble from this moment on."
Shinji looked at him again. "Fine then. But if you break your word, I'll just send you on your way. Saves you from agonizing over decisions here, anyway."
Ishikura glanced at the two swords displayed on a shelf nearby and gave a bitter smile.
Shinji meant what he said. He ignored the lord completely, walked straight over to a bookshelf, and took out his Cursed Treasure Map.
Despite being called "treasure hunting", there was no actual digging involved.
The moment he reached the marked location, the map crumbled away on its own, releasing a bright white light.
From within the light, a small box materialized and dropped into Shinji's hand.
"Tut‑tut… wonder what useless thing I'm getting this time."
He muttered quietly to himself, completely missing the sight of Ishikura Yoshiakira's eyes growing wide in shock.
Was there some kind of treasure hidden inside my own room… and I never knew?!
But clearly, whatever was inside that box had nothing to do with him. He had never heard his ancestors speak of anything like this.
Which meant that even if he wanted to claim it for himself, he had no legitimate reason to do so.
Besides, this young man in front of him was obviously no one to provoke. He wasn't even worried about Ishikura watching — meaning he certainly wasn't worried about Ishikura trying anything.
Instinct told him that if he did try anything foolish, he would die a very ugly death.
Under Ishikura's watchful gaze, Shinji casually opened the box.
"What the hell… is this… a yo‑yo?"
---
Cursed Object — [Invincible Fire Wheel]
Invincibility: When released and spinning, it generates a glowing barrier around the user — the visual effects look cheap and low‑budget, but the barrier is absolutely unbreakable.
The more elaborate the tricks performed, the longer the effect lasts. Cooldown: 48 hours.
Note: You… you wouldn't happen to be the Yo‑Yo Master of the modern age, would you?!
---
Damn… it really is a yo‑yo!
Shinji's face darkened. He had no words.
But as he read the description of its ability, his eyes lit up instantly.
Who cared if the effects looked cheap? As long as the invincibility was real, it was worth it!
He couldn't help but grip the Invincible Fire Wheel tightly in his hand.
It had been ages since he played with one of these things, sure… but back in the day, he was a true master of the "Yo‑Yo Path" — dominating the entire first grade with his signature technique: Sleeping Dog Walking!
Ha!
Behold — Phantom Light Cyclone!
Holding the yo‑yo, he swung it downward with full force.
Thwack.
The Invincible Fire Wheel slammed straight onto the floor and bounced high up into the air.
Thank goodness it was made of special material as a Cursed Object.
If this has happened back in elementary school, he'd be running to buy a new one already.
His face burned with embarrassment. He couldn't help but glare fiercely at Ishikura Yoshiakira!
Clearly, unable to accept his own failure, Shinji was looking for someone else to blame — bad workman blames his tools… or in this case, the audience.
There were only two people in the whole room. So obviously… this guy was the one distracting him and ruining his performance!
Yes. Perfect logic. No flaws here.
Ishikura had no idea what was happening, but to save his life, he immediately lowered his head, not daring to meet Shinji's eyes or give him any excuse to make trouble.
Seeing that the man had clearly "realized his mistake", Shinji's expression softened slightly.
Then, carefully adjusting the height and angle, he threw it again.
Alright… got it this time!
Vvvvt…
The Invincible Fire Wheel spun for less than a second before coming to a dead stop.
Shinji barely caught a glimpse of a faint shimmering film of light flashing around his body before vanishing.
Dammit!
And… it's gone already?!
Shinji stood there stunned, face darkening further.
He checked the item status — and sure enough, it had entered cooldown.
So my skills are only worth half a second of invincibility?!
He was indignant!
He hadn't even gotten to use his ultimate moves yet: Sun and Moon Dimmed, Phantom Shockwave, Lunar Core Fission, and a whole list of others! Why'd it stop?!
He picked it up, rewound the string tight, and tried again to prove himself.
But once on cooldown, the Invincible Fire Wheel went completely limp — entering some sort of meditative, unresponsive state.
No matter how hard Shinji threw it, flicked it, or shook it… it remained lifeless, refusing to spin even once.
Truly… a Cursed Object with a personality of its own!
Shinji admitted defeat.
He put it away, frustration bubbling up inside him. With a foul expression, he prepared to leave.
Seeing him about to go, Ishikura Yoshiakira finally couldn't hold back any longer.
Although he could tell from his expression that this stranger was in a terrible mood, Ishikura was backed into a corner. He had to try — throwing good hope after bad.
"Wait, please."
"I just said I hate trouble. You trying to make me send you on your way right now?"
Ishikura threw caution to the wind. "My life matters little… but would you grant me a moment to speak?"
"No."
"..."
Even though that was exactly the kind of answer he expected, Ishikura went ahead anyway.
He told Shinji everything — the whole truth about the monster soldiers, how the mysterious stranger had come to him first, his refusal to grant living sacrifices, and how the Land of Claws had agreed instead. He laid it all bare.
____________________
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