"..."
"..."
The roar of Kazahana Doto gave voice to the hidden feelings of countless people from small nations. Facing the Great Nations, they truly possessed no power to resist.
Kazahana Sosetsu: "I only wanted spring to come to the Land of Snow. Is that a crime?"
Kazahana Doto: "Hmph, it's too late for talk now."
Doto's conviction was shattered. The Sky Screen had laid him bare; not only the miraculous geothermal generator but even the Chakra Armor—which he hadn't even finished researching yet—was displayed in its entirety. He could already foresee that it wouldn't be long before ninjas from every nation swarmed the Land of Snow to demand the forging methods for the armor and to carve up his territory.
On this land, the people of the Land of Snow no longer had a voice.
[ "You're lying." Kazahana Koyuki's voice was ice-cold.
"What?" Doto froze.
"You sought power only for your own ambition. Claiming it was for the Land of Snow is nothing but a lie!" Her voice sounded strange, but Doto failed to notice.
He simply wanted to laugh. "What does it matter now?"
He began ordering his subordinates to retreat. He needed to preserve his strength and consider how to use this geothermal generator to bargain for more interests.
"I'm afraid you aren't going anywhere."
"Kazahana Koyuki, do you really think I won't kill you?"
Doto was incensed. He had spared her life only because he feared his brother might have rigged the key to the treasure; he thought keeping her around might prove useful. But now, Koyuki was useless, yet she dared to test his patience. Murderous intent filled his eyes.
However, when he turned to face her, he saw a pair of golden pupils.
Unlike Hoshino Hitomi's golden eyes—which featured a diamond pattern at the center and rotating gears around the iris—Koyuki's pupils contained a diamond-cross pattern that divided the entire eye into four quadrants.
Looking into those golden eyes, Doto instinctively felt something was wrong. But since all intelligence regarding Hoshino Hitomi was classified—known only to a select few even within Konoha—he didn't know what this change signified.
"Hmph, cheap tricks!"
Doto strode forward, reaching out his right hand to seize Koyuki by the throat.
But at that moment, the clouds in the sky shifted violently. Visible Honkai Energy began to converge upon the area, and the energy falling from the heavens started to gestate Honkai Beasts.
"This... how is this possible!?"
Kakashi's trembling voice was filled with disbelief. No one who had survived that disaster could ever forget this sight—the very scene that had brought ruin to Konoha.
"Quick, retreat! Leave this place immediately!"
Asuma didn't hesitate for a second and gave the order! His team, along with Naruto and the others, realized something was terribly wrong and followed the command to flee.
As they ran, they frequently looked back. Their gazes toward the center of the storm were a complex mix of confusion, fear, and hatred. They didn't know why the disaster that struck Konoha was appearing here, but they knew that if they didn't run now, they wouldn't escape at all. ]
Senju Tobirama: "I couldn't observe closely before because it happened so suddenly, but now it seems those monsters called Honkai Beasts are truly constructed from this energy known as Honkai Energy."
Orochimaru: "Indeed, I find it hard to believe myself. I've consulted the Sages of Ryuchi Cave; even Natural Energy doesn't possess such miraculous properties."
Senju Hashirama: "I know of some strange lifeforms, but those are incorporeal monsters and weren't nearly this terrifying."
A: "The key is Kazahana Koyuki. Though the details differ, their eyes are both golden. That is no coincidence."
[ Doto didn't see the Konoha group fleeing. Even if he had, he likely couldn't have done anything about it, because in that brief instant, he had already been pinned to the ground.
Specifically, while he was supposed to be choking Koyuki, he only saw a few black shadows in his peripheral vision before his body was sent flying, stopping only when he slammed into the stone wall.
It wasn't until a sharp pain shot through his limbs that he realized he was pinned to the rock like a lamb to the slaughter.
"What... what kind of attack is this? I had no time to react."
Doto was in shock. Only then did he see that what held him were four black-and-white spears. These spears were so sharp they had instantly pierced through his armor's energy shield and the indestructible armor itself. This was the most unbelievable part.
He looked at the protective device on his chest, which had exploded from overload, and the power source beneath it. Then he looked at Kazahana Koyuki, who was walking slowly toward him, cold as frost.
Every one of her steps felt like it was treading directly on his heart; with every stride, he seemed to move one step closer to death.
"Fire! Open fire!"
Doto's roar finally brought the crews on the airships and the distant trains to their senses. They swiveled their cannons toward Koyuki. At this point, Doto no longer cared about the geothermal generator; he only wanted her dead!
Seeing the muzzles turning toward her, Koyuki let out a disdainful smirk.
Tap.
Koyuki lifted her foot, but this time she did not step on the grass. She stepped onto the air.
Beneath her feet, it was as if an invisible staircase existed. She tread upon space itself, the crisp sound of her footsteps echoing as she walked higher into the sky.
With every step, the Honkai Energy around her grew denser, until the visible energy wrapped around her body, causing her clothing to transform.
The clothes she wore gradually vanished, replaced in a burst of light by a magnificent suit of armor. Snowflake patterns were engraved on the chest and abdomen. Around her neck was a collar of soft leather, looking as though it were fashioned from the finest mink.
A large portion of the smooth, fair skin on her back was exposed, though partially obscured by her flowing black hair. A skirt attached to the armor covered half her thighs, and above those, a pair of black silk stockings with golden patterns hugged her straight legs, revealing the absolute territory in between. On her feet were a pair of high-heeled ankle boots in a black and gold color scheme.
Behind her waist, a long sash trailed down to her ankles, swaying in the wind.
At that moment, the Herrscher of the Void—Kazahana Koyuki—was born! ]