In a broad sense, the reason Gouzo Usumaki had agreed to play the part of Gu Jie was that both men were, in their own ways, "victims."
Gouzo had lost not only the Yotsuba—who were like kin to him—but also his own biological son to the machinations of the "Senate." Gu Jie, meanwhile, had been stripped of his status and exiled from his homeland after losing a power struggle within the Kunlun Fang Institute. Both men knew the darkness of the world; both had lost much. If their paths had diverged so wildly, it was likely because one still held the anchor of "family" while the other did not.
Gouzo was well aware that it was the Senate who had planted the seeds of vengeance in Gu Jie's heart. He suspected it was a plot by the Todo and Kashiwa clans to socially ruin powerhouses like himself and Senhime. Knowing this, Gouzo hadn't exerted much effort in hunting Gu Jie down—until the man became a nuisance to his own children and grandchildren. Now, as he cleaned up the mess, Gouzo could only let out a weary sigh.
"Elder Heigu, it's Du. May I enter?"
"Come in."
Gouzo, perfectly disguised as Gu Jie, looked up as the man entered. This was the individual who had assisted Gu Jie in his escape from Zama. He introduced himself as "Joe Du," though Gouzo inwardly smirked at the name—it was an obvious play on "John Doe," the name given to unidentified bodies or suspects.
Joe had checked on Gouzo's (as Gu Jie) safety the previous night before vanishing, but he showed no signs of suspicion. The transformation was flawless. Yugen, with his unconventional genius, had taken the ancient technique of Parade and evolved it into Phantom Illusion—a spell capable of perfectly replicating the target's Psion pattern. Gouzo maintained the disguise through a specialized CAD that allowed for intermittent activation.
"I've moved the cargo ship from Numazu to Hiratsuka," Joe reported. "We should head there immediately."
"And if the enemy has set a net?" Gouzo asked in Gu Jie's voice.
"I've prepared countermeasures... When shall we depart?"
So far, secret reports showed no movement from the Ten Master Clans' tactical units. But if they were to strike, it would be tonight. The real Gu Jie would have surely thought the same.
"We move in the evening. At that hour, civilians will still be in the city. They won't be able to make a reckless move."
"Understood."
As Joe left the room, Gouzo exhaled. He was nearing ninety—a milestone of an age. He had already passed the torch to his successor, but retirement remained a distant dream. Once domestic matters were settled, international troubles were bound to surface.
"...I hold no personal grudge," Gouzo murmured to the empty room. "But I'll need you to serve as a foundation for the next generation."
He was the only one who knew those words were the closest thing to a prayer he could offer Gu Jie.
Both the Ten Master Clans and the USNA military had pinpointed Gu Jie's location—or rather, the location of Gouzo-as-Gu Jie—and both had mobilized. The tactical unit was led by Katsuto, accompanied by Masaki, Toya, and Tatsuya, who knew the truth. To add a layer of authenticity, Lina joined them, disguised as "Angie Sirius."
"Will he be alright?" Miyuki asked.
"Well, that depends on how the Old Man decides to move... though it looks like he's knocked out 'Joseph Doe' and is heading toward Hiratsuka New Port," Yugen replied.
On the surface, the narrative was simple: the Ten Master Clans were chasing a terrorist while the USNA tried to interfere. In reality, Gouzo was driving the vehicle alone toward Hiratsuka. The fact that he hadn't sacrificed "Joe Du" was perhaps a small mercy on his part.
Yugen stood on the deck of a ship, clad in the combat uniform of the Shinkai. Miyuki stood beside him, wearing a matching outfit, her eyes fixed on him.
"No unexpected movements from the USNA... Right, let's begin. Captain, how long until we reach the target sea zone?"
"Estimated thirty minutes, Excellency," the captain's voice crackled over the comms.
"Thank you. Maintain strict vigilance until the operation is complete."
"Understood, sir!"
Standing on the winter sea, the wind was biting. Yugen maintained a localized dampening field to block the chill. The captain addressed Yugen with the deference due to a high-ranking National Defense Force official; Yugen's connections with Soga and Kazama had placed him high in the pecking order. Yugen looked slightly annoyed by the formal military register—he still struggled to speak like an adult in these settings—which brought a hidden smile to Miyuki's face.
"By the way, Yugen-sama... where on earth did you procure an aircraft carrier of this scale?"
They were standing at the edge of the catapult deck. The ship was massive, far exceeding the size of the Zuikaku-class carriers recently unveiled to the public. For a maritime nation, such a vessel was a necessary deterrent, but a 350-meter supercarrier would surely set neighboring countries on edge.
Yugen had commissioned it as a NDF asset specifically to draw eyes away from Tatsuya. He had funded the entire construction from his personal assets; eventually, the government would buy it back for official operation, so his pockets wouldn't hurt in the long run.
"I didn't just procure it; I had it built. It's a new type of nuclear carrier equipped with 'Solar Reactors'—the Zuiho-class."
"Nuclear" was the official classification, as both fusion and fission utilized atomic power. Publicly, it ran on hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells, with the Solar Reactors acting as a subsystem. In truth, the "Solar Reactor"—or Stellar Reactor—was a concept from fiction: a device that achieved mass collapse of heavy particles without evaporation to provide near-infinite energy. Yugen had solved the "fictional" problems of the theory using magic, allowing for its manufacture on Earth.
Because it was a mass of classified technology, the power source was entirely black-boxed. Maintenance could only be performed by a select few technicians under the Kamigazaka family's employ, and Yugen had no intention of installing it on any ship other than the Zuiho.
"Is it different from Onii-sama's Stellar Reactor?"
"The basic theory is the same, but the four Solar Reactors I built utilize a significant amount of Ancient Magic technology. One is on this ship; the other three will serve as subsystems for the main Stellar Reactor."
Truthfully, he had built four simply because he had been experimenting with Duplication and got carried away. Since it would be a waste not to use them, he'd relegated them to backup functions for the power grid. He intended to pass this secret only to those who would eventually carry the Kamigazaka name.
"Now then, as for the tactical unit... ah, here comes the USNA."
Katsuto, Masaki, and Toya were being stalled by USNA forces. Suddenly, the interference squad—both soldiers and their weapons—erupted into flames.
"Miyuki, are you okay?" Yugen asked, glancing at the monitor.
"Y-yes... To think they would go that far..."
"I'm not defending the USNA, but they can't afford to leave evidence. That was a self-destruct spell."
It was a sickening sight. Yugen placed a comforting hand on Miyuki's head as she turned pale. He kept his eyes on the screen. The USNA soldiers would be handled; Ten Master Clan units were nearby and could recover them within twenty-four hours.
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